WEDNESDAY, THE l6TH AUGUST, 1995 (The Rajya Sabha met in the Parliament House at 11.00 a.m. )

1. STATEMENT BY MINISTER CORRECTING ANSWER TO QUESTION Shri Kamal Nath (Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Environment and Forests) laid on the Table a statement (in English and Hindi) correcting the reply given in the Rajya Sabha on the 2nd August, 1995, to Unstarred Question 379 regarding Denudation of forests in Eastern States. PAPERS LAID ON THE TABLE Shri (Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Surface Transport ) laid on the Table :- A copy each (in English and Hindi) of the following Notifications of the Ministry of Surface Transport, under sub-section (3) of section 458 of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958 :- G. S. R. No. 240, dated the 13th May, 1995, publishing the Merchant Shipping (Tonnage Measurement of Ships) Amendment Rules, 1995. (2)G. S. R. No 253, dated the 20th May, 1995, publishing the Merchant Shipping (Distress and Safety Radio Communication) Rules, 1995. II. A copy (in English and Hindi) of the Second supplementary Agreement entered into between the and the Governor of the West Bengal to Partially amend the Principal Agreement dated the 9th January, 1987 and First Supplementary Agreement dated the 8th June, 1988 also between the President of India and the Governor of West Bengal under section 8 of the National Highways Act, 1956 regarding maintenance and development of Urban Links of National Highways, under section 10 of the said Act. A copy (in English and Hindi) of the Ministry of Surface Transport Notification G.S. R.No. 165, dated the 1st April, 1995, publishing the Surface Transport (Transport Wing), Development Advisers Organisation (Group A and GroupB Engineering Posts) Recruitment (Amendment) Rules, 1995, under proviso of article 309 of the Constitution. (1) A copy each ( in English and Hindi) of the following papers, under sub-section (1) of section 619A of the Companies Act, 1956 :- (i) Twenty-seventh Annual Report and Accounts of the Central Inland Water Transport Corporation Limited, Calcutta, for the year 16TH AUGUST, 1995 1993-94, together with the Auditors' Report on the Accounts and the comments of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India thereon. (ii) Statement by` Government accepting the above Report. (2) Statement (in English and Hindi) giving reasons for the delay in laying the papers mentioned at (1)above. Shri Tarun Gogoi (Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries ) on the Table. 1. A copy each (in English and Hindi) of the following papers, under sub-section (1) of section 619A of the Companies Act, 1956:- (i) Twelfth Annual Report and Accounts of the North Eastern Regional Agricultural Marketing Corporation Limited, Guwahati, for the year I993-94, together with the Auditors' Report on the Accounts and the comments of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India thereon. (ii)Review by Government on the working of the above Corporation. II. Statement (in English and Hindi) giving for the delay in laying the papers menat (I) above. Capt. Satish Sharma (Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas ) laid on the Table a copy (in English and Hindi) of the Production Sharing Contract among the (Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas) and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited; Reliance Industries Limited and Oil and Gas India Limited with respect to contract area identified as Mid and South TaptiField. 3. REPORT OF THE DEPARTMENT-RELATED PARLIAMENTARY STANDING COMMITTEE ON HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT. Shri P. Upendra presented the Twenty - Ninth Report (in English and Hindi) of the Departmentrelated Parliamentary Standing Committee on Human Resource Development on the University Grants Commission (Amendment) Bill, 1995. II. Shri P. Upendra presented the Thirtieth Report (in English and Hindi) of the Departmentrelated Parliamentary Standing Committee on Human Resource Development on the Functioning of Central Government Health Scheme. III. Shri P. Upendra presented the Thirty -First Report (in English and Hindi) of the Departmentrelated Parliamentary Standing Committee on Human Resource Development on the Functioning of Central Government Hospitals. 4. REPPORT OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE ON EXTERNAL AFFAIRS Shri Sikander Bakht laid on the Table a copy (in English and Hindi) of the Seventh Report of the Standing Committee on External Affairs on action taken on the recommendations contained in the Third Report of the Committee on Passport Facilities. 5. CALLING ATTENTION TO MATTER OF URGENT PUBLIC IMPORTANCE Shri Gurudas Das Gupta called the attention of the Minister of Steel to the Government's decision to handover Bailadilla Mines being run by the National Mineral Development Corporation to a Calcutta based private firm. Shri Santosh Mohan Dev (Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the ) made a statement. Thereafter, Members sought clarifications on the statement. Shri Santosh Mohan Dev replied to the clarifications. 6. GOVERNMENT BILLS-RETURNED *(a) The Union Duties of Excise (Distribution) Amendment Bill, 1995, as passed by * (b) The Additional Duties of Excise (Goods of Special Importance) Amendment Bill, 1995, as passed by Lok Sabha. Shri (Minister of Finance) moved: "That the Bill further to amend the Union Duties of Excise (Distribution) Act, 1979, as passed by the Lok Sabha, be taken into consideration." Shri Manmohan Singh also moved: "That the Bill further to amend the Additional Duties of Excise (Goods of Special Importance) Act, 1957, as passed by the Lok Sabha, be taken into consideration." Members took part in the discussion. Shri Manmohan Singh replied to the debate. *Discussed together. 16tn and l7th August, 1995 (a) The motion for consideration of the Union Duties of Excise (Distribution) Amendment Bill, 1995, was adopted. Thereafter, clause by clause consideration of the Bill was taken up. Clause 2 to 5 were adopted. Clause l, the Enacting Formula and the Title were adopted. Shri Manmohan Singh moved: That the Bill be returned. The motion moved by Shri Manmohan Singh that the Bill be returned was adopted and the Bill was returned. (b) the motion for consideration of the Additional Duties Excise (Goods of Special Importance) Amendment Bill, 1995, was adopted. Thereafter, clause by clause consideration of the Bill was taken up. Clauses 2 to 4 were adopted. Clause 1, the Enacting Formula and the Title were adopted. Manmohan Singh moved: That the Bill be returned. The motion moved by Shri Manmohan Singh that the bill be returned was adopted and the Bill was returned. (The House adjourned at 6.10 p.m. till 11.00 a.m. on Thursday, the 17th August, 1995.)