Delhi HC stops BSNL from awarding GSM deal
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has restrained Bharat Sanchar Nigam (BSNL) from awarding any contract for its GSM network expansion till the next hearing on November 16. This was on the basis of a petition filed by Motorola, which was disqualified by BSNL on technical parameters from participating in the bidding. (See: BSNL restrained from awarding GSM contract)

Last month BSNL had opened bids for the mega expansion of its GSM network to add over 45 million lines over a period of three years at an estimated cost of about Rs20,000 crore.

In the bidding Ericsson had emerged as the lowest bidder followed by Nokia of Finland.
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Global wheat shortage expected
New Delhi: A global wheat shortage has sent off alarm bells in the government just when two major wheat-producing and consuming states are set for elections.

A report by the United States Department of Agriculture predicts a grim global outlook for wheat in the coming year because production forecasts for several countries that have finished harvesting have been revised downward.

The Australian Wheat Board (AWB) has already announced that a severe drought in Australia may cut the country's wheat output in 2006-07 by almost 64 per cent over last year and Australia may be forced to import feed grain to meet its local demand.

Ukraine, a major wheat producer, too, has suspended export of wheat.

China's wheat production has fallen by 1.5 million tonnes to 103.5 million tonnes with small downward revisions in area and yield.

The wheat crop in Brazil is also said to have failed.

The report warns that despite a small increase in wheat production in Canada, the US and South Africa, global wheat production next year is set to come down.

This is causing the government to go into a procurement overdrive.

Finance Minister P Chidambaram has warned the agricultural ministry that importing more wheat could cost India considerably more than what it had paid this year. India is importing 5.5 million tonnes (of which around 2.4 million tonnes have arrived till October 31) at an estimated bill of around Rs4,700 crore.
Though the government has increased the minimum support price for wheat to Rs750 a quintal, futures prices have touched Rs1,100 and continue to climb.

Early and large procurement by the Food Corporation of India next March, when the wheat crop is harvested, alone would ensure India did not face a wheat crisis, the sources added. The ball, they said, was now in the agriculture minister's court.

The government knows a wheat shortage could have major repercussions in the Assembly elections in the wheat-producing states of Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, due early next year.
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NHDP projects worth Rs4,439-crore get approval
New Delhi: The Public Private Partnership Appraisal Committee (PPPAC) has approved nine highway projects with an investment of Rs4,439 crore under the third phase of the National Highway Development Programme(NHDP).

The committee has so far approved 10 highway projects of NHAI involving a total investment of more than Rs5,000 crore and also a port sector project.

The committee cleared the setting up of an iron ore handling facility on build, operate and transfer (BOT) basis at New Mangalore port at a total cost of Rs103 crore.

The committee also cleared six and four laning of the NH-10 section from Delhi-Haryana border to Rohtak, including theconstruction of Bahadurgarh and Rohtak bypasses on BOT basis, whose project cost is estimated at Rs441 crore.

Four laning from the junction of NH-68 with NH-7 near Salem to the junction of NH-68 with NH-45 near Ulundrupet, at a project cost of Rs941 crore was also cleared by the committee.
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