S P O T L I G H T

Balco talks fruitless
New Delhi, April 16
The talks between the striking unions and the Centre to resolve the Balco imbroglio ended in a virtual stalemate today with the government turning down the demand for change in equity pattern of the company, where it sold 51 per cent equity to Sterlite Industries. “Mines Minister Sunderlal Patwa refused to budge an inch on the privatisation issue..... We are going back to Korba (Chhattisgarh) to prepare plan of action,” Baleshwar Jha, convener of Balco Bachao Samyukta Abhiyan Samiti (a coordination committee of seven unions), emerging from the meeting told PTI. “Unions will be willing to resume negotiations with the Centre if they are willing to accede to our demands,” he said adding that unions had given three options to resolve the crisis following the privatisation of the aluminium giant on March 2 triggering an indefinite strike by workers. PTI

Norwegian PM’s visit
New Delhi, April 16
A billion dollar hydro power project at Swalkot in Jammu and Kashmir is likely to be concluded during the four-day visit of Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg beginning from April 19. With the conclusion of an agreement between the J&K Power Development Corporation and a Norwegian Consortium of two companies for setting up a 600 MW hydropower plant , the Indo-Norway bilateral ties are going to get a decisive boost. Briefing newspersons about the impending visit, a spokesman of the Ministry of External Affairs said that Mr Stoltenberg, who is being accompanied by a high level official and a large business delegations, would arrive here on April 19. TNS