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Title : The Minister of State in the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers and Minister of State in the Ministry of Mines laid a statement regarding status of implementation of recommendations contained in 25th Report of Standing Committee on Chemicals and Fertilizers on Demands for Grants (2008-2009), pertaining to the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers.
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF MINES (SHRI B.K. HANDIQUE):
I beg to lay a Statement of the Table of the House on the status of implementation of the Recommendations contained in the Twenty Fifth Report of the Standing Committee on Demands for Grants for 2008-09 of the Department of Chemicals & Petrochemicals (Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers) in pursuance of the directions issued by the Hon’ble Speaker, Lok Sabha.
The Standing Committee on Chemicals & Fertilizers examined the Demands for Grants, of the Department of Chemicals & Petrochemicals (Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers) for the year 2008-09 and presented their Twenty Fifth Report to Lok Sabha on 23.04.2008. The Report contains 19 Recommendations. The gist of the Recommendations is as follows:
I) Implementation of partially implemented recommendations in the XVIth Report on Demands for Grants 2007-08.
II) Proportionate utilization of funds during each year of Xlth Five Year Plan.
III) Early Operationalisation of Plastic Waste Management Centre of CIPET at Guwahati.
IV) Utilisation of balance amount of absentees’s claim for Common Welfare Scheme for Bhopal Gas Disaster victims and their families.
* Laid on the Table and also placed in Library, See No. LT – 10044/2008
V) Removal of toxic waste from Union Carbide plant site at Bhopal.
VI) Timely completion of Assam Gas Cracker Project and generation of employment in Assam & other North-Eastern States.
VII) Achievement of objectives and smooth functioning by IPFT.
VIII)’ Operationalisation of new NIPERs within the scheduled time period.
IX) Organization of more awareness programmes by experts and protective measures for safety of industries as well as public.
X) Finalization of National Pharmaceutical Policy, 2006.
XI) Export of pharmaceuticals.
XII) Setting up of more PCPIRs.
XIII) Proper utilization of funds allocated for new schemes.
XIV) Exploring of all parameters before setting up any unit.
XV) Revival of IDPL – Finalization of recommendations of Group of Ministers.
XVI) Timely completion of projects of HAL.
XVII) Timely completion of Revival Plan of BCPL.
XVIII) Delinking of KAPL from HAL and early setting up of Cephalosporin Project.
XIX) Revival of ODCL instead of winding up.
The Standing Committee has analyzed the recommendations contained in their Sixteenth Report on Demands for Grants 2007-08. With the start up of Caustic/Chlorine Plant at Rasayani Unit, the annual turnover of Rasayani Unit would go up to Rs.210 cr. as per the Revival Plan from the present turnover of Rs. 106.00 cr. The Plant has been recommissioned on 19.9.2008. The mandatory EFC/SFC for some long term programmes of the Department are being held. The process for purchase of machinery for the Plastics Waste Management Centre has already begun in CIPET. The Project is likely to be operalionalised by March, 2009. As per the directions of the Supreme Court, pro rata compensation to the victims of Bhopal Gas Leak Disaster is still continuing. An application in respect of nearly 13000 absentee claimants had been filed by the Welfare Commissioner, Bhopal in the Hon’ble Supreme Court to treat all such cases as closed. The Supreme Court is yet to issue Orders in this regard. The Madhya Pradesh Government has informed that 40 MT of Lime Sludge has been transported from Bhopal to Pithampur in June, 2008. The other 350 MT of toxic waste has to be incinerated soon by Government of Madhya Pradesh to complete the Phase II of the Roadmap.
The Government of India has released Rs. 100.00 cr. in June, 2008 as capital subsidy for implementation of Assam Gas Cracker Project and the ground work including securing of allotted land and site development is being undertaken. IPFT is functioning smoothly and has initiated a project, viz. ‘Development and Production of Neem Products as Environment Friendly Pesticides’ at national level. The Union Cabinet, on 23rd August, 2007, approved the setting up of six new NIPERs at (i) Ahmedabad, (ii) Hyderabad, (iii) Hajipur, (iv) Kolkata, (v) Guwahati, and (vi) Rae Bareli. Gazette Notifications relating to establishment of the six new NIPERs have been issued. Out of the six new NIPERs to be opened, classes were started at four places i.e., Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Hajipur in 2007-08 itself through Mentor Institutes. Classes at NIPER, Guwahati and NIPER, Rae Bareli have been started in the ensuing academic session 2008-09 through Mentor Institutes. Twelve (12) Awareness Programmes in different parts of the country have been planned with concentration of chemical industry relevant to CWC (Chemical Weapons Convention) with due attention to the safety of factory workers and general public. The draft National Pharmaceuticals Policy prepared by this Department after extensive discussions with various stakeholders and was submitted before the Cabinet for its approval. The Cabinet considered the Policy in its meeting held on 11.1.2007 and decided that the matter may, in the first instance, be considered by a Group of Ministers (GOM). GOM has since been constituted and has held four meetings so far on 10.4.2007, 12.9.2007, 30.1.2008 and 30.4.2008. GOM is yet to make its recommendations to the Cabinet. The Department has constantly been making efforts to seek the decision of the GOM for early fanalization of the Pharma Policy. Mega Chemical Industrial Estate have been subsumed in the Petroleum, Chemicals & Petrochemicals Investment Regions (PCPIRs). Apart from this, Promotion of export, Trade and Investment in the Sector is being promoted through setting up of PCPIRs holding of India Chem and other promotional steps. PCPIR proposal in respect of Vishakhapatnam, AP and Dahej, Gujarat has been cleared by High Powered Committee. Proposal of Haldia, West Bengal is being put up to High Powered Committee. For this funds are being used from Chemical Promotion Development Scheme. The revival of Indian Drugs & Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (IDPL) is still under consideration of Group of Ministers. The commercial production of new cephalosporin project of HAL would commence in January, 2009. Bengal Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (BCPL) has started implementation of its sanctioned rehabilitation plan. BCPL has also recruited 18 professionals of different fields like Production, Finance, Marketing, Quality Control, etc. BCPL is ensuring that goods being produced are against orders and not on anticipation of orders so as to avoid accumulation of unnecessary inventory. The final decision with regard to delinking of Karnataka Antibiotics and Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (KAPL) from Hindustan Antibiotics Ltd. (HAL) is likely to be taken soon. Both Indian Drugs & Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (IDPL) and M/s. Medicure have submitted their Plans for revival of Orissa Drugs & Chemicals Ltd (ODCL) to the High Court of Orissa who have entrusted the Plans to the Liquidator for evaluation. High Court of Orissa has since reserved its Judgement and is awaited.