Gates assures financial support for ‘AP partnership project’

HYDERABAD, Nov 14: Microsoft Corp Chairman Bill Gates today assured long-term financial support for the Hepatitis B vaccine (HBV) project in the State and expressed hope that it will set an example for other developing countries.

Just hours before launching phase-two of the children vaccine programme in the State, Mr Gates hoped that the "Andhra Pradesh partnership project" will become ‘the role model’ for immunising children in developing countries to prevent the spread of the deadly disease.

Initiating a round table on ‘immunisation services’ at the jubilee hall here, he assured support for the HBV project for which the bill and Melinda Gates foundation has provided 25 million US dollars (Rs 125 crore) "for five years under its programme for appropriate technology in health (path)".

Asked how he felt about the impact of the first phase of the project under which about 300,000 children in six districts of Andhra Pradesh were provided HBV along with the normal immunisation programme of the State, Mr Gates, though evading a direct response, said: "It feels very good and the partnership has been excellent".

"It is for others (to evaluate the impact)", he added. Maintaining that the foundation was laying priority on the vaccination coverage around the world, Mr Gates referred to the 750-million US dollar grant from their foundation to launch the vaccine fund in 1999, which had been increased to more than one billion US dollars to eradicate the vaccine gap.

Observing that vaccines available in the rich countries were not within the reach of poor nations, he said, the foundation was striving for the development of vaccines with very low-cost technology so that millions of lives could be saved world-wide. About 300,000 children in Africa and half a million in India had benefitted from the foundation’s support, he added.

He said he had secured a commitment from Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu earlier in the day to speak out on the HIV/AIVs problem, which was the most challenging task undertaken by the foundation.

Since the first possible vaccine for AIDS was likely to take at least another decade, there was a need for behavioural change to avoid contracting the ‘killer disease’.

"I have suggested to Mr Naidu that the State take up a leadership role to create aids awareness in the country," he added.

Fielding questions from reporters, Mr Gates denied that his support to vaccine and other public health projects was to offset the anti-trust case against his software behemoth.

"The money for the projects are purely from the resources of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, started about ten years ago in the wake of urgency of health needs in less privileged countries.

"It is not related to any activities of Microsoft and has no connection to software and related activities," he asserted. Mr Gates said the children vaccine programme was an important project for the foundation and his discussions with the Chief Minister for a partnership was with this commitment to provide benefits to thousands of children.

As the project was moving to the second phase to cover six additional districts along with the existing six under phase one, he said the aim was to cover all the 23 districts of Andhra Pradesh and other States in India. He also indicated additional resources for immunisation to support Government’s efforts to control Japanese encephalitis besides focussing on HIV/AIDS awareness.

Mr Naidu said the State had set an ambitious goal to achieve reduction in the infant mortality rate from the present 65 per 1000 live births to 15 per thousand by 2020.

Informing that the State had started sharing the cost of the Union Government’s global alliance for vaccines and immunisations) India project from this year, the Chief Minister said even after the project ends in 2005, it would continue as our own programme.

The District Collectors of Krishan, Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, Warangal and Adilabad districts, where the second phase of the immunisation programme would be extended later, had an in-carmera round table discussion with Mr Gates, along with Chief Minister and Heath Minister Dr K S Rao.

Mr Ch Ramoji Rao, chief editor of Eenadu, Mr T Venkatarami Reddy, propritor Deccan Chronicle and Mr N Ravi, editor of the Hindu also participated in the discussions with Mr Gates. (UNI)

Charges to be framed against Hindujas

NEW DELHI, Nov 14: A special court today ordered framing of charges against three Hinduja brothers and the Swedish gun manufacturer A B Bofors in the Rs 64 crore Bofors payoff case.

Special Judge Prem Kumar ordered framing of charges against the three Europe-based brothers - Srichand, Gopichand and Prakashchand - and the Swedish compancy under section 120b (criminal conspiracy), 420 (cheating) and section 5(1)(d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The court fixed 1100 hours tomorrow for framing of charges when it would ask the accused whether they plea guilty or claim trial.

The court rejected the plea of counsel for Hindujas’ Amit Desai and Ashok Arora to defer the framing of charges to November 20 saying that "there is a Supreme Court order for day to day trial of the case".

The judge made it clear to the counsel that it could proceed even in the absence of the accused by recording the statements of their advocates as there was a direction to this effect by the apex court.

In addition to the above charges, the court directed framing of additional charges against the Hinduja brothers under section 161 read with section 165(a) and section 34 (common intention) of IPC.

However, in view of the provisions under the Prevention of Corruption Act, these additional charges lose their meaning for the trial.

The Bofors company has additionally being charged under section 464 (making false document) and section 465 (punishment for making false documents) of IPC.

Desai said, "we will certainly be challenging this order in the superior court (high court). We will persist in trying to convince the superior judiciary of our innocence and that there is no material in framing charges. Our client maintains that the charge-sheet has been wrongly filed".

Arora, counsel for G P Hinduja said, "we will challenge it in the high court and take all possible legal remedies". During the arguments, CBI had claimed that that there was sufficient evidence to frame charges against all the accused and proceed with the trial, while Hindujas’ counsel contested the agency’s claim and said there was no evidence to support the charges.

Bofors counsel had also sought discharge of the Swedish company on the ground that a body corporate could not be prosecuted for conspiracy as it did not have a mind of its own.

In its chargesheet filed in October 2000, CBI accused Hinduja brothers of taking an illegal commission to the tune of Rs 16 crore from Bofors for helping the company bag the Rs 1437.72 crore contract for the supply of four hundred 155mm Gowitzer gun to the Indian army in March 1986. (PTI)

Khadi- the hottest fabric on the ramps

KOLKATA, Nov 14: Khadi is not only the epitome of "self sustenance and base of rural economy". It is now the hottest fabric on the ramps.

Among the brands showcased by the city’s top models at the Brandomania, 2002, part of the NIFT fashion spectrum 2K2 celebration here today, Khadi was the most appreciated of the lot.

Talking to UNI on the sidelines of the show, top city model Koyena observed that the hand-spun and hand-woven, eco-friendly and unique fabric has a "tremendous future" even on the international ramps as it has been evolving with time, absorbing all the trends of changing fashions.

"The most important feature of Khadi is that it comes in various variety, particularly in cotton, silk, wool and Polyvastra among others, giving designers the opportunity to experiment with various themes of national and international fashion," Koyena said.

"Such a manifestation of revolutionary work has no beginning and no end. Such a unique fabric has been created and recreated time and again with the bountiful potentiality enshrined in it," said Priyanka, another top model of the city.

"The most happening trend in the world of fashion presently is the cultural and ethnic fashion. And no other fabric can be as powerful as khadi to recreate the ethnic magic," she said.

Deputy Director of Khadi Village Industries Commission (KVIC) Samir Kumar said the need of the hour was to propagate the mission of Khadi with a fair publicity among all sections of the community so that another "movement in marketing takes shape". (UNI)

Work on aero-magnetic survey to commence in next four months

NEW DELHI, Nov 14: Petroleum Minister Ram Naik today announced that the Government would provide all possible help for conducting aero-magentic survey of Indian soil to determine the hydrocarbon reserves.

"The funding to Rs 30-crore project to carry out detailed survey will not be any problem , the minister said while replying to the demand made by Prof Y Sreedhar Murthy, secretary, Association of Exploration Geoscientists.

The detailed survey will help in finding new oil and gas reserves in the country. The recent success in exploration front has boosted prospects of higher hydrocarbon reserves in the country.

Dr Avinash Chandra, Director General, Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH), said that in view of ministers’ affirmation, the work on the aero-magnetic survey would commence before the end of this financial year.

Earlier addressing the geoscientists, Mr Naik said recent success of New Exploration Licensing Policy (NELP) pointed to the high quality of work being carried out by the DGH in making a new data packages, new mapping and the new interpretation work.

These together with earlier discoveries by private sector in Sanchor Basin of Rajasthan, Cambay offshore near Gujarat and enhanced reserves in fields like Tapti and Hazira together with ONGC’s discovery in Vasai will go a long way in meeting the demand of natural gas in India and enhance the oil/gas security , the minister added. Congratulating the geoscientists for the success in recent past, the minister said that those great success stories were bound to change the perception about the prospectivity of Indian sedimentary areas.

Due to efforts by DGH, 12 deepwater blocks were offered for the first time under NELP-I in 1999. The efforts have now resulted in gaint discoveries , the minister added.

The minister said the consortium of Reliance Industries and Niko Resources of Canada have made a major gas discovery in KG basin, estimated at seven trillion cubic feet. The second discovery in deepwaters of east coast was by the Cairn Energy, which was offered the block on nomination basis. Another significant gas discovery has been made in an onland block in Cambay basin near Surat, awarded in the second round of NELP to M/S Niko resources.

Mr Naik said the work for identification of blocks to be offered in second round of coal-bed methane was under progress. All eight blocks awarded so far are expected to produce 10-12 million cubic meters of gas every day. (UNI)

Denkark firm to send team to Haryana

CHANDIGARH, Nov 14: The Denmark-based Novo Nordisk, a major manufacturer of Insulin has accepted the offer of Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala to send a team to Haryana shortly toexplore the possibilities of setting up an insulin manufacturing unit in the state and a delegation of Confederation of Danish industry would also visit Haryana to explore the possibilities of making danish investment in the State.

The Chief Minister, who was interacting with the management of the Novo Nordisk and the chief executive officers of several other mutli-national companies in Denmark today, had urged the management of the Novo Nordisk to setup their unit in Haryana, in official release said here.

He said also assured them all assistance of the State Government.

The statement quoting Chautala said that as a large number of people in India were suffering from diabtese the setting up of an insulin manufacturing unit Haryana would not only reduce the expenses of the company, but also provide the medicine at a low rate to the patients.

The company has an annual turnover of Rs 20,000 crore and work force of 18,000 employees.

The representative of the Novo Nordisk and vice president of Novo Norlisk biotech Johannes Jensen have assured the Chief Minister of all assistance in undertaking research in the areas of biotech.

The Chief Minister, who visited a few wind mills being used in Denmark to generate electricity, said that the State Government would also get a feasibility study conducted to setup similar wind mills in the areas of Morni hills and aravalies near Sohna to generate electricity from non-conventional sources of energy.

He said that Haryana would try to gain from the experiences of Denkark in the areras of non-conventional energy sources.

The representatives of the Government of the Denmark informed the Chief Minister that the programme to generate electricity through wind mills was being conducted successfully as 36 per cent of the power was being generated through non-conventional sources of energy.

Twenty per cent of it was being generated through wind mills and 16 per cent from biomass.

The Government of Denmark had set a target to generate 5500 mw of power through wind mills by the year 2030.

The Copenhagen Power Corporation has set up 20 wind mills in the sea and each of them is generating two mw of power.

It has also setup wind mills in the costal area.

These wind mills are generating 40 mw of power. These wind mills, which are 102 meter above sea level have fans of 38 meter. Concrete towers, each weighing 19.45 tonnes, have been installed in the sea for these fans. It was informed that these wind mills had been running successfully for the last seven years.

Wind mills had also been setup at sports institutes in Denmark. Similar wind mills have already been setup in India in the states of Karnataka, Kerala, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.

The scientists of Denmark had designed a noval water pump which can be operated with solar power or wind mills, the release said.

The delegating led by the Chief Minister also visited the projects being undertaken in the area of dairy development.

On an average, the cows in Denmark yield 50 ltrs of milk and the entire work right from milking the cow to storage of milk is undertaken with sophisticated machines.

Denmark has made its mark in the world for its milk and milk products.

The Chief Minister said that there was a need to cooperate with Denmark and learn from their experiences in the areas of dairy farming.

In a meeting, which the Chief Minister had with the confederation of Danish industry, its Deputy Director General Jorgen K Hansen and Director of International Trade and Market Policy, Hans Peter slente appreciated the steps being taken by the Chief Minister in strengthening the bilateral relations between Denmark and Haryana and boost industry in the State.

He said that a delegation of confederation would shortly visit Haryana to explore the possibilities of Danish investment in the State.

The lady Governor of Haryana, Sudesh Kumari, who is also leading a delegation of women to various countries, reached Denmark and visited a few villages to see for themselves the projects being implemented in the areas of dairy farming.

The Non-Resident Indians has organised a meeting in the honour of Sudesh Kumari and the accompanying delegation. (PTI)

Textile sector should accept globalisation
challenge: Jacob

CHANDIGARH, Nov 14: Punjab Governor and Chandigarh Administrator Lt Gen (retd) J F R Jacob today called upon the textile industry to accept the challenge posed by the globalisation and excel in this competitive environment by improving quality of textiles.

Speaking after inaugurating the Textech - international conference on emerging trends in textile - here today, General Jacob said that whether Indian industry will be able to remain a global player in this millennium, will depend on its ability to constantly improve its competitiveness.

Captains of industry, managers and professionals along with Government agencies should co-operate and integrate their efforts to convert this challenge into an opportunity, he said.

Jacob said that after qualitative restrictions and tariff barriers are relaxed, the textile industry is likely to be confronted with non-tariff barriers such as the abolition of child labour, banning of hazardous dyes and chemicals.

‘In order to attain global supremacy, it is time for the textile industry to reorient its entire enterprise resources to meet these emerging challenges,’ he said.

The Governor said that the world textile scene is undergoing drastic changes and to stay ahead in this consumer-oriented environment, the India textile industry should use India’s inherent strength inthe IT industry.

Appropriate use of IT in production, design and marketing can give a competitive edge to our companies. To revitalise the textile industry, the Ministry of Textiles, announced a technology upgradation fund scheme in April 1999 and cotton technology mission in February 2000. Industry should take advantage of these schemes, he said.

Stressing the need of modernisation, he said that organised sectors like textile and clothing industry have undergone significant restructing and modernisation in the recent past. India is not only an important producer of textiles and clothing products, but with its large middle class population and spending capacity offers an attractive home market, he added. (PTI)

VAT from April, legislation in winter session: Jaswant

NEW DELHI, Nov 14: Finance Minister Jaswant Singh today said the Government would introduce a bill in the coming winter session of Parliament to enable introduction of Value Added Tax (VAT) by the states from April one next year.

The bill seeks to amend Article 269 of the Constitution to bring certain services under the ambit of service tax which will be assigned to the states.

Mr Singh was addressing a meeting of the consultative committee of MPs attached to his ministry.

Observing that there was a broad consensus on VAT, the Finance Minister said the centre was committed to improving the fiscal situation of the states.

As part of the efforts to achieve this, it was proposed to retire Rs 25,000 crore of the high cost debts of the states in the first phase of the scheme, an official press note said.

The high cost debt of the states amounted to about Rs six lakh crore and entailed an interest rate of around 13 per cent. The states have been demanding that they be allowed to swap this with low cost debt carrying an interest rate of about nine per cent in view of the prevailing soft interest rate regime.

This would lessen their debt burden to a great extent and improve their fiscal position which was in a shambles.

Mr Singh said Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee had recently held a meeting with Chief Ministers to evolve a consensus on various steps to be taken for improving state finances. The State Governments also held a meeting with RBI Governor Bimal Jalan.

The Finance Minister said some of the centrally-sponsored schemes were being transferred to the State Governments.

He, however, cautioned that since 80 per cent of the plan expenditure was based on borrowed funds, there was need to ensure that it remained within reasonable limits.

Responding to the concern expressed by some MPs on reported starvation deaths in the country, the minister said these were serious issues and would be addressed. The MPs discussed steps to improve the fiscal situation of states and gave their recommendations in this regard.

It was suggested that wasteful expenditure can be reduced by downsizing Government staff, closing down or privatising uneconomic enterprises in the states and undertaking administrative reforms to streamline some of the multiple and overlapping schemes that were being implemented.

MPs also suggested that the State Governments need to take responsibility and ensure fiscal discipline. States which had a low revenue base should continue to get assistance from the centre.

Members said there was need to carry out reforms in the power sector. Some MPs underlined the need to develop agro and village-nased industries, encourage self help groups and strengthen Panchayati Raj institutions to bring about greater economic growth in the rural areas.

Among those who attended the meeting were Ministers of State for Finance Anandrao V Adsul and G N Ramachandra. The MPs who attended the meeting included Nitish Sengupta, Raviprakash Verma, Trilochan Kanungo, Moinul Hasan, B B Ramaiah, Nawal Kishore Rai, Mohan Rawale, Parmeshwar Kumar Agarwalla, C P Thirunavukkarasu, R P Goenka, Eknath Thakur, Rajeev Shukla, Murli S Deora, Janardhana Pujari, Santosh Bagordia and Ashwani Kumar. (UNI)

Moody’s may upgrade India’s foreign currency
ceilings rating

NEW YORK, Nov 14: International rating agency Moody’s today indicated it could upgrade India’s sovereign rating for foreign currency bonds, debt ceiling and bank deposits due to "substantial strengthening of its external financial situation".

The rating agency said in a statement that it would review for possible upgrade of India’s present ratings of BA2 for foreign currency ceiling for debt and BA3 foreign currency country ceiling for bank deposits.

It said the sovereign rating likely to be assigned for foreign currency denominated bond in the international capital markets will also be reviewed for possible upgrade.

But the BA2 domestic currency bond rating of the Government was not on review and that the outlook on this rating remains negative, it said.

Moody’s said its ongoing analysis of India was focused on whether the fiscal problems facing the Government could spill over into a balance of payments crisis, a linkage that would limit the difference between the foreign and domestic currency rating.

"India’s stronger external position has been achieved in spite of the continued stress on the country’s public finances and last year’s broad-based reduction in import tariffs," it said.

In addition, the central bank’s foreign exchange assets had climbed rapidly reaching 61 billion dollars in recent weeks while external debt and debt service ratios had declined to manageable levels and short term debt was neglible.

Moody’s said the Government at present, had no foreign currency denominated bonds outstanding nor any rated Government-guaranteed eurobonds outstanding.

Commenting on the country’s finances, it said "the current account has moved into a small surplus, thanks to the good performance of both merchandise and service exports and surprisingly stable inflows of worker remittances from Indian workers who live abroad". (PTI)

Orissa to privatise 10 loss-making companies

BHUBANESWAR, Nov 14: Orissa Cabinet today decided to privatise 10 loss-making public-sector units by the end of the current fiscal, while laying down guidelines for a transparent disinvestment process.

The PSUs identified for privatisation include four units of Industrial Development Corporation of Orissa Ltd (IDCOL), three spinning mills in the cooperative sector and two cooperative sugar mills besides the Kalinga Studios Ltd at Bhubaneswar.

The Government would put in place a transparent system for the privatisation process keeping in view the best practices followed in the country and adopted by the Union Ministry of Disinvestment, the Chief Secretary, Pratip Kumar Mohanty, told reporters after the cabinet meeting.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik presided over the meeting.

Mohanty said there would be an inter-departmental core group, a restructuring committee and an empowered cabinet committee on disinvestment to deal with the matter.

While the core group would be headed by the Secretary of the concerned department, the restructuring committee would be chaired by the Chief Secretary and comprise secretaries of other relevant departments.

The empowered committee would be headed by the Chief Minister with the Law Minister, Finance Minister, Industries and Public Enterprises Minister, Health Minister and minister of the concerned department as members, he said.

The empowered committee would approve the price, bidder and the agreement. There would also be a clause in the agreement under which the new management could not retrench any worker for a lock-in period of one year, the Chief Secretary said.

The Cabinet decided that the employees of the units to be privatised, numbering about 5,000, would be first given the option of working under the new management, Mohanty said.

As the new management would have its own preference of retaining the workforce, only those employees not accepted by the new owners would be offered Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) or Voluntary Separation Scheme (VSS).

The Government would insist that the service conditions of workers being retained would be protected without any break in service as it favoured a pro-worker policy, he said.

Capacity expansion and diversion by the new owners would be encouraged, Mohanty said.

The units to be privatised are IDCOL Cement Ltd at Bardol, IDCOL Ferrochrome Ltd at Jajpur Road, Hirakud Industrial Works at Hirakud and IDCOL Rerolling Mill at Hirakud - the four units having suffered a cumulative loss of around Rs 180 crore, the Chief Secretary said.

Besides, the Kalinga Spinning Mill at Dhenkanal, Sri Gopinath Spinning Mill at Baliapal, Orissa Weavers’ Cooperative Spinning Mill at Tora, Cooperative Sugar Mill at Nayagarh and Cooperative Sugar Mill at Baramba would be privatised along with the Kalinga Studios Ltd at Bhubaneswar. (PTI)

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