Pak Contracts 2 Lakh Tonnes Sugar Imports
As many as 4,715 proposals were approved during the period in different areas, he said.
Foreign tieup proposals: A total of 208 foreign collaboration proposals (technical and financial), envisaging foreign direct investment of Rs 6973.19 crore, were approved by the government in July, Maran said.
PSU divestment: No decision has yet been taken on the PSUs to be disinvested, Maran told Vedprakash P Goyal in a written reply.
The shares are disinvested in competitive bidding to get maximum realisations, he said.
Patent: As many as 850 Indian process patent applications and 1,791 Indian product applications were filed with the Indian patent office during January 1, 1995, and July 15, 1996, Maran said.
This was against a total of 2,427 foreign process patent applications and 5,966 foreign product patent applications filed during the period in the country, he said.
SSI growth rate: Maran said in a written reply that the estimated annual rate of growth in the value
of production in the small-scale sector, at all India level, for the year 1994-95 was 10.1 per cent.
For the first nine months of 1995-96, it was 10.3 per cent, he said.
The annual rate of growth of production in the cottage industries sector for the years 1994-95 and 1995-96 was 12.1 and 23.3 per cent (estimated) respectively.
Quality council: The government has decided to constitute the Quality Council of India as an autonomous body registered under the Societies Registration Act, Maran said.
Planning: The Planning Com-mission has constituted a committee to formulate an integrated coal policy.
Steel capacity: The installed capacity of crude steel in the country was estimated at 27.38 million tonnes as on March 31, 1996, minister for steel & mines Birendra Prasad Baishya said.
Steel exports: Steel exports from the country stood at 1.5 million tonnes during 1995-96 as against 1.3 million tonnes during the previous year, Baishya said.
Tea assistance: A proposal for financial assistance of Rs 2216.5 crore for development of the tea industry has been submitted to the World Bank, commerce minister B B Ramaiah said.
The project, prepared by the Tea Board, proposes an investment of Rs 3341.5 crore on various items like plantation development, market development, research & development and human resource development. The proposal envisages progressive increase in production of tea, reaching 234.7 million kg in the fifth year to meet increasing domestic demand for tea and to sustain exports.
A four-member study team from the World Bank visited India in May-June to make an assessment of the problems/bottlenecks faced by the tea industry.
The study team, after discussions with different institutions and preliminary data analysis has identified issues which are to be addressed as a part of the project. Pursuant to discussions with the study team, five working groups have been constituted to make an in-depth analysis of the issues and various aspects of the project. The bank mission will visit India again around November for further interactions, the minister said.
MFN status: Pakistan is not giving the most favoured nation (MFN) status to India in trade under the recently established World Trade Organisation, Ramaiah said.
Replying to a question, the minister said India had been according MFN treatment to imports from Pakistan. However Pakistan does not reciprocate in compliance of its obligations as a WTO member.
The minister said that under the export-import policy of Pakistan, private sector trade with India was restricted to a list of 573 items where imports from India are permissible. In contrast, discriminatory restrictions are not imposed by India on imports from Pakistan.
Since Pakistan does not reciprocate in full measure and restricts items of import from India, all trade between the two countries is affected, he said.
Trade deficit: The gap between imports and exports (trade deficit) in 1993-94, 1994-95 and 1995-96 (provisional) are placed at $1,069 million, $2,324 million and $4,539 million respectively, Ramaiah said.
Quota bill: A Bill of reservation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes is under consideration of the government, welfare minister B S Ramoowalia said.
Wheat procurement: As much as 123.74 lakh tonnes of wheat was procured in 1995-96 rabi marketing season (April-March), Union food minister Devendra Prasad Yadav said.
During the current 1996-97 rabi marketing season, 81.81 lakh tonnes of wheat had been procured till August 19, he said.
As regards rice, 98.60 lakh tonnes (including paddy in terms of rice) has been procured for central pool up to August 19, 1996, in the current 1995-96 kharif marketing season (October-September), he said.