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Deccan Herald
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Deccan Herald
Wastage of FCI food grains came down to 0.2%: Joshi
Union Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Minister Pralhad Joshi said: 'Wastage of food grains in storage and transportation by the Food Corporation of India (FCI) has been brought down to 0.2% which was 1% earlier. Modern technology including portals and apps came in handy to achieve this.'After inspecting the Food Corporation of India (FCI) food storage depot and divisional office near Unkal in Hubballi on Friday, he told reporters that surveillance and supervision to check the wastage of food grains during storage and transportation is being effectively done through 'Depot Darpan', and 'Anna Chakra' with 1.74 lakh tonnes of storage capacity are being constructed on FCI lands with public-private-partnership (PPP), including a 13,000 tonne godown at Bammapur in Hubballi, he the year 2024-25, 13,553 metric tonnes of food grains were issued from the godown here, while 6.08 lakh MT rice and 29,423 MT wheat stocks were issued for the beneficiaries of different schemes in neighbouring officials informed that the state government is purchasing 2.42 lakh tonnes of rice every month from the FCI under 'Anna Bhagya' scheme since February 2025, while 7,811 tonnes of rice have been provided to the state government for midday meal scheme in schools. Food grains are also being procured in the state, through the central government-backed minimum support price scheme for rice, ragi, jowar etc. Procurement can be increased if the process starts earlier, they visit'Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar went to New Delhi to meet AICC leader Rahul Gandhi regarding CM's post and for their survival. Meeting Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was just for their show, and in fact, they were there to meet Rahul Gandhi. Rahul Gandhi not giving appointment shows how adamant the fake Gandhi family is, and what is the eligibility of Siddaramaiah,' Joshi know what the internal agreement (regarding power sharing) is in Congress, and how severe is the infighting there. Either Siddaramaiah or Shivakumar is telling lie. Rahul Gandhi or Mallikarjun Kharge should give clarity, he said. Karnataka has become a heaven for terrorists, and they feel those in power here are their friends and well-wishers, Joshi also said state BJP president would be elected through election process which the party always follows, while the leadership is observing the statements of all the leaders.


Hans India
04-07-2025
- Business
- Hans India
Sugar industry has shot up to Rs 1.3L cr mark: Pralhad Joshi
Union Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution Minister Pralhad Joshi on Thursday said that India's sugar sector has, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, grown into a Rs 1.3 lakh crore industry, driving rural prosperity, energy security and green power through reforms like record ethanol blending and Atmanirbharta in fuels. Addressing the 'Cooperative Sugar Industry Conclave 2025' at Dr. Ambedkar International Centre here, the minister said: 'It's inspiring to see how the sector's evolution is shaping a sustainable and self-reliant future for India.' The collective strength of the nation, innovation and efficiency have transformed this sector, he added. In an X post, Joshi said: 'Addressed the 'Cooperative Sugar Industry Conclave 2025' & 'National Efficiency Award Ceremony' at Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi, where we celebrated the remarkable progress of India's sugar cooperative sector'. The minister had earlier highlighted that nearly 5 crore farmers (including family members) are engaged in the cultivation of sugarcane in India, and the industry is providing ample employment opportunities both directly and indirectly. He emphasised that the Centre, under the leadership of the Prime Minister, accords top priority to the welfare of farmers and safeguarding the interests of consumers as well as the industry, thereby ensuring collaborative efforts to improve agricultural practices. Joshi also highlighted India's commitment to advancing technology and skills in the sugar and biofuel sectors. Emphasising India's cultural and economic reliance on sugar, he noted India's status as the world's largest sugar consumer and a significant biofuel producer, achieving over 12 per cent ethanol blending with petrol and aiming for 20 per cent soon.


Hans India
03-07-2025
- Business
- Hans India
India's sugar industry has surged to Rs 1.3 lakh crore mark: Pralhad Joshi
New Delhi: Union Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution Minister Pralhad Joshi on Thursday said that India's sugar sector has, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, grown into a Rs 1.3 lakh crore industry, driving rural prosperity, energy security and green power through reforms like record ethanol blending and Atmanirbharta in fuels. Addressing the 'Cooperative Sugar Industry Conclave 2025' at Dr. Ambedkar International Centre here, the minister said: "It's inspiring to see how the sector's evolution is shaping a sustainable and self-reliant future for India." The collective strength of the nation, innovation and efficiency have transformed this sector, he added. In an X post, Joshi said: "Addressed the 'Cooperative Sugar Industry Conclave 2025' & 'National Efficiency Award Ceremony' at Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi, where we celebrated the remarkable progress of India's sugar cooperative sector". The minister had earlier highlighted that nearly 5 crore farmers (including family members) are engaged in the cultivation of sugarcane in India, and the industry is providing ample employment opportunities both directly and indirectly. He emphasised that the Centre, under the leadership of the Prime Minister, accords top priority to the welfare of farmers and safeguarding the interests of consumers as well as the industry, thereby ensuring collaborative efforts to improve agricultural practices. Joshi also highlighted India's commitment to advancing technology and skills in the sugar and biofuel sectors. Emphasising India's cultural and economic reliance on sugar, he noted India's status as the world's largest sugar consumer and a significant biofuel producer, achieving over 12 per cent ethanol blending with petrol and aiming for 20 per cent soon. The Minister underscored the role of biofuels in combating climate change and detailed the positive impacts of India's Ethanol Blended with Petrol (EBP) Programme on the sugar industry and farmers. Meanwhile, India's sugar production is projected to rise by 15 per cent in the 2025–26 season (October–September) to around 35 million tonnes, driven by expectations of an 'above-average' monsoon, which is likely to boost cane acreage and yields in key producing states such as Maharashtra and Karnataka, according to Crisil Ratings. The anticipated growth in output is expected to ease tightness in domestic supply and may also support higher ethanol diversion and a potential revival in sugar exports, the report said.


The Hindu
18-06-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
New rules will synchronise use of IST for legal, commercial activities, says Pralhad Joshi
The Union Consumer Affairs Ministry said here on Wednesday (June 18, 2025) that the proposed Legal Metrology (Indian Standard Time) Rules will mandate synchronisation of all legal, administrative and commercial operations with IST, making India's timekeeping infrastructure legally enforceable, digitally secure and globally bench-marked. Briefing reporters after a 'Round Table Conference on Time Dissemination', Union Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said it is strategically significant to synchronise all legal, commercial and administrative activities with the IST so that the use of alternative time references, unless explicitly authorised, could be prohibited. He said precise and uniform dissemination of IST across sectors such as financial markets, power grids, telecommunications, transportation and others are essential to ensure fairness, accuracy and national security. 'The initiative aims to deliver IST with millisecond to microsecond accuracy through five Regional Reference Standard Laboratories (RRSLs) equipped with atomic clocks and secure synchronisation protocols like NTP (Network Time Protocol) and PTP (Precision Time Protocol), ushering in a new era of digital and administrative efficiency under the vision of 'One Nation, One Time',' Mr. Joshi said. Nidhi Khare, Secretary of the Ministry, said there was an urgent need for accurate, secure and legally mandated dissemination of IST to ensure uniformity across strategic and non-strategic sectors. She said under the Time Dissemination Project, the Ministry in collaboration with the Council Of Scientific And Industrial Research – National Physical Laboratory (CSIR–NPL) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is establishing advanced infrastructure comprising five RRSLs in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Faridabad, and Guwahati. She said the current reliance on foreign time sources poses risks such as cybersecurity vulnerabilities like spoofing and jamming. She added that the implementation of the new rules would be a crucial step toward ensuring traceability, enhancing operational reliability, and fostering national time sovereignty. 'The initiative, is a major step in building a trusted and standardised digital ecosystem across the country,' she added.