‘11’

    The Children’s Film Society, India (CFSI) is hosting a Bonanza of Children’s Films at Siri Fort Complex of New Delhi from August 18^th to 22^nd, 2000. The five-day festival will be launched on Friday, the 18^th August 2000 by Shri Arun Jaitley, the Minister for Information and Broadcasting, who will be the Chief Guest at the inauguration. The well-known film actress, Smt. Sharmila Tagore will be the Guest of Honour.

'16'

    Ministry of Commerce and Industry, have issued Public Notice No.28 (RE-2000)/1997-2002, dated August 14, 2000 to notify the government's decision to fix the quantitative ceiling on export of sugar at 10 lakh (ten lakh) MTs for the licensing year 2000-2001 and to place the same at the disposal of Agriculture and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) for the purpose of issuing Registration-cum-allocation Certificate (RCACs).

‘11’

    All India Radio has started digital broadcasting through the satellite from the morning of Independence Day, yesterday. This has helped in setting up an important link for broadcasting external service broadcasts of AIR which are now clearly available in East Africa, Saudi Arabia and other Middle East Countries.

‘27’

LOK SABHA

TARGET FOR PRODUCTION OF COTTON FIXED AT 145 LAKH BALES

   In order to improve the yield and the quality of cotton, the Government of India has approved the implementation of a Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Technology Mission on Cotton in January, 2000. The Mission consists of four Mini-Missions. The Mini-Mission-I on research is to be dealt by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research for evolving newer and better varieties/technologies suited to different agro-climatic conditions of the country for improving the yield and quality of cotton.

    The Department of Agriculture and Cooperation is responsible for the implementation of Mini-Mission-II for enhancing production through the modification of on-going Scheme of intensive Cotton Development Programme (ICDP). The ICDP envisages to enhance production and productivity through various extension/development activities such as transfer of technologies by field demonstration/farmer training, supply of certified seeds of varieties released during last fifteen years, use of water saving devices like sprinkler and drip system, establishment of seed delinting machines and various activities of pest control including setting up of bio-agent unit, surveillance, Integrated Pest Management (IPM), demonstration-cum-training, supply of sprayers/pheromone trap/bio-agents.

    The Ministry of Textile is nodal Ministry for implementation of Mini-Mission-III & Mini-Mission-IV. The Mini-Mission-III is meant for the development of marketing infrastructure by undertaking activities like construction of marketing yards, auction centres, grading facilities, laboratories for testing quality of cotton. The Mini-Mission-IV aims at upgradation and modernisation of ginning and pressing factories for the production of better quality cotton.

    In the Technology Mission on Cotton a number of incentives have been provided such as subsidy on certified seeds, distribution of farm implements particularly drip and sprinkler irrigation devices to make it attractive to the farmers.

    For the current year, namely 2000-2001 a target of 145 lakh bales of 170 Kg. each has been fixed for the entire country, out of which 33 lakh bales have been fixed for Maharashtra.

    This was stated by Shri Nitish Kumar, Minister of Agriculture today in Lok Sabha.

‘27’

LOK SABHA

ASSISTANCE/SUBSIDY TO INCRESE CAPACITY OF COLD STORAGES

    The total installed capacity of cold storages in the country as on 31.3.2000 is estimated to be 136.22 lakh tonnes.

    State-wise financial assistance provided by the National Horticulture Board (NHB), National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) and the Department of Food Processing Industries (DFPI) for setting up of cold storages in the last three years is Rs. 5239.09 lakhs. In addition, during the year 1999-2000, under the Scheme of the Capital Investment Subsidy launched during 1999-2000, a subsidy of Rs.20.70 crores had been released by the national Horticulture Board to the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) for projects sanctioned through Commercial Banks, etc. and covered under NABARD Refinance and Rs. 7.30 crores to National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) for projects covered under the Cooperative Sector respectively during 1999-2000 for further releasing the same for the cold storage projects under the scheme.

    With a view to launch initiative to develop storage and cold storage facilities. The Government of India constituted a High Level Expert Committee (HLEC) under the Chairmanship of Shri J.N.L. Srivastave, the then Additional Secretary, Department of Agriculture and Cooperation on November 20, 1998. The Committee considered the status of cold storage industry, identified constraints in the way of development of cold storages/storages and suggested incentives for its growth and development.

    The Committee suggested creation/expansion of 12 lakh tonnes and rehabilitation/modernisation of 8 lakih tonnes of cold storage capacity and addition of 4.5 lakh tonnes of onion storage capacity in the country during the 9^th Five Year Plan. In the light of the recommendations of the Expert Committee and further deliberations in this regard, the government of India approved the Scheme to provide Capital Investment Subsidy for Construction/Expansion/Modernization of cold storages and storages for Horticultural Produce during December, 1999. The scheme is being implemented by the National Horticulture Board at an outlay of Rs. 175.00 crores. The scheme envisages providing capital subsidy amounting to 25 per cent of the project cost subject to a maximum of Rs. 50.00 lakhs to be released in the form of back-ended subsidy. In the case of North Eastern States, the provision in subsidy is @ 33.33 per cent subject to a maximum of Rs. 60 lakhs per project.

    This was stated by Shri Nitish Kumar, Minister of Agriculture today in Lok Sabha.

‘27’

    A Centrally Sponsored Scheme entitled ‘Promotion of Agricultural Mechanisation among small Farmers’ has been under implementation since 1992-93. Under the Scheme, subsidy at the rate of 30 per cent of the cost of tractor, including implements, limited to Rs. 30,000/- is available to the farmers individually or in groups for the purchase of tractors upto 30 Power Take Off Horse Power. 11970 number of tractors have been subsidised benefiting more than this number of farmers, including small and marginal farmers, during the last three years. During the current year funds have been released to the States for subsidising 550 number of tractors.

    The Minister of Communications, Shri Ram Vilas Paswan has said that Letter Boxes will be installed in villages all over the country with a population of 300 or more if no post office has been provided there so far. He said that in order to increase the availability of the stamps and stationery in the rural areas the scheme of Panchayat Sanchar Sewa Kendras (PSSK) is now been made more attractive by increasing the fixed allowance, permissible to PSSK agents, from Rs.300 to Rs.600 per month. The present facility of commission permissible to the agents on the sale of stamps, stationary, registered articles, sale of PLI policies etc. will also continue. These decisions were announced by the Minister at the meeting of the Parliamentary Consultative Committee attached to the Ministry of Communications, here today. The agenda of the today’s meeting was "strengthening of post office work with technology".

'8'

    The Human Resource Development Minister Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi has said that the government will encourage Self Help Groups to come up and play a critical role in the national poverty alleviation programme. The SHGs are being looked at as a multi-faceted entry point activity which give the women a sense of achievement through the economic activity and help build the confidence level. Dr. Joshi was speaking at the launch of a 'Certificate Course on Empowering Women Through Self Help Groups' by the Department of Women and Child Development in collaboration with the Indira Gandhi National Open University here today.

    Dr. Joshi said, the Certificate Course will develop skills among the functionaries of various Self-Help Group based programmes. He said, distance learning in the context of empowerment of women is being looked at as a two-pronged strategy : on the one hand it hopes to reach those who have limited mobility and access to information and, yet on the other hand it allows training of a large number of practitioners at the shortest possible time. The project has also made a long-term investment in the capacity building of women's groups through the installation of hardware (dish antennae) at far off places, which will later serve as channels for an information exchange beyond the project period.

    Speaking on the occasion the Minister of State for Women and Child Development Smt. Sumitra Mahajan said it is being increasingly appreciated that women do not need any subsidy and are very skilled in managing money. It was therefore decided to form SHGs in the newly designed Swarna Jayanti Gram Swarojgar Yojana for routing credit to poor families. Other important programmes like Mahila Samakhya, and Women's Development Project in Rajasthan are raising awareness among the women through Self-Help Groups. She said, the Union Budget envisaged NABARD to extend its Bank-linkage programme to cover one lakh groups in the current financial year. Through such initiatives over 20 lakh women have been given credit facility of over 300 crores so far.

    The Course intends to strengthen on-going efforts to train facilitators/master trainers of SHGs, evolve an effective and sustainable training network and empower the change agents to function more effectively.

    The course offers freeships to the functionaries of any organisation responsible for implementing programmes fully supported by the Department of Women and Child Development like ICDS, Indira Mahila Yojana and Swa-shakti Project.

SHARING OF WATER

    National Water Resources Council in its Fourth Meeting held on 7^th July, 2000, decided to constitute a working group headed by Union Minster of Water Resources for harmonizing views of all the State Governments and bringing a consensual draft for the consideration of the Council at its next meeting. The Working Group consists of Ministers of all the States/Union Territories, chaired by the Union Minister of Water Resources. The time by which the report is to be submitted by the Working Group has not been prescribed.

    To harness the available water resources and augment water supplies, about 3600 large dams and reservoirs and 250 barrages have been constructed with a total live storage capacity of about 177 BCM. An additional live storage capacity of 75 BCM will be created on completion of the dams, which are under various stages of construction. Proposals to take up additional dams to create a live storage of 132 BCM are also under formulation/consideration. Government of India is also promoting Rainwater harvesting through Watershed Management Programme, Artificial Recharge of Ground Water and Roof-top Rainwater harvesting for which technical and financial assistance is provided to the State Governments and other implementing agencies.

    This information was given by the Union Minister of State for Water Resources, Smt. Bijoya Chakravarty in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

    Out of 4000 BCM of annual rainfall including snow in the country, 1869 BCM appears as average annual run off in the various rivers of the country. Out of this, only 690 BCM surface water can be economically utilised by the conventional methods of water conservation. In addition, 432 BCM replenishable ground water is available for utilization. Suitable guidelines have been issued on making provision of drinking water in the projects. Government of India is also promoting Rainwater Harvesting through Watershed Management Programme, Artificial Recharge of Ground Water and Roof-top Rainwater Harvesting for which technical and financial assistance is provided to the State Governments and other implementing agencies.

    Government had set up the National Commission for Integrated Water Resources Development in September, 1996. The Commission has submitted its report in December, 1999. An implementation Cell and an Advisory Committee has been set up for considering the implementation of the recommendation of the Commission.

    This information was given by Union Minister of State for Water Resources, Smt. Bijoya Chakravarty, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

    In the State of Rajasthan, there are thirteen districts covering an area of 21,500 million hectares namely, Ajmer, Banswara, Barmer, Bikaner, Chrur, Dungarpur, Jaisalmer, Jalore, Jhunjhunu, Jodhpur, Nagaur, Pali and Udaipur which have been identified as drought prone out of total 99 drought prone districts in the country. The Union Government had, in 1980, formulated a National Perspective Plan for Water Resources Development which envisages inter linkages between various Peninsular rivers and Himalayan rivers for transfer of water from surplus basins to water deficit basins including upper areas of Rajasthan for optimum utilization of water resources. The Government of India has established National Water Development Agency (NWDA) as an Autonomous Society in July, 1982 to carry out the water balance and other studies of national Perspective Plan and to prepare feasibility report of the links. Prefeasibility reports of 17 links under Peninsular component and 14 links under Himalayan component have been completed. Implementation of water transfer link proposal inter-alia depends on how soon the detailed project report is prepared after consensus is reached among the concerned States and the availability of funds.

    This information was given by Union Minister of State for Water Resources, Smt. Bijoya Chakravarty, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

   There is no Inter-State water dispute regarding sharing of water between the State Governments of Orissa-Madhya Pradesh and Orissa-Andhra Pradesh. However, there are Inter-State issues regarding the submergence and other related aspects of the projects named Vamsadhara Project Stage II, Jhanjhavati, Inchampally and Polavaram of Andhra Pradesh with Orissa and Madhya Pradesh.

    At the instance of Andhra Pradesh, a High Level Committee for resolving the Inter-State issues in planning of Inchampally and Polavaram project has been constituted by the Central Water Commission (CWC) under the chairmanship of Member (WP&P), CWC and representatives from the States of Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Orissa.

    This information was given by th Union Minister of State for Water Resources, Smt. Bijoya Chakravarty, in a written reply to the question from S/Shri Prabhat Samantray and Bhartruhari Mahtab, MPs in the Lok Sabha today.

   The strategy for optimum utilization of river water in the country was launched in 1987 when the National Water Policy was adopted by the National Water resources Council headed by the Prime Minister. The Policy, inter-alia lays stress on conservation and augmentation of the availability of water by adopting measures for maximizing retention and minimizing losses. Accordingly, the water resources projects are prepared on the basis of an overall plan for the drainage basin as a whole or for a sub-basin. The development projects are generally formulated by the States within the framework of such an overall plan. The policy also lays emphasis on making water available to the water shor areas by transfer from one river basin to another based on a national perspective. A separate organisation has been established by the Government to examine the feasibility of the water transfer proposals. About 3600 large dams and reservoirs and 250 barrages have already been constructed to harness the available water resources and augment water supplies.

    Government of India is also promoting conjunctive use of surface and ground water, rainwater harvesting through watershed management programme, artificail recharge of ground water and roof top rainwater harvesting for which technical and financial assistance is provided to the State Governments and other implementing agencies.

    This information was given by Union Minister of State for Water Resources, Smt. Bijoya Chakravarty, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

    The Brahmaputra Board has prepared and submitted a Detailed Project Report for construction of a Dam on river Pagladiya to the Union Government in the year 1990.

    The Pagladiya Dam Project is multipurpose project with an estimated cost of about Rs. 543 crore. It envisages construction of a rolled filled earth dam 26.20 meter high and 23 kilometer long at Thalkuchi village at a distance of 26 kilometer from Nalbari. Besides providing flood benefit to an area of 40,000 hectare, the project will also provide irrigation to a Gross Command area of 54,160 hectare and generate 3 Mega Watt hydro power as incidental benefit. The Brahmaputra Board is to take up the construction of this project with Central funds. An amount of Rs. 81.29 crore has been provided for this Project in the budget of Union Ministry of Water Resources for the remaining period of 9^th Plan.

    This information was given by Union Minister of State for Water Resources, Smt. Bijoya Chakravarty, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

'9'

    The Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Shri Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa has expressed shock and grief over the passing away of renowned boxer Hawa Singh. In a message he said, Hawa Singh brought laurels to the country for his achievements in the ring in successive Asian Games. He was a legend and his contribution as a trainer will also be remembered with affection. Shri Dhindsa said the death of the pugilist is a great loss to the Indian sports and Indian boxing in particular.

    Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Prof. Rita Verma has informed the Lok Sabha today during Question Hour in a written reply that it is estimated that out of 25 million births in the country in a year, around 13.5 million births are registered. Therefore, an estimated 11.5 million births do not get registered.

    Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Prof. Rita Verma has informed the Lok Sabha today during Question Hour in a written reply that the World Health Organisation has allocated an amount of US $ 188,700 for the Healthy Cities Programme of four cities namely; Mumbai, Calcutta, Bangalore and Kottayam for 2000-2001.

    Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Prof. Rita Verma has informed the Lok Sabha today during Question Hour in a written reply that National AIDS Research Institute, Pune and National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases, Calcutta are working on HIV related research.

    Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Prof. Rita Verma has informed the Lok Sabha today during Question Hour in a written reply that the production of BCG vaccine is expected to go upto 8 crore doses during the year 2000-2001, from BCG vaccine laboratory, Guindy, Chennai (a public sector unit under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare). Its production of BCG vaccine in 1998-99 was 249.63 lakh doses and in the subsequent year of 1999-2000 it was 542.86 lakh doses.

    Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Prof. Rita Verma has informed the Lok Sabha today during Question Hour in a written reply that a draft national blood policy has been formulated by the Government for the purpose of providing the necessary directions and guidelines for better management of blood transfusion services and improvement of the availability of safe and adequate blood and blood products. This draft policy is awaiting cabinet approval.

    The Union Public Service Commission have declared the results of the written part of the SO’s/Stenographer’s (Gr.B/Gr.I) Limited Departmental Competitive Examination, here today. The Examination was held by UPSC in December, 1999 for additions to the Select Lists for the Section Officers and the Stenographer’s Grade "B"/Grade"I" of the services.

    Union Surface Transport Minister, Shri Rajnath Singh has condoled the passing away of octogenarian and veteran labour leader Anthony Pillai, General Secretary of Indian Port and Dock Workers Federation in Chennai today.