The Hindu : National : Rs. 3,334-crore State-Wide Area Networks planned

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 30, 2005

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National

Rs. 3,334-crore State-Wide Area Networks planned

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, MARCH 29. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) today decided to establish State-Wide Area Networks in all the 29 States and six Union Territories to enable the seamless delivery of G2G and G2C converged services for voice, data and video in a phased manner at a total estimated cost of Rs. 3,334 crores.

Announcing this, the official spokesperson of the Government said out of the total expenditure, Rs. 2,005 crores would be provided as grant-in-aid, which would have to be spent over five years from the date of sanction of individual projects by the Department of Information Technology, starting from the current financial year itself (2004-05).

Chaired by the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, the CCEA also approved an increase in the minimum buffer stocking norms for foodgrains for the remaining period of the 10th plan period. The new norms would be 122 lakh tonnes of rice and 40 lakh tonnes of wheat on April 1; 98 lakh tonnes of rice and 171 lakh tonnes of wheat on July 1; 52 lakh tonnes of rice and 110 lakh tonnes of wheat on October 1; and 118 lakh tonnes of rice and 82 lakh tonnes of wheat on January 1.

The norms set out for the ninth plan period were: 118 lakh tonnes of rice and 40 lakh tonnes of wheat on April 1; 100 lakh tonnes of rice and 143 lakh tonnes of wheat on July 1; 65 lakh tonnes of rice and 116 lakh tonnes of wheat on October 1; and 84 lakh tonnes each of rice and wheat on January 1.

Besides, the CCEA gave its nod for implementation of a Rubber Plantation Development Scheme by the Rubber Board with an outlay of Rs. 159 crores during the 10th plan period.

It also approved a programme to strengthen and develop agricultural education in the country at a cost of Rs. 804 crores during the 10th plan period, with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research contributing Rs. 720 crores and the States the remaining Rs. 84 crores.

The CCEA also approved the setting up of a national institute for empowerment of persons with multiple disabilities at a cost of Rs. 39 crores at Chennai and implementation of the second phase of modernisation of the Indian Medicines Pharmaceutical Corporation at Uttaranchal by enhancing its authorised and paid share capital to Rs. 7 crores and by providing an investment of Rs. 5 crores by the Central Government in its equity.

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