Foodgrain prices escalate in Uttar Pradesh after truckers stir

September 4th, 2009 LUCKNOW - The weatherman's prediction of heavy rains in Uttar Pradesh for three days beginning Friday has raised hopes among farmers that they can still grow something this kharif season. India's most populous state has been suffering a paucity of rainfall this monsoon, with the authorities declaring 58 of the 71 districts drought-hit.

March 20th, 2009 LUCKNOW - Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati released a list of candidates for 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh. She also announced that the BSP's nationwide campaign would start from Saturday.

March 6th, 2009 LUCKNOW - Each of the 128,112 polling stations in Uttar Pradesh for the Lok Sabha elections will have at least one telecommunication facility to ensure prompt and direct connectivity with voting officials, India's poll panel chief here said Thursday. 'We have taken some special measures to curb cross-border movement of people, which in the past has been the cause of trouble during polling in areas along inter-state borders,' Chief Election Commissioner N.

February 25th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Gearing up for the Lok Sabha elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Tuesday said that it has finalised its pre-poll alliance with the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), a party with some influence in western Uttar Pradesh. 'The alliance with the RLD has been finalised.

January 12th, 2009 LUCKNOW - Twenty members of an inter-state gang, involved in manufacturing and supplying spurious country-made liquor, have been arrested in Uttar Pradesh, police said Tuesday. The men were arrested from the Narayanpur village of Ballia district, about 300 km from here, Monday late night.

January 11th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Representatives of truckers associations are expected to meet the government here later Monday, the eighth day of their nationwide strike, after several states invoked the law against them and arrested some of their members. A senior government official confirmed that a group of leaders representing truckers are expected to meet either Surface Transport Minister T.R.

January 10th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The nationwide strike by transporters continued for the seventh day Sunday despite several states using provisions of law to term it illegal even as Union Surface Transport Minister T.R. Baalu called a meeting with his state-level counterparts here Monday to find ways to end the impasse.

January 10th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The nationwide truckers' strike entered the seventh day Sunday despite several states using provisions of law to term it illegal even as Union Surface Transport Minister T.R. Baalu called a meeting with his state-level counterparts here Monday to find ways to end the impasse.

January 10th, 2009 BHOPAL - With the truckers strike entering the seventh day Sunday, Madhya Pradesh transporters said they will continue with their agitation until their demands are fulfilled by the government. The state government had Saturday threatened over 32,000 truckers of Madhya Pradesh to return to work immediately else the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) will be invoked.

January 9th, 2009 BHOPAL - The nationwide truckers' strike which entered the sixth day Saturday has started having an impact on vegetable supplies and prices in Madhya Pradesh, though grocery supplies have not been affected yet. Vegetable prices have started rising though truckers associations have listed the commodity as as essential, along with milk, fruits, medicines, petrol, diesel, kerosene and cooking gas, which are to be transported despite the strike.

January 9th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Unimpressed with the government's announcement Saturday that diesel prices may be reduced by Rs.3 a litre, and the transport minister's declaration that he was ready to negotiate with them, truck operators who have been on a nationwide strike since Monday said arrested strikers had to be released before talks could take place and the stir called off. The government's dual announcement came a day after five leaders of All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC) - the apex body of transporters - were arrested on charges of disrupting supply of commodities.

January 8th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The government must talk to striking truckers on their 'reasonable demands' to end the hardships of the common man, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K. Advani said Friday.

January 7th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Truckers Thursday said their nationwide strike will continue, even as traders said the four-day-old agitation has hit supplies of essential commodities. Over six million trucks went off the roads across India in the early hours Monday, with transporters demanding that diesel and tyre prices be lowered.

January 6th, 2009 LUCKNOW - The ongoing nationwide strike of transporters has jacked up prices of essential commodities in Lucknow even as the Uttar Pradesh Truck Operators' Federation (UPTOF) said they would maintain the supply of essential goods. While the rates of fruits and vegetables have gone up 20-35 percent, the wholesale market is also witnessing price hike, vendors said.

January 6th, 2009 NEW DELHI - With no government response coming forth to their agitation, Indian truckers vowed to continue their three-day old nation wide strike even as prices of essential commodities started rising in several parts of the country. 'We vow to continue our nationwide strike till our demands are met,' Charan Singh Lohara, the president of the truckers' apex All India Motor Transport Congress, told IANS Wednesday.