december 17, 1994

The Minister of State for Food, Mr. Kalpnath Rai, has been singularly held responsible for the sugar crisps by the Gian Prakash Committee, while Mr. Antony, former Civil Supplies Minister, has been given a clean chit. The public sector State Trading Corporation has been nailed for “aggravating the psychology of shortage in the sugar crisis and pushing up prices.” Mr. Antony resigned within hours of the Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, Mr. Bhuvanesh Chaturvedi, telling the Lok Sabha that the Civil Supplies Minister was among those “who did not bring the matter to the notice of the Cabinet/Prime Minister.”

No more concessions, PM tells small units

The Prime Minister, Mr. P. V. Narasimha Rao, has lambasted small-scale industry (SSI) experts and the standing committees for seeking only more and more reliefs and concessions while criticising the Centre for all the problems of the sector. In a hard-hitting speech, while inaugurating the 43rd meeting of the SSI Board here on Friday, Mr. Rao warned that the subsidies and concessions available to the small sector will have to go as the Government cannot go on supporting it indefinitely. It was high time, he said, that SSI industry fixed a timeframe within which it could become economically viable.

Courtaulds plans comeback

Courtaulds Plc, UK, which, some five years ago divested its stake in Shalimar Paints Ltd (SPL), is planning to be back in India through a joint venture with its former partner for new generation coatings including aviation paints. Mr. Vinod Maria, Chief Executive Officer and President of Shalimar Paints, recently held talks with some Courtaulds executives on the proposal.

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