Population To Cross 100 Crore By 2000

Indias population is expected to cross 100 crore by 2000 AD and reach the 126.4 crore mark by 2016, minister of state for health and family welfare Renuka Chowdhury told Rajya Sabha today. Quoting estimates made by the technical group on population, she said the reproductive and child health services are proposed to be substantially improved and strengthened during the ninth plan to check the population boom. No phone on demand: Communications minister, Beni Prasad Verma has said the objective of providing telephone on demand by 1997 is not possible due to delay in the entry of the private sector in the field of basic services.

Bill on farm workers: The bill for regulation of employment and working condition of agricultural workers is awaiting completion of procedural requirements including cabinet approval, minister of state for labour M P Veerendra Kumar said yesterday. Veerendra Kumar said the delay in finalising the bill had been due to complexity and enormity of the task arising out of widely varying agro-climatic conditions, agricultural practices and employer-employee relationship prevailing in different states. The legislation is expected to benefit 135 million workers in agriculture and allied activities.

National grid: The government has formulated plans to interconnect various regional electricity grids of the country in order to form a national grid. This will help in meeting the power shortage of states deficit in power, Alagh said.

Rail accidents: There were as many as 89 accidents including 70 cases of derailment during May and June this year, the railway minister, Ram Vilas Paswan told Basudeb Acharia and Rupchand Pal. The main causes of these accidents were human failture, equipment failture, sabotage and incidental factors, he said. The government has taken various measures to improve safety and prevent such accidents, he said.

Chinese visa to Apang: The government today denied that the chinese government had refused visa to the Arunachal Pradesh chief minister, Gegong Apang, on the ground that it considered that state and Sikkim part of China.

Replying to a written question by S Muthu Mani and O P Kohli, the minister of state for external affairs, Kamala Sinha, said the question of taking note of such media reports did not arise. The media reports had said Apang was refused chinese visa to visit that country as Beijing refused to recognise indian sovereignty over these two Indian states.