Ram Vilas Paswan

Lasalgaon, the Asia's biggest wholesale market for onion, normally sets price trend for the rest of the country. The largest onion growing state of Maharashtra contributes 30 percent to India's total output of 18.9 million tonnes of onion.

In a first, the Consumer Affairs Ministry filed a case against the firm with the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission seeking about Rs 640 crore in damages for alleged unfair trade practices, false labelling and misleading advertisements.

Seeking financial penalties among other actions, the Consumer Affairs Ministry will soon file a complaint against the company before the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) using a provision for the first time in the nearly three-decade-old Consumer Protection Act.

According to sources, the complaint is to be filed on the basis of unfair trade practices and misleading advertisements and the government may seek financial penalties among other actions.

India exports 10,000 tonnes of white sugar to the EU and 8,100 tonnes to the US through the preferential quota system, under which exports are permitted at low tariffs. After the quota is reached, a higher tariff is applied on additional exports.

Clarifying media reports in this regard, he said he never mentioned the test reports of Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) nor about the credibility of the government relating to foreign investment.

"Day before yesterday, the Prime Minister had said whatever people say, we should maintain decorum on this issue (Maggi). Until we get the fact findings done, there is no need to create unnecessary noise," Paswan said while sharing about the Maggi row at an Assocham event here.

Subsidy arrears of state-run Food Corporation of India (FCI), the nodal agency for procurement and distribution of grains, stood at Rs 50,730 crore in 2014-15 fiscal, and is estimated to be Rs 22,348 crore this year.

Meanwhile, the central agency Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC) - which has procured up to 8,000 tonnes onions under the Price Stabilisation Fund - is boosting supplies in Delhi retail markets and has also tied up with the West Bengal government.

Amid the Maggie controversy, trader body CAIT on Monday requested Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan to bring brand ambassadors under the ambit of the Consumer Protection Bill, 2015.

Prices of pulses have increased by up to 41 percent in retail markets during the last one year on decline in production due to account of adverse weather conditions, the government on Friday informed Parliament.

Currently, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) comes under the purview of Healthy Ministry. The regulator has been in the news since the start of the Maggi controversy.

Last month, the UP Food Safety and Drug Administration had asked Nestle India to withdraw a batch of Maggi noodles "which were manufactured in February 2014" after it found high levels of added MSG, a taste enhancer, in the noodles and lead beyond permissible limits.

The UP FDA had last month asked Nestle India to withdraw a batch of Maggi noodles "which were manufactured in February 2014" after it found high levels of added MSG, a flavour enhancer, in the noodles and lead beyond legal limits.

Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said that out of the projected requirement of Rs 1,18,734 crore in 2015-16 fiscal, the government has released Rs 24,250 crore as food subsidy to FCI till April 29.

Food Security Act ensures food to poor at very low price and Paswan claimed that under the scheme, the food grains are available at a price lower than the current prices offered to BPL families.

While arrears of sugar season for Uttar Pradesh stood at Rs 9715.69 crore, Rs 2864.5 crore worth of sugar price arrears was due to farmers in Maharashtra and Rs 2402.39 crore due to farmers in Karnataka.

The Food Ministry is planning to recommend a hike in import duty on sugar to 40 percent from the current 25 percent to check the sliding price of the sweetener and enable mills to clear mounting cane arrears that has reached almost Rs 20000 crore so far.

ONGC is up 3 percent as oil prices touched 2015 highs. Oil prices jumped 5 percent overnight with Nymex rising to USD 56.4 per barrel. Other gainers include Hindalco, Tata Motors, Bharti Airtel and Tata Steel.

Sugar companies owe 192 billion rupees (USn) to cane D 3.1 billiogrowers, with the top two producing states of Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh accounting for more than three-fifths of the total arrears.