THIRTY SIXTH REPORT COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT ASSURANCES (2013-2014) (FIFTEENTH LOK SABHA) REQUESTS FOR DROPPING OF ASSURANCES (Presented to Lok Sabha on 11 February, 2014) LOK SABHA SECRETARIAT NEW DELHI February, 2014/Magha, 1935 (Saka) CGA No. 247 Price: ` 83.00 © 2014 BY LOK SABHA SECRETARIAT Published under Rule 382 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha (Fourteenth Edition) and Printed by the General Manager, Government of India Press, Minto Road, New Delhi-110 002. CONTENTS PAGE COMPOSITION OF THE COMMITTEE (2013-2014) ............................................. (iii) INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................... (v) REPORT ........................................................................................... 1 APPENDICES—I TO XXIII Requests for dropping of Assurances (Acceded to) I. USQ No. 1505 dated 22.08.2007 regarding National Blood Transfusion Authority (NBTA). ......................................... 4 II. USQ No. 909 dated 04.03.2008 regarding Cashew Board. ... 6 USQ No. 3096 dated 27.07.2009 regarding Cashew Board .. 6 USQ No. 4128 dated 03.08.2009 regarding Establishment of Cashew Board. ................................................................... 6 USQ No. 1679 dated 30.11.2009 regarding Setting up of Cashew Board. ................................................................... 6 USQ No. 1268 dated 08.08.2011 regarding Production and Export of Cashew. ............................................................... 6 USQ No. 4260 dated 29.08.2011 regarding Cashew Board Centre. ................................................................................ 6 USQ No. 6002 dated 14.05.2012 regarding New Commodity Board. ................................................................................. 6 III. USQ No. 5482 dated 28.04.2010 regarding Availing Relax standards. ........................................................................... 17 IV. USQ No. 3758 dated 17.08.2010 regarding Condition of NH-44. ................................................................................ 20 V. USQ No. 5073 dated 27.08.2010 regarding Flagship Scheme. .............................................................................. 23 VI. USQ No. 440 dated 10.11.2010 regarding Regional Centre of Indira Gandhi National Tribal University (IGNTU). ............ 25 VII. USQ No. 898 dated 04.08.2011 regarding Inter State Water Disputes. ............................................................................ 27 (ii) PAGE VIII. USQ No. 1183 dated 08.08.2011 regarding Bio-Cultural Park. .................................................................................... 31 IX. USQ No. 2708 dated 17.08.2011 regarding Modernisation of State Engineering Colleges. ........................................... 33 X. USQ No. 2834 dated 18.08.2011 regarding North Koel Irrigation Project. ................................................................ 35 XI. USQ No. 3457 dated 24.08.2011 regarding Physical Research Laboratory. ......................................................................... 38 XII. USQ No. 5131 dated 05.09.2011 regarding International Ports. .................................................................................. 40 XIII. USQ No. 5910 dated 08.09.2011 regarding Subarnarekha Barrage Project. .................................................................. 42 XIV. USQ No. 309 dated 23.11.2011 regarding Development of Unprofitable Airports. ........................................................ 44 XV. USQ No. 585 dated 24.11.2011 regarding Wheat Genome Project. ............................................................................... 51 XVI. USQ No. 2278 dated 07.12.2011 regarding Administrative Reforms for Public delivery System. ................................... 53 XVII. USQ No. 2376 dated 28.03.2012 regarding CBI Investigation in Cheating Case................................................................. 57 XVIII. USQ No. 3296 dated 25.04.2012 regarding Dhaka Bilateral Mission. ............................................................................. 61 XIX. USQ No. 6194 dated 14.05.2012 regarding Procurement Proposals of Army. ............................................................. 63 XX. USQ No. 7333 dated 21.05.2012 regarding Helicopters for Air Force............................................................................. 65 XXI. USQ No. 549 dated 26.11.2012 regarding Calculation of Wholesale Price Index (WPI). ............................................. 67 XXII. USQ No. 3511 dated 14.12.2012 regarding Selling of Stakes ... 69 XXIII. USQ No. 4062 dated 18.12.2012 regarding Intangible Cultural Heritage. ............................................................................. 71 APPENDICES—XXIV AND XXV XXIV. Minutes of the Sitting of the Committee held on 17 December, 2013 .................................................................................... 73 XXV. Minutes of the Sitting of the Committee held on 06 February, 2014 .................................................................................... 76 COMPOSITION OF THE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT ASSURANCES* (2013-2014) Shrimati Maneka Sanjay Gandhi—Chairperson MEMBERS 2. Shri Rajendra Agrawal 3. Shri Hansraj G. Ahir 4. Shri Kantilal Bhuria 5. Shri Jayant Chaudhary 6. Shri Bijoy Handique 7. Shri Badri Ram Jakhar 8. Shri Mohan Jena 9. Sardar Sukhdev Singh Libra 10. Shri A. Raja 11. Rajkumari Ratna Singh 12. Shri Jagadanand Singh 13. Shri Anjan Kumar M. Yadav 14. Shri Dharmendra Yadav 15. Shri Maheshwar Hazari** SECRETARIAT 1. Shri P. Sreedharan — Additional Secretary 2. Shri U.B.S. Negi — Director 3. Shri T.S. Rangarajan — Additional Director 4. Shri Kulvinder Singh — Committee Officer * The Committee was constituted w.e.f. 23 September, 2013 vide Para No. 5733 of Lok Sabha Bulletin Part-II dated 12 November, 2013. ** Nominated to the Committee vide Para No. 5778 of Lok Sabha Bulletin Part-II dated 22 November, 2013. (iii) INTRODUCTION I, the Chairperson of the Committee on Government Assurances, having been authorized by the Committee to submit the Report on their behalf, present this Thirty-sixth Report of the Committee on Government Assurances. 2. The Committee (2013-2014) at their sitting held on 17 December, 2013 considered Memoranda Nos. 2 to 41 containing requests received from the Ministries/Departments for dropping of pending assurances and decided to drop 23 assurances. 3. At their sitting held on 06 February, 2014 the Committee (2013-2014) considered and adopted their Thirty-sixth Report. 4. The Minutes of the aforesaid sittings of the Committee form part of this report. NEW DELHI; MANEKA SANJAY GANDHI 06 February, 2014 Chairperson, 17 Magha, 1935 (Saka) Committee on Government Assurances. (v) REPORT While replying to Questions in the House or during discussions on Bills, Resolutions, Motions, etc., Ministers sometimes give assurances, undertakings or promises either to consider a matter, take action or furnish information to the House at some later date. An assurance is required to be implemented by the Ministry concerned within a period of three months. Where a Ministry is unable to implement the assurances within the prescribed period of three months, they are required to seek extension of time. In case, the Ministry finds it difficult to implement the assurances on one ground or the other, they are required to request the Committee on Government Assurances to drop the assurances and such requests are considered by the Committee on merits and decisions taken to drop an assurance or otherwise. 2. The Committee on Government Assurances (2013-14) inter-alia considered the following requests received from Ministries/Departments for dropping of assurances at their sitting held on 17 December, 2013:— SQ/USQ No. & Date Ministry Subject in Brief 12 3 USQ No. 1505 Health and Family National Blood Transfusion dated 22.08.2007 Welfare Authority (Appendix-I) USQ No. 909 Cashew Board dated 04.03.2008 USQ No. 3096 Cashew Board dated 27.07.2009 USQ No. 4128 Establishment of Cashew Board dated 03.08.2009 USQ No. 1679 Commerce and Setting up of Cashew Board dated 30.11.2009 Industry USQ No. 1268 Production and Export of Cashew dated 08.08.2011 USQ No. 4260 Cashew Board Centre dated 29.08.2011 USQ No. 6002 New Commodity Board dated 14.05.2012 (Appendix-II) USQ No. 5482 Personnel, Public Availing Relax Standards dated 28.04.2010 } Grievances and (Appendix-III) Pensions 2 12 3 USQ No. 3758 Road Transport and Condition of NH-44 dated 17.08.2010 Highways (Appendix-IV) USQ No. 5073 Finance Flagship Scheme dated 27.08.2010 (Appendix-V) USQ No. 440 Human Resource Regional Centre of IGNTU dated 10.11.2010 Development (Appendix-VI) USQ No. 898 Water Resources Inter State Water Disputes dated 04.08.2011 (Appendix-VII) USQ No. 1183 Environment and Bio-Cultural Park dated 08.08.2011 Forests (Appendix-VIII) USQ No. 2708 Human Resource Modernisation of State Engineering dated 17.08.2011 Development Colleges (Appendix-IX) USQ No. 2834 Water Resources North Koel Irrigation Project dated 18.08.2011 (Appendix-X) USQ No. 3457 Department of Physical Research Laboratory dated 24.08.2011 Space (Appendix-XI) USQ No. 5131 Shipping International Ports dated 05.09.2011 (Appendix-XII) USQ No. 5910 Water Resources Subarnarekha Barrage Project dated 08.09.2011 (Appendix-XIII) USQ No. 309 Civil Aviation Development of Unprofitable dated 23.11.2011 Airports (Appendix-XIV) USQ No. 585 Science and Wheat Genome Project dated