Government to deploy tourist wardens

Over Rs 10,300 crore collected as education cess in 2005-06

NTPC to float power exchange with NHPC, PFC, TCS

Logistics Post Air service launched in NE

Caustic soda up on increased industrial offtake

NEW DELHI, Mar 11: Caustic soda prices moved up in the local chemical market today on increased industrial offtake amidst restricted arrival and closed with gains.

Caustic soda flake moved up to Rs 1,190 from previous level of Rs 1,170 per 50 kg pack.

Traders said increased offtake by detergent manufacturers against restricted arrival mainly pushed up caustic soda prices.

However, other chemical prices moved in a narrow range in limited deals, settled around previous levels.

Following were today’s quotations:

Ammonia bicarb (25 kg) 345 Ammonium chloride (50 kg) 1,800, acetic acid (1 kg) 42, boric acid technical (50 kg) 4,100-4,600, borex granular (50 kg) 2050.

Caustic soda flake (50 kg) 1190 citric acid (50 kg) (China) 2,650-2,800, citric acid deshi (50 kg) 2,600-2800, camphor slab (1 kg) 170-175, camphor powder (1 kg) 150, glycerine (1 kg) 78-80, hexamine (1 kg) 82, hydrogen peroxide (1 kg) 31-32, mercury (34.5 kg) 28,600, menthol bold crystal (per kg) 590 menthol flake (1 kg) 565 and Mentha oil (1 kg) 485.

Paraffin wax ( 1 kg)Iran 65

paraffin wax ( 1 kg)China 72

paraffin wax ( 1 kg) Indian 67

residue wax (p tonne) 34,000

soda ash (50 kg) (Tata) 880

soda ash (50 kg) (Gujarat) 870

soda ash (50 kg) (Dcw) 870

soda ash (50 kg) (Birla) 870

Sodium Nitrite (50 kg) 1400-1550

Sodium silicate (Qtl) 950-1100

stable bleaching powder (shriram) (25 kg) 310 stable bleaching powder (chambal) 330

stable bleaching powder (modi) 310

tartaric acid france (1 kg) 421

thymol (1 kg) 395

titanium dioxide (ttk) (1 kg) 98

titanium dioxide (k-brand) (1 kg) 89

titanium dioxide (china) (1 kg) 89

titanium dioxide (TR-92) 108

titanium dioxide (rc-822) (1 kg) 108

oxalic acid (pcpl-red) 50 kg 2500

oxalic acid (pcpl-blue)50 kg 2500

Zinc oxide (kg) 122-135. (PTI)

Select dal up on fresh buying

NEW DELHI, Mar 11: Select dal prices rose in the range of Rs 50 to Rs 75 a quintal on the wholesale pulses market here today on fresh buying interest against reduced supply.

Dal malka local and best moved up to settle at Rs 3,900-4,050 and Rs 4,150-4,300 from Rs 3,850-4,000 and Rs 4,100-4,250 a quintal respectively.

Arhar Maharashtra and Rangoon also went up to finish at Rs 2,800-2,900 and Rs 2,650-2,725 instead of Rs 2,750-2,850 and Rs 2,600-2,650 a quintal respectively.

Marketmen said better offtake by local parties against restricted supply pushed up select dal prices.

Elsewhere, rest of other pulses prices moved around last levels on small buying activity.

Following were today's quotations (per quintal):

Urad Maharashtra 2,300-2,550, Rangoon 2,500-2,600, Urad chilka (local) 2,900-3,100, best 3,150-3,500, dhoya local 3,100-3,400, best 3,500-3,600, Moong Maharashtra 2,400-2,700, Rajasthan 2,100-2,350, dal moong chilka local 2,800-3,000, best 3,050-3,400, moong dhoya local 2,900-3,100, best quality 3,100-3,500, masoor small 3,050-3,200, bold 3,400-3,500, dal masoor local 3,700-3,900, best quality 4,000-4,150, Malka local 3,900-4,050, best 4,150-4,300, Moth 1,950-2,050, Arhar Maharashtra 2,800-2,900, Rangoon 2,650-2,725, dal arhar dara 3,650-3,850 and patka 3,800-4,100.

Gram 2,725-2,750, gram dal (local) 3,000-3,100, best quality 3,200-3,300, besin (35 kg) shakti bhog 1,210, rajdhani 1,225, Rajmah chitra Pune 3,300-3,900, China 3,600-3,950, red 3,200-3,300, kabli gram small 2,750-3,500, dabra 2,775-2,875, imported 4,600-4,700, lobia 2,200-2,600, peas white 2,150-2,225 and green 2,200-2,250. (PTI)

Palm, soyabean oils up on firm global trend

NEW DELHI, Mar 11: Barring a rise in palm and soyabean oils, prices generally moved in a limited range on small bouts of trade.

In edible section, palm oil (rbd) rose by Rs 50 at Rs 7,150 per quintal and crude palm oil (ed-Kandla) by a similar margin at Rs 5,950 per quintal.

Soybean oil (Degum) rose by Rs 25 at Rs 7,125 and soybean refined mill delivery by Rs 50 at Rs 7,250 per quintal respectively.

Both oils were in keen demand among vanaspati units on reports of a firming trend in overseas markets such as Malaysian Commodity Exchange.

Traders said buying activity picked up on fears that higher crude oil cost might help in boosting demand for these oils as alternative fuel, including bio-diesel made from vegetable oils.

Following were today’s quotation per quintal:

Oilseeds: mustard seed 2325-2500 and Groundnutseed 2700-3000.

Vanaspati ghee (15 litres tin) 885-995.

Edible oils: Groundnut mill delivery 7,700, Groundnut Solvent refined (per tin) 1250-1275, Mustard Expeller 6,700, Mustard Pakki ghani (per tin) 925-1000, Mustard kachi ghani (per tin) 975-1075, Sunflower 5,350, Sesame mill delivery 8,800, Soybean Refined mill delivery 7,250, Soyabean degum (Delhi) 7,125, Crude Palm Oil (Ex-kandla) 5,950, Cottonseed mill delivery 6,450, palmoline (RBD) 7,150, Rice bran (phy) 5,750 and coconut (per tin) 925-975.

Non-edible oils: linseed 4900 Mahuwa 4400, castor 5500-6000, Neem 3900-4000, Rice bran 3900-4050 and palm fatty 3125-3200.

Oilcakes: groundnut dehusk 770-820, Sesame 925-1125, Mustard (new) 1000-1025, Mustard 975-980 and Cottonseed 975-1100. (PTI)

Government to deploy tourist wardens

NEW DELHI, Mar 11: Amidst uproar over killing of British teenager in Goa, the Government today said it has proposed deploying ex-servicemen as tourist wardens at tourist attractions in the country.

Replying to supplementaries during Question Hour, Minister of Tourism and Culture Ambika Soni said the Home and Defence Ministeries had a January 24 meeting agreed to the constitution of Tourism Task Force comprising retired amry personnel.

"Structure and blueprint of the Task Force has been drawn out and sent to the State Governments so that it is put in place at the earliest possible," she said.

The Task Force made up of tourist wardens, who will man monuments and most frequented tourist places like beaches, will be in addition to Tourism Police Force set up in 10 states, she said.

Soni, however, sidestepped demand by Brinda Karat (CPM) of her ministry supporting the demand for CBI probe into the death of the British tourist, Scarlett Keeling in Goa.

"I have no powers on security and safety (as law and order is state subject)," she said.

"The prevention of crime, including crimes against tourists, is the primary responsibility of State Governments/union terriroties," she said.

Following recent reports in the media regarding harassment and misbehavior with tourists in India, the Ministry of Tourism discussed the issue of safety and security of tourists with Secretaries of Tourism of states/UTs and the ministeries of home affairs and defence.

"Ensuring safety and security of tourists is of paramount importance and State Governments/UTs must ensure the same," she said. (PTI)

Over Rs 10,300 crore collected as education cess in 2005-06

NEW DELHI, Mar 11: Over Rs 10,300 crore has been collected in a span of one year from the two per cent education cess introduced in the Union Budget 2005-06.

This information was provided by Minister of State for HRD M A A Fatmi while replying to a question in Lok Sabha today on the amount earned as a result of the cess in the last three years.

He said a total of Rs 10,393 crore was collected in one year since the cess was introduced, adding the revenue being earned as a result of the levy was being spent on improving the standard of primary education, universal education and in implementing and expanding the mid-day meal scheme in schools.

To a question on the adult literacy mission, he said in the 11th Five Year Plan, people in the 35-plus age group would also be included in the project, which has been targeting the 18-33 age group so far.

Stressing that the country was well on track to achieving 85 per cent literacy rate by 2012, Fatmi said the gross enrolment ratio in schools has gone up to 110 per cent and there was now 98 per cent accessibility to schools.

He, however, expressed concern over teachers not being present in schools in states like Madhya Pradesh and Orissa.

Fatmi said the MPs, MLAs and Zila Parishad members were empowered to call meetings and seek any kind of information on the implementation of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA). (PTI)

NTPC to float power exchange with NHPC, PFC, TCS

NEW DELHI, Mar 11: India’s top electricity generating firm NTPC will sign an agreement with NHPC, PFC and TCS by March-end to set up the country’s third power exchange, after it parted ways with NCDEX upon failing to reach consensus on certain key issues.

NTPC Chairman and Managing Director T Sankaralingam told PTI that an agreement for floating the power exchange would be signed before this month-end.

"The exchange will be formed. An agreement will be signed between three state-run firms NTPC, NHPC and PFC and TCS," he said, without giving the reasons for parting ways with National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange.

NTPC planned to partner NCDEX to float a power exchange. The exchange proposed to rope in seven promoters, including National Stock Exchange, Power Grid Corp and Tata Power.

However, the proposed venture faced hiccups with the power sector regulator Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC), barring Power Grid from participating in any power exchange. CERC had also asked NTPC to form a separate subsidiary for floating the power exchange.

Sources said NTPC and NCDEX could not reach an agreement on key issues, including management of the exchange.

NCDEX CEO and Managing Director P H Ravikumar said the commodity exchange is in talks with corporates to partner in the power exchange and exuded confidence that the proposed venture would materialise in the coming months.

While NTPC and NCDEX are in advanced stages of signing agreements for their respective bourses, Multi Commodity Exchange MCX last month said its Indian Energy Exchange (IEX) would commence commercial operations within two months.

IEX, the country’s first power trading platform, was launched in November 2007 by MCX, with promoters such Power Trading Corp, Tata Power, Infrastructure Development Finance Company, Reliance Energy, Rural Electrification Corp, Adani Enterprises and Lanco Infratech. (PTI)

Logistics Post Air service launched in NE

SHILLONG, Mar 11: The India Post has launched a new service in the North Eastern region - Logistics Post Air - to facilitate collection, transportation by air and delivery of large consignments in the region.

Official sources said here today that the difficult geographical terrain of the NE was a constraint for the free movement of goods.

"The introduction of this service has provided huge business opportunities to the entrepreneurs of the region. On an average, about 165 tonnes of logistics freight is being carried per month in this sector," the sources added.

In August 2007, the India Post launched its first freighter aircraft connecting Kolkata-Guwahati-Imphal-Agartala to expedite the delivery of mail and parcels in the NE states. (UNI)