'10'
NATIONAL MINORITIES COMMISSION'S APPEAL FOR COMMUNAL HARMONY
    Dr. Tahir Mahmood, Chairman, National Commission for Minorities has issued an appeal exhorting people to refrain from doing or saying anything that may even remotely vitiate the atmosphere of communal harmony and spirit of common brotherhood in the forthcoming General Elections. The appeal draws attention of all concerned to Article 125 of the Representation of the People's Act, 1951 which says that "any person who, in connection with an election, prompts on grounds of religion, race, caste, community or language, feelings of enmity or hatred between different classes of citizens shall be punishable".

    The Chairman has impressed upon the people to hold the national interest supreme in the run up to the elections.
 
 

'31'
DRAFT NATIONAL WATER POLICY FINALISED: SOMPAL
    Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Water Resources Shri Sompal said that new draft National Water Policy has been finalised and it will be submitted to the Government very soon by Shri S.R.Hashim, Member-Secretary in the Planning Commission.

    Speaking to the mediapersons at New Delhi on August 2, the Minister said that the monsoon rains have been more or less even this year in terms of time-spread and area coverage. Referring to the flood situation, Shri Sompal said that Bihar is the worst affected State by the floods this year. Rainfall is deficient in Gujarat and Rajasthan.

    Government is planning to make a long term buffer stock of wheat at 5 to 10 million tonnes upto the next Rabi season in order to keep the wheat prices under control. Government has also evolved an export plan allowing the value added high quality DURAM wheat after being processed in the country.

    From the next crop season Seed Production Programme will be undertaken at national level in a big way. 146 centrally sponsored schemes of the Department of Agriculture and Cooperation will be condensed to 11 or 12 by giving greater freedom to the States.
 
 

'17'
PERFORMANCE OF CENTRAL PSUs DURING APRIL-JUNE, 1999
    The Central Public Sector Undertakings under Department of Heavy Industry performed well during the first quarter of the current financial year ending June,’99. The overall productivity of engineering units improved by 15.75 per cent over the corresponding period of the previous year. In terms of productivity value, the engineering units produced Rs.1730.28 crores as against Rs.1494.82 crores during the corresponding period last year. The consultancy and contract units produced Rs.94.24 crores as against Rs.93.22 crores during the corresponding period previous year, registering an increase of 1.09 per cent. However, as compared to targets, the performance of engineering units was Rs.1730.28 crores as against the target of Rs.1743.09 crores. Similarly, the consultancy and contract units also performed below the target. As compared to Rs.106.19 crores target, the actual performance was Rs.94.24 crores. As for non-engineering units, the performance went down by 10.80 per cent over the corresponding period last year. The actual performance was Rs.223.45 crores as against target of Rs.329.98 crores. The performance during the corresponding period last year was Rs.250.60 crores.

    During June 99, the engineering units performed better. Its productivity increased by 11.57 per cent over the same period last year. The total production was worth Rs.715.94 crores as against target of Rs.678.27 crores.

    The two other segments of non-engineering units and consultancy and contract units performance was below target. Accordingly, their performance dipped by 15.65 per cent and 7.14 per cent respectively. The production of non-engineering units was Rs.60.24 crores as against the target of Rs.110 crores. The consultancy and contract units performance was to the tune of Rs.37.21 crores as against the target of Rs.42.93 crores.
 
 

ROUND TABLE CONFRENCE ON NEW DIRECTIONS IN HUMAN SETTLEMENTS

    Urban Development Minister, Shri Jagmohan has stressed the need for harmonious development of human settlements. He was giving the inaugural address at the Round Table Conference on "New directions in human settlements" organised by the Institution of Engineers, here today. The Minister said that cities should be developed in a manner by which history and heritage is also preserved. Referring to the problem of waste disposal in cities, he said it is necessary to think in terms of re-cycling of the wastes converting them into resources. He said this is basically a problem which needs engineering solution. He said a plan of action should be evolved aimed at re-use, re-cycling and re-engineering of materials.

    The Conference has been organised as a follow-up of the International Conference on Habitat held in December, 1997
 
 

'17'

NPC AND APTECH SIGN MOU FOR IT SOLUTIONS IN NEXT MILLENIUM
    The National Productivity Council (NPC) and APTECH Limited, a computer software major, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) here today to help NPC enhance productivity and competitiveness of Indian trade, commerce and industry both in public and private sectors with the help of latest information technology solutions. The tie-up is intended to provide appropriate and organization specific solutions, ranging from simple process re-design to complete business transformation. This is also intended to help governmental organizations become more efficient, responsive, transparent and citizen-friendly.

    Later speaking to the media, the Director General and Secretary to the Government of India of NPC, Shri S.S.Sharma said that the collaboration would entail an expenditure of Rs.7 crores on the part of NPC during the IX Five Year Plan. Besides, it would focus on evolving solutions of E-Governance for Central and State Governments which would also help public and private sector organizations. He also said that this would also help NPC embark upon a major programme of strengthening IT infrastructure at its 17 locations in New Delhi and important State Capitals and industrial centres to meet the challenges of coming millenium.

    The NPC is in the business of offering holistic and integrated services for productivity and quality improvement to public and private sector organizations working in different sectors of the economy through a mix of consultancy, training and research interventions. During the last four decades of its existence, it has built up a vast experience base in problem solving at the shop floor as well as at the strategic and policy levels.