Poll India: 2004

Campaigning ends for second phase
New Delhi: With a total of 138 constituencies in 11 states scheduled to go to the polls on Monday, April 26, campaigning has ended for the second phase of elections.These include 32 seats in eastern Uttar Pradesh, from a total of eighty, along with 17 of the 40 seats in Bihar, 21 constituencies in Andhra Pradesh and 13 of the remaining 26 seats in Karnataka. Twenty-four of the remaining seats from phase one of polling in Maharashtra and 10 seats in Orissa will also see polling. Eight seats each in Assam and Jharkhand, 2 each in Goa, Jammu and Kashmir, and one in Manipur will also go to the polls as well.

Sonia and Rahul to rally in east UP
Faizabad: Congress President Sonia Gandhi will address three rallies at Faizabad, Salimpur and Azamgarh in eastern UP at a crucial juncture, with the Congress hoping to make a mark in Faizabad. Rahul Gandhi will also campaign in eastern Uttar Pradesh today as canvassing ends for the second phase of polling.
Sitting MP and state BJP Chief Vinay Katiyar has shifted from Faizabad to Lakhimpur. Faizabad includes the constituency of Ayodhya, which figures so prominently in the BJP's agenda.
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Garment exporters adopt EAN.UCC supply chain standards
New Delhi: Taking heed of instructions from their global counterparts, leading garment exporters such as Arvind Mills, Madura Coats, Gokuldas Images, Nahar Industries, TCNS Clothing and Jay Gee Fashions have adopted the international EAN.UCC supply chain standards.

International buyers such as Wal-Mart, Target, Home Depot, Cades (France), OTTO Group (Germany), Woolworth (UK), Lowe's and Lord & Taylor have instructed their Indian suppliers to adopt global supply chain standards in barcoding and global data synchronisation.

These large buyers have advanced supply chain management (SCM) systems, which, through the use of international standards, facilitate applications such as stock management, point-of-sale (POS) billing, logistics track and trace, collaborative planning, forecasting and replenishment. These are critical requirements that enable the global buyers to react with speed, efficiency and accuracy to the fast changing consumer needs.
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TAAI to boycott Malaysian Tourism
Mumbai: The Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) has threatened to stop promoting Malaysia as a destination if it did not address travel agents' concerns regarding a recent notice which requires all TAAI members in the southern region to furnish a bank guarantee of Rs 3.5 lakh to the Assistant Commissioner's Office in Chennai to access their I-Visa (or visa through Net) facility.
TAAI said that the move essentially placed on travel agents, responsibility for the actions of their clients in Malaysia. If a visitor delayed his return or overstayed, the concerned agent would be penalised and his bank guarantee forfeited. Also, the agent concerned would be blacklisted, he said, which could have repercussions on their dealings with other consuls.
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Meeting over Dabhol financial restructuring
Mumbai: Banks and financial institutions that have funded Dabhol Power Company (DPC) met in Singapore to negotiate a financial restructuring package that may include the Indian lenders taking over foreign loans at a discount.
After the Indian lenders take over the foreign loans, the total debt of the company could fall from $1.9 billion to 600 million. The package had been informally discussed at a meeting the Government had with Tata Power, Reliance Energy, British Petroleum, British Gas and Shell - some weeks ago.
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