ELECTIONS IN THE AIR
Ocials with EVMs and other materials leave for poll duty, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections in Sukma district of Bastar in Chhattisgarh on Tuesday. A total of 255 polling booths have been set up in Sukma district, and polling parties for 42 booths and EVMs will be moved by choppers. Located in the southern part of Bastar, which goes to polls in the first phase on April 19, Sukma district has in the past reported Naxalite attacks on security personnel during elections
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“This year (2024-25) will be highly favourable for agriculture, mainly due to two factors. One, the monsoon rainfall will be normal or above normal, per reports by various agencies. Even in terms of regional distribution, the forecasts are encouraging. Two, the agriculture growth in 2023-24 was 0.67 per cent, which means the base (for 2024-25) is low,” Chand said.
Whenever such a combination has happened in the past, farm sector growth
Ramesh Chand, Member, NITI Aayog
has topped 6 per cent, he observed. “There is no reason this past pattern will not be repeated this year if the monsoon rainfall turns out as predicted,” Chand added.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted an “above normal” monsoon, at 106 per cent of the long-period average (LPA) of 87 cm, while private weather forecaster Skymet has said the monsoon is likely to be “normal” at 102 per cent of the LPA.
The NITI Aayog member pointed out that “real prices” of agriculture have been rising for several years. “If you take the wholesale prices of agriculture relative to non-agriculture, farm prices are rising. The wholesale price index (WPI) of agri-commodities is rising faster than nonagri-commodities,” Chand said, adding that stability in maintaining prices is required due to this aspect.
The government’s action to maintain stability is seen by some as a move to bring down prices, he pointed out, adding that such was not the case. “Stability means to prevent an abnormal or unusually high level rise in the price of a commodity.”
BOOSTING EXPORTS
Chand also favoured allowing increased exports in