The Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, Mr. Pranab Mukherjee, said here on Friday that the creation of employment opportunities during the first two years of the Eighth Plan had fallen short of the target. He said that employment opportunities were estimated to have grown by an average of about six million per year during the first two years of the Plan. The employment strategy of the Eighth Plan envisaged the creation of 43 million jobs during the Plan period.

China evinces interest in rails produced by SAIL

The days may not be far off when Chinese trains will run on Indian rails. This assumption of the Central Marketing Organisation of the Steel Authority of India Ltd. follows the interest evinced by China’s Vice-Minister for Metallurgical Industry, Mr. Wu Xichun, in rails made by the Bhilai steel plant during his meeting with the SAIL Chairman, Mr. M. R. R. Nair, in New Delhi on Friday. SAIL produces annually around 5,00,000 tonnes of rails and it is in a position to supply the product to China should it require it. SAIL has exported rails to over a dozen out markets, Mr. Nair told the Chinese delegation.

Postal dept told to improve working

The Minister of State for Communications, Mr. Sukh Ram, called upon senior managers in the Postal Service to come out of the traditional mould and become responsive to the needs of society to create an effective communication alternative. Mr. Sukh Ram said with the restructuring of the economy and liberalisation, the postal department could no longer take shelter under its traditional monopoly and hide inefficiencies under subsidies. It should learn to compete with other service providers on a level-playing field and become an efficient business.

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