BSNL service for Maharashtra election results
Hyderabad: Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd, in association with VoiceGate Technologies India, would provide the facility of announcing results of the Assembly elections in Maharashtra and by-elections in Andhra Pradesh on October 16.

The 60-second pulse rate-based service would also enable callers to get information on the winners and losers in the said elections in Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. Interested callers can call on 1255224 to get the required information, while callers from outside the twin cities and within Andhra Pradesh would have to dial 95/0401255224 for the same.
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No hike in oil prices for another fortnight
New Delhi: The Government has decided against increasing petrol and diesel prices and has asked the public sector oil companies to bear the burden for another fortnight.

"The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has decided that for now, the prices of all petroleum products will be held at the same level. There will be no increase for this fortnight," the Petroleum Minister, Mani Shankar Aiyar, told reporters after the CCEA meeting.

The CCEA also decided against any changes in duties on crude oil and petroleum products.

The minister said that a Finance Ministry committee, headed by the Chief Economic Advisor, Ashok Lahiri, is looking at duty recast in the entire oil sector and changes in the duty structure could only be considered after the committee submits its report.

The minister added that a decision on revising prices was not taken due to the absence of senior ministers such as Sharad Pawar, of the Nationalist Congress Party, and Lalu Prasad Yadav, of the Rashtriya Janata Dal.
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Exports grow 24.39 per cent for H1 -Trade deficit at record high
New Delhi: Overtaking the 2004-05 export target of 16 per cent in dollar terms, the country's exports during the first half of the fiscal (April to September) registered a hefty 24.39 per growth at $33,750.1 million, against $27,132.61 million in the corresponding months of 2003.

Provisional trade figures put out by the Directorate of Commercial Intelligence & Statistics (DGCI&S) Kolkata show that the country's exports in the month of September, 2004, the latest available, crossed the $6-billion mark for a single month, logging a growth of 17.39 per cent at $6,198.38 million, against $5,280.13 million in September 2003.

In rupee terms, exports during the first half of the current fiscal fetched Rs1,53,771.24 crore, against Rs1,26,164 crore in the corresponding months of 2003-04, while in the month of September, 2004 exports receipts amounted to Rs28,571.45 crore, against Rs24,207.86 crore in the corresponding month of 2003.

The country's imports during the first half of the current fiscal are estimated at $46,404.29 million, representing an increase of 34.29 per cent over the level of imports valued at $34,554.76 million in April-September 2003-04.

Imports during September 2004 are valued at $8,585.22 million representing an increase of 41.20 per cent over the level of imports valued at $6,080.32 million in September 2003.

The major chunk of import bill was accounted for by oil imports which saw a jump of 57.78 per cent during the first half of the current fiscal at $14,539.29 million, against $9,214.98 million, fuelled by rise in global crude prices which in recent days has pierced the $50 per barrel ceiling.

Non-oil imports during the first half of the 2004-05 fiscal are estimated at $31,865 million which is 25.75 per cent higher than the level of such imports valued at $25,339.78 million in April to September 2003-04.

The high growth in both exports and imports has resulted in a record trade deficit for the first half of the current fiscal, which at $12,654.28 million is running far ahead of the deficit of $7,422.15 million during April-September 2003-04.
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Inflation declines further for October
New Delhi: The annual wholesale price index-based inflation rate dipped marginally to 7.2 per cent for the week ended October 2 from the previous week's level of 7.38 per cent.

The year-on-year inflation rate declined as fuel prices fell marginally by 0.2 per cent, despite international crude oil prices crossing the $50-a-barrel-mark, according to data released by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry on Friday.

The index of Primary Articles' group was up by 0.1 per cent to 191.6 points due to food items turning costlier. The Fuel, Power, Light and Lubricants' group index fell marginally by 0.2 per cent to 281 points due to cheaper furnace oil (four per cent), lubricants (three per cent) and naphtha (one per cent). The index of Manufactured Products' group stood unchanged at the previous week's level of 167.6 points despite cheaper food items, paper and transport equipment.

The Government has revised upwards inflation to 8.3 per cent for the week ended August 7, compared to the provisional level of 7.96 per cent. The WPI stood corrected at 187.8 points during the first week of August as against the provisional level of 187.2 points.
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