308.07 MT- CURRENT YEAR COAL PRODUCTION TARGET

    The details of total production of coal in India during the years 1998-99 and 1999-2000 are given below:

*Provisional

‘18(S)’

    Shri Ajay Kumar Agarwal today took over as the Secretary in the Ministry of Steel in place of Shri Ashok Basu. Before this he held the post of Secretary, Coordination and Public Grievances in the Cabinet Secretariate.

    Shri Agrawal entered into the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) in 1966 and belongs to MP Cadre. Before coming to Cabinet Secretariate he served for six years as the Principal Finance Secretary in the Madhya Pradesh Government.

    The Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Dr. C. P. Thakur has stressed the need for stabilization of population which is the precise aim of The National Population Policy. In his inaugural address at the 3-day conference of the State Secretaries of Family Welfare here today, the Minister has said that the foremost task of his Ministry would be to consolidate and sustain the gains already achieved in a large number of states and to evolve and implement viable and effective programmes for improving the quality of reproductive health services in the poor performing states of UP, MP, Bihar and Rajasthan. The ministry will soon be able to set a new direction in providing a quality healthcare to the people with the cooperation of all States.

    Dr. Thakur has expressed his happiness over a new project funded by the World Bank for strengthening routine immunization in the relatively backward states along with continuing the drive against polio during the current year. Considerable facilities will be provided to the States under this programme. The current state of neo-natal or peri-natal mortality calls for urgent steps to improve care of the newborn and adoption of integrated management of childhood illness approach.

    The Minister has further said that his Ministry is going to introduce a nationwide `Dai’ training and equipping programme in this year itself. Already the southern and the western States have been afforded considerable freedom in devising their own programmes for improving maternal health. Such initiatives from other states in tune with the felt needs and ground realities are also welcome.

    The Population Policy has rightly emphasized the supreme importance of harnessing the power of women in the cause of health. As regards this year’s immunization programme, UP, Bihar, West Bengal and Delhi have to intensify their efforts much further if polio is to be controlled effectively by the end of this year, Dr. Thakur added.

    Secretary, Family Welfare Shri A. R. Nanda, Secretary, Health, Sri. J. A. Chowdhury, Secretary, ISM&H, Smt. Shailaja Chandra, Director General of Health Services Dr. S. P. Aggarwal, Secretary, Planning Commission, Smt. Krishna Singh and Sri Gautam Basu, Joint Secretary (FW) were among others who addressed the conference.

    Family Welfare Secretaries from the States and UTs, representatives from the World Bank, World Health Organization, UNICEF, UNFPA and the European Commission are attending the 3-day conference.

    The Government (Department of Legal Affairs) in the Ministry of Law, Justice and Company Affairs issued today a Notification under Section 18 of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), 1999 setting up Appellate Tribunal for Foreign Exchange with immediate effect. Earlier, the Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance had issued a Notification on May 1, 2000 fixing June 1, 2000 as the date for enforcing the FEMA. With the coming into force of FEMA, the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1973 stands repealed and FEMA replaces the FERA.

    The Appellate Tribunal for Foreign Exchange replaces the Foreign Exchange Regulation Appellate Board, which stands dissolved with the repeal of FERA from today. The Chairman and the Members of the FERA Board also cease to hold office from today.

    All the cases pending with the Foreign Exchange Regulation Appellate Board stand transferred to the Appellate Tribunal for Foreign Exchange. In addition to the fresh appeals to be filed before it, the Appellate Tribunal for Foreign Exchange will also have to decide those pending cases.

    The Tribunal, to be headed by a Chairman and as many members as the Central Government may teem fit, will hear cases arising from the orders of Enforcement Directorate of the Finance Ministry and its adjudicating authorities and the special director (Appeals).

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    The Union Minister of State for Law, Justice and Company Affairs Shri O. Rajagopal launched formally the Millennium Year Company Law Settlement Scheme 2000 at the office of the Registrar of Companies, Delhi and Haryana, here today.

    Speaking on the occasion, Shri Rajagopal said that the Company Law Settlement Scheme was innovative and intended to herald an era of trust, confidence and healthy partnership between the Government of India and the Corporate Sector. It would also facilitate workings of corporate sector in a smooth and transparent manner. If the Scheme succeeded, need for about five lakh prosecutions would be obviated, the Minister added.

    Shri Rajagopal appealed to the corporate sector to avail of the one time amnesty to let a healthy investment climate emerge in the country.

    The Scheme will be operational for three months from today.

    The Company Law Settlement Scheme, 2000 was launched at Mumbai by Secretary, Department of Company Affairs, Dr. P.L. Sanjeev Reddy and at Chennai, Calcutta and at all the 20 offices of Registrars of Companies formally today.

    In a major turn-around, the earlier loss-making Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India (ALIMCO) has achieved an all time record overall turnover, highest ever production and sales much beyond the laid down targets and earned a record cash profit of about Rs. 35 crores for the year 1999-2000.

    The Kanpur based public sector undertaking ALIMCO was running in losses during 1997-98 when it suffered a cash loss of over Rs. 35 crore which was brought down to about Rs. 10 crore in 1998-1999.

    In a performance report sent to the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, the ALIMCO reported that it has achieved more than 51% increase in value of sales, more than 54% increase in value of production and more than 24% increase in overall turnover over the corresponding figures of the last year. The company has achieved substantial increase in the production of various categories of Aids & Appliances ranging from 28% to 85% without any increase in manpower and by increased capacity utilisation.

    Significantly, ALIMCO increased its capacity utilisation from 40.66% in 1997-98 to 77.25% in 1998-99 and 97% in 1999-2000.

    The financial and physical achievement of the year 1999-2000 as compared to the corresponding performance of the last two years are given below:

    The Government has decided to establish first Regional Production Centre of ALIMCO at Bhubaneshwar in Orissa, which is likely to come up in October this year. Besides this Hearing Aid Manufacturing Line is being estabalished at Kanpur and Prototype of this unit have already been made. ALIMCO plans to install state of the art machine tools and facilities to further augment its operations.

    For the year 2000-2001 the ALIMCO has planned to achieve an increased overall turnover of Rs. 26 crores from the level of Rs. 23 crores corresponding to the year 1999-2000.

    The government has notified the new All India Rates of Drawback Table 2000-2001 which intends to make Indian exports internationally competitive. The duty drawback rates have been revised after taking into consideration the changes in the duties effected through the Union Budget 2000-2001 in respect of various inputs used by the exporters in the manufacture of their products for exports. The duty drawback rates are intended to compensate the exporters for the customs and central excise duty suffered on the inputs/materials used.

    The new drawback tables which has come into force from today has the following significant features.

1. This year 9 new entries have been introduced which include Plastic Jumbo Bags, Hand-knotted/Handmade Silk and Synthetic Carpets, Copper Cathodes, Mechanical Pencils and two parts of Textile Machinery. This has been done to expand the coverage of Drawback Scheme.
2. The drawback rates in respect of 141 entries have been increased on account of further rationalisation of the Customs & Central Excise duties carried out in the Union Budget, i.e., extension of 4% Special Additional Duty (SAD) to all imports whether effected by manufacturers or traders and creation of a single Excise duty rate (CENVAT) of 16% for all excisable goods. Apart from this, the upsurge in the prices of various raw materials, especially non-ferrous metals, has also been given due weightage.
3. Drawback Rates relating to 406 entries have been maintained at the existing level.
4. The drawback rates pertaining to 270 entries have been revised downwards to reflect the lower incidence of duties ensuing from rationalisation of central Excise duties/Customs duties, i.e., reduction of peak rate of Customs duty to 35% from 40% earlier, and also reduction in Central Excise duties in respect of those raw materials which were chargeable to Central Excise duty higher than 16%.
5. A maximum drawback cap has been imposed on 141 entries in the Drawback Table with the objective of curbing the tendencies of unscrupulous exporters to obtain disproportionate drawback by artificially inflating/misdeclaring their export values.
6. As a special measure of facilitation for the Handloom and Cottage Sector, the exporters are being allowed to dispense with the requirement of having to furnish the proof of non-availment of CENVAT credit on their inputs.
7. For smoother computerized processing of drawback claims on the EDI system, each drawback entry has been assigned a distinct Sub-serial No. The disbursement of drawback through EDI has been streamlined at major Seaports/Airports, i.e., Mumbai, Nhava Sheva, Chennai, Calcutta, Vishakhapatnam, Cochin, and Dry Ports at Delhi and Ahmedabad.

    The basic thrust this year has been to rationalise the drawback rates in consonance with the rationalisation of Customs & Central Excise duties attempted in the Union Budget as also the reduction of procedural formalities. The streamlining of EDI system and extension of computerized processing of drawback claims at new EDI sites shall reduce the processing time and expedite the drawback disbursal. It is expected that this shall give necessary fillip to the exports and make them internationally competitive.

    The drawback rates are reviewed annually by the Ministry of Finance after taking into consideration the data as well as the valuable suggestions received from different Export Promotion Councils/Associations, trade organisations and the leading exporters of the different products. For determining the incidence of duties incurred by the exporters, an extensive study of the inputs' prices, both in the domestic and international market, as also the export value, have been carried out by the Directorate of Drawback. It has been the endeavour of the Ministry of Finance to ensure that the drawback rates determined are representative and adequately neutralise the duties paid on the inputs/materials used.

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    Shri Vinod Vaish, IAS of Madhya Pradesh Cadre (1966 batch) has taken over as the Secretary, Department of Telecom Services (DTS). He succeeds Shri P.S.Saran who retired yesterday.

    Shri Vaish has served in various capacities both at the State and Central Governments. He was Managing Director, MP State Textile Corporation and Commissioner, Higher Education in Madhya Pradesh. He has also served as Collector of Gwalior. During his stint at the Centre, he has worked with Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals, Cabinet Secretariat and Ministry of Commerce. Shri Vaish was Special Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forest before assuming his new charge.

    Shri N.R.Mokhariwale and Dr. Vijay Kumar both Indian Telecom Service (ITS) officers, have also assumed charge as Members of the Telecom Commission. Shri Mokhariwale assumed charge as Member (Services) and Dr. Vijay Kumar as Member (Technology).

    A photo exhibition "Indus in India' on river Sindu was inaugurated here today by Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Shri Arun Jaitley. Organised on the eve of "Sindu Darshan Festival" the exhibition shows the various moods of mighty Sindu as it flows through India.

    Inaugurating the exhibition, Shri Jaitley said that Sindu is the witness of evolution of great Indian civilisation. It reflects the richness our culture and heritage. The festival on the bank of the river will provide an opportunity to focus on the development of tourism in Ledkah.

    On the occasion, Secretary Tourism, Shri M.P. Beizbarua said that the Ministry of Tourism is organising Sindu Darshan Festival in Leh from June 7^th to 9^th, 2000 to project the Indus as a symbol of India's unity and harmony. It will also promote tourism in Ledkah region. The exhibition will remain open at India Habitate Centre up to June 6, 2000.

'28'

    Shri A.K. Basu today took over as Power Secretary. Shri Basu is a 1965 Batch IAS officer belonging to the West Bengal Cadre. Prior to this Shri Basu was the Steel Secretary. He succeeds Shri V.K. Pandit, who retired from service yesterday.

    Shri S.S. Sharma today took over as Special Secretary in the Ministry of Power. Shri Sharma is a 1966 Batch IAS officer belonging to the Manipur/Tripura Cadre. Prior to this Shri Sharma was the DG, National Productivity Council. He succeeds Shri A.H. Jung, who has been posted as Secretary, Civil Aviation.

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    The Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination, 2000 will be held on 4^th June this year as scheduled. The Union Public Service Commission has clarified that there is no change in the schedule of this examination.

SHRI V.N. KAUL TAKES OVER AS COAL SECRETARY

    Shri V.N. Kaul has held a number of important assignments with the Government of Madhya Pradesh. He was Principal Secretary, Finance just before he assumed his present office. Earlier, he served as Principal Secretary, Department of Home, Government of Madhya Pradesh and also served as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Commerce, Government of India. He was the Advisor, Trade Policy in UN (ESCAP).

'16'

    India’s imports during April 2000 are valued at US $ 4532.97 million (US $ 4.5 billion) representing a growth of 43.64% over the level of imports valued at US $ 3155.78 million in April 1999.

    Oil imports during April 2000 are valued at US $ 1295.29 million which is 123.12% higher than oil imports valued at US $ 580.54 million in the corresponding period last year. Non-oil imports during April 2000 are estimated at US $ 3237.68 million which is 25.72% higher than the level of such imports valued at US $ 2575.24 million in April 1999.

    The trade deficit for April 2000 is estimated at US $ 1110.35 million which is higher than the deficit at US $ 523.76 million during April 1999.

    Tables showing export, import and trade balance during April 2000 along with corresponding figures for April 1999, based on provisional data from Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence & Statistics (DGCI&S), are attached.

SHRI A.H. JUNG TAKES OVER AS SECRETARY CIVIL AVIATION

    Shri Jung has held a number of important posts in the Government. He was Additional Secretary and Financial Advisor for the Ministry of Steel & Mines. He has also served as Additional Deputy Comptroller & Auditor General.

SHRI S.S. DHINDSA TAKES OVER AS THE UNION MINISTER FOR MINES

    Shri Dhindsa is a Member of the Rajya Sabha and belongs to the Shiromani Akali Dal. He is a graduate from District Sangrur in Punjab. He was earlier the Union Minister for Urban Employment and Poverty Alleviation.

    Shri Sengupta has been associated both in the Central and the State government with various economic sectors including industry, petroleum, power, coal, defence production, transport and labour. He was involved in various capacities with the formulation and implementation of the policies relating to industrial development, management of public enterprises, project appraisal and formulation, energy planning, international cooperation in the hydro-carbon sector etc. He has been associated with central government public sector undertakings in the industry, oil and defence production sectors, besides serving as Chairman of Maruti Udyog Ltd. The various positions held by him at the Centre included that of Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas (1997-98); Secretary, Department of Heavy Industry, Ministry of Industry (1997); and Additional Secretary & Adviser (Energy), Planning Commission (1995-97).

MANOHAR JOSHI CALLS FOR COOPERATION IN SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY & PHARMACEUTICALS

HEAVY INDUSTRIES MINISTER INVITES CHINESE ENTERPRISES TO COLLABORATE WITH PSE’S IN INDIA

HEAVY INDUSTRIES MINISTER’S VISIT TO CHINA

    Shri Manohar Joshi while complimenting an Indian Company M/s Orissa Industries Ltd for already establishing a Steel refractory Plant at Dalian, called for greater cooperation with the Chinese Industry. Shri Manohar Joshi informed Dalian Business leaders, of India’s achievement and potential in the information technology sector and observed that a delegation lead by Chinese Vice Minister for Information Industry that visited major business centers in India in April, 1999 was a step in the right direction. India has a vast pool of technical expertise in this field and the Government is keen to participate in the efforts that the Chinese Govt. is making in developing this sector, Shri Joshi added. Informing the gathering further, Shri Joshi said that the path of economic reforms pursued by India since 1991 has resulted in a liberalized industrial and financial environment in the country. The automotive sector and the capital goods industry in India has seen the emergence of prominent foreign players like Daewoo, Fiat, Ford, General Motors, Hyundai, Suzuki and Toyota. There has as such been a great upswing in the growth of this sector

    Elaborating on the Indian strategy towards public sector enterprises Shri Manohar Joshi informed the Industrialists that it has been a mix of strengthening strategic units, privatizing non-strategic ones through gradual disinvestment or strategic sale and devising viable rehabilitation strategies for weak units. Efforts in this direction include joint venture formation by induction of partner or partners capable of providing technical, financial and marketing inputs. "We are looking for joint venture partners in a large number of engineering, chemical, steel, Cement and Consumer industry", he added. "We are also looking for JVs in public enterprises in the areas of paper, tyres, leather goods, bicycles etc", the Heavy Industries Minister further added. Stating further, Shri Manohar Joshi said, that the Govt. of India has already approved equity participation upto 74% by joint venture partner in some of these enterprises and "we would welcome the Chinese enterprises to come forward and join hands with public enterprises in India for mutual advantage".

    The Coordinator of the National Assessment Group of the Government’s Education For All programme Shri Abhimanyu Singh said, India has already been addressing most of the issues identified in the Dakar Framework of Action and that the country will be able to come out with its National Plan of Action much before the UN target of 2002.

    He said the Government has already initiated a number of steps including additional resource mobilisation needed for the programme. Efforts are also on to increase the spending on education to 6% of GDP from the current level of about 4%. Measures have also been taken to see that 50% of this spending goes to basic education. Expressing satisfaction at the fast decline in gender disparity in primary and secondary education, Shri Abhimanyu Singh said, India would be able to completely remove this much before the UN deadline of 2005.

CRITERIA FOR ADVANCE RELEASE OF FREESALE SUGAR

    The advance freesale release would be subject to adjustment from the freesale quota of the factory on the basis of the All India prorata releases. The adjustment of the advance freesale quota would be carried out normally during the same sugar season.

    The total advance freesale release to all categories of sugar factories put together in a month would not exceed 25,000 MTs. The eligibility of sugar factories for advance release of sugar would be determined by a committee chaired by Joint Secretary (Sugar) with Chief Director (Sugar) and Director (Sugar Control) as members.

    With effect from 1^st January 2000, Government has been making advance allotments of freesale sugar to such sugar factories which do not have cash credit limits sanctioned to them by banks, factories affected by natural calamities sick sugar factories under BIFR sanctioned revival schemes etc. as per certain guidelines. The proceeds of such advance releases were to be utilised exclusively for payment of cane price arrears to farmers.

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