From: Press Information Bureau Ministry of I&B <pib.kolkata@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, Apr 20, 2010 at 3:31 PM
Subject: Releases..............pt4
Press Information Bureau
Government of India
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Ministry of Mines
Utilization of Funds Allocated for Bodoland Territorial Council
New Delhi: April 20, 2010
The Minister of Mines and Minister of Development of North Eastern Region Shri B.K. Handique has said that the total budget allocation and utilization of funds during each of the last three years in respect of Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) are as follows:
Rs. in Crore
| Sl. No. | Year | Budget Allocation
| Utilization of funds
|
| 1 | 2007 – 08 | 100.00 | 100.00 |
| 2 | 2008 – 09 | 100.00 | 67.03 |
| 3 | 2009 – 10 | 50.00 | 3.15 |
|
| Total | 250.00 | 170.18 |
He was replying to a written question in the Lok Sabha today.
nsk/db/dk/kol/15:20 hrs.
Press Information Bureau
Government of India
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Ministry of Home Affairs
Special Landing Permit/Pemission for Extension of Visa to be Granted to Foreigners Affected by Cancellation of Flights Due to Volcanic Eruption in Iceland
New Delhi: April 20, 2010
Affected by Cancellation of Flights Due to Volcanic Eruption in Iceland A large number of foreigners are stranded at different airports in India due to cancellation of flights on account of volcanic eruption in Iceland. To avoid hardship to such legitimate foreign travellers, it has been decided to allow special landing permit/extension of Visa to them for a maximum period of 14 days without charging any fees. Such powers for extension of visa or issue of special landing permits can be exercised by Immigration officers, not below the rank of Inspector of Police, posted at the airports.
ok/ks/dk/kol/15:21 hrs.
Press Information Bureau
Government of India
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Ministry of Rural Development
Contracts of Mnregs Work
New Delhi: April 20, 2010
Mahatma Gandhi NREGA provides that the Scheme shall not permit engaging any contractor for implementation of the projects under it (Para 11 of Schedule-I of the act).In addition the para 12 of Schedule-I of Mahatma Gandhi NREGA clearly states that the use of machinery is not allowed under the Act. The Ministry has however, received complaints regarding use of machinery under the Act in some States. One such complaint has been received in respect of Orissa.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Rural Development Shri Pradeep Jain 'Aditya' in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today.
akt//st/sak/dk/kol/15:21 hrs.
Press Information Bureau
Government of India
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Ministry of Rural Development
Payment of Wages and Unemployment Allowance Under Mnregs
New Delhi: April 20, 2010
The Government has requested the States to adopt Business Correspondent model in areas not served by Banks and Post Offices for the disbursement of wages under Mahatma Gandhi NREGA. A communication in this regard has been sent to the states by the Ministry of Rural Development on 4.3.2010 with a view to adhere to the twin legal mandate of wage payment within the stipulated time period of 15 days as well as wage disbursement through institutional accounts. This was informed by the Minister of State for Rural Development Shri Pradeep Jain 'Aditya' in written response to a query in Rajya Sabha today.
The Minister also informed the House that the Ministry had issued advisories dated 27.10 09 to the States affected by Left Wing Extremism to meet employment demand in accordance with provisions of the Act.
akt//st/sak/dk/kol/15:21 hrs.
Press Information Bureau
Government of India
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Ministry of Rural Development
Wage Index for Mahatma Gandhi Nreg
New Delhi: April 20, 2010
The Ministry of Rural Development has requested Ministry of Labour and Employment to form a group to examine the issue of creating a separate price index for the beneficiaries of Mahatma Gandhi NREGA. This was informed by the Minister of State for Rural Development Shri Pradeep Jain 'Aditya' in written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today.
The house was also informed that the Ministry of Rural Development has not constituted any committee of experts to look into lacunae in the implementation of its flagship job guarantee program.
akt//st/sak (rsuq2730)/dk/kol/15:21 hrs.
Press Information Bureau
Government of India
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Ministry of Mines
Tourism Oriented Projects at Barpeta
New Delhi: April 20, 2010
The Minister of Mines and Minister of Development of North Eastern Region Shri B.K. Handique has said that development and promotion of tourism is undertaken primarily by the State Governments/Union Territory Administration (UTA). The Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India extends financial assistance to the State Governments/UTA for tourism related projects which are identified in consultation with them under various schemes of the Ministry.
In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha yesterday he said, project proposals received from the State Governments/UTAs that are complete in all respects are examined as per scheme guideline and are approved on the basis of inter-se priority and funds are released subject to availability, under respective head of account.
The Minister said, Ministry of Tourism has sanctioned an amount of Rs.497.94 lakh to the Government of Assam in the year 2007-08 for development of tourist circuit (Western Assam Circuit), Dhubri-Mahamay-Barpeta-Aizawl, Assam.
nsk/db/dk/kol/15:22 hrs.
Press Information Bureau
Government of India
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Ministry of Mines
Look East Policy
New Delhi: April 20, 2010
The Minister of Mines and Minister of Development of North Eastern Region Shri B.K. Handique has said that the rationale of India's Look East Policy is, inter-alia, to expand India's economic space which may be of mutual benefit to India and its neighboring South East and East Asian countries.
In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha yesterday he said, the Look East Policy is pursued in a multi-faceted manner in diverse areas such as improved connectivity, promotion of trade and investment and cultural exchanges. Some of the important developments of the Look East Policy, interalia, relate to initiating/resuming dialogue/trade with China, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand and other countries of ASEAN.
Shri Handique said, the Look East Policy has also been pursued through constructive engagement with various regional groupings/organizations such as ASEAN, East Asia Summit, Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) and Mekong-Ganga Cooperation (MGC). Various initiatives taken by the Government of India , in this regard are :-
India-ASEAN
India has undertaken a number of initiatives to strengthen economic cooperation with ASEAN countries in areas of common interest. India signed a 'Trade in Goods' agreement with ASEAN in 2009, which became operational from 1 January, 2010. Agreements on Trade in Services and Investment as part of FTA are the focal areas. India is also negotiating an Free Trade Agreement (FTA ) with Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC).The agreement on trade in goods has come into force from 1st January 2010, following ratification by Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. India's bilateral trade with ASEAN countries has grown from US$ 2.4 billion in 1990 to US$ 44.66 billion in 2008-09. So far, 7 Summit level meetings with ASEAN have been held. At the 7th ASEAN-India Summit, held in Thailand in October, 2009, among several initiatives to strengthen economic cooperation with ASEAN countries, the trade target of US$ 70 billion within next two years (by 2012) was also announced. To support all the initiatives, India announced allocation up to US$ 50 million for the period of the ASEAN work plan for 2009-15 under the ASEAN-India Cooperation Fund and the ASEAN Development Fund.
East Asia Summit (EAS)
The concept of an East Asia Grouping was first promoted in 1991 by then Malaysian Prime Minister. It provides India the forum to carve out for itself a larger East Asian strategic presence and taking forward our vision for the future. Thrust areas of EAS include (i) Energy, Environment, Climate Change & Sustainable Development, (ii) Education, (iii) Finance, (iv) Natural Disaster Mitigation and (v) Avian Influenza. Four summits of EAS have been held so far.
Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC)
Bangladesh, India Sri Lanka, Thailand Economic Cooperation (BISTEC) Grouping formed in 1997 was another vehicle to pursue our "Look East Policy". BIMSTEC has seven members – Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand. BIMSTEC provides a link between South Asia and South East Asia by way of economic cooperation and linkages in identified areas of cooperation. Starting with 6 sectors, the BIMSTEC agenda of cooperation has expanded to 14 sectors : i) trade and investment (ii) Technology (iii) Energy (iv) Transportation & Communication (v) Tourism (vi) Fisheries (vii) Agriculture (viii) Cultural Cooperation (ix) Environment and Disaster Management (x) Public Health (xi) People-to-people contact (xii) Poverty Alleviation (xiii) Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime and (xiv) Climate Change.
Mekong Ganga Cooperation (MGC)
The Mekong-Ganga Cooperation (MGC) brings together India and five ASEAN countries and was launched in 2000. MGC initiative is a vehicle for 'soft diplomacy' in countries that have had considerable cultural influence from India. Both the Ganga and the Mekong are ancient rivers and the MGC initiative is indicative of the cultural and commercial linkages between the member countries of the MGC down the centuries. MGC has identified tourism, culture, education and transport & communication as priority areas of cooperation. Five meetings of the MGC have been held so far.
Thus, the Government of India through initiatives under the Look East Policy is striving to attract optimum investments from the neighbouring countries to the North Eastern Region, which will be visible in the long run.
The Minister said, to actualize the dreams enunciated in the NER Vision 2020, the Ministry of Development of North-Eastern Region has constituted 17 Thematic Working Groups which are headed by officials of the line Ministries and also includes representatives of State Governments of the North–Eastern States, various other organizations and eminent experts. These Thematic Working Groups have been constituted on various sectors which include Look East Policy, Industry, Connectivity (major roads), Connectivity (inland waterways), Connectivity (air), Connectivity (railways), Connectivity (rural roads), Financial Services, Panchayati Raj & Local Self Government, Poverty Eradication, Human Resource Development, Tourism, IT enabled services and Cyber Connectivity, Power, Health, Rural Sector, Sports, Art & Culture. These Thematic Working Groups have prepared sectoral Plans of Action based on the objectives in the Vision Document. These plans of action were presented before public representatives and media of the North East in Shillong in 2008. After the Action Plans are finalized by the Thematic Groups, these will be implemented by different Ministries in the North Eastern region from the gross budgetary allocation made to them by the Planning Commission.
nsk/db/dk/kol/15:22 hrs.
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Palash Biswas
Pl Read:
http://nandigramunited-banga.blogspot.com/
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