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India
to Host G-20 Meet from March 18
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India
will host the first G-20 meeting later
this week to prepare a paper articulating
the developing countries' stand for
the on-going WTO negotiations, including
the contentious agricultural issues.
The two-day meeting beginning in New
Delhi on March 18 will also take stock
of the state of play in the negotiations
in Geneva, since the WTO framework
agreement was signed in July last
year. "We should not allow a few (developed)
countries to arrogate themselves to
set the rules for multilateral trade,"
Commerce Minister Kamal Nath said,
adding the G-20, though a diverse
grouping, will formulate strategies
to ensure level-playing field for
developing countries. The meeting
assumes significance, as it would
look at critical areas like formula
for tariffs reduction in agriculture
and the special and sensitive products
that needed to be pushed in WTO negotiations.
It would also look at an end date
for export subsidies, which resulted
in artificial prices of farm products
of developed countries denying market
access to developing countries. "As
per an Oxfam study, six European countries'
farm producers were given one billion
dollar subsidy in 2003 so that their
products could be dumped in world
markets because of artificially low
prices," Nath said. He also cited
a Minnesota (USA) study, which showed
that in 2003, American wheat was exported
at 28 per cent below the average cost
of production. The corresponding figures
for corn and soyabean, cotton, and
rice were 10 per cent, 47 per cent
and 26 per cent respectively.
Courtesy:
Hindustan Times, March 16, 2005
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Gail
to set up JV with Syrian Firm
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Gail
(India) aims to set up a joint venture
company with The Syrian Company for
Distribution of Gaz for city gas distribution
projects in the country, the Bombay
Stock Exchange said on Friday. The
state-run company said it has been
qualified among 23 bidders and would
submit technical and commercial bids
soon.
Courtesy:
The Economic Times, March 12, 2005
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Mughal
Road to be Speeded Up
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Baamulaiza
hoshiyaar...Mughal Road khulney ja
raha hai... The 89 km-long historical
link between the Kashmir valley in
Shopian and the Jammu region in Poonch
will soon become a reality, restoring
an important and vital road link of
the State in times of exigencies.
On Friday, Jammu and Kashmir Chief
Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed announced
on the floor of the House that construction
of the Mughal Road has been accorded
top priority and that an alternate
link to the Valley will be made operational
in the near future. Referring to the
recent speech of President APJ Abdul
Kalam highlighting the importance
of the Mughal Road, and his talks
with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
during his recent visit to the State,
Mr Sayeed said, "In the coming Budget
sufficient funds will be allocated
for the special project and we will
make every effort to start the road
as soon as possible." Mr Sayeed was
replying to a discussion in the House
after it was reconvened here on Friday
to take stock of the ongoing relief
measures following the unprecedented
snowfall in the State. The Mughal
Road once completed will considerably
cut down travel time between Jammu
and Kashmir, the Chief Minister informed
the House. It may be mentioned that
work on the project has been halted
since 1979. It was briefly restarted
in the late '80s, but funds crunch
and certain objections raised by the
Defence Ministry at the peak of militancy
forced the Government to stop the
work again. Meanwhile, the State Government
had also engaged Jammu and Kashmir
Project Construction Corporation (JKPCC)
Ltd and RITES to prepare feasibility
report of the project and is in the
process of handing over the construction
work to a construction agency. When
JKPCC officials were contacted they
said the project will be over within
two years. "We have two big mechanical
divisions which can take care of the
road. A good portion is already being
repaired by the Roads and Buildings
Department and JKPCC," they added.
"Barring the main route, we have to
work hard in the 25-30 km belt near
Pir ki Gali in Pir Panjal," officials
said. As per available reports, a
19 km stretch from Poshna to Pir Panjal
from the Jammu side and another eight
km to Aliabad Saria on the Kashmir
side requires cutting of hills which
go as high as 3,494 metres at Pir
ki Gali, the highest gradient on the
road.
Courtesy:
The Pioneer, March 05, 2005
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