The Union Minister of Steel and Mines, Shri Naveen Patnaik has instituted an enquiry to look into the problems affecting the smelter of National Aluminium Company (NALCO) and consequent loss of production. The enquiry Committee headed by Dr. C.G. Krishnadas Nair, Managing Director, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd.,has been asked to submit its report within six weeks.

    It may be recalled that NALCO had to shut down the operation of a number of pots in its smelter plant situated at Angul (Orissa) since the month of January, 1998 which has affected its production of aluminium metal.

    The other members of the Committee are Dr. T.R. Ramachandran, Director, Jawaharlal Nehru Aluminium Research, Design and Development Centre and Shri Pran Nath, Former Director (Personnel), National Thermal Power Corporation.

    The terms of refeence of the Committee are as follows:- .

    i) To determine the causes for the instability and failure in the potline in the Angul Smelter since January, 1998. .

    ii) To assess whether there has been a failure of back-up services for proper maintenance and repairs to the potlines.

    iii) To determine whether there has been human failure in terms of absenteeism, indiscipline, lack of supervision, and other such contributing factors.

    iv) To compute the overall loss in production in terms of quantity, quality/purity of metal produced and value.

    v) To identfy clearly the lapses and acts of omission and commission which have led to this production loss and those responsible for the same.

    vi) To make recommendations to avoid recurrence of such incidents in future. 
 
 

    Shri S.S. Barnala, Union Food Minister has urged the Uttar Praesh Government to liquidate sugarcane arrears at the earliest. The Minister who paid a visit to the National Institute of Sugarcane and Sugar Technology, MAU (U.P) on Saturday observed that delay in payment of arrears would adversely affect sugar production. The Minister suggested that every factory should prepare a need based and time-bound sugarcane development programme to improve the quality and productvity of sugarcane. He also urged the cane research institutions to develop sugarcane varieties with high sucrose content and which are resistant to pests and diseases. Sugar factories in turn should undertake a programme of improved seed multiplication and replacement of cane varieties earnestly to improve sugar production; the minister said. Sugar production during 1997-98 has touched 124 lakh tonnes of which 39 lakh tonnes had been contributed by Uttar Pradesh constituting 31 per cent of the sugar produced so far, Shri Barnala said.
 
 

    Exhibition on Wheels, a special exhibition train consisting of 14 exhibition coaches showcasing the achievements of Indian Railways left from New Delhi, Safdurjung Station this afternoon. The oldest serving railway employee in Delhi area Smt. Sanyogita Sharma, Head Travelling Ticket Examiner flagged off the train.

    The train will move across the length and breadth of the country stopping at over 150 places. After six months, the train will come back to New Delhi in December and the Exhibition will finally end after a three day public display in the capital.

    The Exhibition will provide necessary information on the growth and development of the Railways infrastructure, Railways effort in keeping the wheels of progress moving, known and unknown facts about the Railways and customer related services in the Railways.

    The Exhibiton has been laid out by the Railway Board, Zonal Railways and Production Units of the Indian Railways. The exhibits comprise display materials, static and working models, audio visual displays and multi media presentation. Exhibits from non railway organisations have also been included on sponsored basis.
 
 

    The Railways are working round the clock on a war footing to restore the traffic in the cyclomic storm hit areas of Gujarat and Rajasthan. Following cyclonic storm on Mary 9, 1998, rail services were disrupted from Hapa to Okha. 7 kilometre track was washed out on Wankaner-Morvi section of Rajkot Division on Western Railway and traffic was disrupted on Kanalus-Porbunder,Junagarh-Veraval and Viramgham-Samakhayali sections which are now fit for running, Gandhidham-Kandla Port is expected to be restored in 10 days time, while Samakhayali-Gandhidham section is expected to be restored in three days time.

    Hapa to Khambalia section and from Khambalia to Okha is expected to be restored within next few days. On Wankaner-Morvi sections, work on war footing is on for restoration of 7 Km. long washed out track.

    The position of cancellation and restoration of train services is as follows: 9031/9032 Gandhidham-Ahemedabad Kutch Express, which was cancelled from June 9 to 14, 1998, has been restored from today, 9215/9216 Saurashtra Express, cancelled from June 9-14, 1998, restored from today. 9005/9006 Saurashtra Mail cancelled from June 9-13 was restored from June 14. 9103/9104 Vadodara-Gandhidam Express cancelled from June 9, is yet to be restored. 9263/9264 Delhi-Porbunder Express was cancelled on June 10. 9336, Nagarcoil-Gandhidham Express was cancelled between Viramgam and Gandhidham on June 13, 1998. 6335 Gandhidham-Nagarcoil Express was cancelled between Gandhidham-Veraval on June 14, 1998. 957 Mumbai Central-Porbunder Holiday Special was cancelled between Jamnagar and Porbunder on June 13, 1998, 958 Porbunder-Mumbai Central holiday special was cancelled on June 14 between Porbunder and Jamnagar and 959 Mumbai CentralGandhidham cancelled on June 10 and 12, 1998. 971 Mumbai CentralGandhidham was terminated at Viramgam on June 10, 13 and 15 and 972 Gandhidham and Viramgam on June 13,1998.

    In addition, eight pairs of metre gauge trains have been cancelled until further orders. These are: 173/174 Kandla Port-Ajmer, 171/172 Kandla Port-Gandhidham, 175/176 Kandla Port-Ajmer, 236/245 Kandla Port-New Bhuj, 177/17 Kandla Port-New Bhuj, 229/230 GandhidhamNalid,655/656 Palampur-New Bhuj and 657/658 Jodhpur-New Bhuj trains. The last two pairs of trains are cancelled between New Bhuj and Palampur, while the rest of the metre gauge trains are fully cancelled.

    In view of total disruption of traffic from Kandla Port, the Railways have geared itself to accord topmost priority to the movement of Petroleum, Oil and Lubricant (POL) from Mumbai, Siliguri, Barauni, Haldia so that there is no shortage of these materials.
 
 

    The government has decided to allow export of 5000 metric tonnes of niger seeds through the Karnataka State Agricultural Produce Processing and Export Corporation Ltd. (KAPPEC), Bangalore. It has accordingly been decide to issue an export licence in favour of KAPPEC for export of 5000 metric tonnes of niger seeds. The Commerce Minister Shri Ramakrishna Hegde has conveyed the decision to Shri C Byre Gowada, Minister for Agriculture, Government of Karnataka, in resones to a proposal from KAPPEC regarding export of niger seeds from the state, which is a major producer. Necessary instructions have been issued to the Joint Director General of Foreign Trade and the oncerned state authorities have been advised to take necesary action to obtain licence for the export of niger seeds from the Joint DGFT, Bangalore.
 
 

    The Indian Navy swung into action and launched a massive cyclone relief operations immediately after the cyclone hit the Gujrat coast on 09 June. With all land-line based communication links snapped, the Navy utilised it's satellite communication equipment to establish communication, with the ports of Kandla and Vadinar, within 24 hours. Communication, with Porbander and Okha were similarly established on Naval HF links. Dornier aricraft from the Navy and coast Guard, were used for damage assessment and search and rescue of ships stricken by the cyclone. Immediate assistance was provided to ten merchant ships which had run aground. The Naval Officer-in -Charge, Gujrat, alone with a core team comprising of specialists in diving, navigation,medicine and survey, was positioned at Kandla port, which was the most seriously affected to co-ordinate relief operations with the local administration and port authorities . Two naval liaison cells have been set-upat Kandla and Vadinar to assist and co-ordinate efforts to open the ports at the eraliest.

    Indian Naval Frigate INS Godavari alongwith two survey ships were sailed with despatch ,with seaking and Chetak helicopters embarked, to the Gulf of Kutch to provide assistance to ships in distress and carry out relief operations. Numerous hellcopter sorties wre flown to airdrop food and wter to straned crew of grounded ships. The helicopters are also assisting in the evacuation of injured personnel, rescue of fishermen and carrying out dropping of supplies to surrounding villages.TheSurvey vessels with additional complement of men and equipemnt, are to survey the deep water channel to Vadinar to ensure early clearance into the harbour. The channel, which is about 4km wide , would need to be critically checked out for any underwater obstacles due to sinking of boats or craft in the channel, in order to resume commercial usage of the ports of Kandla, Vadinar and Sikka. Additional teams of surveyors, with portable equipemnt, have also been airlifted to Kandla and Vadinar , to survey along the berths and jeeties. Diving teams, with equipemnt, have been airlifted to Kandla and Vadinar, and placed at the dispal of the civil administration. INS matanga, the Navy's ocan going tug, has also reached the area to render assistance to the many grounded vessels and assist the port authorities as all their tugs have sunk or are damaged . The Naval ships and aircraft are continuing relief and rescue opertations round the clock.

    A coast guard Pollution response team is being mobilised alongwith necessary equipment from Mumbai to Kandla and Vadinar. THe overall co-ordination of these rlief and rescue operations is being done by Headquarters, Western Naval command, Mumbai.
 
 

    The State owned Power Finance Corporation's syndicated loan issue for US$100 Million was closed on June 12, 1998 evening - London time, with some over subscription. The issue was launched for syndication on May 22, 1998 and closed on June 12, 1998. PFC enjoys credit ratings equal to that of sovereign ratings for India viz. Baa3 and BB++ from Moody's and S&P respectively, with no non-performing assets, high capital adequacy and excellent profitability. Road shows for the issue commenced in Mumbai on May 9, 1998 and were followed by presentations in Bahrein, Singapore and London.

    The loan raised by PFC is the first major issue from India, after the South East Asian currency crisis. The proceeds of this loan would be utilised by PFC to meet its disbursement requirements during the current financial year. ANZ Investment Bank, Fuji Bank, Japan, Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken (SEB) (Sweden), State Bank of India, Bank of India and Arab Banking Corporation are the arrangers of the issue, with ANZ Investment Bank doing the book running. The general syndication received wide geographical distribution and about a dozen banks are participating in the deal. Roughly half of the subscribers are from Europe, one third from India and rest are from other parts of Asia. ANZ Investment bank and PFC are now in the process of doing final allocation. The Loan Agreement is expected to be signed soon.