Yesterday's News Today

Yesterday's News Today : outlookindia.com


RAJASTHAN
Rajesh Sharma
Editor, Rashtradoot

Over 60-65 per cent of the country’s mustard comes from Rajasthan alone. In ’05, there was a bumper crop—30 lakh tonnes. But palmolive oil was the potential competitor. Due to the wto regime, the Centre could not restrict its import. Palmolive oil was priced at around Rs 36 a kg, as against Rs 45 for mustard oil. Since these two oil types are consumed by the lower strata of society, even a small price difference is a lot. The government fixed a support price of Rs 17 for mustard, but the market price remained at Rs 12. This had an impact on the mills. Warehousing became a big issue, the maximum the government could stretch its warehousing capacity was to 9 lakh tonnes. Even schools were being considered as godowns. Some 14 lakh tonnes are still lying in the godowns. And another crop is coming up by end February ’06.

ANDHRA PRADESH
K. Ramachandra Murthy
Editor, Andhra Jyoti

Andhra has seen copious rain in ’05. Successive drought for 7-8 years had deeply affected the people—one of the factors that had driven farmers to commit suicide. Rains this year have brought great relief and there is a dip in the number of farmers ending their lives. The media came in droves when gloom was all over the place. When there is hope, after nearly a decade, in the eyes of ordinary people, it does not seem to make a good story. Why?

TAMIL NADU
B. Srinivasan
Joint MD, Junior Vikatan

After the ‘encounter’ slaying of Veerappan by the Tamil Nadu STF, the Karnataka police force felt they were denied their ‘rightful chance’ to vanquish the ‘enemy’. They began persecuting Tamil-speaking people in areas bordering TN. Even Tamil prisoners were not spared. But this news never reached the national fora.