Fwd: Releases.................pt4

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From: Press Information Bureau Ministry of I&B <pib.kolkata@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, Jun 28, 2010 at 5:26 PM
Subject: Releases.................pt4

Press Information Bureau

Government of India

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Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions                      

Appointments by ACC

New Delhi: June 28, 2010

 

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the following appointments:

 

(i)                  Shri Arvind Kumar Chugh, IAS (JH:74), presently in the cadre, as Principal Advisor, Planning Commission, in the rank and pay of Secretary to Government of India.

(ii)                Shri Sunil Kumar, IAS(CG:79), as Additional Secretary, Department of Higher Education against the newly created post of Additional Secretary in that Department.

(iii)               Smt. Anita Kaul, IAS(KN:79), as Additional Secretary, Department of School Education and Literacy against the newly created post of Additional Secretary in that Department.

 

rs/sr/dk/kol/17:18 hrs.

 

Press Information Bureau

Government of India

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Ministry of Finance                        

FM asks CMS and Bankers to Improve Credit Flow for Housing,

Weaker Sections,Minority Community and Education Loans

 

FM Calls for Integration of Financial Literacy and Financial

Inclusion with the Technological Development of Banking

Infrastructure in Rural and Semi-Urban areas

New Delhi: June 28, 2010

 

Union Finance Minister Shri Pranab Mukherjee has asked the state governments and bankers to position themselves to finance the emerging demand for credit from different sectors including agriculture, manufacturing and services sectors in their respective regions.   He further asked them to make serious efforts to improve the credit flow to housing, weaker sections, minority communities and education loans and closely monitor them through state level bankers committees.  The Finance Minister was addressing the Joint Meeting of the Chief Ministers of Central and West Zone States and CEOs /CMDs of public sector banks and Financial Institutions in Mumbai today.

 

The meeting was attended by the Chief Ministers of Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Goa and Finance Ministers of Chhattisgarh and Administrator of Union Territory of Dadar and Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu and Principal Secretary, Finance of Gujarat State.  The meeting was also attended by representatives of RBI and NABARD.

 

The Finance Minister said that there is a need to ensure that financial literacy and financial inclusion is integrated with the technological development of banking infrastructure in rural and semi –urban areas.  He advised the banks to convert savings from semi-urban and rural markets into financial assets through effective financial inclusion.  He also stressed on effective implementation of Aam Admi Bima Yojna and Co-contributory Pension Scheme 'Swavalamban' as these are important priorities before the government.

 

This was the second such meeting held with the Chief Ministers and the bankers by the Finance Minister outside Delhi.   The first meeting was held on 14th June, 2010 in Patna with the Chief Ministers of East and North-Eastern States and Bankers.  The Finance Minister said that the next meeting will be held with the Chief Ministers of Northern Zone and Bankers in Chandigarh early next month.

 

The complete speech of the Finance Minister made in the meeting in Mumbai today is given below:

 

"Hon'ble Chief Ministers, Minister of State for Finance Shri Namo Narain Meena, CMDs of Public Sector Banks and representatives of Central and State Governments, RBI, NABARD.  First of all, I extend my heartiest welcome  to all of you present here today for attending this meeting.  It is significant that we are holding the meeting at Mumbai, the financial capital of India.  However, we are aware that for long, the financial sector had ignored the needs of  the poor, the marginalized, the small farmer, the micro entrepreneur and others like them who exist not very far and also within the city.   I have carefully chosen the agenda items today to focus attention on issues affecting such classes of people.  You will agree that there is urgent need for including people from all strata in the mainstream banking system and for putting our country firmly on the path of overall growth and development.

 

A similar meeting was convened  recently for the Eastern Zone States in Patna. The focus on  delivery of credit to the poor was of primary concern there.  We could discuss area specific issues and fix time-lines for improvement there. We hope to achieve a similar objective today, as well, and expect your active participation in the process.

 

At the outset,  I would urge the State Governments and Bankers to position themselves to finance the emerging demand for credit from all sectors in this region, whether from agriculture, manufacturing  or services.  We have here today an interesting variety of States present.    The States of Maharashtra and Gujarat are industrial hubs; the tourism potential of Rajasthan, Goa  and the Union Territories of Dadar & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu  is well known; Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh have impressive agriculture and forest resources. I see the State Governments and the bankers working in close coordination to tap the potential of each State/Union Territory and promoting credit flow into various growth areas.

 

I would like to outline some of the broad features of credit growth & development in your States.

 

In the area of Micro and Small Enterprises' Credit, whereas the States of Rajasthan and Gujarat have shown more than 50% growth in credit flow, other States have reflected lower credit growth. Similarly, though efforts are being made to improve the credit flow to housing, weaker sections, minority community and education loans, the credit growth in these sectors need closer monitoring in the State Level Bankers Committees. In fact, in States where the State Chief Ministers themselves chair the quarterly SLBC meetings, the performance of the banking sector has been seen to be very impressive.

 

With regard to the  Credit Deposit  Ratio, I find that except for Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Gujarat, all  other States in Central and Western Region have a lower CD Ratio than the benchmark of 60%. I request the Chief Ministers  to use the forum of SLBC meetings to actively coordinate to see that the CD Ratio in their States is improved.

 

In the States represented here today I found that there are 15504 habitations with population above 2000 that do not have banking facilities. I had outlined a target in my last budget speech covering such habitations by the year 2012 with banking facility.    The Financial Inclusion Plans for coverage of all habitations with banking facilities must be closely monitored by the State Chief Ministers and CEOs of all Public Sector Banks. There is also need to ensure that financial literacy and financial inclusion is integrated with the technological development of banking infrastructure in rural and semi-urban areas. I would particularly ask the five SLBC convenor banks of this region, namely Bank of Maharashtra, Dena Bank, State Bank of India, Central Bank of India and Bank of Baroda to be particularly   proactive in this area.

 

The target of agriculture credit flow is also on our agenda today. This is a critical item for review in the SLBCs, as well. For the current financial year, the target for agriculture credit flow has been fixed at Rs 3,75,000 crores. I find that all the States of this region have increased agriculture credit flow by over 25% during the last year, which I consider to be very good. Further, for the year 2010-11, Government has increased additional interest subvention from 1% to 2% for the prompt paying farmers availing short term loans under the interest subvention scheme.  This would imply that a farmer who repays his loans promptly would need to pay only 5% as rate of interest as the banks sanction such loans at 7% interest.

 

I have noticed that as far as credit to agriculture is concerned, the States of Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh have shown remarkable growth.  However, the States of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Goa need to accelerate their agricultural growth momentum. Housing loans have grown over 25% in all States except Goa.  Education loans have shown good growth  with 14% growth in number of accounts and 25% growth in amount.

 

The review of progress of Centrally Sponsored Schemes in the States is another agenda item on which I request assessment from the States. Further, this region, particularly States of Maharashtra & Gujarat, is known for its vibrant cooperative sector. All States in the region have signed the MOU with the Central Government to implement reforms in the Short Term Credit Cooperative Sector (STCCS)  except Goa. I expect full implementation of the STCCS Package and request Government of Goa to sign the MOU with GoI and NABARD at the earliest so that recapitalization assistance is released by the Government.

 

We will also discuss the implementation of Aam Admi Bima Yojana and Co-contributory Pension Scheme 'Swavalamban', these being important priorities before the Government. In my meeting with the CEOs of the Public Sector Banks later in the day today, I shall take forward the discussions of our meeting, including issues relating to infrastructure financing.

 

India's financial sector is growing today at a fast pace. It provides growth opportunities unparalleled and unmatched by the mature financial markets around the world. I take this opportunity to advise the Banks to convert savings from semi-urban and rural markets into financial assets through effective financial inclusion.  With the improvement in banking technology, financial inclusion initiatives will strengthen financial deepening. I appreciate Reserve Bank of India's efforts at financial inclusion and enhancing financial literacy.

 

I once again thank all of you for your presence today in the meeting. We will now have a short presentation of the issues for today's meeting."

 

dsm/kp/gn-207/10/dk/kol/17:18 hrs.

 

Press Information Bureau

Government of India

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Ministry of Defence                       

Sonia Gandhi Lays Foundation Stone of Rohtang Tunnel

Border Roads Organisation to Complete Work by Feb 2015

New Delhi: June 28, 2010

 

The foundation stone for the strategic 8.8 km long Rohtang Tunnel, to be built at an altitude of over 3,000 mts in the Pir Panjal range, enabling an all-weather road link across the snow-capped Rohtang Pass (3,978 mts), was laid by the Chairperson of National Advisory Council, Smt Sonia Gandhi, in Manali today. The tunnel will provide unhindered road access to the remote regions of Lahaul-Spiti and Pangi Valley throughout the year, besides reducing the road distance by nearly 48 Kms, a travel time of about four hours.

 

A brief multi-faith ceremony was held at the South Portal, 15 Kms from Manali, where the drilling work on the tunnel commenced today.  Smt Gandhi was accompanied by Union Defence Minister, Shri AK Antony, Union Steel Minister, Shri Vir Bhadra Singh, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister, Shri Prem Kumar Dhumal, MoS for Defence, Dr MM Pallam Raju, Defence Secretary, Pradeep Kumar, DG Border Roads Organisation (BRO), Lt Gen MC Badhani and other officials from the State and Ministry of Defence.

 

Addressing a public rally near Manali, Smt Gandhi reminisced that the project was the dream of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and expressed satisfaction that it was finally on its way to being realised. The tunnel at an outlay of 1,495 Cr is expected to be completed by BRO in Feb 2015. The horse-shoe shaped tunnel will be a two-way lane in a single tube, 11.25 mts wide. The tunnel will give a boost to tourism in the region, facilitate better access for medical treatment and provide more avenues of employment to the youth, she said.

 

Simultaneously, drilling work also commenced at the northern portal (exit point), joining the Manali-Sarchu road, over Chandra river. One of the unique features of the tunnel being constructed at the rarefied altitudes includes incorporation of semi-transverse ventilation system, where large fans would separately circulate air, in and out throughout the tunnel length and thus reduce vehicular fumes.

 

In his brief introductory remarks , DG BRO, Lt Gen Badhani spoke about the challenges that the workforce will endure. Terming it as an extremely prestigious project, coming in its Golden Jubilee year, he assured that BRO will leave no stone unturned for timely completion of the project. The tunnel will not only serve the purpose of the people in the region but will also prove vital for troops of the Armed Forces serving in the Leh-Ladakh region, all-year round.

 

The tunnel is being constructed under the aegis of BRO by M/S STRABAG-AFCONS, a joint venture between India's Afcons Infrastructure Ltd and Strabag SE of Austria, world's fourth largest construction company. The work is expected to take 63 months for completion.

 

The Rohtang tunnel alone may not be enough to make the Manali-Keylong-Leh highway an all-weather road due to two other major snow-bound passes on way – Baralacha La and Thaglang La. To overcome this, the project also envisages construction of 292 Kms long all-weather road, Nimu-Padam-Darcha via Shinkunla Pass, traversing the remote Zanskar region of J&K, at an additional estimated cost of Rs 286 Cr.

 

Project Rohtang is the 18th project of the BRO countrywide. BRO is a premiere infrastructure creation and consolidation organisation under MoD and has constructed more than 48,300 Kms of road, 400 major bridges measuring a total of 36 Kms including 19 airfields mostly across difficult terrain and inhospitable climates.

 

sitanshu kar/ tk singha in solang valley, manali/dk/kol/17:19 hrs.

 

Press Information Bureau

Government of India

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Ministry of Commerce & Industry                           

Index of Six Core Industries (Base: 1993-94=100) -- May 2010

New Delhi: June 28, 2010

 

The Index of Six core industries having a combined weight of 26.7 per cent in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) with base 1993-94 stood at 266.9 (provisional) in May 2010 and registered a growth of 5.0% (provisional) compared to 3.2% registered in May 2009.  During April-May 2010-11, six core industries registered a growth of 5.1% (provisional) as against 3.5% during the corresponding period of the previous year.

 

Crude Oil

Crude Oil production (weight of 4.17% in the IIP) registered a growth of 5.8% (provisional) in May 2010 compared to a growth rate of (-)4.3% in May 2009. The Crude Oil production registered a growth of 5.5 (provisional) during April-May 2010-11 compared to (-)3.7% during the same period of 2009-10.

 

Petroleum Refinery Products

Petroleum refinery production (weight of 2.00% in the IIP) registered a growth of 7.7% (provisional) in May 2010 compared to growth of (-)4.3% in May 2009. The Petroleum refinery production registered a growth of 6.5% (provisional) during April-May 2010-11 compared to (-)4.4% during the same period of 2009-10.

 

Coal

Coal production (weight of 3.2% in the IIP) registered a growth of 0.1% (provisional) in May 2010 compared to growth rate of 10.4% in May 2009. Coal production grew by (-)1.4% (provisional) during April-May 2010-11 compared to an increase of 12.3% during the same period of 2009-10.

 

Electricity

Electricity generation (weight of 10.17% in the IIP) registered a growth of 6.4 % (provisional) in May 2010 compared to a growth rate of 3.0% in May 2009. Electricity generation grew by 6.6% (provisional) during April-May 2010-11 compared to 4.8% during the same period of 2009-10.

 

Cement

Cement production (weight of 1.99% in the IIP) registered a growth of 8.6% (provisional) in May 2010 compared to 11.8% in May 2009. Cement Production grew by 8.7% (provisional) during April-May 2010-11 compared to an increase of 11.8% during the same period of 2009-10.

 

Finished (carbon) steel

Finished (carbon) Steel production (weight of 5.13% in the IIP) registered a growth of 2.5% (provisional) in May 2010 compared to 2.8% (estimated) in May 2009. Finished (carbon) Steel production grew by 3.6% (provisional) during April-May 2010-11 compared to an increase of 0.8% during the same period of 2009-10.

 

N.B: Data are provisional. Revision has been made based on revised data obtained.

Details statement follows…….

sitanshu kar/ tk singha in solang valley, manali/dk/kol/17:19 hrs.

 

--
Palash Biswas
Pl Read:
http://nandigramunited-banga.blogspot.com/