New Delhi, Feb 9 (IANS) The cabinet Thursday approved the status of a registered society for the National Centre for Cold Chain Development (NCCD), which provides cold storage facilities to perishables.

India is the second largest producer of horticulture commodities such as fruits, vegetables and flowers in the world.

It produced 71.5 million tonnes (MT) of fruits, 133.7 MT of vegetables and 17.8 MT of other commodities like flowers, spices, coconut, cashew, mushroom and honey.

A significant percentage of this is wasted due to lack of cold chain facilities.

akia seeks copy of SIT report on Gujarat riots
 (14:10)
Ahmedabad, Feb 9 (IANS) A day after the Supreme Court-appointed SIT probing the 2002 Gujarat riots filed its final report, petitioner Zakia Jafri Thursday threatened to file a protest plea.

A statement from Jafri and activist Teesta Setalvad said they have sought a copy of the report. They said if it is a closure report, a protest petition would be filed.

A magisterial court has issued a notice to the Special Investigation Team after Setalvad and another activist, Mukul Sinha, separately sought copies of the SIT report.

According to reports, the SIT has given a clean chit to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi in the post Godhra riots.

Jafri, the widow of former Congress MP Ehsan Jafri who was killed with 68 others at Gulberg Society, had filed a petition blaming Modi and 62 others for inciting the violence.

The BJP meanwhile said this was the third time Modi has been given a clean chit and the matter should be dropped now.

"If the report is right, then I would like to say this issue has been probed three times now," BJP leader Arun Jaitley said.

"The first probe was by Gujarat Police, then the Geeta Johri enquiry, that was also under Supreme Court, and the third by this SIT of Supreme Court."

On poll tour in Uttar Pradesh, Jaitley said, "All three reports are speaking the same language. I believe this chapter should be closed now. Those who want to keep this issue alive now only have a political motive."

He also mentioned that the high court order saying the government should bear the expenses for repairing the damage to religious monuments during the riots, and said even as the court order should be followed, a secular government should not spend the exchequer's money on religious monuments.