Essential Commodities Act

The Delhi High Court on Friday agreed to hear on July 24 a plea seeking direction to authorities for immediate steps to provide free rations, medical assistance and essential medicines at the flood relief camps in the city. The plea was mentioned for urgent listing before a bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Sanjeev Narula which listed the matter for hearing on Monday. The plea stated that around 25,000 people were affected by the recent flood in the national capital and complained of a lack of proper sanitation facilities and food at the relief camps. "Flood management being a state subject, the primary onus is upon states to take steps to deal with it," petitioner Dr Akash Bhattacharya, a former assistant professor of Azim Premji University, said. The plea, filed through advocate KR Shiyas, said the unprecedented flood rendered hundreds of people, who reside on the Yamuna floodplains, homeless. "In the alarming and unprecedented situation, the state machine

The order has also made it mandatory for entities to declare the stock position on the relevant portal of the Department of Consumer Affairs

Unlike in the past, the Centre isn't restricting movement within the economy, but has only imposed export curbs. Consequently, there is no rush to use the Essential Commodities Act

PM's retreat on farm laws conceals what is actually going on

Price difference stays largely flat for pulses during this period; govt starts cracking down on hoarders and black-marketeers

Here are the best of Business Standard's opinion pieces for Wednesday

Stock-holding limits on pulses will affect govt's reform credentials

The minister said that the "nation needs a single, technologically modern storage management infrastructure."

Congress on Sunday attacked the government over the rise in prices of essential commodities, asking it to act sternly against black marketeers and push sufficient stocks of food in the market

As per the Central order, retailers won't be allowed to hold more than two tonnes of onions with them; for wholesalers the cap is 25 tonnes

While some welcome the amendments, others have doubt and point to the arbitrary powers the government can still use to control trade

In most bills, the members participation was sparse and the minister's reply brief

The bill is also aimed at removing fears of private investors of excessive regulatory interference in their business operations

The reforms may translate into new opportunities for firms like ITC, Adani Wilmar and Reliance Retail

Rajnath Singh, Cabinet colleagues hold press meet, say such conduct not expected in a healthy democracy

A normalisation of the definition of "capital assets" for Indian AIFs will ensure that they can compete fairly with global capital on home soil

The AAR, in its ruling, said since hand sanitisers manufactured by the applicant are of the category of 'alcohol-based hand sanitisers', a 18 per cent GST would be applicable

A decision in this regard was taken after consultation with the state governments

The final of a two-part series looks at why investment is unlikely to be forthcoming until industry sees the new ground reality

Lack of mandatory written contracts, provision to invoke controlling powers among many bones of contention