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India Gazette
3 days ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
Assam Cabinet approves expansion of Kaziranga National Park by over 47,000 hectares
Guwahati (Assam) [India], June 4 (ANI): Assam Cabinet under Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday approved the expansion of Kaziranga National Park by over 47,000 hectares under its sixth extension. According to the Assam Chief Minister's Office (CMO), this will strengthen biodiversity conservation efforts and promote sustainable tourism at the Kaziranga National Park. CMO Assam shared an X post which said, 'Assam Cabinet has approved the expansion of Kaziranga National Park by over 47,000 hectares under its sixth extension. This move aims to strengthen biodiversity conservation efforts and promote sustainable tourism at the UNESCO World Heritage Site.' As per the X post shared by CMO Assam, villages Gopal Jarani, Gonaitapu, Jobre, Thute Chapori, Baligaon Biswanath Ghat, Umatamoni, Gakhirkhaite, Silghat and Hatimura are included in this expansion project. Expansion of the national park comes as a part of decisions taken in the state cabinet meeting chaired by CM Himanta Biswa Sarma at Lok Sewa Bhawan in Guwahati on May 21. Earlier, the Assam Cabinet decided to grant arms licences to original inhabitants and indigenous Indian citizens residing in vulnerable, remote, and border areas of the state. The decision was made with a focus on enhancing the security of the people in the region. 'This scheme will act as a deterrent to unlawful threats and enhance the personal security and confidence of such individuals and communities,' the Assam Chief Minister said. In addition to that, the cabinet has given the green light to a Rs 250 crore proposal for upgrading 34 polytechnics and 43 government ITIs into Centres of Excellence in collaboration with Tata Technologies Limited, aiming to boost skill development and employment opportunities. To honour Assam's stalwarts, the cabinet also approved renaming three institutions. The Sarusajai Sports Complex will now be called Arjun Bhogeswar Baruah Sports Complex, the Mangaldoi Stadium will be renamed Raja Dharma Narayan Stadium, and the State Institute of Panchayat and Rural Development will be renamed Golap Borbora State Institute of Panchayat and Rural Development. The cabinet further approved land allotment by Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL) to Greenko Energies for a 900 MW off-stream Pumped Storage Project in West Karbi Anglong, alongside relaxations in land categories for oil palm cultivation under the National Mission on Edible Oils - Oil Palm (NMEO-OP), enabling more farmers to benefit from the scheme. (ANI)
Time of India
31-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
AP begins drive to make oil palm yield profitable
Vijayawada: In a move to make oil palm cultivation profitable, state govt has initiated an extensive farmer awareness programme. A leading oil palm production firm-3F Oil Palm Pvt. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Ltd has joined hands with govt in taking up the massive awareness drive. The initiative is being conducted in Eluru, West Godavari, and East Godavari districts, covering a total of 50 villages. Andhra Pradesh is the leading producer of oil palm in the country. The program focuses on educating farmers about best practices in oil palm farming, including agronomy techniques, input management, disease control, and sustainable harvesting methods. Through interactive sessions, demonstrations, and expert consultations, the campaign seeks to empower farmers with the knowledge and tools necessary to increase productivity and profitability. India currently imports over 60% of its edible oil requirements, with annual imports exceeding 13 million tonnes. To counter this, Union govt launched the National Mission on Edible Oils–Oil Palm (NMEO-OP) with the goal of bringing an additional 6.5 lakh hectares under oil palm cultivation by 2025–26. A senior horticulture official said that Andhra Pradesh plays a pivotal role in this mission as it contributes more than 60% of India's total oil palm cultivation. With over 1.5 lakh hectares currently under oil palm yield, the state is a key driver in reducing dependency on imports and enhancing domestic production. "This joint effort underscores the commitment of both 3F Oil Palm and the horticulture department to boost the oil palm sector in the state and contribute to the larger goal of self-reliance in edible oil production. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The program is expected to directly benefit hundreds of farmers, creating a ripple effect in improving oil palm cultivation standards across the region," said Srinivas Rao Kilari, head of agricultural unit at 3F Oil Palm Pvt. Ltd. It is noted that the company has been engaged in oil palm development program in India since the project commenced in the early 1990s. Due to its continued vision towards this project, they have invested in, and are actively carrying out operations in five states in the country.
The Print
29-05-2025
- Business
- The Print
3F Oil Palm, Andhra govt launch awareness prog to promote sustainable oil palm cultivation
India currently imports over 60 per cent of its edible oil requirements, with annual imports exceeding 13 million tonnes. The initiative, launched in collaboration with the state's Department of Horticulture, is being conducted in Eluru, West Godavari, and East Godavari districts, 3F Oil Palm said in a statement. Mumbai, May 29 (PTI) 3F Oil Palm on Thursday said it has initiated a farmer awareness programme in 50 villages in Andhra Pradesh to promote sustainable oil palm cultivation. To reduce import dependency, the government launched the National Mission on Edible Oils-Oil Palm (NMEO-OP) to bring an additional 6.5 lakh hectares under oil palm cultivation by 2025-26. Andhra Pradesh plays a pivotal role in this mission, contributing more than 60 per cent of India's total oil palm cultivation with over 1.5 lakh hectares currently under oil palm. 'This joint effort underscores the commitment of both 3F Oil Palm and the Horticulture Department to boost the oil palm sector in the state and contribute to the larger goal of self-reliance in edible oil production. 'The programme is expected to directly benefit hundreds of farmers, creating a ripple effect in improving oil palm cultivation standards across the region,' 3F Oil Palm Head Agri Srinivas Rao Kilari said. PTI SM MR SHW This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
India Gazette
29-05-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
Assam Cabinet approves arms licences for indigenous people in vulnerable areas
Guwahati (Assam) [India], May 29 (ANI): The Assam State Cabinet under Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has decided to grant arms licences to original inhabitants and indigenous Indian citizens residing in vulnerable, remote, and border areas of the state. The decision, taken during a state cabinet meeting on Wednesday, was made with a focus on enhancing the security of the people in the region. The cabinet meeting, chaired by CM Sarma at Lok Sewa Bhawan in Guwahati, approved the Special Scheme for Grant of Arms Licences to these communities. 'This scheme will act as a deterrent to unlawful threats and enhance the personal security and confidence of such individuals and communities,' the Assam Chief Minister said. In addition to that, the cabinet has given the green light to a Rs 250 crore proposal for upgrading 34 polytechnics and 43 government ITIs into Centres of Excellence in collaboration with Tata Technologies Limited, aiming to boost skill development and employment opportunities. To honour Assam's stalwarts, the cabinet has also approved renaming three institutions. The Sarusajai Sports Complex will now be called Arjun Bhogeswar Baruah Sports Complex, the Mangaldoi Stadium will be renamed Raja Dharma Narayan Stadium, and the State Institute of Panchayat and Rural Development will be renamed Golap Borbora State Institute of Panchayat and Rural Development. The cabinet further approved land allotment by Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL) to Greenko Energies for a 900 MW off-stream Pumped Storage Project in West Karbi Anglong, alongside relaxations in land categories for oil palm cultivation under the National Mission on Edible Oils - Oil Palm (NMEO-OP), enabling more farmers to benefit from the scheme. Earlier, to boost its electronic components manufacturing ecosystem, the Assam government decided to offer additional incentives to manufacturers willing to set up units in the northeastern state in addition to what the central government is offering. CM said his government has earmarked Rs 25,000 crore as incentives for semiconductor and electronic component manufacturers. He said that Assam's policy proposes to provide 60 per cent additional incentives to electronics components manufacturers, topping up the central government incentives. (ANI)
The Print
22-05-2025
- Health
- The Print
Demonising palm oil won't improve public health. Better focus on food literacy, balanced diet
By positioning palm oil as the primary culprit behind India's growing obesity rate and LDL, or 'bad', cholesterol levels, the article misses a much larger, more nuanced picture that involves food security, farmer welfare, strategic self-sufficiency, and environmental realities. The problem of obesity in India is real and rising. But attributing it largely to palm oil consumption is misguided. India's annual per capita edible oil consumption stands at 19.7 kg, which is well above the ICMR-recommended 12 kg. However, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Prataprao Jadhav recently stated in Parliament that there is ' no unanimous scientific evidence ' linking palm oil consumption to negative health effects. He also noted that the Indian Council of Medical Research – National Institute of Nutrition recommends the use of a variety of vegetable oils, including palm oil, as relying entirely on a single vegetable oil may not provide the optimal balance of fatty acids. A recent opinion article in ThePrint , titled Oil is making India obese and import-hungry. Modi wants to change that , goes beyond merely criticising palm oil for increasing obesity in the country. It goes so far as to suggest that the Government of India should exclude this versatile vegetable oil from its National Mission on Edible Oils, citing its widespread use in the unorganised sector, which drives higher consumption and adversely affects public health. However, this increase isn't unique to palm oil. It reflects a larger shift in dietary habits driven by urbanisation, sedentary lifestyles, and the growing intake of ultra-processed foods (UPFs). According to a 2023 WHO report, India's UPF market surged from $900 million in 2006 to nearly $38 billion in 2019. These foods, rich in refined sugars, sodium, and preservatives, pose far greater health risks than any single cooking medium. Beyond diets It is true that palm oil contains saturated fats, but not all saturated fats are created equal. When consumed as part of a balanced diet, palm oil is no more harmful than other edible oils. It contains nearly equal proportions of saturated and unsaturated fats and is rich in antioxidants like vitamin E. Its health impact depends more on the quantity and context of consumption than on its mere presence in the kitchen. However, the conversation must go beyond kitchens and diets. India imports over 15 million tonnes of edible oil annually, including Rs 40,000 crore worth of palm oil, which accounts for about 56 per cent of the total imports. This heavy reliance on imports strains our foreign exchange reserves and exposes us to global price volatility and supply chain disruptions. The National Mission on Edible Oils – Oil Palm (NMEO-OP), backed by Rs 11,040 crore in funding, is a strategic effort to cut edible oils import dependency, boost domestic production, and enhance farmer incomes. This mission is already bearing fruit. In Telangana, farmers have seen up to a 50 per cent rise in prices, earning Rs 21,000 for a tonne of Fresh Fruit Bunch (FFB) produce. States like Karnataka, Mizoram, and Arunachal Pradesh have also embraced oil palm cultivation. Importantly, in India, forest lands are not being recommended and used for oil palm cultivation, contrary to common misconceptions. Only the cultivable land of the individual farmer is under oil palm cultivation mainly as replacement of rice cultivation and that too in agro-ecologically suitable regions only. Oil palm is a rapidly expanding profitable crop in northeastern states under NMEO-OP, contrary to common misconceptions. Also read: Palm oil cultivation is key for Atmanirbhar Bharat. It empowers farmers too Embracing palm oil From an environmental standpoint, palm oil is the world's most land-efficient oil crop, yielding 4-5 tonnes of oil per hectare compared to just 0.4-0.5 tonnes for soybean. According to Our World in Data, palm oil makes up 36 per cent of the world's vegetable oil production using only 9 per cent of the land devoted to oil crops. Replacing it with alternatives like soybean, rapeseed, or sunflower would demand significantly more land, potentially exacerbating deforestation. Oil palm also requires less water than resource-intensive crops like sugarcane or rice, a critical factor for water-stressed regions. NMEO-OP also incorporates sustainability safeguards. Special provision for intercropping of annual crops in oil palm plantation has been made for the initial four years of non-bearing period of oil palm. Such agri-horticultural systems conserve land resources and are better adapted to climate change. Palm plantation provides farmer buy-back guarantees, and offers viability gap funding to protect growers from price fluctuations. The mission further encourages bilateral cooperation with countries like Malaysia in the field of palm oil, especially in research and development, seed supply, and partnership management. Atmanirbhar Bharat is more than just a slogan; it is a strategic push for independence in critical sectors, including food and edible oils. Palm oil isn't just another cooking medium; it's a vital component of India's pursuit of edible oil security. Public health must be addressed through stronger food literacy, better regulation of UPFs, and promotion of balanced diets, not by demonising a crop that sustains thousands of farmers and reduces our import bill by billions. Blaming palm oil unfairly may make for a dramatic headline, but India's food strategy must rise above fear-driven narratives. What the country needs is not a retreat from palm oil, but a smart, sustainable, and informed embrace of it. The author is former Additional Commissioner (Oilseeds), Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Government of India. Views are personal. (Edited by Aamaan Alam Khan)
