The chamber's liberal wing had threatened to stall the bill, if Pelosi refused to make a series of last-minute changes to the legislation.
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Wednesday, December 11, 2019
Medicare chief sought to bring complaints against previous boss, as well
Seema Verma denies claim in HHS document that she hired a lawyer to take on former Secretary Tom Price.
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Tuesday, December 10, 2019
Trump’s health chiefs called to White House in fresh bid for truce
An increasingly public battle between Alex Azar and Seema Verma could cost one or both their jobs.
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Reduce chicory content, give minimum support price: Coffee growers in K’taka demand
Adding the cheaper chicory to coffee keeps prices low, but the practice is hurting coffee growers by reducing the demand for their coffee.
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When you look at a packet of coffee powder, there’s every chance you will find that the word “chicory” is mentioned, along with its percentage, yet not many consider why this is the case. What is chicory, and why is it included in our coffee? Chicory is a carbohydrate-rich root that was originally found in France. During the Second World War, most of the world was going through rationing. Since chicory is much cheaper than coffee, but similar in taste, the French began adding chicory to their coffee in order to stretch their coffee supplies. This habit was taken up by the British, who brought the idea to India. However, most countries have since stopped the practice of adding chicory to their coffee, and use coffee in its purest form, without any additives. Chicory flower and root. Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons In India, however, the chicory practice continues. The current acceptable amount of chicory in packaged coffee is up to 49%, according to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). Marketers like Bru’s Green Label utilise this limit to the fullest. Chicory is mainly grown in parts of Gujarat for Indian consumers. The prices have remained a fraction of the price of coffee: Rs 60 per kg, against the market price of best quality coffee at around 150 per kg at wholesale rate. Adding the cheaper chicory to coffee keeps prices low, but the practice hurts coffee growers by reducing the demand for their coffee. “It is actually cheating the consumer by calling a ‘chicory mix’ as coffee. Coffee is not as soluble in water as chicory is, since coffee’s solubility is 30% whereas chicory’s solubility is as high as 70%. So, even if the chicory content is only 30%, the taste of the brew will be dominated by chicory. It will not be coffee, as it is currently being marketed,” says Vishwanath KK, organising secretary of the Karnataka Growers Federation. “We suggest that such products be labelled as ‘Chicory with coffee added’.” Coffee growers in the state of Karnataka have been requesting the FSSAI to reduce the acceptable ratio from 49% to around 30% of chicory content. In a report titled “Status of Indian Coffee 2019”, the Karnataka Growers Association has enumerated its demands regarding a minimum support price and better research into the management of the white borer pest. The government also needs to look out for producers in the country, says Vishwanath, adding, “We demand better prices for our coffee. In a country where the food inflation is steady at 3.18% while we are paying GST of up to 12%, and current inflation is at 7.62%, where are the profits? The producers with small holdings are suffering, and there are hardly any margins. At this rate, people will move away from cultivation and India will be forced to import everything, which is unsustainable.” There’s also the problem of low production of coffee. The main problem seems to be the white stem borer, which lays its eggs in the bark of the Arabica plant, the more expensive variety of coffee. There is currently no other way to manage it except to burn the entire plant. A plantation crop, the Arabica coffee plant takes up to 8 years to mature, and pest infestation causes huge losses to the producers. Changing climate pattern is also affecting coffee production: in the past two years, there have been heavy rains and flooding in parts of the Western Ghats, which has affected global supply, as reported by the international media. All this means that the coffee growers need to fight for better demand for their produce, and better prices. Pagalkumar, who is the Director of Pioneer Chicory, says that they would actually prefer if chicory is sold separately. “In South India, most people prefer to have chicory in their coffee. Even if the market moves away from selling coffee mixed with chicory, we are confident that people will continue to buy it separately as it is part of their taste preference. The move would benefit us,” he adds.
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Hulimavu lake: Two weeks after bund breach, Lokayukta orders removal of encroachments
According to a survey by the authorities , BDA is the biggest violator, which allowed the construction of a road, park and residential layout.
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More than two weeks after the Hulimavu lake in south Bengaluru breached its bund and flooded hundreds of houses within a 2-km radius stretch, the Karnataka Lokayukta on Tuesday directed Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), the city civic body, to remove all encroachments along the lake within two weeks. The Lokayukta has also directed the BBMP officials to fence the lake, as suggested by the petitioners, before the next hearing. Tuesday’s hearing was part of the 23 petitions submitted by citizenry groups, Namma Bengaluru Foundation and United Bengaluru, in the Lokayukta for the rejuvenation of the city’s ailing water bodies. Hulimavu lake is one of the largest waterbodies in Bengaluru. According to a survey conducted by BBMP in 2017, 19 acres and 26 guntas of the 145-acres of the lake have been encroached upon. It was found that the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), which is the custodian of the lake, sanctioned the construction of a park, a road and a residential layout called Brindavan Extension (Layout) on the lake land. Read: Lake bund breached in Bengaluru, scores of houses flooded in Hulimavu and BTM layout Following the widely reported lake breach on November 24, the Lokayukta had also visited the lake and carried out an inspection. The Lokayukta also ordered the BBMP to give school books and uniforms to 30 children within a week and also to fulfil the damage redressal for all the 374 houses (per the survey by BBMP) by January 10, 2020. Read: Probe reveals Hulimavu lake bund breached to stop flow of water into temple nearby Earlier, in August 2017, the Lokayukta had ordered a survey, which revealed that the lake has been encroached upon. So far, as per the partial survey carried out by the BBMP authorities, it has been revealed that the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) is the biggest violator. Reacting to this, freedom fighter H Doreswamy said, “It is sad to note that despite two years of delay, the officials are yet to take corrective measures to rejuvenate and restore the lakes. Being the government body, BDA has itself encroached the land and now it must be seen that the eviction must begin from here.” Commenting on Tuesday’s proceedings, Harish Kumar, the general manager of Namma Bengaluru Foundation (NBF), said, “NBF and United Bengaluru will form a joint action plan after meeting the Chief Engineer (BBMP). We will also meet the BBMP Commissioner to implement the ‘fencing for all lakes’ issue as a first and immediate action, and then remove the encroachment immediately thereafter. We will also submit a report on the inspection of new lakes to the Lokayukta and file rejoinders to the existing lake petition.”
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Bengaluru Metro to extend time of last train to midnight
The extended time has been a long-standing demand of commuters, according to BMRCL.
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The Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited has announced that the metro train service will be extended till 12 am staring January 1. The Metro trains, which currently ply till 11 pm at night, will now run for an extra hour. Ajay Seth, Managing Director of BMRCL, said that extending the time has been a long-standing demand of commuters and BMRCL is working towards meeting their demands. The last metro train will leave Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Station at 12 am and will go in all four directions – towards Yelachenahalli, Nagasandra, Baiyappanahalli and Mysuru Road. “It has been a long-standing demand of many commuters that trains ply till midnight. We have less time to carry out the changes but it will come into force from January 1,” he said. Currently, the trains ply from 5 am to 11 pm. The trains will continue to ply at 15-minute intervals between 5 am and 8 am, and between 9 pm to 12 am. The last train from Baiyappanahalli to Mysuru Road leaves at 11 pm. This will be extended to 11.25 pm so the train will reach Kempegowda Station at 12 am. The last train from Mysuru Road towards Baiyappanahalli currently leaves at 10.50 pm. This train too, will leave at 11.25 pm from Mysuru Road starting January 1. The train service will stop at 12.30 am after reaching the final destinations. BMRCL officials say that there are a lot more commuters travelling by Green Line and the number of 6-coach trains will increase from December 2020. The number of six-coach trains on green line will increase to 12 by the end of December. The BMRCL has written to the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation officials, asking them to extend the timings of metro feeder services to provide last mile connectivity. BMTC officials say that the agency will provide feeder services for commuters who deboard metro trains at 12 am. “Currently, BMTC buses ply till 1 am. However, the number of buses that ply late at night are low. We are looking at increasing the frequency of buses late at night,” the official said.
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With Karnataka bye-polls over, rebels now eye key ministerial berths
Sources in the BJP say that the newly elected legislators have already put in requests to Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, for the ministerial portfolios of their choice
The political drama in Karnataka, which began with the rebellion of Congress and JD(S) leaders, finally ended on Monday after 11 rebel leaders won the bye-election. With their long-drawn wait to become ministers coming to an end, sources in the BJP say that the newly elected legislators have already put in requests to Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, for the ministerial portfolios of their choice. Ramesh Jarkiholi, who spearheaded the rebellion in the coalition government, is said to have his eyes on the coveted Water Resource Ministry. BJP insiders say that Ramesh Jarkiholi has requested that he be given the portfolio that Congress leader DK Shivakumar held during the coalition’s rule. "This is Ramesh Jarkiholi's way of besting DK Shivakumar. He has specifically asked for Water Resources portfolio if he cannot be made the Deputy Chief Minister (DCM),” the source said. Ramesh Jarkiholi is believed to have aspired for the Deputy Chief Minister's chair as he was the lynchpin in the fiasco that brought down the Congress-JD(S) coalition. However, the party has already appointed three DCMs, rendering no vacancy for the post. Meanwhile, another one of DK Shivakumar's detractors, Dr K Sudhakar, the MLA from Chikkaballapura, is believed to have asked for the Medical Education portfolio. The Yediyurappa government scrapped the plan to construct a medical college in Kanakpura, Shivakumar's constituency, in August this year. Soon after, funds were sanctioned for the construction of a medical college in Chikkaballapura. This led to a major contention between DK Shivakumar and Sudhakar. Sudhakar had vowed to get a medical college constructed in his constituency. "Sudhakar's family runs educational institutions. The medical college portfolio will be to his benefit," the BJP source added. BJP insiders say that KR Puram MLA Byrathi Basavaraj has asked for another coveted portfolio, the Bengaluru Development Ministry. Party insiders claim that both ST Somashekar, the MLA from Yeshwanthpur, and Basavaraj want the same portfolio, which is currently held by CM Yediyurappa. However, sources say that Somashekar is likely to get the Cooperation Ministry. Meanwhile, Mahesh Kumatahalli, MLA from Athani, is aspiring to bag the Small and Medium Scale Industries portfolio, while Vijayanagara MLA Anand Singh has asked for the Ministry of Environment and Forests. BJP insiders say that Anand Singh has also demanded that Vijayanagara be made a separate district and that he must be made the minister in charge of this new district. BJP sources said that BC Patil has asked for the Horticulture portfolio, Srimanth Patil the Sugar ministry, and KR Pete MLA has asked for the Agriculture portfolio. "Yediyurappa will take their demands to the high command and ultimately, it's up to the national leaders to decide. We will discuss giving MLC posts to those who did not win as well," the source said.
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