The agreement was signed in the presence of Shri V.K. Ramamurthy, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas , Shri Santosh Kumar Gangwar, Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas and Mr. Youssef Hussain Kamal, Minister of Finance, Economy and Commerce of Qatar.

    The HOA provides for supply of 5 MMPTA of LNG for Dahej and 2.5 MMPTA of LNG for Cochin for a period of 25 years providing an initial build up period. The LNG to be supplied contains higher hydrocarbons and the HOA provides for exclusivity to Petronet LNG Limited for the states of Gujarat and Kerala.

    Petronet LNG Limited is a Joint Venture Company promoted by 4 petroleum sector æNavratnaÆ companies namely, GAIL, IOC, ONGC and BPCL holding 50% of the equity and the balance to be given to financial institutions, private parties, etc. For the first time in the history of international LNG trade, the bidding route has been followed by Petronet LNG Limited for purchase of LNG. This has been done in order to ensure transparency and to secure the LNG at the most competitive price. Conventionally LNG had always been purchased on one-to-one negotiation basis.

    GAIL, initially, in November 1996, invited global offers for supply of 5 MMPTA of LNG for proposed Dahej terminal at Gujarat and 2.5 MMPTA of LNG for Cochin Terminal in Kerala against which 17 offers were received. After the formation of Petronet LNG Limited, 7 parties were shortlisted. The evaluation process resulted in identification of RasGas-Mobil as the preferred supplier for negotiating the long term LNG supply contract. Petronet LNG Limited held detailed negotiations with RasGas-Mobil and finalised the HOA in the shortest possible time. The HOA contains terms and conditions of governance of supply, which are to be incorporated in the long-term LNG supply contract proposed to be finalised by March, 1999.

    Qatar holds the worldÆs largest gas field. The current reserves of Qatar are estimated to last over 300 years for supply of 25 MMTPA of LNG. This LNG supply deal represents a major milestone for RasGas because it means the entire output of the plant at RasGas has now been committed.

    The location of Dahej terminal is considered to be ideal in meeting the large gas requirement of major consumers in South Gujarat and those along the HBJ pipeline. GAILÆs HBJ pipeline also acts as an insurance for continuous supply as variations in demand and supply can be balanced. The Dahej terminal provides least cost option for infrastructure in meeting the large gas requirement in these areas. Cochin is ideally located for meeting the gas demand in Kerala State. Petronet LNG Ltd. has already completed the techno-economic feasibility study for both the projects, which has firmly established the viability of these projects. Petronet LNG Limited has already identified consumers for utilisation of LNG and is in the process of finalising EPC contractor. The financial closure of the two projects is scheduled to be completed by mid-1999 so as to commence receipt of LNG by end of 2002, by which time GAIL would also upgrade the HBJ pipeline system to handle larger volume of gas.
 

    The Seminar is being organised by Central Ground Water Board, Ministry of Water Resources under the aegis of World Bank assisted Hydrology Project and is being co-sponsored by National Bank for Agriculture & Rural Development and Rajiv Gandhi National Drinking Water Mission, Minister of Rural Area & Employment.

    Fresh ground water resources of our country are estimated as 43.18 million hectare meters. The ultimate irrigation potential from ground water is assessed at 71 million hectare and utilisable potential as 64 million hectare. At the end of VIIth plan, the potential created is about 45 million hectares. About 80% of rural water supply and 60% of urban water supply is ground water based. Accelerated development of ground water for drinking, irrigation and industrial use has caused tremendous stress on this precious resource. As a result of it, there are now as many as 249 over-exploited and 179 dark blocks where excessive withdrawal of ground water has taken place causing fall in ground water levels.

    This Seminar will therefore provide an opportunity to various Central and State organisations, Non-Governmental/voluntary organisations, UNDP, UNESCO, UNICEF, WORLD BANK and participants from abroad to share a common platform for exchanging and disseminating the state of the Art development. The ultimate goal of the seminar will be to evolve common guidelines for implementation of socially acceptable and economically viable artificial recharge measures in the country for implementation by the various user agencies, in public and private sectors.

    The following themes are proposed for the seminar :-

• Source water availability and aquifer acceptability for artificial recharge.
• Application of Remote Sensing & GIS in artificial recharge projects.
• Artificial recharge techniques in different hydrogeological environments.
• Inter basin transfer and recharge to ground water.
• Ground Water augmentation, quality & contamination.
• Low cost Roof-Top Harvesting & rain water management for ground water.
• Management techniques in artificial recharge.
• Techno-economic feasibility of artificial recharge projects and need for institutional financing.

    "The Bureau of Export Administration of the US Department of Commerce had notified on 19.11.1998, 40 Indian entities and 200 subordinate entities which will be covered by exports sanctions. These entities are not eligible to receive exports or re-exports of items subject to the Export Administration Regulations, without a licence.

    It is India’s view that the restrictions imposed by the United States are without justification. It represents an attempt to deny technology and products to Indian companies and educational and research institutions. The entities targetted include such institutions as the Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Chennai; Institute of Physics, Bhubaneswar; Indian Institutes of Technology, and a range of public sector and private sector companies, including Rashtriya Chemicals & Fertilisers, which is primarily concerned with fertiliser production. The imposition of export restrictions is not only unjustified, it is also, in our view, violative of US obligations under WTO, particularly Articles I, XI, XII of GATT 1994. India expresses its deep concern at this development.

    Unilateral action by Members cuts at the very root of the multilateral trading system. India notes with regret the fact that some developed countries have been taking recourse to unilateral action in various situations, thus making multilateral trade disciplines and rules increasingly irrelevant. It is important that the entire membership of the WTO takes cognizance of this unfortunate trend and devise measures to combat it before the organisation itself is threatened. We would also urge all Members to restrain themselves from taking such unilateral actions in the interests of disciplined and orderly global trade. The time has now for the General Council and the Ministerial Conference to act with determination against all unilateral actions."
 
 

    Of the total freight traffic transported during these 7 months, coal accounted for 114.20 million tonnes, raw material 21.10 million tonnes, iron and steel 6.07 million tonnes, iron ore for export 6.75 million tonnes, cement 19.21 million tonnes, foodgrains 14.76 million tonnes, fertilizers 15.08 million tonnes, Petroleum, Oil and Lubricants(POL) 18.71 million tonnes and other goods 20.43 million tonnes. The other goods include 3.81 million tonnes of containerised freight traffic.

    During October 1998, the Railways carried 35.24 million tonnes of revenue earning freight which was 2.31 million tonnes less than the target and marginally less than the freight movement of October 1997. Out of the total freight carried during October 1998, the amount of coal was 16.45 million tonnes, raw material 2.93 million tonnes, iron and steel 0.92, iron ore for export 1.08 , cement 3.19, foodgrains 2.39 fetilizers 2.57, POL 2.72 and other goods 2.99 million tonnes.
 
 

    Among the issues that will be discussed at three-day Workshop are social safety nets in the face of globalisation, challenges facing the Trade Union Movement, labour protection in the informal sector, trade union and productivity and industrial relations issues in privatisation. Apart from this, Workshop will also discuss the need to aligned labour legislation with industrial policies.

    The Workshop is being hosted by the Ministry of Labour and International Labour Organisation. Among the participants will be State Labour Secretaries, Labour Commissioners, senior officers of Central Industrial Relations Machinery and Ministry of Labour, representatives from Employer’s Organisations and Trade Unions.
 
 

    Giving details Dr. Jatiya said that there are special protective provisions, prohibiting/ regulating the working conditions of women workers in hazardous industries/areas in various statutes. This includes the Factories Act, 1948 and Model Rules framed thereunder which prohibit employment of women workers in dangerous processes/operations and the Mines Act, 1952, which prohibits employment of women workers below ground. No specific study has been conducted to assess whether female workers are losing their reproductive power as a result of being employed in hazardous industries, he added.
 
 

    Giving details Dr. Jatiya mentioned that 18 states/union territories have linked minimum wages fixed under the Minimum Wages Act with the Consumer Price Index Number. The increased payment made on account of increase in Consumer Price Index is known as Variable Dearness Allowance. He further informed that the States/Union Territories, who do not pay variable Dearness Allowance alongwith minimum wages are Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Andaman and Nicobar, Dadar & Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Lakshadweep and Pondicherry.
 
 

    Shri Dattatreya said that solid waste management was one of the important and obligatory functions of the urban local bodies and yet sufficient attention was not paid to this aspect by the city mangers. As a result, level and quality of services provided fell short of minimum required levels resulting in environmental degradation and insanitary condition. He said, the health hazards posed by such situation was amply reflected in the form of plague epidemic,which struck Surat and other parts of the country during June-July,1994.

    Shri Dattatreya called for adopting appropriate cost effective and environmental friendly technologies relevant to local conditions for disposal of solid waste. Final disposal of solid waste needed much greater attention as Indian municipal solid waste contained significant percentage of organic waste with low calorific value. It was possible to convert such wastes into useful organic manner, he added.

    Indian cities and towns generate about 80,000 metric tonnes of municipal solid waste everyday and it is estimated that about 25 million tonnes of such waste is generated annually. However, on an average, only 60 per cent of solid waste is collected in urban areas leaving the balance 40 per cent of the waste unattended to. This gives rise to the insanitary conditions and diseases, especially amongst the urban poor who constitute 40 per cent of the urban population.

    The Secretary, Ministry of Urban Affairs & Employment, Shri Ashok Pahwa, who also spoke on the occasion, suggested the adoption of technology for effective disposal of urban solid wastes.

    Looking into the pathetic situation of solid waste management in the country, a Public Interest Petition was filed in the Supreme Court of India seeking directions for improving solid waste management practices expeditiously. The Supreme Court of India entertained the Writ Petition and after several hearings, felt it appropriate to constitute a Committee with definite terms of reference to look into all the aspects of Solid Waste Management in Class-I cities of the country. Accordingly, the High Level Committee under the Chairmanship of Municipal Commissioner, Calcutta Municipal Corporation held several meetings and brought out an interim report in which notable recommendations have been made.

        The Committee has looked into all the facets of solid waste management and has suggested concrete action points to improve the management practices. These suggestions deal with major issues of storage at source, segregation of recyclable and non-biodegradable waste at source, method to be adopted for primary collection, transportation and recommended options for disposal of municipal wastes. The recommendations have also gone into various aspects like institutional strengthening, development of management information system and improvement in financial system of the management of Urban Local Bodies.

    One of the objectives of conducting the present workshop is to obtain feedback from field functionaries and to disseminate information.
 
 

    State Governments are advised by the Centre to strengthen consumer courts by ensuring that vacant posts are filled up timely and are provided with adequate infrastructure. Formation of voluntary consumer organisations especially in rural and backward areas are also encouraged. The reaction of State Governments has been postive; the Minister added.
 
 

    The Sri Lankan delegation also met the Minister of Human Resource Development, Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi, yesterday and apprised him of the satisfactory progress of their talks. Dr. Joshi referred to the strong cultural bonds that exist between India and Sri-Lanka and said that there is much greater scope of cooperation due to similarity of culture and traditions between the two countries. He offered opportunities to Sri Lankan students to pursue higher studies in India. The two sides reiterated their commitment to further intensifying bilateral exchanges in Social, Cultural and Educational matters. Both sides expressed satisfaction on the progress made in the implementation of the Cultural Exchange Programme of 1996-98.

    The two sides have agreed to promote flow of ideas and share experiences and exchange experts in the fields of archaeology, archives, conservation and other related fields. This also includes collaborative studies/research studies in the fields of archaeology and archives. India agreed to facilitate training of Sri Lankan teachers in Indian Institutes in the fields of education, physical education, dance and music.

    Both countries would be sending and receiving exhibitions of contemporary paintings, graphics, cartoons including art and culture and Architecture and Sculpture. Troops of performing artists will also be exchanged. Sri Lankan Children will be invited to participate in Shankar’s International Children’s Painting and Writing Competition. India has also offered to provide scholarships to Sri Lankan students to pursue higher studies in colleges and technical education.

    It was decided that the Indian side will assist in setting up of a Film Archives Institute in Sri Lanka. Such assistance would be in the form of provision of consultancy services through the exchange of experts. Training and exchange of journalists, exchange of documentary and feature films etc. are some of the other areas of agreement.

    Other members of the Sri-Lankan delegation are Mr. RAA Ranaweera, Secretary, Ministry of Cultural & Religious Affairs, Dr. P. Ramanujam, Secretary, Ministry of Livestock Development & Estate Infrastructure, Dr. RMK Ratnayake, Secretary, Ministry of Samurdhi, Youth Affairs & Sports, Mrs. P. Ranasinghe, Addl. Secretary, Ministry of Posts, Telecommunication and Media, Ms. M Colonne, Assistant Director (South Asia), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. WA Wijeratne, Minister-Counsellor, Sri Lankan High Commission, New Delhi and Ms. SDK Semasinghe, Second Secretary, Sri Lankan High Commission, New Delhi. The Indian side includes representatives from Department of Culture, Education, Youth Affairs & Sports and Ministry of Information & Broadcasting and Ministry of External Affairs, Department of Indian System of Medicines & Homeopathy.
 
 

    Shri R.K. Tripathi, OSD. Home Department, Government of Madhya Pradesh has sent the list of 13 accused in this case on 9.10.98.

    Subsequently, on October 15, 1998, the State Government was asked to furnish the details of the accused. SP, Jhabua on October 16, 1998 has sent by FAX the list with full details of 24 persons accused in this case including the 13 accused sent earlier by Shri R.K. Tripathi, OSD. The list is as follows:
 
 

    Minister of State for Urban Affairs and Employment, Bandaru Dattatraya, who inaugurated the Seminar, said that urgent steps ought to be taken to augment the ground water resources through various artificial "Recharge Methods" to assist and reverse the trend of falling water levels. The Minister also said the proposed linking of rivers Ganga and Cauvery would play a significant role in preserving and ensuring effective use of water, particularly during floods.

    Shri Dattatraya said that on the whole, the position of ground water in the canals all over the country is satisfactory. However, in high demand areas, over-exploitation of ground water has caused problems of decline in ground levels, deterioration in water quality and water encroachment in coastal areas.

     In whole of the country, 249 blocks fall under "Over Exploited" category and 179 blocks fall under "Dark" category in 12 States namely Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu & Uttar Pradesh. In such areas, decline in ground water levels necessitates deepening of wells, which is both expensive and uneconomic in terms of cost of pumping water. This has put extra burden on the financial resources of rural and urban population.

    The Minister emphasised that artificial recharge techniques already developed in various states need to be popularised. Central Ground Water Board has made an assessment that 21.5 million hectare meter of surplus monsoon runoff water can be stored in the sub-surface aquifers through various artificial recharge measures which otherwise goes as waste. In view of the problems faced by the country, there is an urgent need to take up artificial recharge to ground water with the coordination of Voluntary & Non-Governmental organisations. Suitable site-specific economic designs are to be developed further for urban and rural areas.

    The two-day Seminar aims at evolving common guidelines for implementation of socially acceptable and economically viable artificial recharge measures in the country for implementation by the various user agencies in public and private sectors. The themes being discussed in the Seminar are source water availability and aquifer acceptability for artificial recharge, application of Remote Sensing & GIS in artificial recharge projects, artificial recharge techniques in different hydrogeological environments, inter- basin transfer and recharge to ground water, low cost Roof-Top Harvesting and rain water management for ground water, techno-economic feasibility of artificial recharge projects and need for institutinal financing.
 
 

    The Chairman and Members of the Environmental Pollution (Prevention & Control) Authority for the National Capital Region also participated in the meeting. The Chairman of the Environmental Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority Shri Bhure Lal briefed the meeting on the implementation of the various measures being considered for control of pollution in Delhi.

    The meeting appreciated the improvement in the air quality of Delhi brought about as a result of eliminating leaded petrol from September 1^st, 1998.

    It was agreed that all the requisite steps will be taken to implement the measures stipulated in the White Paper on Pollution in Delhi with an Action Plan. As an immediate step, it was also agreed that the Delhi Government would ban the burning of bio-mass to reduce the incidence of smog prevalent in winter. For the greening of Delhi, on the request of the Delhi Government, the Union Minister for Environment and Forests directed the Inspector General Forests to make available the technical know-how keeping in view the specific requirements of Delhi in the area of tree plantation.

    Both the Union Environment Minister and the Chief Minister agreed to involve the citizens of Delhi, Non Government Organisations (NGOs) and other voluntary agencies in the ongoing efforts. The Chief Minister agreed to undertake efforts to constitute members of group housing societies and other groups of residents, particularly in residential blocks, to organize themselves into associations with the objective of contributing effectively to the collection, segregation and disposal of household garbage. The Chief Minister agreed that immediate action was needed to undertake traffic planning and management in compliance with the directives of the Supreme Court.

    The Chief Minister indicated that the policy makers and the implementation agency must work in tandem to ensure results. She asked the Chief Secretary of Delhi to hold regular monthly monitoring meetings with the Authority to oversee compliance of the decisions of the Supreme Court. Smt. Dixit appreciated the positive developments for increasing the number of CNG outlets in Delhi, supply of unleaded petrol in Delhi,, programme of pre-mixed fuel to be implemented from 31.12.1998, banning of the supply of loose 2-T oils with effect from 31.12.1998, and the imminent setting up of two fuel testing laboratories.

    Both the Union Minister of Environment and Forests and the Chief Minister agreed for closer interaction for controlling pollution in Delhi.

    The meeting was also attended by the Chief Secretary, Delhi and officers from various departments and agencies of the Delhi Government. The Central Government ministries represented were Home, Surface Transport, Petroleum & Natural Gas, Coal and Power.
 
 

    Both sides noted that bilateral trade betwen the two countries has been increasing manifold in recent years. However, while reviewing, both sides felt that economic potential of both countries have not been fully explored and leaves vast scope for further increase. For this purpose, both sides discussed a number of issues including effective utilisation of Indian Line of Credit, Investment, Promotion and Joint Ventures, Cooperation in Livestock/Animal Husbandry, Small Scale Industries, Civil Aviaion and Petroleum Sector and Expeditious Issue of Business Visas and arrived at solutions which would further strengthen the close economic and political relations between India and Sri Lanka.

    The Sub-Commission’s report will be presented to the India-Sri Lankan Joint Commission held at the level of Foreign Ministers scheduled to take place on 17/18 of this month in New Delhi.

    Sri Lanka is one of the major trading partners of India and is the second largest market for Indian goods in South Asia, after Bangladesh. Between 1990-91 and 1997-98, i.e. over a period of seven years, bilateral trade has risen from Rs.272 crores in 1990-91 to Rs.1893 crores in 1997-98, i.e., a 6-fold increase. While India’s exports to Sri Lanka rose from Rs.235 crores to Rs.1772 crores i.e., by 654%, imports from that country went up from Rs.37 crores to Rs.121 crores, i.e. by 227% during this period. India’s exports to Sri Lanka in 1997-98 amounted to Rs.1771.57 crores as compared to Rs.1694.79 crores in the previous year, i.e., by 4.5%. Among the major items which recorded increase in exports were: cotton yarn, fabrics & made-ups, drugs & pharmaceuticals, metal manufactures, plastics & linoleum products, pulses etc. During the current year, imports from Sri Lanka have also registered a healthy growth.