km March 13, 2003

9089 Women Prisoners in India, Foreigners Included

RAJYA SABHA

The Rajya Sabha was told that there were 9089 women prisoners including foreign women prisoners in jails in the country at the end of the year 2000. Slow process of trial is one of the major factors for prolonged stay of women in jails. The intervention made to improve the situation in brief are as under:
The Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Bill, 1994 introduced in the Rajya Sabha on 9th May, 1994 contains, inter-alia, a proposal to insert a new section namely; section 438 A in the code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 to provide that where an under-trial prisoner other than the one accused of an offence for which death has been prescribed as one of the punishments, has been under detention for a period extending to one-half of the maximum period of imprisonment provided for the alleged offence, he should be released on personal bond, with or without sureties. It is also proposed to provide that in no case will an under trial prisoner be detained beyond the maximum period of imprisonment for which he can be convicted for the alleged offence.

The Minister of State for Home, Shri I.D. Swami said the Central Government have also sanctioned a scheme of setting up 1734 Fast Track Courts for disposing off long pending cases and other cases involved under trials on priority. The Chief Justice of India, wrote a letter on the 29th November, 1999 to all the Chief Justices of the High Courts suggesting that every Chief Metropolitan Magistrate or the Chief Judicial Magistrate of the area, in which a District jails falls, may hold his court once or twice in a month in the jail to take up the cases of those under trial prisoners who are involved in petty offences.
He said State Governments construct jails including exclusive jails for women prisoners according to their requirements and resources. Separate jails for women exist in Andhra Pradesh (Hyderabad and Rajamundary), Bihar (Bhagalpur), Kerala (Thriuvananthapuram), Orissa (Sambalpur), Punjab (Lundhiana), Rajasthan (Jaipur), Sikkim (Gangtok), Tamil Nadu (Trichy and Vellor), Tripura (Agartala), Uttar Pradesh (Lucknow), West Bengal (Purulia) and Delhi. Where separate jails are not available for women prisoners, separate enclosures are provided for them.

Foreign Ministers Russian Visit

LOK SABHA

Shri Yashwant Sinha, Minister of External Affairs, visited Moscow on 19-20 February 2003. During the visit, he held wide ranging talks with the Russian leaders on issues of mutual interest. He met Mr. Vladimir v. Putin, President of the Russian Federation, foreign Minister Igor Ivanov, Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov and Industry and Science & Technology Minister Ilya Klebanov. In these talks, the two sides reviewed their bilateral relations and noted the convergence of views on major international issues. They agreed that Pakistan should fulfil its commitments to cease cross-border terrorism, stop infiltration of terrorists into India and destroy the infrastructure on its territory which supports, trains or otherwise abets terrorists. It was also decided that the next session of the Indo-Russian Inter-Governmental commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation will be held in Moscow. This information was given by the Minister of State for External Affairs Shri Digvijay Singh in the Lok Sabha today.

EXPORT TARGET OF RS 75 CRORE FIXED FOR HAL

According to the Memorandum of Understanding signed here today between Ministry of Defence and Hindustan Aeronautical Limited (HAL) a target for export of Rs 75 crore has been fixed. Shri NS Sisodia, Secretary Department of Defence Production and Supplies in the Ministry of Defence and Shri NR Mohanty, Chairman HAL signed the memorandum. According to MoU HAL is to achieve a turnover of Rs. 3280 crore during the next year. The target for the net profit after tax has been fixed at Rs. 276.73 crores. The MoU also gives details of the duties and responsibilities of Ministry of Defence and HAL.

Based on the achievements of the targets the Public Sector Undertakings, are classified as excellent, very good, good, fair or poor. It is notable that during the year 2001-2002 the HAL had been adjudged excellent. During the current year also HAL is likely to be adjudged excellent.
Earlier, the Department of Public Enterprise had convened the meeting of the ad hoc task force (ATF) to discuss and finalise the MoU targets for HAL for 2003-2004.

TEXTILE CONSIGNMENTS HELD UP AT EUROPEAN PORTS CLEARED

The European Union has accepted India's request for invocation of exceptional flexibilities for clearance of the stuck up consignments of about 21.2 lakh pieces of shirts and pullovers worth about Rs.43 crore. The consignments were held up at the European Ports due to excess shipments over the 2002 quota limits prescribed under India-EU Bilateral Textile Agreement.
This information was given by Shri Basanagouda R. Patil, Minister of State for Textiles in reply to a question by Smt.Bimba Raikar in the Rajya Sabha today.

TEXTILE CENTRE INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT SCHEME

The Government has launched the "Textile Centre Infrastructure Development Scheme" (TCIDS) for rejuvenating and plugging critical infrastructure gaps in predominantly textile/apparel sector areas to help the units located there to become globally competitive. The central assistance under the scheme is available for the critical components of the project subject to a maximum of Rs.20 crore for each area. The central assistance is available to the extent of 100 per cent of the critical components in respect of Common Effluent Plant, improving water supply and drainage facilities and construction of creche building for apparel units, whereas the other components would be funded on 75 : 25 basis between centre and states/reputed agencies concerned.

The balancing investment under the scheme relate to construction of roads; provision of testing facilities; common effluent treatment plant facilities; exhibition/marketing hall; strengthening of power supply; improving water supply and drainage facilities; improvement in telecommunication network and IT facilities; establishment of design centres; improving ware housing facilities; improving facilities for movement of goods to sea ports and airports, inland container depots, air cargo complexes etc.; augmentation of transport facilities especially for decongestion; facilities to improve human resource; and construction of creche buildings for apparel units. This information was given by Shri Basanagouda R. Patil, Minister of State for Textiles in reply to a question by Smt. N.P.Durga in the Rajya Sabha today.