With scanty rainfall hampering sowing of summer crops, studies by four IIMs have revealed that various states failed to utilise nearly 15 million hectares of irrigation potential created by the end of the Xth (2002-07) Five Year Plan. The studies found that out of 102 million hectares of irrigation potential created by the end of the Xth Five Year Plan, 87.2 million hectares were utilised -- leaving a gap of 14.8 million hectares. Studies have observed that the gap between the irrigation potential created and utilised has widened considerably through various plans. The studies had found lack of proper operation and maintenance, incomplete distribution system, changes in initially designed cropping pattern and diversion of irrigable land for other purposes as the main reasons behind widening of the gap. PTI120809

The overall rainfall deficiency this year was 25 per cent of the long period average, second only to the severe drought year of 2002-03. Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal have been hit the most. These six accounted for 47 per cent of the total kharif food grain production and 46 per cent of the total kharif rice production in India. According to the Agriculture Ministry’s latest Crop Weather Watch Report, released here on Monday, farmers had, as on 6TH Aug, sown only 228 lakh hectares (lh) under paddy as compared to 286 lh during the same period of the 2008-09 kharif season. This may eventually be reflected in the total kharif rice production, which, after last year’s record 84.58 million tonnes (mt), could end up around 20 mt lower. The other crop to have suffered heavily is groundnut, with farmers managing to sow only 35.72 lh, against last year’s corresponding coverage of 45.54 lh. Much of this is courtesy Andhra Pradesh, which has seen a dip in acreage, from 12.46 lh to 4.57 lh.  Three crops to have shown notable acreage increases are cotton (from 79.47 lh to 92.92 lh), maize (60.47 lh to 65.02 lh) and soyabean (91.31 lh to 93.68 lh). Rice production may drop by 30% this Kharif on monsoon blues

India may produce 30 per cent less rice this Kharif season at close to 60 million tonnes even if the monsoon revives this month, partially offsetting the huge deficit in sowing areas of the crop, say rice millers India. CMIE expects crop production to fall by 4.7% this year. Rice production is projected to fall by 9.6%, sugarcane by 6.7%, cotton 5%, groundnut 12.8% and coarse cereals 8.8%. BL Aug. 10

The WPI fails to reflect the ground realities at the retail level and the hardships being faced by an average housewife. The retail prices of food grains have gone up by 15-20 per cent over the past three months, while those of pulses have shot up by over 60 per cent. Prices of vegetables and fruits have almost doubled and those of sugar, tea and milk are up 40 per cent, 25 per cent and 10 per cent respectively. Reports indicate that several lakh tonnes of pulses as also sugar worth Rs 1,600 crore, have been lying unclaimed at the country’s major ports as the PSUs concerned have not lifted the quantities assigned to them for want of quality-clearing inspectors, according to Government sources.

In June-July alone, consumers have seen an enormous rise in prices of varieties of pulses most in demand, besides sugar, groundnut oil, tea and potato, according to analysis of 14 essential commodities collated by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs. The rise in prices of food items in June and July this year has been up to 32 per cent, against 18 per cent in the corresponding period of 2008, the data showed. PTI 120809

As part of a long-term strategy to end the shortage of red gram whose price has shot up almost to Rs. 90 a kg, Andhra Pradesh C M announced another hike of Rs 500 a quintal in the minimum support price (MSP). As a result of this announcement, the MSP on red gram is now Rs 3,500 a quintal, including Rs 2,000 announced by the Centre. TH 110809

Government said in the Rajya Sabha that there were difficulties in meeting targets of thermal power generation because of shortage of equipment and manpower and pointed out that the country faces a shortage of 15,000 MW. In order to achieve additional target of 78,700 MW set for the 11th Five Year Plan, BHEL has enhanced its capacity to deliver main plant equipment. Th270709

N. Jayaprakash Narayan, Lok Satta, lambasted the government for the superficial treatment it gave to every problem while formulating the Budget. One such problem was that the lift irrigation schemes taken up in the State would require a huge 6000-10,000 MW of installed capacity to generate power needed to operate them. “Have you given any thought to this serious aspect?” The power sector, at this rate, might require a subsidy of Rs 15,000 crore annually after two or three years. TH040809

Originally, the IAS was seen as a replica of the ICS, incorruptible, independent, public-spirited and result-oriented. The expectation was that the contacts of the members of the Service with the people at the grassroots, their variegated experience and liberal educational background will help their capacity for analysing the pros and cons, and decision-making and implementation will benefit from their sound judgment, thoroughness and ability to present viable options in a way intelligible to the policymakers.

These assumptions have been considerably eroded in the last 60 years. There are many instances of non-IAS persons inducted into top echelons usually earmarked for the IAS distinguishing themselves by their high calibre and competence. Further, the complexities and challenges of a democratic polity like India demand an egalitarian structure, doing away with a virtual caste-system operating in the form of various Services suffering from a sense of discrimination. Appointment based on the result of a one-time competitive examination with no periodical weeding out of the incompetent induces smugness and militates against accountability. In such a situation, there is certainly a need to revisit the rationale for the IAS. B. S. RAGHAVAN TH 100809

‘On the 26th January 1950, we are going to enter into a life of   contradictions. In politics we will have equality and in social and economic life we will have inequality…How long shall we continue to live this life of contradictions? How long shall we continue to deny equality in our social and economic life? If we continue to deny it for long, we will do so only by putting our political democracy
in peril. We must remove this contradiction at the earliest possible moment else those who suffer from inequality will blow up the structure of democracy which this Constituent Assembly has so laboriously built up.’

The slums, the old and well-established ones, have no problems with water or power. Even when the taps go dry in the house or if the motor of the tube well goes dead, leaving me wringing my hands in frustration, the domestic help would say with a smirk, “I didn’t have to store water in my house. We never have problem with water.” And, the best, all this for free. We shelled out a neat sum, both as bribe and also to get the official sanction for the water connection. We also need to pay for the water. But, not so where the domestic help lives (rather where all domestic helps who work in the neighbourhood live).

There is indeed agreement on the need for help to the less privileged, but why shouldn’t the ones who pay not get the civic amenities? The domestic help has her explanation to that. “We all vote and go to political or other rallies whenever and wherever the politicians need us to go.” The slums, all on encroached land, also have continuous power. Power cuts could mean the power distributor’s office could get attacked, or even burnt down. Perhaps I must move into a slum. July 5th, 2009 Praveen Bose Bs blog