Food security act: Government yet to determine poverty line criteria

October 2nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Climate change poses fundamental threats to Asia's food and energy security which, if left unchecked, will result in an upsurge of migration into already overburdened mega cities, according to three major new studies funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB). "The food and energy security of every Asian is threatened by climate change, but it's the poor -- and especially poor women -- who are most vulnerable and most likely to migrate as a consequence," said ADB Vice-President Ursula Schaefer-Preuss as the studies were released Friday.

September 19th, 2009 THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - Kerala Food Minister C. Divakaran Saturday said the recommendations of the state governments should be taken into account when the list of people below poverty line (BPL) is prepared.

September 4th, 2009 Hidden pockets of elderly said to be in povertyWASHINGTON — The poverty rate among older Americans could be nearly twice as high as the traditional 10 percent level, according to a revision of a half-century-old formula for calculating medical costs and geographic variations in the cost of living. The National Academy of Science's formula, which is gaining credibility with public officials including some in the Obama administration, would put the poverty rate for Americans 65 and over at 18.6 percent, or 6.8 million people, compared with 9.7 percent, or 3.6 million people, under the existing measure.

September 4th, 2009 Revised formula counts more Americans in povertyWASHINGTON — The poverty rate among older Americans could be nearly twice as high as the traditional 10 percent level, according to a revision of a half-century-old formula for calculating medical costs and geographic variations in the cost of living. The National Academy of Science's formula, which is gaining credibility with public officials including some in the Obama administration, would put the poverty rate for Americans 65 and over at 18.6 percent, or 6.8 million people, compared with 9.7 percent, or 3.6 million people, under the existing measure.

August 26th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Politburo member Brinda Karat on Wednesday said that food security could bring inflation under control. Addressing a convention for the right to food and against price rise in national capital, Karat said one of their proposals is to consider food security as an important base to control inflation.

August 8th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The United Progressive Alliance Government earned appreciation of the Nobel laureate Amartya Sen over the Government's draft of a Right to Food (Guarantee of Safety and Security) Bill. Speaking during a panel discussion in the national capital on Saturday, Amartya Sen called the Government's initiative being "a step in the right direction".

July 15th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Activists of Socialist Unity Centre of India (SUCI) held a demonstration in the national capital, on Wednesday over irregularities in the distribution of Below Poverty Line (BPL) social security cards. Scores of SUCI activists marched to Delhi state secretariat, raising slogans against the government, alleging that Delhi government is laidback in issuing BPL cards.

July 10th, 2009 L'AQUILA - Over a billion people in the world are suffering from hunger and poverty and the global economic crisis has plunged nearly 100 million into extreme poverty. This is threatening to jeopardise the progress of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), leading economies and institutions have acknowledged here.

July 9th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The government will provide Rs.185 crore (Rs.1.85 billion) as loans during the current financial year for income generating activities to help individuals from minority communities living in abysmal poverty, the Lok Sabha was told Thursday. Minority Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid Thursday said the National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation (NMDFC) will disburse the amount to 79,860 beneficiaries living below double the poverty line.

June 14th, 2009 THIRUVANANTHAPURAM - Minister of State for Agriculture K.V. Thomas Sunday said implementing the proposed Food Security Act by the UPA government would be more challenging than the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act.

June 8th, 2009 RANCHI - The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have demanded the rollback of four per cent Value Added Tax (VAT) imposed on food grains in Jharkhand, which has led to the rise in prices of rice and wheat. A JMM delegation, led by former deputy chief minister Sudhir Mahto, Monday met Governor Syed Sibte Razi and handed over a memorandum seeking withdrawal of VAT on food grains.

June 5th, 2009 RANCHI - Around 600,000 traders in Jharkhand kept their shops closed Friday to protest against the state government's decision to impose four percent value-added tax (VAT) on food grains from June 1. The traders in Ranchi took out a protest march to Governor Syed Sibte Razi's house and handed over a memorandum to officials in his office, seeking the roll-back of the government decision.

March 9th, 2009 RAIPUR - Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh said here Monday that he was sure the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would sweep the April 16 Lok Sabha elections in the state. 'The BJP has been in power in the state since December 2003 and pulled off the best performance in the 2004 general election.

February 10th, 2009 BHOPAL - Candidates from the entire country would now be eligible to appear for examinations conducted by the Madhya Pradesh Public service Commission (MPPSC) or other bodies for state government jobs, an official source said Wednesday. The state cabinet Tuesday decided that passing higher secondary or graduation from Madhya Pradesh would not be a criteria for recruitment through the MPPSC.

February 4th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Widows and the disabled living below the poverty line have been brought within the ambit of a social security scheme for senior citizens over the age of 65, it was announced here Thursday. 'The cabinet today (Thursday) approved the expansion of the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) to include other vulnerable groups of the society,' Home Minister P.