Kalahandi: from starvation to record produce! Bhubaneswar: Kalahandi for decades has stood for starvation and utter poverty. But the image needs to be modified now in the light of some new facts. Odisha’s Kalahandi district — once the cause of global embarrassment for India due to its high number of starvation deaths — today stands tall with a five-fold increase in its rice production since 1999, figures reveal. The agriculture ministry’s recent crop data ranks Kalahandi among the top 25 rice producing districts of India. The three-year average of its rice production ending 2010-11... 

by Ratnakar Tripathy Why agricultural productivity remains low in Bihar is by itself a clichéd question carrying an air of obviousness. The big landlord is either dormant or has better things to do than agriculture, a job in Patna for example. His sharecroppers are too uncertain about their land-holdings to invest seriously. When they are willing, they don’t have the knowhow or the resources. Those willing may also have too small a piece of land to take a risk or make a difference. In brief, it’s a vicious circle that no land reform based on redistribution may be able to solve. To put it... 

  Lychee: More than meets the eye! Patna: often with diseases and other phenomena, when a strong statistical correlation is found, it’s time to look deeper into the matter. Earlier, Muzaffarpur reminded everyone of Lychees, but these days, it has become associated with the killer disease of encephalitis. So the question is – is there a correlation between the heavenly fruit and the diabolical disease? Thus a team of experts from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), New Delhi, has flown down to Bihar amidst reports that three children, suspected to have been afflicted with acute... 

    From Mandi to market! Ahmadabad: Seven IIM-A students are set to replicate the “Amul model” in the agri-belt of Bihar as part of their summer internship during which they will work for Bihar’s rural livelihood initiative Jeevika for eight weeks. “As in ‘Amul model’ where dairy farmers go and provide milk to collection centres, we have proposed common procurement centres at the village level where farmers can give their for agricultural produce. They can then be stocked at a district procurement centre, which will have a cold storage facility run by... 

  Uncovering unpleasant truths: means transfer! Chandigarh: The Haryana government Thursday transferred for the second time in six months senior IAS officer Ashok Khemka —- the man who stirred a political storm alleging irregularities in land deals involving UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law Robert Vadra and private realty giant DLF. Khemka, at present Managing Director, Haryana Seeds Development Corporation (HSDC), has been posted as Secretary, Haryana Archives relieving Vikas Yadav of the charge. This is the 44th transfer posting of Khemka in his 22-year career. While no... 

    Nalanda: Record breaking potatoes Patna: Bihar’s farmers have done it again. A farmer from Sohdih village of Bihar’s Nalanda district has set a new world record in potato production through organic farming this year. The potato farmer, Rakesh Kumar, has harvested 108.8 tonnes of potato per hectare and set a new world record in potato production, Nalanda district magistrate Sanjay Kumar Agrawal said on Monday. Last year, a farmer of Darveshpura village in Nalanda had set a world record in potato production through organic farming. “Rakesh Kumar has created a new... 

  Power situation: looking up? Patna:  Bihar’s power supply situation is set for major improvement beginning the coming fiscal. The State is currently offered a mere 900 MW by the central sector to meet an estimated daily domestic demand of 2,000 MW. The result: Large parts of the State — outside the capital Patna (which needs 400 MW) — run on diesel generators. But, according to a senior State official, Bihar is expecting average grid supplies to improve by approximately 600-700 MW in 2013. The bulk of the additional supply will come from the upcoming 2 X 660 MW Barh-II thermal power... 

Flowers for cash income: E. Champaran! Motihari:  The cliche in this part of Bihar is – if you want cash, plant sugarcane in your fields. With the revival of numerous sugar factories in Bihar and a supply chain reaching Uttar Pradesh, this has indeed worked of late. But there are other alternatives too – Mehasi in Champaran is fast turning into the Lychee capital of the country. And now with the news of floriculture catching up, more avenues seem open. With farmers shifting to flower cultivation in a big way, East Champaran, from where Mahatama Gandhi tested the potential of satyagraha... 

Milk to the plant! Munger: Making its foray into food processing in Bihar, FMCG major ITC today began construction of a milk processing plant in Munger district. The plant will be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 150 crore and the work will be completed in one year, ITC Executive Director Kurush Grant said. It will have milk processing capacity of two lakh litres per day and produce 10 tonne of ghee, 20 tonne milk powder and 20 tonne milk in pouches for domestic consumption per day. Stating that Bihar has vast potential for development in food processing and dairy sector, he said ITC will... 

Editor’s note: When farmers do not get fair compensation for their land by the industries, we know what happens. But when they do, you may often see a grotesque comedy with tragic consequences. The suddenness of development, the unexpected windfall is never digested easily – the question one may ask – why even in its ‘fair’ moments, development may do unforeseen damage to people? The present report goes into some depth of the matter and you may imagine the rest. Money: quick disposal? Sanand, Gujarat: Sanand town, site of Tata Motors’ Nano plant and ready to welcome...