The Hindu Business Line : Saturday, February 07, 2004

CLIMATE & WEATHER
Summer showers in Kerala
THE week ended February 4 saw six districts in the State recording rain of varying intensity, the first since the withdrawal of the monsoon year. According to the latest Agromet Advisory issued by the Met Office here, Ernakulam, Idukki, ... More

Central team to visit Kerala to assess drought situation
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A team of officials from the Centre, headed by the Joint Secretary, Agriculture, Mr J. P. Meena, will visit the State to assess the damage from the prevailing drought-like situation. Announcing this here, an official ... More

ECONOMY
`Feel good factor' not temporary: Jaswant
THE Finance Minister, Mr Jaswant Singh, on Friday claimed that the current "feel good factor" phenomenon was not temporary or restricted to a few sectors, but something extending to even the vast rural hinterland housing 70 per cent of the ... More

Writing numbers on the Great Wall
A COUPLE of days before the Year of the Monkey started, China's National Bureau of Statistics conducted a news conference. And the speech delivered at the meet by the Bureau's Commissioner, Mr Li Deshui, looked forward to "closer cooperation ... More

Prof Schwab plumps for P-21 formation
THE Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, Prof Klaus Schwab, on Friday advocated the formation of P-21 for world prosperity and security. Speaking on `Partnership for prosperity and security', Prof Schwab said that the ... More

ACCOUNTANCY
ICWAI sore over move to increase Govt nominees
THE Institute of Cost and Works Accountants of India (ICWAI) has opposed the Government's bid to increase its hold on the Central council by increasing the number of nominees from four to five. Top functionaries of the institute today took the ... More

ENVIRONMENT
`India should ask Moscow to sign Kyoto protocol'
INDIA should take the lead in talking to Moscow for convincing Russia to sign the Kyoto environment protocol, Mr Jan P. Pronk, Special Advisor to the United Nations Secretary General, said on Friday. Mr Pronk, who was instrumental in drafting ... More

EXCISE AND CUSTOMS
J&K excise exemption scheme modified
THE Finance Ministry has further improved the existing excise exemption scheme for industrial units in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) by introducing a new criterion — additional employment generated through new investments - for getting reliefs More

FOREIGN TRADE
No UK move to curb outsourcing, says Jack Straw
THE visiting Secretary of State in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the UK, Mr Jack Straw, on Friday said there is no move in Britain to curb outsourcing to India. Mr Straw indicated this at his meeting with the Union Commerce and ... More

HEALTH
`Shantha Biotech did not get clearance before phase-III trials'
THE Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) said that there has been a clear lapse on the part of the Hyderabad-based Shantha Biotechnics Pvt Ltd in not obtaining clearance before conducting the Phase-III human clinical trials using ... More

E-Seva centres to offer online medical advice
DOWN with severe backache or a terrible headache? Don't take pains to go to a hospital and wait for hours seeking an appointment with a doctor. Instead, e-Seva centres offer medical advice from specialists sitting in Apollo Hospital via ... More

Govt upbeat on disbursing AIDS drug
THERE was much fanfare when the Government announced a campaign to provide free AIDS drugs to HIV-positive people in December last. But the ensuing silence in the interim-budget — in terms of sops for the manufacturers of anti-AIDS drugs ... More

INFRASTRUCTURE
Rs 1,000-cr master plan to give Pune a facelift
WITH a migrant population in the city that is thrice the normal range, vehicular population touching 13.54 lakh units in 2003, a pathetic network of roads and public transport system, pollution levels that now give it the ugly tag of the fifth ... More

PSU
Govt lists public offers in 6 PSUs
THE Disinvestment Ministry has drawn up a schedule, prioritising the proposed public offers for sale of Government stakes in IPCL, CMC Ltd, IBP & Co Ltd, Dredging Corporation, ONGC and Gail in three stages spread over February and ... More

PETROLEUM
Gujarat State Petro signs deal for first CBM block
THE Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation (GSPC) announced its intentions of being a long-term player in the oil and gas exploration and production (E&P) business when it signed a production-sharing contract for its first coal bed methane (CBM) ... More

ONGC bags 14 oil exploration blocks
ONGC has bagged a major part of the 20 oil and gas exploration blocks tendered by the Government in the fourth round of the New Exploration Licensing Policy (NELP). ONGC, in consortium with its partners, bagged 14 blocks. The winning bids for ... More

GAIL, UPSIDC ink co-operation pact
GAIL (India) Ltd and the Uttar Pradesh Government, represented by the Uttar Pradesh Industrial Development Corporation (UPSIDC), signed a Gas Cooperation Agreement (GCA) in Lucknow on Wednesday. The GCA will allow the two bodies to closely ... More

TERI bags award
BANGALORE: The Southern Regional Centre of TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute) at Bangalore has bagged two excellence awards of the Petroleum Conservation Research Association for 2003. It has been given the Best Energy Auditor ... More

POWER
New power policy may lead to rise in tariff for SEBs
THE State electricity boards may witness a rise in power tariffs if the Government implements the draft National Tariff Policy (NTP). The draft policy has suggested that distribution entities should purchase power from the generator preferably ... More

Sub-station at Ditchpally likely by next year
THE proposed Rs 160-crore, 400/220-KV sub-station at Ditchpally in Nizamabad district is likely to be commissioned by June 2005. It would be the second biggest sub-station of its kind aimed at improving the voltage conditions in various ... More

STEEL
Shortage of coking coal hits steel, coke companies
AN acute shortage of coking coal is now threatening to derail the production plans of the country's steel makers as also the profit plans of some of the coke manufacturing companies. Citing the instance of Durgapur Projects Ltd (DPL), ... More

TAXATION
Scrap resale tax, says TN chamber
THE Tamil Nadu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in a pre-budget memorandum submitted to the State Government, has urged withdrawal of resale tax for the benefit of small and medium traders and exemption of jari from sales tax to help saree ... More

TEXTILES
Kerala garment dealers oppose entry tax
THE Kerala Government's move to impose entry tax on textiles and garments entering the State has come in for sharp criticism from the Kerala Textiles and Garments Dealers Welfare Association. In a letter addressed to the State Finance ... More

SSI
Thrust to lending: Maditssia
MADURAI: The Madurai District Tiny and Small Scale Industries Association (Maditssia) has hailed the Government's Interim Budget for 2004-05 as providing the thrust for lending. Mr K. Ramachandran, President of the association, in a ... More

FOODS & FOOD PROCESSING
Diet diversification — a new field for farmers
AS crispy potato chips and pizzas make their way more prominently onto the dining table of urban homes in India from multinational food majors, the small farmers are up with both a big opportunity and a threat. With diversification in diet ... More

LEATHER
Leather fair generates Rs 60-cr business
THE international leather fair here generated business of about Rs 60 crore according to early estimates put out by its organiser, India Trade Promotion Organisation. An ITPO press release said feedback received from 198 of the 250 exhibitors ... More

PAPER, BOARD & NEWSPRINT
Paper mills reeling under raw material shortage
THE Indian Pulp and Paper Technical Association (IPPTA) has ruled out the possibility of any fresh investment in greenfield paper projects in the country, till the impending pulpable raw material problem is resolved. Inadequate availability of ... More

SOCIAL WELFARE
6 women get Sadguru Gnanananda awards
WHAT is common to Ms Ranjana Kumar of Mumbai, Ms Madhu Modi of Jaipur, Ms Amritha Rajagopal (Chennai), Ms Gool Plumber (Hyderabad), Dr S Jayam (Chennai) and Ms Naseema Mohammed Amin Hurzak of Kolhapur? These six women have helped the poor and ... More

RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Kalam draws roadmap to implement `PURA'
THE President, Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, in his inimitable style of a scientist and statesman, has charted out a virtual roadmap to end hunger by 2007. Delivering the valedictory address at the National Food Security Summit being held here at ... More

SECURITY
Pvt sector gaining importance in defence production
DURING the year 2002-03, Defence PSUs outsourced to the extent of more than 30 per cent whereas in case of Ordnance factories, the figure was at about 80 per cent thus providing an indication of the growing importance of the private sector in ... More

EVENTS
More than 280 units to take part in B2B meet
MORE than 280 manufacturing units from across the State have already confirmed participation in the international buyer-seller meet being held in Kochi from February 19 to 21. The event, styled `Kerala Business to Business Meet 2004', will ... More

Cotton trade meet at Coimbatore
COIMBATORE: The annual all-India cotton trade conference will be held here on February 21 and 22 will have sessions on contract cotton farming and genetically engineered cotton varieties. The meet to be held on February 22 will be ... More

Ideal home expo in Madurai
MADURAI: The Madurai District Tiny and Small Scale Industries Association (Maditssia) is holding an Ideal Home Exhibition in the city from February 6 to 16. Mr S. Anburajan, Chairman of the exhibition, speaking to media persons here said ... More

Engagements

In Hyderabad today

EXPORTS & IMPORTS
Rubber exports exceed 50,000 t
RUBBER export from the country has exceeded 51,000 tonnes during the current fiscal. This includes the period till January 2004. The target fixed for 2003-04 was 50,000 tonnes. As per the present indications, rubber export might be over 60,000 ... More

RBI raises prescribed limits for imports
THE Reserve Bank of India has raised the prescribed limits on the remittances of certain import bills and documents, which have been directly received by importers from overseas suppliers to $ 100,000, or its equivalent, from the previous limits ... More

ECGC opens branch at Vadodara
EXPORT Credit Guarantee Corporation opened its 36th branch at Vadodara, in keeping with its strategy to open satellite branches at upcoming export centres in the country. This Vadodara branch will cater to the needs of the exporters and ... More

Edible oil imports recover; palmolein arrivals double
AFTER having declined in last November and December due to seasonal factors, edible oil imports into the country rebounded last month. According to import data made available to Business Line by the industry portal Oilmandi.com, January ... More

Failure to monitor export proceeds — Panel points finger at administrative machinery
THE Public Accounts Committee has indicted the administrative and regulatory machinery of the departments of Commerce and Revenue and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for their failure to monitor and ensure realisation of the proceeds from exports ... More

BEARINGS, CASTINGS & FORGINGS
Hi-tech foundry park planned in Vizag
THE Andhra Pradesh Government has expressed readiness to provide the necessary infrastructure for setting up of a high-tech foundry park at Visakhapatnam, which can showcase and promote the latest technologies in the foundry industry. The AP ... More

TOURISM
Karnataka to prepare tourism gazette, archaeological directory
STEPPING up its efforts to promote Karnataka as an ideal destination, the Tourism Department has embarked upon a project to prepare an archaeological directory and a tourism gazette to compile the important monuments and places of interest that ... More

KCCI for improving tourist facilities in coastal areas
THE Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) has urged the Union and State Governments to promote tourism in coastal Karnataka. KCCI's action plan for the development of tourism in coastal Karnataka highlights the need for improvement of ... More

Kanyakumari tourism
MADURAI: The Union Government has allotted Rs 1.5 crore for the development of infrastructure necessary to give a boost to beach tourism in the Kanyakumari district. According to Mr Pon. Radhakrishna, Union Minister of State for Road ... More

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No UK move to curb outsourcing, says Jack Straw

Moody's rates most banks `stable'

Wheat, rabi pulses, oilseed coverage up

Govt lists public offers in 6 PSUs

Power brands nurture GlaxoSmithKline net 42%

Strong buying in index heavyweights

Looking back
Jan. 25-Jan. 31
Meat prices to soar as Thailand reports bird flu

Industrial output rising: CII survey

Access to pvt social infrastructure services limited in India: Study

Wheat exports likely to dip by 10 lakh t

Brazil keen on partnerships with India

FDI inflow slowed during last fiscal: RBI report

Fertiliser export norms eased

We are export-friendly: Jaitley