Order of the National Green Tribunal (Eastern Zone Bench, Kolkata) in the matter of Nabin Kisan Vs State of Odisha & Others dated 15/05/2025. The matter related to discharge of wastewater by the municipality of Belpahar on the applicants land. The affidavit filed by the District Magistrate, Jharsuguda, May 14, …
THERE are some in India who believe that the Dunkel Draft (DD) would lead to a reduction of subsidies paid by developed countries to their farmers and this would help agricultural produce exports from India and other developing countries. They are the victims of an illusion created by the DD …
WITH ITS long, angular body, supple spine and cleat-like claws, the cheetah can chase down a car, speeding at over 115 km an hour. But its specialised aerodynamics are also precipitating its extinction. Take, for example, Namibia, which has the world's largest cheetah population, but where the species has declined …
With commerce minister Pranah Mukherjee and commerce secretary A V Ganeshan both indicating the government was veering around to the pro-Dunkel point of view, its opponents have become worried. The Karnataka Rajya Ryot Sarigha (KRRS), the most prominent critic of the proposals, said it would try to persuade opposition members …
FOR THE first time in many years, Ethiopian leaders are talking of self-sufficiency in food, buoyed by UN forecasts of a record harvest of 7.7 million tonnes of cereals and pulses this year. Such a crop would reduce the country's need for food aid by 50 per cent. The world …
THERE are indeed some Indian farmers who favour Arthur Dunkel's draft proposals for the General Agreement on Tariff and Trade (GATT). Six thousand of them gathered on March 31 outside the Red Fort in Delhi, on the very ground where more than double that number of anti-Dunkel farmers had staged …
FARMERS are exploiting a loophole in the European Community's new common agricultural policy, which grants them crop subsidies to leave their land fallow so as to reduce oilseed production. But many of these fields in UK will shortly turn a greedy yellow as they would have been planted with rape …
On multinationals: Agriculture is the only field where India can assert its sovereignty. Multinationals will fleece Innocent farmers. Plant breeding is the prerogative of farmers and we will not allow privatisation and'com- mercialisation of agricultural research. On whether India should integrate with the world economy: I want a khadi curtain …
On the aim of his agitation: Our broad objective is to accelerate the movement towards a freer economy and an open society. We are against state intervention in agriculture and so-called subsidies because the Indian farmer is taxed, not subsidised. Thus, our rally is not a counterpoise to Tikait's. On …
On Dunkel draft opponents: If the proposals become effective, bahuton ki dukanen bandh ho jayengi (many rackets will collapse). If agriculture is controlled by market forces, what -will farm leaders who thrive on raising issues like fertiliser subsidies and procurement prices do? They want to retain their position as traders. …
• Plant varieties to be brought within the purview of patents. This provision will be reviewed four years after the agreement comes into force. • Countries to provide market access to foreign produce. Custom duties on agricultural products to be reduced by 36 per cent, with a minimum rate of …
RESISTANCE to GATT secretary general Arthur Dunkel"s proposals is building up in India. But even as the government tries to pacify fears that it will give *in to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) - the all- encompassing global trade rules that are being negotiated - its game …
Indian government"s concerns with theDunkel draft Commerce ministry"s comments: What the critics say: If the facility for process palents, currently enjoyedby Indian drug manufacturers, is taken away,prices of several medicines patented by MNCs will soar. The magnitude of the price rise will depend on a variety of factors. in any …
Developing countries are concerned by the silent disappearance of some and the qver-simplificalion of other provisions of the Brussels Draft, 1990 -the first draft agreement reached during the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade negotiations. These provisions were of special interest 10 developing countries and were open for negotiations. But they …
On the Dunkel proposals: Ye Dunkel to hamen dank maregi (Dunkel will sting us badly). This is a conspiracy against Indian farmers. Why did the government keep this a secret? Why wasn't the draft translated into Hindi? Why should we allow multinational companies to dominate Indian agriculture? If Dunkel gets …
THE SEEDS sowed by Arthur Dunkel are beginning to sprout discord. Farmers are split on the merits of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) proposals to patent plants and genes. After initial hostility to the Dunkel draft, some farmers now say it's good for them. First, there was …
BANGALORE is witnessing dramatic protests these days against foreign businesses. Less than a fortnight after agitated farmers raided the offices of Cargill Seeds India Pvt Ltd (Down To Earth, January 31), there were demonstrations in the city against the state government's intention to approve construction of a model township near …
Why are you opposed to the township? The Japanese are coming to make money for themselves. We do not agree this will benefit Karnataka or India. Moreover, the government has been so secretive about the nature and features of the township. The chief minister has given contradictory information. What are …
Why do you want the township? It will bring in an investment of more than Rs 20,000 crore. Nobody in India can match this scale of investment in the present economic situation. What do feel about the fears expressed by environmentalists? The Japanese are extremely quality conscious. They will go …
PRIME Minister P V Narasimha Rao warned a conference of state power ministers recently that the "agriculture sector (must) no longer be entitled to free or concessional power supply." But the ministers, reluctant to ruffle the rich farm lobby, instead passed a resolution to implement by March 31 a minimum …
FEARING a proposal to withdraw customs duty concessions on pesticides will result in price increases, farmers' organisations in north India are heading for a showdown with the government and pesticide manufacturers. The proposal to end customs concessions relates to certain pesticides that are also produced in India. The farmers contend …
