Modern voting methods extended to European elections

CM to inaugurate the biography of shri. Mannathu Padmanabhan

Thiruvananthapuram: The english translation of shri.Mannathu Padmanabhan's biography entitled as "Reminiscences of My life" published under the Cultural publication department will be inaugurated by Chief Minister shri.A.K.Anthony on the 18th of September. The function will take place at the Changanassery Perunna NSS Prathinidhi Sabhamandiram and will be presided over my minister shri.G.Karthikeyan. The function will be attended by ministers including C.F.Thomas, R.Balakrishna Pillai, K.Suresh Kurup,M.P; Ramesh Chennithala, M.P; Prof.P.J.Kurian, P.K.Narayana Panicker, G.Sukumaran Nair and Prof.Thumbaman Thomas.

Village Development week starts from Oct.2nd

Thiruvananthapuram: The Block Panchayat Presidents's meeting held today at Vellayambalam Animation Centre decided to celebrate Village Development week from Oct 2nd- Gandhi Jayanthi day to 8th throughout the blocks in the state. The meeting was inaugurated by the Village Development minister C.F.Thomas. Block Panchayat Presidents's Association President K.K.Kochu Muhammed presided over the function. The minister told that the event must be celebrated by organizing plans to find solution to the current problems faced by the state. For each day different programmes have been organised. In association with the week-long celebrations there would be seminars, discussion classes and spreading awareness in topics which include cleanliness, women-childcare, finding of self-employment, novel means of agriculture, water preservation, development of basic needs and social togetherness.

Clean Kerala Week celebrations starting from Oct.2nd says Minister Cherakkulam

In association with Gandhi Jayanthi, the local self government Ministry is organizing a one-week long, Clean Kerala week celebrations starting from October 2nd said local self government minister shri.Cherakkulam Abdullah. The Clean Kerala Week is organized with the aim of freeing the villages and cities of the condition of being unhealthy locations due to the accumulation of dirt and filth and also to make them centres of financial development. Minister also said that the celebrations aims at spreading the message of cleanliness in the surroundings and quickening of removal of garbages throughout the areas in the state.

Internet Rail Ticketing to be expanded

Indian Railways have planned to expand the scheme of Internet Rail Ticketing System in a manner wherein passengers need not have either Internet connection or credit card. Internet rail ticketing, first launched in Delhi area in August last year, has since been extended to 73 major cities all over the country. Around 2000 tickets are sold daily through Internet. The cutting edge Internet technology is used to enable the passengers to book a reserved seat from convenience of their home or office. The passengers can book a reserved ticket after logging on to the Internet and can pay through electronic means of payment. The ticket can also be picked from a designated location.

The Internet rail ticketing system is operated by the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC). Its website is : www.irctc.co.in It provides an alternative to the passengers, who earlier had to approach railway reservation counters if they wanted to book a reserved ticket.

REMARKS BY PM TO THE MEDIA AT THE JOINT PRESS INTERACTION

The Ministeres of two countries exchanging the documents after signing an agreement in presence of the Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee and the Prime Minister of Turkey Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in Ankara on September 17, 2003 (Wednesday).

The following is the text of the remarks made by Prime Minister, Shri Atal Bihari
Vajpayee at the Joint Press Interaction along with Turkish Prime Minister, Mr. Recep
Tayyip Erdogan at Ankara (Turkey) today:

"I thank Prime Minister Erdogan for his warm words. I would first like to say that my
delegation and I are grateful for the warm reception and gracious hospitality, which
the Turkish government and people have extended to us.

I have just completed a wide-ranging and fruitful meeting with Prime Minister
Erdogan. It has been a very frank and cordial exchange of views on issues of
bilateral interest, regional concern and international importance.

Turkey and India have ancient links. We are now set to become modern partners.
We share the common values of secularism and democracy. We are growing
industrial societies with a similar level of excellence in many fields.

But we still need to unlock many doors of economic opportunity. Our bilateral trade
in 2002 was only about 650 million dollars. We have set ourselves a target of one
billion dollars by 2005. Even this is a modest target, but it would set a platform for
further expansion.

We agreed that a Working Group of our Economic Ministries should meet and make
recommendations on diversification of our economic cooperation. They will be
mandated to report to the two governments within six months.

We emphasized the importance of direct shipping and air links between our two
countries. Direct air links between Istanbul and New Delhi will commence tomorrow.
Travel and tourism between Turkey and India should now increase, enhancing
people-to-people contacts and encouraging better links between our business
communities. Direct banking channels need to be established.

We have invited a delegation from Turkey to discuss cooperation in civilian space
technologies.

India’s technical and economic cooperation programme has been offering training
facilities at a senior professional level to countries across the world. I have offered
that 50 Turkish professionals would be provided these scholarships on an annual
basis from now onwards.

We have established a Joint Working Group on terrorism to enhance our cooperation
against this grave threat to democratic societies. Both India and Turkey have
suffered greatly from terrorism.

My visit to Turkey has filled a long gap since the last visit of an Indian Prime Minister
in 1988. It has also been over 3 years since a Turkish Prime Minister visited India.
Prime Minister Erdogan and I have agreed that there should be an increased
frequency of high-level meetings between our two countries. We have agreed that our
Foreign Ministers would meet at least once a year, either in one of our capitals or in
one of the many places to which Foreign Ministers go these days. Our Commerce
and Tourism Ministers also need to establish and maintain contact.

Of course, Heads of Government should also maintain contact. I am happy that
Prime Minister Erdogan has accepted my invitation to India.

Thank you."

17,sept 2003

Wool Innovation Centre on the anvil at NIFT

India-Australia Joint Business Group (JBG) on Natural Fibre and Textiles has agreed to work towards setting up of a Wool Innovation Centre in the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) for providing fashion product and market development information and training in selected wool clusters. The Joint Business Group which met here also decided to increase the information flow, control price volatility in raw wool and ensure timeliness of supply. Australia will also take steps to develop a business-to-business exchange for raw wool.

Both countries also agreed to work together to draw up collaborative project for setting up of Early Stage Processing and Wool Technology Training and Quality Assurance Systems at the Wool Research Association (WRA) of India. Both sides also agreed for starting a project for yarn prediction technologies for wool-cotton blends that would lead to greater productivities of short-staple spinning units and to innovate yarns and fabrics.

The JBG also agreed that India should develop a road map for a pilot study for creating quality technology and financial database for woolen knit and woven units in selected clusters.

International Ozone Day observed

Government of India has obtained approval of more than 350 projects for conversion of industries from Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) to non-ODS technology and phasing out substances that deplete the Ozone Layer and received Rs.442 crores so far. The Ninth International Day for the preservation of Ozone Layer was observed in Mumbai yesterday. Union Minister of Environment & Forests Shri T.R. Baalu presided over the function. Shri Sushil Shinde, Chief Minister, Maharashtra was the Chief Guest. Union Minister for Petroleum & Natural Gas, Shri Ram Naik and Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Shri Chhagan Bhujbal were Special Guests of Honour.

The Janaki Ammal Award for Taxonomy for the year 2003 was presented to Prof. K.S. Manilal, Professor Emeritus, Calicut University by the Minister of Environment & Forests Shri T.R. Baalu. The award is given for monumental work in the field of taxonomy and includes a citation, scroll and a cash award of Rs. One lakh.

An exhibition displaying ozone-friendly products and non-ODS technology models was inaugurated by the Union Minister for Environment & Forests and Chief Minister of Maharashtra. A cycle rally for school children was also organized to mark this occasion. Prize winning posters painted by the school children were displayed.

Sixteenth September every year is observed throughout the world as the International Ozone Day. On this date in 1987 the Montreal Protocol, on substances that deplete the Ozone layer, was signed to protect the Ozone layer in the Stratosphere. India being a party to the Vienna Convention and the Montreal Protocol has been sharing the global concern for protecting the ozone layer and phase out of Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) programme. Since then, it has been carrying out various activities for phasing out Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) like Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC), halons, carbontetrachloride (CTC), methylchloroform, methylbromide and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC) which are used in aerosol products, refrigeration and air-conditioning products, foam blowing applications, fire fighting equipment, metal-cleaning applications, soil fumigation appliances, etc. The Government has also been active in channelising assistance from the Multilateral Fund for Implementation of the Montreal Protocol.

17,sept 2003

Vijay Goel felicitates Anju Bobby George " We will return with an olympic medal" - Bobby George

`Coming Era is Sports Era’ said Shri Vijay Goel, Minister of State for Youth Affairs & Sports while welcoming Ms. Anju Bobby George and her coach and husband Mr. Bobby George at his residence today. Shri Goel said that India is proud of her achievement of securing a bronze medal in World Athletic Finals in Paris recently.

Shri Goel said that people are awakening to sports in India leading to resurgence in Indian sports. He said that the goal is to make sports within the reach of common man and all facilities would be provided for sports persons. He announced that Indians had qualified for Olympics in many arenas i.e. Sujeet Mann and Sushil Kumar in wrestling, Anjali Bhagwat, Abhinav Bindra and the latest, Major Raghvendra Singh Rathore in shooting and in the field of archery. He praised the efforts of Sports Authority of India for their crucial role in providing infrastructure, facilities and training to sports persons in all disciplines.

Ms. Anju Bobby George thanked Shri Goel for the warm welcome. She expressed her gratefulness to the Ministry of Sports for all the help rendered for her training and for the prompt help when she lost her passport and valuables in Monaco. She said that an Olympic medal was her immediate target and the seven meters jump was well within her reach. Mr. Bobby George thank the Ministry of Sports for making Anju’s foreign trippossible. He said " We will come again with an Olympic medal." He also spoke of the need for better infrastructure facilities within the country.

While replying to queries the Minister said that Ministry will leave no stone unturned to help the sports persons. Referring to Jug Raj Singh, he said that the Ministry will fund any or all the expenditure needed for his treatment and was in regular touch with the Indian Hockey Federation and the hospital authorities. The Ministry had sent him Rs. 1 lakh yesterday and would fund the cost of foreign treatment also. Regarding Indo-Pak cricketing ties, he said that a good beginning had been made with junior level team going to Pakistan. When the relations with Pakistan are more cordial, only then the decision would be taken on the senior level team’s participation.

Shri Goel also mentioned that the National Sports Development Fund was being planned to be renamed as Prime Minister’s National Sports Development Fund. Regarding corporate funding for sports, he said that meetings will be held with various corporate houses. As cricket and hockey have already got sponsors, the resurgence in other sports i.e. volley ball, wrestling, archery, foot ball would see sponsors for these sports as well

First Civilian Inter Command Football Tournament

The First Civilians Inter-Command Football Tournament of the Indian Air Force was inaugurated in Delhi yesterday by Air Marshal RC Mahadik. The eight teams of Commands and Air Headquarter independent Units are participating in the tournament. In the inaugural match, maintenance Command defeated southern Air Command by 11 goals to Nil. In another match played today Central Air Command defeated South Western Air Command by four goals to nil.

Advance payment of SDF subsidy to sugar factories

Sugar factories will be paid 75 per cent of buffer subsidy from the Sugar Development Fund (SDF) payable for the entire period in advance. This decision has been taken by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution to facilitate early liquidation of cane price payments or cane price dues by the sugar factories directly to the cane growers. Necessary provisions in the SDF Rules are being notified shortly. As per the existing practice the Government makes buffer subsidy payments on quarterly basis even though the buffer stock was required to be held for a longer period.

Shri Sharad Yadav, Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution has pointed out that this decision will apply in respect of a buffer stock of 20 lakh metric tonnes of sugar currently being maintained. Government is likely to incur an expenditure of about Rs. 412 crore from the Sugar Development Fund as buffer subsidy for the entire period and about Rs. 300 crore is likely to be paid as advance payments.

Sugar factories are paid a buffer subsidy from the Sugar Development Fund towards expenditure incurred by them on storage, insurance and interest charges. The buffer subsidy so paid is to be used by sugar factories for payment of price for sugarcane purchase or for liquidating the arrears of cane price payments.

Dateline London

Push the button! Not your luck!'

Beritish Government and fire and rescue service launch campaign
to check smoke alarms

Have you got a smoke alarm in your home? If so, when did you last
check the batteries? Or is there a battery still in the smoke alarm?
Today, [17th September 2003] the government and fire and rescue
service are launching a hard-hitting national campaign urging people
to check their smoke alarm batteries weekly.

The campaign reinforces the key messages of the Government's recent
Fire White Paper that outlined plans that will see the fire and
rescue service place a greater emphasis on life-saving fire
prevention activity. To support this, the Government will be spending
£43m on fire prevention over the next three years.

Tragically, there is a high human cost for not checking your smoke
alarm is working. The death rate in domestic fires where there is no
working smoke alarm is two times higher than that in homes fitted
with a working smoke alarm.

It's now ten years since the government's first fire safety campaign
encouraging smoke alarm ownership. And although around 80% of the
population now own smoke alarms, fire statistics show that many of
these alarms are not functioning due to flat or missing batteries.

Worryingly, the statistics on smoke alarm failures are rising. In
2001, where a smoke alarm was present in a domestic fire, it failed
to operate in 28% of cases. Almost two-thirds of all failures in
battery-powered alarms are caused by missing or flat batteries.

One Mother who knows only too well the terrible consequences of
poorly maintained smoke alarms is Julia Pearse. In December 2001,
Julia's 21 year old daughter, Victoria, died in a fire caused by a
smouldering cigarette. Although smoke alarms were fitted in
Victoria's flat, the battery in one alarm had been removed to prevent
it being set off accidentally. Sadly, this was the alarm nearest to
where Victoria had fallen asleep

"Victoria was a girl who loved life. She was looking forward to a
bright future after university and was applying for jobs. This has
been taken away from her. My husband and I have lost a daughter but
if people are aware of the risks of removing smoke alarm batteries
this won't have to happen to someone else," said Julia.

Phil Hope, Minister responsible for Fire Safety said: "It's always
tragic hearing about loss of life, particularly in a young person. I
would really urge the public to take heed from Julia's warning and
check their smoke alarms weekly. To help remember, why not try
linking it to another weekly household task, such as putting the bins
out.

"Nuisance alarms needn't keep going off if they are situated
correctly. And never, ever remove batteries for use in another
electrical appliance.

"As the White Paper highlighted, these messages underline our
commitment to the key role that fire prevention plays in saving
lives."

Here are some essential tips to ensure your smoke alarm can save your
life:

- Fit smoke alarms on each level of your home
- Do not put smoke alarms in the kitchen
- Check the battery once a week
- Replace the battery every twelve months
- Battery smoke alarm units should be changed every ten years
- Consider installing ten year smoke alarms or hard wired alarms

The campaign will feature TV, radio, point of purchase and online
advertising and is supported by the Fire and Rescue Service in
England and Wales as well as Argos, Currys, Ei Electronics, Homebase,
Woolworths and Help the Aged.

Further information on smoke alarm maintenance and fire safety can be
found at: www.firekills.gov.uk

Modern voting methods extended to European elections

LONDON Measures to allow piloting of innovative voting methods at next
year's European Parliamentary elections were unveiled in
legislation aimed at improving voter access and convenience. The
European Parliamentary and Local Elections (Pilots) Bill also
provides for pilots at local elections where these take place on the
same day as elections for the European Parliament. Subject to an
order by the Secretary of State, it is expected that the European
Parliamentary elections will occur on 10th June 2004.

The Government hopes to pilot all-postal voting in up to three
regions. In addition, one of these regions may also be suitable for
piloting internet or telephone voting. The Government has asked the
Electoral Commission to recommend where next year's all-postal voting
pilots should take place, and where an electronic element could be
included. The Commission will begin its consultation shortly and has
been asked to report on Monday 8th December 2003.

To address any implementation issues, the Government has launched a
nine week public consultation to seek comments from local authorities
and other interested parties about the proposals.

This year's local election pilots were popular and successful, with
turnout in all-postal ballots running at nearly 50% compared with the
average of just over 33% across England. The Electoral Commission
published a strategic report on the pilots in July and the Government
is publishing its formal response to this document today. Overall,
the Government welcomes the recommendations made by the Commission
and, in particular, now intends:

- To consult on making all-postal ballots the normal method of voting
at local elections.

- To promote further e-voting pilots on a larger scale to better
assess their value for money.

- To adopt several other electoral innovations for local elections,
including barcodes and new types of security marks on ballot papers
and electronic counting.

Christopher Leslie, Minister at the Department for Constitutional
Affairs said:

"The Bill introduced today will allow important pilots of innovative
voting methods to continue at local government elections and to take
place at European Parliamentary elections for the first time.

"It is both a continuation and an extension of our policy to
modernise the electoral system and make voting more convenient and
accessible to all. Previous pilots at local elections have been very
successful and this Bill represents a significant scaling up of the
programme to make voting easier and more practical."

Nick Raynsford, Local Government Minister, added:

"I was very pleased by the successful outcome of the pilots held at
the local elections this year, and that the Electoral Commission's
strategic report recognises this result. It is very important that we
can maintain the momentum that has built up from these successful
pilots in 2004, so I welcome the introduction of the Bill today. I
fully expect that pilots at the European elections will boost the