From: Press Information Bureau Ministry of I&B <pib.kolkata@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, Oct 28, 2010 at 4:15 PM
Subject: Releases.........pt3
Press Information Bureau
Government of India
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Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution
CWC Records Impressive Performance
Pays Dividend of Rs. 14.22 Crore to Government
New Delhi: October 28, 2010.
The Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC) presented a cheque of Rs. 14.22 crore as dividend for the year 2009-10 to Shri Sharad Pawar, Minister of Agriculture, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution here today. The cheque was presented by its Managing Director, Shri B.B. Pattanaik.
Speaking on the occasion, the Minister expressed happiness over the CWC's record turnover. Shri Pawar said, the CWC has augmented its storage capacity by about 1 lakh tonne during the year mostly for food grain stocks besides increasing its capacity utilization. The Minister said, it is praise worthy that in spite of the economic slowdown and increase in operating expenses, CWC achieved a post tax profit of Rs. 130.52 and declared an all time high dividend of 38% as against 30% paid during the year.
CWC posted yet another record turnover of Rs.987.95 crore during 2009-10 as against Rs.849.25 crore during the preceding year, thus posting a growth of 16.33%. This impressive performance could be achieved due to increase in capacity utilization (occupancy) to 85% as against 82% achieved during previous year. Besides, handling of containers at CFSs/ICDs and revenue earned out of Container Rail Transport operations and Pest Control activities also registered growth.
CWC has a massive plan of construction of godowns on its own land to the extent of 1.87 lakh tonne during current financial year and 2.13 lakh tonne during 2011-12 mostly for storage of food grain stocks besides creating 5.82 lakh tonne under PEG-2009 in the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra and Kerala. It has other diversification plans into the areas of infrastructure for EXIM trade, cold chain logistics, operating container trains etc. CWC is also exploring several new avenues in the fields of Warehouse Receipt Financing and Warehousing and Logistics Consultancy.
mp:sb:cp: cwc dividend (28.10.2010)/dk/kol/16:10 hrs.
Press Information Bureau
Government of India
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Ministry of Human Resource Development
Yale University Enters into Partnership with IIT Kanpur and IIM Khozikhode for Developing Leadership Programmes
New Delhi: October 28, 2010.
Indian Institute of Management (IIM)-Kozhikode, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) – Kanpur and Yale University, USA have entered into a partnership to advance higher education in India through academic leadership development programmes for higher education leaders in India and through research on Indian higher education. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between Dr. Richard Levin, President of Yale University, Dr. Debashis Chatterjee, Director of IIM – Kozhihode, and Dr. Sanjay Dhande, Director of IIT – Kanpur in the presence of Shri Kapil Sibal, Union Minister for Human Resource Development and Smt. D. Purandeswari, Minister of State for HRD, here today.
Speaking on the occasion, Shri Kapil Sibal said that this partnership, which will take effect from January 2011, will be sited in two new Centres of Excellence for Academic Leadership (CEAL) to be established at IIM – Kozhikode and IIT – Kanpur. The partnership will begin with a term of five years, and could be renewed thereafter, he added. He also said that a six member committee with equal participation from the three partnering institutes will determine the norms/qualifications for participating in these leadership programmes.
The flagship programme of the partnership will be a new "India – Yale University Leadership Programme," to be developed by Yale University in consultation with IIM – Kozhikode and IIT – Kanpur, that will expose university and academic leaders in India at the levels of vice-chancellor, director, and deans to the best practices of academic administration and institutional management in the United States. Yale University, IIM – Kozhikode, and IIT – Kanpur would also engage in joint faculty research on higher education and collaborate to organize workshops and seminars on relevant areas of academic administration and leadership. The first programmes under the agreement would take place in 2011 in New Haven, Connecticut.
Yale President Richard Levin stated, "Yale is pleased to undertake this important and much needed effort on higher education with IIM – Kozhikode and IIT – Kanpur. We look forward to working with them to advance the cause of higher education in India by sharing what we have learned over three centuries as an institution and we similarly look forward to learning from our partners in India in this age of global education."
mv/hb/dk/kol/16:10 hrs.
Press Information Bureau
Government of India
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Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions
Shri Anil Kumar Appointed Secretary Ayush
New Delhi: October 28, 2010.
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of Shri Anil Kumar, IAS (NL:76), presently Principal Adviser, Planning Commission as Secretary, Department of AYUSH, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare vice Smt. S.Jalaja, IAS(BH:74), on her retirement on 31st October, 2010.
rs/sr/dk/kol/16:10 hrs.
Press Information Bureau
Government of India
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Ministry of Railways
Railways Intensifies Drive Against Touts
New Delhi: October 28, 2010.
In special drives, Railways have apprehended 1368 touts involved in selling tickets unauthorisedly in the recent past. Of these, 64 have been nabbed in Delhi alone. They were found indulging in black marketing of tickets, particularly during the ongoing festive season.
Major drives against this nefarious activity have been launched by the Commercial Department of the Railways along with Railway Protection Force and Vigilance officials. Checks are being conducted by special teams during the peak ticketing period at major locations like Delhi, Mumbai, Lucknow, Varanasi, Kolkata, Chennai and other important locations all over the country. A strict watch is being kept by special teams at State capitals and important cities, particularly during the rush hour, i.e. from 7.30 am to 9.00 am. An action plan has been drafted as a result of which squads of Commercial Officers and Ticket Checking staff has been formed to conduct special surprise checks at stations, reservation centres and also in trains to curb the activity of anti-social elements such as touts. Monitoring of these teams is being done at top management level. Railways will continue to maintain a tight vigil against such activities to enable smooth and hassle-free journey of passengers particularly during the festival of Diwali and Chat Puja.
aks/hk/lk/tr/dk/kol/16:11 hrs.
Press Information Bureau
Government of India
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Ministry of Railways
Railways Observe Vigilance awareness Period
New Delhi: October 28, 2010.
The observance of Vigilance Awareness Period, 2010 commenced on 25th October 2010 all over Indian Railways with a Pledge taking ceremony by officers and staff. A special function was organized at the Railway Board where Shri Vivek Sahai, Chairman, Railway Board, administered the Pledge to a large gathering of Railway staff and officers.
'Chetna Aahwan', a souvenir of the Vigilance Directorate of Railway Board was also released by Chairman, Railway Board on this occasion to commemorate the occasion and also to bring about awareness amongst the railway men on vigilance related issues. Similar Pledge has been taken at various Zonal Railway Headquarters and other important offices of Indian Railways. The Pledge is aimed to sensitize and educate the public servants about the dangers of corruption, as corruption is anti-national, anti-poor and anti-economic development.
Banners and multi-coloured posters with catchy slogans have been displayed for creating vigilance awareness amongst railway men. During this Vigilance Awareness Period which will continue upto 1st November 2010 various seminars, debates/lectures, essay competitions, plays etc. on anti-corruption topics are being organized by the field units of the Railways.
In addition, for the convenience of railway passengers, initiative of 'Mobile Helpline' has been introduced. Vigilance officials are always available 24x7 on the Mobile Helpline No.155210 on which traveling passengers can lodge their complaints of bribery/corruption against Railwaymen. Wherever possible, action is taken on real time basis for redressal of their grievances.
aks/hk/lk/tr/dk/kol/16:11 hrs.
Press Information Bureau
Government of India
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Ministry of Women and Child Development
Legislation for "Protection of Women from Sexual Harassment at the Workplace" Soon, Says Minister of State for Women and Child Development (Independent Charge) Smt. Krishna Tirath at the Meeting of State Secretaries
New Delhi: October 28, 2010.
A two-day meeting of the State Secretaries in charge of Women and Child Development was inaugurated in New Delhi today by Minister of State for Women and Child Development (Independent Charge) Smt. Krishna Tirath. The meeting has been convened to review the progress in implementation of Central schemes of the Ministry and to roll out the two new schemes recently approved by the Cabinet.
Following is the text of the Speech of Minister of State for Women and Child Development (Independent Charge) Smt. Krishna Tirath at the meeting of State Secretaries:
"Secretary, Women and Child development, Shri D. K. Sikri, State Secretaries and Officers from State Governments, Officers from the Ministry of Women and Child Development, organizations affiliated to our Ministry, and other esteemed guests and dear friends…
First of all, I welcome you all to this meeting. We have assembled here today to discuss a number of important issues. I am especially thankful that all of you are here to attend this meeting despite your busy schedule. As you all know, our work at the Centre and in the States for women and children is a shared responsibility, which requires the highest degree of commitment, collaboration and transparency from all of us. The services provided by us must reach the unserved and underserved and all those targeted under the Schemes and programmes of the Government. I look to each one of you to collectively work towards achieving the mandate of ensuring overall survival, development, protection and participation of women and children of the country.
Since our last meeting in June with the State Ministers and all of you there has been considerable movement forward. It gives me great pleasure to share these with you.
At the outset, it is a source of hope and pride for me to state that the Cabinet has given approval two very important Schemes of the Ministry - the 'Rajiv Gandhi Scheme for Empowerment of Adolescent Girls – 'SABLA' and the 'Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahyog Yojana' (IGMSY in short). The States, having been a part of the consultative process in formulation of the schemes, have been enthusiastically looking forward to their launch and it gives me great pleasure to share this moment with you.
Both these schemes cater to two very vulnerable groups amongst both women and children, namely, adolescent girls and pregnant working women. Whereas SABLA aims to address the needs of adolescent girls in the age group of 11-18 years, the IGMSY looks to secure social protection for pregnant working women by providing part compensation of wage losses incurred due to pregnancy and post delivery circumstances.
SABLA has been approved for implementation in 200 districts; to begin with on a pilot basis. It is being launched on 19th November, 2010 in the country. Expansion of this scheme in the 12th Plan period would depend mainly on its successful implementation in the pilot phase. Keeping in mind the vulnerable age group that it caters to, I urge you to give this Scheme the highest attention it deserves at the pilot stage so that it can be continued and expanded in the next Plan period. The Scheme will focus on creating Kishori Samoohs, starting non- nutrition interventions, establishing convergence with various departments and create monitoring and supervision committees for the same. As the efficacy of all these initiatives would depend on creating widespread awareness in the States regarding the Scheme, I urge all of you to ensure that information, about the importance of these interventions and the services provided for in the Scheme, is spread to all stakeholders especially the larger community in the pilot districts. We have hope that Sabala will create generations of empowered young women who will transform their own lives and better the existence of the communities they live in.
It also gives me immense satisfaction to tell you that the 'Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahyog Yojana' (IGMSY) will also be launched soon. It is a pioneering effort of conditional cash transfer at a scale not envisaged earlier. It is, as many of you must be well aware already, a scheme that provides part compensation of wage losses to pregnant working women and thereby aims to help them to take adequate rest and look after the health and nutrition status of both their infant and their own. The scheme is to be implemented in 52 districts shortly and like SABALA, its expansion would depend on quality of implementation at the pilot stage. Through this Scheme, pregnant and lactating women would be provided cash benefits of Rs.4,000/- each in three phases, starting from the end of the 2nd trimester, upto 6 months and after delivery, dependent on certain conditions, which we sincerely hope would foster health seeking behavior amongst them. I cannot emphasise enough that expansion of these services would depend on the success of the pilot. We are looking towards all the State Governments/UT Administrations to provide full support so that these benefits can be made universal at the earliest. I am sure you will appreciate that both these schemes will combine with the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) to tackle the vicious cycle of intergenerational malnutrition across age groups, through a continuum of services. It is essential therefore that these Schemes deliver and thereby serve the purpose for which they have been conceived.
Tremendous progress has been made towards framing a law that would ensure gender equality and safety for women at the workplace. We will soon have legislation for "Protection of Women from Sexual harassment at the Workplace" in place. The EFC has cleared the Scheme for financial and support services to victims of rape" – a scheme for restorative justice. It is expected to be notified soon. We are taking all these steps to move towards creating a gender just society.
As you all know, the ICDS is one of the worlds' largest and most unique programmes for Early Childhood Care and also education. The 3rd phase of expansion has resulted in more than 12.14 lakh operational Anganwadi Centres through 6575 Projects.
However, I must share my concern with you regarding the quality of services. With all the resources available to us, it is now for us to take the Scheme to the next level, by ensuring that the services, actually reach the targeted beneficiaries; the delivering of SNP is timely and uninterrupted and that there is no compromise with quality. We should see the challenges as an inspiration for better implementation of the Scheme. I have expressed the concerns of the Ministry, about quality and regularity of services, to many of the States individually. I urge you to share the difficulties being faced freely so that solutions can be thought of.
While the Ministry of Women and Child Development is deeply committed to the well being and protection of the over 4400 lakh children in our country, we realize that we cannot put a protection system in place without proactive participation of the State Governments/UT Administrations. Once implemented in its true spirit, the Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS) which gives financial and technical assistance to State Governments, to set up structures for provision of quality services for children in difficult circumstances, would ensure that such children are safe and secure in this country. 28 States have signed MOUs till date with GOI to access funds under the Scheme. I urge upon all the remaining States/UTs to do it and to those who have signed to submit their proposal in time. Twelve financial proposals have been received for the current year for release of grants. I urge all other States to expedite their proposals.
Besides, we will be reviewing the implementation of the 'Protection of Women from Domestic Violence, Act'. Any violence against women is reprehensible. There cannot be a more heinous crime than violence at home which destroys both the woman and the family. All the State Governments have appointed Protection Officers and there are 6560 Protection Officers in position today. However, in States where Social Welfare Officers, CDPOs etc. have been given additional charge of being Protection Officer, independent Protection Officers with adequate infrastructural support, may be appointed at the earliest. They will be able to discharge their responsibilities under the Act effectively only then. Alongside the States may notify service providers and medical facilities under this Act, without further delay.
Increased employment opportunities and Government initiatives on education, have led to an increase of women in the work force. Nevertheless, they continue to fulfill dual responsibilities – that of the bread winner and home-maker. The Rajiv Gandhi National Creche Scheme (RGNCS) for children of working mothers provides day care services primarily to children of mothers working in the unorganized sector. However the reach of the service is still limited. This leads to either children being left with inadequate care while their mothers are at work, or women avoiding gainful employment to look after their children at home. Moreover, recent reviews have highlighted the inadequacy of the procedures for assessment of demand, selection of NGOs and workers and monitoring, as these are mostly internally driven. A Committee to suggest improvements in the Scheme has recommended increased involvement of the State Governments in the implementation of the scheme to address these issues. States had accordingly been requested to carry out a demand survey and conduct inspection of existing crèches. We are still awaiting a response from all of you.
We are here today to share our concerns and to also see how we can move forward. I would urge all of you to please share your information and concerns regarding all other issues (such as foeticide and Child Marriage) and interventions (Swadhar, Step and Ujwala Scheme) in your State, so that we can together think of solutions to the challenges being faced.
Let us all open our hearts and minds and realize the magnitude of the responsibility placed on each one of us. I wish you all the best for the discussions to follow and look towards all of you to make our common dream of an India where even the most vulnerable and voiceless are holders of rights and realize their aspirations and dreams, a reality. "
ysk: pm/dk/kol/16:11 hrs.
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Palash Biswas
Pl Read:
http://nandigramunited-banga.blogspot.com/
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