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| Friday, September 29, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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Telecom officers reject Cabinet’s deputation offer Tisco claims hang fire |
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PNB opens cheque
processing centre A village where all have Internet access Priority advances of banks grow 20 pc Ads offer stake in Air India Prof MS Sawhney to
speak on e-commerce
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Maruti launches Alto NEW DELHI, Sept 28 — Maruti Udyog today packed a powerful punch in the competitive small car market with the unveiling of the Alto in two versions - 796 cc Alto LX and 1061 cc Alto VX 1.1. The Alto, being billed as a “hot little car,” comes in seven colours with advanced technology and good cabin comfort. Alto LX will cost Rs 2.99 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi) and Alto VX Rs 3.65 lakh. The Alto LX is powered by a 796cc, 45 bhp 12 valve MPFI engine, emerging as the top-end offering of the company in this segment. The Alto VX 1.1, powered by a 1061cc, 62 bhp, 16 valve, MPFI engine, is zesty offering in the one litre plus segment. Speaking at the launch
ceremony, Heavy Industry Minister Manohar Joshi complimented Maruti for its fourth new product offering in the past 10 months. He said that it indicated the company’s commitment to innovation and its urge to stay in the front. According to Mr Jagdish Khattar, Managing Director, Maruti Udyog, “Alto LX is the most exciting product ever to have debuted in the 800cc segment.” The Alto will be available in seven colours, including metallic coral beige, metallic cool silver, metallic silicon gold and ruby red. The launch even was transmitted live to the invitees including the Press at Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai and Calcutta through satellite. Maruti
Udyog ltd will raise the prices of some car models, including maruti-800 and omni van from
October 1 as the price cut announced three months ago was coming to an
end. The quantum of the hike would be announced only on the evening of
September 30, MUL chief general manager Rohtash mal told newsmen here today. He said prices of all those models, of which prices were reduced three months ago to boost sales, would be increased. The company had lowered prices of several car variants by up to
Rs 25,000 on June 24 this year. The price of the entry model maruti-800 had been lowered to 2.12 lakh from
Rs 2.32 lakh. |
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Telecom officers reject Cabinet’s deputation offer NEW DELHI, Sept 28 — The corporatisation of the Department of Telecommunications and their merger into Bharatiya Sanachar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) from October 1, continued to have teething problems with telecom officers rejecting the Cabinet’s offer of five year deemed deputation in the new corporation. The officers demanded cadre protection and threatened to resort to legal action against the Department of Personnel and Training and the Department of Telecommunication. The government rules had provided for job protection and growth. These transfers from the government to the corporation would violate these rules, a spokesman of the officers said. The Communications Minister, Mr Ram Vilas
Paswan, however, maintained that all officers and employees of the Department of Telecom Service and Operations would be transferred to BSNL from Sunday. The transferred employees will continue as Central Government employees till the date of absorption. BSNL will be exempted from taxes, similar to any other public sector undertaking. Mr Paswan ruled out any immediate disinvestment in the BSNL and added that the government would continue to have 100 per cent equity in the new corporation. |
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Tisco claims hang fire NEW DELHI, Sept 28 (PTI) — The Supreme Court today expressed shock and dismay over the snail-paced arbitration set up to decide claims of the injured and relatives of 60 persons who died in a massive fire that marred the 150th birth anniversary celebrations of Jamshedji Tata in 1989 at Tisco in Jamshedpur. Acting on a public interest litigation filed in 1991, the apex court had appointed former Chief Justice of India
Y.V. . chandrachud as the arbitrator on December 15, 1993, to analyse and expeditiously decide claims of the legal heirs of the 60 dead and 111 injured persons. A Division Bench comprising Justice
G.B.. Pattanaik and Justice U.C.. Bannered, during hearing of the case, said: “We are shocked by the way the arbitration proceedings have gone on for seven years without even an interim award being given.” Taking exception to a letter from the Arbitrator saying the process would take a long time, the Bench said it was inclined to change the arbitrator. However, it gave time till December after counsel for both the petitioner and Tisco said it would further delay the process. Regarding delay in the proceedings, the parties blamed each other. The Bench said: “We need not go into this. The arbitrator is fully competent to control the proceedings. We see no reason why the arbitrator should take seven long years to pass even ineterim orders.” The Bench said: “We are inclined to recall earlier orders (appointing Justice Chandrachud as the arbitrator) and change the arbitrator. “However, the parties request that it will lead to further delay in the settlement of claims as the arbitrator is expected to pass an interim award regarding the deceased shortly,” the court said in its order today. While requesting the arbitrator to conclude the proceedings as soon as possible, the Bench posted the petition for hearing in December. Earlier, the court was informed that the arbitrator has already put in 68 sittings while hearing the claims and the version of Tisco. The Bench, while saying that it was not an intricate matter which would take such a long time to decide, wanted to know how much remuneration was Tisco paying the arbitrator. However, Tisco did not respond to this query. The fire incident happened on March 3, 1989, during the Founder’s Day procession witnessed by 9,000 spectators seated in five galleries around the statue of Jamshedji Tata. Casualties occurred only in the
VIP gallery, which accommodated around 1,100 mostly top officials of Tisco and their family members. The then Tisco Chairman and Managing Director Russy Mody had described the tragedy as unparalleled in the history of Tisco and promised that no effort would be spared by the company to help the affected people. |
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PNB
opens cheque processing centre CHANDIGARH, Sept 28 — Punjab National Bank today opened its Magnetic Character Ink Recognition (MICR) cheque processing centre in Sector 17 here today. The centre was inaugurated by Mr K R Chabria, Executive Director, of the bank. Mr Chabria said for the efficient flow of funds, the process of clearing of cheques has to be very efficient. The MICR centre also has the facility of “imaging” which captures the digital images of the cheques. In the centre, the cheques are processed during the night through high speed reader sorter system. These machines read the particulars of the cheques in the MICR code line which is printed at the bottom of each cheque. The cheques are sorted by the reader/sorter machine into pre-designated pockets on the basis of the bank/branch codes of each cheque, with the help of a computer programme. A MICR cheque differs from a non-MICR cheque in the manner that a non MICR cheque carries only a printed serial number whereas MICR cheque contains MICR code line structure divided into different fields containing cheque serial number, (6 numeric digits), sort field or the city/bank/branch code number (9 digits), transaction code etc. The machine which has been imported at the cost of Rs 3 crore from Canada has the capacity of processing nearly 500 cheques per minute. The bank plans to further open a MICR centre at
Ludhiana.
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A village where all have Internet access MADRID, Sept 28 (DPA) — A sleepy village somewhere in the southern Spanish countryside would hardly appear the likeliest candidate for an Internet flagship. Yet Jun, a village of 2,000 near Granada, is being hailed as an international success story since it became one of the first places in the world to guarantee all its residents access to the worldwide web. “We are the only ones in Europe to have gone this far,” local Internet expert Jose Antonio Rodriguez salas said in an interview with
DPA. “In today’s world, access to the Internet should be the basic right of every citizen, rich or poor, comparable to the right to have running water or your garbage collected,” adds Rodriguez, who is the driving force behind the project. In December last year, Jun declared Internet access the right of every resident, and almost half of the inhabitants have already taken a free three and a half week course in the use of the web which they access through their television sets at home. “All you need is a decoder, a remote control and a telephone line to connect the television set with the Internet server of the village council,” Rodriguez explains. The technology is given for free to retired people with a small income. Accessing the server through a cable of optic fibre does not cost anything. The $ 85,000 project was financed by a local bank and by the Andalusian regional government while the University of Granada contributed experts. “It’s good publicity for companies, and even capital cities could probably guarantee their residents Internet access without hardly any cost,” Rodriguez says. Many of the new Internet users are more than 65 years old and some are former agricultural labourers who first had to be taught to read and write. “Their hands were so knotty and hardened that they had trouble using a keyboard,” Rodriguez explains. “But they became excited about learning to read and about being able to find information on the web.” “One old man, for instance, had always wanted to know more about old flamenco music, while one grandmother began searching for cooking recipes.” The difficulties experienced by participants as old as 85 years contrasted with the ease of five-year-olds who instantly took to computer games. The users manipulate the television sets with remote controls or with wireless keyboards. The Internet craze has spread like a wildfire, and increasing numbers of people are now getting portable computers which are sometimes subsidised by the village council. “We expected people to become more isolated while staying at home to surf on the web, but the opposite has happened,” Rodriguez says. “Retired people who did not have much of a social life are travelling to Madrid or Catalonia to meet friends whom they got to know via e-mail.” An on-line employment agency is now drawing more people to the village and local people have started setting up on-line companies from video clubs to newspaper distribution services. “Pottery making used to be about the only important economic activity here,” Rodriguez says, “but the Internet is changing that.” |
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Priority advances of banks grow 20 pc CHANDIGARH, Sept 28 — Banks in Punjab have registered a growth of 18 per cent during the current year over last year, while an increase of 19.5 per cent has been recorded in the gross credit in these banks. Stating this at the 74th State Level Bankers’ Committee meeting (Punjab), Mr K.R. Chabria, Executive Director of Punjab National Bank, said the priority sector advances during this period have also shown growth of 20 per cent . More than 80 officials participated in the meeting organised by PNB here today. Mr Chabria said the 51 per cent share of the incremental priority sector advances is a significant achievement for the banks. The provision of 20 per cent of the projected annual turnover to be given as working capital loan for the khadi and village industry and an increase in the limit of composite loan would go a long way in providing impetus to the small scale industry in facing challenges during the post liberalisation era. Mr P.N. Khurana, Zonal Manager, PNB, and convener of the meeting, said the implementation of the government-sponsored programmes in the state is on the top priority of the banks. The grassroot economic and social activities of the state. Mr K.R. Lakhanpal, Principal Secretary, Punjab said the state which stands fourth in comparison to economies of the other states is likely to witness significant growth in the near future. |
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Ads offer stake in Air India NEW DELHI, Sept 28 — The government today came out with advertisements seeking “Expression of Interest” from bidders for picking up equity in Air India. While kicking off the Air India’s disinvestment process, the government limited stake for foreign investors to 26 per cent and permitted an Indian national or company to acquire the entire 40 per cent equity, kept for sale to a strategic partner, without foreign alliances. The advertisement requires bidders to have a net worth in excess of Rs 1,000 crore or $ 225 million. The bidders, who do not require any previous experience in running an airline, have been told to submit their Expression of Interest by November 10. Of the proposed 60 per cent disinvestment in the airline, the government has earmarked 40 per cent to a strategic partner, 10 per cent to employees and the balance to the public. The government has set March, 2001, as the deadline for the disinvestment. MUMBAI (PTI): The Tata group has evinced interest in participating in the disinvestment programme of Air India. In a statement here today, the Tata group welcomed the annoucement. “Given the historical ties of AI with the Tatas, the group will definitely be interested in participating in this disinvestment programme,” it said. |
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Prof MS Sawhney to
speak on e-commerce CHANDIGARH, Sept 28 — Prof Mohanbir Singh Sawhney is a globally recognised expert in B2B e-commerce. He was recently named by Business Week as one of the 25 most influential persons in e-business. He has received several awards for teaching excellence, including the Outstanding Professor of the Year at Kellogg in 1998. Professor Sawhney is the McCormick Tribune Professor of Electronic Commerce and Technology and is the head of the Technology and E-Commerce (TEC) group at the Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University, USA. Professor Sawhney will be in Chandigarh on Friday to speak on ‘‘B2B e-commerce — its past, present and future’’ at the CII complex. Mr R.S. Mann, Punjab Chief Secretary, Mr Ramesh Inder Singh, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, eminent personalities from the corporate world and academicians will attend the session. Mr I.S. Paul, Chairman CII, Chandigarh Council, will preside. |
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Site for model bureaucrats NEW DELHI: After the successful launch of its website on corrupt officials, the Central Vigilance Commission will now put up a list of “model bureaucrats” on the web in recognition of their integrity. “Names of officials who have done remarkably well will be included on the commission website,” Mr N. Vittal told UNI here on Wednesday. The site, www.Cvc.Nic.In, at present contains about 400 names of officials against whom the commission has recommended criminal proceedings and major penalties. Successful officials, who have been able to improve the system, should be made known to the people. The CVC plans to write to government departments seeking information on exceptional officials whose names will be included in a separate web page on “model bureaucrats”. The commission is also prepared to guide NGOs willing to publish annual reports on “corruption perception index” in the country to generate public opinion against the social evil. The CVC has recommended criminal proceedings against 48 IAS officials and imposed penalties on another 13 so far. The commission has imposed stiff penalties on 30 officials of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, which admitted in the Delhi high court this week that it is unable to check corruption among its officials. “The MCD'S admission in the high court shows the total failure of the administration. It shows the extent to which corruption has grown and the helplessness of the government,” Mr Vittal said. The commission has recommended criminal proceedings against four former chairmen of public sector banks and imposed major penalties on 65 others. — UNI Indian sought
for fraud LONDON: The British Police is searching for an India-born solicitor who has allegedly fled London with more than six million pounds of funds collected from various customers as deposits for house purchases. Dixit Shah (39), now believed to be in Mumbai, is said to have orchestrated the most complex and lucrative fleecing operation ever carried out by a solicitor. He disappeared two weeks ago after gaining access to the computerised financial accounts of several small firms of solicitors that he bought up over the past two years. Millions of pounds set aside for travel costs were then transferred to bank accounts under his sole control before he vanished. Shah grouped together the newly bought firms under his own company, B.J. Brandon, and appointed himself senior managing partner. This gave him access to all their computerised financial accounts. “It was a breath-taking fraud which relied on his charm, staggering intelligence and skill with computers”, according to Geoffrey Negus, spokesman for the Office of the Supervision of Solicitors. “We still don’t know exactly how he did it, or even how much he has got away with because the money was all transferred electronically and he erased all the files before he left.” “Hard copies were also destroyed. It is the biggest and most complicated scam we have ever had to deal with and involved astonishing self-confidence. The solicitors gave him access to their clients’ accounts, each of which contained a huge pot of money towards deposits on houses. While no one is likely to lose his money, because the firms are covered by the Law Society, the deposits will not be returned for months,” Negus told IANS.
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‘Value resides where
intelligence lives’ NEW DELHI, Sept 28 — The network era will lead to emergence of utility companies in the field of providing software resource pool, which will enable convergence of infrastructure while devices will continue to diverge, said Dr M. S. Sawhney, Professor of e-commerce and technology at Kellog Graduate School of Management. Delivering a lecturer at the India Internet World, 2000, here today, he said it would be possible to create values in scattered locations. As people can be sourced from remote areas, the era is going to be beneficial to large and diversified countries like India. As network allows intelligence to find its best home, value will reside where intelligence lives. Those who will coordinate value chain will take the most of profits. “Network works like the nature and human mind. A specific memory does not have a location but is scattered throughout the brain in the same way as intelligence is scattered throughout network. It looks like a distributed conscience,” he said. Dell Computer starts operations Dell Computer, a $ 28.5 billion US-based company, today started direct-to-customer selling operations in India, but remained non-commital over setting up manufacturing facility here for the next few years. “We have two manufacturing units in the Asian region in China and Penang (Malaysia) to cater to the demands in the region. Decision to set up plant here depends on the response and expansion of our operations,” Michael Dell, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Dell Computer corporation, said. Dell Computer, which is projecting a turnover of $ 32 billion during the current financial year, is mainly known for its strategic selling model, direct-to-customer, without any intermediary chain. Without even setting up the plant, the company would maintain the delivery period between seven and 10 days in India, Dell said adding that “our prices would be competitive in the market compared to any other supplier.” Spectranet, part of Punj Lloyd group, today announced the commissioning of Internet services through television cable channels to households as well as corporate business houses. “The company has wired up Delhi and Gurgaon with excess of 600 km of optic fibre cable to deliver a range of Internet and multimedia services,” Atul Punj, Chairman, Spectranet, told reporters here. The services to households are likely to cost less than Rs 2,000 a month, besides acquiring cable modem or set top box, to be attached with either television or personal computer, he said. Net4barter, a business to business (B2B) barter portal to derive full potential of the excess capacities in the business sectors, was launched here today. Netcarrots.com, a comprehensive loyalty programme, was also launched today. The programme involves rewarding customers regularly for buying or using products or services from a basked of established brands. Indiawonders.com, which will serve as a focal point for e-suppliers and e-shoppers alike to search, profile and transact, has been launched. Razarfinish.com reverse auction site today announced the introduction of m-commerce facility, through a tie-up with Hutchison Max Telecom Limited. Through this site customers using their mobile phones can book hotel rooms. |
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Fujitsu India Sugar mill NBCC Spice Telecom Cases settled |
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