During July 1999, Indian Railways has earned Rs.12.96 crore from 986119 persons who were detected travelling without ticket or with improper ticket. 846334 such persons were detected and Rs.10.9 crore was collected from them in July ‘98.

    In the first quarter of this financial year 4.57 lakh checks were conducted in place of 4.37 lakh checks conducted during the same period last year.
 
 

    Promptly acceding to a request made by the Chief Commissioner Disabilities, Election Commission had sometime back issued instructions to all Union Territories/State Chief Electoral Officers that:

• All physically handicapped persons should be facilitated to exercise their franchise with least inconvenience. They should be allowed a facility of a companion to assist them in casting their vote.
• A person with disability may be given priority in the matter of entry into the polling station.
• As far as possible, persons with disabilities should not be deployed for election duty.

    There are about 50-60 million people in India affected with various kinds of disabilities.
 
 

    The scope of the possibilities on which the Group can give its recommendations include among others Call Centers, Tele-medicine, Tele-education, Tele-working, Electronic Governance Medical Transcription, Electronic based services in banking, insurance, and national and international air services including hotel reservations, tours and travels.

    The Group will be headed by Senior Deputy Director General Dr. D.P.S. Seth of the Telecom Commission Head Quarters and ten other members drawn from government departments and industry. The Group is expected to submit its report within three months after nomination of the representatives and its first regular meeting.
 
 

    The "Made In India" Show, organised jointly by the Indian Ministry of Commerce, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Confederation of Tanzanian Industry (CTI), will showcase Indian products in the exhibition. Shri Jethmalani will be the Guest of Honour at the "Made in India" Show.

    The exhibition of Indian products and services in Tanzania is coming after a similar exhibition hosted by India at Port Louis, in Mauritius in July-August,1999.

    The "Made in India" Show is intended to market Indian products abroad in the emerging globalisation and competitiveness of Indian products and services.
 
 

    The ISM&H component in CGHS is in keeping with a policy decision of the Government taken early this year.

    Presently there are 78 ISM&H establishments in CGHS. Out of which 9 are functioning as full-fledged dispensaries. The scheme proposes to convert the rest of 69 units functioning under allopathic centres into 42 composite ISM&H dispensaries. The scheme proposes opening of ISM&H treatment centres in Guwahati, Trivandrum, Jabalpur, Bhubaneshwar and Ranchi.

    The Central Government Health Scheme, a major welfare measure for Central Government employees, covers 43.6 lakh employees. The CGHS scheme was started in 1954 and ISM&H component was introduced in 1964 to provide comprehensive treatment facility to the beneficiaries through any system of medicine of their choice. The proposed scheme is intended to improve overall health quotient of Central Government employees.
 
 

    Guinea Worm (GW) disease causes severe incapacitation and pain to its sufferers, resulting in economic and production loss to the family and country. The disease is caused by a worm Dracunculus medinensis, which is transmitted from a patient to normal individuals through drinking water from sources made unsafe by infected patients by entering into these. The water in step wells, ponds etc. may have water fleas (cyclops) which pick up the infection and pass it on to healthy persons. It is a rural disease, where safe water supply is inadequate.

    Guinea worm disease is known to exist in India since antiquity. During 1983-84, when the National Guinea Worm Eradication Programme (GWEP) was launched by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, around 40,000 cases were occuring annually in 12,840 villages in 89 districts of seven states, viz., Andhra Pradesh, Gujrat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan. National Institute of Communicable Disease; Delhi under the Directorate General of Health Services, was made the nodal agency for planning, coordinating, implementation by state health authorities and evaluating the GWEP in the country. The Ministry of Rural Development also played a significant role in providing safe drinking water to affected areas.

    Guinea worm disease eradication in India was achieved through the efficient implmentation of well defined strategies including case detection through case search, treatment of cases, follow up, regular reporting, control of water fleas (cyclops) through chemical (Temephos) application to unsafe drinking water, supply of strainers to affected villages, health education and active community involvement besides provision and maintenance of safe drinking water supply on priority in guinea worm affected villages.

    The progrmme was evaluated annually for seven years by independent experts. The last evaluation took place in April, 1999. Further strengthening of guinea worm disease reporting has been ensured by introduction of a reward – a cash amount of rupees one thousand to first informer of a confirmed guinea worm case and also to the patient, by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. A National Commission for Certification of Guinea Worm Disease Eradication has also been set up to guide the programme to its logical conclusion.

    The last case of guinea worm disease was reported from Jodhpur district, Rajasthan in July, 1996. Now the country will submit is claim for certification of eradication to the World Health Organisation and hope to be certified by the end of the year so that the country enters into the next millennium without one more disease.
 
 

    Production of coal during April-June 99 was 63.304 MT which was 3.7 per cent less than the corresponding period of previous year. However the production achieved by SCCL during the current quarter was 27.2 per cent more in comparison to last year’s same period. The production achieved was 6.370 MT.

    During the quarter Neyveli Lignite Corporation exceeded targets in respect overburden removal, power generation & production of Urea. Overburden removal was 258.14 lakh cubic meters against the target of 228.50 LM3, power generation was 3532.28 million units against the target of 3417 mu, urea production was 15970 tonnes against the target of 10500 tonnes. Coke production was 43250 tonnes against the target of 61000 tonnes. Lignite production was less by 2.50 lakh tonnes during the period in comparison to 46.50 lakh tonnes produced during April-June 98.

    During the quarter 19875 wagons were loaded per day against the target of 19730 wagons. The daily average coal loading in June 99 in CIL has been 18715 wagons per day as against the target of 17955 wagons per day. Average daily loading in SCCL in June 99 has been 1657 wagons per day as against the target of 1425 wagons per day. During April-June 99 Railways transported 69.14 MT of coal.
 
 

    The President in his message on the occasion has said:-

    "On the auspicious occasion of Raksha Bandhan, I extend my warm greetings and good wishes to all my fellow citizens.

    May this festival of love, affection and mutual trust between sisters and brothers of every community strengthen the ties of fellowship amongst all the citizens of India".

    The Prime Minister, in his message on the occasion has said:-

    The Prime Minister, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee has greeted the people on the auspicious occasion of Raksha Bandhan. In his message, the Prime Minister hoped that the spirit of Rakhi, which symbolises the eternal love of sister and brother and of which there are examples in history of fostering amity and communal harmony, would pervade the entire Indian society and would further strengthen the bonds of brotherhood among our people.