'36'

    India and Indonesia today signed Memorandum of Understanding on the cooperation in the field of Tourism .Signed by the Union Minister for Tourism Shri Ananth Kumar and the Indonesian Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr. Alwi Shihab, the memorandum aims to increase tourist arrivals to both countries from world tourist by generating market through India or Indonesia . It also aims at encouraging a wider distribution of visitors to the various tourist destinations and attractions in each country. According to the MOU, the two countries would encourage visits of both nationals and residents to each country and encourage the healthy growth of the tourism industry in both countries.

    The two countries also agreed to set up a Working Group to promote tourism. Signed in the presence of visiting President of Indonesia. Mr Abdurrrahman Wahid and the Prime Minister of India , Sh. Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the MOU shall be in force for a period of five years and shall automatically be extended for subsequent period of five years each, unless either party terminates it by giving written notification through diplomatic channels, at least six months prior to expiration. The MOU is considered to be yet another step forward towards promoting and strengthening existing bilateral relations between the two countries.

'31'

    The Secretary (Health) Shri J.A. Chowdhury has said that the National AIDS Control Organization was willing to consider pilot projects for the rehabilitation of victims of commercial sexual exploitation. He said that these "pilot" projects would be taken up in partnership with the Department of Women and Child Development, Govt. Of India. The Secretary, however, clarified that the primary focus of the targeted intervention component of the NACP-II, would continue to be on the prevention and control of HIV-AIDS in the context of the overall health programmes. The Secretary was addressing representatives of women’s organizations on the subject of targeted interventions among sex workers.

    The meeting with women’s organizations had been called after a group of women activists met the Prime Minister last month and expressed concern over the strategies of NACP-II for focussed intervention programmes among the highly drug users, street children and migrant labour. The Secretary had met with this group earlier and had decided to consult with a larger group of women’s organisations working with these communities to elicit their views and suggestions on the strategies adopted in the NACP-II.

    The Secretary clarified that the objective of the targeted intervention component was to empower and enable victims of commercial sexual exploitation to have better access to basic health services including STD treatment services. These programmes would be undertaken through NGOs which had the requisite experience and credibility with these marginalized communities. The overall purpose was to prevent the further spread of the HIV infection among these groups and also to break the chain of transmission from these groups to the general population. Such programmes were based on the accepted principles of public health which attempt to contain the infection at its source. He said that the trafficking of women and their commercial sexual exploitation was a sad fact of life and was linked to the issues of poverty. These issues would continue to be tackled as long term strategies of the Government of India.

    The Additional Secretary and Project Director (NACO), Shri J.V.R. Prasada Rao, reiterated that targeted intervention was only one component of the NACP-II. A major portion of the funds was being utilized for strategies focussed towards the general population which included youth, students etc. A significant part of the funds was utilized to establish a blood safety system voluntary counselling and testing centres in every district hospital and programmes for treatment of opportunistic infections and care and support of those already infected. He said that it was important to remove stigma and normalize the infection. Large employer ministries such as Railways, Defence and ESI Corporation are supported under the Project to generate a multi-sectoral response to the problem.

    Representatives of the women’s groups expressed their strong support for the targeted intervention strategies for the vulnerable communities specially the sex workers. The women’s groups said that provision of basic health services and the creation of an enabling environment was the first step in reducing the vulnerability of these women not only to the HIV infection but also to their social and economic exploitation. They said that the targeted intervention strategies must be continued through a larger network of NGOs who are working at the grassroots level. They also underlined the need for expanding the awareness programmes so that incomplete information was not given to the people. Some of the representatives cautioned against coercive measures such as compulsory testing, police raids which did not solve the problem but instead give rise to a floating sex worker population and also create another community of untouchables.

    The women’s organizations welcomed the move to take up rehabilitation projects but cautioned that they should be appropriate and effective. Rehabilitation should not lead to ill treatment of these women. They also felt that programmes to empower these women must be intensified. It was felt that every citizen of the country had a right to organize and unionize themselves. Such organization did not legalize trafficking or the commercial sexual exploitation of women. Provision of basic health care and AIDS awareness programmes not only helped these women protect themselves but also enabled them to access to other social services. Some activists also cautioned against giving undue publicity to brothel owners and pimps in the name of AIDS awareness. The women’s groups also stressed upon the need for greater involvement of women activists in policy making bodies.

    The meeting was attended by Dr. Suniti Solomon, YRG Care, Chennai, Shri Praveen Patkar, PRERANA, Mumbai, Ms. Rita Devi, ILA Trust, Guwahati, lMs. Neelam Gorhe, Stree Adhar Kendra, Pune, Ms. Aloka Mitra, Women’s Society, Calcutta, Ms. Jyotsna Chaterjee and Ms., Lalitha, Joint Women’s Programme, New Delhi, Smt. Sunita Gadgil, Smt. Indira Chatterjee and Ms. Premila Alreja, Karuna, New Delhi, Smt. Aoditti Mehta, Prime Minister’s Office, Shri A.K. Sinha, joint Secretary, Deptt. of Women and Child Development, Dr. Ira Ray, Addl. DG, DGHS and Dr. Lalit Kant, DDG, ICMR, Delhi.

'30'

    The Minister of Environment and Forests, Shri T.R. Baalu has emphasised the need for articulating the social dimensions of environmental degradation as the poor are the worst victims of environmental degradation. Releasing the book titled "Empowerment of Sustainable Development" authored by Dr. P. Rathnaswamy, here last evening, Shri Baalu said that the real challenge is to identify win-win options while meeting the developmental and basic needs of a large number of people living below the poverty line.

    Shri Baalu said that environmental degradation of eco-systems, bio-diversity loss, urban solid waste management and industrial and vehicular pollution have become matters of serious concern in several areas. Pointing out that no single approach works everywhere and all entail costs – financial, political and social – Shri Baalu called for evolving innovative strategies to integrate environmental concern into developmental process. Clean technologies and processes, both in public and private sectors, have to be adopted at commercial scales, he added.

    Shri Baalu said that the balance between development and environment in India is addressed primarily through the environment impact assessment methodology and reporting system presently in force. The assessment reports cover the impact of the development project on ambient air and water quality, land degradation and the ecology. Standards have been established for pollution control. These are accompanied by environmental management plans for developmental projects.

    He further stated that in the interest of transparency in the project appraisal process, public hearing has been made mandatory for critically polluting activities. In the process of hearings, relevant project documents and reports are made available to the public at designated places and through newspaper inserts. Suggestions made by the public are incorporated in the project design wherever possible, he added.

    It has been planned to enact a freedom of Information Law intended to provide for openness and transparency in the Government and in the process making Right to Information an effective mechanism for the efficient functioning of the Government.

'12'

    Shri Arun Bhatnagar has taken over as the new Secretary, Rural Development here today.

    Shri Bhatnagar is a Madhya Pradesh Cadre officer of the 1966 batch of Indian Administrative Service. Prior to this assignment, he was posted as Secretary, Deptt. Of Youth Affairs and Sports. Shri Bhatnagar was also Principal Advisor, Planning Commission, July, 1998 to October, 1999. He has earlier served in Deptt. Of Telecommunications and Deptt. Of Power at the Centre as also in High Commission of India, London and the President's Secretariat. In his Home State, he has handled varied portfolios of home, public health, aviation, finance and State Cooperative Marketing Federation among other assignments.

'17'

    Dr. Vallabhbhai Kathiria, Minister of State for Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises has called for increased bilateral co-operation between India and Indonesia. During his meeting with the Indonesian President Abdulrrahman Wahid here yesterday Dr Kathiria stressed on the importance for establishing direct business links between the chambers of the two countries for greater economic and industrial co-operation. He also underlined the need to revitalise the Joint Business Councils as working with business chambers could lead to a strengthening of institutional mechanisms for increasing business collaborations. Appreciating the role of Business Chambers in this regard the Heavy Industries Minister invited the Indonesian businessmen to seek crucial share of the present investment opportunities available in India for mutually beneficial business collaborations.

'8'

    The Minister of State for Human Resource Development (Department of Women and Child Development) Smt. Sumitra Mahajan has said that developing an institutional mechanism for advancement of women under the strategic objective of integrating gender perspective in legislation, public policies, programmes and projects is of critical concern. These aspects require regular review in order to ensure that women are direct beneficiaries of development and their full contribution in development, both remunerative and unremunerative, is considered in economic policy and planning.

'13'

    India and Turkey have agreed in principle to branch out to co-operation in Science and Technology. This emerged at the wide ranging talks the Turkish Minister of State and Co-Chairman of the Indo-Turkish Joint Commission Prof. Abdulhaluk Mehmet Cay had with the Minister of State for Science and Technology Shri Bachi Singh Rawat here today. Shri Rawat proposed to the Turkish side that it is time to widen the scope of Indo-Turkish collaboration to include various scientific Departments of the two countries. He told the Turkish Minister that an agreement on this be concluded during the visit of the Turkish Prime Minister to India in March this year. He said scientific co-operation between the two sides will not only be mutually beneficial but also contribute to international relations. The Turkish Minister agreed that Indian proposal is not only positive but also crucial and hence an inter-governmental bilateral agreement must be concluded between the two sides.

    The areas India offered for collaboration are Bio-technology including genetic engineering and molecular biology, interaction with various scientific laboratories of India, drugs and Pharmaceuticals including Ayurvedic and promotion of entrepreneurship of Science and Technology personnel.

    Apart from various scientific areas of co-operation the Turkish side has expressed keen interest in Remote sensing areas and software technology. So far the scientific co-operation between India and Turkey has remained interaction between the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Turkey’s Scientific and Technical Research Council (TUBITAK).

    Since Turkey became a Republic in 1982 with a new Constitution and Parliamentary form of government, there was a need to conclude a new science and technology co-operation agreement and a draft of the same was sent to Turkey in 1997. It is now hoped that the same may be concluded during the visit of the Turkish Prime Minister in March.

'16'

    Shri Murasoli Maran, Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, will lead the Indian delegation to UNCTAD-X scheduled to be held in Bangkok, Thailand, from 12 to 19 February, 2000. This Tenth Conference of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) will deliberate on "developmental strategies in an increasingly inter-dependent world: applying the lessons of the past to make globalisation an effective instrument for the development of all countries and all peoples". The delegation, led by Shri Maran, also includes Shri Kirit Somaiyya, Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) and Shri Suresh Pachouri, Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha), besides Shri P.P. Prabhu, Commerce Secretary and senior representatives of the Ministries of Commerce and External Affairs, including the Permanent Mission of India (PMI), Geneva and Embassy of India, Bangkok. Shri Maran, who will be in Bangkok from 12-16 February, is expected to address the plenary meeting of UNCTAD-X on 13 February.

'16'

    India and Turkey have agreed to raise the level of bilateral trade from US $ 300 million presently to US $ 500 million over the next two years. During the 8th Session of the India-Turkey Joint Commission Meeting, chaired by Shri Murasoli Maran, Union Minister for Commerce and Industry and Prof. Abdulhaluk Memet Cay, Minister of State of the Republic of Turkey, co-chaired the meeting from the Turkish side held here on February 8-9, 2000, both sides held extensive discussion on bilateral trade and economic cooperation and identified various measures needed to promote the growth of bilateral trade and commercial relations. Both sides also resolved that measures will be taken to promote trade and to avoid costs involved in trade through third countries. This is indicated in the Agreed Minutes of the Meeting, signed here today by Shri Maran and Prof.Cay on behalf of their respective governments.

'30'

    Indonesian Minister of Forestry and Horticulture, Mr. Nurmahmudi Ismail called on the Minister for Environment and Forests, Shri T.R. Baalu here today. During the meeting, both countries – India and Indonesia – underlined the need for cooperation, particularly in the field of forest development and research, controlling forest fires and abatement of pollution.

    Recalling the long-lasting friendly relations between the two countries, Shri Baalu apprised the visiting dignitary of various measures taken by India to cover more area under forest and to develop mangroves along the coastline. He said that the major task before the country is to rehabilitate the degraded forests and to enhance the area under forest cover to 33 per cent of total area as envisaged in the National Forest Policy, 1988.

    Reiterating government’s resolve to involve local communities through village institutions in rehabilitating the degraded forests, Shri Baalu informed Mr Ismail that people’s involvement in protection and development of forests on benefit sharing basis is encouraged through Joint Forest Management (JFM) programme so that the process of degradation of forests could be reversed. This strategy has been very successful and so far 22 States involving more than 36,000 village committees are managing about 10 million ha. (1 crore ha.) of forests. Many degraded forest areas have been rehabilitated with the help of JFM, Shri Baalu added.

    Evincing keen interest in the afforestation work currently going on in India, the visiting Minister informed his Indian counterpart that Indonesia is in the process of formulating a plan to avoid forests fire as well as to bring more area under forest cover. Mr Ismail informed that about 60 per cent of total land area in Indonesia is covered under forests. He also appreciated Indian efforts for afforestation, control of pollution and protection of environment.

    Hot metal production in Rourkela Steel Plant of the Steel Authority India Ltd. (SAIL), during October-December, 1999 recorded a growth of 7.96 per cent compared to its previous quarter. It produced 3,32,590 tonnes of hot metal during these three months. The total crude steel production in the plant also reached a high of : 2,91,276 tonnes during these three months, an increase of 19,071 tonnes from the previous quarter. The production from Hot Strip Mill during this period has shown a phenomenal growth of 30 per cent from 185,340 tonnes to 2,40,839 tonnes. Performance of modernised facilities was also quite impressive as the production from HR coils rose to 1,01,556 tonnes a substantial 48 per cent increase from the second quarter of 1999-2000 fiscal.

    The total saleable steel production went up by 10.75 per cent from 2,58,613 tonnes in the second quarter of 1999-2000 to 2,86,429 tonnes in the third quarter. During this period despatch of saleable steel went up from 4,67,164 tonnes to 5,52,255 tonnes, 24 per cent increase over the second quarter. Total sale of steel items during this quarter also rose by 65 per cent.

    For the first time the fiscal gross margin projections showed a positive trend at the end of December 1999 which the plant may improve upon further.

    The Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shri Arun Jaitley has condoled the death of Shobhana Samarth, the famous film actress of yesteryears. In his message, Shri Jaitley said "The legendary film actress of the black & white film era, Smt. Shobhana Samarth gave new dimensions to acting in Indian Cinema. Her role of Sita in the historic film ‘Ram Rajya’ which was appreciated by no less a person than Mahatma Gandhi. Her contribution to the Indian cinema will be remembered for long."