NEWS YOU CAN USE -NOVEMBER-2001.pdf

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man The Asian Age the times of indi 1 he AsiastAge

Currently in its fourth year of
publication, News You Can Use
(NYCU) is a specially formulated
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ment news.

NYCU includes a selection
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Shangon Das Gupta
Shobha. C
Jijy Abraham
Surekha. P K.
A. Edwin
News You Can Use is
compiled and published by
Communication for
Development and Learning

0

The Hindu

4

The New Indian Express

4

The Pioneer

4

The Times of India

4

The Statesman

Communication for
Development and Learning
11/A. 7th Cross. 17th Main
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Ph: (080) 5524192
Email: cdlblr@bgl.vsnl.net.in
URL: www.cdlblr.org

PRIVATE CIRCULATION
OCTOBER - 2001

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Agriculture
01
07

No more chopping of veggies
Lopsided pricing hits crop yields
Govt sets target of 8 lakh metric tonnes
for paddy ...
Coffee experts moot rewards for
sustainable cultivation
Effective microorganism for ecological
farming
Kerala farners set to script fist ‘n’ rice
success story
Donkeys are farmers’ best friends: Study
Swaminathan for management revolution
in agriculture
Cotton no longer a cash crop for M’rashtra
farmers
Farmers need to change, organically
Record paddy procurement by Haryana
K’taka to launch Ryot Bazar on
experimental basis

49

Sam Pitroda gets award
Awards given to six scribes
Nominations invited for Indira Ratna Award

Award
05
08
48

08

09
12

13
22
25
28
30
35

Bio-technology
More power to the ryot
18
GM cotton produce in Gujarat Causes
disquiet
20
Order to destroy genetic cotton
27
Gujarat to destroy Bt cotton crop in 10,000
acres
34
The dilemmas over illicit GM cotton
42

Child
04
19

Global Agenda for children
Delegitimising childhood

Disability
10
39

Postal Life launches scheme for disabled
Paper for playing work on
Disabilities dept goes-to-the-people with
an ‘adalat’
White Cane Day for the visually impaired
celebrated

40

Environment
‘Green’ school starts functioning
15
IT’s vultures now for eco-balance
24
Involvement of people ensures success
of Wildlife ...
27
Govt. Schemes
New insurance scheme covers personal
risk for farmers
02
III - conceived schemes hamper
anit-poverty drive
02
Postal Life launches scheme for disabled
10
Novel pension scheme for aged
12
ICDS to cover tribal hamlets in district
13
CSB to join hands with banks for new
scheme
15
40 pc populace to benefit from Antyodaya
scheme
24
ILO lauds A.P. for schemes to curb
bonded labour
26
Massive schemes drawn up for rural areas
26
Cabinet okays massive housing scheme
for urban poor
41
NHB nurtures schemes for horticulture
development
50

Medical colleges may run PHCs in districts
New scheme for under-privileged kids
launched
Panel to study impact of asbestos
Centre, WHO tie-up to improve mental
health
Draft policy on Indian medicine soon

44

Disaster Management
03
13

Scientists to adopt cyclone-hit villages
Disaster management strategy on the anvil
Panel on disaster management submits
report

Education
Education plan to take off on Oct 10
05
MP’s edn. Scheme catches nation’s eye
07
Himachal literacy on the rise
09
Delegitimising childhood
19
Bus-school in Pink City
47
First educational FM Radio from Nov 7
49

25

Simputers are now universalising IT
A cyber revolution in AP villages
‘Price list of agri products online’
A window to the world
Lodestar for change

Health
09

17
18

21
36

LT.
11
31
31
36
46

Media
AP follows Karnataka to set up community
radio
Virtual voice
Illiterate women on radio soon
A cry against discrimination

21
33
45
47

Microcredit
Nabard report on rural credit system ready
Team studies Canbank’s activities for rural
women

10
28

NGO
39

NGOs’ role in development vital: Atal
NGOs greet Plan Panel survey with
derision

45

Others
LIC sees boom in rural sector covers
01
A global village for MNCs
02
Bihar govt hands over rights to panchayats
08
Indian social workers make grade in West
13
Craft villages mooted to boost handloom
sector
15
Phone card facility for rural areas
15
3-day India International Coffee Festival
from Feb. 15
20
Rules of Rights to Information to be
notified soon
22
TRAI asked to cut down rental on WLL
23
APCOB cuts lending rates
28
Keep it up: Centre pats Karnataka for
land reforms
40
Artisans of North East find a ray of hope
in the Cultural...
42
Census on minor irrigation underway
43
Hudco to cut housing loan rates
45
Powers to locak bodies by March: Minister
50

People’s Movement
Craftsmen threaten fast-unto-death
Opening of haat sparks off protest
Rajasthan farmers plan barter bajra to
pay bills

17
24
38

Programme
Now to make it work
Hunger-free India
Action plan to provide potable water
to all by 2004

05
09

27

Resources
Home minister for data bank on
North-Eastern NGOs
Overview of policies for the disabled
PNB offers Krishi Card service to farmers
'Price list of agri products online’
Building Abilities
Land records computerised in Goa
IDFC launches model for farm sector
funding

11
23
25
31
34
47

48

Technology
Leh to light up villages with solar power
Plant biotechnology can save water
Drop by Drop
Bullock-driven tractor developed
Keeping’ em green & fresh

16
23
37
38
42

Water Management
Tehri dam may hold key to water problem
Rainwater harvesting can help curb
flooding in low-lying ..
Drop in the ocean of effort
Model law to sustain water sources
recommended
In the name of god

03
06
29
32
44

Women
Shoot, lady shoot
Men stop and listen to her
Women of power and talent
Virtual voice
May her tribe increase
Illiterate women on radio soon
Grassroots to form TN’s woman policy

9
Haveyou
renewed
your
subscription

14
14
32
33
35
45
49

News You Can Use

LIC sees boom in
rural sector covers
________ Jayanthl Iyengar_______
NEW DELHI 30 SEPTEMBER

HE US terrorist attacks may
have jeopardised the financial
strengths of reinsurers and gen*
eral insurances worldwide, but it's
boomtime for life insurers, particu­
larly our very own LIC.
According to the figures available,
LIC wrote 2 crore new life insurance
covers in 2000-01, representing a 65
■p& ceAP/uhlp'Vvfe? previous year's
businesszThb figure further juggernauted in 2001-02 with a 365 per
cent jump in numbers upto Sep­
tember 15, as compared to the same
period last year, with over half the
polices being written in rural India.
If that sounds astonishing, factor
in the following facts and you have
an intriguing puzzle.
*The growth in numbers contin­
ues to come at a time when there are
signs of domestic demand shrinking,
particularly in rural India.
‘Rural Indians also do not pay
taxes. Hence, if they are taking a life
cover, they have to be doing so for
the love of life, rather than to keep
the taxman off their doorsteps.
‘Several new insurers have en­
tered the market. Yet, for bulk of In­
dia, the sheen hasn't gone off our
own desi jeevan bhima king, LIC.
Interestingly, LIC Chairman G P
Bajpai has his own explanation for
what has kept the ball going fdr'the
domestic insurer. He attributes the
growth in numbers to UC's network
of agents, which has mapped out ru­
ral India.
He also attributes the drive's'success to insurance policies being sold
in the vernacular, in a maimer that's
close to the people's heart. The other
reasons indude overall growth in ru­
ral incomes, the higher premiums
that rural folk now place on their
lives and the availability of insurance
polices in remote areas for those who
value their life.
For life insurers, the growth in
numbers began about three years
ago, when the number of policies
written in the rural areas started to
grow. Since 1998-99, as against the
3.86 per cent growth in polices seen
in towns and dries, the rural polities
have grown at an average 18 per cent
annually.

T

No more chopping of veggies
Freshly .cut vegetohl es have to be consumed within, ten days as
they deteriorate rapidly and lose-nutrients. The cost of the processed
vegetables rises by about 10-20 per cent but it is worth the money
RESH cut processed food industry is big busi­
ness in the West. Take for example, the multi­
million dollar American MNC Coronet Foods
which specialises in cut vegetables. Its operations
span across continents from USA to China where it
sources and processes all kinds of vegetables from
the common onions and potatoes to exotic broccoli
to baby com. There are several such big players in
the West who have streamlined the technology and
reaped rich profits.
Can the success story be repeated in India as
well? 'Yes!* says Chetan Hanchate, senior manag­
er at Centre for Processed Poods (CPF), an NGO
adjunct of the Centre for Te­
chnology Development wh­
ich has identified food pro­
cessing as one of the impor­
tant thrust areas for active
promotion. "We all know
India is the second largest
fruit and vegetables growing
country in the world. Unf­
ortunately, there is huge post­
harvest loss of about 30-40
per cent before it readies the
market mainly because of
wrong handling, transporta­
tion, unloading, lack of cold
chain and so on. By process­
ing vegetables before they
come to the market we not
only preserve quality and cut down handling loss­
es but also reduce the influx of garbage into dries/
As per the Faida (Food and Agriculture Integrated
Development Action) report released by McKinsey,
in India the price of produce triples between the grow­
er and the consumer because there are several inter­
mediaries. "By locating the processing centres near
produdng farms, we can give a good price for the
fanner and also cut down on the intermediaries thus
giving a fair price to the consumers as well," says Mr
Hanchate. ‘There are significant growth opportuni­
ties for big companies to tap this market.
Apart from retail customers, they can supply

F

multinational restaurant chains and the hotel indus­
try/ he adds.
The difference between cut and frozen vegetables
is that the former is freshly harvested and needs to
to be consumed within 10 days. Instead of vegetables
coming directly from the farm to the store, it goes to
a processing area where it is washed with potable
water then treated with recommended surface dis­
infectants and then it is taken for peeling and cutting
as per the requirement.
The vegetables are ready to cook as only the edi­
ble portion is transferred to the market. "It is meant
for urban areas especially the metropolitan cities where
the pace of life is fast and
where there are big depart­
mental stores with cold storage
facilities/ says Mr Hanchate.
Cold storage is crucial to this
business. The cut vegetables
tend to deteriorate rapidly and
lose nutrients. "If they are kept
at five degree centirade or less
their nutritive value can be
preserved and best results can
be obtained. Vegetables such as
carrot, beans, cauliflower- et al
can be preserved up to ten
days. Some leafy vegetables
like lettuce, spinach, et al can
also be preserved by proper pa­
ckaging/ he says.
"The cost of the processed vegetable may rise by
10-20 per cent but it is worth the money/ The treat­
ments and technology for preserving cut vegetables
have been developed by Central Food Technological
Research Institute (CFTRI). CPF can source technolo­
gy and get HACCP and ISO clearances for the projects
as well. There are different kinds of packaging such as
ventilated pouches, special laminates which respire
which are required. Test marketing of these products
has already been done in Mysore and has been found
to very successful.

Shoba Naidu

The Economic Times
01 October 2001

The Economic Times
01 October 2001
CDL Media Clippings 1

A global village for MNCs -“r
eocon, Onida and BPL in this "children like Cartoon Netw­
village,” says Uniyal.
ork,” avers Uniyal
Ahmedabad, Sept 30: It's
In Kaneti and Telaav, penet­
“In this village, television
‘MNC-isatlon’ at its best. Bra­ ration is almost 90 per cent penetration is not very high
nds like LG and Samsung are but both the villages .present but one observes a shift in the
now replacing old favourites quite a contrast as Kaneti has trend from community view­
like Crown and Bush in rural a few. .households with ing to individual viewing,”
areas where even electricity branded B&W TV sets while says Uniyal.
was a luxury a couple of years in Telaav, most of the TV sets
In Telaav, Uniyal observed
back.
that people are switching to
Dwarika Prasad Uniyal,
"In Ghuma, villagers even brands like Samsung and LG
a research associate with
as Crown and Bush are consi­
watch
BBC and HBO while dered outdated. Radio, obser­
Mudra Institute of Comm­
children like Cartoon
unications.
Ahmedabad
ved the researcher, has low
(MICA), recently comple­
Network," avers Uniyal
consumption as TV has beat­
ted a field study of four vil­
en it here as well. In all the vil­
lages around Ahmedabad — are branded and colour. The lages, the normal viewing
Shela, Ghuma. Telaav and study observed that while TV hours range from 9 pm to 12
Kaneti — to study the media was introduced in Ghuma pm and very few people watch
habits of villagers.
way back in 1974 when the TV during daytime as they
Uniyal found that television State Government gifted a TV are busy with household cho­
penetration in Shela village is set to the village panchayat. res;However in’ Ghuma,
the highest — almost 100 per 1987 was a special year as the Uniyal observed that children
cent though most of the TV first colour. TV came to the vil­ did switch on the TV sets after
sets are assembled ones. lage in this year, says Uniyal.
finishing their homework and
"There are few colour TVs tho­
“In Ghuma, villagers even their viewing starts a little
ugh one finds brands^lkejVid- watch BBC arid HBO while early.
By Shefali Nautiyal

New insurance scheme covers
personal risk for farmers
______ PH Nev.-s Service_______
BANGALORE. Sept 30

An unique insurance scheme "Sankath Haran Bima Yojana”
extending personal risk coverage
for farmers buying fertiliser, was
launched by Chief Minister S M
Krishna here today
Under the scheme jointly pro­
moted by IFFCO-Tokio General
Insurance Company (1TGI), farm­
ers on purchase of fertilisers pro­
duced by IFFCO, Kribcho and
Indian Potash Limited will get per­
sonal insurance cover at no extra
cost. The scheme offered Rs 4000
per 50 kg in the event of injury
causing permanent total disable­
ment or death. The policy would
be effective for a period of 12
months from the date of purchase
and maximum capital sum
insured was Rs one lakh. The cash
receipt or the debit memo would
serve as the insurance cover.
Mr Krishna said that Central

2

crop insurance scheme was partly
successful as it provided for only
20 per cent coverage. The new
scheme would be beneficial to the
farmers, he felt. Taking an indi­
rect dig at those agitating against
the piece of land allotted for set­
ting up of biotechnology park on
the outskirts of the city, Mr
Krishna said some take up the
cause of the farmers but oppose
developments. JIc added that the
government was trying to bridge
the gap between farmers and labo­
ratories through biotechnology.
Mr Krishna called upon farmers
to adopt new technologies to
improve productivity and to shed
their traditional mindset.
Agriculture Minister T B
Jayachandra said that biotechnol­
ogy would help in achieving food
security and the US and China
have proved it, referring to recent
opposition to the biotech park al
University
of
Agricultural
Sciences. He said that the

Government took major initia­
tives in biotechnology after con­
sultations from experts. "Our gov­
ernment is looking ar the food
problem, taking into account the
next 20 years. And Biotechnology
is answer to it," he added.
ITGI Executive Director Ajit
Narain said the company is pro­
posing to launch a farmers pack­
age policy from January next.
Pilot study on the scheme was on
in Hubli in Karnataka. Ludhiana
in Punjab and Gujarat. He said the
company had paid up capital of Rs
100 crores and was aiming to have
premium collection of Rs 100
crore in the first year of opera­
tion. It is a joint venture between
the Tokio Marine and Fire
Insurance (26 per cent), Indian
Farmers Fertiliser Cooperatives
Ltd (49 per cent), Krishak Bharati
Cooperative Ltd (20 per cent) and
Indian Potash Ltd (five per cent)
and had been transacting business
from this January.

Ill-conceived
schemes hamper
anti-poverty drive
Anil Anand
New Delhi, September 30
THE ANTI-POVERTY drive of
the successive governments over
the past five decades has
surprisingly been hampered by
proliferation of mindlessly-con­
ceived pbverty eradication
schemes.
This interesting observation
has been made in the consulta­
tion paper on "Social Security
and Employment" formulated by
the National Commission to
Review the Working of the Con­
stitution (NCRWC).
Explaining the reasons behind
this paradoxical situation, pri­
marily the result of poor plan­
ning, the paper has clearly point­
ed out that most of these
schemes were conceived for pop­
ular appeal but lacked commit­
ment and purpose.
In most of the cases, the
desired results could not be
achieved due to the size of the
schemes and the complexities
involved in their implementa­
tion. The paper on the issue has
suggested decentralisation of
decision-making.

Hindustan Times
01 October 2001

Deccan Herald
01 October 2001

News You Can Use

Tehri dam may hold key to water problem
BIRESH BANERJEE
he groundwater table depletes by
one to two metres every year in the
Capital. In fact, its depletion is has­
tened by the fact that most of the drink­
ing water supplied in die Capital is from
groundwater reserves.
Apart from rain water harvesting, per­
colation of treated waste water and in­
creasing the storage capacity are some
of the ways of preventing a complete
dry-up of the water table. These and
some other problems and solutions
were what came up for discussion at the
Third Environment Summit organised
by the Confederation of Indian Industry
(CH).
Presenting a paper at the summit,
chairman of the Indian Water Works
Association P T Gurnani said, 'There
has been an unprecedented depletion
of the groundwater table in urban ar­
eas. A major cause of that has been the
use of tubewells and borewells which is
why the Central Ground water Authority
(CGWA) has banned their use in the
city.”
The chairman of Central Pollution
Control Board (CPCB) Dilip Biswas

T

said another major reason for the periments in Amravati had led to a rise
groundwater table depleting in the in the water level by 10 metres,” he in­
city is that the water supply to con­ formed.
sumers is from this source. In fact, a re­
Biswas, however, said that rainwater
port of the Tata Energy Reseat ch was not the only way to increase the wa­
Institute (TERI) for this year states ter table level. “It should only be used
that the dynamic groundwater re­ as a supplement to other techniques
sources in Delhi had been assessed as such as allowing percolation of treated
292 MCM while the present withdraw­ water and increasing the water storage
al was 312 MCM.
capacity,” he said. He also suggests tap­
The director of Centre for Science and ping into the untapped potential of
Environment (CSE) S unita Narain said dams further upstream.
that surface and ground water were the
In fact, theTERl report for 2001, apart
most utilised sources. Providing a com­ from suggesting rainwater harvesting as
parative picture of the consumption of one of the methods to increase the lev­
water in Delhi and Copenhagen, she el of the groundwater, also suggests tap­
said that 209 litres per capita per day ping into the Tehri dam. The report says
was the consumption in the Capital. "In the dam could provide 300 cusecs of
Copenhagen, one of the most devel­ water by March 2002. Other dams
oped nations in the world, the con­ mentioned in the report are Renukal
sumption was 190 litres per capita per dam on the Giri river, Kishau dam on
rg
day in 1990. And they are trying to re­ the Tons river and the Lakhawar dam,
duce it since then. Whereas here, the also on the same river.
eq
target till 2000 was 360 litres per capi­
Each is expected to provide an addi- Jr u
ta per day,” she says.
tional 500 cusecs of water taking the q
Stressing on the success of rainwater load off the use of groundwater.
C *9
harvesting in improving the level of
Of course, the report also mentions ,2 **
groundwater, Gurnani said that exper­ that these are long-term proposals. flL q
iments in JNU and IIT, Delhi had in­ One will just have to wait and watch q
creased the groundwater level by 0.9m how long the proposals actually take to £ TT
H
in one year. "Rainwater harvesting ex­ fructify.

Scientists to adopt cyclone-hit villages
LALMOHAN PATNAIK

STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE

EBSAiffij^pfAWRQIiATCiRY FORFOOD SECURITY RESEARCH

The basic objective of the proj­
CUTTACK, Sept. 30. — Non-de­ to restore normalcy. They also are involved in the project.
script villages such as Ambiki utilised the opportunity for Rice-fish diversified farming ect is the restructuring of the
villages
and Kankana of’Ersama block some interesting experimenta­ system and nutrition gardens cyclone-affected
had hit national and interna­ tion along the cyclone prone would be one of the thrust through introduction of specific
areas of the project. The Cen­ farm technology capsules which
tional headlines in October 1999 coastal belt.
when they were virtually wiped It is by virtue of their research tral Rice Research Institute, are suitable to the coastal ecol­
out from the map by the super that the worst-affected Ersama Cuttack, is the lead institution ogy, Dr Singh said.
cyclone. Relief material and aid block in Orissa is poised to be­ for the project, which will be The CRRI plans to popularise
poured in from around the come a laboratory for rural formally launched next month. rice-fish farming for rainfed low­
The National Agricultural land areas. A rice-fish diversified
world. Putting the economy of household food security.
the villages back on track was Under the mega project called Technology Project has already farming system would ensure
^Management of coastal agro given its approval and allocated food, nutrition and employment
the most challenging feature.
But two years after the calami­ eco system affected by super cy­ Rs.195.62 lakh for the three- to the people and also guarantee
ty, authorities concerened have clone in Orissa,"villages like year project so far, official sour­ environmental security. Such a
project has more than one di­
forgotten all about the tragedy. Ambiki, Kankana and Badbilari ces said.
Ambiki, Kankana, Badbilari would soon be adopted. And In Ersama block 1600 families mension, as it will involve the
and other villages which suf­ farmers would be initiated into will be adopted under the proj­ production of improved rice vari­
fered their fate are no Jonger. need-based eco farming for in­ ect. Another 1200 families will eties along with fish, prawn,
“news”. Yet, it is the sheer resil­ creasing farm productivity and be adopted under the same proj­ azolla and duck. Apart from rice,
ience of the people that has their income. All institutions ect in Astaranga block, Dr BN vegetables, fruit and agroprod­
under the Indian Council for Singh, director CRRI, Cuttack, ucts can also be cultivated on the
made them survive.
While government efforts dim­ Agricultural Research in the who is also the principal investi­ bund or dyke areas.
med, agricultural scientists state and the Orissa University gator for the project told The The system increases farm pro­
were quietly working out a way of Agriculture and Technology Statesman here.
ductivity by more than 15 times. Con td..

CDL Media Clippings 3

crete action. The guilty must be
punished, punished, punished.
When you recognise a problem.
whether trafficking or female, foeti­
Herjob as UNICEF representative HlV/AIDS challenge has come up, protect the poor and invest in cide, that is the first step towards
in India is the best in-the world, she quality of education is not up to the children. Without this, reforms change. In India, we have to look
at the glass as half full, not half
says A moving force behind reform mark, a lot more needs to be done.
cannot really work.
in UNICEF’s global operations,
Do you think there has been What can be done about the in­ empty. We have to keep the
Maria Calivis has held numerous enough action on these fronts? creasing number ofchildren caught focus on progress and positivity,
not the negative aspects.
special posts in some ofthe world’s What about child labour which is up in conflict situations?
hotspots like south Lebanon andstill a huge problem in India?
The nineties have seen an in­
The Times of India
the Gaza where she mainly devel­
I see some interesting initiatives crease in instability and more and
01 October 2001
oped resource materials for chil­
taking place, reforms of basic edu­ more children and mothers have
dren in conflict situations Calivis
cation, the introduction of joyful been affected. The problem is that
tells Lalita Panickershe is confi­
learning and so on. Karnataka and we at UNICEF cannot get in­
dent that though the UN general as­ AP, for example, have formulated volved in war situations, we can
semblysession on children has been action plans to eliminate child only function in zones of peace
put offafter Terrible Tuesday, India labour. These are positive signs. In­ where we can focus on immunisa­
willplay a major role at the meet
dia has huge problems like child tion and so on. We have been press­
when it does take place later:
labour, but let us focus on the many ing for the demilitarisation of chil­
success stories we see all around us. dren in Angola, Sierra Leone, try­
The UN is to hold its general assem­ Do you feel political commitment is ing to get child soldiers into
bly on the child soon. Do these lacking towards issues relating to rehabilitation.
mega events make the slightest dif­ children, especially since they are How have you gone about
ference to the lives of deprived notpolitically useful?
confronting the challenge of
Contd...
children around the world?
I wouldn’t say that. I feel that the HIV/AIQS and its effects on
The income of farmers increases
These may seem like distant answer is to not rely on govern­ children?
by 12 to 15 folds over the tradi­
processes but there are agendas ment so much for direction but em­
UNICEF has been working in
tional system of farming.
that are worked out when many ac­ power district level committees schools and among adolescents on
tors come together. Such agree­ and communities to forge alliances this issue. We have tried to min­
It also generates additional
ments then become binding on for implementing child rights.
farm employment of 200 to 250
imise mother to child transmission
their respective countries. This What do you think of the move of the virus. Countries like India
man days per year. It is eco
meet comes 11 years after the to make primary education can produce drugs to combat
friendly as it promotes a syner­
world summit for children and this compulsory? Will it solve some of HTV/AIDS on a far cheaper scale
gy between different compo­
will be a review after which there rhe problems affecting children?
than elsewhere. We are fighting
nents of rice, fish, prawn and
will be a re-committing to a new
Education is a right. But for a against the stigma attached to
duck leading to recycling of
agenda for the next ten
right to be realised, there have to AIDS orphans. But at each stage,
wastes, scientists said.
years. Such meets which
be enough schools within easy we need to work in partnership
Dr Singh conceded much will
bring together many.part­
with the players concerned.
reach for the child, quality teachers
depend on the state’s role in ex­
ners create synergies that
How far should big busi­
to teach, parents must be empow­
tending financial help because
make a difference for en­
ness be involved in protect­
ered to make the right educational
rice-fish diversified farming sys­
tire generations. We have to
ing child rights? Many feel
choices for their children. I don’t
tem involves construction work,
focus on three crucial is­
that the elimination of un­
know if passing a law alone can
entailing an initial investment
sues — under five survival
ethical practices like child
deliver all this
from Rs.25,000 to Rs 30,000.
which involves immunisa­
labour is actually beneficial
How do you think India compares
Other ICAR institutions in­
tion, health and nutrition to
to
business
in
the
long'run.
with China in the area of
volved in the project are Central
make sure children get a
It
is
a
question
of
morali
­
child rights?
Institute of Fresh Water Aqua­
good start in life, education
ty. All businesses also have
Well, there are drastic differ­
culture, Bhubaneswar, Water
access which is still denied
a social responsibility. The
ences in Human Development In­
Technology Centre, Bhubanes­
to many children. We must
media has a major role
dex (HDI) figures. But, in a dictato­
war, Central Horticulture Ex­
here, to keep businesses on
redouble efforts to get children rial system,it is easier to implement
perimental Station, Bhubanes­
their toes and publicise
who have dropped out back into schemes. But one can never under­
war and Regional Research Sta­
school, especially the girl child. mine the potential of a democratic positive practices wherever they
tion for CARI, Bhubaneswar.
And finally, we need to target ado­ society which allows solutions to be happen. This has an inspirational
lescents and enhance their life more appropriate and sustainable. effect on others.
The Statesman
skills. These are huge agendas but
India is a very child-unfriendly What can be done to address the
01 October 2001
we have to make the world fit
place, you see virtually no public problem of child trafficking in
for children.
South
Asia?
It
has
emerged
as
a
ma
­
spaces designed for children. Why
What progress do you feel India has do you think this is so?
jorsource ofconcern in this region.
There are no easy solutions,
made in the field of child rights I would not say that India is un­
so far?
friendly to children. Of course, there are international interests in
It is so difficult to speak of India there are challenges, but when I trafficking and, therefore, we re­
in one breath. There are so many travel across the country, I see most quire an intersectoral approach.
dichotomies, many areas of Indians as family lovers.
Once again, in the case of girls be­
achievement and an equal number
are
effects ofglobalisation ing trafficked, we have to get back
of
.......................
, areas where much needs- to
. be on the
rights ofthe child or do they to the issue of female education.
“nd to get sidelined in Msprocess? But we are seeing big changes, peo­
great improvementsesay.
in literacy, ac­
Globalisa­ ple are coming out and talking
cess to schools etc.
The
polio eradi- UVI4
.
. *
tion CIUU
and VWUVMJIV
economic AU1UUUO
reforms aiv
are about these abuses of children.The
cation campaign has been spectac- unstOppable forces whether we next change will happen when this
ular, mind boggling. But infant like it or not. But at the policy level practice seizes everyone with dis­
mortality figures are worrying, the there has t0
a safety net t0 gust and shock and triggers con­

Global Agenda for Children

4

News You Can Use

Education plan to
take off
on Oct 10
NEW DELHI. Oct I (UHNS)

NOW TO MAKE IT WORK
THE FORMAL LAUNCH of the Sampoorna Gra­
meen Rozgar Yojana, the new Rs. 10,000-crore
food-for-work programme, sets at rest all spec­
ulation that this was going to be yet another
scheme that was announced with much fanfare
but would not see the light of the day. In fact, it
must be a record of sorts that less than six weeks
separate the announcement of the programme
by the Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee,
from the ramparts of the Red Fort on August 15,
and its formal inauguration, also by Mr. Vaj­
payee, in a Uttar Pradesh village last week. Such
speed is to be appreciated, especially since this
programme is meant for the most disadvantaged
sections of Indian society. Indeed, if there must
be a question it must be why it was not launched
earlier, considering the continuous build-up in
public food stocks over the past three years. Now
the challenge is to make the SGRY work. A foodfor-work programme was always the ideal solu­
tion for combating under-nutrition and low em­
ployment in the backward or drought-affected
areas — not to mention its role in creating rural
assets. However, three problems have always
plagued rural employment programmes — mas­
sive leakages, non-payment of minimum wages
and construction of assets which do not last be­
yond the next monsoon. Where there has been
success in all three respects, it has been only in
the presence of an active local government and
beneficiaries who have refused to be short­
changed. The SGRY too will be administered by
local bodies and the true test of its success will
be in its ability to replicate isolated success sto­
ries on a national scale. This is easier said than
done; but it would have been a crime if fears of a
failure had persuaded the Government not to
make at least some use of the cereal mountain
which now stands at 62 million tonnes.
The SGRY will be a Rs. 10,000-crore annual
Centrally- sponsored programme. In addition to

the 5 million tonnes of grain, valued at Rs. 5,000
crores, which will be given by the Centre free of
cost to the States, the Centre will meet 75 per
cent of the cash component of Rs. 5,000 crores.
This should go a long way towards making the
States more enthusiastic than they have been in
the past about food-for-work programmes. The
inability of the State Governments to find the
financial resources for meeting material outlays
and the cash component of wage costs has so far
resulted in a poor off-take of grain allotted free of
cost to the States.
Impressive as the new food-for-work pro­
gramme appears in financial outlay, it is not en­
tirely a new scheme but an expanded and
consolidated version of existing programmes.
For now, two of the current employment pro­
grammes — the Jawahar Gram Samridhi Yojana
and the Employment Assurance Scheme — are
to be merged into the SGRY. The two rural em­
ployment schemes had a Central Government
budgetary allocation of Rs. 2,925 crores for 200102; while in a full year the SGRY would receive
budgetary support of Rs. 3,750 crores. This is an
increase but not as large a jump as has been
made out. There is, of course, the cost of the 5
million tonnes of grain which the Centre is going
to absorb every year, which at the minimum will
involve Rs. 5,000 crores being funded to the Food
Corporation of India. All said and done, this is
not a time to carp at the launch of yet another
poverty alleviation scheme but an occasion to
use the opportunity to make a tangible dent on
under-employment and under-nutrition in
some of the poorest regions of the country and at
the same time make a difference to rural infras­
tructure in these areas by drought-proofing, wa­
tershed development, afforestation and the
construction of school buildings, all of which are
activities to be taken up by the SGRY.

The Hindu
02 October 2001

Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) the
programme of the Human
Resource Development Ministry
for un iversa! isat ion of elemen­
tary education, will take place on
October 10 this month from Kast
Godavari district of Andhra
Pradesh.
A decision to this effect was
taken by HRD minister Murli
Manohar Joshi after he chaired a
meeting of senior officials from
the minstry to review arrange­
ments for the launch of the pro­
gramme.
According to sources in the
ministry, preparatory activity has
been already been sanctioned in
about 250 districts all over the
country. The district plans for the
SSA are likely to be cleared by the
ministry after finalising details in
about 200 districts by December
2001.
The rest of the fifty districts
will be cleared by March 2002.
Addressing the meeting. Dr
Joshi called ON the mandarins of
his ministry to focus on education
of the girl child, scheduled castes
and scheduled tribes, minorities
and other disadvantaged groups.

Deccan Herald
02 October 2001

Sam Pitroda
gets award
New Delhi, Oct. J: President
K.R. Narayanan honoured
eminent
technocrat Sam
Pitroda on Monday for his
outstanding contribution to
telecommunication and har­
nessing it for social and eco­
nomic transformation.
The President gave away the
Lal Bahadur Shastri National
Award for Excellence in Pub­
lic Administration and Man­
agement Sciences for the year
2000 at a function at Rashtrapati Bhavan. (PTI)

The Asian Age
02 October 2001

CDL Media Clippings

5

Rainwater harvesting can help curb
flooding in low-lying areas: Report
By Daksha Hath!
PH Newsservice

GRAVEL FILLING

FOOTPATH

/— PIPE

BANGALORE. Oct 1

Nearly every night this month
thousands of Bangaloreans living
in low-lying areas have endured a
living nightmare, as their homes
2.0m
have been Hooded because of
heavy rains. Filthy water has.
overflowed
from
brimming
stormwater drains into houses,
ruining furniture, expensive elec­
tronic equipment, besides bring­
ing the danger of disease.
While the BMP and BWSSB
Circle,
officials have largely ignored this Vivekananda
Kamakshipalya
Bus
Stand,
problem after an obligatory visit
Koramangala
to these areas, an important gov­ Konanakunte,
Indoor Stadium, KR Market area,
ernment-sponsored report which
Kumaraswamy Layout, Bus Stand,
has offered a simple and novel
solution to deal with these tragi­ Nandini Layout Entrance, NDDB
cally recurring floodings due to Quarters, Opposite RRR Choultry,
Prashantha
overflowing stormwater drains Okalipuram,
Ganapathi temple, Residency
and runoffs from small roads, is
road. Sirsi Circle Flyover
being totally ignored. It has been
entrance,
Sita
Circle,
brought out by STEM - the Centre
for Symbiosis of Technology, Hanumanthanagar,
Environment and Management.
Subhashnagar bus stand, Swastik
The report titled "A Conceptual - Central Talkies, Thyagarajnagar
Frame for Rainwater Harvesting and Vyalikaval.
But this situation can be solved
in Bangalore” by various engineer­
ing and environmental experts
and turned to advantage by har­
has pointed out that some lowvesting the runoff water for which
lying areas in the City are flooded a strategy needs to be evolved.The
due to continuous and heavy
cost would work out to around Rs.
rains, causing flooded homes, traf­ 180 lakh per square km for roads
fic blocks etc. The areas are: 100 and drains, with 2,000 dispersion
feet road in Koramangala from
trenches and 10,000 percolation
bus depot to Canara bank, pits per sq km, says the STEM
Basavangudi near Taxi Stand,
report.
Bashyam Circle, Rajajinagar,
The experts who prepared this
BMTC depot to IOC Petrol Bunk,
report point out that too many
Chowdiah Memorial, Girinagar,
concrete buildings and metalled

roads and Bangalore's undulating
terrain are responsible for flood­
ing because there is no surface for
recharging this excess runoff
water to the ground. However
there would be a great advantage
in using this undulating terrain to
store this water by two rainwater
harvesting techniques.
The first method is to harvest
water in stormwater drains
(Bangalore has many v-shaped or
1-shaped stormwater drains on
both sides of its roads) - locate
sites at intervals of 100 feet for
recharge pits to drain water into
the ground. The pit should have an
inlet for rainwater and a splash
pad. The pit functions as a rainwa­
ter filter consisting of coarse grav­
el of 40 mm followed by 20 mm of
gravel and clean sand at the top.
Such recharge pits will store
water initially with a rapid intake.
Since the soils of Bangalore are
red loams to day loams, medium
textured and permeable, most of
the excess water will be rapidly

drained to lower regions. This way
of recharging water from storm
drains will greatly reduce the
runoff and minimise dogging up
of low lying areas, says the STEM
report. At present, there is no
escape route for the rainwater
except for evaporation by the sun's
heat. The second method to tackle
flooding in low-lying areas such
as bus stands, traffic islands, tank
beds and residential colonies caus­
ing distress and financial losses,
and hazardously stagnant water
pools is to sink ’’recharging wells"
in the bed of the tank, or traffic
island. A good quantity of water
can be stored in the subsoil by sim­
ple rapid percolation, the report
says. These recharge wells can be
conveniently designed based on
the load of stormwater runoff.
Another solution is to have a MCH
model double catch pit. These pits
have been successfully used in
Hyderabad, the report says.
For more information contact
STEM: phone: 5522664,5533664.

Deccan Herald
02 October 2001

6

News You Can Use

MP’s edn. scheme catches nation’s eye
By Our Staff Correspondent

Education Guarantee
Scheme (EGS) launched in Madhya Pradesh
five years ago has succeeded in increasing the
literacy percentage and bringing down the
school dropout rate, and also providing edu­
cation to (he deprived sections of society.
gulbarga, OCT. 1. The

Official sources said here today that many
Slate governments had evinced interest in the
EGS and that the Union HRD Ministry had
included some parts of the scheme in the ex­
isting education programmes to increase the
literacy rate and cut the dropout rate.
The EGS has come as a boon for children,
particularly those in remote areas and small
hamlets who have been denied education all
these years. The existing schools are situated
in far-away villages and the rigid caste system
prevented people living in hamlets from send­
ing their wards to these schools. The new
scheme has not only opened new vistas of de­
velopment in education but also provided em­
ployment to thousands of unemployed youth
in remote villages.

Mr. Veerendra Singh Sisodia from Barnagar
in Ujjain District of Madhya Pradesh, who is
closely involved in the implementation of the

EGS, told The Hindu that the scheme was the
brainchild of the Chief Minister, Mr. Digvijay
Singh, and was being implemented in the
State with the help of local people.
Mr. Sisodia, who is on a private visit to Kar­
nataka to study the programmes launched by
the State Government here to increase the lit­
eracy rate and bring down the dropout rate,
said (hat the EGS provided primary' education
up to fifth standard in remote hamlets.
Explaining the salient features of the EGS,
Mr. Sisodia said that the primary' school was
allowed to be started in a hamlet which did
not have a school, but the condition was that
there had to be at least 20 children. There were
no rigid rules for appointment of teachers for
such schools and that they were selected by
the people of the hamlet. However, (he mini­
mum qualification for a teacher was that he
should belong to (he same hamlet and must
have passed the SSLC examination. They
would be appointed on contract basis.
He said the "gurudakshina,” which was giv­
en as an honorarium, was paid every month
by the Government after the people of the
hamlet gave a certificate on the functioning of
the schools. Monitoring of such schools was
the responsibility of the people of the hamlet

and officials of the Education Department vis­
ited these schools occasionally for overall su­
pervision. If the performance of the school
was good and if there was an increase in the
number of students, the Government would
provide funds for constructing buildings, Mr.
Sisodia said.
The Madhya Pradesh Government had initi­
aled steps to open middle schools where there
were no such schools within a radius of three
km.
Mr. Sisodia, who is a close associate of Mr.
Digvijay Singh, said that the Madhya Pradesh
Government had also decided to open at least
one high school in every five-km. radius from
the next academic year. Teachers for the newmiddle and high schools would be appointed
on contract basis. In an effort to involve the
people in the running of these schools, the
Government had decided to pay the salary to
teachers based on the attendance record
maintained by a committee of villagers.
Mr. Sisodia said that these measures had
not only increased the school enrolment, but
also brought down the dropout rate drastical­
ly, and introduced a sense of involvement in
Government programmes among the local
people.

The Hindu
02 October 2001

Lopsided pricing hits crop yields
C
IIBtiral
Wmural

ONSIDER this. Between 19901991 and 1999-2000, the min­
imum support prices (MSPs)
for wheat, rice, cotton, coarse cere­
als-, pulses and groundnut Jbave in**
crcasedby 158, 139, 137, 131, 13b
and 99 per cent respectively.

According to the report of the
Commission for Agricultural Costs
and Prices (CACP) for the crops sown
during the 2000-2001 season, the
gross revenues obtainable with the
respective MSPs at the national av­
erage yields for wheat, paddy, cot­
ton, jowar, tur and groundnut have
correspondingly increased by 200,
164,143,145,119and 127percent.
In terms of actual market prices, the
real price of wheat and rice are
around 25 per cent higher than the
1990-1991 levels. This compares to
a mere 8 per cent increase in the real

culture during this decade. However, led to any significant increase in
a comparison of the first and second yields, still worse, it is causing a se­
half of the nineties reveals that there rious imbalance in inter-crop pari­
has not only been a fall in yields, this ties.
has been accompanied by a deceler­ A xiteides, nwrcereals also have to
ation hii’tnv growtirdtarea Tmdcr •cpKPend with shrinking profitability
non-foodgrainS utt the second half
on another count — that of rising
The growth rate in the yield of wage cost due to high prices of ce­
price of all agricultural commodities foodgrains declined from 2.25 per real crops.
arid a significant decline in that of cent in 1990-1991 to 1995-1996 to
A third important implication is
1.79 per cent in 1995-1996 to 1998oilseeds.
in the area of environmental degra­
1999
while
that
of
area
under
food
­
Which brings us to an important
dation. The states that hugely bene­
fallout of the lopsided pricing policy grains increased from -0.78 per cent fit from such price incentives in case
to
0.47
per
cent
in
this
period.
On
of the government with respect to
of rice are Punjab and Haryana,
agricultural commodities. A com­ the contrary; the growth in index of where a number of studies have
parison of agricultural performance area under non-foodgrains deceler­ pointed out that rice productior.
in the nineties versus the eighties ated to 1.55 per cent in the second
should, in fact, be discouraged ir
shows that there was a decelerating half from 2.02 per cent in the first
view of the precarious agronomic
trend in the yield of almost every half of the nineties.
and groundwater situation.
crop in the nineties.
The conclusion: The so-called
The only silver lining was a trend 'price incentives' through higher ■ Sowmya Sivakumar
towards greater diversification of agri­ MSPs for wheat and rice have not ET Intelligence Group

The Economic Times
03 October 2001

CDL Media Clippings 7

Bihar govt hands over
rights to panchayats
DH News Service
PATNA. Oct 2

The Rabri Devi government today
formally handed over adminis­
trative and other rights to the
elected panchayat bodies which
have come into being after a gap of
18 years in the state.
The original plan of the gov­
ernment to organise a grand show
for the purpose by inviting all the
1.34 lakh elected representatives,
could not however materialise. It
was cancelled at the last moment
and sources have it that already
around Rs 2 crores had been spent
for the arrangement. It was put off
after the Patna High Court took a
tough posture and termed the
state government’s move of requi­
sitioning private schools to house
the elected representatives, as il­
legal.
Delineating the rights at a
press conference Chief Minister
Rabri Devi said that due to some
‘unavoidable reasons' the elected
representatives could not be in­
vited to Patna. " However they
would be called some time in
November," she said.
Ms Rabri Devi said that on the
occasion of Mahatma Gandhi’s
birthday his dream of “gram
swarajya” has been realised in
Bihar. She pointed that this was
rhe first instalment of rights and
added that more would be
delienated based on experience.
Panchayat elections in the

Deccan Herald
03 October 2001

state were held in April-May this
year. Speaking on the occasion
RJD chief Laloo Prasad Yadav
said that the government had
given far reaching rights to the
Panchayat bodies. At the same
time he said that if the elected
representatives don't perform
than the people have the right to
recall too.
Reacting to the worst terrorist
attack in Jammu Kashmir yes­
terday which claimed at least 34
lives; Mr Laloo Prasad demanded
that the prime minister expel
Home Minister L K Advani.
"Under him the situation has
further worsened. He has
emerged as a useless home min­
ister. The prime minister should
oust him immediately," declared
the former Bihar chief minister.
In the same vein, an enraged
Mr Yadav called former defence
minister and NDA convenor
George Fernandes a “terrorist"
while
reacting
to
latter’s
statement over the police firing in
Muzzafarpur.

Awards given
to six scribes
NEW DELHI. Oct 2 (DUNS)

HT Correspondent

Lucknow, October 1
THE STATE government has set
a target of 8 lakh metric tonnes
for paddy purchase from local
farmers this harvesting season.
This is 2.5 lakh metric tonnes in
excess of last year's procure­
ment, which stood at 5.68 lakh
metric tonnes.
Depending on the availability
of paddy, the outer limit can be
stretched to 10 lakh metric
tonnes, said Food and Civil Sup­
plies Minister Narendra Singh
speaking to newsmen here today.
Detailing the government plan
of the mammoth exercise, Singh
said that four agencies namely
the Food and Civil Supplies
Department, PCF, UP Agro and
UPSS, have been entitled to pur­
chase from the local farmers.
Each agency has been specific
target. While the Civil Supplies
department and PCF will procure
3 metric tonnes each the UP Agro
and UPSS have been asked to pur­
chase one metric tonne each.
For this adequate financial
sanctions have already been
made to all four agencies, the
minister disclosed and said that
the PCF has been given Rs 12
crores while UP Agro and UPSS
have been sanctioned Rs 4 crores
each.
The agencies will purchase
paddy from the 1605 centres set
up last year for the same pur­
pose. Each centre will be
equipped with machines to test
humidity, sieves and winnowing
fans. However, the District Mag­
istrateshave been asked to set up
more centres if the need arises,
said the minister.

Six scribes were selected for this
year’s Sarojini Naidu award for
best reporting on women and pan­
chayat i raj. K R Mangala of
Prajavani, Souinen Dutta of
Bengali daily Adjkal, Yogesh
Vajpeyi of The Indian Express,
Bhopal, K P M Basheer of The
Hindu, Kochi, Rajendra Bandhu, a
freelancer from Madhya Pradesh
and Vasavi of Jansatta received
(he awards here today.
Instituted by the Hunger
Project, an NGO, the award aims
to encourage journalists to report
on the “far-reaching but littleknown" changes being brought
about in rural society by the em­
powerment of women.
Former prime minister I K
Gujral, who gave away the prizes,
stressed on the need to spread
awareness on “the silent social Deccan Herald
revolution taking place in our vil-

lages8

Govt sets target of
8 lakh metric tonnes
for paddy purchase

03 October 2001

Depending on the
availability ofpaddy,
the outer limit can be
stretched to 10 lakh
metric tonnes, said
Narendra Singh
About the minimum support
price, Singh said that this year it
was decided to slightly increase'
the price of purchase as com­
pared to last year. He said, com­
mon paddy will be bought for Rs
530 per quintal, while 'Grade A'
paddy will be purchased for Rs
560 per quintal. Last year the
prices of the two categories were
fixed at Rs 510 and Rs 540 respec­
tively.
Paddy will be purchased at
first come, first serve basis and
farmers will be given tokens so
that they do not have to queue up
for selling their produce.
Besides, once their paddy is sent
to the rice mills, the farmers will
be paid 80 per cent of the total
value and the rest after the rice is
finally ready for consumption.
Denying shortage of ware­
housing facilities, Narendra
Singh said that the state had
enough storage facilities to safe­
ly keep rice till February next
year. When asked about the prob­
lems faced during storage of
wheat, the minister said that
wheat is harvested and comes all
at a time posing a problem. But
in case of paddy or rice, there is
a gap of nearly 15 to 30 days in
different parts of the state for
harvesting the crop and as such
there will not be any problem.

Hindustan Times
02 October 2001

News You Can Use

Coffee experts moot rewards
for sustainable cultivation

Himachal literacy
on the rise
Anjali Mahajan
Shimla

________ Raghu Krishnan________
BANGALORE 2 OCTOBER

N INTERNATIONAL panel of
academic experts on coffee
ecosystems has called for the
creation of tools and incentives to
promote good stewardship in the cof­
fee industry. It has formulated seven
conservation principles of coffee pro­
duction to serve as a reference point
for producers, importers, exporters,
roasters and consumers who are
working to incorporate conservation
into management and purchasing
decisions.The panel has noted that
the incorporation of these conser­
vation principles into existing certi­
fication programmes can create mar­
ket opportunities that acknowledge
and reward good stewardship. The
panel includes academic experts like
Dr Robert Rice and Dr A Damodaran.
The first principle is that of sus­
tainable livelihoods. The rationale
is to ensure that coffee production
systems and commercialisation im­
prove the socio-economic livelihoods
of producers and benefit local com­
munities. The panel has stressed the
need to develop long-term trading
relationships with buyers based on
equitable prices for producers. It has
suggested that coffee producers di­
versify their sources of income
through the development of on-farm
and/or community-based alterna­
tives to coffee production. It has sug­
gested that communities be directly
involved, that co-operatives ensure
the rights and needs of members are
met and that workers' wages and

Hunger-free India
sion will apply to PHCs located
in a district with a medical col­
lege.
Health and family welfare
minister Dr A.B. Malaka Reddy
told reporters here that the gov­
ernment had decided, in princi­
ple, to give clearance for hand­
ing over 63 PHCs to medical
colleges. On an average, the
management of three PHCs
By Our Special
would be given to one medical
Correspondent
college, he said. Under the exist­
ing system, the administration
Bangalore, Oct. 1: In an attempt of PHCs is being monitored by a
to increase the efficiency of pri­ district health officer and a
mary health centres in the state, commissioner of family and
the government has decided to child welfare. The new system The Asian Age
hand over their administration
SaSS?
02 October 2001
to medical (yljeges. The deci-

Medical
colleges may
run PHCs
in districts

CHENNAI: United Nations
World
Food Programme
(WFP), which shared the gov­
ernment’s vision of a ‘Hungerfree India’ by the year 2005,
would strive to endorse and
invest in measures aimed at
hasten “the battle against
hunger and malnutrition,”
country director Pedro Me­
drano said on Tuesday; Deli­
vering the keynote address at
the inauguration of a ‘Res­
ource Centre for Community
Food Banks' under the WFP.
he said such banks would have
an empowering process and
effectively enable people to
shape their future entitlements
on their own terms: (pnj

The Times of India
03 October 2001

A

MINISTER OF State for Primary
Education Karan Singh has said
that the persistent and strenuous
effort of Chief Minister Prem
Kumar Dhuinal has finally borne
fruits as the Chief Minister has
managed to get RS 1.720 crore for
the State owing to his good rap­
port with the Prime .Minister Atal
Bihari Vajpayee.
It has helped bail out the State
from financial crunch, he added.
He claimed that BJP-HVC coalition
Government is gaining populari­
ty by.the day and will re-emerge
victorious in the next election.
In an exclusive interview to The
Conservation Is The Key
Pioneer, Mr Singh, who hails
The fourth principle is for water
benefits meet or exceed the mini­
from the royal family of Kulhi,
mum required under local or na ­ conservation and protection through
spoke about the significant in­
elimination of all existing sources of
tional laws.
crease in the literacy rate in the
The second principle articulated contamination and creation of veg­
State.
by the panel is for conservation of etable buffer zones adjacent to wa­
The literacy rate has increased
the ecosystem and wildlife. The panel ler sources. The fifth principle is for
from 64 per cent in 1991 to 77 per
has suggested that there be no dis­ energy conservation through the use,
cent in 2001. In a concerted effort
turbance of intact natural forest, that wherever possible, of renewable
to universalise the primary' edu­
rare or threatened or endangered sources of energy and the avoidance
cation. the Himachal Pradesh
Q
species are protected and that coffee of degradation of natural forest.
Government had made primary
The
sixth
principle
is
for
waste£
farms and surrounding areas create
education compulsory by pro­
management
by
applying
the
prinTa diverse landscape mosaic that serves
mulgating the HP Compulsory
o Primary
as wildlife habitat and migration cor­ dplcs of reduction, reuse and recyEducation
Act
cling
of
coffee
by-products.
O
ridors between protected areas..
1997. Under this Act every par­
The
seventh
principle
is
for
the
E
vj
The third principle is for soil-con­
ent will have to send compulsori­
servation through supply by on-farm elimination of all inputs of chemi- O q ly their children to the primary
X2 schools.
sources of nutrients by means of or­ cal pesticides, fungicides, herbicides
ganic fertilisers, cover crops, mulch and synthetic fertilisers through the g O
The Pioneer
and compost. Environmentally ap­ certification of organic farms where ill Q
02 October 2001
propriate measures for controlling the techniques used include biolog- q O
erosion and building soil quality have ical, cultural and mechanical pest and _£Z co
disease controls.
F— O
been mooted.

CDL Media Clippings

9

ical examination as per the directive

by the postal directorate. The
Postal Life issued
specimen of the declaration for phys­
ically handicapped proposers and
launches
medical certificate will also be re­
quired to be furnished.
scheme for
The PLI also offers insurance cover
to other categories under various
policies which include Whole-life
disabled
_________ R R Goswami_________ (Suraksha), Endowment (Santosh),

Nabard report
on rural credit
system ready
DH News Service
DHARWAD.Oct2

Money Back (Sumangal), Convert­
National Bank for Agriculture
ible (Suvidha) and Yugal Suraksha.
and Rural Development (Nabard)
Besides
taking
care
of
government
THE POSTAL Life Insurance (PLI),
General Manager G S Menon
an autonomous wing within die De­ employees, the PL1 also provides in­
today said an expert committee
partment of Posts, has come out with surance cover to rural masses under
constituted to study the rural
a special insurance scheme for the its Rural Postal Life Insurance (RPLI)
credit system has submitted its
physically handicapped employees scheme. The sum assured under the
report and was being discussed
with a maximum limit of sum as­ RPLI ranges between Rs 10,000 and
with representatives of the State
Rs 1 lakh.
sured to the extent of Rs 1 lakh.
governments, banks and others.
Under the PLL sum assured ranges
The PLI which was introduced by
Speaking at the silver jubilee
the government in the year 1884 is between Rs 20,000 and Rs 5 lakhs.
Under both the above insurance
function
of
Malaprabha
administered and operated by the
schemes, Ioans are available as per
Grameena Bank here, he said
DoP.
Nabard had constituted a com­
According to sources, the special the terms and conditions governed
mittee under the chairmanship of
scheme for physically challenged em­ from time to time.
The department offers PLI and
ployees has been re-introduced with
Prof V S Vyas of Institute of
an increase of maximum limit of sum RPLI insurance policies with low pre­
Development Studies, Jaipur, to
assured from Rs 10,000 to Rs 1 lakh. mium and high bonus compared
study rural credit system and the
The employees wariring with thet with other government insurance
role of co-operative banks, com­
cehtfal or state’gcfvernment, uni­ corporation engaged in life insurance
mercial banks and regional rural
versities, local bodies like munici­ business, the sources claimed. The
banks in increasing credit flow to
palities, zilla parishads, government- insured persons are also eligible for
the rural areas. One of die recom­
aided educational institutions. the tax rebate.
mendations of the committee in­
Reserve Bank of India, State Bank of
The sources said that Gujarat
cluded restructuring of the co-op­
India and its associates and nation­ postal circle topped in the country
erative system involving removal
alised banks, regional rural banks. during 1999-2000 by securing the
of the three-tier system at the
Agriculture Produce Market Com­ highest PLI business of Rs 213 crore.
state, district and village level to
mittee, Port Thists, all public sector
The Economic Times
ensure easy availability of credit
undertakings of central and state gov­
to ruralites at very low rate of in­
ernments are eligible to get the ben­
04 October 2001
terest. It also advocated bringing
efit of PLI.
In fact the above scheme was in­
the banking functions of the co­
troduced with effect from Septem­
operative banks under the Nabard
ber 1. 1997 which however, could
and Reserve Bank of India and
not be implemented due to non
the merger of weak RRBs.
availability of necessary computer
Mr Menon said the Union gov­
software programme. Now the re­
ernment also appointed a working
quired computer programme has
group under the chairmanship of
Deccan Herald
been developed and inserted in the
MVS Chalapati Rao, Managing
present system which will enable in­
03 October 2001
Director of Nabard. to suggest
surance agents to collect business
to provide computerised land suitable amendments to the
from the eligible physically handi­
records to fanners. Mr M S Regional Rural Bank Act 1976. and
capped persons.
Kaput; Executive Director of the group has already begun its
The entire scheme has been di­
Syndicate Bank, who inaugurated work. The purpose of appointing
vided into three sections which in­
the silver jubilee function urged this group was to make RRBs
clude blindness, deafness, dumbness,
the Malaprabha Grameena Bank
more effective to ensure the devel­
orthopaedic handicap of one limb,
to focus more on providing
opment of rural economy.
loss of one limb, midgets, hunchback.
primary health facilities to rural
Mr
N
Vishwanath.
The non-congenital section indudes
people. Mr N K Thingalaya,
blindness, deafness, orthopaedic
Development Commissioner, and
former chief of Syndicate Bank,
handicap of one limb, Joss of one limb
and Mr L S Prabhu, DGM of Additional Chief Secretary sug­
and
in
the
category
of
Reserve Bank of India, hailed the gested that rural and commercial
congcnital/non-congenital category
services of MGB in the last 25 banks hasten the process of dis­
include orthopaedic handicap of both
years. The bank felicitated noted tributing Kisan Credit Cards to
limbs, loss of both limbs (mentally
Hindustani musician Puttaraj farmers so that farmers could
retarded having mental age of 14 and
Gawai of Gadag, Dr Baburao take up agricultural activities at
above), weakness or deformity or
Kulkarni of Laxmeshwar, Ms least in next kharif season.
paralysis due to polio or any other
He said nationalised banks
Suvarna
Suryavanshi,
Mr
deformity of non-neurological ori­
Padmanabh Hande, Mr P B R were not at all doing anything to
gin. The payment of premium dif­
Hegde,
Mr
Udupa,
Mr help farmers who were in distress
fers in each category.
Ananthkrishna
and
Mr
K
J due to drought in the state.The
The prospective insured person
State government had taken steps
Ganiga.
will have to undergo a spedal med­
AHMEDABAD 3 OCTOBER

10

News You Can Use

Home ministry for data bank on

NOJTHtoERNjGOs_ _ _ _ _ _
Sanat sX7borty
IN PURSUANT to its declared ob­
jectives of supporting develop­
ment initiatives as well as effec­
tively monitoring the flow of
funds into the northeastern
Slates, the Union Home Ministry
has asked the North Eastern
Council (NEC) to create a data
bank on the Non-Governmental
Organisations (NGOs) and make
an inventory of their activities in
the region.
The directive, to the NEC as­
sumed importance after the
Ministry identified a large num­
ber of fake NGOs, voluntary or­
ganisations (VOs) and socio-cul­
tural associations all over the
country, including in the NorthEast. The MHA, the Ministry of

|

help recognise genuine organisations*

Rural Development and the
Ministry of Women and Child
Development have blacklisted
hundreds of registered NGOs and
voluntary organisations in the re­
gion for non-submission of ac­
count, misappropriation of funds,
non-compliance of guidelines,
etc.
Last year the Central Welfare
Board had blacklisted 820
NGOs/Welfare Organisations from
the seven northeastern States —
Meghalaya (323), Manipur (197).
Assam (151), Nagaland (78).
Tripura (69) and Sikkim (2).
While there has been a tremen­
dous growth in the number of
NGOs and community based or­
ganisations (CBOs) in the NorthEast, the impact of their work on

the society has not been docu­
mented and evaluated. Many of
these organisations exist on pa­
per or signboards only.
A senior NEC official said.
"Considering the growing impor­
tance of the NGOs and CBOs in the
development of the backward.
rural areas of the region, the
Council should build up a data­
base on them.
The NEC has several schemes.
which are being implemented by
the NGOs/CBOs.
He said grading and rating of
the NGOs/CBOs/VOs in the NorthEast was a must. "This will serve
two purposes: First, this will
help recognise genuine organi­
sations. Secondly, once the cred­
ibility of an organisation is es­

Simputers are now
universalising IT
By Sudha Passi
New Delhi, Oct. 3: Tipped as the
third World’s answer to universal­
ising the education and reach of
information technology without
compromising on quality and
money, Simputers are poised for
their first big test with the users.
Within six months of their
demos taking the it world by
storm, these pocket sized comput­
ing devices are set to be integrated
in IT-deprived societies, which
will be using them for distance
education as also gaining access
to information held back due to
infrastructural impediments.
The crucial test for Simputers,
courtesy a tie-up for a social pro­
ject in South Asia — envisages
their use as access devices to
download digital broadcasts on
education through a satellite to
remote areas that otherwise may
not be connected by telephones
and conventional powerlines.
The simputer has already
demonstrated its capability to
download content through the

tablished, it will be easier for the
Government to channel funds
through these organisations and
involve them also in the moni­
toring process." the official said.
He. said, so far the NGOs in the
North-East have not yet been rat­
ed. even though there are thou­
sands of such organisations reg­
istered in the region and has been
receiving funds from various
Central Ministries to implement
Centrally-sponsored schemes in
the region.
In fact. NEC’s current exercise
has grown out of the Council’s
own biller experience with NGOs
in the recent past when some of
its lop functionaries siphoning off
development funds meant for
plantations with the connivance
of some NGOs.
The officials have either been
suspended or retired. A CBI in­
vestigation in the matter is still on.
The data bank will categorise
the NGOs or social organisations
by issues they take up and their
expertise in implementation
process.
Officials will also attempt to
make a differentiation between
different NGOs, community-based
organisation, voluntary organi­
sations and action groups. This
will enable the funding agencies
or the Government first, to iden­
tify NGOs/CBOs for taking up spe­
cific programmes and their ef­
fective implementation and sec­
ond, ensuring best use of the lim­
ited resources. NGOs rated with
favourable performance will nat­
urally have better access to funds.
said NEC officials.

radio receivers of the satellite.
Once the content is downloaded,
the simputer is disconnected from
the receiver and taken around for
use by various people, explains*
Prof Vijay Chandru, one of the
four scientists of the Indian Insti­
tute of Science Bangalore, who
developed the Simputer.
Giving the Simputers a chance,
is an NGO, South Asia Founda­
tion, which is aiming to provide it
access to remote societies in the
region. The satellite input will be
from Asiastar of Worldspace
foundation, while the Simputers
will be the access tools — or
“gateways of information” for the
target communities. But it is not
just low battery consumption that
makes simputers . the* natural
choice for IT-deprived societies
where people could be illiterate or
at best semi-literate. Features that
give if an advantage over others is
its ability to be handled by a com­
pletely illiterate person, its ability
to translate text into voice for the
The Asian Age
user in his native language, ability
to access the Internet. (PTI)
04 October 2001

The Pioneer
04 October 2001

CDL Media Clippings 11

Effective microorganism for
ecological farming
By Oiir Agriculture Correspondent

quality and increased shelf-life of the
T IS a well established fact that produce, according to Dr.Dengel. In
various beneficial biological orga­ EM farming practices, special recipes
nisms, such as a host of soil micro­
are prepared to manage pests and dis­
organisms and earthworms, con­
eases. EM application demands liberal
tribute significantly in boosting crop
addition of organic residues as these
growth. Several biofertilizers, Vesicular
microbes feast on "carbon”, and the
arbuscular mycorrhizae, benign micro organic wastes also encourage the syn­
nematodes are being now popularized
ergy of all aerobic and anaerobic
by the State agricultural universities, organisms.
departments of agriculture, agricultu­
Generally, the use of "EM bokashi",
ral cooperatives and some private
which is an EM fermented mixture
agencies.
made with rice bran, is recommended
A wide range of ecologically-sound,
for boosting the activity of the microor­
growth promoting biological formula*
ganisms in the soil.
lions and simple and low-cost biotech­
Detailed schedules for optimal use of
nology are available to the organic
EM to major cereals, vegetables and
farmers. One of the promising biotech­
other commercial crops have been
nologies is the "effective microorgan­
worked out. It was found that EM coun­
isms"
technology developed by
teracts rot, odour and rust, and it led to

its increased application treating
wastes, he said.
EM technology' has also been tried in
dairy, poultry and aquaculture. A num­
ber of recipes and application sched­
ules have been developed.
The results have been quite encou­
raging. "In Auroville, we used EM in a
small dairy and found the beneficial ef­
fect striking, and convincing within a
Professor Teruo Higa of Japan. In his few weeks of its use.
Bad odour and flies were controlled,
pursuit to identify a microbial species
drat could boost agricultural and horti­ and general health of the cattle im­
cultural production. Prof. Higa stum­ proved.
Festering wounds, which defied vari­
bled on an efficient culture of
composite microorganisms in the ous kinds of treatments, were healed,
and the milk yield increased by 13 per
1970’s.
The mixed culture of beneficial mi­ cent," observed Dr. Dengel..

croorganisms was found to be more ef­
fective in boosting crop growth than
any of its constituent species acting in
isolation. He named this group of ben­
eficial organisms, consisting of almost
hundred organisms as "Effective mi­
croorganisms” (EM).
Since then he developed various cul­
tures and tested them over different
crops. It had been used extensively in
waste water treatment, and in animal
husbandry as well.
"’Fhe liquid culture of EM consists
mainly of lacto bacillus, photosynthet­
ic bacteria, yeast, fungi and actinomycetes. EM technology is well tested,
and it is being used in ninety countries.
In all the countries, EM is produced
from locally-available microbes. It is
now becoming popular in India since
last year," says Dr. Lucas Dengel, of
Auroannam, Grace at Auroville near
Pondicherry.
The use of EM in agriculture and
horticulture has not only resulted in in­
creased yields, but also in improved

12

The Hindu
04 October 2001

Novel pension
sheme for aged
Sandesh Prabhudesai
Panaji

THE LIFE Insurance Corporation
(LIC) has entered into a new kind
of social security cover at mass
level, thanks to the Freedom
from Hunger (FFH) scheme — the
first of its kind in the country —
launched by the Goa govern­
ment.
The unique concept provides fi­
nancial security in the form of a
monthly pension of Rs 500 to any
senior citizen, disabled person or
non-functional workman of the
State, who has no income source
of his own. Taking into account the
increasing price index, the pension
amount will rise at the rate of five
per cent per annum and the dis­
bursement will begin from
January.
Launching it as the Dayanand
Social Security Scheme on the
Gandhi Jayanti Day. LIC chairman
G N Bajpai announced that the
scheme would be now also ex­
tended to other states of India,
provided they agree with the
modus operandi.
"I buy the pension from the
LIC", says Chief Minister Manohar
Parrikar, the architect of the
scheme. He plans to create a cor­
pus of around Rs 100 crore, by­
making annual provision of only
Rs 20 crore each in the budget for
the first five years. The tiny Stale
ultimately plans to cover around
25,000 persons who will be paid

life-time pension and the pension
will be extended to the surviving
wife or husband or minor children
after death of the beneficiary.
No matter whether senior citi­
zen’s children earn or not, any­
body crossing 60 years could
avail the scheme if he has no di­
rect source of income of his own.
Mr Parrikar has also included des­
titutes or deserted women/widow
above 18 years or a spinster above
50 years into this scheme. The
scheme is also extended to work­
ers like toddy tappers, coconut
pluckers, coolies, traditional fish­
ermen, agricultural labour, drivers/conductors/cleaners of rick­
shaw, taxi, motorcycle taxi, truck
or public transport buses, the
minute they stop earning their
livelihood through their profes­
sion, due to the disability or age
factor.
In case of accidental deaths, the
LIC will also pay Rs 30,000 to the
family, besides the pension, pro­
vided the beneficiaries register
themselves by paying Rs 500 The
registration fee for the general
pension scheme is fixed at Rs 100.
As this scheme covers almost
every needy and disabled person
in the State, • Mr Parrikar has
amalgamated all the existing
State schemes Into it, including
widow pension, old age pension
and Dayanand Niradhar Madat
Yojana. "I am also trying to pur­
sue the Centre to bring central
schemes of similar nature under
if. says the chief Minister.

The Pioneer
04 October 2001

News You Can Use

Kerala farmers set to script
fish ‘n’ rice success story
________ Joe AScarla
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

5 OCTOBER

ERALA'S beleagured rice
growers, struggling to cope
with falling prices and un­
helpful attitude of labour, are now
looking up to a freshwater fish —
macrobracium rosenbergii, or
scampi—that can change their for­
tunes for the better.
Scampi, which is the trade name
for giant fresh waler prawns, is
catching the fancy of rice growers
in the Kuttanad area, which is Ker­
ala's traditional rice granary.
The reasons are not far to seek:
Rice growing has hardly been re­
munerative for" growcrsTn recent
years, with the price hovering
around Rs 6 per kg, while scampi
cams farmers a handsome Rs 300
or more per kg.

K

Kerala Fisheries Minister K V
Thomas said the state government
was planning to broadbase scampi
culture in Kuttanad, integrating it
with rice growing so that the en­
tire exercise is environmentally sus­
tainable. The mixed cultivation is
also expected to buck the trend of
farmers turning their backs on rice
farming.
Two state-sponsored schemes
for integrated development of
paddy fields is already in existence,
that blend scampi culture along
with paddy growing. A five-year
project initiated by the state gov­
ernment to promote integrated de­
velopment of paddy growing offers
fanners a subsidy of Rs 12,500 per
acre forscampi culture.
State’ Fisheries Directorate
Deputy Director T D Velayudhan
told ET that the technology for
scampi culture was available lo­

cally, making it even more attrac­
tive for growers. Scampi culture
technology is available with the
School of Industrial Fisheries at
Kochi, the Fisheries College at
Panangad, and other agencies.
The increasing interest among
fanners in scampi culture has
spawned scampi hatcheries in the
state, some of which are supplying
seed to scampi culture centres in
Andhra Pradesh. The government
sponsored Brackishwater Fish
Farmers Development Authority
(BFFDA) is also offering scampi
seed to fanners.
Fisheries industry sources said
scampi culture would have caught
on injhe state .at a faster pace but
Tor tFic'appj'ehehsioji of pafrtfy ta^fi
labourers who fear that their jobs
would be at stake if farm owners
shift en masse to scampi growing
and give up paddy cultivation.

The Economic Times
06 October 2001

reference to the Bhuj earthquake.
"The National Geo-physical Research institute
(NGRI) has prepared a globed seismic map which
would help in belter risk assessment," he said
adding that microzonation of Delhi and other im­
portant cities, in a phased manner, had also be­
_______ Pioneer News Service_______ gun.These efforts would yield fruitful results and
help the scientific community to translate the haz­
New Delhi
ard into risk assessment and evaluation as an
important input for the preparedness of disas­
THE DEVASTATING earthquake in Bhuj has ter planning and management, said Mr Rawat.
prompted the Centre to initiate a string of new
Speaking on the occasion, Science and
projects io better understand the earthquake
Technology department Secretary V S
processes and formulate a disaster management
Rainaniurthy said the country lacked a major in-.
strategy.
strumentation programme required to develop,
"Government has further intensified its efforts
design and maintain essential instruments;! le
and has initiated several new projects which in­
stressed upon the need to have more sub-terrain
clude the setting up of an Earthquake Risk
and land-based observatories, adding work on
Evaluation Centre and Radio-Telemetered
zonation had made considerable progress as
Systems in Khandwa, Madhya pradesh and
compared to microzonation which had not been
Koyna, Maharashtra," said Minister of State for
taken up on a large scale.Mr Ramamurthy also
Science and Technology Bachi Singh Rawat oh
urged developing countries tn increase spend­
Wednesday, while inaugurating an internation­ ing on earthquake research:
al conference on seismic hazard with particular

Disaster management
strategy on the anvil

Indian social
workers make
grade in West
Times News Network

MUMBAI: Social workers from
India are being offered jobs
abroad. Counselling undertrials in
Mumbai’s prisons is certainly dif­
ferent from dealing with senior cit­
izens in Manchester, ‘‘But social
workers function within a theoreti­
cal framework,” points out Nilima
Mehta of Nirmala Niketan.
“Although social work is not like
IT. where the Iqpguage is the same
the world over, the models are
replicable.”
Concurs
Farida
Lambay of Nirmala Niketan, “Our
challenges are much greater.There
is a growing awareness in the US
and the UK that they have much to
learn from us.”
Market forces are working over­
time to exert their often irresistible
pressures. “The role of social work­
ers in the West is undergoing a
rapid transformation,” says Vidya
Rao of the Tata Institute of Social
Sciences, pointing out that in the
US especially, the lines between
social work and enterprise are
blurring.
Some specialise as expert wit­
nesses in cases of domestic conflict,
for example. Others run small hos­
tels for the mentally ill. Still others
assist families to plan the future for
a child with a disability. “We may
have mixed feelings about the
trend, but as long as opportunities
and salaries beckon, more and
more Indian social workers are
likely to head abroad,” she says.

The Times of India
03 October 2001

ICDS to cover tribal

hamlets in district
Kalwakurthy (Mahbubnagar):

MLA Jaipal Yadav inaugurated the
Integrated Child Development
Scheme office in the mandal
parishad complex on Wednesday.
The MLA said that 13 anganwadi
The Pioneer
kendras in the region would be
04 October 2001
attached to it. He said the district
has been selected for setting up an
ICDS office as 70 pec cent of chil­
dren were found under-nourished.
said the ICDS would provide
Deccan Chronicle He
nutritious food to pregnant woman
04 October 2001 and children in 80 villages.

CDL Media Clippings 13

SHOOT, LADY
SHOOT

all odds.
save every penny. Having tasted success today, she
Sarvesh walked out of her fondly remembers woman journalists who helped
marriage after 10 years when her along. But has no men to add to the list.
her husband decided to reThe lady harbours another passion—travelling.
marry for a child. Her parents She has driven a two-wheeler upto 11,000 feet She
supported his decision, mixes work with pleasure and has done conSarvesh met her guardian an- tributed extensively to publications dedicated to
gel who offered her a job as a tourism.
Her recent exhibition wa
wass inaugura
inaugurated
ted by
arvesh has been one of beautician.
India’s best photogra­ What inspired Sarvesh to be- Shovana Narayan. “Each of her pictures relates a
phers for over a come a shutterbug? She took story. They show women doing their daily chores
decade now. She has cap­ to the camera like a duck as also in different walks of life," says she.
Adds Shovana's diplomat husband Herbert
tured the thunder of guns takes to water when gifted
in Kargil, the tragedy of the one by a friend. Though she TYaxI, “She has captured very strong expressions
earthquakes in Bhuj and had no formal training but en- and beautified objects, people and circumstances
Uttarakshi, the rigours of joyed experimenting with pos­ that are not actually beautiful.** But Sarvesh is not
satisfied by such words of praise as she knows
the Himalayan car rally tures and people.
and the dark side of India Sarvesh often slept hungry to there is still aTqng way to go.
during the riots in
The Pioneer
Sitamarhi and Moradabad.
05 October 2001
The national dailies have
published hundreds of her
news photographs.
employment among others, she gradual­
But her real passion is to
ly earned their respect. “They listen to me
film the shakti of Indian
now," says she.
women, be it the moun­
Once she even had to sort out do­
tain villager, hardworking
mestic problems for a man whose two
housewife, glamourous
wives weren’t getting along, making for
beaut}' or independent
mayhem within the four walls of the
ANURADHA VARMA
professional. “1 have al­
home. She managed to persuade them
ways tried to capture the
A t the end ofa camp held for women to live peacefully. Says she, "We women
smile that lights up a
Z-%. sarpanches by the Hunger Project, don’t have any rights. Even inside the
woman’s inner power,” she
f^L_Jipne woman said, “After this, I feel house, the property belongs to the man,
says. She also loves moun­
’The children of-my village-mean more-to­ even the children are known by his
taineering, having trekked
me than my own. I feel responsible for my name... women have to become more
upto 17,000 feet in the
entire village rather than just my family.” self-sufficient.” Her own husband has
Uttarkhand Himalayas.
Usha-Rai, speaking for The Hunger always stood by her and encouraged
Dedicated to the spirit,
Project which awarded six journalists her in her mission to work for the uplift
strength and suffering of
with the Sarojini Naidu Prize for best re­ of the village. With her sons married,
the country’s women,
porting on women and Panchayati Raj on she says her daughters-in-law look after
Dalits and the girl child,
Gandhi Jayanti, said, "If all of us identify the house.
Sarvesh’s recent photo ex­
Earlier, working as a labourer in the
with this feeling the world will become a
hibition at I1C was aptly
fields, she was introduced to life be­
better place."
called Women in Times of
While the winners spoke eloquently yond her village when she joined a local
Flux. Her lens eye zooms in
about their work, the one who walked NGO, People's Education and
with equal ease on the dark
away with the maximum applause was Development Organisation. From 1987
pits of the coalmines in
Kali Behn, the sarpanch of Modar to 1996, she toured famine-prone areas
Dhanbad and Jharia to the
Panchayat in Dungarpur district in and distributed seeds and saplings to
colours of Ladakhi spring fes­
Rajasthan. Speaking in chaste Hindi with­ women and also set up self-help groups
tivals.
out any colloquial touches, she ended her to facilitate rural credit for villagers.
She pans every possible facet
of
speech with a song in her native language. “Because
.
• the, NGO,• I now know _
of womanhood from child­
Small-built and soft spoken, Kali Behn, 45, where t0 8° and whom t0 contact if
hood to the golden years. Who
became sarpanch of her village one and anybody in my village needs funds,
are her subjects? Women who
a half years ago. When she first started, it saysshe.
are in the 21st century clois­
was difficult getting the men to take her . Educated up to class VI, she has
tered behind the purdah, rur­
seriously, she remembers, “They would Plc^ed UP most of her knowledge along
al adolescents who still have
throw abuse at me. I would listen to them die c?urse of her field work. Or as she
dreams, widows who have
patiently and then say what I had to say." pntsit, One has to have an interest.
chosen a life of abstinence, girl
Once she began solving their problems, The 1651 *s easYchildren caught in clutches of
to do with property, domestic matters and
The Pioneer
circumstances.
Why do women fascinate
05
October 2001
Sarvesh as a photographer?
Because she has not forgotten
the core of her existence —-a
single woman who has fought

S

Men stop and
listen to her

14

News You Can Use

Phone card facility
for rural areas
By Our Special Correspondent

‘Green’ school
starts functioning
By Soma Basu

NEW DELHI, OCT. 5. It is not “saffronisation” but “greening” of edu­
cation that environmentalists
have been clamouring for some
time now. But with neither the
States nor the Centre paying heed
to such "low priority matters”, a
group of like-minded people have
taken up the responsibility of im­
parting “earth education”.
"Earth education is a new con­
cept, which creates a culture of
non-violence and teaches people
how to resolve human-nature or
man-animal conflicts," the direc­
tor of the Research Foundation for
Science, Technology and Ecology,
Dr. Vandana Shiva, who con­
ceived the new courses in educa­
tion for earth democracy, told The
Hindu here.
Ten miles from Dehra Dun, in a
small obscure village a forest
school, called the ‘Bija Vidya­
peeth’, has been set up. “The in­
stitution is an attempt to restore
the art of sustainable living
through an experiment in interna­
tional living, where people of all
cultures live, cook, eat and learn
together the inestimable value of
diversity and organic living,” Dr.
Shiva said. The country’s first for­
est school had a low key opening
on October 1.
The school will offer three-week
courses to a maximum of 25 stu­
dents from all over the world. The
inaugural course, which started
"with less fanfare and more dedi­
cation”, has “lessons in sustain­
able living, learning from the
South". It will be followed by
‘Gandhi and globalisation' in De­

cember, in ‘holistic science’ in Ja­
nuary and ‘sustainable cities’ in
March. The "green idea" did not
catch the fancy of bureaucrats or
appeal to many people; it only in­
terested those who were into pres­
ervation and protection of the
environment. As a result, the Bija
Vidyapeeth .will be sustained on
the course fee of $1,000 obtained
from each student, who believes
in “anti-globalisation as an anti­
violence movement".
Nestling in the foothills of the
Himalayas and the Shivaliks and
spread over eight acres in Utta­
ranchal, the Vidyapeeth is a part
of the Navdanya Biodiversity Con­
servation and Agroecology Farm,
which has kept alive the diversity
of plant life essential for survival
in the region.
In the first week, an internation­
al faculty will give lectures on top­
ics related to the course theme. In
the second week, the students will
go on field trips to villages along
the Ganges or in Rajasthan, which
is fast gaining a reputation for its
sustainable water conservation
techniques, or to Sewagram to
have a better understanding of
Mahatma Gandhi’s theory of selfsufficiency. Students will spend
the last week on the college cam­
pus, where the Navdanya farm has
conserved over 300 varieties of
rice and of pulses, millet and vege­
tables. “We will encourage stu­
dents to cook and eat organic food
and examine the value of indige­
nous knowledge, Third World
freedom and dignity through bio­
diversity conservation as an alter­
nate sustainable system of
existence,” Dr. Shiva said.

The Hindu
06 October 2001

bangalore, oct. 5. The Bangalore

Telecom District has extended the
India Telephone Card and Free
Phone Service to rural areas of the
district.
Subscribers in rural areas can
use the card to make STD/ISD
calls from the Bangalore Telecom
District.
Mr. B.R. Baliga, Principal Gen­
eral Manager, told presspersons
here on Friday that switching
equipment in four exchanges —
Indian Institute of Science (4,000
lines), Carmelram (250 lines),
Kumaraswamy Layou t (1,000
lines), and Basaveshwaranagar
(1,000 lines) — had been expand­
ed.
He said the new 5ESS RSU at
Vimanapura was commissioned
in September, and telephone
lines transferred from the old to
the new exchange. There was also
a proposal to commission a
20,000-line main exchange with
5 ESS technology RSU at BTM Lay­
out, to replace the old exchange.
Mr. Baliga said fixed Wireless in
Local Loop (WLL) service would

The Statesman
08 October 2001

be launched in October. That
would help service technically
non-feasible cases which had
been pending for long.
He added that about 3,500 fixed
connections were proposed to be
given.
He said India Telephone Cards
would be sold at post offices. The
Bangalore telephone directory
was available on the Web, he add­
ed.
Mr. Baliga said that the system
of group billing would be intro­
duced, and companies with sev­
eral branches could be issued one
telephone bill with details.
He said urgent and lightning
calls would be treated as "imme­
diate calls” without extra charges.
Mr. Baliga clarified that senior
citizens need not pay the initial
deposit for phone connections.
The Bangalore Telecom District
would not demand deposit from
senior citizens, he said.
He also clarified that following
the abolition of telecom advisory
committees, members who were
provided telephones would have
to pay charges.

The Hindu
06 October 2001

Craft villages mooted to
boost handloom sector
STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE

BHUBANESWAR, Oct. 7. — Union minister of state for human
resource development, Mrs Rita Verma, suggested setting up of
shilpi grams (craft villages) to promote handicrafts and hand­
loom products.
Addressing a women artisans’ conference here today, the Union
minister said, the state government could develop these craft vil­
lages into centres of excellence to promote* export of handicraft
and textile goods. The management and maintenance of these
centres should be left to the artisans, she said.
Mrs Verma said Orissa’s “treasure of handicrafts, saris and pain­
tings” had won laurels in the global sphere for ages. Advising all
Orissa artisans to be self-reliant,’she encouraged them to main­
tain quality and standard to compete in the international market
and evolve effective ways for the marketing of their products.
Samata Party chief, Mrs Jaya Jaitley said the handicraft and
handloom sector, having a good growth potential, was a victim of
bureaucratic apathy. She handed over a handicraft map to the
chief minister, Mr Navin Patnaik. Mr Patnaik said there was
enough scope for the growth of handicraft export in Orissa.

CDL Media Clippings 15

Leh to light up villages with
solar power
New Delhi
THE BUDDHIST-DOMINATED
Himalayan region of Ladakh be­
stowed with plentiful sunshine for
nearly 330 days a year, will soon
be using nature's bounty to light
up homes.
With the help of a Rs 200 mil­
lion solar energy project. 39 vil­
lages in Leh town and 18 in Kargil
district, in addition to 25 hamlets
and scattered households in the
lofty region, will be fully electri­
fied in two years.
India’s Ministry of Non-conven tional Energy Sources (MNES)
has sanctioned Rs 180 million for
the project and the Government of
Jammu and Kashmir, of which
Ladakh is a part; will shell out the
remaining Rs 20 million.
Located at an altitude of above

10,000 feel, with the Karakoram
ranges to the north and the
Himalayas to the south, Ladakh
remains cut off from Kashmir for
almost six months a year.
Most of the current power sup­
ply in the region is either through
diesel-powered plants of 50-100
KW or small hydro power plants
which are not
able to meet the
needs of even
major towns.
During winters, from early
November till early May, the re­
gion has to depend largely on
stored diesel, carried over a long
stretch from Jammu.
This makes power very expen­
sive, according to E V R Sastry,
MNES Solar Energy Adviser.
“The first step has already
been taken with the commission­

ing of a 40 KW solar powered sta­
tion at Nyoma village block in
Ladakh 10 days back/ MNES sec­
retary P M Nair said.
“With the sanctioning of funds
we hope to complete electrification
of all the villages and hamlets in
the area which otherwise would
not be able to get power from the

4 OCTOBER

THE Central Silk Board (CSB) is plan­
ning to implement a unique scheme
jointly with the banks to enable the
latter to provide working capital as­
sistance to entrepreneurs using the
multi-end reeling machines.
Under the scheme, CSB plans to
invest a sum equivalent to the work­
ing capital provided by the bank to
the entrepreneur. The interest ac­
cruing on the money invested in a
fixed deposit by CSB would thus
partly subsidise the interest on the
working capital, according to the
chairman of the CSB Mr K S Eshwarappa.
Speaking to the press, he said that
such a scheme was necessitated as
banks had expressed their reserva­
tions in providing working capital as­

16

least 10.000 homes, establish- *
menls. health centres, some

schools, monas­

teries
and
No.x-comi vi io\ w exergy sources > mosques
will be

regional grid,” Nair added.
“We have asked the Stale
Government to put the project on
fast track, and a committee has
been set up to monitor the
progress. The economics are very
favourable for harnessing solar
power in Ladakh,” said Sastry.
The low temperatures in the re­
gion combined with high radiation

sistance to entrepreneurs who had
CSB to join
installed multi-end reeling machines.
"With focus now shifting towards
silk production using the
hands with banks bivoltine
multi-end reeling machine becomes
We plan to encourage
for new scheme imperative.
more multi-end reeling machine in­
Our Bangalore Bureau

due to a clear sky for inosi part
of the year would enable, solar
panels in Ladakh to generate more
power (han in most pans of (he
country. Sastry said. The target is
to provide power to GO per cent
households in each village. “Al

stallations, ” he added.
Currently there are about 237 ma­
chines installed nationwide and this
is expected to go upto 500 by the end
of the Tenth Plan. Besides the work­
ing capital interest subsidy, CSB, Mr
Eshwarappa continued, was also
providing 15 per cent subsidy for pur­
chase of the reeling machines which
sell for Rs 6.30 lakh a piece.
To increase mulberry production,
he said, that besides various state
governments and the CSB even pri­
vate nurseries would be roped in for
distributing the new variety of V-l
and S-36 saplings. Similarly, the sub­
sidy on setting up rearing houses has
been increased from the current limit
of Rs 25,000 to Rs 50,000.

The Economic Times
05 October 2001

provided elec­
tricity under the project." he said.
In addition, (he MM’S is pro­
viding 6.000 solar lanterns In the
villages to place kerosene lanterns.
The replacement of diesel and
kerosene with solar power will not
only mean considerable, saving of
fossil fuels, but also transportation
and storage costs of these fuels.
the officials said.
Globally there is an increasing
move to harness energy through
non-convenlional sources, with oil
majors like Shell and British
Petroleum also allocating funds for
research and development of
"green" electricity.
Under a fast track programme.
India is planning to electrify
18.000 remote villages through
non-conventional energy sources.
Being inaccessible, these villages
cannot be provided power supply
from (he national.grid.
India is aiming to double its
power generation capacity in the
next decade from the current
100.000 MW.
Non-convenlional energy
sources like wind, biogas and so­
lar energy are expected to. con­
tribute 20.000 MW in the next 10
years.
IANS

The Pioneer
07 October 2001

News You Can Use

New scheme for under-privileged kids launched
DH News Service
BANGALORE. Oct 6

The underprivileged who are often scared of
khaki-dressed and lathi-wielding policemen.
will now have a chance to rid of their fear as
well as be a partner in their work.
A unique programme - Traffic Police
Assistance Programme (TPAP), was launched
for under-privileged children recently by the
•Bangalore-based Empowerment of Children
and Human Rights Organisation in association
with the Bangalore Traffic police.
The TPAP is aimed at controlling and regu­
lating traffic movement at busy junctions like
schools and hospital zones, helping the old and

the challenged and handling emergency situa­
tions and accidents.
In the first phase, 10 boys aged between 15
and 20 years, from ECHO will be given a 15-day
orientation and training in assisting the traffic
police. The group will be trained in traffic rules
and first aid apart from educating them about
the city.
The TPAP will be implemented at various
traffic junctions from 9 am to 11 am and 3 pm to
5:30 pm. Cambridge Technology Partners is
sponsoring uniforms and necessary acces­
sories for the children and will also be provid­
ing monetary support for the programme for
the first month.
According to the ECHO representatives, the

programme has been successfully experiment­
ed in Mumbai by Bandra East Community
Center. It gave a positive and affirmative psy­
chological feeling among under privileged chil­
dren that they too are an important part of
society whose social services are well-regarded
and required, they added.
ECHO Chairman
Fr
Adv
Anthony
Sebastian said thousands of unwanted, neg­
lected and delinquent children organisation
launched “Human Rights Center for the
Children in Distress”, aimed at protecting the
rights of underprivileged children and settling
their legal issues.
Bangalore Urban District Commissioner D
S Ashwath formally launched the TPAP.

Deccan Herald
07 October 2001

Craftsmen threaten fast-unto-death
STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE

ORISSA ARTISANS ALLEGE GOVT APATHY
BHUBANESWAR, Oct. 6.Kalinga Shilpi Mahasangh,
a confederation of artisans
and craftsmen of Orissa, has
launched a non-cooperation
movement from the Gandhi
Jayanti day to protest
against the apathy of the
state government.
President of Mahasangh,
Mr Sisir Sahoo, said the
members had decided not to
supply any handicraft and
textile items to the state run
Orissa State Cooperative
Handicraft
Development
Corporation and all other al­
lied organisations hence­

forth.
' The Kalinga Shilpi Maha­
sangh
president further
threatened that all Orissa
artisans
and
craftsmen
would go for fast unto death
from 1 November if their
outstanding dues of Rs 2
crore was not cleared before
the Durga Pqja.
Saying the 1999 super cy­
clone had shattered the
backbone of artisans and
craftsmen of Orissa, Mr Sa­
hoo said the non-clearance of
dues by the state govern­
ment agencies for months

had compounded their woes.
The Kalinga Shilpi Maha­
sangh president regretted, a
meeting with .the state’ gov­
ernment officials on 29 Au­
gust and repeated pleas to
the chief minister Mr Navin
Patnaik, industries minister
and chief secretary had yiel­
ded no result.
Mr Sahoo claimed, several
artisans and craftsmen were
now forced to migrate to oth­
er states in search of employ­
ment.
He alleged, a grant of Rs
2.5 crore released by the de­

velopment
commissioner
(Handicrafts) for the eco­
nomic development of handi­
craft artisans had been di­
verted by the state govern­
ment towards payment of
salary and other expenses.
Besides, central funds of Rs
40 lakh, released as equity,
and a workshed grant of Rs
17.5 lakh had not been prop­
erly utilised, he added.
The Kalinga Shilpi Maha­
sangh president Mr Sisir Sa­
hoo demanded a vigilance
probe into the financial bun­
gling and irregularities by
the Orissa State Cooperative
Handicraft
Development
Corporation.

The Statesman
07 October 2001

CDL Media Clippings 17

country including Karnataka to
In the UPOV sys­
press for proper implementation
tem, rights are
of the new Bill and urge India not
granted only to tlie
to join UPOV.___________________
breeder, there are
no rights for farm­
SUNIL KUMAR M
ers. In India we do
Deccan Herald
hot have big seed
companies in seed
07 October 2001
sectors and our
major seed produc­
UMAN Sahai. convenor of right, is crucial in maintaining the
ers are farmers and
Gene Campaign, a NGO livelhodd basis of the farming
farmers co-opera­
based in Delhi,
is well community and the nation's self
tives. Our law therefore has to pro­
known in national and interna- reliance on agriculture. This has
tect the interest of the farmers in
tional circles as an active cam- been reflected in the Protection of
his role as a producer and con­
paigner for her views on policy Plant Varieties and Farmers’
sumer of seeds.
issues related to conservation of Rights Bill passed recently. The
agro biodiversity • and farmers' other areas are policy and conserWhat is the alternative?
rights. Since 1992, she has been the vat ion issues of biological
As an alternative, the Gene
convenor of Gene Campaign work- resources, intellectual property Campaign along with Centre for
ing towards the protection of rights and indigenous knowledge Environment and Agriculture
genetic resources of Third World among communities
Development has drafted an alter­
countries and their rights* She has
native to UPOV. This treaty is
a Ph.D in Genetics and over 25
Can you highlight the fea- called the Convention of Farmers
STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE
years of research and teaching turcs of the Protection of Plant and Breeders (CoFaB). This is
experience in the Universities of Varieties and Farmers' Rights appropriate for India and other
KOLKATA, Oct.6 - The Cen­
Edmonton,
Chicago
and Bill
developing countries as it seeks to
tre has set up an experts com­
Heidelberg. She spoke to Deccan
The bill recognizes the farmers secure their interests in agricul­
mittee to formulate a long
Herald during her recent visit to as breeders, cultivators and con- ture and fulfil the food and nutri­
term policy to deal with the
Bangalore, a fortnight ago.
servers of the seeds in their pos­ tional security goals of their peo­
asbestos sector.
session. It provides them a right to ple.
The
UNDP
Human
The committee will evaluate
; Why did you switch over register their variety that they Development
Report
(1999)
the environmental perform­
from academics to campaign- have evolved over a period of time. describes CoFaB as a strong and
ance in asbestos aiidasbestosing?
The bill also gives them the legal co-ordinated international propos­
based products industry and
During the 80s when I was rights to sell their seeds, which al which offers developing coun­
study its impact on public
undertaking research, I came to was not there before. For scientific tries a far better alternative to
health from their use.
know about conditions attached by researchers, it gives them the right UPOV by focusing on farmers’
It will also review the health
private companies on genetic to conduct experiments with a interest and food and nutritional
status of workers working’ in
materials procured from them, branded variety in order to create goals.
asbestos
manufacturing
Later in a conference of engineers new ones- An important provision
units. It will soon submit its
in Berlin, who were discussing 1S the establishment of a National
About the introduction of
report
about the repression of developing Gene Fund to facilitate benefit genetically modified plants
The panel will also study the
countries by developed countries, I sharing between farmers and any- such as Bt cotton and Golden
effect of the use of asbestos
mooted a debate that the developed body interested, in their knowl- Rice into India
pipes by the public health en­
countries could use denial of food edge. The bill also calls for the set­
gineering department and
Introduction of new genes into
security as the ultimate weapon ting up of the Protection of Plant plants is not environmentally safe.
some municipalities in the
against developing countries. The Varieties and Farmers' Rights Introduction of genetically modi­
country.
debate immediately polarized the Authority. It is a positive step in fied plants in countries such as
The Statesman
group into the developed and the the direction but far from perfect ours, which is a centre for crop
developing countries. Since the
07 October 2001
diversity, is a
contents of the Dunkel Draft was
What are the grey areas?
strict no. Genetic
fresh in my mind, I came back to
The Plant Variety authority is a
technology is yet
India and with my friends, who bureaucratic set up with ex-offico
to be proved as
were strong followers of JP babus. Earlier experiences show
safe.
Foreign
Narayan, started the group.
that they might bring.little knowl­
genes from GM
edge and interest.
plants can move
What are the areas that Gene
with pollens and
Campaign is working on
Gn Gene Campaign's opposican get readily
Gene campaign has been work- ti°n to India joining Union for
accepted in relat­
ing on several issues. One of the the Protection of New Varieties
ed plants. Can we
most important campaign underPlants (UPOV)
take the risk of
taken from several years has been
India does'nt need to join UPOV
endangering the
to allow the farming community to to implement their Farmers and
rich crop vari­
retain control over plant breeding Breeders Rights as it is controlled eties that we possess?
and selling of seeds. This means by MNCs seed and life science corthat the farmers have the right to Porations. UPOV laws are formuwhat next9
sell seed of any variety that he !a‘edu
countries which are
GenecampaignwiUbelaunchgrows. The rightto sell seeds even, industrial, not agriing a-campaign in 17 states of the
if the variety is under a breeder's cultural economies.

More power
to the ryot
S

Panel to study
impact of
asbestos

18

News You Can Use

Delegitimising childhood
ment, to deprive young children of
But what is one more broken
EARNING
begins
at their rights forever. This infamous leg­ promise, to a Government which has
birth” is the islation aims to derecognise the needs already broken so many? to raise our
and rights of the young child, to make voices against the anti-child, antiunforget­
sure that the State has no responsi­ woman, anti-poor and anti-labour
table
bility for the care and development of policies and laws which are about to
opening
phrase of the Jomtien Declaration of the young child, and that the family, be imposed on us, we need to know
1990, which concluded the World and the family aloneLis responsible. more about the background. What
Conference on Education for All held Surely this is the most anti-child move could be the reason behind this other­
that year. The phrase reminds us that made by the State since Indepen­ wise inexplicable step? Why this
early childhood, the period from birth dence. Further, it is anti-poor, since sinister move to amend the Constitu­
to eight years, is the most significant early intervention is the best way to tion? Is it merely to achieve the
period of human life, and a critical bridge the gap between the privileged objective of ensuring the Funda­
one for learning, since the rate of few and the deprived majority, but mental Right to Education? But it has
brain growth is maximum in the first with this step, only the children of the been clearly established and repeattwo years of life, and 80 per cent of wealthy can have the privilege, not the edly emphasised that that can be
done, after the Supreme Court’s 1993
brain growth is completed by age right, to ECCD.
four.
But this is not all. This cruel anti- decision on the Unnikrishnan case.
Clearly, learning and education, are poor legislation not only privatises the within the available laws and powers
not the same as schooling, which child and perpetuates inequality, it is of the Government. Why then the zeal
begins at different time (ranging from also deeply anti-woman. For when to amend the Constitution? Could it
4 to 7 years) in different countries. For the young child is derecognised, the be that the group of distinguished
the young child, it is important to services of the millions of women persons at the helm of affairs, the
ensure that the total surrounding child care workers, the “first teachers” scholarly Murali Manohar Joshi, his
environment and the available activi­ of the child, will also be delegitimised. estimable political stalwarts, and the
ties and influences are those which These women can never be recog­ cohorts of brilliant bureaucrats,
promote holistic learning and devel­ nised as skilled or trained workers, or simply do not understand the damage
opment. The words generally used to as teachers, deserving respect for their that they are causing? This is hardly
describe this are ECCD (Early Child­ work, a developmental activity, and so credible - whatever sins one can
accuse the Government of, lack of
hood Care and Development) or entitled to a decent wage.
Strangely, the National Policy on brains is not one of them.
ECCE (Early Childhood Care and Edu­
So let us look more closely into the
cation). But if one prefers to use a Education (1986) clearly states that
single popular word like “education", child care workers will be treated on reasons. It soon becomes obvious that
it must refer to that cluster of activi­ par with primary teachers, and the real reason cannot be opening
ties. ECCD must be suited to the receive similar emoluments and spoken about or quoted as a reason young child’s age and stage of devel­ working conditions. But now they will that is why the deafening silence. The
opment, the needs of the family and condemned to live forever as mere first clue - for four years, there has
the cultural context. It need not nec­ “volunteers", (though not by their been no response to any of the innu­
petitions.
letters,
essarily take place within the four own choice), and to receive only a merable
walls of a “school" nor need the chil­ meagre pittance cruelly called an memorandums, pleas and queues
dren be in large groups more honorarium, which is far less than the from numerous bodies all over the
appropriate for older children. ECCE Minimum Wage available to an country, led by NAFRE (National
may imply a creche, where working unskilled worker. Is this not crass Alliance for the Fundamental Right to
parents and families need it or a exploitation of women, denying the Education); no response to the
parent support programme, or enti­ worth of women's work and making a requests for interviews, meetings, dia­
tlements to enable working mothers skilled task an extension of women's logues, debates or discussions
to care for their babies for the first few domestic role? An example of "volun­ suggested by such bodies; no public
months of life, or a preschool pro­ tarism" of the poor, enforced by the appearances or statements beyond
the usual platitudes; no answers to
gramme based on play, or even a rich?
If that is the plight of the one mil­ lakhs of letters resulting from signa­
coaching class to help children enter a
coaching class to help children enter lion or more anganwadi workers ture campaigns across the country
employed by the State, still worse is lying in heaps in the Minister’s ante­
primary school.
ECCD is the most urgent need for that of the several million “untrained” room, read or unread; no response to
the 161 million Indian children below teachers working in the “unrecog­ impassioned pleas for transparency,
the age of six, of whom 60 million or nised" private nursery schools, a grey for making public the contents of the
more live in poverty. It is also their area of the private sector which Bill for scrutiny and debate; nothing
basic right, enshrined in Article 45 of thrives on exploiting women’s work. but deafening silence. Rarely has the
our Constitution. Yet the Government And is not the refusal to recognise democratic process been so cynically
of India, which has ratified both the day-care for the young, also promised subverted to serve hidden ends - one
Jomtien Declaration and the Conven­ in the NPE, a proof that the legislation cannot help noticing that in this case
tion on the Rights of the Child (CRC) is also deeply anti-labour, denying the the people whose rights are being
wishes, through the 93rd Amend- needs and rights of working mothers? trampled on are below six years of age

Contd...

CDL Media Clippings

19

Contd...
and hence not yet capable of organ­
ised protest. But one also notes that
the reasons, though obvious, cannot
be spelt out without some loss of
political image. And this second clue,
in answer to the question - whose
interests will be adversely affected gives the game away.
The answer lies in the financial
realm - in the grim and oft-expressed
determination of rhe Government, at
all levels political and bureaucratic,
never to pay child care workers their
due, a fair wage which would flow
from recognition of early childhood
education as part of the great ladder
of development and education which
is every child’s birthright. And
besides, once the lid is taken off the
public sector, it would open the Pandara's box of the private sector. Not
only would the millions of "first
teachers" in that sector also have to be
ensured a decent wage, but the pri­
vate sector would have to be
regulated, standards set and enforced,
and the worst abuses prevented, since
the State is obliged to protect the
rights of the children, and not merely
those in Government centres. The
logic is simple - no money in the kitty,
no money to invest in the child, so get
rid of the baby with the bath water.
But this cannot be said when rhetoric
demands that the child be spoken of
as a precious treasure, and future of
the nation, for which all else can be
sacrificed.
Unfortunately,
the
Pounding' Fathers appear to have
taken this rhetoric seriously, so the
only thing left to do is amend the Con­
stitution, silently, without talking
about reasons, and get rid of the
rights.
So a country which can afford a
Pokhran, nuclear toys in the desert
and war games in the mountains for
the big children, cannot afford to pay
for those who would nurture the little
children. And since its not politically
correct to say so, the big boys have to
dress up in Fundamental Rights in
order to furtively amend the Constitu­
tion and take away the rights of the
little ones. It’s time now for con­
cerned citizens to call the bluff, and
tear the veil of silence, to prevent
childhood from ebbing legislated out
of existence for evermore in our land.
Those interested are invited to get in
touch
with
NAFRE
at
nafre@crymail.com. •

MINA SWAMINATHAN

The Hindu
07 October 2001
20

3-day India International
Coffee Festival from Feb. 15
By Our Staff Correspondent

MAD1KER1, OCT. 7. The three- day India International
Coffee Festival—2002 (IICF) that will focus on boost­
ing the image of Indian coffee in the international
market and creating an identity of its own, apart
from serving as a platform to interact with several
delegates from top coffee growing countries, will be
held in Bangalore from February 15 next.
Speaking to presspersons here today, the conve­
nor of the steering committee of the IICF, Mr. Anil
K.Bhandari, said the event would be a meet of buyers
and sellers of coffee, and it would include all the
coffee-growing nations. The delegates would be­
come aware of the quality of Indian coffee and the
interaction would enable Indian coffee growers to
get the best inputs bn growing quality coffee, and its
processing, marketing and branding.
Mr. Bhandari said representatives from Brazil and
other leading coffee-growing-countries would attend
the IICF, following which tips on popularising the
use of coffee in the domestic market could be elic­
ited. The festival would enable coffee exporters from
India to target key countries rather than concentrat­
ing coffee exports to over 60 countries as being done
now. Although there were certain estate-specific
brands from Kodagu, branded coffee in India had
not taken off in a big way, he said. Besides, the IICF
would provide an opportunity for small coffee growl­
ers from a specific area to group together and create
a brand name for their produce, and take part in the
cup tasting event at the IICF.
To a question, Mr. Bhandari said the Retention
Scheme introduced by the leading coffee-growing
nations had died even before it had started. A move
based on such a plan had succeeded in the early
1990s as the coffee consuming countries lacked suf­
ficient stock of the commodity. But these days,
thanks to the production glut, the coffee consuming
countries did not bother to buy the coffee held back

The Hindu
08 October 2001

under the Retention Scheme. He said bookings had
opened for 37 indoor stalls and 20 outdoor stalls
during the IICF exhibition. The festival would be
followed by a four-day and three-night special safari
called the Royal Mysore Coffee Safari. The IICF was a
joint operation of the Indian Coffee Board and the
United Planters Association of Southern India (UPASI).
Mr. D.V.Vishwanath, convenor of the cup-tasting
competition sub-committee, said the objective of
the "cupping competition" was to select the 12 best
types of Indian coffee—both Arabica and Robusta.
They would be displayed in special stalls at the IICF.
Besides, special awards would be given to Indian
Speciality Coffee. The competition would help the
Indian and foreign delegates to get to know the best
Indian coffee types, and an opportunity to evaluate
them. Such coffee could even fetch a higher price in
the international market.
He said the cupping competition was open to all
coffee estates,- which satisfied the criteria set by the
competition committee. As many as 12 types of Indi­
an coffee had been identified, based on the regions
they were grown in for purposes of entering the
competition. They were Baba Budan Giris, Chikmaglur, Coorg, Biligiris, Manjrabad (Sakleshpur, Mudigere and Belur). Wayanad, including Gudalur,
Travancore, including Nelliampatty, Anamalais, Nilgiris, Pulneys, including Kodaikanal, Shevaroys and
non-traditional areas. The entry fee per sample was
Rs. 1,500. An international jury would assess the best
type of coffee. The jury would include Mr. Kenneth
Davids and Mr. Danny O’Neil, both from the Speci­
ality Coffee Association in the U.S. Mr. Alf Kramer
from Norway, Mr. Gigi Michelle from Italy, and Ms.
Sunalini Menon and Dr. K.Basavaraj from India.
Mr. Ranjit, Deputy Director, Coffee Board, Koda­
gu, and Mr. Mohandas, Senior Liaison Officer, Cof­
fee Board, Somwarpet, were present.

The Hindu
08 October 200.1

GM cotton
,
, produce
~
(GMOs). The GEAC chairman, Mr.
in Gujarat
A.M. Gokhale, was not available
i• .
for comment.
causes disquiet
The Environment Ministry has
NEW DELHI, OCT. 7. The Genetic En- Ieam^ t^at cotton fanners of Gujgineering Approval Committee arat had purchased hybrid seeds
(GEAC) in the Ministry of Envi- frora
Ahmedabad- based seed
ronment has been shaken by the pon}pany that had been market­
revelation that a genetically- mg it as a variety resistant to bollmodified (GM) variety of cotton is worms. The GEAC has sent notice
being grown in some 10,000 hec- asking the company to appear be­
tarcs of land in Gujarat
^ore 5^.e committee on October 9.
The GEAC, whose permission is
Ministry sources said the comrequired for commercial growing P^Hy
he punished under
of GM crops, has so far not ap- me Environmental Protection Act
proved the cultivation of any such C198Q if the seeds they sold were
crop. So, the disclosure has made confirmed to be genetically-moda total mockery of the regulations
regarding the import and use of

News You Can Use

AP follows Karnataka to set up
community radio
From Frederick Noronha

radio production centre “Namma
Dhwani” (Our Voice) at Budikote
Bangalore, Oct. 7: Radio enthusi­ in Kolar district of Karnataka on
asts in India, long awaiting legal September 21.
“The project is a joint effort by
permission to set up community
radio stations, have finally decided Voices and Myrada, an NGO, and
to launch their studios even if they is supported by Unesco,” said
Voices director Ashish Sen.
can’t get on air.
The studio has an analog mixer,
Aimed at empowering the rural
community with relevant informa­ portable recorders to enable field
tion, one such station was launched recordings, a recording room and
last month in Karnataka and anoth­ an instrument room. Training in
er is scheduled in Andhra Pradesh using these has been provided to
the community over the last year.
later this month.
The community would decide
A non-profit community organi­
sation called Voices inaugurated its what programmes the station

makes and locals have been under­
going workshops on programming,
including one on organic-fanning
and another on case studies on the
disabled.
Programmes created at the Voices
studio would therefore not be
broadcast but “narrow-cast” — by
people playing back to each other
on a tape recorder programmes
they make.
In Andhra Pradesh, the non-prof­
it
organisation
Deccan
Development Society has also
announced plans to launch its
Community Media Centre on

Centre, WHO tie-up to
improve mental health
DH News Service
NEW DELHI. Oct 7

In the wake of the tragic accident
in Erwadi mental asylum in
Tamil Nadu in which chained
inmates were torched alive albeit
accidentally, the Centre in assis­
tance with the World Health
Organisation (WHO) has decided
to strengthen the national mental
health programme and extend
the current programme being
run in 25 districts, to cover anoth­
er 101 districts with an expendi­
ture of Rs 150 crore in the next
five years.
Disclosing this after the global
launch of World Health Report
for 2001 that focuses on mental
health Dr D S Goel, national con­
sultant on mental health , point­
ed out that the Centre has
devised a five-pronged strategy
for improving mental health con­
ditions in the country and hopes
to cover all 593 districts by 2020.
Highlighting the strategies, he

said that it included strengthen­
ing the psychiatry departments
in medical colleges, modernising
mental hospitals and hiking the
number of beds in hospitals.
Currently almost half of 18, 912
beds are occupied by patients
who had spend more than two
years in the hospitals since there
is hardly any family response to
take them back.
The report pointed out that
one out of four persons in the
world was affected by mental or
neurological disorders at some
point in their lives and around
450 million globally suffering
from some sort of mental disor­
der. One of the commonest men­
tal diseases - epilepsy affects 35
million patients in the south east
Asia, out of which that eight to
ten million resides in India.
Many a times the disease poses a
social inhibition, said Dr Vijay
Chandra, WHO regional advisor.
Spelling out the implications
of the report, Dr Chandra said

October 15 on International Rural
Women’s Day.
The centre will have three edit
suites, a dubbing booth and a stor­
age space with a rehearsal/discussion room and a computer room.
The equipment consists of eight
video cameras, five mini DV edit
recorders, one computer editing
unit, one DH-1000 edit recorder
and one eight-track audio mixer.
“With this facility the rural
women who will own the Centre
can comfortably carry out all the
shoots, edits, dubs and mixing,”
said P V Satheesh of DDS.
The DDS plans to also launch the
Community Media Trust The trust
will have 70 per cent owned by
rural women, many of who are illit­
erate Dalits. Four years ago, the
DDS started its own Community
FM Radio Centre with a recording
studio, control room, two transmit­
ters and a transmitting tower.
“But since then it is languishing
for want of a licence from the gov­
ernment which strangely has more
faith in Rupert Murdochs rather
than its own people when it hands
over broadcast licences,” com­
plained Satheesh.
.va

that with greater life expectancy,
the number of patients with neu­
Deccan Chronicle
ropsychiatric disorders was like­
08
October 2001
ly to increase in leaps and
bounds which would have a long
term social and economic conse­
quences.
The report has called for 10
recommendations
including
increasing availability of psy­
chotropic drugs, community care
instead of hospitals, treatment in
primary care, support research
and establishment of national
policies and programme, that if
adopted could reduce the mental
health burden of the world, Dr
Uton Muchtar Rafei, WHO
regional director said.
On the research front. Dr Goel
observed that the Centre has
already stressed on finding out
new as well as traditional means
of treating mental health disor­
ders and Indian Council of
Medical Research had made pro­
visions for additional resources Deccan Herald
in this area in the tenth plan.
08 October 2001

CDL Media Clippings 21

Rules of Right to
Information to be
notified soon

on cabinet decisions, he added.
He also appealed to the NGOs
Dr Ravindra said that some of and other institutions to create
the government departments have awareness among the rural mass­
already come out with a citizen’s es regarding the right to access
charter to provide information on information.
the functions and activities of the
The workshop was organised
departments and added that other for the benefit of NGOs and volun­
departments have been asked to for­ tary consumer organisations.
mulate similar citizen’s charters.

PH News Service
BANGALORE. Oct 7

The State Government will notify
the rules pertaining to the ‘Right
to Information’ within a month’s
time. Minister of State for
Information Technology Prof B K
Chandrashekar said here today.
Inaugurating a workshop on
‘Karnataka Right to Information
Act', organised by Consumer
Rights, Education and Awareness
Trust (GREAT) here, he said that
rules pertaining to the Right to
Information Act was being scruti­
nised by the Law Department.
The Minister said that the right
to information act provides for
imposing a penalty of up to Rs
2.000 on the competent authority
for failure to give information to
the citizens without any reason­
able cause and added that all gov­
ernment departments, statutory
boards ! corporations, municipali­
ties are covered under ihe act.
The public authorities have the
obligatory duty to furnish the
details of facilities available to citi­
zens. The list of exemptions under
the act is far less compared to states
like Rajasthan, where the right to
information act is in force, he said.
Prof Chandrashekar called
upon the NGOs and other organi­
sations to create awareness and
educate the citizens regarding the
right to access information.
BT PARK: Referring to the Bio­
technology park issue, he lambast­
ed those opposed to setting up of
the park. 'They (critics) should
not jump to conclusions before
ascertaining the facts', he said.
Additional Chief Secretary Dr
A Ravindra, who is also the chair­
man of the Right to Information
Rules Framing Commitee said the
right to information act makes it
obligatory on the part of public
authorities to provide information
to the citizens of the state. The act
has been initiated to promote
transparency and accountability
in administration and ensure
effective participat ion of people in
administration. The act is quite
explicit in furnishing information

22

Deccan Herald
08 October 2001

Donkeys are farmers’
best friends: Study

By Jyotsna S Mudhol

Dharwad, Oct 7: They may be
the victims of the most popular
proverbs. They may be treated
as second grade animals by the
human species. But researches
on them have revealed that
donkeys are more useful than
other farm animals in agricult­
ure.
Prof R C Hallikeri and his
team have proved that donk­
eys play a beneficial role in ag­ Donkeys being used by a fanner of Ralchur district for
riculture. When the Indian agriculture operations.
Council’ of Agricultural Resea­
rch (PCAR) offered this animal ived encouraging responses
If a paii* of bullocks cost Rs.
as the subject for the theme from the farming community.
12,000 to 35,000, a pair of. donk­
‘Utilisation of Animal Resour­
Donkeys have been wrongly eys cost Rs. 4,500 to Rs. 5,500.
ces', Hallikeri was reluctant to held as stubborn, arrogant, Maintenance cost of bullocks
take up this project He prefer­ lazy and unintelligent an­ is Rs. 80 per day and of donk­
red bullocks.
imals. After training, they eys Rs. 10 to 12. .
They can survive without
The research which began were proved to be the most int­
on bullocks way back in 1987, elligent animals and picked up water in the most tepid tempe­
gradually included donkeys in their job within three months ratures and have the ability to
its purview. The study was con­ against the six months requi­ perform in extreme climates.
Carts drawn by donkeys can
ducted on white breed of Ind­ red for bullocks.
ian female donkeys. After five
.One of the oldest compani­ pull seven quintals of foodgra­
years of research, the revelati­ ons of man, donkeys are the ins. They can be used for alm­
ons proved extremely benefic­ ‘underutilised power sources ost all agricultural operations.
ial to the agricultural sector.
of the Third World countries,’ Prof. Hallikeri completed his
Hallikeri is now keen on pop­ states Hallikeri. They are used research at the postgraduate
ularising the concept among in India as pack animals, for and research Centre of the
the Indian farmers. After sub­ carting, tourist excursions and UAS (Dharwad) in Raichur.
The study got six national
mitting his report to the ICAR transportation. A donkey can
in 2000, the first ever demonst­ pull around 40 per cent of wei­ awards from the Union depart­
ration of the use of donkeys in ght more than its body. Donk­ ment of animal husbandry last
agriculture was held at a kisan eys can carry up to 200 kg and year and another by the Indian
fair at Pragati Maidan in New have strong chests and are Society of Agricultural Engin­
eers, New Delhi, in 1998-99.
Delhi. The demonstration rece­ sure-footed.

The New Indian Express
08 October 2001

News You Can Use

Overview of policies
Plant
for the disabled
biotechnology
can save water
ENABLING THE DIFFERENTLY ABLE:

A N. Singh: Shipra Publishers, 115-A,

Vikas Marg, Shakarpur, Delhi-110092.
Rs. 475.

URING the next 25 years, world
population is expected to increase
by about 2.5 billion people, with
increasing demands for food, fibre and
water. Of the water that is available for
use, about 70 per cent is already used for
agriculture.
Water systems are under severe strain
in many parts of the world. Many rivers no
longer flow all the way to the sea; 50 per
cent of the world’s wetlands have disap­
peared; and many major groundwater
aquifers are being mined unsustainable
with water tables in parts of Mexico, India,
China, and North Africa declining by as
much as 1 metre per year.
Approximately 40 per cent of the
world’s food is produced from irrigated
land, and 10 per cent is grown with water
mined from aquifers. There is growing
competition for water between cities and
industry, with agriculture being the user of
lowest value and last resort. Thus, the pro­
jected of food production must largely take
place on the same land area and using less
water. More effective management of
water requires a series of institutional and
managerial changes in addition to a new
generation of technical innovations that
includes advances in genetic engineering
of plants.

D

THIS BOOK has been inspired by, says
the author, the announcement of the
University Grants Commission that the
chosen area is one of the thrust areas of
social work and social work education.
It discusses various kinds of disabili­
ties, their causes, social problems faced
by the disabled persons and their fam­
ilies, die rights and legal dimensions,
rehabilitation and other practical as­
pects leading to the best adjustment of
the disabled persons with their envi­
ronment. It also provides a critical
overview of current welfare policies,
programmes and the role of social
workers and the community at large.
The contents of the book have been
broadly divided into seven chapters.
Chapter one deals with various con­
cepts relating to disability. Chapter two
provides detailed information about
the legal dimensions of disability. The
information provided about various
Acts could be very useful to persons in
the field. Chapters three to six describe
various kinds of disabilities, both phys­
ical and mental, in great detail. Chapter
seven deals with welfare policies and
strategies for rehabilitation of disabled
persons in India.
The book is meant to be useful to
students of social work, sociology, psy­
chology and other related subjects. The
extensive bibliography given at the end

The production of one kilo of cotton by
irrigated agriculture requires 15,000 kg of
water, production of a kilo of rice requires
about 4,000 kg of water. Recent advances in
understanding genetic control of drought
tolerance offer new opportunities to devel­
op crops that are less damaged by short
periods of low soil moisture. This might
enable the use of less water for irrigation
and reduce drought-induced yield reduc­
tion caused by the vagaries of weather in
rain-fed agriculture. In addition, there is a
promising opportunity to increase the
average water use efficiency of agricultur­
al systems by minimising losses to pests
and pathogens.
It has been estimated that up to 40 per
cent of plant productivity in Africa and required to grow a crop has been invested.
Asia, and about 20 per cent in the devel­ Thus, reducing losses to pests and
oped world, is lost to pests and pathogens. pathogens is equivalent to creating more
Approximately one-third of the losses are land and more water.
Monsanto Newslette'*
due to viral, fungal, and bacterial
pathogens, and the remainder is due to
Deccan Herald
insects and nematodes. Much of the loss
occurs after the plants are fully grown: a
09 October 2001
point at which most or all of the water

of the book is highly impressive. How­
ever, very little evidence of such indepth and vast reference work is avail­
able in the text itself. More care could
have gone into editing, avoiding litera­
ry and grammatical shortcomings in
the text. The IQ ratings are repeated on
pages 149 and 152, without any ratio­
nal explanation for the same. However,
the information on legal as well as pol­
icy matters will be useful to the reader.
GEORGINA PETER

The Hindu
09 October 2001
mobility and outgoing calls cost
Rs 1.2 for three minutes while
incoming calls are free. However.
the rental is Rs 450 per month that
inhibits growth of this sector.
Inaugurating a Mahanagar
NEW DELHI, Oct 7 (DHNS)
Telephone Nigam Ltd. (MTNL)
In an effort to expand the accept­ 15000 capacity limited mobile con­
ability of indigenous wireless nections, IT and Telecom Minister
local loop (WLL) technology, Pramod Mahajan said the min­
Communication Ministry today istry had asked TRAI to do away
asked
Telecom
Regulatory with rental and had only an upper
Authority of India (TRAI) to cut ceiling to benefit the customer.
down the minimum rental limit so MTNL that also provides cellular
that the service becomes afford- service under the brand name of
Dolphin, has upgraded its WLL
a^eThe WLL technology provides system to offer up to 50,000 con­
customers choice of limited nections.

TRAI asked to
cut down
rental on WLL

Deccan Herald
08 October 2001

CDL Media Clippings 23

It’s vultures now
for eco-balance

Opening of haat
sparks off protest
HT Correspondent
Neto Delhi, October 8
THE OPENING of a haat by
Municipal Corporation of Delhi
(MCD) at Ferozeshah Kotla, near
the Shahidi Park, has set off
protests. The residents of the
locality have been staging demon­
strations for the past two days and
have not allowed the vendors to
squat in the huge plot earmarked
for holding haats four times a
week.
The open plot near Shahidi
Park is one of the 23 'haats' which
have been started by MCD follow­
ing directions from the Prime
Minister to the Lt. Governor to
free cycle rickshaws and street
vendors from licence 'raj.'
The MCD announced that it
would identify two squatting
areas in each of its 12 municipal
zones where vendors and hawkers
could come and sell their wares on
'first come first serve' basis by
paying a fee of Rs 20 each. The
haats' will be held four times a
week on Tuesdays, Thursdays,
Saturdays and Sundays from 9
a.m. to 6 p.m.
While the two ’haats'm Civil
Lines Zone comprising 480 and
330 squatting sites each, became
operational on Thursday, the
'haats' in other zones started from
Saturday The protesting residents
of Ferozeshah Kotla said that chil­
dren’s park was to be developed
near Shahidi Park but that by
allowing vendors to sit there, the
MCD was spoiling the environs.
Yesterday they had a heated argu­
ment with the MCD staff and
called area MLA Tajdar Babar to
resolve the matter. This morning
too, the vendors who arrived to
sell their wares were not allowed
to sit in the allocated sites.
Area Deputy Commissioner A
K Chaturvedi said that the resi­
dents probably had the misappre­
hension that MCD was setting up
a permanent market.
’’However this is not the case.
Only open sites are being offered
to vendors and they are to pack up
and depart by 6 pm. Moreover
MCD staff will ensure that the
place is kept clean," Mr Chaturve­
di said.’He said that in view of
possible law and order problem,
the setting up of 'haat' has been
deferred fora week.
The plots for haats’, identified
by MCD are separate from the

24

'tehbazari* and hawking licences
given out by the Corporation
under the supervision of the
Supreme Court.
Under the new scheme, the
Civil Lines Zone has 810 squatting
sites in the two large plots that
have been identified for the pur­
pose. The Karol Bagh Zone has 800
sites. South Zone *1,200 sites, West
Zone 1.000 sites, Shahdara (North)
425 sites, Rohini 400 sites. Narela
900 sites. Shahdara (South) 320
sites, City Zone 1000 sites and Cen­
tral Zone 110 sites.

Hindustan Times
09 October 2001

From Rajesh Deol
PH Newsservice
CHANDIGARH, Oct 9

Haryana is the first state in the
country’ where a vulture breeding
programme has been launched
with the help of Bombay Natural
History Society to increase the
population of vultures so as to
maintain eco-balance and check
environmental pollution.
Stating this here today, a
spokesman of the Wild Life
Preservation department, said
that this programme had been
taken up to increase the popula­
tion of vultures, which play a vital
role in keeping the environment
clean by eating the flesh of dead
birds and animals.
He said that it was felt that the
population of vultures was reduc­
ing and it could lead to environ­
mental pollution.
“The Haryana Government is
very much concerned about the
preservation of wild life and has

been taking a number of steps to
preserve this precious natural
wealth to maintain the eco-bal­
ance’*, the spokesman said.
He said that the department
had celebrated a wild life preser­
vation week recently and a State
level function was also organised
to create awakening among the
masses about the preservation of
wild life.
The department had registered
581 cases of crime against wild life
during last year. He said that there
were very strict laws to preserve
wild life. The spokesman also
informed that about about 250
species of migratory birds were
likely to visit the Sultanpur
National Park during winter as its
water body had been supplied
water by constructing a Rs 50 lakh
water
channel
connecting
Gurgaon water supply channel.
This National Park is a major
centre of attraction
in the
Northern India for tourists and
birds watchers.

Deccan Herald
10 October 2001

40 pc populace to benefit
from Antyodaya scheme
HT Correspondent
Dehra Dun. October 6
ABOUT 41 per cent population
of the state is living below
poverty line. They will be ben­
efited from the Central govern­
ment-sponsored 'Antyodaya
anna yojana*.
This was stated by Union
Food and Civil Supplies Minis­
ter Shanta Kumar after
launching the scheme here on
Friday.
"Earlier, about 25 per cent
population of the state was Jiv­
ing below the poverty line. On
the state government’s request,
instructions have been issued
to identify more such fami­

lies." he said.
At present. 73,000 families
will be benefited from the
scheme. Each family will
receive 25 kg of cereal per
month at the subsidised rate.
The Annapurna Yojana is
meant for poor citizens who
are above 65 years of age.
Under the scheme, they are
provided with 10 kg of free rice
every month.
The Minister said, "On the
state's request, the Centre has
agreed to move the excess
wheat lying in godowns to
other parts of the’country. In
October, 74,000 tonnes of wheat
would be shifted to other
states."

Mr Kumar stated the Cen­
tral government had also
'decided io increase the num­
ber of private godowns in the
state. Licences would be pro­
vided to entrepreneurs to built
godowns and increase the stor­
age capacity.
He further said the Centre
would also ensure that
Uttaranchal gets an amount of
Rs 3.75 crore to construct 43
small godowns from Uttar
Pradesh. The amount was
given to Uttar Pradesh before
the new state was formed.
After its formation in Novem­
ber last, the Uttar Pradesh gov­
ernment had refused to release
the amount.

Hindustan Times
07 October 2001

News You Can Use

Swaminathan for management
revolution in agriculture
S Sanandakumar
CALICUT 8 OCTOBER

HE national agriculture re­
search system should strive to
achieve a management revoution in agriculture in the next Fivefear Plan period, said Dr M S
Iwaminathan.
Delivering the inaugural address
it the Silver Jubilee celebrations of
he Indian Institute of Spices Re­
search (HSR), he said that producivity, quality and income and em­
ployment were the other three areas
where similar revolution should be
achieved. To this end, the country
zould learn a lesson or two from the
dairy and animal husbandry sectors,
he pointed out. He said that though
the country accounts for a very high
percentage of spices production in
the world, the average productivity
of 1 tonne per hectare was very low
as compared to other countries.
The need of the hour was to
achieve this productivity revolution
in a sustainable way, he said.
Stressing the need to improve
quality he said that yield increase and
quality improvements were not in­
compatible. The income and em­
ployment aspects also assume im­
portance as a sizeable share of
population still depends on agricul­
ture and allied sectors for their liveli­
hood, he said.
Mr Swaminathan also called for
the establishment of a Spice Tech­
nology Park in the state. He said that
the HSR and the Spices Board should
take the initiative in this direction.
The park should demonstrate all
th technological developments. He

r

Deccan Herald
10 October 2001

IISR seeks deemed varsity status
stitute. This station was upgraded
as a national research centre for
spices in 1986. In 1995 the status
THE silver jubilee celebrations of of the institute was further ele­
the Indian Institute of Spices Re­ vated when it was made into the
search was inaugurated here Indian Institute pf Spices Research.
amidst calls from experts to make
The institute today holds the
the institute a deemed university. largest germplasm collection of
Dr K V Peter, former director of black pepper, cardamom, ginger,
the Institute and presently the VC turmeric and tree spices. The Vi­
of Kerala Agriculture University, sion 2020 for the institute has
set the agenda for the discussions identified fingerprinting and mo­
on the future growth of the insti­ lecular mapping of major spice
tute when he said that the insti­ crops namely, black pepper, car­
tute should be made a deemed damom, ginger and turmeric as
university.
one of the’^riority areas, Dr G
Later in his speech, Dr M S Kalloo, deputy director general,
Swaminathan endorsed Mr Peter's horticulture, ICAR said. Develop­
suggestion. But while doing so, ment of new varieties of high
the HSR should be a 21st century quality seeds with high yield and
deemed university which should resistance to pests and diseases
offer a virtual college for all the through biotechnology, develop­
players in the spice sector, he said. ment of value added spice prod­
It should be able to offer short ucts, development of diagnostic
term, non-degree training pro­ kits for identification of diseases
grammes. The high technology are the other areas where the in­
programmes should benefit all.
stitute will focus. India produces
The Institute was set up in 1975 close to 34 lakh tonnes of spices
as a regional station of the Cen­ annually. The exports are cur­
tral Plantation Crop Research In­ rently at 2.36 lakh tonnes.
S Sanandakumar

CALICUT 8 OCTOBER

suggested that it should come up in
a 100 acre plot so that it can exhibit
the opportunities available in the
spice sector.
Dr Swaminathan said that the
Union Budget has already initiated
the task of creating the institutional
structures needed for bringing about
the management revolution in the

agriculture sector. Soil health cards
and the plant and animal health cards
should be issued to keep track of the
changes taking place in the system,
he pointed out.
In the coming plan period these
issues will be incorporated into what
is known as the "national challenges
project*, he said.

The Economic Times
09 October 2001

Jagdish Chandra Pant, former
The committee has also made
Union agricultural secretary has extensive recommendations for
made wide ranging recommenda­ putting in place a system of quick
tions covering its various terms of response through a well-equipped
reference including suggesting a network of control rooms at the
national disaster response plan, a national, state and district levels..
NEW DELHI. Oct 9 (DHNS)
comprehensive list of disasters Considering capacity building
The high powered committee on and Central and state-level draft
and community participation as
disaster management constituted legislation have been proposed.
the bedrock of disaster manage­
by the Union agriculture ministry The committee has also empha­
ment, a large number of recom­
on the direction of
Prime sised a “culture of preparedness"
mendations have been incorporat­
Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee in and has advocated hazard evalued to introduce networking of
1999 submitted its report to the vation and risk assessment,
institutions and efforts to gener­
Union Agriculture Minister Ajit human resource development and
ate knowledge and awareness
Singh on Monday.
updating of manuals, etc, as key about disasters.
The committee headed by­ action .points.

Panel on disaster
management
submits report

PNB offers
Krishi Card

service
to farmers
By Our Correspondent

New Delhi, Oct 9: With the
objective of paying befitting
tribute to Bapu on his 132nd
binh anniversary, the Punjab
National Bank is celebrating
“PNB Krishi Card fortnight”
from October 2-16. 2001
through its large network of
rural and semi-urban branches
across the country'.
The farmers engaged in culti­
vation in the capacity as
landowners are eligible to gel
PNB Krishi Card for agricultur­
al needs. Part of it can be
utilised for personal needs like
education, consumer goods or
loans for domestic needs.
The bank has already issued
1.30 lakh cards since April 1.
2001 and PNB was- recently
awarded IBA trophy for the
excellence in the distribution of
Kisan Credit Card by distribut­
ing over 2.26 lakh KCCs against
the target of 86.000 such cards.
PNB serves the vast majority
of people through its over 4,200
offices, which gives it a strong
franchise value. During 200001, the bank posted a net profit
of Rs 463.64 crore. This has
been achieved despite account­
ing for an outgo of Rs 271 crore
towards expenditure on the vol­
untary retirement scheme by the
bank. The total business of the
bank has crossed Rs 85.000
crore.
Total export-import turnover
has crossed Rs 18,000 crore
mark during the year with the
export credit of Rs 2,963 crore.
The Punjab National Bank has
also introduced specific sche­
mes for the pensioners and army
officers besides various loan
schemes for housing, education,
consumer goods for public.

The Asian Age
10 October 2001

CDL Media Clippings 25

ILO lauds A.P. for schemes to curb bonded labour
By Soma Basu

NEW DELHI. OCT. 9. The Government
has received a pat from the Inter­
national Labour Organisation
(ILO) for its "successful efforts to
combat bonded labour." Though
the ILO has taken note of India's
lwo decade- long efforts to mea­
sure and eradicate the problems of
forced or compulsory labour
through a range of initiatives, the
accolades have particularly come
in for the success stories demon­
strated by the Andhra Pradesh
Government in recent years.
Of mention are the State Gov­
ernment’s schemes doling out
productive assets and credits to
former bonded labourers. This
method reportedly showed posi­
tive results as it enabled the male
labourers to escape bonded la­
bour.
However, an unintended conse­
quence of this experiment has
been an increasing number of
women failing into bondage as
they look over the major respon­

sibility of repaying family debt.
The ILO has taken a close look at
myriad forms of forced labour
across the globe which shockingly
reveal that the ill is much on the
rise worldwide and taking new and
insidious forms. But since it also
has a positive word for India’s ef­
forts, it has thrilled many, specially
those non-governmental organisa­
tions working in tandem with the
Government to abolish forced la­
bour.
The ILO's findings arc compiled
in its latest report tilled "Slopping
Forced Labour," based on a study
undertaken as a follow-up to the
ILO’s 1998 Declaration on Funda­
mental Principles and Rights at
Work. While stating that ancient,
barbaric practices such as slavery
and feudal bondage are "disturb­
ingly alive," the ILO report also
demonstrates that with a combi­
nation of political will and con­
certed efforts on the part of the
international community, a range
of Ministries, social partners and
NGOs, forced labour can be abol­

ished. In the region, while India
gets a compliment, Nepal is re­
minded of its semi-feudal agrarian
bonded labour and Pakistan of its
growing and serious abuses
among landless tenant farmers,
particularly in Sind.
Even as Andhra Pradesh has
earned the country its share of
bouquets, the ILO has not forgot­
ten to ask why the women in India
can inherit the debt bondage of
their father or husband and not
the land.
Since forced labour is seen as a
form of coercive recruitment
where the economically poor and
physically weaker sections and
even the indigenous population
suffer the abuse, the Government
cannot sit easy on the burgeoning
modern phenomenon of traffick­
ing in persons and its link with the
modern forms of bondage through
indebtedness.
Bonded labour, mainly in agri­
culture and certain industries, is
still tied to work through a vicious
circle of debt. Domestic workers

are also often trapped in situations
of forced labour and are physically
or legally restrained from leaving
the employer's home by means of
threats or actual violence.
It is not uncommon to find
working couples’ homes in me­
tropolises and cities virtually being
run by poor tribal women from
Jharkhand, Chaltisgarh or Kalahandi districts of the BiMaRU
States. Still unrecognised under
law as workers with basic rights as
long as they arc not abused to spur
any exceptional reaction, may be
their lot will continue to fuel the
longstanding problem of forced la­
bour. But as the ILO report warns,
"poverty, unemployment, civil
disorder, political repression and
gender and racial discrimination
make for an all-too-propilious en­
vironment for exploitation of vul­
nerable
persons."
All
Governments should realise it is
time for mobilising greater sup­
port for eradicating the scourge, in
whatever pattern it appears in dif­
ferent parts of the world.

Hindustan Tinies
10 October 2001

Massive schemes drawn up for
rural areas
By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE, OCT. io. The State Government
has drawn up a Rs. 1,375-crore compre­
hensive development programme for the
overall improvement of rural areas and to
transform the living conditions in villages.
Schemes will be launched under several
heads, including Swachcha Grama Yojana,
Navagrama Yojana, food-for-work, and wa­
tershed development.
The programme, proposal has been sent
to the Centre whose share worked out to
Rs. 1,050 crores. The Government will im­
plement the programme from the next fi­
nancial year after Central clearance is
obtained.
The Minister for Rural Development and
Panchayat Raj, Mr. M.Y.Ghorpade, told
presspersons here on Wednesday that the
Government had sanctioned the Swachcha
Grama Yojana in 1,296 villages, and the
work had commenced in 1,177 villages. The

cost of the project was Rs. 260 crores, of
which Rs. 208 crores would be given by the
HUDCO.
The State Government’s share was Rs. 26
crores, and 10 per cent of the amount
would be raised through public contribu­
tion.

Under the Navagrama Yojana, construc­
tion of houses would be taken up and each
beneficiary would be required to open a
bank account and save Rs. five a day. After
15 years, 40 per cent of the amount would
be given to the respective gram panchayats
and the remaining amount used for repay­
ment of loans.
Mr. Ghorpade said that under the GSRY
programme (food for work programme),
the State would fully utilise the Central
scheme announced by the Prime Minister
on Independence Day this year. According
to the scheme, the Centre would distribute
foodgrains worth Rs. 25,000 crores.

He said under the Watershed Develop­
ment Programme, the Government had
prepared a Rs. 300-crore project to bring
under irrigation seven lakh hectares per
annum and 35 lakh hectares in five years.
As per the plan formulated, the Govern­
ment intended to allocate Rs. 22.50 lakhs
per panchayat, which included the statu­
tory grants (Rs. two lakhs), development
grants (Rs. 1.5 lakhs), Eleventh Finance
Commission grants (Rs. two lakhs), SGRY
grants (Rs. seven lakhs), watershed pro­
gramme grants (Rs. five lakhs) and Nava­
grama grants (Rs. five lakhs). At this rate,
the amount for the 5,659 grama panchayats
worked out to Rs. 1,273.28 crores.

New circular
The Government on Wednesday issued a
new circular to all gram sabhas to com­
pulsorily hold quarteily meetings of the
gram panchayats. The new circular replac­
es all previous circulars issued in this re-

Contd...

26

News You Can Use

Contd...
gard. According to the circular, gram
sabhas should be convened once in three
months as specified in ail villages of gram
panchayat, the first quarterly meeting in
April-May, the second quarterly meeting in
July-August, the third quarterly meeting in
October-November, and the fourth quar­
terly meeting in January-February.
The circular specified the kind of agenda
that should be prepared in advance and the
background work that should be done be­
fore each meeting.
While specifying that at least 15 days be­
fore the meeting public notice should be
issued, the circular specified that the quo­
rum for the meeting should be one-tenth of
the electorate of the village or 100 members
with a third of the members consisting of
women, SCs and STs.

It specified that the meetings should be
attended by the local headmaster, medical
officer, and so on.

The Hindu
11 October 2001

Kumar Ghosh, sen­
Order to destroy iorPrasantha
adviser in DBT told PTI that
department came to know that
genetic cotton his
Gujarat farmers were growing
NEW DELHI. Oct 11 (PTD
transgenic cotton 20 days ago. He
Taking a serious view, the said tests have confirmed that the
Department of Biotechnology seeds supplied by the company
(DBT) has suggested that a geneti­ are genetically modified.
cally engineered cotton being
“This is a serious violation of
grown illegally in several thou­ the Environmental Protection
sand hectares in Gujarat must Act,’* he said adding that the fields
immediately be uprooted and should be burnt and the farmers
burnt. The Genetic Engineering compensated by the company.
Approval Committee (GEAC) in Three years ago DBT ordered the
the Ministry of Environment is burning of transgenic brinjal
meeting tomorrow to decide on plants grown without permission
what action has to be taken in the campus of the Indian
against Navbahrat Seeds, an Agricultural Research Institute,
Ahmedabad based company, Mr Ghosh pointed out.
The company’s managing
which sold the transgenic cotton
to farmers without clearance director B D Desai declined to say
from the committee.
how he obtained the transgenic
seeds in the first place.

Deccan Herald
12 October 2001

Action plan to provide potable
water to all by 2004
By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, oct. 11. The Union
Government has drawn up a
comprehensive Action Plan to re­
alise the goal of providing potable
drinking water in all habitations
by 2004 which is part of the com­
mitments contained in its Nation­
al Agenda for Governance.

To bring this plan on the
ground in a more meaningful and
effective manner, a nation-wide
two-phase survey to identify the
habitations affected by water
quality problems has been
launched. The results of the sur­
vey would pave the way for strate­
gies to ensure that these
habitations have access to genu­
inely potable waler.

Another initiative launched by
the Government is based on de­
mand responsive strategy and
participatory approach to resolve
the drinking water problems of
rural India. As a step forward to
institutionalise community par­
ticipation, sector reform pilot
projects have been sanctioned in
63 districts of 26 States at a cost of
Rs. 1.820 crores. Out of this, the
Government has so far released
Rs. 484 crores.

current financial year, the alloca­
tion has further been stepped up
to Rs. 2010 crores.

At the same lime, the Govern­
ment has been enhancing bud­
getary
support
under
the
Accelerated Rural Water Supply
Programme. An allocation of Rs.
1800 crores was made in 19992000 and it was raised to Rs. 1960
crores the following year. In the

To facilitate redemption of the
pledge, rural drinking water sup­
ply is among six areas that get pri­
ority in the scheme of things in a
new initiative launched by the
Government in the form of the
Prime Minister’s Gramodaya Yojana.

The task to be accomplished is
not all that daunting as 87.47 per
cent of the 14.22 lakh rural hab­
itations in the country are fully
covered, 11.19 per cent are par­
tially covered and only 1.345 per
cent — 19000 rural habitations —are not covered. The deadline for
covering all habitations is 2004.

The Hindu
12 October 2001

Involvement
of people ensures
success of
Wildlife Week
HT Correspondent

Dehra Dun, October 9

DEBATES,
EXHIBITIONS.
quizzes, seminars, slide shows
and other such programmes all
over the State marked the first
Wildlife Week celebrated in
Uttaranchal last week.
“There was immense response
from all sections and all the pro­
grammes were very successful.
The participation of a large num­
ber of school children and people
from rural areas were the main
achievements", said AS Negi,
Chief Wildlife Warden of
Uttaranchal.
Involvement of thousands of
people living around the forest
and protected areas in the State
was another main feature of the
weeklong programme. The
thrust was to educate the people
in these areas about the urgent
need for wildlife conservation.
“These people have been
dependent on the forests for their
livelihood and daily, needs. The
effort is to reduce their depen­
dence on the forests so that
felling of trees and killing of
wild animals is restricted", said
the Chief Wildlife Warden
The forest department has
formed two types of committees
to involve more and more people
living around the forest and pro­
tected areas in Uttaranchal in
the task of wildlife conservation.
Joint Forest Management
committees have been formed
comprising people living around
the reserve forests and EcoDevelopment Committees for
people living around the protect­
ed forests, Mr Negi said.
“During the past week, forest
officials interacted exhaustively
with members from these com­
mittees and provided them with
information about our forests in
a bid to secure their involvement
in protecting our wildlife”, the
Chief Wildlife Warden said.
One hopes the enthusiasm that
the WildLife Week has generated
lasts for long to help the cause.

Hindustan Times
10 October 2001

CDL Media Clippings 27

APCOB cuts lending rates
By Our Staff Reporter

Hyderabad, oct. 14. Crop loans and long­
term loans to farmers and agricultural coop­
erative members will now be available at re­
duced rates of interest.
According to a decision taken by the Com­
mittee of Persons-in-Charge, A.P. State
Cooperative Bank Ltd. (APCOB) on Oct. 12,
interest margins have been reduced at vari­
ous levels.
APCOB finances its credit from NABARD,
which gives the finance at interest rates var­
ying from 7.0 to 10.5 per cent. APCOB keeps a
margin of 1.0 and 1.5 per cent and passes on
the finance to District Cooperative Central
Banks which keep a margin of 2.5 to 3.5 per
cent, passing on the finance to Primary Agri­
cultural Cooperative Societies which keep a
margin of 2.5 per cent. The final rate of in­
terest charged to the farmer therefore came
to 13.5 to 16 per cent, which was higher than
the interest charged by nationalised banks.

APCOB has proposed to NABARD to re­
duce its margin. Pending this, (he State’s
cooperative banks have reduced their mar­
gins at various levels ranging from 0.5 to 2
per cent. In a press release, APCOB claimed
that any reduction by NABARD would lead to
a further reduction in interest rates.

At present, interest rates on loans up to Rs.
25,000 have been reduced from 13.5 to 11.5
per cent. On loans from Rs. 25,000 to Rs. 2
lakhs for minor irrigation, rales have been
reduced from 15 to 13 per cent and on other
loans for the same amounts the rate has
been reduced from 16 to 13.5 per cent. For
amounts over Rs. 2 lakhs, interest rates on
minor irrigation loans have been reduced
from 16 to 13 per cent and from 16 to 15 per
cent for all other loans.
APCOB also approved a scheme for financ­
ing of agri-clinics and Agri-Business Centres
up to Rs. 10 lakhs for individuals and up to
Rs. 50 lakhs for groups up to five.

The Hindu
15 October 2001

velopment programmes were ini­
Team studies
tiated by the Bank since 1970.
Canbank’s activities Social banking, providing
care to rural people and
for rural women medical
motivating qualified unemployed

doctors in rural areas with fi­
BANGALORE. Oct 12 (DHNS)
A Commonwealth team compris­ nancial incentives were some of
ing of delegates from 13 countries the programmes.”
Canara Bank’s priority sector
visited Canara Bank Circle office
here today to study the income advances stood at Rs.9139 crore
generating activities promoted by representing 42 per cent of the
total credit. Agricultural ad­
the Bank for rural women.
The participating countries in­ vances at Rs 3,478 crore covering
clude Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, 12.81 lakh farmers were issued
Armenia, Iraq, Sudan, Tanzania, and under the Kissan credit card
Uganda, Namibia, Philippines, scheme they have so far issued
Nigeria, Kenya and Zaire.
4.41 lakh cards involving Rs.942
Mr M.P Nayak spoke of crore. The SSI advances spread
Canara Bank’s initiatives in pro­ over 74,733 beneficiaries stood at
moting rural entrepreneurship Rs 2,964 crore, the bank has so far
among women. He said, “rural de­ formed 13.373 self help groups.

Deccan Herald
13 October 2001

Cotton no longer
a cash crop for
M’rashtra farmers
_________ Suresh Shah_________
MUMBAI 1’4 OCTOBER

COTTON may no longer be a cash
crop. Faced with a severe financial
crunch, the Maharashtra govern­
ment is considering making part pay­
ment to cotton growers under its
prestigious cotton monopoly scheme
through long term bonds or Indira
Vikas Patra during the new season.
'This was a part of the discussion
at the weekend meeting for work­
ing out the details of the scheme," a
top state official told ET.
Even the Union government,
leaving aside its trade liberalisation
and economic reform policy, has
granted a five-year extension, be­
ginning this year, for this controver­
sial scheme.
As per the earlier central gov­
ernment decision, the state was sup­
posed to start winding up the scheme
last year ended June 2001.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh has often stated
that the scheme is not economically
viable, but he is continuing it under
political compulsion.
"We have discussed various other
options like allowing textile mills to
directly buy cotton from growers or
even make it open for everyone, to
reduce our financial exposure," the
official added.
"What is important is our pres­
ence in the market so that growers
are not exploited." The decision on
the date for beginning procurement
and the operational details is soon
expected to be taken by the state Cab­
inet

The state is expected to produce
around 40 lakh bales of cotton out
of a total of around 165 lakh bales
production estimated in the country
during the current season, which
commenced on October 1, 2001. •

The state is already stuck with un­
sold stock of around 8-9 lakh bales
from last season and the prospects
for exports are dim, unless at a heavy
loss, as cotton prices in the interna­
tional markets are ruling around 15year low levels.

The Economic Times
15 October 2001

28

News You Can Use

possible in his area. "Anicuts (raised plat­
forms in a flat pyramid shape) were the
most suited for Jojawar. They stop water
from flowing off on the flat land.” This in
turn helps in two ways. Water is stored
in the entire area that the anicut sur­
ter. The value attached Singh Jojawar, ex-pradhan of
rounds. Second, as the water seeps
to this word can scarce- Jojawar village and son of the
through the land, the ground water
ly be understood unless erstwhile king of the same area.
table rises.
you have travelled to a “I was inspired by the work beKhushvir went to over 150 villages
village that is struck by ing done by Rajendra Singh’s
campaigning for the villagers' own cause,
famine once every three cars. Where the Tarun Bharat Sangh (TBS) in
water. "CARE (an NGO) provided the
youth have deserted their homes because Alwar. I knew that we would
funding, TBS provided the technical
they don’t have any drinking water, have to Work if we wanted to
help, but people put in effort. You know,
Places where the land is cracked or solve our problems. The govpeople will always work once you make
saline, the crop is wasted and the animals ernment just makes empty
them realise their need."
dead. For people, water is life, manna promises."
Today, the Kot river, which is a moun­
from heaven and an elusive dream.
Khushvir has always been an
tain run-off, has hundreds of anicuts and
Since Independence, approximately Rs avid wildlife watcher. And a
johars and other storage facilities built on
1, 900 crores have been spent to solve couple of years ago, he began
them. And all of them have been made
Rajasthan’s water problems. And all that to notice that the forest cover
by people, some in as few as 10 days.
has added upto is money squandered. was shrinking dramatically. "There were
Says Khushvir, “Villagers have all the
Every successive government has used a lot of poachers. Then there were a num­ knowledge. In every village I went, peo­
the water plank to stay afloat and, there­ ber of hamlets situated near our forest ple knew exactly what to do to solve the
after, forgotten all about it. "That is where and people living there used to cut trees water problem. The only trouble was they
the people of Rajasthan have gone indiscriminately. The pastures were be- were hoping that the government would
wrong," feels Magsaysay award winner ing destroyed by the rebaris ,(traditional
. . come and do it. The day they picked up
shepherds) who used to leave their
and
in their hands, they
Rajendra Singh.
“People have become dependent on sheep
------ r and camels in the forest."
, As a re- rewrote Jojawars history. If only more
the government rather then relying on suit of this growing deforestation, all the sucjj jojawars would happen in the fil­
themselves to fulfil the needs of their rainwater used to run off the mountain, ture
community. In the pre-independence taking with it the fertile top soil. Since
MADHU ARORA
era, the rajas or the zamindars took care there were no storage facilities, rain wa­
of water problems in their areas. Water ter could not even be stored.
The Pioneer
“That’s when I started getting worried.
preservation was also quite prevalent But
18 October 2001
;frer Independence, with the govern­ The forests surrounding our villages
ment taking the task upon itself, every­ were the lifeline. They kept the land fer­
thing went wrong. People started de­ tile and maintained the water table.
pending on outsiders to come and give Before Independence, the forests were
them water. Local resources like baoris sealed on June 30 and would be opened
(stepwells) and johars (ponds) were ne- after about four months. This helped the
glected. Unless people learn to be self forest
‘
replenish itself. Now, the forests are
sufficient again, this problem will re­ opened within a month," Singh adds.
main."
The first need was to educate people.
That’s what Rajendra Singh himself did "People are losing their sense of be*
in Alwar, bringing in the first water rev­ longing. They will readily cut a tree be­
olution to the country and covering cause they think that the forests belong
hitherto arid lands with lush green to the government and not to
forests and transforming dead rivers in­ them."
to perennially flowing ones.
An attitude which Khushvir was able
It's heartening to see his mantra of self- to turn around and convince people that
sufficiency being followed by villages and forests need to be conserved. “There is
districts all over the state. One such place a tiny hamlet called Bhulad. Today, the
is Jojawar village in Pali district at the people there do not even allow rebaris to
foothills of the Aravallis.
enter the forests as camels trample vegIn just one year, this area has seen an elation under their feet", he says with obamazing turnaround in terms of a rise in vious pride.
water tables, increase in crop and vegeThen Khushvir heard of rain water har
iation cover. So much so, that despite this vesting, a term popularised by the efforts
being the year of a drought vil­ of Tarun Bharat Sangh.
lages have recorded an above
The term refers to the use of man
average harvest
made infrastructure to conserve rain wa­
The one man who’s efforts ter for later use. “I knew something akin
have been instrumental in to Alwar could be done here also." So an
bringing about , this magical year ago, Kushvir approached TBS to
transformation is Khushvir team all about the kindpf water projects

CDL Media Clippings 29

Farmers need to chahge, organically
lobby and the fertiliser plant as
nothing can be produced in
that area. But haven't got any
relief as yet," says Dr Afsar H
ost fanners turn their noses to
organic farming as they don't
Jafri, Programme coordinator
want to lessen their produc­
of Research Foundation for
Science, Technology and
tivity. But they don't realise the long
term implications of conventional
Ecology.
fanning methods — environmental
It is essential to develop
pollution, soil erosion and health risks.
workable farming techniques
Organic farming is the production
for largescale organic farms.
Indigenous varieties of seeds
system which avoids or largely ex­
cludes the use of synthetically com­
are used rather than hybrid va­
pounded fertilisers, pesticides, growth
rieties as the latter require
regulators and feed additives. To the
chemical pesticides and fer­
maximum extent feasible, organic
tilisers. Pests become more re­
farming systems rely on crop rotations,
sistant to pesticides and as soil
crop residues, animal manures, offstructure deteriorates, more
farm organic wastes and aspects of bi­
and more chemicals are nec­
ological pest control to maintain soil
essary to farm successfully.
productivity and tilth, to supply plant
Organic farmers face the additional
nutrients and control insects, weeds
costs of natural fertilisers and com­
and other pests (as defined by the
pensating tlie higher degree of crop loss
United States Department of
in the absence of pesticides. Consumers
Agriculture).
need to ask for organic produce and be
Seventy per cent of our population is
willing to purchase it at a slightly high­
engaged in agriculture but only five per
er price as it is a nutritive product. "If
cent comprise committed organic
the overall expenses of repairing the
farmers. The system is popular along
damage caused by conventional food
the western belt — Gujarat—' production are considered, we believe
Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and parts of
that organic foods cost less in the long
Orissa, Kerala and Indore.
run," says Dr Jafri.
Although synthetic chemicals may
Only plant-derived and other non­
increase a farmer's yield in the short
lasting pest controls are used. The
term, they can pollute the environment,
beneficial-insects present in the soil are
leach into the water supply and leave
a tried and true method of pest control.
residue on food. "Near Allahabad, a big
Adds Dr Jafri, "These include earth­
worms, beetles, spiders and ladybugs
fertiliser factory has polluted neigh­
bouring fields with waste water. The
which multiply naturally but are killed
farmers filed a suit 10 years ago. They're
by pesticides. For example, while grow­
still fighting against the government
ing cotton in the Warangal district of

BARKHA GOEL

M

Andhra Pradesh, farmers only use pes­
ticides when the plant has grown to five
Inches, killing friendly insects within a
month of sowing."
Borders serve as a “trap crop" for
pests, distracting them from crops by
providing an alternative food supply. In
the Dharwad district of Karnataka,
farmers plant ladyfingers bordering cot­
ton fields and a line of ladyfinger in the
middle of field. Since their flower is yel­
low and cotton is initially yellow in
colour, pests are attracted towards the
ladyfinger crop. Farmers remove the la-*
dyfingers once they are infested with
the "sucking” pests. Either they uproot
the plant or remove the infected
branches and burn them. Marigold is
also used as a trap crop.
Herbs and kharpatu/ar (weeds) are
removed manually to reduce costs.

When the ground is fallow, a cover crop
is planted to suppress weeds and build
soil quality. At times, for rice crops, the
land is irrigated to germinate weeds and
then till them under. Gradually, over
two to three years, weeds are reduced.
Organic matter is that percentage of
soil that comprises anything that once
lived — plants, animals and soil or­
ganisms. Every time crops are harvested
or weeds pulled, it draws on the soil's
organic matter and pool of nutrients.
If they aren’t replaced, the soil is even­
tually depleted of the resources that
plants need to flourish.
Composting is done by vermi-composting, Indore method and Nadep
method. In the former, the pit is filled
with worms while compost for the oth­
er two comprises dry leaves, cow dung
slurry, cattle dung, biomass slurry, fine
sieved soil and old compost This is
filled in the pit in the Indore method
while in the Nadep process a brick
structure measuring 12 X 5 X 3 feet is
raised on the land.
Farmers rely heavily on "liquid fish,"
a slurry of the parts of fish especially
where there is a prawn industry, but its
harmful. Only fish slurry obtained
from local ponds like Puri district in
Orissa are high in nitrogen and plants
are able to absorb it rapidly. Kelp and
cottonseed meal are two other inputs
used but aren't very popular.
Organic fertilisation is sustainable
and the the healthy microbes, fungi and
bacteria function like the white blood
cells in our bodies, keeping the harm­
ful bacteria and fungi that cause disease
in check.

The Pioneer
18 October 2001

News You Can Use

A cyber revolution in
AP villages

kiosks, teaches the women
how to prepare pickles, papads and the masala powders.
Some women like Bhagya­
mma do not like the compu­
By S Ramakrishna
men and children in rural. who studied* upto SCC and a
ter recipes. They summarily
areas (DWCRA) programme mother of three children and
dismiss them as being "not
Hyderabad, Oct 15: A silent and knows how to open the Apsara, who studied upto int­
useful to us”.
cyber revolution is catching computer, internet and bro­ ermediate and is presently an
Bhagyamma, however suc­
organiser of the society. “Init­
up with people in remote vill­ wse through the files.
ceeded eminently in anot­
ages of Rangareddy district
The kiosk has been provi­ ially, we were a bit hesitant
her expertise. She took a
It is coming at a time when ded to the society by the nati­ to come here, but now we are
loan of Rs 3,000 in 1999 and
familiarised
with
the
kiosk/'
the IT has taken a beating onal institute of agricultural
set up a grocery shop in the
after the slowdown in the US extension management (Man­ she said.
village. As her business floeconomy and interestingly it age), a wing of the Union _
■ wished with subsequent
is the illiterate women who Agriculture Ministry, as
Notable feature of this , doses of help from the soci­
are eager to harness the tech­ part of’its cyber extension programme is that none of
ety, Bhagyamma has today
programme
launched '
nology.
the women, who are semi emerged as a role model for
"Eppudu varsatn vastundo, three years ago. On a pilot
or totally illiterate are other women in Maheswae voollo e pantaku enta dhara basis, kiosks have been set
ram.
afraid of computers
vundo, memu computer lo telu- up in 10 villages of Ranga­
Manga, Sujatha and Chandsukuntam (We know through reddy.
rakala, all housewives, want
What interests these wom­
the computer when it would
Notable feature of this pro­
to become Bhagyammas if
rain and prevailing prices of gramme is that none of the en' on the internet? “Pachchasome financial help is given.
crops in different villages)/* women, who are semi or illit­ llu etlaa cheyyalo, kooragay( Most of the men in the village
says Srilatha, a mother of two erate are afraid of computer ala ratlu telusukuntam” (We
’• are construction workers in
children from Ravirala vill­ or internet For instance, Sri­ can know how to prepare
the city. Their earnings
age in Maheshwaram mandal latha is not just a role model pickles and the rates of vege­
range from Rs 100 to 120 per
in the district
for other women, but can exp­ tables), says Lakshmi. Most
[ day» which barely meets their
of
the
villages
in
the
mandal
lain
the
society
’
s
achievem
­
She, like several other worndaily needs.
.en, regularly frequents the ent in fluent Telugu or Hindi supply vegetables to the city,
'
Still, inspired by the
whichisjust35km.
cyber kiosk set up at the to the visitors.
r DWCRA, these women save
In fact a CD distributed by
Sneha thrift society formed
So is Lakshmi, a resident of
Re 1 per day and deposit it in
under the Development of Wo- nearby village, Ameerpet the DWCRA among all cyber
- the thrift society. “Leka pote
assale migaladu” (Otherwise,
we cannot save anything/*
says Manga, who studied
upto seventh class and is res­
ponsible for bringing up two
children.
All these women are exci­
Mysore, Oct 21: Agriculture ket. The Government has dec­
ted about the cyber kiosk.
Marketing Minister R B Thim- ided to set up revolving fund to
But, most of them do not
mapur said the Government purchase potato, tomato, onion
know how to operate and
would introduce on-line facilit­ and other horticulture crops
read the data in English.
produced
by
farmers.
ies in 70 APMCs in the State to
“Telugu lo vunte konchem
He said the Government as
help farmers know the price of
artham chesukogalam” (If it
agriculture produce from Nov part of hunching revolving
is in Telugu, we can underst­
funds
mobilised
Rs
200
crore
1.
and it better),” said Srilatha.
Speaking after inaugurating from 48 APMCs.
The kiosks have been set up
HE said the Government has
a multi purpose complex and
in nine other villages: MedchRaitha Bahavan at Sarggur in set aside Rs 3 crore under Sanj-.
al, Kesara, Chevella, Ibrahimeevini
scheme
to
help
farmers
H D Kote taluk here on Sun­
patnam, Shameerpet, Hayatnday, he said the Government who are grievously injured
agar, Ghatkesar, Parvatapur
would provide computers in 70 when working in the fields and
and Godumakunta. Barring a
called
upon
the
farmers
to
util
­
AMPCs in first phase to prov­
few villages, most of the kio­
ide on line facilities in the mar­ ise such programmes • ENS
sks have expired their oneThe New Indian Express
year internet account

‘Price list of agri
products online’

22 October 2001

The New Indian Express
16 October 2001
CDL Media Clippings 31

Women of power
and talent
HEN a group of women that our role in community develartisans got together to opment is as important. Over the
present Hyderabad 'Kol­ years we have provided vocational
hapur! Couture' to the interna­
training to 48,000 women, con­
tional market in Mumbai 1999, a ducted 700 entrepreneurship devel­
small ripple in the footwear world opment programs and counselled
tqmcd into a wave.
42,000 women. A large number ol
A veritable trendsetter in casual them are gainfully occupied today.
footwear, this dream project cata- About 5 per cent of the bank's total
pujtcd humble artisans of Athani, credit goes into this endeavour. Be­
in Matyarasfitra^froip, sides this, we are very happy with
the.,shadows to, i he
nojd.of our strong association with several
global fashion. Appropriately self help groups.'
named 'Toehold Artisans Collabo­
The CanUtsav-2001 was a treas­
rative', the venture is supported by ure-trove of ideas and innovations.
Ascent, a non-profit social enter­ Among others, an apparatus made
prise with technical input from Cen­ of tungsten wire to stop wastage of
tral Leather Research Institute and cooking gas, specially designed in­
National Leather Development Pro­ door fountains, kancheepuram saris
gram. As many as 200 families have woven to blend in various other
been able to put together their skills styles from all over the country were
and have evolved into competent on show. The Utsav provided a plat­
entrepreneurs with this support. form for marketing to around 50
The Centre for Entrepreneurship women entrepreneurs from around
Development for Women (CED), Ca­ the state.
nara Bank, is constantly looking for
Apart from supporting business
such examples of enterprise to sup- initiatives, CED, Canara Bank sup­
port as their endeavor in rural de­ ports modernization of old businesses
velopment and promotion of self­ and has ushered in technology by
setting up computer literacy centers
employment.
- Started in 1988 at the Head Of­ for women. Three such centers are
fice of Canara Bank in Bangalore, already functional in Alleppey,
the Centre now has nine branches ■ Trivandrum and Bangalore.
in various Cirde Offices spread across ! , .Recognition at the ngtiop^ level
the country. Its prime objective be­ ha? m?^,thg CEg's.fiffQri^r^var^
ing identification, selection and train­ jng. Wood andTstohe carving artisans
ing of women entrepreneurs, it also of C E kamath Institute of Rural Ar­
looks to co-ordinate with other gov­ tisans at Karkala supported by the
ernment and voluntary organisations Centre, have received national
to promote the spirit of entrepre­ awards and one of the faculty was
recently invited to the UK to pres­
neurship among women.
Self Help groups are encouraged ent lecture demonstrations.
Santhana Lakshmi, designer of
and supported with the sole aim of
guiding women towards economic Kancheepuram saris, also supported
indepen fence and nurturing their by the Center has been invited to
self-confidence. CanUtsav-2001, an present her work (put together by
exhibition of women's spirit of en­ 30 weavers of Kancheepuram) at this
terprise, was set up at the Canara year's International Garment Fair to
Bank Head Office auditorium last be held at New Delhi. Having pur­
week to commemorate the Women's sued designing as a hobby first and
then moved over to it totally from a
Empowerment Year.
Gracing the occasion Hon'blc career in law, Santhalakshmi feels
minister for Women and Child Wel­ she has come a long way with the
fare, Karnataka, Smt. Motamma help of NGO, AWAKE and support
spoke about the state government's in the form of overdraft facilities from
role in uplifting the lot of rural Canara Bank.
CanUtsav promises to be bigger
women by encouraging them to cre­
ate businesses of their own. To that in years to come.
Clearly, there is much enthusi­
end several subsidies on loans have
been announced and banks have asm from all fronts to add to its suc­
cess. Women, both urban and rural,
joined hands in this effort.
Says R V Sashtri, CMD Canara NGOs both big and small can bank
Bank, 'It is not enough to remain in on Canara Bank's community wel­
the banking business and we believe fare initiatives to reach their goals.

The only rider being that these goals
should be high enough to merit sup­
port.
♦ Indrani Chowdhury

The Economic Times
21 October 2001

W

32

Model law to sustain
water sources
recommended
By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, OCT. 20. The two-day
conference of State Ministers in
charge of Rural Water Supply
which concluded today, has rec­
ommended relaxation of norms
for coverage of rural habitations
for supply of safe drinking water
and enactment of model law by
the States to sustain sources of
water through effective conserva­
tion and recharging of ground
water sources.

Another major recommenda­
tion that followed the delibera­
tions related to adoption of the
concept of dual water supply in
areas where the quality of water
was bad. The concept envisages
creation of an additional network
to meet the limited supply of po­
table good quality water for drink­
ing purpose while the other needs
could be met by utilising and im­
proving the existing water supply.
The States have been asked to
complete the ongoing survey of
quality-affected habitations by
the year end positively.
The model law which has been
formulated by the Ministry of Wa­
ter Resources and commended to
the States provide for regulation
of the use of water resources by
the States by setting up a regu­
latory authority. The law requires
compulsory registration of those
making use of the ground water
source. The law would empower
the States to stipulate the depth
up to which a bore-well could go
depending on the use of water to

ensure that rural habitat had ac­
cess to water for human needs.
Briefing mediapersons after the
conclusion of the conference, the
Union Minister for Rural Devel­
opment, Mr. M. Venkaiah Naidu,
said there was agreement that
measures like rainwater harvest­
ing, watershed programme and
artificial recharge ought to be
adopted by utilising funds avail­
able under the Accelerated Water
Supply Programme and the Prime
Minister’s Gramodaya Yojana*
which had drinking water compo­
nent.
The Conference also recom­
mended community participa­
tion for rural drinking water
supply schemes. The community
should contribute about 10 per
cent of the cost of the project.
This could be done both in cash
or in kind by providing human or
other necessary resources. The
community should, after the
commissioning of the scheme,
take responsibility for operation
and maintenance of the network,
he said that this type of sector re­
forms would help as the assets
would belong to the people.
While asserting that all States
were in agreement that they
would be able to meet the dead­
line of safe supply of drinking wa­
ter in all rural areas by 2004, Mr.
Naidu said the coverage scheme
for water supply would be relaxed
by providing new norm of 55 litres
per capita per day with a source
within 0.5 km in plains or 50
metres elevation in the hills.

The Hindu
21 October 2001

News You Can Use
The traditional structures that
supported the underprivileged,
gave them a voice and reflected
their views simply vapourised.
PATHBREAKING experi­ ate people whose aural and visual village we would like to record The question before the DDS in
ment has been attempted narratives are so powerful. So what they tell us which becomes a this scenario was how to restore
and proved successful in what else can one think of ? For document for us (for follow up the people’s voice to them? How to
empowering
illiterate
rural me the possibility of providing later)...we can show the officials challenge this media imperialism?
women that can well stand all ear­ video and audio technologies as a the reality of our degraded lands How to contribute an authenticity
lier premises and theories of means of expression for the disad­ on film, it is more convincing.”
to the media scene which is domi­
development and communication vantaged rural women was an
Pastapur Narsamma, another nated by commercial and political
on their head. A group of 10 Dalit exciting idea."
producer, said it was easier for interests whose agendas work in
women of Pastapur in the backAnd so the experiment was them to speak to locals than for direct conflict with the interests of
ward and dry Medak district of launched to train the women to outsiders who sometimes come to marginalised communities?
Andhra Pradesh have been communicate their problems, their village for a story. Besides, as
The answer was to create the
trained not only in wielding the-raise their issues and find solu- HumnapurLaxmammasaid, there DDS Community Media Trust
video camera but also in scripting, tions through video. Over the last may be times when an event needs with a mandate to "take the
editing and dubbing the films. And three years, about 10 women have to be recorded immediately. "At images and voices of rural women
perhaps for the first time in India been trained by two professional such times, you people may not be to the larger world outside and
and the world even, the women TV producers and cameramen in available-then we can do our own create an alternative media ethos.
have been handed over the owner- almost all the aspects of film-mak- recording and give it to you."
This alternative ethos will evolve a
ship of this powerful tool of com- jng. The women have not only
According to Zaheerabad media which can be accessed and
munication.
been making films for themselves, Punyamma, they can record the controlled by the local communi­
The Deccan Development that is for discussion among the 70 proceedings of the sangham's ties especially those that suffer
Society’s Community Media Trust women's sanghams under the DDS meetings, capture the solidarity of continued marginalisation."
was formalised on October 15, the with a membership of 5000 mem­ the women, the uses and advan­
However, as Dr Vinod Pavarala,
International Rural Women’s Day bers, but also have marketed them tages of such meetings on the cam­ Associate
Professor
of
and handed over to the Trustees. to various channels such as era and tell the world at large. Communication in the University
As the preamble of the Trust says, Doordarshan and Eenadu TV. Chinna Narsamma perhaps cap­ of Hyderabad who has been moni­
it was formed "in fulfilment of the They were also commissioned to tured the essence of the philoso­ toring the experiments of DDS
wishes of thousands of women produce short films for NGOs and phy behind the rural women women with video and radio for
from DDS sanghams who wish to various members of the media telling their own story without the the past few years says, this con­
have their unrecognised voices
team, visit Pakistan, mediation of a "foreign" reporter trol over media technology did not
heard and recognised by the world
Bangladesh,
Nepal or such media. "I speak in my lan­ happen overnight It was preceded
outside. Six women trustees for­
and Sri Lanka on guage, you in yours. I don't under­ by establishing the community’s
mally signed the trust deed. The 11
assignment and to stand you and you don't under­ control over their food, health and
trustees include eight sangham
participate in media- stand me. You show us the uses of natural resources. "Otherwise
members and three nominated
(chemical) fertilisers, sprayers. why will a starving woman be
related activities.
members.
The Community and we want to talk about our interested in having a control over
Explaining the philosophy
Media Centre located degraded lands, of our children the media? It is a long process of
behind the experiment, P V
in Pastapur, next to who roam about without educa- sustained awareness, capacity
Satheesh, Director and one of the
the DDS office com- tion...when we produce our cine- building and training" in the areas
founding members of DDS, said
plex, comprises an ma
we
talk
about
our of people’s agriculture, health,
the process evolved during DDS'
editing suite, dubbing problems..the media gives us an education and indigenous knowl­
over two decades of involvement
booth, storage space, opportunity to think and find solu- edge and value systems.
with the Dalit women of Pastapur
rehearsal/discussion tions to our problems." Powerful
To promote and protect them
and surrounding villages. "When
room and one comput- arguments, undoubtedly. DDS pro- and also to spread them both with­
the commitment of an organisa­
er room. The equip- vided an answer to the corporati- in and outside their communities,
tion is to value peo- •
------ment includes seven sation and elitisation of the the people's control over media
pies knowledge and
As
Satheesh
says, technology became essential. The
video cameras, edit media.
build its work on
recorders, computer "Definitely, the Third World is all women of Pastapur are certainly
their confidence,
edit unit, eight-track audio mixer, set to be taken over by an inspiration for all, giving hope
the need (was felt)
microphones, lights, camera Transnational Corporations. This to those who despair at the fall of
to explore various
stands and reflectors. The produc­ casino capitalism ushered in by the mainstream media.
tools, of'expression
ers also are their own reporters TNCs is .being established by the
with which people
media, supported by them and in
and commentators.
R Akhileshwari
can communicate
How does it help the women to turn, supporting them. The ava­
in Hyderabad
with the outside
have a media of their own? Said lanche of media channels and
world. Because the
Edulapally Manjula, one of the media tools signals this arrival."
Deccan Herald
outside world is a
producers, "We can speak out on As a result the under privileged
21 October 2001
reality and their
our problems and express our and the poor were marginalised
necessity, to com­
thoughts in our own language that from the media, their voice getting
municate with it is
is understood by all of us (the peo­ feebler, and their space shrinking.
also a reality." The
ple of this part of Telangana 'The media is by the elite, for the
usual tool for this
region find it difficult to follow the elite and of the elite," says
has been literacy.
variant of Telugu used by the Satheesh. More importantly, "The
But as Satheesh
mainstream media whether it is media is not just reporting the elit­
said, "We felt literacy can actually TV, radio or newspaper) when 'big' isation of the society. It is making
become a constraint for non-liter-government officials come to our sure that the elitisation happens.”

Virtual voice
A

CDL Media Clippings 33

were not at fault and so should be
compensated. According to him,
the gramsevak of the area had dis­
cussed the issue with Agriculture
Minister Purshottam Rupala a few
days ago. “ He was unaware of any
order to destroy the genetic crop",
DH News Service
their future, for they have already for a 450 gram packet. Besides, it he added. MrVashubhai, another
invested thousands of rupees to had better diesease resistance and farmer, wanted to know why the
MAl^nulMAr.VILLAGE
grow this particular cotton. Mr. loss due to infection was less and
State and the Central governments
^ANDHINAGAR),Oct20
Rati pa(el of Magodilat village it needed less fertilizer.
Th®. 9^arat eovernment has
.<This seed has belter yield j
experience of Mr Naresh had woken up now, when this par­
decided to go ahead and destroy
tried eariier jn one acre op patcj of vadodralat village some ticular seed was being cultivated
transgenic cotton crop being cu i- ^d a|ong
traditional cot- five km from Magodilat village in for the past three or four seasons
yated illegally in some 10J)00 acres lQn rpbe cotton quality was also Gandhinagar district was similar. in many parts of the State.

Gujarat to destroy Bt cotton
crop in 10,000 acres

in the State as directed by the mucb better. If it is hazardous. I
He said, “ we had a meeting of
Centre s Genetic Engineering wiR nQt mind destroying it, but farmers who had planted trans­
Approval Committee.
not without compensation”.
genic cotton and it was decided not
Now it has to work out a comHe sa-d Bt co[ton seed yielded to allow destruction of the crop
pensahon package for the farmers at Jeast seven qUjnta]s an acre without compensation.”
who insist that they would not though it cost about Rs 150 more
Mr Naresh Patel said farmers
allow the crop to be destroyed
unless it is paid for.
The Government, which till
Friday evening was not aware of
GEAC’s directive, has not decided
upon the quantum of compensa­
tion or, indeed, who will foot the
BUILDING ABILITIES
bill. Mr. P K Ghosh. Principal
A Handbook to Work with
Secretary, Environment and
People with Disability
Forest, told the Deccan Herald
ADD India
today “ We have to destroy the
genetic cotton crop and fix the
Bangalore:Books for Change, pp
compensation." However, he did
book is handy in providing basic
157, Rs 200
not specify when the crop would
information about the nature of
be destroyed.
different types of disabilities,
isability has a mono­
He visited a field where Bt cot­
both physical and mental.
lithic status in our coun­
ton seeds with the brand name
Specific tips are handed out on
try. We have never
Navbharat-151 was cultivated in
how a worker may deal with a
stopped addressing disability as
Magodilat village, ten km from
person with a particular disabili­
a
medical
issue
only.
What
hap
­
Gandhinagar. After a detailed
ty. The information that is
pens
to
the
other
aspects
of
studyand research in Gujarat,
disability
then?
Is
it
not
a
GEAC found that Bt cotton was
developmental - issue?
In
being extensively grown in the
India, a person who is dis-'
State without clearance from itself
abled is almost always pitied.'
or the Environment Department.
This occurs because we have
The GEAC met on October 18
always looked at what a per­
in New Delhi and decided to ask
son with disability lacks
the State Government to uproot
rather than what he or she is
the standing crop and recover and
capable of doing.
destroy all transgenic seeds. It has
In this book published by
also asked an Ahmedabad-based
Action on Disability and1
seed company, suspected to be
Development (ADD) India,'
behind the experimental cultiva­
the focus is trained on locat­
tion of the crop, to destroy the
ing disability as a develop-:
crop and repurchase seeds and put
mental issue. It is a hand­
it in storage under seal until
book for people who work
cleared by the Environment
with people with disabilities
Department.
thus addressing a large cross­
Bt cotton seeds have been in the
section of workers like NGO
eye of a storm following their
workers, community work­
experimental use by Indian
ers, special educators, thera­
Institute of Agricultural Research
pists, vocational trainers and
and Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds
rehabilitation workers. The
Company in a number of states,
including Karnataka, said to be
under the strict observation of the
Biotechnology wing of the Human
Development Ministry.
The farmers are worried about

A handy guide

D

34

Browser's

Deccan Herald
21 October 2001

imparted is supported with case
studies that allow the reader to
understand a certain situation
at a more personal level. The
instances cited are of people
with disabilities who belong to a
variety of socio-economic back­
grounds and hence gives the
worker a wide perspective on the
current situation of disability in
India. It not only regards the
nature of special schools or inte­
grated institutions 'of the urban
areas but also gives a picture of
the work in the rural areas such
as the sanghas that work with
people with disability.
However, the reader learns
very little about the work
done with people with mental
retardation. The book does
not seem to heed the legal
issues or constitutional rights
of people with mental disabil­
ity. It hints al vital social
needs of the hour such as the
attitude of non-disabled peo­
ple towards disability but does
not elaborate on the issue. The
information provided in the
handbook may seem a little
sketchy at times when one ft,
looking for details about work­
ing with a person with a spe­
cific disability. This could be
due to the wide area of infor­
mation the book is attempting
to cover, for which one must
commend the effort.
Shilpaa Anand

Deccan Herald
21 October 2001

News You Can Use

She was born in a poor, illiterate and non­

went to Ranchi from the ninth standard. “I had

Record paddy
procurement
by Haryana

Christian tribal family in the remote Arbara

to work as a maid. In one house, I was almost

Staff Reporter

village in Gumla district, 90 kilometres from
Ranchi, the new state capital of Jharkhand. Now

raped. But that did not stop me from pursuing
my education because I saw how educated

Chandigarh

in her late 30s, she is an MCom (in Hindi) from
Ranchi University, a member of the Berlin-based

people could strike it big. Later I learnt typing
and things became better when I started
working as a typist,” she remembers.

THE GOVERNMENT agencies of
Haryana have set a new record in
the procurement of paddy this sea­
Gossenor Evangelical Lutheran (GEL) Church
son by purchasing 67 per cent of
Before setting up her hotel on land
and the recipient of an award for excellence in
the total leviable arrivals till
leased
from
GEL
Church,
she
tried
her
rural journalism, from none other than journalist
Wednesday.
Of the total arrivals of 13.95 lakh
luck with a Chennai-based NGO
P Sainath out of the proceeds of his book
tonnes, 9.36 lakh tonnes paddy had
working for the welfare of tribals. “They
Everybody Loves a Good Drought.
been procured by official agencies
gave me an attractive salary and perks.
Meet Dayamani Baria, the tribal woman, who
including Food Corporation of
But I felt the tribals were not getting
is, today, requested by society bigwigs to attend
India (FCI) at the minimum support
price and 4.59 lakh tonnes by pri­
their due. My queries with the
programmes in places like Ranchi, Mumbai,
vate traders. Traders had also pur­
authorities went unanswered. I could not
Dhaka and even South Africa, addressing
chased 1.22 lakh tonnes of basmati
work there.” She tried in vain for a
grievances of tribals and women. Still, she
paddy. An official spokesman said
government job. Finally she settled for
here on Sunday that since the pro­
resides in an 18 x 14 room, which is again.
curement began on September 21
her hotel from which she could hardly
compartmentalised into different sections. One
last, 15.17 lakh tonnes of paddy had
draw any profit, she maintains. Her
corner is a stall selling samosas and pakoras with
arrived in the markcts.This was
journalistic
endeavours
too,
hardly
paid
chai. The other comer is for cooking and also
against 10.81 lakh tonne arrivals
in the corresponding period last
her much. But the dual profession earned
where her aides and family members rest Yet
year. The daily arrival was around
her the sobriquet 'pua patrakar' (pua is a
another tiny comer is translated into a
1.10 lakh tonnes. Tliis, he said, has
sweet and popular delicacy in the area).
newsroom, complete with a bed, papers, books,
been made possible because Chief
She is not happy with the way the
a telephone, a camera and a tape recorder (the
Minister Om Prakash Cbautala
was himself visiting and supervis­
new state of Jharkhand has shaped
last three she got as gifts as. part of her
ing procurement in various grain
up. “Leaders at the helm are neither
awards). Though she writes.for a Hindi
markets of the state.
freedom fighters nor who fought for
daily, Prabhat Kha bar. she has started
He said that during the erstwile
the new Jharkhand state. Our people are still
regimes of Mr Bhajan Lal and Mr
subscribing to one English newspaper to
Bansi Lal, procurement made by of­
suffering," avers this feisty lady who is associated
learn the language. “It is needed for effective
ficial agencies between 1991-92
with a host of organisations devoted to tribal
communication,'’ she observes.
and 1998-99 was just 2.6 per cent
upliftment. So is the state assembly calling^ She
Since the mid-’90s, she has been bringing
and 6.5 per cent respectively.
However, in 1994-95 and 1995-96
gives a beatific smile.
the plight of tribals to light - how farmers
it had touched 14.4 per cent and
Times News Network
are dying of diarrhoea and malaria, why
12.8 per cent respectively; he
educated youth are not getting jobs, how
Sudeshna Chatterjee
added.
The spokesman said that out of
tribal welfare board is ignorant about the
The Times of India
the total arrival, HAFED had pur­
plight of its subjects. She should know,
chased over 3.61 lakh tonnes of
21 October 2001
having made it the hard way. In the late
paddy. Food and Supplies
'60s, her father lost a legal battle over the
Department 2.25 lakh tonnes.
Haryana Warehousing Corporation
right of ownership oF nearly 10 acres of
98,139 tonnes. Haryana Agro
land he had cultivated. Her parents had to
Industries Corporation 75,085
go to other places to earn their livelihood.
tonnes. Confed 62,807 tonnes and
Of their four children, Dayamani (the
Food Corporation of India over 1.13
lakh tonnes. Kurukshetra district.
only daughter) stayed back with one of her
known as the rice bowl of Haryana
brothers to pursue her education. Both siblings
led with 3.50 lakh tonnes arrivals,
fended for themselves by working on land
followed by neighbouring Kamal
belonging to other people. Dayamani went
(2.72 lakh tonnes), Kaitha (2.32
lakh tonnes). Fatehabad (2.26 lakh
from one village to another, as schools in these
The Pioneer
tonnes) and Sirsa (1.50 lakh
villages did not have all the classes. She even
22 October 2001 tonnes).

CDL Media Clippings 35

Draft policy on Indian
medicine soon
DH News Service

The draft policy further has _
U
IH
specific strategies for medical edu- UGCCan nera IQ

cation and improving the drug 22 October 2001
NEW DELHI. Oct 21
To reap the benefits of India’s rich standard.
biodiversity and heritage, the
Centre has prepared a draft policy
on Indian Systems of Medicine
(ISM) which spells out a volley of
strategies including 100 per cent
tax benefit for ISM industry for
five years and more focus on the
academic and industrial side of
the traditional systems of medi­
Kaushik Chaterjee_ _ _ _ _ _ _
The idea dates back to 1986
cines such as Unani, Ayurveda
when Dr Sugata Mitra was watch­
New
Delhi
and Siddha.
ing his five year son and his
As a part of the strategy, the
IMAGINE A computer jutting out
friends playing with a Personal
National Institute for Unani
from a wall. That’s what NIIT’s Computer. Struck by the automatic
Medicine in Bangalore will be
head office at Balaji estate, Kalkaji
way children learnt to use the
made fully operational by 2004.
has —- a computer jutting out from
computer, he wrote a research pa­
The draft national policy is
it’s side wall, which is accessible
per, on the same. Now he has
likely to be finalised within six
Id outsiders. \
■•
•
started work upon .his idea. The
months incorporating the com­
The novelty is part Of an ex­
basic idea behind the programme
perimental programme titled
ments and remarks from the ex­
was to use the natural curiosity of
“Hole in the Wall” to make
perts, Health Minister Dr C P
basic computer, literacy
Thakur said. The policy builds
available for lower socio­
upon the positive features of the
economic group children.
indigenous system, their diversity.
Computers are general­
flexibility; cost-effectiveness. lowly inaccessible to lower
level of technical inputs and wide
income group children and
acceptance in the international
just remain a dream for
arena.
many. But for some the
Highlighting some of the
dream could turn into a re­
salient features of the policy and
ality, with a little help from
subsequent strategies, the min­
“ Hole in the wall".
ister said national centres for
The brainchild of Dr
Yoga and Siddha would be estab­
Sugata Mitra, the R&D
lished in Chennai and Delhi re­
chief of .NUT, it involves
spectively.
making a hole in the wall
To encourage more partici­
of a NUT office and installing a
children to make them computer
pation from the Indian industry in
personal computer. Or a kiosk with
literate. It was minimally invasive,
a computer installed may be set
doing without formal teaching and
the ISM sector, the policy calls for
up.
classrooms.
100 per cent tax holiday for five
Within days of it's installation.
a The computer looks just like a
years and 30 per cent for another
television in a cabinet, the wall the computer was surrounded by
five years in the line of a model
playing the role of a cabinet. The
eager young faces who were eager
adopted by Himachal Pradesh.
keyboard is missing, the comput­
to know about it.
The policy favours a Green
er only having access to the in­
Jitendra Kumar, a class IV stu­
Industry’ status for the industry
ternet. A touchpad is the input de­ dent of Radico school and resident
since it does not use chemicals
vice, no keyboard being present.
of Sarvodaya School remembers
and demanded cent per cent tax
The touchpad moves the brows­
the early days. “Initially I was ap­
exemption on funds contributed to
er on the screen.
prehensive of it. But later by tin­
Medicinal Plants Board.
The first of such “holes" were
kering with it I learnt to play
The minister called for a hike
started at NIIT’s corporate head
games. Now I can even watch the
in the ISM budget. At present,
office in Balaji estate. Kalkaji in
news on the computer", he re­
only two per cent of the Central
the Capital on 26 January,! 999.
sponded eagerly. To test the idea
Health and Family Welfare budget
Right adjacent to the office lies
further and confirm lhat children
is allotted for ISM, which should
Sarvodaya Camp, a slum cluster,
would themselves learn a lot, the
be hiked, to four per cent of the
total health and family welfare
plan of the Central government
over the next five years.

A window to the world

36

idea was carried to Shivpuri.
Madhya Pradesh.
On 3rd May, 1999, the “com­
puter kiosk” as Dr Mitra calls it,
started functioning in the side wall
of a school. A video camera hidden
in a car recorded the first “cus­
tomer” at the kiosk.
"A 13 year old kid from the street
walked up to tlie computer and
surveyed it curiously. After tin­
kering with the touchpad
for sometime he began to
browse". Dr Mitra added.
The third such kiosk was
opened in Madanlusi, a
small village 80 kilome­
tres from the city of
Lucknow. The pro­
gramme brought forward
interesting conclusions.
Usually few children
would be quick to take to
the computer. Later they
would act as teachers
and teach others around
them.
The programme had it’s diffi­
culties though. Chief amongst them
was how to keep a computer run­
ning in difficult conditions. To cir­
cumvent this problem the com­
puters were engineered to run
without airconditioning and sen­
sors which would relay the condi­
tion of the computer to a centre
were added, health were added to
the computer.
Dr Mitra believes that the
scheme ifsuccessful, could be com­
mercialised and expanded.
•
At present there arc 30 such
kiosks or “Holes in the Wall" lo­
cated in Madangiri. South delhi in
Madanlusi and 10 are coming up
in Maharashtra.

The Pioneer
21 October 2001

Dro
YDROUS Ferric Oxide is the best media so
far to effectively remove arsenic from pol­
luted water. This was revealed in a com­
parative study of methods of arsenic
removal from drinking water done by J.C Saha, K
Dikshit and M. Bandopadhyay. Some of the effective
methods were iron oxide coated sand, activated alu­
mina, CalSiCo and hydrous Granular Feme Oxide.
The percentage of removal in these were 90, 96 and
98. In case of Hydrous ferric oxide it was 99.
Some time back HARBAUR GmbH, Germany
had developed a technology for the removal of ■
arsenic from water using the hydrous granular ’
ferric oxide. The objective was to solve the prob- 1
lem of industrial arsenic pollution in that country.
Mr. B.N. Pal an enthusiastic Indian technocrat I

H

Archita Bhatia reports on a new

technology for arsenic removal that

has been successfully testedin
villages of West Bengal

who resided in Germany became acquainted with I
the problem in West Bengal in the early 90s. It I
occurred to him that the German technology F
could help the affected villagers. Thus began the |
long and tedious crusade to promote the technol- I

ogy. He had to go through various screening
processes and was ready to take the tests. The
comparative study by the scientists really helped.

O 0
n (/)
o ft)
O" 0
0 0)
ho 3
o 0
o

I retards the transformation of amorphous
M material to ciystalline phases. Amorphous
■ materials have more surface area and hence
HIH
I

The residual mass of the spent medium is
small.
Pal Trochner has installed plants in various parts of West Bengal. The one installed in

I Moyna in Barasat region of North 24 par" ganas is reported to be working at an effi—-J ciency of 99.9%. Locals say that they are feel­
ing much better after having started drinking the
water. Around 800 arsenic removal plants have been
installed as an attachment to hand tubewells in the
district of Murshidabad. The PHED, Government of
West Bengal and the UNICEF has utilised their ser­
vices to supply safe drinking water to many areas.
The technology has been successfully tested by the
State Water Investigation Directorate (SWID), the

adsorption on these areas is greater. This
enhances the stability ofiron arsenic residues by min­
imising the rate of release because the ciystalline
materials have a reduced capacity for arsenic absorp­
tion. Thus disposed arsenic bearing iron compounds
are stable under normal environmental conditions.
The only problem of the technology is the initial
investment. The recurring costs are not much but the
initial expenditure is something that the most affect­
ed lower income group cannot afford unless the gov­
ernment stands by them. At present there are huge
investments on arsenic and the Government can
afford to stand by them. But for how long? Unless the
source of arsenic in ground water is detected and controlled common people are always at risk despite the
best of removal techniques.

News You Can Use

CDL Media Clippings 37

ho
ho

■ atmospheric carbon dioxide, the hydrous iron
/ ■ oxide compounds control the release of arsenic
I at the resultant pH of 8. The solidified iron
arsenic wastes with iron arsenic mole (weight
jj /molecular weight) ratios greater than three
I also passed the leach test for landfill disposal.
I Arsenic is strongly absorbed by chemical bond| ing. The chemisorption of arsenate species

I

Many other agencies have also tested the tech­
nology.
Granular ferric oxide
reactors are fixed bed
adsorbers operating like
conventional filters with a
downward water flow. The
technique aims at the com­
bination of arsenic removal
efficiency with the simple
operation of the fixed bed
adsorption. Pal Trochner
which assembles and mar­
kets the product in this country, claims that the tech­
nology is economical.
AdsorbAs as the technology in called, binds
arsenic to the surface by chemisorbtion (chemical
adsorbtion which is irreversible as compared to phys­
ical adsorbtion) forming a stable surface complex with
ferric hydroxide. The medium does not require chem­
ical regeneration and does not produce any sludge.

Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) and the
Drinking Water Inspectorate, Department of
Environment, UK
One initial major doubt of experts about the tech­
nology was that arsenic adsorbed in the medium
would leach away from the exhausted medium on
exposure to certain conditions. A study on the mobil­
ity of arsenic revealed that the stability of iron arsenic
residues from water treatment plants is enhanced
when calcium or heavy mptelg are co-precipitated.
I When lime instead of sodium hydroxide is used
11 for co-predpitation, the stability of residues
‘ .Hl. ' increases from pH range of 4 to 7 to 4 to 9. The
■ results of leach testing using aerated water
• indicate that the release of arsenic from
H| cement solids containing arsenic bearing
1. hydrous feme oxide is controlled by the alkaI ■' liriity. If alkalinity is modified by absorption of

Rajasthan farmers plan to barter
bajra to pay bills
people in every village to adopt decide” remarked a senior offi- party, has also threatened to go
this barter system,” said Dr cer of the state electricity de- for agitation against the cenJAIPUR, Oct. 21. - Seeing that Hari Singh, president of the partment.
'
tral' government demanding
the state government is not go- Nationalist Congress Party.
The BJP has already organ- purchase of bajra.
ing to purchase their bajra The poor farmers have been ised dharnas all over the state This year, Rajasthan had a
crop, farmers here have devised left with no option but to adopt demanding immediate procure- bumper crop of bajra due to
a unique way to sell their bajra this barter system, Dr Hari ment of bajra by the state gov- good monsoon. T
to the state government.
‘ Singh said, adding, They will eminent.
The total production is about
They have planned to barter (not be doing any crime. The The Rajasthan Kishan Maha- 29 lakh metric tonnes, almost
bajra to pay the government price is decided by the Central sabha has also threatened tn 40 % more than the average
bills. The farmers would make government and it is the state’s dump bajra on state and dis- bajra production in the entire
a bag of 10 Kg bajra equivalent duty to procure it. How will the trict headquarters from 22 Oc­* state.
to the note of Rs 45.
farmers survive if there are no tober, in case the state govem- However, since the farmers
If the electricity bill of a farm- takers of their crops?”
ment does not start the pro- are forced to sell their crop at a
er is Rs 455, they plan to give The government machinery, curement.process.
_____
__ __
35-45.. %______
lower price,
as deone quintal of bajra to the state however, refused to comment The Mahasabha said it would dared by the central govemelectricity department as per on it “ofTicially”.
gherao the secretariat on 22 ment, the bumper crop hardly
the minimum support price de- The electricity or water de- October and dump bajra out- helped them.
cided by the central govern- partment can never adopt this side the secretariat to press
Thn Qfafaeman
ment.
strange barter system. They do their justified demand.
1 ne ^Taresmaii
STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE

“Such move will start through- not have any storage system. It The Kisan Congress, a farmeout the state and we would tell is only for the government to ris organisation of the Congress

22 October 2001

Bullock-driven tractor developed
New Delhi. Oct. 21: In a bid to
save upto Rs 900 crore spent on
importing oil. Bharatiya Cattle
Resource Development
Foundation, after extensive
research, has developed a bullock
drawn tractor targeting the medi­
um size farms in the country.
An intermediate technology
between traditional plough and
mechanical tractor combining the
utilities of both has been devel­
oped by the foundation, but would
not require conventional fuel, thus
saving precious foreign
exchange.” BCRDF’s managing
trustee Laxmi Narain Modi said

here. Named BDT “kamdhenu,” it
offers several times improved effi­
ciency over the traditional plough
and was much more superior to
the mechanical tractor. While
three Kamdhenus can do work
equivalent to one tractor, they
together cost Rs 30,000 compared
to the mechanical tractor’s cost of
Rs 3.5 lakh.
Overhead costs like depreciation
and repairs were less at Rs 10 per
hour compared to Rs 165 per hour
for tractors.
Most importantly it does not con­
sume diesel which for tractors was
upto five litres per hour, thus even

if one per cent of the oil import
Modi, also member of a working
bill was saved it would amount to
group of the planning commission
Rs 900 crore. It used animal
on organic farming, said the only
draught power, a renewable energy advantage for tractors was the
source, derived from farm wastes
lesser time taken for ploughing.
and low cost animal feeds. A BDT However, it was more than made
was enough for 15-20 acres of
up as Kamdhenu had the potential
agricultural field, improved land
to transform small and medium
fertility by doing away with harm­ size farms and move them towards
ful repercussions of diesel, culti­
sustainable agricultural systems,
vated all comers of the field, was
based on organic farming meth­
light and kept the soil loose there­ ods, through cowdung and urine.
by improving yield. In contrast the It could also be used for ‘‘custom
tractors had manoeuvrability prob­ hiring” thus serving as an extra
lem, left the comers of the field
source of income for the farmer
uncultivated and being heavy had
when he was not using his
a negative impact on the soil.
machine. (PTl)

Deccan Chronicle
22 October 2001

38

News You Can Use

NGOs’role in
development
PAPER
FOR
vital: Atal PLAYING
H
,
,
|
WORK ON
ealth literacy environment key sectors
Pioneer News Service
Lucknow

PRIME. MINISTER Atal Bihari
Vajpayee has said the role of the
non-government organisations
(NGOs) is vital for the overall de­
velopment of a big nation like
India as the role of the state was
fast, diminishing in affairs of de­
velopment.
“The sphere of activity of the
state was spreading but it was in
the field of internal security and
defence and it was inadequate to
deal with the social issues and de­
velopment of human resources.”
Mr.Vajpayee was addressing a
workshop on “Role of N.GOs in de­
velopment of UP”, here on
Monday. The workshop was or­
ganised by the Union Ministry of
Human Resource Development
and ‘Samyjtk’ a Delhi-based NGO.
Stressing the need for decen­
tralisation of state authority and
active participation of the NGOs
was a must for the development
process, the Prime Minister said,
“in a big country like ours the
NGOs were not only important but
their presence was now manda­
tory for shouldering the issues of
illiteracy, drinking waler, prima­
ry health and environment."
Urging the people to come for­
ward for rendering selfless service
through NGOs, the PM said gov­
ernments come and go and have
many drawbacks. Saying that
the NGO sector will have to stay
clear of these drawbacks and de­
merits, and added that the NGOs
will have to develop lively rapport
with the common people and
draw sustenance from the society.
Cautioning the NGOs on the en­
try of undesirable elements with­
in their tanks, Mr Vajpayee said
there were many blacksheeps in
the NGO sector and they them­
selves should device the ways and
means for purging such ele­

ments. Urging the NGOs to or­
ganise themselves for meeting the
challenges he said there should be
a body to supervise the activities
of the NGOs but that should also
be an NGO.
MADHU ARORA
Mr Vajpayee said the reach and
resources. of the government
rt for Prabhat, an exhibition held
were far too low to match the gi­
al Arpana Arts Gallen', was one of
gantic requirements in the field
its kind. The event was the brain­
of human resources development
child of Prabhat, a Delhi based NGO that
and here the NGOs could perform
works with children suffering from men­
a very important role. “Everything
tal disability. "We educate them from the
cannot be left for the government
pre-school level to as long as they want
to attend. The NGOs would have
to be promoted to take up the task to study. Around the age of fourteen we
try to impart them with certain voca­
of development.”
tional skills like weaving, making diyas
Mr Vajpayee said during the
and paper,” explains Estelle Desai, a
freedom struggle various volun­
tary organisations had offered member of the organisa­
selfless sendees in the filed of ed­ tion. Over sixty artists from
ucation, khadi and village indus­ all over the country were
try and fighting diseases like TB asked to create something
on a paper, handmade by
and leprosy. Some of those NGOs
continued to be active even to this these children. Said Estelle,
day and the country needs these “Apart from making them
organisations for the benefit of the use the paper we provided,
oppressed and the service of the we also gave the artists a
society and not for any political free hand." This proved
easier said then done.
purpose.
Speaking on the occasion, the Estelle explains why. "
Union Minister of State for Human Many of those who con­
Resource Development, Ms tributed do not normally
work with this medium. A
Sumitra Mahajan, said the NGOs
were making significant contri­ number are sculptorsand
bution in all areas under HRD. painters who normally
She said that UP, being the most work on a different quality of paper. They
populous state with various re­ had to adapt in a short time.” Agrees one
gional diversities, offers a pletho­ artist Necraj, “I made a special effort to
ra of opportunities for these make my paintings stand out visually. I
felt this was more important than mak­
orgnisations.
The Chief Minister, Mr Rajnath ing an intellectual statement." Neeraj has
Singh, welcoming the PM and del­
egates in the workshop, said
that the desired goals of devel­
opment cannot be achieved with­
out the active support of NGOs. He
announced that he would soon
call a Panchayat of the NGOs
here and assured all possible sup­
port to them.
He also revealed that accord­
ing to a survey by the State
Planning Commission one lakh The Pioneer
NGOs were registered in UP but
only 33 of them were world ng. 22 October 2001

A

even painted frames of his three contri­
butions in a bright red hue, making them
“stand out" amidst a sea of drab brown.
If results were anything to go by. the
artists’ play off paid off. From portraits
to landscapes to abstracts to creation
that do not fit any head­
ing, there was lots of orig­
inal and interesting work.
Like GG Scarias set of
three paintings interpret­
ing the adage T think
therefore I am,’ or the use
of a nail, a string and a
bent bow representing
strength by Bikash Poddar.
Another eye catching
work was Anupam Sud's
depiction of Usha (morn­
ing) and Nisha (night) as
a women. The proceeds
from the show will be split
between the artists and
the organisation. Despite lack of pub­
licity, response to the exhibition was sat­
isfactory feels Estelle. “One reason could
be that all the art works were reasonably
priced. Most artists undercharged them­
selves, for which Prabhat was thankful.

The Pioneer
23 October 2001

CDL Media Clippings 39

Disabilities dept goes-to-the-people with an ‘adalat’
Express News Service

Chamrajnagar, Oct 21: It is
not only neighbours and acq­
uaintances who ignore the ne­
eds of the disabled or ill-treat
them. The disabled feel Gove­
rnment offices are mostly to
blame too.
‘My pension gets credited
once every three months.
When 1 go to enquire about it,
those in the Treasury office
just ask us to go from one end
of the office to another. When
they can see we move around
on crutches, why do they ask
us to go from pillar to post?
Can't they see it is difficult?”
“Conductors
in
KSRTC
buses sit in the seats reserved

for us and do not even get up
after we board it. How can
you allow this to happen?”
were all laments thrown at
Commissioner for Disabilit­
ies Meera C Saksena.
It was the fifth ‘Disabilities
Adalath’ being held by the
Commissioner. What started
off as a grievances meeting
soon turned into an ethical
discussion on who is respons­
ible for scoffing at the disab­
led and what is the effect of
this on the disabled themsel­
ves.
Grievances like lack of spe­
cial schools for the blind or
the very low allowance of Rs
100 for the disabled from the
Government were, of course,

expressed. But these were sid­
elined, routine.
“When we first started hold­
ing these ‘adalaths’, everyone
talked of ‘give us jobs.’ But
now I am glad people are ope­
ning up, realising there are
other things - they ask about
their pensions, loans, homes,
and
more
importantly,
rights. At least there is some
progress,” Saksena points
out.
An innovative ‘go-to-thepeople’ effort of the Departm­

ent for the first time. the ‘Ada­
laths’, being held at various
districts, have changed from
being just another forum to
express pliants to broader
questions on policy changes

as well as attitudinal change.
On the one hand, non-gove­
rnmental
organisations
(NGOs) working in this sect­
or were demanding that the
mandatory five per cent of
Govt jobs reserved for the dis­
abled be filled up.
On the other, the affected
themselves were coming out
with suggestions for action to
be taken against Government
officers who ill-treat them.
‘‘You cannot just blame soc­
iety or talk of changing soci­
ety. We must remember we
are part of it too. We need to
be confident of our own abili­
ties first, rather than be
aware of just our disabil­
ities,” was the Secretary’s

stand. But the Adalath was,
some felt, more promises go­
ing unkept. “As soon as I
came in, they said we cannot
ask for jobs. What is the use?
I’ve been asking for a job for
the last five years. The Gove­
rnment must assure us a job,
any job, first and foremost.
Other things will fall into
place immediately. Do they
mean to say they cannot even
accommodate me in an anganwadi?” questions Lakshmi,
who came to participate in
the adalath.
In a small district like Chamrajanagar where everyone
knows everyone like the fam­
ous cliche, they feel the sting
more.

I The New Indian Express
22 October 2001
I Kanda said.
Stressing the fact that land is really the key to empow­
erment. Kanda, however, regretted that like all other
sectors, it is the Centre! wlucb is the largest investor
despite revenue being a subject in the state list. “And
, since the person with the puree dictates terms, land
■ reforms ate mostly top down, rigid arid uniform though
i ground conditions differ from state to state,” he slated:
‘ • Kanda called for more flexibility in such interventions.
i
. | “However, the government can only follow a carrot-andstick policy by insisting that the state carry out necessary
Times News Network
reforms in one sector if central assistance is wanted, in
BANGALORE:.- The Centre oh TUesday hailed another” ?.
I Karnataka's efforts in land reforms and lauded the state
Rural development adviser to the Planning
•government’s achievements in. pursuing set goals in the Commission Rohini Nayyar pointed out that three
: essential things needed to be addressed in land reforms.
area.
.“Karnataka’s achievements in land reforms have to be -i “Tbnancy rights, alienation of tribal land and land rights
■acknowledged,” Additional Secretary and Director of . for women—: if these are addressed, We would be solv-.
.the Department of Land Records in the Union j ing a major part of the problem,” she opined.
• Government Mohan Kanda said. He was inaugurating a • .- Racing the history of land reforms in Karnataka,
. two-day national workshop on Access and rights to rural ‘ Additional Revenue Secretary Rajeev Chawla said, the
land’ organised, by the University of Agricultural state had corne a long way to the present status of com­
Sciences and Seattle-based Rural Development puterisation of land records. “We.have been able to set-’
. tie over 90 per cent of the land claims under the Act arid
Institute.
?
•'Karnataka is one state where all . aspects’of land ’ arc confident of disposing the rest in a short time,” he
reforms like tenancy rights; consolidation and computer­ assured.
isation are going oh at the same time, whereas in other s The two-day workshop is expected-to deliberate on
states just of one of. these issues are- being pursued,” i issues critical to land rights and help formulate policy.

Keep it up: Centre
I pats Karnataka

for land reforms

The Times of India
24 October 2001

News You Can Use
1

•

•

1

■.

e

Interestingly, the union cabinet

Cabinet okays massive housing
scheme for urban poor
a“the“als0 aP.

head of a household or jointly for

_

---------------------- =—————
•
A_
__________________ proved a new national city saniDH News Service
have a 50 per cent quota for the the district urban development tatjOn project under the title of
NFW npi HI nri -n
scheduled rastes and scheduled agencies (DUDAs), the municipal NirmaJ Bharat Abhiyan (NBA) to
In in effort to nrnvirlo shelter tmll *r*')es’30 per cen^ f°r
OBCs, 15 bodies and the NGOs. About 50 per be launched in the slums as a subreoDleof'tte eountrv^v M10°thp Per Cen‘ f°r ‘hC economical|y cent <>f U>e “st of the Yojana component plan of the scheme to

andXS
crorefamUtes of X^rhan

backward sections of society and would be given as grant. The build toilet facilities to be mainbalance would be provided as 15- tained on a community basis.
mentally challenged. The identifi- year repayable loans.The allottees This NBA is being approved by the

Tim cchnnin will nnf a so nnr rnnt ca^’on
^ese beneficiaries would be required to pay Rs 208 to union cabinet after its success in
i ne seneme win get a au per cent w0ldd be done by the state
Rs 21Q per montb for a perjod of
and parfcs of
central grant.
development agencies (SUDAs), fifteen years.
______
fWran Horald
Briefing reporters here, Mr
— - ——
D6CC3I1 neraiu
Ananth Kumar, urban devel­
24 October 2001
opment minister, said, “The
The
Economic
Times
Valmiki Ambedkar Awaas Yojna
was approved at the Union
22 October 2001
Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime
Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. It
will have an allocation of Rs 2000
crore per annum, the budgetary al­
Coimbatore has taken this process for commercialisa­
OST-harvest management is important as nearly
location being Rs 1000 crore. The
tion. Small-scale entrepreneurs can successfully man­
60 per cent of food, especially fruits and vegeta­
rest of the funds will come from
ufacture this product. A process for making ready- tobles are lost due to mishandling. Use of appro­
HUDCO.”
serve juice from Muscat grapes has been standardised.
priate technology can reduce this loss considerably. The
The scheme, which was an­
Says Nir Suresh, "The novelty of this product is its char­
Post-harvest Technology division (PHT) at the Indian
nounced by Prime Minister Atal
acteristic natural mild Muscat flavour, attractive colour
Institute of Horticulture Research (IIHR). Hessaraghatta,
Behari Vajpayee on the occasion of
and crystal-clear appearance. Coimbatore GrapeGBangalore has been developing technologies to increase
Independence Day; is the first
rowers Association has already taken up this process
shelf-life of fruits and vegetables. Says E R Suresh, head
central government housing
for commercialisation."Since several commercial bra­
PHT, IIHK. "Some of the processes and techniques have
scheme for the urban areas. There
nds of grape juice samples are available in the market,
been
adopted
commercially
while
others
need
to
be
are 3.3 crore shelterless families in
no comparison can be
popularised." The tech­
the country. Of this, 1.63 crore
made. However, this prod­
nologies that have been
families are in the rural areas and
uct developed by UHR has
adopted by food processing
1.67 crore families in the urban
good consumer acceptabil­
industries
are
preservation
areas.
ity.’ adds Mr Suresh.
of raw mango slices for
The Yojana will cover about 4
There are some new
pickling, production of ver­
lakh houses per year which would
technologies that are ready
mouth type flavoured wine
be provided to slum dwellers and
for transfer to the industry.
from grapes and ready-tothe urban poor in 5161 town and
For example, watermelon
serve juice from Muscat
cities, Mr Kumar said. A sum of
is a soothing fruit valued for
grapes.
Rs 60,000 per house would be ear­
its delicacy in colour, taste
The preservation of
marked under the scheme in me­
and flavour. In hybrid seed
raw mango slices for pick­
tropolises like Mumbai, Delhi, and
industry, the seeds are sep­
ling is a simple process
Kolkata while Rs 50.000 per house
arated from the pulp which
developed at IIHR to pre­
would be sanctioned under the
is left unutilised. IIHR has
serve rawmango slices for
scheme for cities with a popu­
developed a ready to serve
use in pickle production.
lation of one million to ten million
watermelon juice using this
In this process, the colour,
and Rs 40,000 per house in other
pulp.This is a pure relishing drink, rich in nutrients and
texture and overall quality of raw mango slices are
Lowns and cities of the country.
can be produced at a cost as low as Rs 5 per 200 ml bot­
retained for a longer period of time around six to nine
Every dwelling unit provided
tle. A process for production of culinary paste from veg­
months in ambient conditions. Microbiological
under the Yojana would be con­
etables such as onion, garlic ginger, tamarind and green
spoilage is totally eliminated and this process can
structed in a plinth area of 150 sq
chilli has been developed. The products are of accept­
replace the traditional dry-salt curing technique.
feet with sanitary facilities, a
able quality with a shelf-life of more than 6 months.
"MTR Enterprises, a pickle manufacturing unit in
kitchen and a verandah. Asked
Few brands of such vegetable pastes are already avail­
Bangalore, has taken this process for commercial
whether a unifo pattern of con­
able in market. However, vegetable pastes developed
adoption," says Mr Suresh.
struction would be followed
at this institute are highly appreciated in terms of their
A process of production of vermouth type fla­
throughout the country, Mr
appearance, taste, flavour and microbiological quality.
voured wine offers medicinal properties. And, con­
Kumar said. "The construction
The technique for extending shelf life of pomegranate
sumption of moderate quantities of this wine is nutri­
pattern will depend on the local
and capsicum by shrink-film wrapping has been devel­
tious. The base wine obtained by standard fermen­
needs.”
oped. A shelf-life of three months in pomegranate and
tation process is flavoured with the addition of spices
With the objective of providing
20 days in capsicum retaining maximum freshness is a
and herbs, which imparts characteristic aroma,
shelter for people living below the
major advantage of this technique.
flavour, taste and medicinal value. These classes of
poverty line in urban slums, Mr
wines are classified as appetiser wines.
Kumar said the scheme would
Shobha Naidu
The Tamil Nadu Grape Growers Association of

Keeping ’em green & fresh

P

CDL Media Clippings 41

The dilemmas over illicit GM cotton
By Mukund Padmanabhan

The story about the planting of illicitlysourced genetically modified (GM) cotton
seems to be getting worse by the day. Sources
in the regulatory set-up at New Delhi say that
they are now examining the evidence that this
cotton — grown from seeds developed by an
Ahmedabad-based company—has been culti­
vated in the States other than Gujarat, namely
Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.
It is believed that anything up to 12,000
acres, mainly in Gujarat, have been planted
with 'Navbharat 151* — genetically modified
cotton seeds which contain the Cry 1 Ac gene
that renders plants immune to bollworm pests.
While the Genetic Engineering Approvals
Committee (GEAC) has called for the crops to
be destroyed, this is going to be easier said
than done. At slake are crops, which arc valued
at several crores. Moreover, there is marked
reluctance, particularly on the part of the Guj­
arat Government, to take steps which will af­
fect the livelihood of farmers.
While the prosecution of the Ahmedabadbased seed company seems inevitable, the au­
thorities are reluctant to initiate action against
the GM cotton farmers (who incidentally are
liable under Rule 89 of the Environment Pro­
tection Act). On the contrary, the Gujarat Gov­
ernment has talked about fixing a
compensation package for the GM cotton
farmers —- in other words, pay them to uproot

and bum their crops. An alternative strategy is
making the rounds in the regulatory corridors
of New Delhi. Under this proposal, farmers
would be allowed to grow and sell the cotton
this year, but forced to destroy the seeds (the
GM component).
The patent for the Cry 1 Ac gene, which is
derived from a soil bacterium Bacillus thuringcnisis (Bt), is owned by the multinational
Monsanto. In India, the seed company Mahyco, in which Monsanto India has a substantial
minority stake, has been licensed to conduct
large-scale field trials of Bt Cotton, necessary
before environmental clearance is granted for
commercialisation. It was Mahyco which blew
the whistle about the illicit Bt Cotton after tests
NEWS ANALYSIS

conducted by the company revealed the pres­
ence of the Cry 1 Ac gene. How the Ahmedabad
seed company manufactured the GM seeds is
not clear. But it is likely that they were made
from Bt cotton seeds smuggled from abroad
and then either back-crossed on an Indian va­
riety or by creating a hybrid through the use of
a sexually compatible Indian variety. Neither
process is difficult, though the latter course is
probably easier to adopt.
Speaking to The Hindu, Mahyco’s managing
director, Mr. Raju Barwale, said he was confi­
dent that the Government would take the right
action and uphold the law. The present ap­

proach seems to be directed wholly at taking
tough legal action against the Ahmedabad
seed company. The importance of doing this is
not because of the environmental risks posed
by the introduction of the illicitly manufac­
tured GM seeds but as a deterrent against fu­
ture misuse against a potentially dangerous
technology. Bt Cotton with the Cry 1 Ac gene
has been tested extensively and is grown in a
number of countries. Therefore, there is no
cause for undue environmental alarm.
However, the point is that a lax and forgiving
attitude could send dangerous signals. Seeds
can be genetically modified to cause environ­
mental havoc and therefore it is imperative
that a tough attitude is adopted by the regu­
latory-law enforcing authorities. Whatever is
done should send out a dear signal that any
form of unauthorised genetic modification is
simply not tolerated.
Ironically, the usually vocal anti-GM lobby
has been unusually quiet during this contro­
versy’. Greenpeace has not issued a formal
statement yet. And there have been no strong
unequivocal calls for the illegal GM crops to be
destroyed at once. Having opposed the intro­
duction of Mahyco-Monsanto’s Bl Cotton on
environmental grounds, this group is reluctant
to adopt a tough stance now that farmers have
actually begun to grow it. Admitted one ecoactivist: "In the present situation, it is difficult
to be environmentally correct and politically
correct at the same time."

The Hindu
24 October 2001

Artisans of North East find a ray
of hope in the Cultural City
youths by establishing better were forced to depend on. they have planned for launcEmme market in Impal to hing more promotion campamarkets.
Mysore, Oct 23: The artisans “Extension of cease-fire market their produce are jgns with the co-operation of
of North East, who have lost and insurgency in Manipur now forced to extend their localities. Admitting that the
hopes of regaining their tour- has affected artisans to a base looking for better mar- traditional arts and crafts
#
was disappearing, she plans
ist market due to insurgency great extent” said L Binod­ ketconsequent to the announce- evi, a State awardee known They are grateful to Indira to provide training to childment of Naga cease-fire, are for producing applique mate­ Gandh£ Rashtriya Manav ren of this region in appliSangrahalaya (IGRMS) for que, an oldest technique of
in Mysore to tap the rials.
artisans
from textile design.
southern market and keep Binodevi was invited by bringing
alive their age old- handi- the Union Government for North East region under Chowrajit, a professional
craft.
providing training to 50 stud- ‘Parichay Prasanga’, an exh- in mat making said ‘aquatic
Artisans from Manipur, ents in applique which is dis- ibition on Traditional Arts plants’ called Kouna, a uniTripura and Assam known appearing. She said the Gov- and Crafts of India. They que raw material in North
for poroducing handlooms, emment instead of provid­ want the Union Government East is in abundance in the
applique works, pottery, mat- ing raw material at subsidi- to open its centres in all the region. But where to market
-making and wood carving sed rates to trainees should States and make continued beds and other attractive
claim that they are not prom- continue supply of raw mate- efforts to promote art and ideal shapes and sizes of
mats varieties when there is
oted in a big way. No attem- rial at subsidised rates for crafts of North East.
pts are made to Wive tradit- all the artisans.
Delighted over the respo- steep fall in flow of domestic
ional skills and crafts among She said the artisans who nse from the public, she said market? he asked. Contd..
By K Shiva Kumar

42

News You Can Use

Contd...
He said the North East,
particularly Tripura has pot­
ential of meeting demand
and supply of handlooms
and mat making products
mingling with indigenous
looms generating rich and
missioner-in-charge .for the entbright motifs. They said the
. ire programme.
weaver, particularly women,
An irrigation department
practice weaving in their
official told The Statesman
houses and play a prominent
that the census had turned
role in their textile tradition.
imperative in order to put an
L Gumlam Zaddevi, who is
end to excess use of ground
running a pottery stall said
water by residents. Wastage
and excess withdrawal of water
she was running a small unit
for irrigation has resulted in a
with 10 workers producing
sharp fall in the groundwater
highly artistic expressions.
levels in some districts.
She said pottery business
The government had intro­
will last long as they are
duced a Bill just prior to the
used for rituals and traditio­
TARUN GOSWAMI_____
May Assembly elections that
nal purpose. While, pottery
STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE
aimed at imposing restrictions
bottles are economically and
on the use of groundwater. The
socially relevant.
KOLKATA, Oct. 24. - The
Bill recommends' penal action
water resources development
She said they are invited
against those drawing-ground
department is conducting a
along with cultural troops
water in excess.
statewide
census
for
the
first
from North East region to
Staff of the department will
time in West Bengal to
participate in the inaugurat­
serve as enumerators for the
ascertain the exact area of land
ion of the IGRMS, Southern
census. The enumerators will
under minor irrigation.
Regional Centre, Wellington
visit all mouzas of the state.
The
usage
patterns
of
ground
House on Oct 25.
The field staff has been
water will be assessed through
imparted intense training for
The officials at the IGRMS
the census. The census will also
the exercise. The National Inf­
said the Centre would prese­
help researchers calculate the ormatics Centre has been assi­
rve fast vanishing aspects of
exact number of unauthorised gned to develop the software for
Indian culture and promote
shallow tubewells which are computerising census data.
traditional arts and crafts of
currently used for irrigation.
Preliminary
reports
said
North East.
Currently, water for agri­ except in North Bengal, where
The Centre to be opened
cultural purposes is supplied by work has been affected because
on Oct 25 coincides with the
various
minor
irrigation of floods, the census is being
Dasara festivities has plan­
schemes to tracts of land mea­
carried out in full swing in all
suring less than 2,000 hectares the other districts of the state.
ned to launch a museum eduin area.
cation programme - ‘Do and
The
Rural
Development
The Union ministry for water
Learn’ for school children. It
Forum, a wing of the Institution
resources
has
sanctioned
a
would invite artisans in dif­
of Engineers, has asked vill­
grant of Rs 1.24 crore for the
ferent batches in near future
agers to co-operate with the
irrigation census in the state%
to Mysore and other places
enumerators. A spokesman for
The
first
phase
of
the-census,
to promote their products
the forum said the department
which began on 1 October, will
and create awareness on art
will be greatly benefited by the
be completed by 31 November.
census and it will help to frame
and crafts in North East reg­
Mrs Ranu Ghosh, principal
an overall groundwater policy
ion.
secretary of the water invest­
for water usage in the state.
The IGRMS which has org
igation and development depar­
anised cultural programme*
The Statesman
tment, will act as the com­
as part of Parichay PrasangG
25 October 2001
and has planned a thematic
exhibition on ‘Dasara Ram
and Communities’ giving der­
ails of Kuulu Dasara. Ram­
pur Busheer Dasara of Hima­
chal Pradesh. Bastar Dasara
from . Chattishgarh, Kwak
Tiinha - Dasara of Manipur
fqew |ncjjan Express
and also Dasara once patromoao*
sed by the Maharajas.
24 October 2001

Census on
minor
irrigation
underway

CDL Media Clippings 43

IN THE NAME
OF GOO
ANURADHA DUTT

White Cane
Day for
the visually
impaired
celebrated

eople in western Rajasthan would ing and bathing. Inside the Mandore ruins,
empathise with Coleridge's ancient a small spring, from an unknown source, is
mariner for they live amid an ocean a perennial fount ofwater. It bears the name
of sand and have to tax their wits to Nag Ganga. People worship and drink from
From Our Bureau
find and conserve water resources. it. Thus, conservation techniques are inte­
The average annual rainfall is 4 to 10 inch­ grated with religious ceremonies, food habits
Hyderabad, Oct. 22: Minister
es. Yet. the acute water scarcity has not pre­ and table manners, and even with the
for Disabled and Tribal Welfare
vented the evolution of a distinct civilisation choice of colours for clothes. Bajre ki roti is
M Mani Kumari on Monday
complete with fascinating townships and often eaten with a dry subzi made of papad
assured to fill up the backlog
kingdoms.
or besan ki bhujiya and curd. Water is drunk
vacancies reserved for the dis­
The foremost need was and is still for drink­ without touching the vessel to the lips.
abled in various government
ing water. This was sought to be met in three
No bowls or spoons are used during meals.
departments soon.
ways: digging open wells upto 25 feet deep, After a meal, it is customary to wash one’s
Addressing a seminar ‘Blind
step wells and conserving the community hands over the plate as this prevents food
Women and Empowerment’
remnants from sticking to the surface. This
pond or talaab, locally called nadi.
held to mark the White Cane
Step wells, which are found throughout the water is later thrown into a vessel meant for
Day celebrations at the Sarojini
region, take different forms. Generally known domestic animals. Utensils are rubbed with
Naidu Eye Hospital, the
as boons, these range from the small to the sand or ash from the chulha and wiped
Minister also promised land at
very large. A flight of stairs leads down to the .clean.
Malakpet to build a hostel for
These
measures
are
geared
towards
min
­
water body. Women of ruling families got
the disabled.
imising
water
usage,
just
as
the
use
of
flam
­
them constructed for charity's sake.
Speaking
informally
to
These were architecturally elaborate, boyant colours for women’s clothes. Such gar­
presspersons prior to the semi­
flanked by restrooms and verandas for the ments need not be washed too often.
nar organised by the AP
In a state that has only one river, the
benefit of travellers. They were often used as
Welfare Association for the
resorts to get away from the harsh summer Chambal, whose course lies mainly in
Blind, Dr Saibaba Goud,
_________________________________
o_ Madhya Pradesh, it is bound to shape living
heat, with
the maharaja and his entourage
Superintendent, Sarojini Naidu
bathing in the large kund. Many are still be- habits. The Rajasthan canal, no doubt, has
Eye Hospital, said, “The blind
ing used as a water sourcehelped provide some relief to the and state.
do not need sympathy, only
The more modest baoris— known as baoStill people manage to find local solutions
opportunity.” He said the S N
Eye Hospital, L V Prasad Eye
lis in Delhi and Agra—were usually built by to the problem. At Shiv, Lok Shakti, an NGO
Institute and some others had
the banjaras and religious groups, along trav- engaged in empowering the underprivibegun work to reduce instances
1 routes and near settlements.
leged, has built a cement tank for stOiftig wa­
of blindness from 1.75 per cent
ft) ensure that the water was not polluted, ter to last a week. A tanker replenishes supto 0.03 per cent, by 2020.” He
some spiritual significance was attached to ply periodically, at charges ranging from Rs
regretted that the number of eye
these wells. They were usually built beside a 100 to Rs 200 in the acutely dry season. A lid
donors had not increased as
shrine with sacred images at the entrance and covers the aperture, through which water is
much as it should have because
other strategic positions. Talaabs were sim- drawn from the tank with a bucket, for cookof superstitions.
ilarly protected from contamination. They ing, cleaning and bathing. It is a fine examHe said efforts were on to take
were further fortified with 2 to 3 feet high mud pie of both economy and resourcefulness.
the visually impaired “from
embankments.
The Pioneer
dependency through semi­
Even now, it is customary to maintain the
dependency to independence
25 October 2001
sanctity of these water bodies by linking them
and making them self-reliant
to religious beliefs. This deters people from
like all others”.
relieving themselves in the vicinity of the
Speaking on the occasion, CI
nadis. Those who do so. are punished and
president of the Welfare
made to clean up.’
...ion of the Blind said
Muralidhar, Editor, Brail!c
The nadis and shrines are integral to com­
Printing Press (recipient of Best the White Cane Day was cele­
munity life. At Shiv, beyond Jodhpur, girls
Employee award from former brated world over on October
take it upon themselves to desilt the
president
Shankar
Dayal 15. He said the visually
Mansarovar pond in the belief that they will
Shanna), demanded thata-visu- impaired women must be
be blessed with a good marriage. Four tem­
ally impaired person be made included in programmes like the
ples adorn the site: the Garibnath mandir, the
the next president of the Dwcra. He said, “The visually
shrine of Mansari mata, Shiv mandir and
Disabled Welfare Corporation. impaired women should be
Khetpal mandir. In Jodhpur, near the ruins
He also sought a separate wing treated as women first, then as
of the old Mandore fort, stands a 1,200 years
for women within the Disabled visually impaired.”
old temple of Kale Bhaironji, Dudiya
The Welfare Association of
Welfare Department
Bhaironji, Lord Ganesh and Brahmani Mata.
the Blind (AP) Report was pre­
Adjoining the shrine is a small baori. A tur­
Deccan Chronicle sented wherein the forum reiter­
tle and myriad catfish swirl in its cool depth.
23 October 2001 ated its demand for 4 guntas of
Visitors even feed them.
land earmarked for it.
The water from the baoriis used for cook-

44

News You Can Use

NGOs greet Plan Panel survey with derision
HT Correspondent

Lucknow, October 23

NGOs- MUSHROOMING on gov­
ernment aid in the State have
been Facing sqrious loss of credi­
bility. However, they are not
ready to believe it. They call any
such survey a "farce” which
paints them in black.
The voluntary organisations
refuted a Planning Commission
survey when Chief Minister Rajnath Singh quoting its findings
said that of the total one lakh

NGOs in the State only 33 com­
plied with the norms and stan­
dard set by the commission. The
comment evoked sharp reaction
from the NGOs present at the
conference. The Chief Minister
said the people had lost faith in
"netas" (politicians) and NGOs
should find out whether it had
happened to them also.
Though this was disputed by
some NGO's, the Chief Minister
said that he too had seen the data
about. UP’S poor growth prepared
by Samyak. During a presenta­

tion of UP’S situation at the con­
ference on the role of voluntary
organisations in the develop­
ment of the state, some NGOs
highlighted the state’s plight in
the presence of Prime Minister
A B Vajpayee, Governor Dr Vish­
nu Kant Shastri and Chief Min­
ister Rajnath Singh.
The Chief Minister said the
situation would have to improve
and these organisations should
prepare database of their work.
Announcing full support to dedi­
cated NGOs. Singh said he would

be holding their Panchayat soon.
Singh said the government
wanted the support of voluntary
organisations and hoped that the
conference would be discussing
their effective role in develop­
ment process. He said public
cooperation was also required.
Earlier, addressing the gather­
ing the Union Minister of State
for HRD Sumitra Mahajan
explained the area of coopera­
tion between the government
and NGOs. She said they could
play a vital role.

Hindustan Times
24 October 2001

Hudco to
cut housing
loan rates
New Delhi, Oct. 23: Housing
fi nance firms have announced
reduction in interest rates following
.1 50 basis point cut in bank rate by
the RBI in its credit policy.
rhe board of directors of Hudco
is meeting on October 31 to reduce
interest rates on housing finance by
at least 50 basis points, its chair­
man V Suresh said here. The inter­
est rales on the higher end of the
table would be reduced from the
band of 12.5-13 per cent to 12-12.5
based on the maturity period of 10
to 15 years. For loans up to five
years, the interest rate would be
11.5 per cent on a monthly rest
basis. For loans between Rs 50,000
and Rs 2 lakh, the interest would
also be 11.5 per cent.
l ata Homefinance has announced
a cut in its lending rate by 25 to 50
basis points on its home loan prod­
ucts. Individual home loans will
now be available at 12.25 per cent
for a tenure of 20 years as against
the old rale of 12.5 per cent for 15
years. (UNI)_______ ,

Illiterate women on radio soon
From Our Bureau

Hyderabad, Oct. 24: Come
December and a group of 30 illiter­
ate and women hailing from belowthe-poverty-line strala will don the
role of rural reporters for commu­
nity radio programmes in the back­
ward Chittoor, Mahboobnagar and
Vizianagaram districts.
What is interesting is that even
. the software required for the com­
munity radio programmes will be
developed by self-help groups,
popularly known as Dwacra
groups, which are managed by the
poorest among the poor women in
these districts.
The women will lake the initia­
tive themselves to chalk out the
strategy, develop various skits,
write scripts and enact plays creat­
ing awareness among the rural folk
on crucial issues of social impor­
tance like hygiene, thrift, literacy,
social
discrimination, gender

equality, nutrition and income gen­
eration.
This pilot “information and com­
munity technology” project is
being taken up by the State-run
Society for Elimination of Rural
Poverty which is implementing the
Andhra Pradesh District Poverty
Initiative Programme in Srikakulam, Adilabad, Anantapur, Chit­
toor, Mahbubnagar and Vizia­
nagaram districts.

DEVELOPMENT
Society for Elimination of Rural
Poverty chief executive officer K
Raju told Deccan Chronicle that
women self-help groups would
implement the information and
community technology project
through weekly radio broadcasts,
initially.
“We are training the poor and
illiterate women as rural reporters
whose job will be to meet villagers

and collect stories related to devel­
opment in any field for broadcast,"
Raju observed.
“To begin with, a team of 30
women will be sent to Gujarat for
training by Kutch Mahila Vikas
Samslha, which has pioneered
community radio broadcasts by
poor women in the country," Raju
added.
The project will be extended to
Srikakulam,
Adilabad
and
Anantapur districts in the second
phase.
The District Poverty Initiative
Programme is a Rs 600 crore pro­
ject aimed at helping the poorest of
poor people, particularly women
belonging to the Scheduled Caste,
Scheduled Tribe and Backward
Caste communities in rural areas of
six districts.
The project receives its funds
from the World Bank. The project
is likely to be extended to other dis­
tricts soon.

Deccan Chronicle
25 October 2001

Deccan Chronicle
24 October 2001

CDL Media Clippings 45

LODESTAR FOR CHANGE
TARAhaat and TARAhaat.com traverse a new

path in technology, people and business
development, changing village communities

into economic hubs, says PRAGYA SINGH
with nature,~ job-oriented computer, mathe­
eople interact u
with technology, with each matics and language skills. "Our
other and their institution.*— students are between 8 and 20
these are the four areas TARAhaat years old," says Khosla.
operates in,” explains Dr Ashok
The JARAdhabas help vocation­
Khosla Chairman, TARAhaat ally trained people find jobs, charg­
(Technology and Action for Rural ing twenty rupees a minute for web
access and around 600 to 800 for
Development ’Market’).
TARAhaat was set up by the training in job-friendly courses like
.Development Alternatives group in Tally, MS paint and MS Word. "All
conjunction with People First and our stuff leads to jobs, nothing is
its advocacy arm, CLEAN unnecessary and no alibis are of­ forms."
For the’moment, TARAhaat is be(Community Led Environment fered. Our teaching is about think­
TARAhaat is supported by the ing regarded as an experiment­
. Action Network) and supported by ing and learning not remembering portal TARAhaatcom, which hosts one that has shown signs of success:
Dainet. A part of the already exist­ by rote," claims Ashok TARA works customised information on live- “We’re going to expand. TARA has
ing network of information from under the combined social objec­ stock, grains, weather, a chat facil- set up ? new artisans’ village near
bodies like DESI Power Private tive of development and environ­ ity, TARA dak; the mailing service, Jhansi and we'll take it from there.
Limited; a power company and the ment-friendliness, with a com- astrology, classifieds, discussion We make money from reasonable
TARA Nirman Kendras support the ' mercially viable format
fora and TARA TTwnrfi for the latest franchise fees for setting up the
TARAhaat initiative. It deals out
• • the
• TARA centres have be­ mandi rates. E-govemance fea- TARA dhabas and kendras, data
Today,
news, e-commerce, education, come hubs of social and econom­ tures, to be introduced soon, will fa­ mining, usage charges, advertising
health, governance and entertain­ ic activity for the information cilitate direct communications be­ and specialised service charges like
ment related information and ser­ starved rural population. For ex­ tween the people and government grievance redressal through com­
vices to rural India as an "informa­ ample, they have helped women officials on issues that concern the munications with concerned au­
gain access to health’services— local area.
tion company."
thorities.”
Launched about a year ago, TARAhaat organised information
“Talks are in progress with state
Khosla is positive about the fu­
TARAhaat currently operates in on the availability of doctors, their govemments and Tamil Nadu is ex­ ture: "We have all the instruments
Bhatinda and Bundelkhand, with a location, fees and areas of special­ pected to be the first to come of change on our side—technolo­
revenue model designed to let isation. Women now fix appoint­ through,"
says
Khosla. gy, innovation, manpower and in­
users pay for local costs while gen­ ments from the dhabas and access TARAhaat.com is in Hindi, English formation. We’re not a regular dot­
erating cash for long term invest­ assured medical services without and Punjabi besides having com­ com."
ments through various services.
being cheated by local quacks.
pletely graphical backup so that
The Pioneer
“TARAhaat offers local people
Other services are livelihood, even the illiterate can use it The site
control over their resources and law, water and governance-related, recently won the Stockholm
25 October 2001
better access to necessary.services. each working towards the maximi­ Excellence Award, called the 'Noble
The TARA kendras (similar to village sation of local resources.
Prize' for its unique efforts.
community centres) and TARA
Khosla confesses that TARAhaat "TARA recently put up informadhabas(cybercafes) are profitable has a long way to go Even getting.tinirnir shelter
tebhrtiques
units—we only keep enough to here took a lot of doing,” says he. for vill?£es. It also, offers tipfcpnsavsurvive and the rest goes into the Supplementing the lack of infra- ing building costs and running
kendras," explains Khosla.
structure has been a punishing home-based industries,” says
TARAhaat has 16 centres each in task: "Telephone connections were Khosla. "An NGO is more suited for
Bundelkhand and Bhatinda, which not always available, so we trans- developmental tasks in India,” says
are accessed by about a thousand formed our centres into social, Khosla. “We have grassroots expestudents and several thousand lay economic
:zzzz_2_ and
__ cultural
—
hubs. Soon rience, extensive documentation
users for tasks ranging from fixing enough, insurance agents, proper- which provide necessary and useappointments with doctors, check­ ty tax agents and others moved in- fill
‘J 2_"
information to our customers.
ing latest mandi prices, reading to the TARA kendras, which became We are not big or unwieldy like the
government laws and accessing one stop learning and earning plat- government"

P

46

News You Can Use

A cry against
discrimination

Land records
computerised in Goa
By Mahesh Vijapurkar

P RAWAT
hen Sarah Jones first performed
“Women Can’t Wait" at the United
Nations there was applause, ac­
claim and awe.
For the subject that Jones, a published po­
et, spoken word performer, actor and play­
wright, had chosen fpr her solo show, com­
missioned by Equality Now (an international.
human rights organization dedicated to
the socio-economic, civil and political rights
of women and girls) and directed by Gloria
Feliciano, was brutally painful and power­
ful.
It was a statement on human right viola­
tions against women and the need for gov­
ernment and international accountability.
To completely understand the relevance
of the performance, one has to look back on
the United Nations Fourth World conference
on women, held at Beijing.
Participant governments at the confer­
ence had adopted a Platform for Action
which identified 12 areas of concern, in­
cluding poverty, education and training,
power and decision making and human
rights and listed concerted action that
should be taken to address these.
One such act governments committed
themselves to, was the revocation of laws
which discriminate against women.
For the Beijing+5 review process, Equality
Now prepared a report highlighting a rep­
resentative sampling of discriminatory laws
in 45 countries.
And one’of the outcomes of this process
was "Women Can’t Wait" which presents
women from France, India, Israel, Japan,
Jordan, Kenya, the United States ofAmerica
and Uruguay as they prepare to address gov­
ernments-at the United Nations during the
Special Session to highlight the impact of dis­
criminatory laws on their lives.
The performance is now brought to India
with performances scheduled at Delhi,,
Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai and Kolkata by
CREA (Creating Resources for Empowerment
in Action).
An umbrella organisation, CREA has
brought together NGOs like Swayam*
Sanhita, Spandan, Nalmadana andTarishi,each ofwhich shares the CREA credo that all1
women regardless of their status in life, have
an inherent right to dignity-which flows on­
ly from an affirmation of their human
.rights.
The performances are part of CREA’s
Public Education and Advocacy Iriitiative.

W

The Pioneer
26 October 2001

MUMBAI, OCT. 26. A farmer, who
wanted information about land
records, walked to a kiosk. He
asked the official for a copy of the
details, paid Rs. 50 and walked
away. When the official called
him to return the balance of Rs.
25, the farmer asked him to keep
it. For, the same process earlier
cost him Rs. 250 in bribes.
Narrating the incident, the
Union Rural Development Minis­
ter, Mr. Venkaiah Naidu, told
presspersons that the incident
took place in a rural district in
Bangalore, where kiosks had been
opened on a pilot basis. The move
may now be replicated in Goa.
Goa is the first Stale to comput­
erise its land records. At the press
of a key, all details, including the
record of rights and the dues to be
paid to the Government, are
available.
The printout of the details is
available on the payment of a
nominal amount. The system will
be later replicated in all the 569
districts in the country.
Ask a land owner how even
lowly revenue officials not only
harass them but also play havoc
with the records. But the villagers
are becoming more conscious of
their rights.
"Sec a woman in a self-help
group walk in to meet a District
Collector in Andhra Pradesh and
you will know what is happening
in the rural areas," Mr. Naidu
said.
"When N.T. Rama Rao abol­
ished the village patwari system

in Andhra Pradesh, people cele­
brated it. His mistake was that he
did not bring into place a more
people-friendly system." "It is a
year since I started talking about
rural development and devolu­
tion. 1 have travelled to 27 States
and the picture is not that good.
Very few have devolved powers as
prescribed in the 73rd Constitu­
tional Amendment.
What hurts is that it is 10 years
since we enacted that law. Every­
one wants power to devolve from
New Delhi to the State capitals
but it is not allowed to flow fur­
ther down."
The Minister said there were
several gains to be made, "but
they are at the end the road". At
this stage, the process aimed at
creating a mindset which enabled
the States to pass on powers to
the people.
But what had happened so far
was extremely patchy. "Even after
a push by the Centre, not all gram
panchayats hold the prescribed
four gram sabhas a year. Some do
it on paper; some villages hold a
few."

There was obviously an awak­
ening but before it died down, ac­
tion was needed to ensure that
power moved into the hands of
the people, Mr. Naidu said. Let­
ters had been written to each sarpanch in the country.
A whopping 2.38 lakh letters in
13 languages had been des­
patched and they pointed out that
gram sabhas were necessary to
ensure the involvement of the en­
tire village.

The Hindu
27 October 2001
The Asian Age
27 October 2001
cate them, before turning into a
shelter, where they can spend
the night. The project, support­
ed largely by Finland, was
launched by the first secretary
in the embassy of Finland, Dr
Anne Ahonon. It will be run by
Jaipur: Some children need a a local NGO I-India. The
bus-school rather than a school school, named “Chalti Paatshabus! Under a unique experi­ la,” will have a teacher, audio­
mental project inaugurated on visual aids, toys, some books
Friday, street children in the and health kits, said Ms Abha
Pink City will see a mobile bus­ Goswami, secretary 1-India.
school pick them up and edu­ (UNI)

Bus-school
in Pink City

CDL Media Clippings 47

IDFC launches model for farm
sector funding
quired. Instead, through competitive reason for providing for the acquisi­
bidding, private investors would be tion of the project by the govern­
encouraged to set up projects.
ment is to mitigate the viability risk
The projects would be built, op­ — the biggest risk associated with
EARS ago, infrastructure
think-tank IDFC came out erated and maintained by the pri­ private investments per se, but more
with a new model of funding vate investor for a specified period so in this sector.
As far as the governmentcon­
called 'take-out' finance. Recently, of time, following which the gov­
IDFC has come up with another ernment buys back the project on an cerned, it is able to pass on the ges­
business model to attract infrastruc­ instalment basis. IDFC envisages that tation risk to the private developer.
ture funding in agriculture. Called this model could be adopted to fund However, a repurchase plan by the
the 'Deferred Purchase Model' the setting up of cold chains, farm to government is inbuilt into the model
in order to provide comfort to the
(DPM), this business model is being market roads, grain storage etc.
The main advantage of this model private investor that the project
suggested to spur the growth in agri­
is that once the government has would have a taker on completion.
infrastructure.
IDFC has suggested that in order
At the core of this model is the bought over the project from private
principle of public-private partner­ investors, it could privatise the same to acquire the completed projects, a
ship. Under it, upfront investment all over again through a rollover, par­ dedicated fund should be created.
by the government would not be re­ tial or full disinvestment. The main The corpus for the fund should be
_______ Jayanthi Iyengar________
NEW DELHI 26 OCTOBER

Y

Nominations invited for
Indira Ratna Award
By Our Staff Correspondent

GULBARGA, OCT, 28. The HEKS, a
non-governmental organisation
(NGO) in the Geld of women and
child empowerment, has invited
nominations for the Indira Ratna
Award constituted in memory of
two women volunteers who were
bludgeoned to death by illicit li­
quor vendors in a village near
Chennai last year.

According to a press note is­
sued here by the Programme Co­
ordinator of the Indira Ratna
Award scheme, Mr. G.N.Rajasekhar Naidu, the annual award car­
ries a cash prize of Rs. 50,000, a
revolving shield, and a citation.
The award will be presented in
December.

The award was constituted in
memory of the 20-year-old Indira
and 50-year-old Rathinammal,
who were killed at the behest of
Illicit liquor vendors on Decem­
ber 6 last year in Beemanthopp
village near Tiruvallur town.
Indira's mother, Yasoda, spear­
headed the campaign against the
sale of illicit liquor in Bheemanthopc and surrounding villages,
and prevented the sale of illicit li­
quor in these villages.

During a confrontation with il­

48

licit liquor vendors, Indira and
her relative, Rathinammal, were
killed by anti-social elements.

Mr. Naidu said that the award
was being presented to encourage
women, women’s groups and
children to continue their strug­
gle for empowerment through
non-violence.

created out of the specified revenue
streams of the state governments and
from the developmental subsidies of
the Centre. This would ensure an
uninterrupted flow of capital into the
fund, thereby imparting a perennial
nature to it.
The fund is presently being called
the Infrastructure Fund for Farmers
(IFF), but it could always be renamed
to suit the government's purpose, if
the model is accepted. IDFC has sug­
gested that some of the select rev­
enue streams of the state govern­
ments which could flow into this
fund include agricultural income tax,
the APMC profits, other taxes by the
state government, apart from the
Central government's contributions.
The main advantage of such a
fund is that it could be credit rated,
if necessary, to determine its credit
worthiness. The rating would per­
mit the state governments to lever­
age the fund several times, thereby
improving the government's ability
to draw more funds into the sector.
The model, if adopted, would re­
quire legislative changes, which would
have to be passed by the state gov­
ernments. Suitable mechanism for
monitoring the implementation of the
project and its maintenance would
also have to be in-built into the scheme
to ward off the possibility of the pri­
vate investor misusing his rights.

The Economic Times
27 October 2001

Nominations for the award
were being invited from women
and children, who had rendered
meritorious and outstanding ser­
vice in community development
in “crisis” situations such as epi­
demics, and other emergencies,
in “rebuilding” families and com­
munities, and in the area of
health.

The press release said the nom­
inations for the awards should be
presented in a two-page write up
in English along with a recent
passport-size-photograph of the
nominee.
The last date to receive nomi­
nations is November 151 Nomina­
tions may be sent to the Secretary,
Indira Ratna Award Scheme,
HEKS Co-ordination Office, Flat
No. 3, Ramanujam Apartments,
No. 7, Temple Avenue Srinagar
Colony, Saidapet, Chennai-600
015.

The Hindu
29 October 2001

News You Can Use

Grassroots to form
TN’s woman policy
R Revathi_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Chennai
RECENTLY A unique policy-mak­
ing exercise happened in in
Mettupalayam, 30 km from
Chennai, among village women.
The village common place filled
up with 69 women, whose faces
were writ with surprise and con­
fidence. and who hailed from the
five self-help groups in the village.
Not sure about why they were
meeting, their queries were put to
rest when the research'facilitator
A S Padmavathi announced: “We
are here today to discuss and for­
mulate a policy on women.
Specifically in*this sitting, we will
be looking upon the role of the me­
dia and what kind of a media
should we have. OK?”
And if you thought the women
tensed at this sfeemingly daunting
task, you’re wrong. A proud smile
broke out on many a face and they
relaxed.
A facilitator, Meera, called up­
on any woman to impersonate an
eight-year-old girl. Many of then\
laughed coyly. One lady came for-.
ward and listed the traits as “play­
ful, not studying.”
The group listed the traits of
women al various ages. An 18year-old girl is clear about things
and a 40-year women has sever­
al problems. The facilitator in­
terrupted: “Where do you get
these ideas from?"
One young woman said, *Amam
(yes), we get these from TV, pa­
per and radio." With that under­
standing on the role of media in
portraying women, the group fur­
ther went into a serious discussion
on the rights and wrongs for
women vis-a-vis the media.
As Kudshia Gandhi, chairperson
of the Tamil Nadu Women
Development Corporation, points
out, “We want common women to
be a part of the policy-making

process as that can ensure that the
policy is grounded in realities and
addresses the needs and concerns
of the whole society.”
This novel process is a brain­
child of a women’s group headed
by Kudshia Gandhi. A popular IAS
officer among the poor for her pi­
oneering work in literacy mission
and the women health depart­
ment, she works with A S
Radmavathi, a noted journalist
with special interest in women’s
issues and a few eminent leaders
from the NGO movement, who are
evolving the Tamil Nadu
Government’s policy on women.
The policy is showing signs of
being first of its kind with inputs
from those for whom the policies
are meant for. “We are dealing
with all aspects of women issues.
We will hold interactions on
health, education and such issues
with these women,” says
Padmavathi. They are also meet­
ing garment factory workers, col­
lege goers and housemaids as part
of their research.
Meanwhile, the women of
Mettupalayam almost finalised a
draft of recommendations.
In the voice of Indira, a mem­
ber of the ‘Annai Theresa’ self­
help group. “We think that expo­
sure of women’s bodies to sell
products is Wrong and should be
stopped. Women should be por­
trayed decently and, more im­
portantly, as real women are. The
TV should show more pro­
grammes showing women as
equal to men. Media should tell us
more about evils like eve teasing
and encourage widow remar­
riage. Women’s articles should tajk
about vocational training, our
employment problems and op­
portunities."
That’s a lot more than what
you’d expect from artordiriary vil­
lage housewife who seasonally
doubles up with her husband as
an agricultural labourer.

The Pioneer
28 October 2001

K’taka to launch
Ryot Bazar on
experimental basis
Our Bangalore Bureau
29 OCTOBER

MULATING the examples of
neighbouring Andhra-Pradesh"
and Tamil Nadu states, Kar­
nataka is all setto launch Ryot Bazars
in the state.
However, the state Cabinet at its
meeting on Monday has given the
green signal for implementing the
Ryot Bazars on an experimental ba­
sis in two places in Bangalore and
Hubli to start with, according to Kar­
nataka's Information Minister M
Shivanna.
Mr Shivanna said the scheme will
be extended to other parts of the
state at a later stage after reviewing
the functioning in the two experi­
mental sites.
Under the Karnataka model of
Ryot Bazar, which was prepared by
a Cabinet sub-committee headed by
Rural Development Minister M Y
Ghorpade after meeting representa­
tives of farmers and visiting the

E

Hindustan Times
30 October 2001

neighbouring states, farmers will be
given separate identity cards for sell­
ing their agricultural and horticul­
tural produce at the designated
places.
But the farmers will not be ex­
tended the facility of free transport
of their produce to the designated
places, Mr Shivanna said in reply to
a question.
The Cabinet also decided to re­
lease Rs 30 crore for taking up de­
silting and rejuvenation of tanks in
each of the 224 assembly constiluences in the first phase. The gov­
ernment will be desilting 745 tanks
at one tank per hobli at a total cost
of Rs 195 crore with Nabard assis­
tance in the subsequent phases.
The programme, christened as
'Raitha Kayaka Kere' or tank de­
silted by farmers to signify the labour
contribution by the benefidary farm­
ers, will be formally launched at Anavatti of Sorab taluk in Shimoga dis­
trict on November 12, according to
Mr Shivanna.

The Economic Times
30 October 2001

First educational FM
Radio from Nov 7
Pankaj Mishra

Allahabad, October 29
THE FIRST educational Fre­
quency Modulation (FM) Radio
channel of the country will be
commissioned in the Indian
Institute of Information Tech­
nology (HIT), here under the
Gy an Vani Project of the Gov­
ernment of India.
Prof Murli Manohar Joshi, the
Union Human Resource Develop­
ment, Science and Technology
and Ocean Development Minis­
ter will inaugurate it on Novem­
ber 7. Dr Murli Dhar Tewari,
Officer on Special Duty, HIT, said
that the Ministry of Human
Resource Development and the
Ministry of Information and
Broadcasting have identified

IGNOU as the nodal agency to
develop a network of dedicated
40 FM Radio Channels for educa­
tion in different parts of the
country.
This facility of broadcast of
education and training pro­
gramme in and around Alla­
habad will be available for 24
hours. Under this project a core
group of educationists and edu­
cational institutions, who could
benefit the listeners from the
enormously useful capability,
would be developed. A team of
officials from the Electronic
Media Production Centre of
IGNOU had already visited the
Institute for site inspection.
A mini audio studio being set
up in the institute premises is at
the completion stage.

CDL Media Clippings 49

Powers to local bodies by
March: Minister
From Our Bureau
Visakhapatnam, Oct. 27: Union
Minister for Rural Development M
Vcnkaiah Naidu has announced
that all gram panchayats, munici­
palities and municipal corporations
in the country would be given
financial and administrative pow­
ers by March next in conformity
with the 73rd and 74th amend­
ments of the Constitution. “More
devolution of powers to the local
bodies is necessary as per the 74th
amendment so as to ensure peo­
ple’s active involvement in the
development process,” he added.
The Union Minister was address­
ing a meeting after launching the

Hudco Niwas, a retail financing
scheme of Hudco here on Saturday.
Venkaiah Naidu said the NDA
government, for the first lime,
launched a subsidy-linked housing
programme ‘Valmiki Ambcdkar
Awas Yojana’ for the benefit of the
shelterless poor. The government is
committed to developing rural
areas by spending a whopping Rs
10,000 crore annually under
‘Sampurna Grameena Yojana
Scheme’ and the Budget allocation
for this year was Rs 20,000 crore.
Naidu observed that without the
people’s participation, no welfare
scheme could be implemented
effectively. The mindset of the peo­
ple and elected representatives has

to change and people should not
continue to depend on the govern­
ment for everything. He said the
waler management will be entrust­
ed to waler user associations or to
the gram panchayats shortly. He
called upon the local bodies to
become self-sufficient through
effective tax collections by educat­
ing the people and keeping the
administration transparent.
Union Minister for Urban
Development
and
Poverty
Alleviation Ananl Kumar said
there are 3.3 crore shelterless peo­
ple in the country, of which 1.67
crore are in the urban areas. He said
Prime Minister A B Vajpayee’s
vision was to provide shelter to all

NHB nurtures schemes for
horticulture development
Shoba Naidu
BANGALORE 30 OCTOBER

HE National Horticulture Board
(NHB) sustains six schemes to
promote the integrated devel­
opment of commercial horticulture
which have been broad-based with
a view to making them entrepre­
neur-friendly and in tune with the
requirements of the industry, says
Mr Radheshyam Meena, assistant di­
rector, NHB, Bangalore branch.
First, a subsidy scheme not ex­
ceeding 20 per cent of the cost of
the project with a maximum limit of
Rs 25 lakh per project is available
for rhe development of commercial
horticulture through production and
post-harvesi management. For the
north-eastern or hilly areas, the max­
imum limit of this subsidy has been
extended to Rs 30 lakh per project.
The project may be productionrelated or for post-harvest manage­
ment. “High quality commercial hor­
ticulture crops — mushrooms.

T

aromatic and medicinal plants—or­
ganic foods, bee-keeping, seeds and
nurseries, biotechnology and tissue
culture are eligible for finance in the
production-related scheme," says
Mr Meena. The process-related seg­
ments are sorting, waxing, grading,
packing centres, pre-cool units, cold
stores, reefer vans, containers and
special transport vehicles.
Then there is a major capital in­
vestment subsidy scheme for con­
struction, expansion and moderni­
sation of cold storages for horticulture
produce so as to prevent post-har­
vest losses. This envisages setting up
of individual cold storages of 5,000tonne capacity each and at a cost not
exceeding Rs 2 crore. NHB gives a
25 per cent investment subsidy to be
routed through Nabard (the National
Bank for Rural Development) or
NCDC (the National Co-operative
Development Corporation), while
the promoter chips in 25 per cent.
The balance. 50 per cent of the cost
is raised in-tbe form of a term loan-

through commercial or co-opera­
tive banks.
The third scheme is for technol­
ogy development and transfer for
which 100 per cent financial aid is
given up to Rs 10 lakh for intro­
duction of production-related prod­
ucts and Rs 25 lakh for R&D related
projects.
Under this scheme, eligible or­
ganisations or individuals can also
avail up to Rs 50,000 for an aware­
ness seminar and other publicity-re­
lated projects.
"We are also giving Rs 250 per
family for establishing nutritional
gardens in rural areas/ says Mr
Meena. Under this scheme, distri­
bution of vegetable seeds and fruit
plant minikits are undertaken.
Other schemes include market in­
formation service to disseminate in­
formation on wholesale prices, ar­
rivals and trends in various markets
and a horticulture promotion serv­
ice for conducting techno-economic
feasibility* studies.

The Economic Times
31 October 2001

50

by 2010 by constructing 33 million
houses. He said one of the prime
concerns in urban and rural areas in
promoting housing has been the
lack of adequate developed land.
Complimenting the Hudco officials
for their efforts in launching a
housing scheme in the city, the
third
after
Hyderabad
and
Vijayawada, Anant Kumar said
three more offices would be set up
at Tirupati, Warangal and Nellore
shortly.
Hudco CMD V Suresh said they
were offering Joans for purchase of
plots, construction of houses, out­
right purchase of fiats or houses
and upgradation of houses. He said
because of the insurance cover for
accidents and "natural calamities,
low interest rate and quick dispos­
al. many people were coming for­
ward to take loans. He said last
year the Hudco had made a net
profit of Rs 106 crore and it was
also planning to enter into real
estate development and construct
IT habitats for those working in IT
firms.
Mayor Rajana Ramani, Lok
Sabha member M V V S Muni,
Rajya Sabha member Y I^akshmi
Prasad, MLAs P Varalakshmi. P G
V R Naidu. K Haribabu and Dadi
Veerabhadra Rao. Vuda chairman S
A Rahman and Gajuwaka munici­
pal chairman T Gurumurthi Reddy
were among those present.

Deccan Chronicle
28 October 2001

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