Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

<ul><li>Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackaray has directed all offices in Mumbai, Pune and other select areas to remain shut till March 31.</li><li>The directive goes into effect at midnight today, March 20.</li><li>Residents have been assures that basic supplies like groceries and other necessities will remain available.</li></ul>As the Coronavirus pandemic spreads in India, states are taking stringent precautions to ensure that social distancing and self isolation are followed. The chief minister of Maharashtra <keyword id="53973" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Uddhav-Thackeray">Uddhav Thackeray</keyword> has announced that all offices in Mumbai and its suburbs, Pune, Pimpri Chinchwad and Nagpur will remain closed till March 31. The directive goes into effect at midnight today, March 20. Government offices are also being thinned down with instructions to operate with only 25% of the staff. Train and bus services will also continue to function to in order to help medical workers and other staff working to render essential services, such hospital employees. 
	
	
	
	<div type="twitter" handle="PIBMumbai" handlename="PIB in Maharashtra" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1012213722406793216/63uZpWnP_normal.jpg" favoritecount="9" retweetcount="3" status="Maharashtra CM Shri Uddhav Thackeray addressing the state https://t.co/jvO5G1s4wi #CoronaVirusUpdate #COVID" createdat="1584692890000" id="1240918038242684934"></div>









 Even though a lot of shops will now be shut, residents of the area need not panic. Groceries, milk and other day-to-day items shall still remain available. The government also appealed to establishments to not stop paying minimum wages to their staff. Bank will remain open. Other financial institution like stock exchanges, clearing corporations, depositories, and SEBI registered participants are also except from the directive. However, people are encouraged to avoid all unnecessary movement. Maharashtra currently has the highest number of coronavirus cases in the country with 47 people confirmed with the infection. Mumbai and Pune, in particular, are two of the worst-hit cities. Two days ago, March 18, the state reported its first death. A 64-year old patient was the third pass away due to Covid-19 in India. 
	
	<div type="twitter" handle="PIBMumbai" handlename="PIB in Maharashtra" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1012213722406793216/63uZpWnP_normal.jpg" favoritecount="26" retweetcount="9" status="#Mumbaikars stay vigilant &amp; take preventive measures to avoid #Covid_19 The following images shared by @mybmc are… https://t.co/GUXpBY2JPX" createdat="1584690345000" id="1240907363500032000"></div>





 Despite the dramatic rise in coronavirus cases, the hustle and bustle on most streets continues despite public transportation being curbed. The Maharashtra government’s announcement comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced last night that a voluntary shutdown deemed ‘Janata Curfew’ till take place on March 22 from 7:00 am to 9:00 pm. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/coronavirus-updates-in-india-and-steps-taken-by-narendra-modi-government/articleshow/74723667.cms">A look at Indian government response to coronavirus, so far, shows some quick reactions but not enough foresight</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/the-cost-of-containing-coronavirus-the-world-has-set-aside-3-trillion-so-far/articleshow/74725124.cms">The cost of containing Coronavirus — the world has set aside $3 trillion so far</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/international/news/coronavirus-cases-across-the-world-news-and-updates/articleshow/74727479.cms">Coronavirus cases across the world: 245,922 infected, 88,465 recovered and 10,048 dead</a>

Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray directs offices in Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur to shut down till March 31

Maharashtra Chief Minister <keyword id="53973" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Uddhav-Thackeray">Uddhav Thackeray</keyword> on Thursday said his government would positively consider the demand of drama producers to waive rent of theatres which reopened after eight-month coronavirus-induced shutdown. Interacting virtually with producers of Marathi plays, Thackeray said the government is aware of the losses faced by producers since the COVID-19-triggered lockdown as they lost money with which they had booked theatres. In this backdrop, the state would positively consider the demand of drama producers to waive rent of theatres, he said. Most of drama theatres in the state are managed by government-run entities. In further easing of restrictions, the state government has allowed reopening of cinema halls, drama theatres, yoga institutes, multiplexes and swimming pools located outside containment zones from November 5. Thackeray said producers will have to get artists and crew members checked frequently on health parameters and ensure physical distancing on stage if face masks need to be removed during plays in the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic. Cleanliness and hygiene inside drama theatres should also get priority, the chief minister said. "They (drama producers) should also check if food stalls outside theatres are clean or not," he said. The chief minister asked the producers to keep in mind that the threat of coronavirus still persists. "Start work but take care of your artists and audiences," he said. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/defense/news/india-is-willing-to-challenge-the-status-quo-says-defence-minister-while-outlining-the-four-core-principles-behind-the-countrys-security-policy/articleshow/79059040.cms">India is willing to challenge the status quo and protect against ‘unilateralism and aggression,’ says Defence Minister Rajnath Singh</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/environment/news/india-demands-environment-friendly-technology-to-be-made-available-at-affordable-prices-to-battle-climate-change/articleshow/79056886.cms">India demands environment-friendly technology to be made available at affordable prices to battle climate change</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/banks/news/rbi-and-indian-banks-wait-as-supreme-court-adjourns-loan-moratorium-hearing-to-november-18/articleshow/79057919.cms">RBI and banks caught in the crosshairs as the Supreme Court adjourns loan moratorium hearing for a second time to November 18</a>

Maharashtra considers offering rent waiver to drama theatres as they re-open after eight months

Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope on Thursday said that if the Centre gives its nod by the end of this month to carry out COVID-19 vaccination at mass level, then around three crore people could be given the vaccine in the state in the first round. He made the statement while speaking to reporters. Tope also urged the Centre to carry out free COVID-19 vaccination in the country. "If the Centre gives permission for mass vaccination by December end, then Maharashtra can carry out the process at the mass level from January. Our preparation is going on, wherein around three crore people can be administered the vaccine," he said. "My personal guess is that if we put together all the medical staff workers, frontline workers, people above 50 years of age and those with co-morbidities but below 50 years of age, then the figure would be around three crore in the state. These people will get the vaccine in the first round," he said. "Like Maharashtra, several states have expressed their wish to provide the vaccine free of cost to people. I think the Centre should go for free vaccination in the country. We are now waiting for the central government's call on this decision," he said. "Permissions and authorisation to carry out vaccination in the state is in the Centre's hand. Once it is convinced about the safety and efficacy of the vaccine dosages, it would take further steps in terms of giving permission and distribution of dosages," Tope added. Every person selected for vaccination in the first round will get an SMS on his or her mobile number. That person will have to wait at the facility for half an hour after receiving the dose. All these procedures will be strictly followed at our centres, the minister said. "If the Centre does not give the dosages free of cost, we will not shrug off from our responsibility towards the citizens of the state. It is our wish that the Centre provides the vaccine for free," he said. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/environment/news/unilever-climate-change-plan-opened-to-shareholders-as-amazons-climate-pledge-battles-criticism/articleshow/79776633.cms">Unilever is opening up its climate action plan to shareholders as Amazon's Climate Pledge battles criticism</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/fake-instagram-facebook-and-vimeo-extensions-on-google-chrome-can-steal-personal-information-and-location/articleshow/79773977.cms">Fake Instagram, Facebook, and Vimeo extensions on Google Chrome can ‘hijack’ your URL, steal personal information and track your location</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/environment/news/supercomputer-shows-tropical-cyclones-hitting-india-are-going-get-more-destructive-that-is-until-the-flooding-starts/articleshow/79764803.cms">Supercomputer shows tropical cyclones hitting India are going get more destructive — that is until the flooding starts</a>

An estimated 3 crore people in Maharashtra could get COVID-19 vaccine in the first phase of distribution, claims health minister

The Maharashtra government may extend the lockdown in the coronavirus-hit urban areas of the state after May 3, an official said on Sunday. The state government is closely monitoring the situation in areas outside the cities of Mumbai, Pune, Nashik,Nagpur, Aurangabad and Amravati, a senior state official said. "It is the cities where most of the COVID-19 cases are concentrated. If the state has to relax its current stringent lockdown measures, it would be in rural and least affected areas of the state. However, we are looking at the scenario as rural and urban areas are connected," he said. Despite minimum COVID-19 cases in rural areas of Pune district, the industries there have not resumed because most of their workforce live in cities, he said. We need to work out some plans for every city or district-wise to get things moving. The administration needs more time to come up with solutions, hence it is highly unlikely to lift the lockdown restrictions May 3 onwards inall parts of the state, the official said. State Health Minister Rajesh Tope had on Saturday said the number of COVID-19 cases in the state is not coming down. "The state is yet to reach a stage where the number of coronavirus cases would stabilise. Till then, we cannot take the risk of allowing people to gather at public places in large numbers, Tope said. The minister, however, said the state government would take a collective decision on what to do once the nationwide lockdown ends on May 3. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/dhfls-kapil-and-dheeraj-wadhawan-taken-into-custody-by-cbi-for-role-in-yes-bank-scam-case/articleshow/75388823.cms">DHFL's Kapil and Dheeraj Wadhawan taken into custody by CBI for role in Yes Bank scam case</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/pm-modi-says-indias-fight-against-coronavirus-is-people-driven/articleshow/75387305.cms">PM Modi says India's fight against Coronavirus is 'people-driven'</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/lockdown-may-be-extended-in-covid-19-hit-urban-areas-of-maha/articleshow/75386981.cms">Coronavirus lockdown may extend beyond May 3 in urban areas of Maharashtra</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/international/news/china-needs-to-guard-against-covid-19-resurgence-warn-health-official-amid-rise-in-imported-cases/articleshow/75385801.cms"></a>

Coronavirus lockdown may extend beyond May 3 in urban areas of Maharashtra

According to weather departments, the monsoon was below sufficiency this year and the grave consequences of low rainfall have already begun to show up. It is reported that drought like symptoms have started showing up in both rural and urban areas of the peninsular India. Maharashtra's Marathwada and western Maharashtra regions and north interior Karnataka, being the worst sufferers. 
 
While Kharif crop has already been affected, prospects of Rabi crop depend largely on rainfall in September. However, weather experts believe September rainfall will also be meagre. Authorities in Maharasthra having stored water in most dams for drinking purposes, chances are unlike that water will be diverted for irrigation purpose. 
 
Dams in the Pune region hold water up to just about half their capacity , compared with 82% at this time in 2014 and 87% in 2013. The Pune Municipal Corporation has decided to implement a 15% water cut and may restrict supply of drinking water to alternate days. 
 
Latur residents in Maharashtra are in grave distress as their plight of getting water, once in 8 or 15 days may worsen. Ujani dam, the lifeline of Solapur district, has zero live storage as against 72% at this time last year. Similarly, Jayakwadi dam in Aurangabad has just 5% live storage and the administration has made up its mind to use its dead stock, which is usually not exhausted, to meet drinking water requirements. As per the agriculture ministry, about 56% of the net cultivated area of the country is rain-fed, accounting for 44% of food production. 
Sugarcane farmers from drought-affected areas are selling cane as fodder instead of waiting for a few more months to sell it to sugar mills. They are getting Rs 2,800 to Rs 3,000 a tonne, compared to Rs 2,000 paid by most mills this year. Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Eknath Khadse has indicated that the state government may not allow sugar mills from drought-affected areas to crush sugarcane in the October September sugar year. A sugar mill of 2,500 tonne per day crushing capacity requires 5 lakh litres of water every day . 
 
Sugar mill owners said since cane availability will be less, very few mills will be able to do crushing next season. 
However, a venture started to artificially curate rainfall didn’t yield much result. the artificial rain fall experiment being carried out in Marathwada region has not given much rainfall, even after about 80 flying hours. "There are not enough rain-bearing clouds coming to this region," said a senior official. 
 
In some districts of neighbouring Karnataka, rains were as much as 40% less than what is considered normal. Of the total 171 talukas in Karnataka, the state government has declared drought in 135, almost four times more than last year. 
 
Karnataka has asked for more than Rs 3,000 crore of central assistance, state officials said. According to officials of the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre, north interior Karnataka has most of the drought-affected areas.

Drought-like situation in Maharasthra and Karnataka. Blame it on low rainfall

Kochi, Apr 1 () As novel coronavirus continues toaffect various industries colossally, a city-based fintechstartup set a benchmark by waiving off interest and processingcharges worth Rs 25 lakh on agro-loans it distributed to 136farmers in Tamil Nadu with a total ticket size of around Rs1.7 crores. Announcing the decision, Founder &amp; CEO of Spoon, KurianGeorge said the firm currently handles two major agro-impact investment projects in Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra andthe present waivers will be applicable to all loans disbursedbetween November 2019 and March 2020 in these projects inaddition to the government-declared moratorium on EMIs. "This will impact nearly 1000 people in the Nilgirisalone, where they are engaged in carrot, beetroot andpotatoes farming while in Maharasthra, our loans are given tocotton farmers" he said.Rajan, one of the Spoon customers in the Nilgiris sinceNovember 2019, said the major factor that makes digital loansreally impactful is their timely and quick availability."The long walks and queues in banks were tiring. Pestsdestroy our crops by the time we receive money to applypesticides.The intermediaries took away whatever was left. Also, theeducational expenses of our kids make survival moredifficult," he rued. The CEO of Spoon said the company was currentlyspecializing in impact agro-lending, providing hassle-freeloans for cultivation to farmers across India. The company operates on the principles of impactfinancing and integrates this with smart technology to benefitthe community at a larger scale, he said in a release. TGBROH ROH

Coronavirus: Kerala start-up waives interest on agro loans

The government on Wednesday decided to lift the nearly six-month-old ban on export of onions in a bid to protect the interests of farmers as prices are likely to fall sharply due to bumper rabi crop. Sources said the decision was taken at a meeting of a Group of Ministers (GoM) headed by Home Minister <keyword id="6355521" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="amit-shah">Amit Shah</keyword>. "Since the price of onion has stabilised and there is bumper onion crop, government has decided to lift ban on export of onions. Expected monthly harvest in March is over 40 lakh MT compared to 28.4 lakh MT last year," Food Minister <keyword id="973" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ram-Vilas-Paswan">Ram Vilas Paswan</keyword> said in a tweet on Wednesday. The lifting of ban would be effective once the Directorate General of <keyword id="35087" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="foreign-trade">Foreign Trade</keyword> (DGFT) issues a notification in this regard. The GoM on Wednesday also deliberated on whether to reduce or scrap the Minimum Export Price (MEP) on onion to facilitate outbound shipments, the sources said. The MEP is the rate below which no exports are allowed. Paswan, Agriculture Minister <keyword id="6382481" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="narendra-singh-tomar">Narendra Singh Tomar</keyword>, Commerce Minister <keyword id="6355222" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="piyush-goyal">Piyush Goyal</keyword> and Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba were present at the meeting. In September 2019, the government banned onion exports and also imposed a MEP of USD 850 per tonne. The move came after prices had started skyrocketing due to supply-demand mismatch. There was shortage of onion as <keyword id="6617893" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kharif-crop">kharif crop</keyword> was adversely affected due to excess rains and floods in key producing states, including Maharasthra. Currently, the arrival of rabi (winter) crop of onion has begun in small quantities and would increase from mid-March onwards. In March alone, onion arrivals are expected to be as as high as 40.68 lakh tonne (Metric Tonne) when compared with 28.44 lakh tonne in the year-ago period, as per the sources. The arrival is anticipated to be higher at 86 lakh tonne in April compared to 61 lakh tonne in the year-ago, they added. Exports of onion are expected to arrest sharp the fall in domestic prices and thereby protect the interest of growers, the sources said. During the meeting, the sources said import of pulses, especially urad, was also discussed.

India lifts ban on onion exports as prices cool off

New Delhi, Feb 11 () India has received foreign direct investment (FDI) of USD 463.44 million in the food processing sector in the first half of the current fiscal, the government informed Parliament on Tuesday.The country had received USD 628.24 million FDI in the food processing sector during the full fiscal year 2018-19 and USD 904.90 million during 2017-18, it added.The government has permitted 100 per cent FDI through automatic route in manufacturing of food products subject to sectoral rules and regulations. Also, 100 per cent FDI is allowed through government route in retail trade in respect of food products produced/manufactured in India.Placing the data before the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Food Processing Industries Rameswar Teli said the country has received USD 463.44 million FDI in the food processing sector during April-September period of 2019-20."...in April-June 2019 quarter, the FDI equity inflow was USD 329.04 million which is higher than the quarter ending September 2019 at USD 134.40 million," he added.During the first quarter of the fiscal, maximum FDI of USD 244.95 million was made in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, followed by USD 25.08 million in Maharasthra, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, while USD 22.99 million in Delhi and part of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, the data showed.As per the latest Annual Survey of Industries, the minister said the invested capital in the registered food processing sector was Rs 3,86,350 crore in 2015-16, Rs 4,17,695 crore in 2016-17 and Rs 4,48,938 crore in 2017-18.In a separate reply, he also said the government has revised the operational guidelines of Scheme for Creation/Expansion of Food Processing &amp; Preservation Capacities (CEFPPC) under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY) and notified on January 8 this year.The Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) does not set up any food processing industries/projects/units on its own. It provides credit-linked capital subsidy in the form of grants-in-aid for setting up of various food processing industries/projects/units under its central sector scheme PMKSY. LUX BALBAL

India gets $463.44 million FDI in food processing in Apr-Sep FY20: Govt

<ul><li>The worst-hit Indian state, Maharashtra, may be on the verge of having the second wave of COVID-19 under control. </li><li>Data shows that the number of active cases has plateaued over the last two weeks and has been on the downturn for the last two days. </li><li>Dr Marcus Ranney opines that this is an encouraging indicator, but is in no way a signal to think that Maharasthra is out of the woods just yet. </li></ul> Maharashtra is the worst-hit state in India with over 4.23 million cases in total and over 63,000 deaths, so far. In March, the state accounted for 60% of the overall cases in the country. After lockdown-like restrictions were enforced across the state on April 4, the number of active cases in the state seems to have plateaued. “There has definitely been a mentality shift in the last 24 hours as compared to 72 hours ago when everyone was panicking. As a fraternity, we seem to feel that we’re slowly getting on top of this,” Dr Marcus Ranney, founder and chief executive of Human Edge, told Business Insider. According to him, there’s been an uptake in the number of oxygen liquidation tanks coming in and more home concentrator devices being delivered through citizen-led efforts. Even Remdesivir is more in stock than before — but it’s way too early to celebrate. <div type="javascript" title="Custom" contenttype="Image"><cdata><![CDATA[<div class="flourish-embed flourish-chart" data-src="visualisation/5966600"></div>]]></cdata></div> The state’s daily increase of new cases of COVID-19 has remained in the 60,000s for the last two weeks. This is the longest period of stability since the second wave of infections took hold in February 2021. But it’s only been negative for two days, as of April 26. <div type="ExtQuote" text="“It’s way too early to celebrate, absolutely way too early.”" auname="Dr Marcus Ranney, health expert, founder and CEO of Human Edge"></div> And the positivity rate — the number of people testing positive as a proportion of the total number of COVID-19 tests being conducted — has also only been decreasing for two days. <div type="javascript" title="Custom" contenttype="Image"><cdata><![CDATA[<div class="flourish-embed flourish-chart" data-src="visualisation/5967402"></div>]]></cdata></div> <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="What will indicate Maharashtra’s exit from the second wave of COVID-19?" comment="subhead" text="What will indicate Maharashtra’s exit from the second wave of COVID-19?">What will indicate Maharashtra’s exit from the second wave of COVID-19?</cmsannotation> “A useful metric would be the time needed to get a patient a bed when required. That creates a lot of anxiety in the system,” said Ranney. According to him, if a patient doesn’t need a bed immediately, a doctor normally recommends trying to treat symptoms at home. But that also means that a bed should be available if the need arises. Due to the shortage of beds, some doctors and patients may preemptively put in a request for a bed and clog the system even more, on the possibility that their loved one ‘may’ need to be admitted into the hospital. According to a team of researchers from the Institute of Mathematical Sciences in Chennai (IMSC), there may be one other factor to watch as well — the transmission rate. Their data shows that Maharashtra has seen its transmission rate fall from 1.38 in mid-February to around 1.13 as of April 25, IMSC’s Sitabhra Sinha told <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/pune/a-ray-in-covid-dark-dip-in-mumbai-curve-shows-plateau-in-maharashtra-cases-7287807/">Indian Express</a>. A transmission rate of 1.13 means that for every 100 COVID-19 patients, the disease is being transmitted to another 113 people. The lower the value of transmission, the slower the disease is spreading through the population. Mumbai, in particular, has shown marked improvement with its daily case count steadily declining over the last two weeks. On April 24, the financial capital of India reported 5,867 new infections — the lowest it has been this month. Pune, which has the second-highest number of cases in all of India, reported more than 10,000 new cases on April 24. But that’s lower than its record-high of 12,825 cases on April 17. The central government, on Saturday, approved a supply of 4,35,000 vials of Remdesivir to Maharashtra till April 30, according to ANI. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/sundar-pichai-and-satya-nadella-will-use-google-and-microsoft-resources-and-technology-to-support-india-during-the-covid19-crisis/articleshow/82253126.cms">From Sundar Pichai to Satya Nadella – Indian-Americans wake up to the COVID-19 crisis at home</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/maharashtra-kerala-and-chhattisgarh-states-are-on-top-covid-19-positivity-rate-in-india/articleshow/82254421.cms">COVID-19: These are the five states in India with the highest positivity rates</a>

The pace of infections and test positivity in Maharashtra is slowing down — but it is too soon to celebrate

New Delhi, Dec 6 () Showing no signs of cooling down, retail onion prices have continued to spiral, touching as high as Rs 165/kg on Friday even as the government grapples to boost the supplies through imports.
The government in Parliament informed that imported onions will arrive by January 20.
In most cities, onion was quoting above Rs 100/kg in the retail markets, while at Nashik in Maharashtra -- the key producing centre -- the rates were ruling at Rs 75/kg on Friday, as per the data maintained by the Consumer Affairs Ministry.
Retail onion prices were ruling high at Rs 165/kg in Panaji (Goa), Rs 160/kg in Mayabunder (Andaman) and Rs 150/kg in Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, Thrissure and Wayanad in Kerala on Friday.
Onion was sold at Rs 140/kg in Kolkata, Chennai and some places in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, Rs 130/kg in Bhubaneshwar and Cuttack (Odisha), Rs 120/kg in Gurgoan (Haryana) and Meerut (Uttar Pradesh), and Rs 100/kg in most cities tracked by the ministry.
"There is no doubt onion prices are rising. The main reason for rise in price was damage to the onion crop due to rains. Much of onion has been damaged in Maharasthra, the key growing state. However, the government has supplied buffer stock and asked MMTC to import onions and it should arrive by January 20," Minister of State for Consumer Affairs Danve Raosaheb Dadarao said during Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha.
The government has approved import of up to 1.2 lakh tonnes of onions to check the ongoing price rise. State-owned MMTC has been directed to import up to 1 lakh tonne onions through global and country-specific import tenders, he said.
Onion are highly perishable commodity that is prone to weight and moisture loss, quality deterioration, sprouting, losses in grading and separation, he added.
On Thursday, a group of ministers head by Home Minister Amit Shah reviewed onion price situation and progress made in import of onions.
To boost supply and contain price rise, the government has contracted over 21,000 tonnes of imports through MMTC and the shipments are expected to arrive mid-January. The tender and fumigation norms have also been ease to facilitate early arrival of imported onions.
Among other measures, the government has already banned export of onion, imposed stock limits on traders and is also supplying buffer stock at a cheaper rate.
Traders and experts are of the view that onion prices will continue to remain firm till January when late kharif crop will start hitting the market.
The country had last imported 1,987 tonnes of onion way back in 2015-16 when price has shot up significantly. LUX BAL

Onion prices shoot up to Rs165/kg; govt says imported onions to arrive by Jan 20

New Delhi, Feb 28 () Four more states, including Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, will roll out the ration card portability by next month, Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said on Friday. The government aims to implement ration card portability in the entire country from June 1 under the initiative called 'One Nation, One Ration Card'. Under the initiative, eligible beneficiaries would be able to avail their entitled foodgrains under the National Food Security Act (NFSA from any Fair Price Shop in the country using the same ration card. "Already, 12 states have implemented the ration card portability. Four more states such as Uttar Pradesh and Bihar will do by March and the rest other states by June 1," Paswan said at an agri-summit organised by BusinessLine newspaper here. The portability of ration card will end corruption in the Public Distribution System (PDS) and help beneficiaries avail their entitlement anywhere in the country, he said. Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Gujarat, Maharasthra, Haryana, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Jharkhand and Tripura are 12 states where ration card portability has been implemented, he added. The minister also said that no new ration card will be required under the 'One Nation, One Ration Card' initiative. The minister said that direct benefit transfer of PDS foodgrains being implemented in Chandigarh, Puducherry and Dadra and Nagar Haveli on a pilot basis has not been successful because of lack of bank facilities and power shortage. In many states, door-step delivery of foodgrains has been initiated. The PDS has been streamlined as Aadhar details have been seeded with 90 per cent of ration cards in the country and point of sale machines have been installed in 96 per cent of the fair price shops, he added. Under the NFSA, about 75 crore beneficiaries have been covered so far against the target of 81.35 crore, as per official data. On price rise in essential items like onion, the minister said unfortunately consumers in the country cry when prices of commodities produced by farmers go up and don't bother when prices of products like shoe or watch rises. "This kind of approach is not good. But this is the reality," he said, emphasising the need to change this situation. LUX MRMR

You Searched For "Maharasthra government" and got 11 results

Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray directs offices in Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur to shut down till March 31

Prabhjote Gill