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Alagh Committee NEW DELHI, Mar 6: The Alagh Committee constituted by the Government to inquire into quantum of excess amount drawn by some fertilizer manufacturers by manipulating capacity, has virtually given them a clean-chit saying that the industry had helped the country in achieving self-sufficiency in urea production, sources said today.....more Jacob
underlines need CHANDIGARH, Mar 6: The Punjab Governor Lt Gen (retd) J F R Jacob today underlined the need for launching a concerted campaign to promote bee kpeeing in the state to help farmers having small holdings......more German
industry BERLIN, Mar 6: India’s 2001-02 general budget has elicited a "positive response" here with German trade and industry bodies asserting that it has.....more Kerala registers 6.4 pc increase foreign tourists THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, Mar 6: Kerala has registered a 6.4 per cent increase in the arrival of foreign tourists in 1999 as against 4.12 per cent the.....more |
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Integrated NEW DELHI, Mar 6: To provide point to point service for the people of Delhi, the Delhi Metro Rail......more Bar
coding for NEW DELHI, Mar 6: Succumbing to an intense pressure of defiant exporters, the Government has put ........more
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party meet on CHENNAI, Mar 6: Union Rural Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu today said the.....more Saudi
sees OPEC on TOKYO, Mar 6: OPEC oil producers who meet next week are likely to curb output for the....more |
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Alagh Committee gives clean chit to fertilizer industry NEW DELHI, Mar 6: The Alagh Committee constituted by the Government to inquire into quantum of excess amount drawn by some fertilizer manufacturers by manipulating capacity, has virtually given them a clean-chit saying that the industry had helped the country in achieving self-sufficiency in urea production, sources said today. The committee report, under the consideration of the Department of Fertilizers (DOF), however, clearly admitted that some fertilizer units have, for quite sometime, been indulging in manupulation of their capacity upto 129 per cent, known as gold-plating, and realised excess money from the fertilizer subsidy account. The committee exonerated the units saying that the industry had helped the country to regain near self-sufficiency in urea production in view of costlier imports before 1997. Also the reassessment of capacity of the units from 1991 to quantify the recovery of excess amount paid to some of them, is not possible taking into the Government’s policy of augumenting fertilizer production within the country due to higher cost of imported fertilizers , the committee said. The committee, in fact, seeks to close the case of maneuvering of capacity utilisation by some defaulting units before 1997 as it viewed that ripping open their past performances would amount to punishing the industry for higher capacity-utilisation that resulted in a saving of energy for the economy. The industry cannot be penalized by taking the effective date as back as say 1991-92, the committee said. However, it observed that the date for reassessment of capacity could be taken as July 1,1997 since the prices of imported fertilizers had started falling below the weighted average retention price of domestic urea. The issue of gold-plating of capacity and recovery of excess subsidy drawn by some units was also taken up in Parliament two years ago. The Parliament standing committee on petroleum and chemicals, in its 12th report in 1998-99, recommended that excess subsidy drawn by the urea units be recovered. Later, the standing committee pointed out that excess amount paid so far runs into crores of rupees and in may last year conveyed its dismay to the Government for delay in recovering the money realised by units by under-statement of their installed capacity. Excess subsidy to the tune of Rs 2000 crore had been withdrawn by the industry, official sources indicated. Consequent to rumblings in Parliament, the then Chemicals and Fertilizers Minister Suresh Prabhu constituted a two-member committee under Dr Y K Alagh in May, 2000 to go into the question of reassessment of the capacity, methods to be adopted for the purpose, ascertaining of effective date for assessment process and total recoveries to be made. Last year, the Fertilizers Ministry initiated reassessment of the capacities of units making urea vis-a-vis their name-plate capacities and recovered around Rs 500 crore in the process. The unit-specific Retention Price Scheme (RPS) was introduced by the Government in 1977 for indigenous nitrogenous (urea) fertilizer units to increase domestic production of urea and to supply it to farmers at a Maximum Retail Price (MRP), which is at present fixed at Rs 4600 per tonne. The Union Budget also refrained from effecting increase in the MRP under the pressure from the farmers’ lobby. The difference between the cost of urea production of a unit and the concessional MRP has been borne by the Government from its subsidy account. The fertilizers units have also been assured 12 per cent post-tax return on their production. The subsidy for urea, as 95 per cent of the requirement is met from domestic production, has crossed Rs 8500 crore while total fertilzers subsidy crossed Rs 13000 crore this year. The Alagh Committee pointed out retrospective implementation of recovery had to take into account retrospective credit to be given to the industry for substitution achieved for costlier imports. There was also difficulty in retrospective implementation from the legal point of view. The committee, which scruitinised the industry presentations, has taken note of the industry’s claims that despite the high-capacity untilization, the returns have been close to 12 per cent post-tax as assured under the RPS. Referring to the method of the recovery, the committee said, it should be consistent with long-term fertilizer policy and if any recoveries are to be made the Government should first redo the retention price calculations and compute the amounts that accrue to each unit and adjust the same against possible recoveries. (UNI) |
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Jacob underlines need to promote bee keeping CHANDIGARH, Mar 6: The Punjab Governor Lt Gen (retd) J F R Jacob today underlined the need for launching a concerted campaign to promote bee kpeeing in the state to help farmers having small holdings. Speaking after releasing a book essentials of beekeeping and pollination written by Prof A S Atwal, the Governor said that there was an urgent need to give fillip to beekeeping to help the rural economy of the Punjab. He said that conditions were much better presently as there were increase number of orchards and flowers fields in Punjab. Earlier speaking on the occasion Prof Atwal said that the book gives in a summarized form, authentic knowledge on the biology of the honeybee, and the role of bees in general, in the pollination of crops. This volume, in fact, is a collection of literature on two related fields covering a period of over 100 years, he added. He said that the biology of the honeybee (apis mellifera l.) is primarily based on researches and scientific observations made by the apiculturists in Europe and North America. The work done in India since its successful introduction here in mid-sixties has been discussed with that background. Dr Atwal said that although the pollination of crops is a very wide subject the studies made in India have been concised in this book with an applied bias so that growers could improve their yields with the assistance of honeybees and the wild bees. The Vice-Chancellor of Punjab Agriculture University, Dr J S Kalkat and Indian Beekeeping and Pollination Project Director R C Mishra also addressed the function. (UNI) |
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German industry hails Indian budget BERLIN, Mar 6: India’s 2001-02 general budget has elicited a "positive response" here with German trade and industry bodies asserting that it has signalled the "green light" for a new wave of foreign investments besides belying fears of erecting protectionist barriers. German Industry Associations and business bodies said the initiatives outlined in the new budget were a "decisive step" to overcome the "slack period" of economic progress in India. The German Asia-Pacific Business Association, known by its German acronym - OAV, said the budget reflected an "outstanding progress" in solving problems regarding structural deficits, "hesitant" liberalisation measures and privatisation process. The budget provided "good opportunities" for foreign Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to engage in India, an OAV official said, adding the establishment of an exit policy was a suitable measure allowing smes to practise a more flexible recruitment policy. The exit policy through planned labour reforms and measures to encourage foreign equity investment in Indian public companies by increasing the limit upto 49 per cent were the specific areas which were lauded by the entire spectrum of the German business and industry. "Forward movement in India’s exit policy was an issue which we have been waiting for several years to happen", said Dirk Mutter of the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce (IGCC). (PTI) |
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Kerala registers 6.4 pc increase foreign tourists THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, Mar 6: Kerala has registered a 6.4 per cent increase in the arrival of foreign tourists in 1999 as against 4.12 per cent the previous year. According to the economic review 2000, which was tabled in the State Assembly recently, the number of arrivals increased from 189,941 in 1998 to 202,173 in 1999. The state also achieved a higher rate of growth at 6.4 per cent compared to the all India average of 5.23. The share of Kerala in the Indian tourist market stood at 8.15 per cent in 1999 as against 8.05 per cent in 1998. During 1999, Kerala could recover from a slight fall in domestic tourist arrivals the previous year with a high rate of growth of 9.07 per cent. The number of domestic tourists to the state increased to 4.89 million in 1999 from 4.5 million in 1998. The accommodation facility available in Kerala in the category of classified hotels also increased from 6402 beds in 1998 to 6797 beds in 1999. The state plan allocation for tourism had more than doubled from 1995-96 to 1999-2000. It increased from Rs 17.30 crore in 1995-96 to Rs 36 crore in 1999-00. The central allocation for tourism in the state also increased during this period. It increased from a mere rs 2.10 crore in 1995-96 to Rs 9.30 crore in 1999-00. For the first time, the centre took up a special marketing campaign for Kerala in Gulf region and Singapore. The activities of the Department of Tourism during the year under review included development of Veli, Ponmudi and Varkala as attractive tourist centres, development of Thenmala as an international eco-tourism destination and integrated tourism development of Kannur and Fort Kochi. Facelifting of Kovalam beach resort, development of Pathiramanal as an international backwater resort, Vagamon as an international hill resort, installation of road and backwater signages and intensive backwater development were also under review. The first phase of the Thenmala project includes construction of musical dancing fountain, suspension footbridge, sculpture garden, water supply, hortriculture, deer information centre, development of Palaruvi, battery powered road vehicle, entrance gate, interior furnishing and fountains in canals, was commissioned in 2000. Muzhappilangad and Payyambalam beaches have been developed to attract international tourists to these destinations. Development of Meenkunnu, Dharmadam island, Thalassery fort and Kannur Fort is being undertaken as part of the project. The department is executing projects worth Rs three crore at Fort Kochi, for developing it as an international heritage centre. Construction of a tourist complex with luxurious accommodation facilities has been started at Ponmudi with central assistance. The Government have already transferred 751 hectares of land from Kerala Livestock Development Board to Tourism Department to develop Vagamon as an international hill resort with facilities such as golf course, start hotels and helipad. Construction of house-boat terminals at major backwater nodes, tourist resorts, introduction of house boats, waterside amenities at various centres were the activities carried out as part of this development. The department attempted integrated development of napier museum at Thiruvananthapuram and hill palace at Thrippunithura with central assistance. Development of Sooryakanti exhibition ground and landscaping of Kanakakkunnu were also done by the department during the year under report. Another important activity of the Department of Tourism was the development of low budget accommodation facilities and wayside amenities. (UNI) |
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Integrated transport for Delhi NEW DELHI, Mar 6: To provide point to point service for the people of Delhi, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is working on a scheme for integration of metro operations with the services of the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC). The objective of this effort is to ensure integration of the Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) network with the existing bus transport network so that Delhities can travel comfortably by buses to and fro from the metro stations. As part of the planning the exact demand assessment, feeder demand analysis, likely feeder public transport routes, the bus fleet requirement and restructuring of existing overlapping routes to match with metro train schedules is being worked out scientifically by DMRC in consultation with the DTC. In-depth field surveys have been completed to understand the existing traffic pattern and changes with the metro coming in, an official release said. The metro network in Delhi will cover 52 kms by 2005 and will have 45 stations including important locations such as ISBT, Connaught Place, Shahdara, Tri Nagar, Rohini, Wazirpur, Central Secretariat, Delhi University, Tis Hazari, and New Delhi station and integration with the bus network will ensure accessibility for commuters from all areas around the metro stations. Dedicated bus bay’s will be available at all metro stations which will be reserved for buses only for quick dispersal of all metro passengers, the release said. The DMRC and DTC have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to instal a common ticketing system for the metro and bus system by gradual introduction of contactlesssmart card technology on buses also. All entry and exit to metro stations will be through these smart cards which will act as "electronic purse" for the citizens of Delhi, the release said. (UNI) |
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Bar coding for exporters put off NEW DELHI, Mar 6: Succumbing to an intense pressure of defiant exporters, the Government has put off implementation of controversial bar coding for all exports. "Keeping in perspective the various difficulties faced by trade and industry to adopt bar coding from April one, 2001, it has been decided to further postpone the date of implementation until further orders in this regard," a Government notification has said. The Commerce Ministry had earlier decided to make it mandatory for all exports to implement bar coding using international symbologies and numbering standards. While the initial deadline for implementation of this code was December one, 2000, the Government had agreed to give more time till April one, 2001. However, with pressure mounting from bigtime exporters, including the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO), the Government was left with no alternative but to dump the proposal in cold storage. At a recent meeting with the press, former FIEO Navratan Samadria had criticised the Government for imposing the bar coding on exporters. (UNI) |
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All party meet on March 16 to discuss devolution of funds CHENNAI, Mar 6: Union Rural Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu today said the Centre has convened an all party meeting on March 16 to discuss devolution of funds and powers to the panchayat raj institutions in the spirit of 73rd constitutional amendment. Talking to newsmen here, he said the all party meeting would be preceded by another such meeting convened by Prime Minister A B Vajpayee for March 12 to deliberate on the 87th Constitutional Amendment Bill which proposed direct elections to the heads of various intermediary bodies in the local bodies. Mr Naidu said though the subject of devolution of powers to the local bodies was discussed in 1993, there had not been any progress in the past eight years. Under the 73rd amendment, 29 subjects had to be transferred to zilla parishads, panchayat unions and gram panchayats but many of the State Governments had not devolved the powers, he said. He pointed out that Article 243 clearly spoke about transferring subjects like Agriculture, Minor Irrigation, Land Improvement, Animal Husbandry, Fisheries, Kadhi and Village Industries, Drinking Water and Public Distribution System to the local bodies. Mr Naidu said only few states like Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh had partially devolved powers to the local bodies. The 73rd amendment would have no meaning unless all the State Governments came forward to fully devolve powers to the local bodies, he added. He said the proposed meeting would discuss and find solutions to any practical difficulty in devolving powers. Mr Naidu said the National Institute of Rural Development has been asked to prepare a position paper with regard to the present status of devolution of powers. The report would form the basis for discussion in the March 16 meeting, he added. In the budget for the year 2001-02, Rs 64,000 crore has been earmarked for rural credit which would go a long way in benefitting the farmers and rural artisans, he added. (UNI) |
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Saudi sees OPEC on verge of another output cut TOKYO, Mar 6: OPEC oil producers who meet next week are likely to curb output for the second time this year despite crude prices that already are close to the Cartel’s 25 a barrel target, a senior Saudi source said today. "The possibility of cutting production is very, very high," the Saudi source, familiar with official Saudi oil policy, told Reuters on the sidelines of an energy seminar in Tokyo. OPEC’s most influential producer, Saudi Arabia has been pressing the group to consider slicing output again because it fears a downturn in global demand in the second quarter will hurt petroleum export revenues. "We want to maintain 25 dollars a barrel," the source said, referring to OPEC’s reference basket of seven crudes. That means prices of about 27 dollars for the higher-quality benchmark north sea brent and 29 dollars for US light crude. The Saudi source declined to comment on the magnitude of any cut, saying only that oil prices, supply and demand, and inventory levels would be taken into consideration. Saudi Arabia, normally the most cautious of OPEC producers, appears to have the support of the rest of the Cartel for another round of supply cuts. The leaders of Iran, OPEC’s biggest producer after Saudi Arabia, and Qatar said on Monday they too favoured steps to boost oil prices. The organisation of the petroleum exporting countries meets in Vienna March 16 to decide policy after easing output by 1.5 million barrels daily, nearly six percent, in January. Since then oil markets have been rattled by signs of a global economic slowdown, especially in the world’s biggest energy consumer, the United States. A sluggish US economy has eased petroleum demand there and in countries dependent on North America for industrial export markets. Many analysts have downgraded projections for oil demand growth this year, including the International Energy Agency (IEA), the west’s energy watchdog. The Paris-based IEA, in a series of revisions in recent months, has cut its world demand growth outlook from 1.9 million barrels daily to 1.5 million bpd, expecting total world demand this year of 77 million bpd. (REUTERS) |
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