This information was given by Shri Santosh Kumar Gangwar, Minister of State for Petroleum & Natural Gas in a written reply in the Lok Sabha, today.

AUGMENTATION OF BUSINESS BY IOCL AND BPCL

• Offering and providing training and consultancy to clients abroad
• Setting up of various facilities for entering the petroleum sector in Mauritius
• Entered into franchise agreement for blending and marketing Servo lubes
• Appointed lube distributors in Nepal and Bangladesh
• Exploring exploration & production and Liquefied Natural Gas opportunities abroad
• Exploring joint venture opportunities in the downstream sector including petrochemicals abroad

    About Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), the Minister informed that BPCL is exploring the modalities of marketing branded lubricants in the SAARC countries starting with Bangladesh. It has already started marketing its lubricants in Nepal and Bhutan. However, the BPCL has no immediate plans to enter the international market in respect of other products.

    Shri Naik further informed the House that at present, the demand of packed LPG (domestic) of the registered consumers is being met, by and large, in full by the Public Sector Oil marketing companies. LPG for domestic use is a controlled product and the interest of Public Sector Oil Companies is not affected in this area by parallel marketeers. However, there is competition from parallel marketeers in bulk and packed (commercial) supply of LPG and Oil marketing companies are competent enough with their vast resources and network to withstand the competition provided by the private sector.

GAS PIPELINE FROM IRAN TO INDIA

    Shri Naik further informed the House that the project is being discussed as a bilateral project between India and Iran.

TAX FREE OIL TO FOREIGN AVIATION COMPANIES

1. grant of outright exemption from payment of customs duties, local duties, etc., on ATF and other items uplifted by aircraft of one Contracting State from the territory of the other Contracting country

or

2. grant of most favoured nation treatment in these matters to the airlines of the Contracting Countries

    Shri Gangwar added that Sales-tax is a State subject. There is no provision to reimburse under-recoveries of sales tax from the oil pool account. Following is the statewise break-up of amount paid towards sales-tax.

(figures in crores of rupees)

*Rajasthan has been paid Rs. 0.01 lakh by the Oil Marketing Company.

PM TO INAUGURATE THE CHIEF MINISTERS’ CONFERENCE ON INTERNAL SECURITY PROBLEMS

    The Conference will take an overview of the State of internal security in various parts of the country. Specifically, the Conference is likely to address to the following areas:

    Extension of ceasefire with NSCN(IM) in Nagaland, ceasefire and opening of a dialogue with BLT in Assam and the latest ceasefire and offer of talks with Hizbul Mujahideen in Jammu & Kashmir are also likely to figure in the discussions.

    A meeting of State Chief Secretaries, Home Secretaries and Directors General of Police was held on 28^th June, 2000 to prepare and fine-tune the inputs for the Conference of Chief Ministers.

    Being State subjects, ‘Public order’ and ‘police’ are the exclusive responsibilities of the State Governments. However, of late, with the militancy and extremism affecting different parts of the country and increasing dependence of the State Governments on the Central assistance in this regard, the need for a collective approach in the management of internal security is being increasingly felt. The Conference of the Chief Ministers is a step in this direction.

    Besides the Union Home Minister, Shri L.K. Advani and the Ministers of State for Home Affairs, Shri Ch. Vidyasagar Rao and Shri I.D. Swami; Finance Minister, Shri Yashwant Sinha; Defence Minister; Shri George Fernandes; and Deputy Chairman Planning Commission, Shri K.C. Pant are expected to attend the Conference.

    Minister, Human Resource Development will be the Chairman of the Task Force. Finance Minister; Minister, Information Technology; Chief Minister, Andhra Pradesh; Chief Minister, Karnataka; Chief Minister, Madhya Pradesh; Chief Minister, Uttar Pradesh and Director, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi will be the members of the Task Force. Secretary, Department of Secondary and Higher Education will be the Member Secretary.

    Secretary, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research; Secretary, Ministry of Information Technology; Secretary, Department of Telecommunications; Secretary, Department of Expenditure will be associated with Task Force as permanent special invitees. The Task Force may co-opt or invite appropriate persons for its meetings with the permission of the Chairman.

    The main objective of the Task Force is to prepare a long-term strategy for Human Resource Development in IT. Accordingly, the terms of reference of the Task Force shall be as follows :

1. To draw up a plan to optimally use the existing infrastructure of the IITs, RECs, other engineering colleges and educational institutions to double their student intake in IT from next academic year and triple it in the next two years.
2. To make recommendations regarding the modalities for achieving mutually beneficial cooperation between educational institutions in IT in the formal sector and those in the private sector.
3. To suggest measures necessary for ensuring that good quality IT education does not remain a preserve of the rich and the English educated and is also available to students from poor and rural families, specially those from the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and OBCs.
4. To suggest measures necessary to improve teaching of non-IT subjects by using computers and internet for all students.

    The Task Force may also be assigned such other functions as may be found necessary from time to time.

    The Task Force shall submit its interim report on the first item of terms of reference within one month and its final report on remaining terms of reference within three months.

    The Task Force will be serviced by Department of Secondary and Higher Education. The Ministry of Information Technology will render all necessary assistance to the Task Force.

    Receiving the credential, the President said that the relations between India and Chile are cordial and friendly. "We are also engaged in close collaboration in various international fora in the cause of world peace and development. It is a matter of great satisfaction to me that both the countries are keen to strengthen and diversify their already existing cooperative relationship", he said.

    The President further noted that people in India have watched with growing admiration Chile’s triumphant transition to democracy and the remarkable success that country has had in the economic arena. "It is this recognition of your achievements that has led to expressing our intention to sign a Free Trade Agreement with Chile. Also, only last week, as many as eighty-seven Indian companies participated in a week-long "EXPOINDIA 2000" exhibition in Santiago. It is hoped that this interaction between the private sectors of the two countries would lead to substantial increase in bilateral trade and investment", he said,

    Referring to the important role that Chile has been playing in major regional economic groupings, Shri Narayanan said: "You are already a member of APEC and are likely to become a full member of MERCOSUR in the near future. We in India recognize the growing importance of Latin America in international affairs and would like to seek your assistance in developing institutional linkages with major economic groupings in the region. There are a number of areas such as information technology, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, etc., where Indians have reached global standards. Chile, too, has a highly trained and motivated work force and rich natural resources that form the basis of its economic prowess. We look forward to cooperation between our two countries to harness resources in such a way that both the countries can benefit".

    The President conveyed his most cordial greetings and very best wishes to His Excellency Mr. Ricardo Lagos Escobar, the President of Chile and for the progress and prosperity of the people of Chile. The President also assured the new Ambassador Indian Government’s full support and cooperation in the discharge of his responsibilities.

    Welcoming the new Ambassador the President said: "We are particularly happy that our warm and unique relationship with France has been characterised by a new dynamism in recent years. We recall with pleasure, the visits to India by your President, first as Prime Minister of France in 1976 and subsequently as President in January 1998, as Chief Guest at our Republic Day celebrations. Our Prime Minister’s visit to France in September 1998 provided an opportunity to both countries to impart further depth to our relationship. My own visit to your great country was a most rewarding experience which provided us with the opportunity to reiterate our commitment to enriching our friendship, in a spirit of mutual understanding and co-operation. We look forward to receiving Prime Minister Lionel Jospin, in the near future in order that we may consolidate our linkages even further".

    The President further stated: "Our belief in the need for an equitable and participatory world order, leads us to seek the restructuring and strengthening of the United Nations so as to make it more representative, credible and effective. Our candidature for a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council, is a logical and legitimate corollary of this requirement. Our contributions to the United Nations system are well documented and we are convinced of our ability to play a significant role in the restructured UN. We have been very encouraged by the consistent support which we have received from France, at the highest levels, for our permanent candidature to the UN Security Council".

    Referring to fundamentalism and international terrorism which posed another challenge to "our mutual desire for ensuring peace and stability in our respective regions", Shri Narayanan said "We appreciate the support which we have received most recently from the European Union, and also from France in our efforts to combat this menace. We would also welcome the support of France for our draft Convention for Combating International Terrorism which will be discussed at the UN General Assembly in September this year".

    The French Ambassador, while presenting the credentials delivered a special message from H.E. Jacques Chirac, President of France expressing sympathies over the killing of people, what he described as an ordeal, in Jammu & Kashmir. In his letter, in the name of French Republic and as the President of the Council of the European Union, President Chirac said: "I wish to express to you my emotion and condolences after the murderous attacks during which more than a hundred people died yesterday, in the province of Jammu & Kashmir. Such acts, particularly hitting pilgrims on their way to one of the major religious places of this province, are unacceptable and reprehensive. They are all the more so since they are taking place at a time when prospects of dialogue are opening up. Please accept, Mr. President, my sympathy in this ordeal."

    The President, Shri Narayanan, wished the new Ambassador a successful and pleasant tenure in India and assured him of the fullest cooperation of the Indian Government in the performance of his duties.

    Welcoming the new Ambassador, the President said that the relations between India and Peru have traditionally been marked by friendship and understanding. "Our two countries have cooperated with each other both bilaterally and at various multilateral fora. It is a matter of great satisfaction that both our countries are keen on cementing and diversifying our existing cooperative relationship. I have no doubt that Peru and India can assist each other in a variety of ways to make our participation in the world market effective and to ensure that the benefits from the advances in science and technology are equitably distributed among our citizens", he said.

    Stating that the new Ambassador was assuming charge at a historic moment coinciding with the assumption of charge by the new government in Peru, Shri Narayanan said that H.E. President Alberto Fujimori has been a dear friend and "we all fondly remember his state visit to India in May 1997". "I myself was delighted to visit your beautiful country in April-May 1998 and reinforce my acquaintance with H.E. President Fujimori. During the visit my wife and I were particularly touched by the warm welcome accorded to us and to our delegation by the friendly people of Peru. The two visits led to the signing of wide-ranging cooperation agreements between our countries and I sincerely hope that the two governments would continue to build on the understandings reached through these agreements".

    The President further noted: "My government recognizes that globalisation is emerging as a major determinant in international relations. We can no longer claim that geographical distance keeps us apart, when economic globalisation is making us more and more interdependent. In this context, Peru and India need to work in concert to advance our mutual bilateral, regional and multilateral interests. While much has been achieved, clearly much still remains to be done. We have obvious and shared interests as developing countries; it is accordingly necessary to maintain a regular dialogue on issues such as the WTO, UN reforms, environmental issues, drug-trafficking and terrorism".

    The President conveyed his most cordial greetings and best wishes to His Excellency President Alberto Fujimori for the progress and prosperity of the people of Peru. The President also assured the new Ambassador full co-operation of the Government of India in the discharge of his duties in India and wished him success and personal happiness during his tenure in India.

    Welcoming the new Ambassador, the President said that the friendly relations between India and Sweden have been characterised by mutually beneficial cooperation. "We recall with pleasure the visit of Their Majesties the King and Queen of Sweden, accompanied by an important business delegation, to India in October 1993. We look forward to maintaining the tradition of exchanging high level visits between our two countries", the President said.

    The President further noted that the economic relationship which existed between India and Sweden was important and merited facilitation by both the Governments. "We are aware of the potential which exists for augmentation of bilateral cooperation given Swedish expertise in various high-technology fields and our own requirements for foreign investment. We are happy that an Agreement on the Promotion and Protection of Investments has recently been signed by our two countries and look forward to enhanced Swedish investment in India, particularly in the area of infrastructure development", he said.

    Referring to Sweden set to occupy the Presidency of the European Union in the first half of 2001, the President noted that the European Union was India’s largest trading partner, a significant source of foreign direct investment and an important interlocutor on multilateral issues of global concern. "We look forward to working together on the blueprint provided by the India-EU Summit Joint Declaration of 28 June 2000 for upgrading the relationship to a qualitatively higher level. We have no doubt that the coming years will see a new strategic partnership between India and the European Union based on shared values and aspirations and characterised by enhanced and multi-faceted cooperation", he said.

    The President, Shri Narayanan, wished the new Ambassador a successful tenure in India and assured him of the fullest co-operation of the Indian Government in the performance of his duties.

‘5’

CHIEF MINISTER SIKKIM CALLS ON ADVANI

    The Chief Minister, Sikkim also urged for the early inclusion of Limboo and Tamang communities of Sikkim in the list of Scheduled Tribes. It was noted that the request was being examined by the Central Government for consideration.

    The Chief Minister, Sikkim also urged upon the Union Home Minister to permit the 17^th Karmapa who is presently stationed in Dharamsala to visit the Rumtek Dharma Chakra Centre in Sikkim, the original seat of the 16^th Karmapa in India. Union Home Minister stated that the matter was being examined by the Government of India.

'10-A'

ANNUAL TURN OVER FROM MINOR FOREST PRODUCE IN ORISSA CAN EXCEED THE TURN OVER OF THE PUBLIC SECTOR UNDERTAKINGS LIKE, SAIL OR COAL INDIA, IF PROCESSED AND MARKETED PROPERLY - SHRI JUAL ORAM

    Shri Oram emphasized to ensure remunerative prices for Tribal produce and best price for their processed products. He spoke that TRIFED has been making efforts with State Governments to empower Panchayats at the grassroot level for collection and marketing of MFPs. He categorically said that the Government of Orissa has taken a historic decision in the current financial year for handing over the procurement and marketing of forest produce to the Panchayats.. He analysed and corroborated the fact that the Annual Turn over from MFPs listed in Orissa can exceed the turn over of the Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) like SAIL or Coal India, provided they are properly processed and marketed. It has got an abundant market both in the country and outside, he reiterated.

    TRIFED is a canalising agent for Gum Karaya and Niger Seed and registering authority for lac as nominated by Government of India. During the year 1998-99 and 199-2000, TRIFED has aggresively undertaken procurement and stepped up export efforts. In an effort to boost the exports and to recognise the services of the Associate shippers, the Minister presented Export Excellence Awards to its associate shippers, Laxmi Enterprises of Mumbai and D. K. Enterprises of Hyderabad for Exports of Gum Karaya and for exports of lac the awards were presented to Shri Sitaram Saraf and Parwati Lakh Udyog, Calcutta here today.

    Dr. N. Ramji, Managing Director, TRIFED spoke on the objectives of the TRIFED and presentation of such Excellence Awards for export. He spoke that TRIFED can contribute to the growth and fair pricing to the Tribal collectors for their MFPs for sustainable development. Shri S.K.Naik, Secretary, Union Tribal Affairs Ministry lauded the efforts made by TRIFED for bagging export orders and suggested measures to facilitate proper marketing without exploitation of Tribal collectors. Shri K.P.Rao, Additional Managing Director, TRIFED gave a resume of the discussions besides exhorting on the staff to register better achievement in future.

    Union Minister for Tribal Affairs, Shri Jual Oram cleared the doubts and answered many questions raised by the press, while meeting them separately after the function.