The Minister of Textiles, Shri Kashiram Rana has complemented the export efforts of the wool and woolen industry, which in spite of recessionary world trends has registered an impressive export growth. Appreciating the 7.5% increase in exports this year over that of last year, Shri Rana said efforts should be made to double the performance next year. He was speaking on the occasion of export award function of Wool and Woolens Export Promotion Council here last evening. Shri V. Dhananjay Kumar, Minister of State for Textiles, and Shri Anil Kumar, Secretary, Textiles were also present on the occasion.

    Informing about the growth in export of shawls by 60% to 70% over last 3-4 years, Shri Kashiram Rana said that it shows that one of the important reasons for Indian success is the export demand for hand woven and hand embroider shawls. Indian exports have registered higher growth to non-quota countries, which is a matter of great satisfaction, Shri Rana said. The destination of export of knitwear to European Union, Canada, America, Russia and others CIS countries; fabric to the European Union, Canada and America; shawls to France, Germany, USA and Japan is all the more satisfactory, the Minister said.

    Elaborating the strength of Indian woolen handloom sector Shri Rana said that these include weaving skill, flexibility of Indian industry in its ability to respond to demand to produce stoles and scarves instead of shawls to meet the western dress requirement and weave blends of wool with silk and other fibers to make them light weight and less expensive.

    Later complementing the award winners, Shri V. Dhananjay Kumar hoped that the awards would inspire others to achieve excellence in their exporting efforts.

    The Notification comes into force with immediate effect.

    Hereafter, the power to punish companies in the corporate sector will be exercised concurrently by both the SEBI and the DCA. The power of the Central Government vested in the DCA so far has also been vested in the SEBI by the impugned Notification.

    The officials conferred upon the powers to punish companies and their directors for such offences as mentioned in this Notification are: S/Shri A. Chandra Sekhar Rao, Sharad Bansode, K.R.C.V. Seshachalam, Sudip Bandyopadhyay, D. Rajesh Kumar, Krishnanand Raghavan, Jayanta Jash, Biju S., Amit Pradhan, Sharad K. Sharma, Smt. Barnali Mukherjee and Smt. G.V. Chitra.

    In this connection, the DCA has superseded its earlier Notification of February 26, 1997.

    The company has recorded impressive growth on the sales front by selling Rs.1342 crore worth iron and steel products in the domestic market and Rs.162 crore in the export market during the first half of the current fiscal. In the domestic front, the growth is 22 per cent and in the export front it is 53 per cent compared to the same period last year.

    Production of hot metal, liquid steel, saleable steel, billets, wire rods, cast blooms, bar products and MMSM products during the month of September has recorded the best performance for the month since its inception. During September 2000 VSP sold Rs.301 crore worth iron and steel products recording a growth of 33 per cent. It is also the best September sales compared to the same month of the previous years.

EUROPEAN UNION FILM FESTIVAL BEGINS TOMORROW

    The opening film of the festival is "Taxi-2" from France. The other films scheduled to be screened during the festival are; "Rosetta" (Belgium), "The Grandfather" (Spain), "Bleeder" (Denmark), "Numbered" (Greece), "But Forever in my mind" (Italy), "Separation Anxiety" (Ireland), "Siberia" (The Netherlands), "The Last Yellow" (United Kingdom), "The Dream that Remains" (Austria), "Night Shapes" (Germany), "A summer by the River" (Finland), "The Mutants" (Portugal) and "Show me Love" (Sweden).

    Later, the Festival is scheduled to be held in Calcutta from October 19 to 25, 2000.

    Shri Mookherjee enrolled as an Advocate in the High Court at Calcutta in 1957. He was the Junior Standing Counsel of the Government of West Bengal in 1974 and the Senior Standing Counsel for the State Government the following year 1975. In 1976, he was designated as the Senior Advocate. Shri Mookherjee was appointed Additional Solicitor General of India in Calcutta in 1998. He has been practicing Advocate at the Calcutta High Court and the Supreme Court and other High Courts and Tribunals since 1957. He has also been London correspondent of the Assam Tribune published from Guwahati in the early 1950’s.

    Shri Mookherjee’s father late Baidyanath Mookherjee was actively involved in politics for over 50 years. He was a Member of the Assam Legislative Assembly and a Cabinet Minister for about 20 years holding important portfolios like Finance, Industries, Commerce, Law, Transport and Health. In 1951, the late Baidyanath Mookherjee was appointed India’s Deputy High Commissioner in Dhaka in the then East Pakistan.

    Shri Satya Brata Mookherjee is married and his wife Smt. Urmibala was enrolled as an Advocate in the High Court at Calcutta in 1959. She is a Senior Advocate practicing in the Calcutta High Court and the Supreme Court and other High Courts and Tribunals from 1959. She is a graduate with English (Hons.) from Ravenshaw College, Cuttak and was called to the Bar by the Hon’ble Society of Middle Temple, London in 1958.

    Shri Kashiram Rana agreed for an increased proportion of representation of contemporary handlooms and handicrafts in the exhibition at crafts museum including exhibitions and acquisitions of items made by national awardees. He also approved the construction of a new gallery and lecture-cum-meeting room in the museum premises. The Textile Minister further approved a proposal for preparation of an encyclopaedia of Indian handicrafts.

    Underlying the role of the crafts museum as a mediator who puts the traditional craftsman in touch with their own ancient traditions and at the same time provides them exposure to their contemporary urban situation, Shri Kashiram Rana, said the millions of craftsman who possess rare technical skills are included in the general process of contemporary development of this country. "For doing this they have to make products which are relevant to our times and it is in this area that the museum should develop its plans, projects and activities" the Minister added.

    Shri V. Dhananjay Kumar called on the Advisory Committee members to give benefit to the museum in the form of ideas based on their rich and diversified experience in the field of Indian handicrafts. Shri Anil Kumar, Secretary, Textiles observed that the craft museum has become a converging point for both the handloom and handicraft.

    With the commencement of the kharif marketing season 2000-2001, apprehensions have been expressed from some quarters about the shortage of storage space for FCI to accept paddy and levy rice in Punjab. While paddy is procured by both the FCI and State Agencies, levy rice is accepted by FCI directly from the millers. The millers are required under the existing levy orders, to hand over 75 per cent of the rice produced by them to the FCI.

    The availability of storage space in Punjab has been engaging the attention of Government of India for quite some time. With planned movement of foodgrains out of Punjab and hiring of additional godowns from public and private agencies, the Government has overcome the problem in Punjab.

    Shri Vajpayee also pointed out that this international exhibition and conference offers an opportunity to form strategic partnerships, to promote India’s co-operation with other countries at a time when the world economy is getting rapidly integrated. The Prime Minister added that the petrochemicals industry in India will witness rapid growth in the coming years. This is borne out by the fact that per capita consumption of plastic and synthetic fibres in the country is increasing by about 15 per cent every year and India can put up world class plants in record time. Together they make this sector an attractive destination for foreign direct investment and joint ventures.

    The Minister for Power and till recently the Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers Shri Suresh Prabhu in his address said the chemicals and petro-chemicals sector has shown its resilience and potential by being able to withstand lowering of duties in the new liberalized regime. Shri Prabhu said the exhibition – the largest composite chemicals show in the country – is a unique partnership between the Government, the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and the United States of America. This partnership defines the role of the government towards this sector in the reforms era as that of a friend, philosopher and guide, Shri Prabhu said. The former Chemicals and Fertilizers Minister pointed out that the Department of Chemicals and Petro-Chemicals is working on Vision Statement for the sector. A cell to monitor exports is also in place and Task Forces on Chemicals and Petro-Chemicals have also been appointed. The Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers Shri Sunder Lal Patwa was unable to attend the inauguration due to indifferent health.

    Others to address the inaugural function were: - the FICCI President Shri G.P. Goenka, the U.S. Ambassador to India H.E. Mr. Richard Celeste and the Chief Minister of Gujarat, Shri Keshubhai Patel. Other dignitaries to attend were - the Minister for Home, Shri L.K. Advani and the Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilizers Shri Satya Brata Mookherjee.

    The U.S. is the partner country at INDIACHEM 2000 and Gujarat the Partner State. New Jersey is the Partner State from the U.S.

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BERLIN-DELHI –FUTURE HISTORIC CAPITAL CITIES

    Speaking of the commonality of approach, Shri Jagmohan said that despite the prevalence of fundamentally different conditions in India and Germany, the commonality of approach can be of crucial significance, not only for coming of the two cities closer, but also of solving the great dilemma of the present times – dilemma which is rooted in phenomenal affluence and technological advancement on the one side and abysmal poverty, ignorance and disease on the other.

    On the issue of identity of Indian and German minds, the Urban Development Minister stated that the Indian and German cultures share a number of common characteristics and both have natural affinity for each others philosophic thought "Both have fascination for the deep; both have achieved greater inner freedom and profoundity of thinking and true originality than any other people in the world. About Max Mueller, this is what Swami Vivekananda said when he met him : "He has lived and moved in the world of Indian thought for fifty years or more. He has caught the real soul of the melody of the Vedanta. The jeweller alone can understand the worth of jewels.", Shri Jagmohan said.

    5.  Development of state specific training modules for AWWs and other child care workers under "Udisha" – 25% state              specific training curriculum.

    6.   Setting up of communication working groups in all states to promote changes in care behaviour for the very young               child.

    7.   Ensure integration of a focus on the very young child in the National Charter for Children and other such initiatives.

    Over 200 delegates including 20 from abroad attended a three day Conference here to evolve a strategy to promote Early Childhood Care for Survival, Growth and Development. The delegates included representatives from nine countries including U.K., U.S.A. and Philippines, etc., and international organisations like World bank, UNICEF, CARE and UNDP and experts from different areas.

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PEACE THROUGH DEVELOPMENT IN THE NORTH-EAST