Cabinet approves 50% profit over input cost for rabi crops
New Delhi, Oct 3 : With Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh round the corner, the Centre on Wednesday announced a steep increase in the MSP for winter-sown crops, including Rs 1,840 per quintal for wheat and Rs 4,620 for gram.
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for notified Rabi crops for 2018-19, which would give additional returns of Rs 62,635 crore to farmers.
Compared with the MSP announced last year, the assured prices for this rabi season has been increased by Rs 105 per quintal for wheat, Rs 845 for safflower, Rs 200 for rapeseed and mustard, Rs 30 for barley, Rs 225 for masur and Rs 220 for gram.
Addressing a press conference here, Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh said that the MSP for wheat would provide 112.5 per cent profit over its production cost of Rs 866 per quintal.
For barley, the MSP is Rs 1,440 per quintal as against the production cost of Rs 860 per quintal, which gives a return of 67.4 per cent, he added.
For gram, the cost of production is Rs 2,637 per quintal whereas the new MSP is Rs 4,620 per quintal, giving a profit of 75.2 per cent.
The MSP for masur will be Rs 4,475 per quintal as against the production cost of Rs 2,532 per quintal, a profit of 76.7 per cent.
For rapeseed and mustard, the MSP is Rs 4,200 per quintal as against the production cost of Rs 2,212, a return of 89.9 per cent.
For safflower, the cost of production is Rs 3,294 per quintal whereas the MSP is Rs 4,945 per quintal, ensuring a profit of 50.1 per cent.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
