The Thirty-fifth session of Standing Labour Committee (SLC) will be held here on 23rd of this month to discuss in detail the observance of the ethos and culture of tripartism both at Central and State level. The Indian Labour Conference (ILC) in their session last year , had expressed concern over the decline in culture of tripartism and adopted a resolution that next session of the SLC would devote itself to discussions on this subject. Besides this, the one-day session of SLC will also review the progress of implementation of conclusions of the 34th sessions of ILC and the SLC.

    The SLC may also discuss to explore the possibility of evolving a mechanism through consensus for giving representation to some of the NGO's, working for the benefit of the unorganised sector, by rotation in the tripartite bodies. There are practical difficulties to accurately assess their representative character for giving membership in the tripartite Committees. For the organised sector Trade Unions, there is an established procedure to determine the representative character based on the verification of membership.

    The Tripartite principle is an important integral component of Labour policy in India. The premier policy advisory bodies in the labour sector at the national level is the tripartite Indian Labour Conference and its Standing Labour Committee. Both consists of representatives of the Central Government, State Government, Union Territories, employer's and workers organisations. Most of labour legislations incorporate this feature in the provisions relating to the composition of various advisory bodies. Over the years, the recommendations of the ILC and other tripartite bodies have also shaped and influenced labour policy.
 
 

    The first-ever Asian Regional Seminar on Intellectual Property Rights Issues in the field of Traditional Medicines was inaugurated here today by Shri Dalit Ezhimalai, Union Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare.

    The Minister said that there is a common concern among Asian countries with reference to piracy of their National Heritage pertaining to Traditional Systems of Medicine(TSM) whether they are codified or otherwise. Moreover, a large number of patents have been filed and granted especially in developed countries.

    In India, the Minister said, about 70% of the health care in rural areas is being provided through traditional systems. He also stressed the need to document oral traditions besides redocumenting the existing codified knowledge in a language which is acceptable and understandable internationally. After codification of documented as well as undocumented knowledge systems, inter- country exchange of this information is necessary to bring it to the Public Domain. As per the Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights(TRIPS) agreement anything which falls under the public domain, automatically becomes non-patentable. This would serve as a CAVEAT for providing protection from the patents to existing Traditional Systems of Medicines. Stating this, the Minister drew the attention of the participants to granting of patents done recently in developed nations. These patents, the Minister said, lack novelty and non-obviousness, though due to non-availability of codified information to patent examiners in developed nations, patents were granted.   The Minister expressed the hope that the Seminar would discuss and evolve methodology for benefit sharing as well as for protection of TSM from piracy.

    The 3-day Seminar organised by WIPO in association Department of Industrial Development, Department of Indian Systems of Medicines and ASSOCHAM, has representatives from 18 countries in the Asia-Pacific Region.
 
 

    The total number of passengers booked during August 1998 have shown an increase of 2.12 percent compared to August 1997. The cumulative number of passengers booked upto the end of August 1998 has also increased by 2.73 per cent compared to the same period of last year. The punctuality of Mail, Express trains on broad gauge during this period has shown a general improvement compared to the corresponding period of the previous year.

    During this period (April-August 98), Chittaranjan Locomotive Works attained the targeted production of locomotives. Integral Coach Factory, Rail Coach Factory and Wheel and Axle Plant exceeded the respective targets in production of coaches, wheels and axles. Wagon and engine uses during this period has also shown considerable improvement.
 
 

    The Union Minister for Urban Affairs and Employment, Shri Ram Jethmalani inaugurated work for construction of two million houses annually at a function at Hyderabad today. The Minister of State for Urban Affairs and Employment, shri Bandaru Dattatreya presided over the function and the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Shri Chandrababu Naidu was the Chief guest.

    Out of the two million houses to be built yearly, seven lakh houses will be in urban areas and 13 lakh houses in rural areas. These houses will be constructed under the New Housing and Habitat Policy - 1998 and in keeping with the National Agenda for Governance of the Government.

    Two-third of the houses so built will be for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) and one-third for Low Income Group (LIG).

    The cost of per dwelling unit EWS housing will be Rs.35000 and that of LIG housing Rs.100,000 each dwelling unit.

    The target this year for Andhra Pradesh is for 93,260 housing units. The shortages of housing in Andhra Pradesh as per the 1991 census are of 11 lakh houses.

    The Urban Affairs and Employment Minister, Shri Ram Jethmalani will lay the foundation for commencement of construction works for 72,190 houses annually in the current financial year in Maharashtra at a function at Mumbai on October 8, 1998. The shortages of housing in Maharashtra according to the 1991 census are of 8.5 lakh dwelling units.

    The Minister of State for Urban Affairs and Employment, Shri Bandaru Dattatreya will launch formally the construction of 39,125 houses annually in the current financial year in Karnataka at a function at Bangalore on October 9, 1998. The Chief Minister of Karnataka, Shri J.H. Patel will preside.

    With today's commencement of construction works for houses for the poor, the process for building massive two million houses annually has begun.
 
 

    The Power Ministry has advised all State Governments to take suitable corrective action to address the Y2K problem in the electricity sector in a time bound manner. The State Governments have been advised to ensure that Electricity Boards/Departments and Utilities confirm that corrective action is taken wherever required in their computer systems by December 31, 1998.

    It has been suggested that each SEB/Utility should depute a senior officer as a Nodal Officer for the purpose of initiating remedial measures. The National Informatic Centre and the Department of Electronics have offered all possible assistance in addressing to the Y2K problem in the Power Sector.
 
 

    A number of important decisions were taken at a meeting between the Union Minister for Environment and Forests, Shri Suresh P. Prabhu and the Maharashtra Chief Minister, Shri Manohar Joshi, the State's Revenue Minister, Shri Narayan Rane and PWD Minister, Shri Nitin Gadkari.

    At the meeting held in Mumbai on 4th October, 1998, Shri Suresh P. Prabhu announced the formation of a High Powered Committee consisting of representatives of the Central and State Governments to carefully examine the issue of Zudpi jungle land in the Vidarbha region of the State. According to the Maharashtra government the development of Vidarbha is being hampered due to the applicability of the Forest Conservation Act to the Zudpi jungle lands. The Maharashtra government is seeking the exclusion of such areas from within the purview of the Forest Conservation Act.

    The High Powered Committee will examine records of all jungle lands and wherever such lands have been used for non forest purposes, will recommend exclusion of these from the Forest Conservation Act.

    This exercise will be completed in 60 days. It was also decided that the Ministry would take a holistic view of the recommendations and decide on the exclusion of such lands in accordance with the Forest Conservation Act.

    Shri Prabhu also announced that a regional office of his Ministry would be set-up in Nagpur to speed-up the processing of development projects under the Forest Conservation Act.

    The Minister also said that guidelines for implementation of the Forest Conservation Act are being streamlined and simplified.

    He stressed at the meeting the need to include environmental education in school curriculums and also asked the State Government to undertake compensatory afforestation in a time bound manner, stressing on the need for massive mangrove plantations. The meeting also decided that development projects like Worli-Bandra link project, Trans-harbour project. Express Highway project would be examined quickly by holding consultations with concerned departments.
 
 

    The Union Minister of State for Agriculture Shri Sompal will inaugurate an exclusive agricultural exhibition in Baghdad, Iraq tomorrow. Many Indian companies are participating in the exhibition.

    During his stay at Baghdad, the Minister will have wide ranging discussions with the Vice President and the Ministers for Irrigation, Trade and Oil of the Government of Iraq. Bilateral cooperation between the two countries in agricultural research is expected to be a major area of discussion.

    The visit assumes significance, as it is the first ever-ministerial visit from India to Iraq after a gap of eight years. Iraq is keen on improving bilateral cooperation in the fields of agriculture and trade with India.
 

    The All-India Consumer Price Index Numbers on base : 1986-87=100 for Agricultural and Rural Labourers when compared to July, 1998 increased by 4 points each and stood at 293 (Two hundred ninety three) for Agricultural Labourers and 294 (Two hundred ninety four) for Rural Labourers during the month of August, 1998.

    The point to point rate of inflation based on CPI-AL and CPI-RL increased from 10.7% and 10.3% in July, 1998 to 11.8% and 11.4% respectively in August, 1998. The respective rates of inflation during August, 1997 were 2.3% and 2.7%.
 

    The All India Consumer Price Index Number for Industrial Workers (CPI-IW) on base 1982-100 for the month of August, 1998 has increased by 2 points to stand at 413 (four hundred & thirteen).

    The All India Consumer Price Index Number for August, 1997 had increased by 1 point.

    The Rise/Fall in the index varies from centre to centre. In 48 centres the increase in index was noticed between 1 to 15 points, in 4 centres it remained constant and in 18 centres it recorded a fall of 1 to 12 points when compared to previous month.

    The index in respect of six main centre for August, 1998 stood at the following level:-
 
 

    The point rate of inflation, based upon the CPI-IW has increased from 14.8% in July, 1998, to 15.0% in August, 1998. In August, 1997 it was 4.7%.
 

    The Government has decided to bring into force the Service Tax on services rendered by architects, interior decorators, credit rating agencies, market research security agencies, mechanised slaughter houses, under writers, practising chartered acccountants, practising cost accountants and practising company secretaries. The levy comes into force from October 16, 1998. These services were introduced in this year’s budget.

    The rate of Service Tax is 5% for all services except in the case of services rendered by mechanised slaughter houses. Services of slaughtering bovine animals rendered by mechanised slaughter houses shall attract a service tax of Rs. 100/- per bovine animal. Service tax has been fully exempted on all taxable services rendered in India in respect of overseas projects for which payment is made in convertible foreign exchange. The service tax has been exempted on taxable services other than of auditing and accounting provided by practising chartered accountants.

    Service Tax has also been exempted on taxable services provided by security agency in relation to the services of providing safe deposit lockers or security or safe vaults for security of movable property.

    The Government has also amended the Service Tax Rules, 1994 to further simplify the procedure pertaining to collection and payment of service tax. Service tax returns are now required to be filed only on a half yearly basis (instead of the existing requirement of filing quarterly return )by the 25^th of the month following the particular half year. Service Tax Rules have been amended to provide payment of service tax by individuals and proprietory or partnership concerns on a quarterly basis (instead of the existing monthly basis). Other categories of service tax assessees shall continue to pay service tax on a monthly basis. Service tax payments in respect of a particular quarter or month, as the case may be is required to be made by the 25^th of the month following the particular quarter of month as the case may be. The facility of centralised registration and payment of service tax has been extended in cases where the service tax assessee is having a centralised billing system. Another major simplificaqtion in the service tax procedure is the facility of allowing suo-moto adjustment of service tax by the service tax payer which may have been paid in excess earlier. An important change that has been made is that service tax is required to be paid only on the value of taxable services received in a particular month or quarter, as the case may be and not on the gross amount charged or billed to the client subject to the condition that the service tax assessee revises his earlier bill which may be of a higher amount. The above relaxations in the procedure of collection and payment of service tax is a further step taken by the Government to encourage voluntary compliance of service tax by adopting an assessee friendly approach.
 
 
 

The Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has decided to involve Indian Systems of Medicine in the Reproductive & Child Health programmes in a bigger way by including ISM medicines in the kits to be supplied to the Auxilliary Nurse Midwifes (ANM). Initially 25% of the target population of pregnant mothers & 0-5 years children in the states of Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan & Uttar Pradesh will be covered under this scheme.

Some of the Ayurvedic drugs include;

• Punarvadi Mandoora - for anemia, oedema, piles & intermittent fever
• Saubhagya Shunthi - after delivery it regulates involution, lactation & clear uterine discharge, prevent body ache, obesity etc.
• Ksheer-Bala Taila - Oil massage for babies & mothers after delivery. Taken orally, this oil can strengthen nervous system in mothers & also cure Vata-vyadhi.
• Ayush-Ghutti - for children as it prevents cough, cold, vomiting, indigestion, diarrhea.
• Bala Rasayana - strengthens the body & immune system of children.
• Pudina Ark - for vomiting, indigestion & intestinal problems.
• Ajwain Ark - helpful in indigestion & relieving intestinal problems.

Drugs/formulations of Indian systems of medicines are effective and time tested therapies for many diseases in our country. They are not only prepared locally but are also more compatible with our body systems.
 

    In Kshar sutra, patient does not require hospitalisation and remains ambulatory. Recurrence rate is negligible and it is quite effective in high anal and ano-rectal variety of Fistula-in-Ano which otherwise requires complicated surgical procedure like Colostomy.

    This practice of Kshar sutra has been adopted not only by the practioners of ayurveda but also by the practioners of modern medicine. Efficacy of this procedure has been proved by various studies conducted by ICMR and the Central Research Institutes for Ayurveda at New Delhi and Mumbai are working on further improving this technique.