PIB Press Releases


		11th March, 2003


		Ministry of Railways Railway production units exceed target All the Railway Production Units performed well during January, 2003 with Integral Coach Factory, Chennai, Diesel Component Works, Patiala, Rail Wheel Factory (until recently Wheel & Axle Plant), Bangalore exceeding the targets........................ Ministry of Railways Measures for recovery of outstanding dues from power houses The Railways have taken several steps for recovery of outstanding dues from the states on account of carriage of coal from pitheads to thermal power plants all over the country. ....................... Ministry of Rural Development Panchayat Elections in States The State Governments of Arunachal Pradesh, Jharkhand and Uttaranchal have failed to hold Panchayat Elections in time. In the case of Arunachal Pradesh, the State sought exemption from the Constitutional provision of making reservations for Scheduled Castes as the State had no indigenous people. ....................... Ministry of Mines Kolar Gold Mines The Kolar Gold Mines is more than 100 years old and was operated by Bharat Gold Mines Limited (BGML). ....................... Ministry of Urban Development & Poverty Alleviation Stamp duty to be rationalised Rationalisation of stamp duty all over the country to not more than 5% by the end of Xth Plan is sought to be taken up as an urban reform measure which has been included in the draft Memorandum of Agreement circulated by Central Government to the State Governments under Urban Reforms Incentive Fund. ....................... Ministry of Chemicals & fertilizers New urea pricing policy The New Pricing Scheme for urea units shall come into effect from 1.4.2003........................ Ministry of Chemicals & fertilizers Sale of Madras Fertilizers Ltd. As per policy of the Government to bring down its equity in the non-strategic PSUs to 26 per cent or lower, it has been decided to disinvest 32.74 per cent of GOI held equity of 58.74 per cent in the Madras Fertilizers Limited (MFL) to a strategic buyer along with transfer of management control........................ Ministry of Chemicals & fertilizers Bio-fertilizer plants During Tenth Plan, Government envisage to implement a new scheme "National Project on Organic Farming" which includes setting up of a National Institute of Organic Farming and its Regional Centres to promote and facilitate various aspects of organic farming in the country........................ Ministry of Chemicals & fertilizers Bulk drugs in DPCO In its Order dated the 31st August, 2001, the Bombay High Court has held, interalia, that seven bulk drugs, viz., Ciprofloxacin, Doxycycline, Glipizide, Salbutamol, Theophylline, Norfloxacin and Cloxacillin do not fall within the purview of Drugs (Price Control) Order, 1995........................ Ministry of Chemicals & fertilizers New coal sales policy Under the new coal sales policy for non-core sector, the existing linkages other than snapped and verified and found genuine cases can be restricted only to the present level of Maximum Permissible Quantity (MPQ)........................ Ministry of Coal Supply of coal to thermal power plants Coal India Limited (CIL) is not facing any difficulty in supplying coal to thermal power plants........................ Ministry of Urban Development & Poverty Alleviation Guidelines on protection of genuine and bona-fide tenants of PSUs/FIs from misuse of Public Premises Act notified An In-House Committee was constituted in the Ministry of Urban Development & Poverty Alleviation to examine the grievances and cases of violation of provisions of Public Premises(Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1971........................ Ministry of Urban Development & Poverty Alleviation External aid for urban water supply and sanitation projects External Assistance from French, Italian and Australian agencies has been secured for urban water supply and sanitation projects in West Bengal, Manipur, Karnataka, Sikkim & Meghalaya........................ Ministry of Water Resources Protection of umanand island Flood Management including river erosion being a state subject, investigation, planning and implementation of flood management schemes are within the purview of the State Government........................ Ministry of Water Resources Protection of Guwahati from erosion Flood Management including river erosion being a state subject, investigation, planning and implementation of flood management schemes are within the purview of the State Government........................ Ministry of Human Resource Development Setting up of technical and professional institutes There has been higher concentration of Technical Institutes in the States of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh as compared to other regions as these States mobilised private initiatives in setting up of technical institutes on a larger scale........................ Ministry of Human Resource Development International higher education The Government, in order to attract more foreign students to Indian Universities has permitted 15% supernumerary seats in all institutions for foreign/NRI students........................ Ministry of Commerce & Industry Jaitley raises issue of IT professionals with Malaysian Minister Shri Arun Jaitley, Union Minister of Commerce & Industry and Law & Justice, today expressed the country's deep anguish over the treatment meted out recently to Indian IT professionals in Malaysia........................ Ministry of Commerce & Industry Arun Jaitley initiates pre-Exim Policy interaction with services sector In the first-ever pre-Exim Policy consultation initiative with a focus on the services sector, Shri Arun Jaitley, Union Minister of Commerce & Industry and Law & Justice, met members of Confederation of Indian Industry (CIII) for obtaining inputs for the forthcoming Exim Policy (2003-04) to be announced on 31st March, 2003........................ Ministry of Mines Romelt Steel Plant in Chhatisgarh National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) has come forward to set up the first Romelt Steel Plant in the country in Chhatisgarh State to neutralize the ecological dangers posed by the mine slimes........................ Prime Minister's Office 1.5 KM long scroll presented to PM A 1.5-kilometer long scroll of greetings was presented to the Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, here today........................ Ministry of Home Affairs Police reforms The Padmanabhaiah Committee on Police Reforms had made about 240 recommendations regarding various aspects of policing. ........................ Ministry of Home Affairs Federal Law Enforcement Agency The Lok Sabha was told today that the issue of setting up a Federal Law Enforcement Agency was discussed in the recent Chief Ministers' Conference on Internal security. ........................ Ministry of Home Affairs Security on coast The Lok Sabha was informed that the Government is aware of the security hazard posed to Tamil Nadu because of the long coast line on the east in the wake of global terrorism. ........................ Prime Minister's Office Statement by the Prime Minister in both Houses of Parliament on the situation relating to Iraq Following is the text of the Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee's statement in both Houses of Parliament on the situation relating to Iraq, here today:- ........................