PIB Press Releases


		20th February, 2003


		Ministry of Railways No proposal to reduce train speed There is no proposal to reduce speed of all trains...................... Ministry of Railways Ticket Home Delivery Scheme Train ticket reservation on Internet, where reserved tickets can be home delivered, has been started through the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC...................... Ministry of Railways Maintenance of Railway tracks The machines are already being deployed for maintenance of track wherever the track structure is suitable for the same and their number is increasing progressively....................... Ministry of Railways Improving conditions of rail coaches As a result of progress of gauge conversion of Indian Railways, some metre gauge (MG) sections have got locked up temporarily due to which some overaged coaches had to be continued in service duly ensuring complete safety....................... Ministry of Communications & IT International IT Exhibition 'India Soft 2003' inaugurated The Hardware sector offers major opportunity for growth. This was stated by the Secretary, Department of Information Technology, Shri R.R. Shah while inaugurating "India Soft 2003", an International IT Exhibition, here today....................... Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution Offtake of foodgrains from central pool The offtake of foodgrains from central pool during the current financial year 2002-2003 (April-December 2002) was 348.02 lakh tonnes as against 196.97 lakh tonnes during the corresponding period the previous year registering an increase of 151.05 lakh tonnes or an increase of 76.69 per cent....................... Ministry of Agro & Rural Industries Agro and rural industries in Kashmir Valley The Government through Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has set up 163 agro and rural industries under the Rural Employment Generation Programme (REGP) in Kashmir Valley, last year....................... Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation Progress of ongoing projects During the 9^th Five Year Plan, 848 on going Central Sector projects each costing Rs. 20 crore or above were on the monitor of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation including the projects carried over from 8^th Five Year Plan....................... Ministry of Commerce & Industry Rs. 500 crore Price Stabilisation Fund operationalised Government have approved setting up of the Price Stabilisation Fund (PSF) for plantation crops -- tea, coffee and rubber and the agricultural crop -- tobacco in order to safeguard the interests of the growers of these commodities....................... Ministry of Defence Procurement Of AJTs Various options for procurement of Advanced Jet Trainer (AJT) have been under examination by the Government. No contract for the AJT has been finalized, as yet....................... Ministry of Defence De-mining of forward areas Adequate measures have been taken to ensure safety to the people living in the villages close to the border from inadvertently stepping onto the minefields....................... Ministry of Defence New Coast Guard Stations Coast Guard has identified areas where maritime activity is increasing and coastline is vulnerable. Coast Guard has a plan to set up ten new Coast Guard Stations....................... Ministry of Defence Development of Jet Trainer The Intermediate Jet Trainer (IJT) is presently undergoing ground tests, including engine ground run, leading to its first flight....................... Ministry of Defence Defence agreement with Italy Discussions were held with Italy regarding defence cooperation....................... Ministry of Defence Funding pattern for NCC NCC cadets strength has recently been increased from 12 to 13 lakhs....................... Ministry of Defence Trishul missile Trishul surface-to-air missile is being progressed as technology demonstrator, de-linking from the user services....................... Ministry of Defence Investigations against service personnel and civilian staff in relation to Tehelka exposure As provided under military law a court of inquiry was held for recommending action against the named army personnel....................... Ministry of Defence Indo Russian Inter Governmental Commission for military technical cooperation Defence Minister visited Russia to co-Chair the Third meeting of the Indo-Russian Inter Governmental Commission for Military Technical Cooperation held in Moscow from January 15-17, 2003....................... Ministry of Science & Technology Future Nuclear Power Reactors to be 700 MWs The government has decided that the unit size of future nuclear power reactors will be 700 MW instead of 220 MW and 540 MW as at present....................... Ministry of Small Scale Industries Dr. C.P. Thakur visits PLASTINDIA 2003 Minister of Small Scale Industries and North East Development, Dr. C.P. Thakur today visited PLASTINDIA 2003....................... Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution Futures trading in more commodities Government has allowed futures trading in all major commodities by removing the prohibition on 54 commodities under the Forward Contract (Regulation) Act, 1952....................... Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas Construction of tanks for storage of oil Shri Ram Naik, Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas, informed the Lok Sahba that the Government proposes to build strategic storage of crude oil to provide for 45 days cover in phases....................... Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas FDI in Petroleum Sector Shri Ram Naik, Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas, informed the Lok Sahba while replying to a question that as many as 166 proposals have been approved in Petroleum Sector with an estimated Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) of Rs. 23,413.63 crore during the Ninth Five Year Plan (1997-2002)....................... Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas Concessional LPG to Educational and Social Institutes At present, Public Sector Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) are providing subsidised LPG to Government/Municipal Hospitals, Hostels of all Schools and Colleges or for Mid-day Meal Schemes and the Social Welfare Institutions being run for Child Welfare/Women Welfare/Social Welfare Institutions....................... Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas Inspection by Anti-aduulteration Cell The number of inspections carried out by Anti-adulteration Cell (AAC) of the Petroleum Ministry since its inception in March 2001 during the past years and the outcome thereof are given below:.......................