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Thursday,
June 27, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Hike in
MSP for paddy opposed Report on
Punsup not on facts CM
inaugurates Coca-Cola plant Chautala
visits Shanghai Crop-output
forecast through space Recommendations
on power tariff in Aug |
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Apollo
Tyres net jumps 44.8 pc Phone
bills through IDBI Bank Veedol
oil launched
HCL
forges alliance with Jones Apparel
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Hike in MSP for paddy opposed CHANDIGARH: The Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) is opposed to any increase in the minimum support prices (MSP) of paddy, coarse cereals, cotton and soyabean for the 2002-03 kharif crops season. It has, however, recommended marginal increases in the MSP of groundnut and tobacco. In its report on the price policy for the kharif crops submitted to the Union Government, the commission is understood to have suggested that unless there is a foolproof, reliable and tested alternative, the present procurement mechanism for paddy and wheat should be continued. The commission also wants that the five-year extension, given to the monopoly procurement scheme for cotton in Maharashtra, be withdrawn at the end of the current marketing season and terminated once for all. The CACP wants that following MSPs (per quintal) — the same as last year — should be fixed for different kharif crops for the coming season: Paddy Rs 530 and Rs 560 for common and Grade-A varieties, respectively. Jowar, bajra, maize and ragi Rs 485, tur (arhar) Rs 1,320, cotton Rs 1,675 and Rs 1,875 for F-414/H-777/J-34 and H-4 varieties, respectively, and soyabean Rs 885 and Rs 795 for yellow and black varieties, respectively. The proposed new prices for other kharif crops are (last year’s prices mentioned in brackets) Rs 1,330 (Rs 1,320) for moong and urad, Rs 1,355 (Rs 1,340) for groundnet-in-shell, Rs 1195 (Rs 1185) for sunflowerseed, Rs 1450 (Rs 1400) for sesamum, Rs 1,120 (Rs 1,100) for nigerseed and Rs 2,800 (Rs 2,700) and Rs 3,000 (Rs 2,900) for black soil F-2 grade and light soil L2 grade VFC tobacco, respectively. The commission does not see any case for raising the MSP for paddy as demanded by some states as these demands, based on inflated estimates of costs, have been considered inconsistent with the market realities. The increases demand ranged from Rs 640 to Rs 715 per quintal. The real challenge today, the commission has said, is to ensure that MSP benefits farmers in all regions and states in a fair and equitable manner. A lot of farmers will improve if the MSP fixed by the government is respected in letter and spirit and the government’s procurement and related machinery is geared up to face this task with requisite administrative and financial support. Besides, in keeping with the basic purpose and spirit of the MSP, the government should, beginning 2002-2003 season, make a conscious effort to make it a practice to announce MSP’s before the sowing season. In another important recommendation, the CACP wants the Agriculture Produce Marketing act to be suitably amended to redefine the role of commission agents who have become exploiters of farmers in several regions. It is also essential to reduce and rationalise market feeds, taxes and levies which discourage both the farmers and the traders to operate efficiently. Besides, the government should pay urgent attention to the need for strengthening the public distribution system in those states and regions where there is high concentration of poor people and yet off-take of PDS is low. The distinction between the above-poverty-line and below-poverty-line prices should be removed and distribution of grains should be allowed to all at BPL prices till the normalcy in stock position is restored, it recommended. The commission wants the government to go slow on any pricing strategy that it may be contemplating for large-scale diversion of area to coarse cereals. Instead, it should devotes its energies to marshalling non-price measures for enhancing yield and reducing the cost of production of coarse cereals. The CACP has also suggested a significant upward revision of the import duties on edible oils to provide adequate protection and encouragement to domestic production of oilseeds.
IPA
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Report on Punsup not on facts Bathinda, June 26 Earlier the employees of the Punjab State Tubewells Corporation (PSTC) had highlighted that their corporation was making losses not due to their faults but due to the policies of the previous Congress and Akali governments. Now the employees of the Punjab State Civil Supplies Corporation (Punsup) have blamed the State and the Union Governments for the losses incurred by the corporation and have demanded that the government should pay its dues to the corporation immediately. Mr Daljit Singh, State Vice President of the union while talking to TNS here today said that Punsup was not incorporated to earn profit, instead it was established to provide food and essential items to the underprivileged sections of the society at subsidised rates. Giving details of the dues towards the government and the losses being incurred by the Punsup, Mr Singh said that during 1997-98 the corporation purchased wheat at the
Minimum Support Price announced by the Punjab Government and the same was later sold in the open market causing losses of about Rs 39.30 crore. He added that the FCI reimbursed interest on paddy account till February-March of a year while the shelling goes on up to August and the corporation again suffered losses due to the FCI. The Director Food Supplies had been requested by Punsup to take up the matter with the FCI and the Union Government. He pointed out that the estimated losses to the corporation on this account during the paddy season 1999-2000 were about Rs 17 crore. Mr Singh said that the total losses to Punsup were around Rs 320 crore on March 31, 2001, whereas the total bills outstanding were about Rs 725.56 crore. Thus, if this amount were paid to Punsup it would be earning a profit of about Rs 404 crore and should not be closed down after labelling it as ‘loss-making’ or ‘unprofitable’.
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CM inaugurates Coca-Cola plant Nabipur (Fatehgarh Sahib), June 26 The Punjab Government, instead of wasting money in dead corporations, will facilitate the setting up of modern industrial units by investing in infrastructure and other facilities. This was stated by Capt. Amarinder Singh, Chief Minister, Punjab, after inaugurating the plant. He said during the past five years, a number of units had been closed resulting in slower economic growth and unemployment in the rural areas. Now the government would attract MNCs and other big groups by creating congenial atmosphere and infrastructure. Congratulating Mr Jaspal Singh Kandhari, Managing Director, Kandhari Beverages, and Mr Patrick Siewert, President, Coca-Cola Asia, he said, ‘‘the government will welcome the decision of the Coca-Cola to invest in agri-processing industries. The Punjab Agro Industries Corporation would soon sign an agreement with the company to set up new ventures.’’ Mr Patrick Siewert, on his maiden visit to Punjab, said India and China were the two of Coca-Cola’s key markets. In the past five years, the company had made an investment of more than $ 800 million in India. The company has set up 27 bottling plants, including five in the North. The company employed over 10,000 people and had a network of 8,50,000 outlets in the country. Regarding the Punjab operations, Mr Jaspal Singh claimed that per capita consumption of soft drinks was among the highest in the country at over 15 bottles per year. The new plant was capable of producing 600 bottles per minute of 300 ml and 140 bottles of PET per minute. It would also provide employment to over 400 persons. Earlier, talking to the mediapersons, Capt. Amarinder Singh said the preparation of new industrial policy was in final stages and would be announced shortly. The government had already received an interim report of the Chattha committee and is waiting for the final report on the recommendations on the industrial policy. It is likely to be submitted in the next few days. Asked about the state government’s views on the Public Sector Disinvestment Commission’s recommendations to wind up PSUs, he said,‘‘ I am of the firm opinion that the government should have no role in running industries and it should concentrate on providing infrastructure and good governance. We would like to wind up most of the PSUs and provide adequate compensation to the retrenched workers after disinvesting our shares from six PSUs in initial stages. There are only about 600 employees with these corporations. The workers should also understand that the government is not in a position to run these corporations.’’ Regarding the pending capital subsidy worth Rs 470 crore towards SSI units for the past many years, he assured that the government had been committed to pay the amount. It would be released in phases due to financial constraints.
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Chautala visits Shanghai
Shanghai, June 26 The SEZ would be set up within the scope of Exim Policy, 2000. A feasibility study had already been conducted by the HSIDC. The SEZ site selected by HSIDC was within the National Capital Region and in close proximity to Gurgaon that offered readily available infrastructure in the areas of housing, direct connectivity by roads and rails with other major metropolitan cities of the country, close proximity to domestic and international airport in Delhi. The SEZ would cater to a wide spectrum of target segments such as auto and auto components, high precision industries, textiles especially readymade garments, pharmaceutical, IT industry, software and hardware, white goods and light engineering goods. About 2,400 units would be setup in the zone providing employment to 60,000 workers and Rs 42,000 crore export is expected to generate from this zone.
Agencies
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Crop-output forecast through space New Delhi, June 26 Union Agriculture Secretary J.N.L. Srivastava said that Forecasting Agricultural Output Using Space Borne Agro-meteorological and Land Observations (FASAL) will negate the element of human error and will enable multiple in-season crop assessment in near real time. Using of space technology and remote sensing will facilitate the collation of large of data for the purpose of estimation of crop production and by the use of more efficient modelling techniques. The project will involve a cost of Rs 95.5 crore and will be implemented during the 10th Five Year Plan. The government is also working on the recommendations of the National Statistical Commission on Agriculture.
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Recommendations on power tariff in Aug Bathinda, June 26 Mr Mann, along with members of the commission S.K. Sharma, L.S. Deol and Ms Ajanta Dayalan held a public meeting here today to seek the views of consumers on the proposed tariff revision. Although there is pressure on the commission to increase electricity tariff, it would first go into the reasons for the heavy losses being incurred by the PSEB. All factors involved in the management of the Board and generation of electricity, including transmission losses, prices of raw material and freight, thefts, supply of free or subsidised power and human power and human resource management would be studied to arrive at a
conclusion, he added. On the issue of supply of free power to the agriculture sector, Mr Mann said the PSEB has already given for petition to it to recommend that the power supply to farmers should be charged as per norms. Meanwhile the PSEB Engineers Association, in a memorandum submitted to the commission today, has demanded that stringent measures should be taken to check the theft of electricity. These include setting up separae police stations and special courts to deal with cases relating to electricity theft. The association also demanded that the services of those employees found conniving with defaulters in this regard be terminated.
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Apollo Tyres net jumps
44.8 pc
New Delhi, June 26 The company posted a net profit of Rs 36.81 crore during 2001-02 against Rs 25.42 crore a year ago, a company statement said. Apollo Tyres’ turnover went up by 17.5 per cent to 1,710 crore during the year under review over Rs 1,455 crore last year. The company Board has recommended a payment of a higher dividend of 45 per cent for 2001-02 against a dividend of 40 per cent in the previous year. “The improved performance is attributed to enhanced operating efficiencies, better working capital management, aggressive marketing and higher level of sales force motivation,” Apollo Tyres Vice-Chairman and Managing Director Onkar S Kanwar said. The company claimed that in the commercial vehicle segment, it posted a 20 per cent growth during 2001-02 against an industry growth of 2 per cent while in the tractor category, the company registered a 42 per cent jump. Apollo Tyres is setting up a radial tyre manufacturing unit with an investment of R segment.
PTI
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Phone bills through IDBI Bank
New Delhi, June 26 “We are in talks with ICICI Bank, Corporation Bank and other banks. We are ready to tie up with whoever comes forward and accepts our terms and conditions,” MTNL Director (finance) R S P Sinha told reporters here.
PTI
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Veedol oil launched Chandigarh, June 26 Mr Harihar said Veedol works for its optimum performance due to its viscosity which varies with the temperature when the vehicle is operational. Mr N.C. Mittal said TWO tied up with Hero Honda, Eicher Tractors and Eicher Motors and has recently entered into an agreement for co-branding of the engine oil with Swaraj Mazda and Royal Enfield. TWO has five plants in Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Silvassa and Faridabad. The plant at Silvassa is ISO 9002 and 14001 certified.
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Jet Airways ITC rating SBI MF PFC in pact Spice showrooms Union Bank TCS bags deal |
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