.

    The Railways have installed Close Circuit T.V.Cameras at Mumbai, Bhopal, Patna, Howrah, New Delhi, Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore, Trivandrum, Secunderabad, Bhubaneswar, Jaipur and Ahmedabad during 1997-98. Guwahati, Churchgate, Santacruz, Vadodara, Indore, Ratlam, Ujjain, Kota, Agra Fort, Ajmer, Abu Road, Rajkot, Bhavnagar, Sealdah, New Koilaghat and Fairlie Place are to be provided with Close Circuit TV cameras in 1998-99.

    The approximate cost of installation of CCTV Cameras in 1998-99 will be Rs.126.51 lakhs.

    This information was given by the Minister of State for Railways Shri Ram Naik in a written reply to a question from S/shri Ramdas Athawale and Prabhash Chandra Tiwari in the Lok Sabha today.
 
 

    A survey for gauge conversion of Pachora-Jamner narrow gauge line into broad guage and extension upto Ajanta Caves by construction of a 5 kms. long new broad gauge rail line has been taken up. Further consideration of the project will be possible once the results of the survey become available.

    This information was given by the Minister of State for Railways Shri Ram Naik in a written reply to a question from Dr.Ulhas Vasudeo Patil in the Lok Sabha today.
 
 

    Work is in progress for conversion of Chennai-Trichy line via Villupuram and Vriddhachalam and will be completed in the current financial year. Trichy-Thanjavur is alreay broad gauge. Villupuram to Thanjavur via Cuddalore has been included in the budget 1998-99 and will be taken up after the necessary clearances have been obtained.

    This information was given by the Minister of State for Railways Shri Ram Naik in a written reply to a question from Shri K.Krishnamoorthy in the Lok Sabha today.
 
 

    During the last three years of 1995-96, 1996-97 and 1997-98, 15 cases of misuse of complimentary passes for monetary gains have been detected. Norms for issue of complimentary passes already exist and the question of laying down some ceiling on the number of complimentary passes is under examination. Only nine single use complimentary Cheque passes have been issued during the last two months under discretionary powers as compared to 4,018 and 6,161 passes issued in 1997-98 and 1996-97 respectively.

    This information was given by the Railway Minister Shri Nitish Kumar in reply to a question from Dr.Sanjay Singh and Shri Jaysinhji Chauhan in the Lok Sabha today.
 
 

    The Konkan Railway Corporation borrowed Rs.2472 crores in addition to the equity capital and part of borrowings by the Indian Railway Finance Corporation.

    Konkan Railway Corporation is expected to discharge the liabilities by the year 2006-07.

    This information was given by the Railway Minister Shri Nitish Kumar in reply to a question from Shri K.C.Kondaiah in the Lok Sabha today.
 
 

    During 1996-97, a total of 80.23 lakhs persons were apprehended travelling without ticket or with improper ticket and a sum of Rs.81.44 crores was realised from them as railway dues including penalty. During 1997-98, 93.47 lakhs of such persons were apprehended and Rs.106.11 crores were realised from them as railway dues including penalty registering an increase of 16.5 per cent in persons apprehended and 30.3 per cent in amount recovered respectively over the corresponding period of previous year i.e. 1996-97. Regular and surprise checks are conducted frequently by the Railways to check ticketless and irregular travel in association with the Railway Magistrates, Government Railway Police(GRP) and Railway Protection Force (RPF). An Action Plan is also drawn every month and circulated to all the Zonal Railways directing them to conduct various types of checks on specific dates and periods at various places and sections that are prone to ticketless travel. An Incentive Scheme has also been introduced for the ticket checking staff to encourage them to detect and apprehend more and more ticketless passengers

    This information was given by the Railway Minister Shri Nitish Kumar in reply to a question from S/shri Rampal Singh and Rajendra Agnihotri in the Lok Sabha today.
 
 

    Rail line from Goalpara to Guwahati is making good progress. Earthwork and Bridges are nearing completion. Permanent Way Material has been arranged and the work will be completed by March 1999. Rs.368 crores has been spent till March 31,1998 and Rs.66.89 crores has been provided as the outlay for the work for 1998-99.

    This information was given by the Minister of State for Railways Shri Ram Naik in a written reply to a question from Shri Abdul Hamid in the Lok Sabha today.
 
 

    The Minister of State for Agriculture, Shri Sompal told the Rajya Sabha today that the present (1994) utilisation of water (surface and ground) is about 606 billion cubic metres i.e. 53 per cent leaving 536 billion cubic metres of utilisable water as unutilised. He was replying to a question by Shri Balwant Singh Ramoowalia.

    The Minister added that as per assessment made by Central Water Commission, the country receives annual precipitation of 4000 billion cubic metres including snow-fall. Of this, the seasonal rainfall (June to September) is of the order of 3000 billion cubic metres. Owing to the topographic, hydrological and other constraints, the utilisable surface water is assessed at 690 billion cubic metres in addition to the annual replenishable ground water resources of about 452 billion cubic metres. Full utilisation of rain water is not possible due to evaporation and vegetation losses and for allowing certain amount of water to flow in the river for maintaining the river regime, Shri Sompal added.
 
 

    The Union Government has approved three schemes, for flood moderation in the Majuli Island area. These have been prepared by the Government of Assam. One drainage scheme prepared by the Brahamputra Board has also been cleared techno-economically. This was stated in Rajya Sabha today by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture, Shri Sompal in written reply to a question by Dr. Arun Kumar Sarma.

    These schemes are in pursuance of the recommendations made by the Brahmaputra Board which include anti erosion schemes; repair and strengthening of dykes and roads; construction of spurs and other permeable structures under short term measures. Under long term measures catchment area treatment; construction of revetments and implementation of storages on Subansiri and Dihang rivers have been suggested, Shri Sompal added.
 
 

    The Brahmputra Board has taken up the investigation at alternative sites for construction of three moderately high dams each on Subansiri and Siang rivers. The work is scheduled to be completed during IX and X plan respectively.

    This was told in the Rajya Sabha today by the Minister of State for Agriculture, Shri Sompal in reply to a question by Shri Drupad Borgohain.
 
 

    The Central Government is not aware of any misutilisation/diversion of Central support consisting of normal Central Assistance, Special Central Assistance for Externally Aided Projects, area programmes etc. given to the States for the State Plans during the recent years except that the Special Category States have been allowed to utilise upto 20 per cent of the net normal central assistance for meeting their non-Plan gap. Further, Assam and Jammu & Kashmir States were allowed to utilise upto 30 per cent of the net normal central assistance for non-Plan gap during 1992-93. Under the existing guidelines, if the total Plan expenditure of a State in a particular year falls short of the approved outlay/revised approved outlay or the expenditure for earmarked sector/schemes falls short of approved outlay for them, a proportionate cut in the normal central assistance is to be applied by the Ministry of Finance. However, in case of Special category States the cut is to be applied after allowing for use of permissible level of normal central assistance for non-plan gap. Moreover the States have been advised from time to time, to contain the non-Plan revenue expenditure.

    Besides, the Central support towards State Plans, Central assistance is also provided to the States for various Central Sponsored Schemes (CSSs). These are administered and monitored by the concerned administrative Ministries.

    This information was given by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Railways, Parliamentary Affairs and Planning & Programme Implementation, Shri Ram Naik in a written reply to a question by Shri Govindrao Adik in Rajya Sabha today.
 

    The Department of Indian Systems of Medicine and Homeopathy, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has identified remedies for Malaria fever. These medicines were developed by Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine (CCRUM) and Central Council for Research in Homeopathy (CCRH). A mosquito repellent fumigation powder has also been developed. Clinical studies conducted by the CCRUM have established efficacy of herbo-mineral combination coded HE-4 , HE-2, HE-9 on Malarial parasite (P.vivax). These studies conducted in North Eastern States, Tamil Nadu and Orissa have proved that these combinations are not only safe and cheap but also can be used during pregnancy. Also it can be used as a prophylactic treatment. Another clinical study conducted in Assam, in case of P.falciparuam, has given encouraging results. CCRUM also developed a mosquito repellent fumigation powder which apart from acting as a mosquito repellent, can also purify air. The Central Council of Research in Homeopathy found some homeopathic preparations effective in the treatment of Malaria. These include, Aistonia constricta, Arsenic album, Chininum sulphuricum, Chinium arsenicosum, Caesalpenia bonducetta, Eupatorium perforllatum,Ipecacuanha and Nyctanthes arbortristis.
 
 

    The total value of mineral production (excluding atomic & minor minerals) in the country during April ,1998 was Rs. 2709 crores. The contribution of coal is the highest at Rs. 1145 crores (42%). Next in the order of importance follows: petroleum (crude) Rs. 824 crores, natural gas (utilised) Rs. 295 crores, iron ore Rs. 148 crores,limestone Rs.77 crores and lignite Rs. 76 crores. Production levels of important minerals in April, 1998 are:coal 220 lakh tonnes, petroleum (crude) 26 lakh tonnes, natural gas (utilised) 15230 lakh cu. m., iron ore 67 lakh tonnes, lignite 1938 thousand tonnes, manganese ore 139 thousand tonnes, chromite 122 thousand tonnes, bauxite 478 thousand tonnes, copper ore 389 thousand tonnes, gold 177 kg., lead (concentrates) 5188 tonnes, zinc (concentrates) 28124 tonnes, limestone 93 lakh tonnes, apatite and phosphorite 105 thousand tonnes, dolomite 208 thousand tonnes and magnesite 29 thousand tonnes. ....2/.... -2- From April, 1998 the base year of Index of Mineral Production has been shifted to 1993-94 from 1980-81. The index number of mineral production (Base 1993-94=100) in April, 1998 works out to 114.