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Divakar

INDIA'S NO I SITE

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Contact -sureshmehrotra@yahoo.com

TOP BRASS - SPEAK

After going places in India, the Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC) of India is poised to take a quantum leap as there is plan to open a warehouse abroad. This was disclosed in an exclusive interview to the whispersinthecorridors.com by NK Choubey who has been its MD for more than Eight years. Choubey said that "with its roots firmly in the ground, I have tried to steer it in a way that the warehousing being the core activity, it also has made forays into the field of logistics, by becoming an essential strong link in the chain which is Supply Chain Management."

The Corporation has been in a position to keep the storage loss (post harvest losses after receipt at the warehouse till its deliveries) to less than 0.5 per cent. The Corporation has been in a position to put in its bit for disseminating the scientific storage techniques to the farmers at the rural levels. According to the CWC MD, this has resulted in the genuine farmers being in a position to take soft credit from the banks thereby giving an impetus to the price support scheme of the Indian Government.

This has enabled CWC to form joint-venture (NMCE) for future trading of commodities and we are in process of setting up a warehouse abroad.

1. To what extent the CWC has been able to achieve its 10th Five Year Plan targets which would end in March 2007?

A The expansion from internally generated resources, without resorting to any term loans, has resulted in the Corporation fully achieving its 10th Five Year Plan targets. The IX th Year Plan targets were construction of capacity of 8.93 lakh MT with a total planned outlay of Rs. 299.49 crores which it surpassed by adding the infrastructure to the tune of 11.92 lakh MT at a total expenditure of Rs.390.67 crores and in all likelihood at the end of 2002-2007(Five Year Plan); the Corporation would have brought up a total capacity of 16.40 lakh MTs at a total outlay of Rs.390.15 crores against the planned capacity of 15.74 lakh MT.

2. Do you think it is high time for creating warehousing hubs in the country particularly in the light of SEZs that are going to come up? Also tell us does any location in India have the potential become a warehousing hub, like the US has in Ohio?

A Yes, places like Nagpur & Navi Mumbai in Maharashtra and Mundra in Gujarat, Jaipur in Rajasthan and Dankuni in West Bengal have the potential of being turned out as major warehousing hubs in the country. These places have a latent potential- SEZ concept notwithstanding, to be developed as major hubs due to logistically convenient locations.

3. What is the status of Storage capacity?

A Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC) was established in 1957 under an Act of Parliament. It provides scientific storage facilities for Agriculture Produce, Fertilisers, Manure and Seeds etc. to the Farmers, Co-operative Societies and other institutions at reasonable rates and has been rendering yeoman's service to the Society . The Corporation ,at present has been operating 518 warehouses including 31 Container Freight Stations/Inland Clearance Depots, all over India with a storage capacity of 10.2 million tones. CWC also holds 50% equity in 17 State Warehousing Corporations (remaining 50% contribution by State Governments). State Warehousing Corporations (SWCs) have capacity of around 20 million tonnes at around 1500 locations in the country. Hence, CWC along with subsidiaries i.e. SWCs is present at around 2000 locations in the country with combined storage capacity of 30 million tonnes.

4. What innovation has been done to arrest losses that take place in storage?

A The CWC has been instrumental in keeping the storage losses in complete control and this parameter being one of the important ones under the MoU being signed with the Administrative Ministry gains substantial importance. The Corporatioin has been in a position to keep the storage loss(post harvest losses after receipt at the warehouse till its deliveries) to less than 0.5 per cent.

Different storage models, different dunnage material and different prophylactic and curative measures are being resorted to , to arrest the losses further.

5. Can you tell about your contribution in rural areas?

A The Corporation has been in a position to put in its bit for disseminating the scientific storage techniques to the farmers at the rural levels. Having started a scheme namely Farmers Extension Services Scheme, it has been in a position to have a base at 229 locations where from trained technical and quality control officials can go to the villages and with the help of Sarpanch of the villages, disseminate the knowledge/information about scientific storage practices, post harvest losses and even forward/future trading. This has resulted in the genuine farmers being in a position to take soft credit from the banks thereby giving an impetus to the price support scheme of the Govt. of India.

6. What are your three landmark achievements.

(a) The Corporation which was a warehousing company perse has been geared to meet the present day challenges by becoming a major logistics player in the country. For this purpose, MoU signed with Indian Railways to develop warehouse/logistics hubs on 22 freight terminal of Railways.

(b) To bring down the very high establishment cost of the organization by implementing Voluntary Retirement Scheme in the organization. The percentage of establishment cost which was to the tune of 58% of the entire expenditure of the Corporation has been in a position to be curtailed down to the extent of 38 per cent.

(c) To meet the challenges of globalization and liberalization, Warehousing Corporations' Act 1962 got amended twice to enable CWC to meet the challenges of competition. This has enabled CWC to form joint-venture (NMCE) for future trading of commodities and we are in process of setting up a warehouse abroad.

Secretary level changes in a day or two

Secretary level changes are expected to take place in the Government of India in a day or two.

Will Renuka Vishwanathan go ?
Rural Development Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh is believed to have asked for the change of her Secretary Ms Renuka Vishwanathan. Will 1971 batch Karnataka cadre IAS officer move from the Ministry?.

Pani to be Secretary Rural Development !

Orissa Chief Secretary Subhash Pani is likely to succeed Ms Renuka Vishwanathan as Secretary Rural Development. He is 1972 batch IAS officer of Orissa.

Will Dr Mishra be Secretary Agriculture ?

Grapevine has it that Dr P K Mishra is being appointed Secretary Agriculture in the Government of India. He is 1972 batch IAS officer of Gujarat cadre.

Renuka Vishwanathan to be Secretary Coordination ?

Secretary Rural Development Ms Renuka Vishwanathan is being tipped to be Secretary Coordination. She is 1971 batch IAS officer of Karnataka cadre.

Brahma to be promoted

H S Brahma is being promoted to the rank of Additional Secretary in the Government of India in a day or two. He is 1975 batch IAS officer of Andhra Pradesh cadre. Will he succeed Dr P K Mishra ?.

Vatsa out Singh in
Dr Rakesh Kumar Vatsa 1986 batch IAS officer of West Bengal cadre is now out of the race for the post of Joint Secretary Urban Development in the Government of India. Now name of 1983 batch UP cadre IAS officer Bacchinder Singh has started doing the round for the post.

Singhal is new Member CBEC
S K Singhal has taken over as new Member of the Central Board of Excise and Customs. He is 1970 batch IRS officer.
( We said this on November 11 )

Corruption no issue in Rajasthan
Corruption is, these days, no issue in Rajasthan. This is evident from the fact that even the post of Lokayukta is lying vacant for more than 30 months. No body is there to lookafter about three thousand cases of corruption.

Dy CAG to retire this month
Deputy CAG Madan Lal Shikhawat is superannuating by this month end.

Major decision on AI&IA merger today
A major decision regarding the merger of AI&IA is all set to be taken on Monday. Let us wait for the outcome of the meeting to be held today in this connection.

1991 batch IPS to be DIGs in UP
1991 batch IPS officers are being promoted to the rank of DIG in Uttar Pradesh next month.

Upma Srivastava is Director I & B
Upma Srivastava has joined the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting as Director. She is 1988 batch IAS officer of Sikkim cadre.

Mathew joins IDSA
Dr Thomas Mathew who was Joint Secretary Defence has joined the IDSA as a fellow. He is 1983 batch IAS officer of Kerala cadre.

Tenure of Mishra to expire today
Deputation tenure of S K Mishra Director Non-Conventional Energy will expire today. He is 1990 batch IRS (IT) officer.

Is Sharma youngest HAG officer in GoI ?
IRPS officer P K Sharma is now considered as the youngest HAG (Additional Secretary) in the Government of India.

Symposium to be held in Delhi
A symposium has been organized by Forum for Intelligentsia in a Nationalist Democracy on 3rd December at the Stein Auditorium ,India Habitat Centre. The topic will be "Rold of Media in Judicial Activism".

FORUM

Income Tax Return for individuals should have a column to ask the body weight of the income tax payee. If the weight exceeds the normal weight then all the tax rebates should be disallowed. On one hand state will get increased revenue on the other hand save money -because the fear of losing rebate benefits, the income tax payers will be eat the excess fat.
Luxmi Narain

Aaj Ki Aawaz

The man known for his cock and bull stories now has a prized bull,
Thought Laloo's Animal Farm was full!!!

The Bull is a gift from N.T. Rama Rao's daughter!!! The Bull has been given Z plus Security by Laloo….. Laloo has shifted some of his own Security to guard the Bull!!! The Bull is on a fruit diet…. only a 'fruit' (slang for loony) can think of putting a Bull on a fruit diet!!! Laloo says the Bull is one of a kind…… and the Bull will be glad to know that its Master is also one of a kind!!!

Both UP and Punjab should be put under President's Rule…… sooner the better,
Both Mulayam and Amrinder ko karna chaiye fetter!!!

UP is now Utterly Precarious….. the Law and Order is going from horrific to horrendous!!! In Punjab there is a chance that Amrinder would have sold out Punjab once more….. he's already sold out Punjab once!!! Both are like drowning ants and are trying to cling on to every straw that comes their way!! By the looks of it Mayawathi and Badal will form the next Governments in UP and Punjab respectively!!!

During Yatra Amrinder did not consume a drop of paani,
Arre why drink water when you have cans of Diet Coke and ready made Bloody Marys jaani!!

Amrinder may have sham shared a roti or two with the peasantry but he did not touch a drop of water that was offered to him with the food!!! Food packets from a Five Star Hotel were airlifted and delivered to the Yatra at the right time!! During the Yatra Amrinder got to see first hand how empty his development boasts were!!! By the way now that the Punjab VB has indicted City Homes what action does Amrinder plan to take???? Nothing…… he's going to leave that for the Badal Sarkaar….. he's hoping Badal will club all his (Amirnder's ) cases and give him a bulk discount!!!!

Should Governments be allowed to make such a fool of the Public????
These are the traits of a Banana Republic!!!

PM is expected in Punjab and will announce a package for Punjab….. this is a Package is nothing but a lollipop for the five years Congress misrule???? And then there is nothing sure that the Package will be implemented….. the lollipop is expected to last till they cast their votes!!! Duping and short-changing the electorate must stop!!!! Come Poll time and the Leaders go on a Project and announcing and ceremonial plaque laying spree!!! Jaago EC!!!

Vengsarkar is being sent to SA after the Parliamentary boo,
Why don't they send all the selectors there too!!!

After BCCI is always looking at excuses to spend money uselessly!! In fact they should send India's B team there too and after each match the Selectors can choose a new Team and Chappel can experiment!!! Now the only hope for Pawar is to fix the matches and ensure that India squeaks in a couple of wins!!! And at fixing Pawar is The Master of the Game!!!

Bachcchan family is appalled at Ash's openness in Dhoom,
For the Abhishek Ash love affair this could spell doom!!!

But if they were willing to accept Karishma aka Lolo after all her openness on screen then why should they object to Ash's openness!!! Maybe their in house Astrologer has advised them to turn into Puritans!!!

10 more questions to Jethmalani 'Mein na Manoo',
People are really irked by his decision to defend Manu!!

Why do you get so mad when anyone asks you a question on your defending Manu? Why do you try to show questioning you is like Contempt of Court? Why do you call Tamrind Court a Bordello??? How many times have you been to Tamrind Court? It's alleged that you too wanted out of time service…why did you request for drinks beyond the Liquor serving timings at Tamrind Court? Why are you trying to sully the image of a dead girl? And how can you say that you are actually improving her reputation? You say Bina was not there in the room so how can she say Manu shot Jessica… you were not there even I the vicinity so how can you say that Manu is innocent? Does getting people like Manu off the hook add credibility to your reputation? Where do you plan to hide for the remaining portion of your life if you get Manu off the hook?

Bharat Kumar

Corporate

Interview for Director Hindustan Copper today
Interview for the post of Director (Personnel) Hindustan Copper will take place on Monday.
Interview for CMD of HPCL on November 30
Interview for the post of CMD of the HPCL will take place on November 30.
Who will be Oil Regulator ?
The search committee will meet next week to select the chairperson of the proposed Oil Regulator.
Meenakshisundaram assumes charge
E Meenakshisundaram has taken over as head, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), power sector, Southern Region, Chennai.