Vajpayee admits that unemployment prevails
New Delhi: While admitting there is an acute problem of unemployment in India today, Prime Minister A B Vajpayee has said that the promise to create 1 crore jobs every year will be materialised soon. "There is unemployment in the country. All agree that efforts should be made to remove it. We have set a target of providing 1 crore jobs every year... We stand by our promise and it will be fulfilled," he told the Rajya Sabha.

He has also said the creation of 1 crore new jobs does not mean all unemployed persons will be provided with government jobs. "The House has discussed this issue in the past. In one year, 80 lakh jobs have been provided. We stand by our promise to provide 1 crore jobs annually and it will be fulfilled."
Back to News Review index page  

MSP of paddy to remain the same
New Delhi: The Indian government has accepted the recommendation of the Commission on Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) on minimum support price (MSP) for paddy. As per the recommendation the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has retained the MSP for common and grade A varieties of paddy at Rs 550 and Rs 580 per quintal, respectively. The rates are the same as the last year's level.

While retaining the MSP at the last year level, the CCEA has also included the last year's special drought relief of Rs 20 per quintal with the MSP. The CACP had recommended clubbing last year's paddy MSP at Rs 530 and Rs 560 per quintal for two grades with the one-time special drought relief of Rs 20 a quintal. For the 2002-03 season, CACP had suggested a freeze in the MSP at Rs 530 and Rs 560 per quintal for common and grade A paddy respectively.
Back to News Review index page