Government Fudging Data

To address sharp volatility in retail prices of tomatoes, the government has selected and funded 28 innovative ideas, including making wine from tomato, under a hackathon for improving supply chain as well as processing levels, and it will now facilitate these startups to scale up their business. Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare on Friday said Tomato Grand Challenge (TGC) hackathon was launched in June last year to invite innovative ideas at various levels of the tomato value chain to ensure its availability to consumers at affordable prices and help tomato farmers get value for the produce. The TGC was formulated by the Department of Consumer Affairs in collaboration with Ministry of Education (Innovation Cell). "There is a high volatility in tomato prices. Rates increase sharply because of excessive rains, heat spells and pest attacks," Khare said, adding that there are at least 2-3 occasions in a year of sudden price hike as much as 100 per cent. She pointed out that rate

Bank and fixed deposits worth Rs 34 crore were attached under the anti-money laundering law following searches in a case related to alleged misappropriation of Assam government funds meant for the welfare of construction workers, the ED said on Saturday. The case pertains to the "fraudulent" award of contracts worth Rs 118 crore during 2013-16 by the Assam Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board (ABOCWWB) to a company named Purbashree Printing House, a proprietorship of Priyanshu Boiragi. "It is a case of misappropriation of money collected as cess for the welfare of construction workers. During the searches, various incriminating documents and materials were seized," the federal agency said in a statement. It did not say when the searches were conducted. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) added that it also attached "proceeds of crime" of Rs 34.03 crore in the form of bank and fixed deposits. The money-laundering case stems from an FIR registered by the Chief Minister

Target years for reaching the desired fiscal deficit are pushed back; and when FMs are unable to get close to targets, they fudge the books and push the burden on to hapless PSUs, writes T N Ninan

Lawrence Summers called Donald Trump's first Budget "ludicrous"