WEDNESDAY, THE 15TH DECEMBER , 1999

(The Rajya Sabha met in the Parliament House at 11.00 a.m.)

1. Starred Questions

The following Starred Questions were orally answered.

Starred Question No.241 regarding Sale of High Quality Coal as Low Quality by NEC.

Starred Question No.242 regarding Unrest Among Employees of MDL.

Starred Question No.243 regarding Conversion of Losses of Singareni Collieries into Equity.

Starred Question No.244 regarding Power Projects in TamilNadu.

Starred Question No.245 regarding CAG Report on National Drinking Water Mission.

Answers to remaining questions (246 to 260) were laid on the Table.

2. Unstarred Questions

Answers to Unstarred Question Nos.1378 to 1523 were laid on the Table.

12 Noon

3. Statement by Minister Correcting Answer to Question

Shri I.D. Swami ( Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs) laid on the Table a statement (in English and Hindi) correcting the reply given in the Rajya Sabha to Unstarred Question 245 on the 1st December, 1999, regarding talks with ABSU.

12-01 p.m.

4. Papers Laid on the Table

The following papers were laid on the Table: —

Shri L.K. Advani (Minister of home Affairs) laid on the Table:-

I. A copy each (in English and Hindi) of the following Notifications of the Ministry of Home Affairs, under sub-section (3) of Section 40 of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993:— 1. G.S.R. 548 (E) dated 23.7.1999 publishing the National Human Rights Commission Chairperson and Members (Salaries, Allowances and other Conditions of Service) Amendment Rules, 1999. 2. G.S.R. 609 (E) dated 25.8.1999 publishing the National Human Rights Commission (Group ‘A’ and Group ‘B’ Posts) Recruitment (Second Amendment) Rules, 1999. II. A copy (in English and Hindi) of the Ministry of Home Affairs G.S.R. 352 dated 30.10.1999 publishing the Border Security Force (Engineering/Electrical) Group ‘B’ and ‘C’ Posts Recruitment Rules, 1999, under sub-section (3) of Section 141 of the Border Security Force Act, 1968 .

III. A copy (in English and Hindi) of the Ministry of Home Affairs G.S.R. 766(E) dated 11.11.1999 publishing the Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force, General Duty Cadre, Group ‘A’ Posts Recruitment Rules, 1999, under sub-section (2) of Section 156 of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force Act, 1992(35 of 92).

IV. A copy each (in English and Hindi) of the following papers, under sub-section (4) of section 34 of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993:—

(a) Annual Accounts of the National Human Rights Commission, for the year 1996-97, and the Audit Report thereon (b) Annual Accounts of the National Human Rights Commission, for the year 1997-98, and the Audit Report thereon © Statement giving reasons for the delay in laying the papersmentioned at (a) and (b) above.

Shri (Minister of Devence) laid on the Table a copy each (in English and Hindi) of the following papers:—

15TH DECEMBER, 1999

(i)(a) Annual Report and Accounts of the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, New , for the year 1998-99, together with the Auditor's Report on the Accounts.

(b) Statement by Government accepting the above Report.

(ii) (a) Annual Report and Accounts of the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Darjeeling, for the year 1998-99, together with the Auditor's Report on the Accounts.

(b) Review by Government on the working of the above Institute.

(iii) (a) Annual Report and Accounts of the Jawahar Institute of Mountaineering and Winter Sports, Tringla (Jammu and Kashmir), for the year 1998-99, together with the Auditor's Report on the Accounts. Review by Government on the working of the above Institute. (iv) Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of (Ministry of Defence, Department of Defence Production and Supplies) and Mishra Dhatu Nigam Limited for the year 1999-2000. (v) Memorandum of Understanding between the (Ministry of Defence, Department of Defence Production and Supplies) and the Shipyard Limited for the year 1999-2000. Shri (Minister of Mines & Minerals) laid on the Table a copy each (in English and Hindi) of the following papers:—

(i) Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of India (Ministry of Mines and Minerals, Department of Mines) and Hindustan Zinc Limited for the year 1999-2000.

(ii) Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of India (Ministry of Mines and Minerals, Department of Mines) and National Aluminium Company Limited for the year 1999-2000.

(iii) Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of India (Ministry of Mines and Minerals, Department of Mines) and Bharat Aluminium Company Limited for the year 1999-2000.

Shri Sunder Lal Patwa ** (Minister of Rural Development) laid on the Table a copy each (in English and Hindi) of the following papers:—

(a) Annual Report of the National Institute of Rural Development, Hyderabad, for the year 1997-98.

(b) Annual Accounts of the National Institute of Rural Development, Hyderabad, for the year 1997-98, and the Audit Report thereon.

© Review by Government on the working of the above Institute.

(2). Statement giving reasons for the delay in laying the papers mentioned at (a) and (b) above.

Shri Kashiram Rana (Minister of Textiles) laid on the Table a copy each (in English and Hindi) of the following papers:—

(a) Annual Report and Accounts of the Carpet Export Promotion Council, NOIDA, for the year 1997-98, together with the Auditor's Report on the Accounts. (b) Review by Government on the working of the above Council. 2. Statement giving reasons for the delay in laying the papers mentioned at (a) above.

Shri Kashiram Rana (Minister of Textiles) on belahf of Shri Gingee N. Rama Chandran (I) A copy each (in English and Hindi) of the following papers, under sub-section (1) of section 619 of the Companies Act, 1956:— (i) (a) Annual Report and Accounts of the Central Cottage Industries Corporation of India Limited, New Delhi, for the year 1998-99, together with the Auditor's Report on the Accounts and the comments of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India thereon. ______**spok en in Hindi.

15TH DECEMBER, 1999

(b) Review by Government on the working of the above Corporation. (ii) (a) Twenty-second Annual Report and Accounts of the North Eastern Handicrafts and Handlooms Development Corporation Limited, Shillong, for the year 1998-99, together with the Auditor's Report on the Accounts and the comments of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India thereon.

(b) Review by Government on the working of the above Corporation.

II. A copy each (in English and Hindi) of the following papers: —

(i) (a) Annual Report and Accounts of the Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts, New Delhi, for the year 1998-99, together with the Auditor's Report on the Accounts.

(b) Review by Government on the working of the above Council.

(ii) (a) Twenty-ninth Annual Report and Accounts of the Handloom Export Promotion Council, Chennai, for the year 1997-98, together with the Auditor's Report on the Accounts.

(b) Review by Government on the working of the above Council. © Statement giving reasons for the delay in laying the papers mentioned at (a) above.

(iii) (a) Thirtieth Annual Report and Accounts of the Handloom Export Promotion Council, Chennai, for the year 1998-99, together with the Auditor's Report on the Accounts.

(b) Review by Government on the working of the above Council. (iv) (a) Sixteenth Annual Report and Accounts of the Indian Silk Export Promotion Council, Mumbai, for the year 1998-99, together with the Auditor's Report on the Accounts. (b) Review by Government on the working of the above Council. (v) (a) Forty-fifth Annual Report and Accounts of the Synthetic and Rayon Textiles Export Promotion Council, Mumbai, for the year 1998-99, together with the Auditor's Report on the Accounts.

(b) Review by Government on the working of the above Council.

Ms. Jayawanti Mehta (Minister of State in the Ministry of Power) laid on the Table (I) A copy each (in English and Hindi) of the following papers, under sub- section (1) of section 619 of the Companies Act, 1956:— (a) Annual Report and Accounts of the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation Limited, Faridabad, for the year 1998-99, together with the Auditor's Report on the Accounts and the comments of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India thereon.

(b) Review by Government on the working of the above Corporation.

(a) Annual Report and Accounts of the Nathpa Jhakri Power Corporation Limited, New Shimla, for the year 1998-99, together with the Auditor's Report on the Accounts and the comments of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India thereon.

(b) Review by Government on the working of the above Corporation.

(a) Twenty-third Annual Report and Accounts of the National Thermal Power Corporation Limited, New Delhi, for the year 1998-99, together with the Auditor's Report on the Accounts and the comments of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India thereon.

(b) Review by Government on the working of the above Corporation.

(a) Eleventh Annual Report and Accounts of the Tehri Hydro Development Corporation Limited, Tehri (Garhwal), for the year 1998-99, together with the Auditor's Report on the Accounts and the comments of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India thereon.

15TH DECEMBER, 1999

(b) Review by Government on the working of the above Corporation.

(a) Annual Report and Accounts of the Rural Electrification Corporation Limited, New Delhi, for the year 1998-99, together with the Auditor's Report on the Accounts and the comments of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India thereon.

(b) Review by Government on the working of the above Corporation.

II. A copy each (in English and Hindi) of the following papers :— (a) Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of India (Ministry of Power) and North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Limited for the year 1999-2000. (b) Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of India (Ministry of Power) and Rural Electrification Corporation for the year 1999- 2000.

Smt. Rita Verma (Minister of State in the Ministry of Mines and Minerals) laid on the Table a copy each (in English and Hindi) of the following papers under sub-section (1) of section 619 of the Companies Act, 1956:— (a) Thirty-third Annual Report and Accounts of the Hindustan Zinc Limited, Udaipur, for the year 1998-99, together with the Auditor’s Report on the Accounts and the comments of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India thereon. (b) Review by Government on the working of the above Company.

5. Special Mention

Shri Suresh Pachouri **

Shri Rama Shanker Kaushik **

______** Spoken in Hindi.

Shri Satishchandra Sitaram Pradhan **

Shri Ram Deo Bhandary **

Shri Nilotpal Basu **

Shri M. raised a matter regarding the Ayodhya issue.

Shri Jaswant Singh (Minister of External Affairs and Leader of the House) replied.

(The House adjourned at 1.01 p.m. for lunch and reassembled at 2-04 p.m).

2-04 p.m.

6. Motions Regarding the First Report and the Second Report of the Ethics Committee — Adopted

Shri S.B. Chavan moved the following Motions: —

"That the First Report of the Ethics Committee presented to the House on the 8th December, 1998 and the Second Report of the Ethics Committee presented to the House on the 13th December, 1999, be taken into consideration."

"That this House agrees with the recommendations contained in the First Report of the Ethics Committee presented to Rajya Sabha on the 8th December, 1998 and the Second Report of the Ethics Committee presented to Rajya Sabha on the 13th December, 1999."

The following Members took part in the discussion: —

2-08 p.m. 1. Shri Eduardo Faleiro 2-22 p.m. 2. Shri Sangh Priya Gautam**

2-41 p.m. 3. Dr. Biplab Dasgupta ______** Spoken in Hindi.

15TH DECEMBER, 1999

2-53 p.m. 4. Shrimati Kamla Sinha **

3-04 p.m. 5. Shri Naresh Yadav**

3-14 p.m. 6. Shri Gurudas Das Gupta

3-27 p.m. 7. Shri V. Kishore Chandra S. Deo

3-41 p.m. 8. Shri S. Vidhuthalai Virumbi

3-51 p.m. 9. Shrimati Jayanthi Natarajan

4-07 p.m. 10. Shri Cho S. Ramaswami

4-17 p.m. 11. Shri N. Thalavai Sundaram

4-22 p.m. 12. Shri Balwant Singh Ramoowalia **

4-32 p.m. 13. Shri Pramod Mahajan**, (Minister of Parliamentary

Affairs and Information Technology )

4-51 p.m. Shri S.B. Chavan replied to the debate.

5-00 p.m. The motions were adopted.

5-05 p.m.

7. Half-an-Hour Discussion

Shri K. Rahman Khan raised a discussion on points arising out of the answer to Starred Question 122 given in the Rajya Sabha on the 7th December, 1999 regarding chartering of aircrafts by Air India for carrying Haj Pilgrims.

Shri Sharad Yadav ** (Minister of Civil Aviation) replied to the discussion.

______** Spoken in Hindi.

The following Members put questions:—

5-29 p.m. 1. Shri Mohd. Azam Khan **

5-36 p.m. 2. Shri Santosh Bagrodia **

5-39 p.m. 3. Shri Raghavji **

5-42 p.m. 4. Shri K.R. Malkani

5-49 p.m. 5. Shri Khan Ghufran Zahidi **

6-04 p.m. 6. Shri Rajubhai A. Parmar **

6-06 p.m. 7. Shri Md. Salim**

6-18 p.m. 8. Shri K.M. Saifulla

6-22 p.m. 9. Shri Suresh A. Keswani

6-25 p.m.

Shri Sharad Yadav** replied.

The discussion was concluded.

6-36 p.m.

8. Statement by Minister

Shri Sharad Yadav (Minister of Civil Aviation) laid on the Table a statement (in English and Hindi) regarding the accident that took place on the 13th December, 1999, on the escalator at IGI Airport, New Delhi, in which a child lost her life.

(The House adjourned at 6.38 p.m. till 11-00 a.m. on Thursday, the 16th December, 1999). ______

______** Spoken in Hindi.