PM: Focus of reforms to be on agriculture
New Delhi: The Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, on Thursday said reforms were "not just about freeing private enterprise from the shackles of bureaucratic control," and policies aimed at promoting growth must "advance the cause of distributive justice and create new employment opportunities." In his first official address to the nation, Dr Singh acknowledged that the benefits of accelerated economic growth had "not touched all our citizens in equal measure." Growth, he pointed out, "is not an end in itself" and is only "a means to generate employment, banish poverty, hunger and homelessness and improve the standard of living of the mass of our people."

Dr Singh promised a "New Deal" to rural India and the agriculture sector, which, he contended, had registered a significant slowdown in growth over the past five years. Accordingly, public investment in agriculture would be "greatly increased", which will be over and above the measures to enhance farm credit and restructure debts of farmers announced last week. Specifically, the Government will "reverse the neglect of public investment in irrigation." Dr Singh also maintained that his Government was committed to a "high degree of fiscal and financial discipline." He added that the focus of reforms would be on agriculture and the way public institutions operate in the country.

"The Indian farmer has suffered from too many controls and restrictions. There are still far too many internal barriers to trade that must go. We must re-examine those aspects of our policies that prevent a creative interaction between farmers and agro-industries," the Prime Minister said, indicating that major changes in the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee laws are in the offing. Dr Singh also renewed the Government's commitment to introduce a nation-wide value-added tax regime along with evolving an "Energy Policy" that will look into "all aspects like energy security, access and availability, affordability and pricing, efficiency and environment."
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Russian ambassador talks of similarities in terror campaign
New Delhi: The Russian Ambassador Alexander M Kadakin Russia has termed his meeting with Home Minister Shivraj Patil on Thursday as "warm and productive", and has drawn similarities in terrorist operations in Jammu and Kashmir and Chechnya. The ambassador did not specifically name any country but told reporters "they (terrorist) are being trained just behind your borders."

About his discussions he said a wide range of issues figured, including the fight against international terrorism. Observing that two countries have been "close friends" and cooperating in fighting the menace of terrorism, Kadakin said these ties could be further strengthened as there existed commonalities in the designs of terrorist operation in Jammu and Kashmir in Chechnya.
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It was a joke, says Vajpayee
…and the smile is on the face of the Tiger
Mumbai: Addressing the Bharatiya Janata Party's concluding session of its three-day national executive meeting for over 40 minutes, the former Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee: "I see that some people have lost the shine on their faces today. Perhaps, my remarks in Marathi yesterday are the reason." His response to the slogan Agli bari, Atal Bihari, raised by party workers was: "ata bari nako (no next time), pushkal jhale (enough is enough)."

Vajpayee however did not explain his other controversial sentence at the meeting: "For the first time I have been under attack (pehli baar mere upar baucharen pad rahi hain)." Vajpayee also said that while the successes of his Government in the areas of national highways and telecommunications were there, perhaps these issues were "not directly related to the ground realities of poor India." He admitted that somewhere, somehow, the party was not able to carry its message to and influence the poor voters.
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Reliance Industries strikes gas off Orissa coast
Mumbai: Reliance Industries has said that it has struck gas off the Orissa coast in its NEC-OSN-97/2 block. Initial estimates indicate in-place reserves of four to five trillion cubic feet. Canadian oil company Niko Resources is 10 per cent partner in this acreage.
The discoveries, which will be named Dhirubhai 9, Dhirubhai 10 and Dhirubhai 11, came after drilling 61 unsuccessful wells. RIL intends to invest Rs 2,500 crore on exploration and production over the next 24 to 30 months.

A development plan for producing 40 million cubic metres per day of gas from the KG basin block by year 2006-07 has been submitted to the Government. The company has already tied-up customers for 80 million cubic metres per day of this gas, he said.
The company also said that the company's Yemen find, announced last year would yield 50 to 60 million barrels of oil from three blocks and will begin production during this financial year.
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ONGC serves notice to Gail
New Delhi: Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has served a notice for termination of supplies to the Gail India Ltd and has asked the gas transporter to sign a Gas Sales Agreement (GSA) with take-or-pay commitments.ONGC currently has only a memorandum of understanding with Gail for supply of gas.

According to ONGC officials, the company issued the notice on May 5, as Gail did not stop gas supplies to seven State-owned companies in Gujarat, including Iffco, GSFC, GNFC and the Gujarat Electricity Board, which owe Rs 8,051 crore to ONGC.
Besides signing a GSA with minimum quantity commitment, ONGC also wants Gail to pay for LPG, ethane/propane that it extracts from its natural gas. Gail pays ONGC a producer price of Rs 2,150 per thousand cubic metres, which ONGC says is only the price for methane (C1) in natural gas.
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OVL gets clearance for investment in Sudan pipeline
New Delhi: The Government has accorded approval to ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL), the overseas arm of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), to invest $200 million in laying an oil pipeline in Sudan. OVL will be paid back for its investments in crude oil. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) cleared the signing of a pact with Khartoum that awards the 741-km long pipeline project to OVL.

The pact also gives a contract to India to revamp the refinery on a nomination basis, according to the Petroleum Minister, Mani Shankar Aiyer. According to officials, the OVL will hold 67 per cent stake in the pipeline project, while the remaining will be shared between Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) and Oil India Ltd (OIL). The 12-inch pipeline will evacuate gas oil and gasoline from the 50,000 barrels per day Khartoum refinery to Port Sudan.
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BHEL sets up 105 KW stand alone solar power plant
Bangalore: Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd has installed a stand-alone solar power plant in Mousuni island, West Bengal. The 105-KWp solar power plant, the country's largest such plant, was commissioned in association with the West Bengal Renewable Energy Development Agency (WBREDA).

Besides providing power to individual houses, school buildings and street lights, the plant also powers a deep tube well for providing clean drinking water. The company will operate and maintain the power plant for five years. The company has installed pre-paid energy meters for selling electricity to the consumers.
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