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It is generally said and believed that ones achievement is always the virtual culmination of ones dreams. Dr. R.C. Tiwari, the Chairman cum Managing Director of The Jute Corporation of India Limited, who had dreamt that consistency in the performance of the Public Sector is necessary to meet future global challenges, eventually emerged as a great philanthropist. He joined the Corporation in April 2005 on accomplishment of quite a brilliant Academic career of M.Sc., LLB (Hons), MBA and Ph.D. His thesis on "Impact of Globalization on Productivity in Public Sector Enterprises and its Future Implications" had received nation-wide accolade. His study on Public Sector Enterprises suggests that their restructuring is necessary to face future challenges and to discharge a number of socio-economic obligations with internal resource generation for finance plan, contribution to public exchequer foreign exchange earning and to generate surplus with improved technology.

In an exclusive interview to <whispersinthecorridors.com>
Dr. Tiwari has spoken in broad details how he proposes to go about the job of implementing Functional and Financial Restructuring of JCI to make it a financially sound organization.

1/ How do you think your study could help in resurrecting a unit from a state of decline?

A. You see, what had started as a study of sorts, became a conviction eventually. We have implemented a revival plan for the revival of the textile mills of NIC (MP) and now with the additional charge as MD, NIC (WBABO), we are well in the process of modernizing Aarti Cotton Mills, Kolkata with a financial budget layout of Rs. 40 crore.

2/ What are the short term and long term strategies that you are planning for JCI?

A. It really had been a challenge for us and we have turned a fresh leaf in the working ethics of JCI by implementing Functional and Financial Restructuring Plan of JCI approved by the Government of India to make it a financially sound Corporation to play a proactive role by conducting Commercial Operations to ensure fair remunerative price to jute growers. JCI is also working as a Nodal Agency to conduct Minimum Support Price operation, i.e., purchase raw jute in the MSP price declared by the Government of India every year. Whenever there is a downward trend in raw jute prices and it falls below MSP, JCI undertakes MSP operations through its 171 purchase centres along with 80 purchase centres of state level Co-operative Societies to provide MSP to jute growers. The Commercial Operations thus undertaken by the Corporation has also helped in arresting the downward trend in jute prices, especially in jute harvesting months, and in the process jute growers are able to realize good price for their raw jute.

3/ How long has JCI been in existence?

A. The Jute Corporation of India Ltd., was established and christened in the year 1971 under the Company Law by the Government of India. The Corporation today commands 171 Departmental Purchase Centres and 16 Regional Offices in all the 7 Jute Growing States viz, West Bengal,Assam, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh,Orissa,Meghalaya,and Tripura.
The Head Quarter is in Kolkata.

4/ How did you arrange your order of priority?

A. Prior to the Financial Year 2005-2006, JCI had been conducting MSP operations in cycle of 3 to 4 years, based on demand-supply situations. However, from 2005-2006 onwards we have started the Commercial Operations of the Corporation to gainfully utilize its infrastructure maintained for MSP operations. Through dedicated efforts JCI has generated about Rs. 12 crore towards its overhead cost. The Corporation has, therefore, become financially sound and able to generate profit

5/ What are the spasmodic plans for the Corporation in the immediate future?

A. Yes, indeed! The Corporation has further plans to go "Contract Farming" wherein, jute growers will be extended finance by the Nationalized Banks under buy back guarantee to be provided by JCI. This will help the jute growers in a big way to avoid exploitation by unscrupulous middlemen. As a part of the future plan, JCI will also play an important role as Nodal Agency in implementing the scheme of Mini Mission - III of the Jute Technology Mission for development of marketing infrastructure in jute growing states

6/ Could you please throw some light on the very concept of the Jute Technology Mission ?

A. Under Mini Mission - III of the Jute Technology Mission and with a budget layout of Rs. 38 crore, JCI will develop 10 Marketing Yards, 20 Departmental Purchase Centres, 50 Retting Tanks and other facilities. The objective of the scheme is to conjure up improved marketing infrastructure of raw jute. JCI today is conducting demonstrations of new techniques of jute retting to improve the quality of raw jute and thereby helping the jute growers to increase their income with better quality of jute. The Corporation further supplements in distribution of certified jute seeds for the benefit of jute growers

7/Q. What is the present scenario of raw jute and how do you plan to promote its use?

A. Raw jute is a natural fibre which is extremely eco-friendly. Jute plant is grown mainly in the eastern part of the country with West Bengal alone accounting for 65%of the total followed by Bihar contributing 13%, Assam with 12%, Andhra Pradesh with 5%, Orissa with 3% and the balance 2% contribution coming from Meghalaya and Tripura. The Government of India has enacted Jute Packaging Materials Act to make use of jute bags compulsory for packaging of food grain and sugar. This has been done with the objective to promote the use of jute as packaging material as jute is a natural fibre and environment friendly. By virtue of the different measures taken by Govt. of India, interest of more than 40 million jute growers and 2 lakh workers of the country is protected.

8/ What are the initiatives being taken by the Ministry of Textiles?

A. I am, indeed, grateful to the Ministry of Textiles for having taken new initiative towards the jute sector for approval of functional and financial restructuring of JCI to make it a financially sound organisation to work more effectively for the interest of jute growers. The Government has approved a Jute Technology Mission with a budget layout of Rs. 355 crore and JCI has been given the responsibility to implement the same in the next 5 years in its capacity as a Nodal Agency. The Technology Mission again gestates the following 4 mini missions:1. Towards R&D on Agriculture.2. Towards Improvement in the Quantity ofProduction.3. Towards Up-gradation of market linkageof Raw Jute.4. Towards Modernization and Up-gradation of Jute Technology, to augment Diversification of Jute Products.

9/ At the Jute Corporation of India (JCI) how the mechanism of Minimum Support Price functions?

A. The GoI declares Minimum Support Price(MSP) for raw jute every year. JCI has been appointed as the Nodal Agency to conduct MSP Operation as and when raw jute prices fall below the Minimum Support Prices. It is necessary to provide support to the jute growers during such period when there is no other takers of raw jute in the market. JCI through its 171 Departmental Purchase Centres (DPC) and 16 Regional Offices in 7 jute growing States, viz., West Bengal, Bihar, Assam, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh Tripura and Meghalay, with headquarters at Kolkata undertakes MSP Operation. 80 State Co-operative Societies also work as agent of JCI to conduct MSP Operation so that maximum quantity of raw jute can be purchased from the jute growers.

10/ Is JCI going to extend any market support to the farmers other than procurement centres?

A. 171 DPCs of JCI are in the villages and they provide all the necessary support to the jute growers at the centres. JCI also conducts demonstration camps to demonstrate new retting techniques of raw jute to improve its quality and in turn add income to the jute growers. JCI also provides necessary information regarding ruling market prices to the jute growers and also maintains BIS standard of different grades of raw jute which helps in marketing of raw jute.

11/.What steps have been taken to augment jute yield and adding value to jute?

A. JCI has also started distribution of certified jute seed from the year 2005-06 through its DPCs which helps jute growers in getting certified jute seed at a reasonable price as also in increasing yield and quality of raw jute. JCI also disseminates knowledge to jute growers in respect of jute quality and improvement in yield through better techniques which are being developed by various institutes working in the field.

12/ What will be the share of jute from India in the global market by the year 2010?

A. Raw Jute is mainly grown in India and Bangladesh. The consumption of raw jute is more in India as compared to Bangladesh because of concentration of most of the jute mills in and around Kolkata. As far as quality of raw jute is concerned, Bangladesh produces better quality compared to that of India owing to availability of more floating water for retting of raw jute. Therefore, India is importer of good quality raw jute. Therefore the Govt. of India has announced National Jute Policy 2005 and also approved Jute Technology Mission with lay out of Rs.355 crore wherein various measures have been suggested to increase productivity of good quality of raw jute and modernization of jute mills. Modern jute mills are producing diversified raw jute products which are being mainly exported in addition to other jute products. The Govt. of India has kept a target for increase in export from the existing Rs.1000 crore to Rs.5,000 crore by 2010. Our present share in export market is only about 10% which is gradually increasing by taking various measures stated above.

13/Do you think that the JCI has been established as quality leader in raw jute?

A. JCI maintains the BIS quality standard during purchase and grading of raw jute. It is normally expected in the market that the quality of raw jute being supplied by JCI is one grade higher than that of the private trader raw jute. JCI started its commercial purchase Operation from the year 2005-06 and maintained quality standard which has established that it is the leader in supplying quality raw jute to the jute mills.

Q. The Govt. of India has given you an additional charge of CMD, NJMC in October, 2006. What are your achievements and plans for NJMC?

A. NJMC has six jute mills - 5 in West Bengal and 1 in Bihar. Production of these jute mills have been stopped since 2003. Since then idle wages were being paid to the workers. The Cabinet had approved a proposal of Rs. 978 crore in March 2005 to provide VRS to all the workers of NJMC and also revival of two jute mills. Implementation of the same was since then pending. The undersigned after taking over the charge has taken up the matter on priority and resolved all the issued. NJMC relieved about 15,000 workers under VRS in the month of January, 2007. With implementation of this, NJMC has saved about Rs.8 crore p.m. towards idle wages and salary and at the same time the workers are now getting their all dues including pending gratuity, PF, ESI and VRS benefit. This has improved the image of NJMC in Bihar and West Bengal who have taken care of the workers and paid their dues. Other issues regarding revival of jute mills will now be taken up.

Will a Lady IAS make it to Cabinet Secr post?

Will a Lady IAS make it to the post of Cabinet Secretary ? If so, the tie is between 1969 batch IAS officer Meenakshi Datta Ghosh and 1971 batch IAS officer Meena Gupta. Chances are not so bright.

Sonia Gandhi to supervise UP polls ?

As polls to the Uttar Pradesh assembly are round the corner,political activity has begun to pick.As the grapevine has it Congress chief Sonia Gandhi is going hold reins of the party in UP.

Ali Hasan baffles sleuths

Ali Hasan Khan-the Swiss bank account holder has continued to baffle investigation sleuths.It is now learnt after decoding of his computer's hard disk that most the communications sent by him were in German.This has brought one of the German banks under scanner.

Who will be DG NIFT ?

Who will be new DG of the NIFT ?.Now tie is said to be between 1979 batch Gujarat cadre IAS officer Rajiv Takru and 1986 batch Haryana cadre IAS officer Rajni Keshari Sibal.

Ms Naini to move Pondicherry

Ms Naini Jayaseelan is moving to Pondicherry early next month. She is 1980 batch IAS officer of UT cadre.

Khirwar goes to Andman

Sanjeev Khirwar has been transferred to Andman & Nicobar Islands. He is 1994 batch IAS officer of UT cadre.

Acharya to return to Delhi

A K Acharya is returning to Delhi from Arunachal Pradesh. He is 2002 batch IAS officer of UT cadre.

Search Committee constituted

Search Committee has been constituted for the selection of the Member of the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal. The post is falling vacant this month end.

Avirook Sen quits Mid Day

Avirook Sen-Editorial chief of Mid Day has quit. Grapevine has it that he is poised to join the new venture with Vir Sanghvi.

Rao joins as Director of DIPP

V L Kantha Rao has left the office of MOS Law and joined as Director in DIPP, Ministry of Commerce & Industry . He is 1992 batch IAS officer of Madhya Pradesh cadre.

1982 batch IAS to be PS in Maharashtra

1982 batch IAS officers are being promoted to the rank of Principal Secretary in Maharashtra this month.

MEA is in search of RPO

MEA is reportedly searching for an officer to occupy the hot seat of Regional Passport Officer (RPO) in Delhi.

Gujarat CM finds new friends

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi has emerged as cult figure in the country as far as wooing investors is concerned. He has become darling of many celebrities for wooing investments to the tune of 160 Billion US Dollars. It is not only his West Bengal counterpart Budhadev Bhattacharya who has been praising Modi but Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and Deputy Chairman Indian Planning Comission Montek Singh Ahluwali too have been giving example of Gujarat CM to other CMs.

Picture of PS to Chidambaram still not clear

Picture is still not clear about the appointment of new PS to Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram. He reportedly met some potential candidates last week. One highly qualified and respectable officer was reportedly offered the position but he turned it down saying that he would like to have more substantive work than just regular PS job.

IRS officers to get-in-situ promotions !

1986 batch IRS officers are likely to get in-situ promotions to the rank of Commissioners Income-Tax next month.

Prof Yashpal is Chancellor of JNU

Prof. Yashpal has been appointed Chancellor of the Jawahar Lal Nehru University,New Delhi.

P P Tiwari to be PIC in Madhya Pradesh

Principal Secretary Law P P Tiwari will be new Principal Information Commissioner Madhya Pradesh. Official announcement is expected to be made shortly.

IPS reshuffle in Punjab

There is IPS reshuffle in Punjab. New postings are :- Mssrs
Rohit Chaudhary IG, computer and telecommunication, CSR Reddy IG, India Reserve Batallion, Patiala, HS Dhillon IG Traffic, Rajinder Singh IG Operations and SK Sharma IG, training. Gurpreet Deo DIG, provisioning and modernisation, Jagdish Kumars DIG, counter intelligence, Arun Kumar Oraon DIG, intelligence, SS Chauhan DIG, CM Security , KJS Pannu Joint Director, PPA, Phillaur, Paramjit Singh Sarao DIG, IRB-II and training, Jalandhar, Paramjit Singh Gill DIG, litigation. Ms Anita Punj SSP of Hoshiarpur, Rakesh Aggarwal SSP Kapurthala, Arun Pal Singh SSP Nawanshar, PK Sinha SSP Ropar, Kapil Dev SSP Faridkot. Arpit Shukla, SSP Jalandhar. Dinesh Partap will replace him. LK Yadav SSP Bathinda ,Pramod Bhan SSP Muktsar. RK Jaiswal SSP Ludhiana and Ranbir Singh Khatra SSP Mohali.

Lal is new DRM Mumbai Division

Jayendra Nath Lal has taken over as the Divisional Railway Manager, Mumbai Division of Central Railway yesterday.

IAS changes in Punjab

K S Siddhu Secretary Schools Education.Dr Sarvesh Kaushal Member-Secretary Women,s Commission,Satish Chandra Secretary Rural Development.Harjit Singh Grewal DC Mohali and Tejvir Singh Joint Commissioner IRD.

FORUM

(The views expressed in this column are necessarily of their respective contributors. We do not own any responsibility, whatsoever, about these contributions).

Let's stop fighting

Let's stop fighting. There is no reason for the other service officers to keep commenting or criticising IAS. Whether one agrees or not, IAS is a premium service in India. I don't think anyone has doubt about it. Rather no one should have any. There are very few officers who joined other services after their first attempt only, without trying for selection to IAS. What does this indicate? Performance in one's job is totally a different thing than getting selected to a service. IAS is general administrative service where as many other services are specialised. So where is the comparison? and why? There are many deserving candidates, who could not get in to any service, but doing very well in their respective sphere of activities.
Let's try to better our performances as officers, in general, collectively rather than fighting for our respective supremacy! There is massive and continuous onslaught, from every quarter like politicians, press, judiciary, NGOs, academicians etc. Every one wants to have a pie in the executive administrative action. Infact there is scramble. Many of them exercising administrative authority without responsibility. There is so much to do for the upliftment of the society, there is work for every one. So lets all work together to fight against so many evils affecting the society, rather than fighting amongst ourselves. Hope good sense would prevail. Let's be good and do good.

T Ramachandru

This is the state of affairs in Rajasthan

A very important and good suggestion I have received from several of my friends:- Officers of the State Administrative and Police services should be allowed to enter the All India Services by an interdepartmental examination at any time; apart from the regular promotion in due course. This specially devised examination can be held by the UPSC only for such officers and only those who clear the stringent standards let through. But it would considerably reduce heartburn among state service officers and give them immense motivation of career advancement and performance. This is the practice in several developed nations where the personnel can progress to higher ranks continuously via interdepartmental examinations .It would also reduce the nauseating caste bureaucracy (where you're shut in a particular bureaucratic class practically for life)atmosphere much. Many states (such as Rajasthan) have such provisions for State Judicial Service officers to directly move to State Higher Judicial Service (which is now equated to All India Services in terms of pay etc).GOI needs to take urgent steps for this by amending the promotion rules. Although this can be done immediately; in the intermediate time; while the system is worked out, state service officers can be given sufficient age relaxation and removal of restriction on number of attempts at the regular civil services examination. Please highlight and forward for the Hon'ble Prime Minister's attention.In the light of the fact that the regular promotion from the state services takes too much time,as in states like Rajasthan,still 1977 batch officers of the State Admininstrative Service have not been promoted!

Manish Chandraa

Pre-mature retirement in Army is not new thing

Premature retirement of Defence Personnel is not a new thing. The exodus is due to poor promotion prospects and better opportunities in the Pvt. Sector, especially for IAF pilots.

Sandeep Mishra

Whether IRS should only be from CA,s

Suggestion: There has been too much of debate on IAS Vs. IRS on your website. IRS is really a highly technical job and it requires as long as two years post recruitment training. The specialist on this subject are chartered accountants. This is high time you should invite debate on whether recruitment to IRS should be only out of chartered accountants?

Pavan

Aaj Ki Aawaz

FII's are doing FII in India…… Foreigners Investing for Indians…..via P Notes this is done,
And P notes are tradeable and can be willed from father to daughter or son!!!

Some hard decisions are required as P Notes are being misused,
In fact the true word would be abused!!!

Why not try to get the P Notes held by Indians regularised and then P Notes pe put a ban???
Please do keep in mind the warning that NSA Narayanan gave in the month of Jan!!!

Amar Singh says he's scared he may be liquidated,
We all know why this hoopla is being created!!!

Why Amar even Mulayam says that he and/or son could be liquidated???
Here too we know why this is being stated!!!

This is their way of getting a sympathy wave,
And for this they may even enact a bumping off attempt ...a close shave!!!!

In fact in UP Sonia and Rahul should be careful,
We know with mafia and goons the SP's pull!!!

Mulayam and Mayawathi are both under the cloud of suspicion….. corruption cases,
Both have worried looks on their faces!!!

Mulayam has petitioned Court that he has no faith in CBI..... says its against him,
Should the investigation agency be on the person whose being investigated ka whim???

In UP its advantage BJP and a chance for Congress to also improve its position,
But both Parties are suffering from within a lot of opposition!!!

By opposition I mean infighting,
At each other's heals you have Leaders biting !!!

Seems Amrinder has already taken precautionary measures,
And that is to transfer his properties to Third Parties and to hide his alleged ill gotten treasures!!!

His Media Advisor has run away to Canada……. will settle there claiming to be a Refugee,
A stinking rich refugee very soon Canadians will get to see!!!

He's going to say that in India he is being persecuted ,
Whereas truth is that he's run away because he will be prosecuted!!!

Is Badal to blame if his relatives are four time MLAs ……. he has to give them their due???
If you look closely only one of his relative's has jumped the queue!!!

Punjab has to tap the Non Resident Punjabis to give back to their State,
But on why are Punjabis hesitant to give to Sarkar and prefer to do it themselves there should be a debate!!!

Now Georgie Porgie says that Vajpayee had just joked about scuttling the Bofors probe,
Why, what and who was George was trying to disrobe!!!

Could it be that Jaya Jaitley's worries got the better of him???
And he made this charge that indeed is very grim!!!

In MP seems the BJP story is very much intact…. won two of three LS seats,
Anti incumbency in MP as of now BJP beats!!!

But in Rajasthan this is not the story,
In Rajashtan BJP is in a position that can be said to be sorry!!!

Reliance has a twenty two billion dollar war chest to take over Dow,
Will it be friendly or hostile.... don't know how???

But hope Reliance will not bite more than it can chew and digest,
Prudence is that only what it can chew and digest it should try to ingest!!!

Otherwise like Tata Steel and Hindalco shares Reliance shares will get depressed!!!
Over Bid would mean that Reliance's shares price in the long term will remain supressed!!

If Hillary wins an Indian may be appointed as Advisor….. Sant Singh Chatwal….Advisor Food,
Will be there to advice the President where to eat out when the President's in the mood!!!

But are Americans ready for a Lady President???
Of course on a Male bastion this will be a huge dent!!!

But then will Uncle Sam change to Aunty Sally…….. or Aunt Hilly???
And then it'll be behind every successful woman there is a man…. behind Aunt Hilly there is Uncle Billy!!!

Bharat Kumar

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CORPORATE

FIs & Mututal funds see rosy picture ahead

Financial Institutions (FIs) and leaders of Mutual Funds have forecast that that the Indian stock market is in for a good growth. They feel that the BSE sensex would cross the 50000 (fifty thousand) mark in next five years.

PIA's privatization on cards ?

Pakistan's aviation industry is not untouched from winds of change that have begun to blow, in its big brother neighbouring India. Close on the heels of Delhi's decision for merger of Air India and Indian ,winds of change seem to have reached Islamabad as well. Is privatization of Pakistan International Airlines(PIA) on the anvil? Answer to this question is in affirmative if one goes by grapevine. Pakistan's President Gen. Pervez Musharraf has asked a major business house to take over reigns of the PIA.

Bombay House unhappy with personal projection

The Tata Enterprise is known for not projecting any of the individuals in the top management. Ratan Tata & others in the "Bombay House" are learnt to have been quite irked at the personal projection of Richard Bickson, MD & CEO of Taj group of hotels. He has been projected as messiah for revival of Taj hotels & its branding.

Interview for foreign postings in INDIAN today

Interview for three foreign postings in the INDIAN is taking place on Tuesday. Nine candidates have been called for the Interview.

ECL CMD to retire

Eastern Coalfields CMD D Chakravorty is superannuating by this month end.

Key appointments in Bharti Airtel

Five new EDs have been appointed by the Bharti Airtel. They are Mssrs :-
Sanjay Nandrajog (International Operations and Managed Services), P. Swaminathan (Bharti Infratel), K. Srinivas (Mobility East) and Jayant Khosla (Mobility West), and Deepak Mehrotra Director-Mobility South.

Bhattacharya to join US Drug Company

Dr S Bhattacharya has quit Aventis Pharma Ltd to join US DRUGMAKER Merck in Singapore as Chief Marketing Officer.

Dr Sen to join Ranbaxy

Dr Himadri Sen is joining the Ranbaxy Laboratories as President R& D (generics and NDDS).