BSNL to hike corporate phone rentals
New Delhi: The Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd is planning to increase the monthly rentals for corporate users from Rs 250 to Rs 650. The company is also planning to reduce the pulse rate for a local call from 3 minutes to 2 minutes.

These plans will have to be approved by the government. If cleared, BSNL stands to gain close to Rs 10,000 crore. This would more than offset BSNLs revenue losses of over Rs 3000 crore as a result of the steep cut in the STD rates announced by it last month. BSNL currently has 40 million subscribers of which 50 per cent is from the corporate side.
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Bulk LPG carriers begin strike
Chennai: Tankers carrying liquefied petroleum gas in Tamil Nadu went on an indefinite strike on 7 January in protest against non-clearance of arrears of transport charges by oil companies.
IOC sources said there were sufficient quantities of bulk LPG available at present in bottling plants. Problems could arise only if the strike continued for long.

The issue was not confined to South India alone as it was country-wide.
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APM dismantling on schedule
Mumbai: Dismantling of the administered pricing mechanism (APM) for petroleum products will be done by 31 March, asserted union petroleum minister Ram Naik.

"We are aiming towards a final cabinet decision on the APM dismantling. Several financial and regulatory decisions have fallen in place and the issue of subsidies in liquefied petroleum gas and kerosene has been decided," Naik told reporters here.
He said the government plans to reduce subsidies on LPG and kerosene in a phased manner and also assured that post APM there would be no hike in the prices of petroleum products.
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Indian tea industry explores Afghan market
New Delhi: The Indian Tea Association will turn its attention towards the newly opened Afghan market to increase tea sales in the wake of markets drying up in other parts of the world.
Afghan market is extremely important for the Indian industry as imports in 1996, had touched 48 million kg.
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Ten agri export zones planned
New Delhi: The government has decided to set up 10 agriculture export zones in this financial year in addition to the 10 which have already been approved.

Different AEZs will be used for different produces like pineapple in West Bengal, litchi in Uttaranchal, gherkins in Karnataka, vegetables in Punjab, mangoes and potatoes in UP, grapes and wines in Maharashtra.

Rs 200 crore are being invested in the 10 Agri export Zones already approved and the government expects them to generate around Rs 1,700 crore in exports over the next five years.
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Trai plans website for cell users
Kolkata: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has decided to set up a website for the mobile consumers in collaboration with various consumer groups working in the telecom segment.

The website will have various tariff packages provided by all the cellular operators in the country and, through a statistical software, will suggest the best package suitable for a consumer given the income and budget constraint.
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Rs 800cr networth fixed for SCI bidders
New Delhi: The government has fixed a networth criterion of Rs 800 crore for the bidders of Shipping Corporation (SCI). The government plans to sell its 51 per cent stake in SCI to a strategic partner.

The interested party/consortium should have a satisfactory business and management track record to be able to bid for the stake.

The disinvestment ministry will receive expressions of interest from prospective bidders by February-end.

SCI owns 40 per cent of Indian tonnage and has a fleet size of about a 100 vessels. 

SCI earned a net profit of Rs 382.6 crore during 2000-01, up from Rs 161.6 crore during 1999-00.
SCI has an authorised capital of Rs 450 crore with a subscribed and paid-up capital of Rs 282.30 crore.
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