Harikishan Sharma

Addressing a press conference via video conference, Union Food Secretary Sudhanshu Pandey said, “By 2025, total production of ethanol… it is going to be grain-based 740 crore litres and sugar-based 760 crore litres. So, overall, 1,500 crore litres supplies...”

The plans, sources said, are part of the measures being put in place in anticipation of the next surge as the second wave abates and pressure on health infrastructure eases.

The MSP increase ahead of the kharif season was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In an address to the nation, the Prime Minister said the Centre will buy 75 per cent of doses from vaccine makers, including 25 per cent of the state quota, and give it for free to state governments. No state government, he said, will have to spend on vaccine procurement.

In a statement, IFFCO said the “World’s 1st Nano Urea Liquid” was unveiled during its 50th annual general body meeting.

The latest data available with the Food Corporation of India (FCI) shows wheat procurement reached 405 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) till May 29 in the ongoing rabi marketing season (RMS)—4 per cent higher than 390 LMT in RMS 2020-21.

The demand for medical oxygen has come down to about 6,000 metric tonnes (MT) a day from the peak of over 8,900 MT a day about a month ago, a source said.

This was conveyed by a senior UP government official to the Centre during a meeting on May 15, held under the chairmanship of Pankaj Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS) with the officers of UP and Bihar.

The prices of six edible oils have risen sharply in the last one year. How much edible oil do Indians consume? What domestic and international factors have caused this price rise, and what is the way forward?

The increase in prices of cooking oils comes in a midst of a pandemic and lockdowns in different states that have hit economic activities.

“Actual consumption has dropped to 8,000 MT a day from around 8,900 MT a day,” an official said. While the quantity supplied has dropped, it is still much higher than the demand recorded during the first wave of Covid-19 last year.

All nine leaders of the SKM are signatories to the letter, including Balbir Singh Rajewal, Darshan Pal, Gurnam Singh Chadhuni, Hannan Mollah, Jagjit Singh Dallewal, Joginder Singh Ugrahan, Shiv Kumar Kakka, Yogendra Yadav and Yudhvir Singh.

On vaccine wastage, PM Modi said that every dose wasted is denying someone protection shield against the disease

Interacting with state and district officials, including District Magistrates, on Covid-19 management, the Prime Minister said, “Corona numbers are decreasing in some states; in others they are going up. There is a need to be more vigilant in the face of this drop in cases.”

Sources said this was conveyed by NMCG to senior officials of both states during a meeting chaired by Jal Shakti Secretary Pankaj Kumar on Saturday.

This was the first time that Bengal farmers received this benefit; the state had thus far stayed away from the central scheme.

“I want to alert all farmers, all brothers and sisters living in villages, about Corona again. The infection is now reaching the village at a rapid pace,” he said addressing several Chief Ministers of states over a video conference.

Sources said while two of the companies that have sent quotations are foreign, one is domestic, and they have offered to deliver the medical oxygen over three months, rather than the government's hope of three weeks.

The data, which is based on an allocation order dated May 8, also shows that the combined allocation by the Centre to the states and UTs has crossed the 10,000 metric tonnes per day (MT/day) mark.

The data, which is based on an allocation order dated May 8, also shows that the combined allocation by the Centre to the states and UTs has crossed the 10,000 metric tonnes per day (MT/day) mark.

Over the last few weeks, many of them have written to the Chief Minister with these complaints, prompting Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who has himself only recently recovered from Covid-19, to start visiting hotspot districts in the state and review arrangements.

The April 2021 figure is provisional and likely to be revised upwards. This is because muster rolls data of the last week of the month gets updated over the first fortnight of the following month.

The figures were shared during a press conference, which was addressed by Food Secretary Sudhanshu Pandey through video conference.

To increase the availability of medical oxygen at all government hospitals, the Group has set a deadline for setting up PSA oxygen plants.