Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar on Thursday appeared critical of Army chief V K Singh over his allegation that he was offered bribe to clear a defence deal.
The attack on Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar in Delhi on Thursday sparked protests in his home state Maharashtra and invited strong condemnation from political parties.
Under attack from social activist and anti-graft crusader Anna Hazare, Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar on Wednesday quit the Group of Ministers on corruption, saying he does not want to be "associated" with the panel anymore.
Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar on Thursday brushed off all allegations and reiterated his support for the introduction of Bt brinjal. He asserted that the introduction of the genetically modified brinjal can take place as it has been recommended by Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC), a scientific body, after carrying out a series of trials and tests on its impact on nature.
The proposed commodity transaction tax of Rs 17 per lakh was part of the Union Budget 2008-09 that was approved by the Parliament in the last session and is yet to be notified. Asked about timeframe of notification, Pawar said, 'first you allow us to discuss and take a final view.'
Nationalist Congress chief and Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar spoke to journalists in New Delhi on his future plans and what could happen in the next general elections. Sheela Bhatt listens in.
Pawar has been asked to give an explanation by Sept 15.
Refuting the allegations against Pratibha, Nationalist Congress Party chief and Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said no inquiry was ordered against her under the Maharasthra Cooperative Societies Act.
Nationalist Congress Party chief and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar is ready to become the country's prime minister, provided there is a consensus, said party leader and Union Heavy Industries Minister Praful Patel. Patel was quick to add that any talk on this right now is premature.
The retail prices of key pulses such as tur and urad have fallen by up to 22 per cent in metro cities over the last three months, Food and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said on Friday.
Nationalist Congress Party workers on Friday attempted to assault a small-time transporter, who had slapped Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, in a court complex when he was taken for remand proceedings.
Food inflation rose to 18.32 per cent for the week ended December 25, because of rise in prices of food items like onion, milk and meat.
Top sources in the government told Business Standard the Congress managers wanted the rise in prices to be a collective decision of the United Progressive Alliance and also make sure allies could not wriggle out of the exercise to take harsh economic decisions.
Some cases of bird flu have been detected in four villages of Jalgaon district in Maharashtra, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar told the Lok Sabha Tuesday.
Harvinder Singh, who had slapped Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, has now claimed before a Delhi court to be "unaware" of the incident saying he had "lost his senses" at that time as he suffered a bout of "mental disorder".
Close to half of the country is reeling under drought or drought-like situation with the number of districts affected rising to 246 as a poor monsoon has brought 29 per cent less rainfall, damaging standing crop.
Monsoon, the life-line of Indian agriculture, has been deficient by 13 per cent so far, affecting the sowing of kharif crops, particularly coarse cereals and pulses.
Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said on Thursday onion prices will ease in the next two-three weeks as fresh output arrives from Maharashtra and other states, providing relief to consumers.
The issue of austerity measures came up at the meeting of the Union Cabinet on Thursday with ministers seeking clarification on the economy drive launched by the government.The issue came up for an impromptu discussion when the Cabinet gave its approval to hike the Dearness Allowance for central government employees from 22 per cent to 27 per cent.
The Maharashtra government will amend its agriculture law to protect farmers and Agriculture Produce Marketing Committees (APMCs) as the three central farm laws are not in the interest of agriculturists, state Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat said.
After committing a faux pas in his reaction to the attack on Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, Anna Hazare said on Thursday that he was ready to apologise if his remark was perceived to be "wrong".
A senior source in the Maharashtra government reveals that the unfolding investigation in the Adarsh society scam is the main reason for the recent face-off between Sharad Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress.
A senior source in the Maharashtra government reveals that the unfolding investigation in the Adarsh society scam is the main reason for the recent face-off between Sharad Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress.
A bench of Justices Dalveer Bhandari and Dipak Verma referring to newspaper reports that the Union Minister had claimed there was no such order, clarified that it did pass such an order.
"I am very confident that if the elections happen, I will win without any opposition, which Dalmiya does not want," the Union Agriculture Minister said.
With rains playing truant this season, the government on Wednesday said there will be no export of foodgrains for at least one year.
"Pawar saheb himself had said about the necessity of change in the guard a few days ago. We should see his decision in the light of his age and health also. Everyone has to take a decision according to time, Pawar saheb has taken a decision and he won't take it back," Ajit Pawar said.
Sharad Pawar on Friday evening announced that he was not stepping down as the president of the Nationalist Congress Party.
Nicotin Sulfate and Captafol have been banned for use in the country but their manufacture is allowed for export, he said adding four pesticide formulations have been banned for import, manufacture and use while seven others have been withdrawn.
State BJP minister Chandrakant Patil last week said Harshvardhan Patil will regret his decision to join the Pawar-led party.
Voters, it is said, get the government they deserve. We will soon see what voters in Maharashtra choose. Till then, a sense of helplessness and scepticism hangs in the air, notes Ramesh Menon.
The biennial polls of the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) on October 18 will see a straight fight for the presidentship between two Maharashtra political heavyweights -- Sharad Pawar and Gopinath Munde.
The Congress Working Committee meeting witnessed Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar being targetted by senior Congress leaders on the issue of spiraling price rise. The three leaders who attacked Sharad Pawar but did not name him were former maharashtra chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, All India Congress Committee general secretaries R K Dhawan and Satyavrat Chaturvedi.
Issue of FDI in retail is solidly backed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
With Pawar backing farmers' protest against the contentious agri reforms, government sources on Sunday pointed out that as the agriculture minister in the UPA dispensation he had asked chief ministers to amend the APMC Act in their states to allow the private sector to play an important role in the field.
Pawar, who was also the deputy CM in the previous Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, which was in power from November 2019 to June 2022, enjoys the image of a grassroot leader and an able administrator.
A decision on the legal right of the poor to get wheat or rice at Rs 3 per kg was deferred on Thursday as Food and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar could not attend the meeting of a panel of ministers on the Food Security Bill on health grounds.
Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar's face-off with the United Progressive Alliance was a camouflaged attempt to hide his failure to deliver as the Agriculture Minister, Bharatiya Janata Party leader and former Union minister Ram Naik said on Wednesday.
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