The Hindu Business Line : Tuesday, July 20, 2004

BUDGET
Sops for farmers, ST reliefs in Karnataka Budget
KARNATAKA offered a slew of sops for the farm sector and simultaneously reduced the sales tax rates on a series of goods of mass consumption. Presenting the Budget for the current fiscal on Monday, the Deputy Chief Minister, Mr S. ... More

Karnataka Budget imposes steep hike in sales tax on hardware, software
THE State Government on Monday proposed a steep hike in sales tax on computer hardware, software, electronic goods and software services. The ST has been hiked to 12 per cent from the existing five per cent on computer software (including works ... More

`Karnataka coastal region not very happy'
Though it has made an effort to revive the Mangalore roof tile industry, the demand of cooperatives to reduce tax on arecanut has not been materialised. More

ECONOMY
Fiscal deficit must be kept under control: GMCI
THE Greater Mysore Chamber of Industry (GMCI), while commending the Budget presented for the year 2004-05 for showing a modest surplus, has expressed concern over the increase in fiscal deficit from 3.54 per cent to 4.26 per cent. It reflected ... More

EXCISE AND CUSTOMS
Auto dealers seek duty cut on cars
THE Federation of Automobile Dealers' Association (FADA) has expressed concern about the fineprint in the Budget and called upon the Finance Ministry to have a relook at some of the provisions and slash the excise duty on passenger cars to 16 per ... More

HEALTH
FIEO move to market healthcare in 3 Asean nations
THE Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) has formed a 14-member Medicare delegation for a 10-day visit (August 19 to 28) to three Asean countries, namely, Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia, to hold discussions on export of healthcare ... More

PETROLEUM
Reliance, Essar: Changing the rules of fuel retailing
A SOFT bright green-and-blue signage looms far ahead along the highway near the Dhirubhai Ambani Knowledge city in Navi Mumbai. On moving closer, swanky steel fuel dispensers under a large concrete canopy, smart, courteous youngsters in deep blue ... More

POWER
Kerala plans to rope in private sector for 60 small hydel projects
THE Electricity Minister, Mr Kadavoor Sivadasan, said on Monday that the State Government had identified 60 small and mini hydro-electric projects that could be developed with private participation. Replying to questions in the State Assembly, ... More

Views on Pathrakadavu hydel project
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: An open forum that discussed the pros and cons of the proposed Pathrakadavu hydel project in the Silent Valley environs yielded divergent views on the environmental and social impact of the project. The former ... More

TEXTILES
Mills yet to pass on yarn duty benefits, say dealers
Mills are not living up to the expectations of fabric dealers on the question of duty-free yarn supplies. More

TYRES
Tyre production up 3 pc in May; exports down
TYRE production went up marginally by three per cent in May 2004, while a decline in overseas sales in the month pulled down exports by 12 per cent. A total of 47.12 lakh tyres were produced in the month under review, while 2.91 lakh units were ... More

WATER
Delhi water board calls for tariff rationalisation
POINTING out that water tariffs in Delhi are one of the lowest, the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has called for tariff rationalisation. Water tariff in Delhi is at 35 paise per kilolitre (kl), whereas cities such as Bangalore and Chandigarh charge more ... More

EDUCATION
HSBC Education Trust's micro-credit project for private schools
UK-based HSBC Education Trust has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Centre for British Teachers (CfBT) to launch a project called EQUIP (Enabling Quality Improvement Programmes in Schools) that will facilitate private schools to get ... More

Weighed down
School bags loaded on an autorickshaw carrying children to a school in Kochi. Children in the kindergarten level can now relax, with several school managements agreeing to reduce the weight of their bags. The Cochin chapter of the Indian Academy ... More

Bio-informatics course
CHENNAI: Marshals' Technology Ltd has launched a `Post-Graduate Diploma in Bio-Informatics' (PGDIB) in association with the Central Leather Research Institute. The programme is targeted at students with a bioscience background wishing ... More

C.Comm vocational course
COIMBATORE: The Auditors' Association of Southern India is all set to introduce a vocational career-oriented Certificate Course in Commerce (C.Comm), a placement cell to facilitate accountants identify suitable positions and launch a ... More

The heat is on
Mr C. Laxmiprasad, Divisional Fire Officer, conducts a lecture-demonstration on fire safety at a school in Secunderabad on Monday. The Department of Fire Services has launched a school-to-school awareness campaign on fire safety in the wake of ... More

REAL ESTATE & CONSTRUCTION
Runwal group to set up Rs 1,000-cr housing project in Chennai
THE Pune-based Amrut Runwal group is setting up a Rs 1,000-crore residential-cum-commercial project on what used to be the Binny textile mills land at Perambur in Chennai. The project, which is being taken up in joint venture with the Kalapati ... More

READYMADE GARMENTS
Readymades' export to restricted countries up
THE country's exports of readymade garments (RMGs) to quota restricted countries picked up pace during the first quarter of the current fiscal, notching up a moderate growth of 4.40 per cent in terms of volume but a robust 9.22 per cent in terms ... More

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
FCB study gauges consumers `tech mood' for advertisers
WITH technology evolving faster than what the human psyche can adapt, the fear of the techno-wave has led to fear among people that they will be left behind. According to a study done by FCB Worldwide, the intensity of this fear is different ... More

SMALL SAVINGS
Decision on PF interest rate — EPFO trustees to meet again today
THE Central Board of Trustees of the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) will meet again on Tuesday to decide the rate of interest to be paid to provident fund subscribers for fiscal 2004-05. Last Tuesday, the board meeting remained ... More

FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT
Left opposes Govt move to hike FDI
THE Left parties on Monday again opposed the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government's move to hike foreign direct investment (FDI) in the telecommunication, insurance and civil aviation sectors and said that they would vote against any Bill ... More

WTO
India `disappointed' with draft WTO framework
"Much work will have to be done in making the draft text acceptable." More

INDUSTRIAL POLICY
19 locations identified for industrial hubs
THE Government has identified 19 locations in the country to build industrial hubs for specified industries under the Industrial Infrastructure Upgradation Scheme of the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotions. This was stated by the ... More

TOURISM
Arunai Anantha resort targets religious tourists
ARUNAI Anantha, a resort in Thiruvannamalai, targets the religious tourists as the Rs 3-crore property is located close to the Ramana Maharishi Ashram, Girivalam Path and the Arunachaaleswarar Temple. According to a press release, the resort ... More

SBH to restore monument
HYDERABAD: The State Bank of Hyderabad will spend Rs 6 lakh to restore the Gunfoundry monuments, close to its head office buildings in the heart of the city, to its past glory. Gunfoundry is a protected monument of the Department of ... More

Tourism Malaysia unveils twin destination package

PEOPLE
P.K. Mohapatra takes over as MMA President
MR P.K. Mohapatra, President and Chief Executive of RPG Enterprises, has taken over as President of the Madras Management Association (MMA) for 2004-05 after being elected to the post at its 48th annual general meeting. He also oversees the ... More