New Delhi:
After the driest June in years, the BJP-led government - set to present its first Budget next week - is in crisis mode to combat a weak monsoon and rising prices. The price of the staple onion, for long an issue of political sensitivity, is expected to keep rising.
Here are the 10 latest developments in this story
The Narendra Modi government has called an emergency meeting of all state food ministers this Friday, to ensure proper supply of essential commodities.( BJP Preps to Combat and Explain Price Rise to Public)
Onions are already selling dearer this week than they were last week - Delhi has seen an almost 50 per cent jump in prices and in Mumbai onions are costlier by Rs 10 a kg. Farmers in Nasik, the country's onion hub, say prices will go up further in the coming days. ( Onion Prices Shoot Up, No Relief in Sight)
The Iraq crisis has had a big impact on crude oil prices, driving up the cost of petrol and diesel. Oil marketing companies have hiked petrol prices by Rs. 1.69/litre and diesel by Rs. 0.50/litre, effective from 1st July, citing the unrest. Today, the price of non subsidised LPG cylinders was raised by over 16 rupees. (Petrol Price Hiked by Rs. 1.69 a Litre, Diesel by 50 Paise)
The Union Food Secretary has written to all states asking them to crack down on hoarders. They have been asked to use the provisions of the essential commodities act if necessary. The government had ordered a crackdown on hoarding on June 17 to control the rising food prices and imposed export restrictions on certain farm commodities.
The worst impact of below-normal rains is likely in west India with drought-like conditions in some areas, Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh said today. Some of the worst affected regions are in Gujarat and in coastal Andhra Pradesh.
Very little rain because of a truant southwest monsoon has meant sowing has not started in most areas and that is expected to push up food prices.
Union Food and Civil Supplies Minister Ramvilas Paswan said today that despite the Met Department warning that there is less rainfall, there will be no shortage of foodgrain in the country.
"The government has enough stock of wheat and rice to meet foodgrain requirements of the country for a year and the country is fully prepared to meet a situation like drought in the event of less rainfall," he said.
The ruling BJP plans an elaborate public perception management exercise to tackle adverse publicity. It will use its MPs and state units to reach out to the people and explain the reasons behind the rise of rail fares, petrol and diesel and food.
It blames what it calls bad decisions made by the previous Congress-led UPA regime. "For 10 years, what they have done is all there, people have witnessed it. Inflation is really a problem but as we know, we have a legacy problem," Union minister Prakash Javadekar said adding, "Our government under the leadership of Narendra Modiji is taking basic policy decisions. So there will be relief for common people in the long term."
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