25-08-09

Mining – India

1. JSW to double Jaigarh port capacity to 20 mt
2. Shimoga: CM Admits Helplessness in Stopping Illegal Mining in Bellary
3. Assembly panel for strict mines monitor
4. Lanco in talks with Indonesian co to buy thermal coal unit
5. Shillong nod to mining basics
6. Director of mines gets bail
7. Govt pursuing coal asset acquisition in Australia

Mining – International

8. Namibia: Diamond mine decline
9. Eight dead in Ukraine coal mine blast: officials
10. Mining communities should reap more benefits-Ayittey
11. Tensions ease as miners make up
12. Deadly blast at China coal mine
13. BHP Billiton cuts 70 jobs at Australia nickel mine

Other News

14. MAJOR PENALTY PROCEEDINGS RECOMMENED AGAINST 135 OFFICE
15. Area under pulses more than last year; paddy down by 68 LHa
16. Statistical data vital for assessing impact of policy measures and identifying gaps
17. ET Awards 2008-09: Policy Change Agent of the Year- Jean Dreze
18. NREGS overhaul hits roadblock
19. 25 farmers commit suicide in Andhra Pradesh

Mining – India

JSW to double Jaigarh port capacity to 20 mt

Khushboo Tanna / DNA
Monday, August 24, 2009 22:49 IST
Email

Mumbai: JSW Jaigarh Port, a wholly owned subsidiary of JSW Infrastructure & Logistics, plans to double cargo handling capacity to 20 million tonnes after completion of the second phase of expansion.

Phase II will involve mechanisation of the berth at an investment of Rs 150 crore. Another Rs 300 crore will be spent on dredging to 18.5 metres from the current 14 meters.
The port, which was inaugurated on August 22, has been designed to handle Capesize vessels, with berths which will accommodate seven ships. It will mainly cater to the coal requirements of JSW's Energy's 1200 mw power plant. Apart from coal, it plans to handle fertilisers, bauxite and raw sugar as well.
B V J K Sharma, joint managing director and chief executive officer, JSW Infrastructure, said, "The current berth can accommodate two Capesize vessels and half of berth I is being mechanised."
The company has also proposed a 47 km railway line from Jaigarh to Bokhe, which the Konkan Railway is currently considering. The total cost of the project, including development of the port and railway line, is around Rs 2,500 crore.
The port has a capacity to handle 10 million tonnes of cargo after completion of Phase I. Of the Rs 677 crore spent in this phase, Rs 177 crore was raised through equity and the rest was debt.
As far as JSW Energy's power plant is concerned, the first unit (300 MW) will be commissioned in January 2010, and three units (of 300 MW each) will be commissioned after a gap of three months each.

http://www.dnaindia.com/money/report_jsw-to-double-jaigarh-port-capacity-to-20-mt_1284938

Shimoga: CM Admits Helplessness in Stopping Illegal Mining in Bellary


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Daijiworld Media Network - Shimoga (SP)
Shimoga, Aug 25: "In spite of being the Chief Minister of the state, and although I am aware that thousands of tonnes of iron ore gets transported illegally from Bellary district, I have failed to plug it," admitted state Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa. He was speaking at the progress review meeting of the district conducted here on Monday August 24.
He said this, after turning his ire at the forest department officials, against whom the peoples' representatives had complained. The members of local bodies and others had said that the development activities in the district are suffering for want of crushed stone. They had pointed out that the blocks of stones are found in the district only in forest lands and that the forest officials have been rigid in not allowing quarrying in forest lands.
Yeddyurappa said, he is aware that mining is going in forest land in Bellary on a large scale. He added that because of his helplessness in containing this activity, he decided to raise the value of the iron ore, so that the government could increase its income. At the same time, he claimed, his is the only government to have not granted any fresh mining licences. So, he advised the forest officials here, not to create problems for purposes that are for the general well being of the people and also where poor people are involved.
His advice to the forest officials was received with thunderous applause from those present at the meeting.

http://www.daijiworld.com/news/news_disp.asp?n_id=64659&n_tit=Shimoga:+CM+Admits+Helplessness+in+Stopping+Illegal+Mining+in+Bellary

Assembly panel for strict mines monitor
SUBRAT DAS


Legal steps?
Bhubaneswar, Aug. 24: The Assembly standing committee relating to steel and mines department has recommended for strengthening enforcement mechanism to prevent illegal mining and transportation of minerals.
“Strengthening of the enforcement mechanism and mineral administration and establishment of check gates is very much essential to curb illegal mining and transportation of minerals,” observed the committee, headed by senior BJD legislator Usha Devi.
An ad hoc provision of Rs 20 lakh in the supplementary budget was recommended by the standing committee for it.
Under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulations) Act and the relevant rules, the state government is required to set up check gates for monitoring minerals under transit and install weighbridges to measure the quantity of minerals being transported.
However, the CAG report for 2007-08 had revealed that there were no check gates in six out of eight circles covered by the audit and no government weighbridges in four circles. The state government, in its reply, had informed the CAG that steps were being taken to install more weighbridges and check gates, but it was not implemented.
The Assembly committee also found that the enforcement mechanism of the department was woefully inadequate as evident from the fact that at least 323 posts out of total sanctioned strength of 1,453 were lying vacant in the department. It recommended that the vacancies be filled up immediately.
The recommendations assume significance in the wake of detection of large-scale illegal mining in Keonjhar district by the vigilance bureau leading to recent arrest of eight officials and mines operators.
A preliminary vigilance report, which was submitted to the state government on August 7, revealed that illegal mining was going on in Keonjhar district in connivance with officials of the mines and forest departments.
A private firm, which was liquidated long ago, was allowed to guard the manganese mine area by the directorate of mines by violating norms, revealed the report. The vigilance team found evidence of illegal mining activities by the firm without forest or pollution clearance, it said.
Criminal cases were registered against seven mines and forest department officials who had allegedly encouraged such illegal activities. A mines operator and the officials were also arrested.
Even mines director R.N. Sahoo came under vigilance scanner as one of the prime witnesses in the alleged multi-crore mining scam.
Vigilance inquiry had been ordered by chief minister Naveen Patnaik after the alleged scam rocked the Assembly.

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090825/jsp/nation/story_11402637.jsp

Lanco in talks with Indonesian co to buy thermal coal unit
25 Aug 2009, 0012 hrs IST, Pramugdha Mamgain, ET Bureau

NEW DELHI: Infrastructure company Lanco Infratech is in advance talks with Indonesian engineering, procurement and construction services provider

PT Truba Alam Manunggal to acquire its thermal coal mine in South Sumatra for $80-90 million, said a person with direct knowledge of the development.

The Lanco Infratech spokesman declined to comment on the development. But a person privy to the company’s plan said: “Lanco Infratech is in talks with not just one but multiple companies in Indonesia, South Africa and Australia. The company’s requirement of thermal coal is around 400 million tonne now.”

Thermal coal is a key raw material used for power generation, a sector Lanco has interest in. The talks, if successful, will give Lanco Infratech access to 140 million tonne of coal reserves, which will help meet its raw material requirement for a proposed coal-based power project in Karnataka. The acquisition will also help the Indian firm optimise the overall cost of producing power.

The deal between the two is being facilitated by Hindustan Global Resources, an Australian firm engaged in exploration, mining and consulting. The firm, owned by a group of non-resident Indians, has also told Lanco Infratech that it would help the Indian company develop the mine once the deal is sealed.

In the past few years, power companies have become active in scouting for coal mines overseas due to the unavailability of good coal in India.

Early this year, GMR Infrastructure acquired Indonesian coal company PT Barasentosa Lestari to ensure coal supply for its proposed 1,500 MW power plant on the western coast. Last month, Jindal Steel and Power bought a thermal coal mine in South Africa.

A steel analyst based in Delhi, who did not wish to be quoted, feels getting access to coal mines in India is not easy. This is because there’s a lot of paper work and a long waiting period involved, and even after the tedious wait, there’s no guarantee the company will get access to the mine. Secondly, coal in India is found in forests and areas inhabited by tribes, which will be disturbed by mining.

“We have identified a few coal blocks in Indonesia and Australia that were up for sale and forwarded the proposal to Lanco. They are talking to the firms concerned,” said Hindustan Global Resources vice-president Amar Bhasin. He, however, declined to name the foreign mining entities.

Lanco Infratech owns gas, wind and hydro-based power projects across India with operational capacity of 500 MW. The company clocked a turnover of around Rs 6,000 crore last fiscal. It posted a 96% jump in its consolidated net profit to Rs 115.85 crore for the first quarter ended June 30, 2009 over the corresponding period last year.

The company is setting up one power plant each in Karnataka and Chhattisgarh of 507.5 MW and 600 MW, respectively. It is also doubling the capacity of its Andhra Pradesh power plant to 736 MW. An additional 1,400 MW capacity will be commissioned by March next year.

Hyderabad-based Lanco Infratech also has interests in engineering, procurement and construction services. The Indonesian firm, on the other hand, carries out coal mining and trading activities through its subsidiary, PT Maxima Infrastruktur.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News-By-Industry/Indl-Goods-Svs/Metals-Mining/Lanco-in-talks-with-Indonesian-co-to-buy-thermal-coal-unit/articleshow/4930483.cms

Shillong nod to mining basics

OUR CORRESPONDENT
Shillong, Aug. 24: The Meghalaya cabinet today approved undertaking pre-development activities at the mining sites by the Uranium Corporation of India Limited at a cost of Rs 209 crore.
Briefing reporters after the cabinet meeting, chief minister D.D. Lapang said of the total project cost of Rs 1,000 crore estimated by the UCIL, the latter would spend Rs 209 crore for the pre-development activities at the uranium mining sites of West Khasi Hills.
The UCIL has proposed two phases of the project. Out of the total project cost of Rs 1,000 crore, in the first phase, it will spend Rs 209 crore for the development activities like construction of roads, health centres and educational institutions before starting uranium mining.
In the second phase, the remaining amount will be spent once the project officially starts with approval from the state government.
Lapang, however, said the state government was yet to decide on giving a no-objection certificate to the UCIL to carry out uranium mining.
The government is planning to lease out land measuring around 422 acres in West Khasi Hills for 30 years to the UCIL to carry out uranium mining.
Last year, the Centre and the Atomic Energy officials had conveyed to the state that the uranium-mining project would lead to overall development of the mining sites and several other areas of West Khasi Hills district.
They had also assured the state government that not a single family would be displaced while undertaking uranium mining. Despite this, the state NGOs continued to oppose the project citing health hazards.
On September 22 last year, principal adviser to department of atomic energy, V.P. Raja, had a meeting with the state government in Shillong on the issue. He said Delhi had not fixed any timeframe to start uranium mining in the state as both the Centre and state would work together to arrive at a consensus on the matter.
On August 22 last year, Union cabinet secretary K.M. Chandrashekar and chairman of the atomic energy commission Anil Kakodkar visited Shillong to discuss the need to carry out mining.



http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090825/jsp/frontpage/story_11404855.jsp

Director of mines gets bail

BALASORE, 24 AUG: Director of mines Mr RN Sahu surrendered before the chief judicial magistrate here and obtained bail today. As per directions of the High Court, Mr Sahu presented himself before the CJM here and moved a bail application which was granted.
It may be noted that the state vigilance has filed a case in connection with the multi-crore mining scam. The vigilance had arrested eight persons, including seven government officials.
Mr Sahu was on leave and apprehended arrest he had moved the HC seeking anticipatory bail. The HC had asked Mr Sahu to go to the CJM, Balasore where the case has been registered by the vigilance.sns

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http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=9&theme=&usrsess=1&id=265993

Govt pursuing coal asset acquisition in Australia

Basti (UP), Aug 25 (PTI) Union Minister of State for Coal Sriprakash Jaiswal today said he would be leaving for Australia soon to pursue acquisition of coal assets there to meet the shortfall for the fossil fuel here.

Coal Videsh, the overseas arm of Coal India Ltd, has already acquired two exploratory blocks in Mozambique and is looking to join hands with Australian mining firms to develop coal assets.

"To meet the 25 per cent shortfall of coal in the country a new authority 'Coal Videsh' has been constituted. Coal Videsh will identify and acquire coal properties in foreign countries," he told reporters here.

India currently mines 450 million tonnes of coal, but would need to import 70 million tonnes of the solid fuel to bridge the projected 25 per cent shortfall by next year.


Mining – International

Namibia: Diamond mine decline

By Ian Evans | Contributor 08.24.09
A local, slice-of-life story from a Monitor correspondent.
ELIZABETH BAY, NAMIBIA – The rows of derelict buildings have long been abandoned. In the distance waves batter the coastline as strong winds drive sand into the empty rooms that once housed the pioneers of Namibia’s diamond mines.
For nearly 40 years, until 1948, Elizabeth Bay was at the center of the diamond industry in this corner of South West Africa, which was colonized and governed by Germany and then South Africa before gaining independence in 1990.
A visit to the ghost town of Elizabeth Bay offers clues to what life was like during the diamond boom in the early 1900s. Visitors need a five-day clearance period before the owners, Namdeb – a jointly owned company by the Namibian government and diamond giant De Beers – will give permission to enter the derelict site.
The dusty road to the settlement still features small cairns with poles through the middle signifying former prospectors’ claims. Hundreds of people lived and worked at the one-square-mile site in its mining heyday, with accommodations split along predictable colonial lines.
Indigenous workers were housed in dorms, middle managers in small houses, and senior management in grander properties. In the center of the site stands a derelict community kitchen and casino, and beyond those the rusting and dilapidated mining equipment.
Right next door to the abandoned site is the modern Elizabeth Bay mine, opened in 1991 when scientists calculated there were still sufficient deposits to make diamond mining viable.
But that was then and this is now. In late July, De Beers recorded a dramatic slump in profits for the first six months of 2009 from $316 million last year to just $3 million this year.
With locals saying production is sporadic and shifts cut, for how long will the modern-day mine avoid its elderly neighbor’s fate?
http://features.csmonitor.com/globalnews/2009/08/24/namibia-diamond-mine-decline/


Eight dead in Ukraine coal mine blast: officials

(AFP) – 22 hours ago
MAKIYIVKA, Ukraine — Eight miners were killed and 11 injured in an explosion in a coal mine in eastern Ukraine, the latest tragedy to hit the country's troubled mining industry, officials said Monday.
The suspected methane gas blast took place Sunday at a mine in Makiyivka, a city in Ukraine's coal-rich Donetsk region.
"The accident occurred 110 meters (about 360 feet) underground, where 141 miners were located at the time," Maryna Nikitina, a spokesman for the industrial oversight agency, told reporters.
"According to official data, eight of them were killed and 11 injured," she said, adding that all of the miners had been brought to the surface and the injured ones had been hospitalized.
Ukrainian President Victor Yushchenko and Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko offered condolences to the families of the dead miners and promised them financial assistance from the government.
Deadly accidents are frequent in Ukraine's mines, most of which are located in the country's east. Many of the mines are under-funded and poorly equipped, while safety violations are rife.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5ijjeQmx_CTWeW6xO9Fz6QzXHt0IQ

Mining communities should reap more benefits-Ayittey

August 24, 2009
Kenyasi (B/A) Aug. 24, GNA - Ms. Hani Sherry Ayittey, Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, has suggested that certain aspects of the mining Act (Act 703) needed to be reviewed to ensure that communities in mining areas enjoy more benefits from the mines.

The Minister said the ministry had received a number of complaints from mining communities including those about the payment of compensation and royalties by mining companies.

Ms. Ayittey was paying a courtesy call on Kenyasi Number one and Kenyasi Number two traditional areas as part of her familiarization visit to the plant site of the Ahafo project of Newmont Ghana Gold Limited (NGGL) at Kenyasi.

She advised the unemployed youth in mining communities and illegal mining operators to organise themselves in groups and register to obtain licenses so that they could engage in small scale mining.

The Minister explained that the ministry in collaboration with the Ministry of Forestry and Natural Resources had decided to educate both illegal mining and chainsaw operators on the need to form groups so that they could be seen as recognized bodies and given concessions.

This will not only help to preserve the country's forests but will also encourage foreign investors into the mining sector, Ms Ayittey said.

Ms. Ayittey advised mining companies to adhere to proper environmental management practices to avoid the outbreak of diseases in the communities.

She appealed to traditional authorities in mining communities to help track down illegal gold (galamsey) miners.

She said illegal gold mining and its consequential deaths on perpetrators posed a serious threat to the mining industry and the country's human resource base.

Mr. Emmanuel Ato Aubyn, Community Relations Manager, disclosed that NGGL had invested 774 million dollars in the Ahafo project, adding, 33.3 million dollars had also been paid as royalties.

He said the company had so far spent 270 million dollars on local goods and services and its annual gold pour stood at 550K ounces.

On land access programme, Mr. Aubyn said the mining company had spent 17 million dollars on the resettlement of 1,700 households and 16 million dollars spent on crop compensation.

The company has spent 21 million dollars on livelihood re-establishment programmes such as agricultural improvement and land access, vulnerable, Ahafo agribusiness growth initiative, livelihood enhancement and empowerment as well as Ahafo linkages programmes, he said.

Mr. Aubyn said Newmont had its first gold pour in July 2006 and the last production would be in the year 2027.
GNA

http://www.ghananewsagency.org/s_economics/r_7757/

Tensions ease as miners make up

By Zhang Qi (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-08-25 08:07
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Aluminum Corporation of China (Chinalco), the world's second largest producer of alumina, says it is willing to further discuss cooperation over bauxite and alumina production with global miner Rio Tinto.
The move indicates an easing of tensions between the two companies.
"Chinalco is still willing to explore the possibility of cooperation with Rio Tinto," said Zhao Zhengang, director of Chinalco's Overseas Exploration Department, in response to comments by Rio Tinto's chief financial officer Guy Elliott.
Elliott said the miner is at the very early stages of talks with Chinalco over a possible bauxite and alumina deal, the Australian Financial Review reported yesterday.
Rio's relations with Chinalco reached an impasse in June after it abandoned Chinalco's $19.5 billion capital injection deal that was announced on Feb 12.
Cooperation in bauxite and alumina production was also part of the framework in the previous strategic partnership announced on Feb 12.
"Cooperation was suspended because Rio scrapped the contract, but if there is future cooperation with Rio, the deal will not be set along the same terms as in February. Further cooperation will be based on mutual business demands," Zhao said.
Lu Yongqing, Chinalco's vice-president and spokesman, also said the company had indicated its willingness to talk but declined to further comment, Dow Jones reported.
Rio's Elliott said the talks have only just started and have a long way to go before agreement is reached.
Zhao said he was not willing to comment on Elliott's statement, but said the possible cooperation was in line with Chinalco's president Xiong Weiping's earlier speech regarding Rio.
Xiong said the company was still willing to raise the possibility of further cooperation with Rio Tinto on July 23 when he attended a Sino-Australian investment forum.
Chinalco's strategic objectives of going international and entering into markets for multiple metals remained unchanged, he said.

http://www.ghananewsagency.org/s_economics/r_7757/


Deadly blast at China coal mine


At least 11 people have been killed and three others are missing after an explosion at a coal mine in northern China, in the latest in a series of deadly mining accidents in the country.
Rescuers found two survivors and recovered 11 bodies after the explosion ripped through a mine shaft in Jinzhong city in Shanxi province on Monday morning.
China's state-run Xinhua news agency said 16 miners were working underground at the time in the Xingguang Coal Industry Co mine in Heshun county when the incident happened.
The explosion happened following a suspected gas leak.
Rescuers are still searching for the missing miners, Xinhua added.
China's mines are the deadliest in the world, with unregulated mines accounting for almost 80 per cent of the country's 16,000 mines.
An average of 13 workers are killed every day in the country, with most accidents are blamed on failures to follow safety rules, including a lack of required ventilation or fire control equipment.
Despite pledges by the Chinese government to improve safety, regulations are poorly enforced while the country's insatiable demand for energy and resources often means many unsafe mines continue to operate.
There were about 3,000 fatalities in mines across China in 2008.


http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia-pacific/2009/08/2009825394847907.html

BHP Billiton cuts 70 jobs at Australia nickel mine

Mon Aug 24, 2009 9:48pm EDT


SYDNEY, Aug 25 (Reuters) - BHP Billiton Ltd (BHP.AX), the world's biggest miner, will cut up to 70 jobs at its Mt Keith nickel mine in Australia to ensure the operation's viability, it said on Tuesday.
It said the cuts would not affect output at the mine in the country's west, one of Australia's largest nickel mining complexes. (Reporting by Jonathan Standing)

http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssEnergyNews/idUSSYU00709520090825

Other News

Andhra Pradesh - Visakhapatnam

Campaign to be launched to allay fears over PCPIR

Santosh Patnaik
The project envisages investment up to Rs.3,40,000 crores
________________________________________
PCPIR board resolves to prepare an eco-friendly draft master plan
The project to be spread over 603 sq. km., extending over 110 villages
________________________________________
VISAKHAPATNAM: Perturbed over public panic over its possible impact on their livelihood, the State Government has decided to launch a massive campaign in the project affected areas of Petroleum, Chemical and Petrochemical Investment Region coming up between Kakinada and Visakhapatnam.
The government set up PCPIR Development Authority last year to clear hurdles in giving a push to the mega project envisaging investment up to Rs.3,40,000 crores with an employment potential for 11 lakh people.
The government wants to drive home the point that the ill-fated coastal corridor and the PCPIR are different.
PPP mode
“There will be roads, flyovers, airports, ports and other infrastructure projects like warehousing and logistic corridors attract investors under Public Private Participation format.
It will be wrong to assume that coastal corridor -- laying a parallel road to the golden quadrilateral from Itchapuram to Tada -- will be revived in some other form,” a senior official connected to PCPIR, said. He said apart of petroleum and petrochemical projects, they had plans to woo investment up to Rs.40,000 crores in housing and allied sector so as to raise the demand for steel and cement.
The PCPIR board, which met here recently to take note of undue delay in grounding the project, resolved to prepare a draft master plan in such a way that it would be eco-friendly to the maximum extent possible.
With the same governments back in office for another term at the Centre and in the State, the Infrastructure Corporation of AP, the nodal agency for PCPIR, is confident in implementing the project on a fast-track mode. International Finance Corporation, an arm of World Bank Group, is in the process of suggesting options for encouraging investment on PPP mode.
Mega refineries
The hue and cry raised by the Opposition parties over coastal corridor forced the government to rescind the GO on the massive road project.
However, recession had its fallout on mega refineries, with consortiums at Atchyutapuram near here and Kakinada experiencing uncertainty. With the exit of ONGC, GMR Group, Essar and Hinduja are showing interest to invest in a 15 million tonne refinery at Kakinada. The Mittal Group has backed out from refinery proposed at Atchuyutapuram as it suffered huge losses in steel business in France.
With the economy showing signs of recovery, the officials are hoping that the PCPIR project would finally take off two years after the policy was unveiled. PCPIR will be spread over 603 sq. km. area extending over 110 villages in 10 mandals of Visakhapatnam and East Godavari districts.

http://www.hindu.com/2009/08/25/stories/2009082559450300.htm

MAJOR PENALTY PROCEEDINGS RECOMMENED AGAINST 135 OFFICERS
________________________________________
13:30 IST
The Central Vigilance Commission disposed of 522 cases during July 2009 referred to it for advice. The Commission launched prosecution against 22 officers. Of these, seven were from CBDT & MHA and two each from M/o Environment & Forest and MCD.

The Commission advised initiations of major penalty proceedings against 135 officers. Of these, 31 were from public sector banks, 29 from Ministry of Railways, 13 from MCD, 7 each from DDA, CBDT & FCI, 5 from CBEC, 4 each from D/o Telecommunications, Central Coalfields Ltd. and Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, 3 from New Mangalore Port Trust, 2 each from NHAI, ICAR, D/o Atomic Energy and Ministry of External Affairs.

The Commission also advised imposition of major penalty against 101 officers including 17 from Public Sector Banks, 16 from Insurance Companies, 13 from DDA, 11 each from ONGC & MCD, 9 from Ministry of Railways and 7 from Central Coalfields Ltd.

The Commission disposed 744 complaints during the month. Of these, 631 complaints were sent for necessary action/ATR whereas 131 complaints were sent for investigation and report.

On the Commission’s recommendations, the competent authorities issued sanctions for prosecution against 26 officers. Of these 9 are from Ministry of Railways, 7 from Ministry of Home Affairs, 5 from CBEC, 2 from MCD and one each from SB of Bikaner & Jaipur, CBDT and SEBI. Major penalty was imposed on 65 officers including 21 from Public Sector Banks, 8 each from Ministry of Railways & Oriental Insurance Co. Ltd, and three each from D/o Telecommunications, CBDT & Delhi Jal Board.

Recoveries to the tune of Rs. 90 lakhs were effected after Commission conducted technical examination of some departments.

http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=52103

Area under pulses more than last year; coarse cereals marginally lower; paddy down by 68 LHa
________________________________________
16:7 IST
There is further progress in kharif sowing as per data received from States. While area under pulses is more than that of last year, acreage of paddy is down. Acreage of coarse cereals is marginally lower.
The cropped areas this year and last year for major kharif crops as on 20th August are as follows:
lakh hectare
Crop This year’s area [as on 20thAugust, 2009] Last year’s area [as on 20thAugust 2008}
Paddy 272.83 341.44
Jowar 27.65 26.74
Bajra 67.62 70.48
Maize 68.80 67.11
Total of coarse cereals 177.31 182.51
Arhar 31.65 28.37
Urd 19.54 18.40
Moong 22.31 20.76
Total Pulses 88.69 82.58
Groundnut 37.27 49.22
Soybean 94.49 94.13
Total Oilseeds 154.10 168.26
Cotton 94.93 84.53
Sugarcane 42.50 43.79
Jute 6.92 7.06




http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=52110

Statistical data vital for assessing impact of policy measures and identifying gaps : Sriprakash Jaiswal
________________________________________
13:41 IST
Minister of State for Statistics and Programme Implementation (I/c) Shri Sriprakash Jaiswal has said that statistical data plays a vital role in assessing the impact of policy measure and also helps to identify the gaps. Addressing a gathering of distinguished and eminent statisticians of the world at the 57th session of the International Statistical Institute in Durban in South Africa recently, he said that measurement of the achievements on ground is possible through the flow of information from the grass root level to national level and to the policy makers at the apex level.

The Minister also gave away the 4th International Award in Statistics to Prof. Pedro Alberto Morettin from Brazil for his outstanding contributions in various aspects of statistics in his capacity as Chairman and Dean, Institute of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Sao Paulo. Prof. Morettin has worked actively in Brazil and Latin America for the development of statistical discipline and has developed statistical literature in Portuguese. Congratulating the awardees, Shri Jaiswal said that better appreciation and recognition of statistics as a science today has come about with widespread and variegated use of statistics made possible by the lifetime contributions of a galaxy of great statisticians all over the world.

The award has been instituted in memory of Prof. P.C. Mahalanobis by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation in 2003 in collaboration with International Statistical Institute to identify and recognize eminent statisticians from the developing countries for their lifetime contribution. It aims at attracting, inspiring and motivating promising statisticians from across the developing countries.

http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=52104


ET Awards 2008-09: Policy Change Agent of the Year- Jean Dreze

25 Aug 2009, 0552 hrs IST, ET Bureau


Academics can have relevance beyond the printed word and Jean Dreze has proved that this is indeed the case. He has deservedly won the Economic


Jean Dreze, Development Economist
Times’ Policy Change Agent of the Year 2009 for his outstanding work in poverty alleviation and rural employment.

A development economist, Dreze has taken his academic persuasions to the real world — he not only played a major role in designing the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) but on one occasion also got beaten up by vested interests for trying, in the guise of an activist, to get it implemented as intended. For those who came in late, NREGS guarantees 100 days to any able-bodied adult who is willing to volunteer for manual unskilled labour, according to the website of the rural development ministry.

The jury was impressed by Dreze’s commitment to excellence and upliftment of the poor and by his work in conceptualising the NREGS. The scheme has been widely believed to be the reason behind the UPA government’s success in the May elections. The jury was also impressed by his dedication to poverty alleviation shown in his decision to live and work amidst the poor.

Jean Dreze also proves that commitment knows no national boundaries. A Belgian by birth, economist Jean Dreze has spent the better part of his life living and working in India. After 25 years of committed work in India, Dreze became an Indian citizen in 2002.

When it was first proposed NREGS provoked controversy. Its critics worry and still do about an open-ended fiscal commitment. Dreze for his part dismisses such critics as cold-hearted fiscal conservatives. Nonetheless it is now part of the landscape, like social security in western societies. Indeed, NREGS looks set to be undergo a substantial expansion in the UPA’s second innings with urban areas being brought under its fold. It will also play a key role in alleviating the rural distress which threatens to set in because of the drought now afflicting large parts of the country.

While NREGS is the best-known of Dreze’s efforts to translate academic ideas into practice, it will be unfair to reduce his commitment to making practical sense of academics to just that. He has constantly been making interventions in many social issues. His works combine standard economic methods and tools that are used more commonly by anthropologists.

A widely-cited research that Dreze worked on, as part of a small team, was the study of primary education in key states of northern India, typically referred to by its short name — The PROBE Report, or The Public Report on Basic Education (1999). Dreze’s commitment to the people he had made his own and to the much broader understanding that academics must mean something on the ground to be meaningful, explains his participation in the National Advisory Council (NAC).

However, for Dreze, participation in such quasi-political bodies had to have more meaning than being a mere academic exercise, which is why he quit NAC after Sonia Gandhi resigned from the chair following the office-of-profit controversy. When the NAC lost its edge, so did its perceived value in the eyes of this activist-economist.


http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/4931012.cms


NREGS overhaul hits roadblock

Ajith Athrady, , NEW DELHI, August 25, DH News Service:

Attempts by the Ministry of Rural Development to overhaul the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) has triggered a backlash between the flagship scheme’s original architects and Rural Development Minister C P Joshi.


Since assuming charge of the ministry, Joshi has been widening the ambit of the NREGS by including several changes.

The recently introduced provision to allow work in private lands of small and marginal farmers, for instance, was originally limited to lands belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

The minister also announced the construction of Rajiv Gandhi Seva Kendras in all the 2.75 lakh Gram Panchayats under the scheme.

He also proposed plans to take up social projects such as building toilets for Below Poverty Line (BPL)families and cooking for the midday meal programme.

The scheme currently allows work related to drought proofing and water harvesting. It also gives provision for laying roads in the rural areas.

NGOs unhappy

However, the programme’s tinkering has not gone down well with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and social activists who had closely associated themselves with the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government in designing it.

Social activist Aruna Roy and visiting professor of the Allahabad University Jean Dreze, members of the Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Council (NAC) in UPA-I, have criticised the minister for his non-participatory approach in deciding major changes to the programme. Dreze told Deccan Herald that the minister was announcing changes to the scheme without due consultations with the Central Employment Guarantee Council (CEGC).

Periodic review

Constituted by the government, the boday has social activists and representatives of NGOs and has been mandated to take periodic review of the progress the scheme has made.

“Constructing 2.5 lakh kendras with the NREGS funds is unacceptable. If the minister envisages better infrastructure for the Panchayats, it has to be implemented through the Panchayat Raj Ministry,” Dreze said.

The minister has refuted the allegations. “The Central Employment Guarantee Council is just an advisory body. The authority to make decision lies with the government,” he said.
Social activists have laid out a long list of objections to the way the scheme has been enhanced. This includes bypassing public consultation, dilution of people’s participation in planning, intention to allow machines for works under the non-governmental organisations and alleged flouting of the scheme's transparency and accountability provisions.

The minister countered the objections by saying that the government would continue to encourage people participation and would uphold transparency and accountability.
“Construction of Rajiv Gandhi Seva Kendras—the mini secretariats at the Gram Panchayat level—is to encourage people participation in the scheme,” he said.


http://www.deccanherald.com/content/21364/nregs-overhaul-hits-roadblock.html

25 farmers commit suicide in Andhra Pradesh


Tuesday, August 25, 2009
HYDERABAD: The Andhra Pradesh government is facing its worst challenge as the death toll is on the increase in the wake of the recent unprecedented drought.

Official figures said that 25 farmers had ended their lives in the last 50 days. Expressing dismay over suicides by farmers, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy said he would hold District Collectors and “Adarsh Rythus” (model farmers) partly responsible for any continuation of such deaths.

It is pertinent to mention here that despite the announcement by the government for a compensation of Rs150,000 to the families of each farmer who committed suicide within three days, the Collectors failed to disburse a single rupee to them.

In the same regard, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister has demanded a confirmation report from the local Revenue Development Officer, Deputy Superintendent of Police and District Agriculture Officer within 24 hours.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/print1.asp?id=194752