The Government has decided to set up an expert panel to undertake a detailed examination of the four very weak nationalised banks which have shown operating losses in 1993-94 and suggest ways and means for turning them around. According to officials of the Finance Ministry's banking division, the panel would consist mainly of experienced bankers, who have served the industry with distinction and professionals from other fields such as management experts.

Decontrol under study: Panja

The Coal Minister, Mr. AJit Kumar Panja, has ruled out de-nationalisation of the coal sector in the wake of liberalisation but indicated that price decontrol of certain categories were in the offing. “There is no proposal to privatise the coal companies or coal mines which are presently in the public sector,” Mr. Panja told PTI. Mr. Panja said the Bureau of Industrial Costs and Prices (BICP) had recommended decontrol of coking coals and higher grades of non-coking coals.

‘Farm exports will surge if freed from controls’

Agricultural exports could be increased by 500 per cent by 2000 if all export controls were abolished, according to an official study. The study conducted by the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) identified 17 agricultural items in which India will be competitive in the global market. The study was sponsored by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA). Releasing the report, the Commerce Minister, Mr. Pranab Mukherjee, called for both short-term-and long-term measures to promote agricultural exports.

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