Nov/24/2011

China to get more gas from Turkmenistan

Even as long-running talks on the proposed Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline continue, China has taken a major step towards securing access to the Central Asian nation's vast gas reserves.

Turkmenistan has agreed to increase its planned supply of natural gas to China by 25 billion cubic metres, said President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov in Beijing on Wednesday, Reuters reported.

The two countries on Wednesday also signed a slew of deals to boost the gas supply, including loans for oil and gas equipment, after the visiting leader held a 90-minute talk with Chinese President Hu Jintao.

Turkmenistan, which has the world's fourth largest gas reserves, already supplies China 40 billion cubic metres every year, with exports rising following the opening of a 1,833-km pipeline in 2009.

The two countries also agreed in a joint statement to “properly implement” the development of natural gas blocks along the Amu Darya river, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Both nations signed a deal in 2007 for the export of 30 billion cubic metres of natural gas annually for 30 years. Under the deal, the state-run China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) received rights to develop the Amu Darya gas fields.

Turkmenistan is keen to boost its energy ties with China as part of efforts to diversify its energy export destinations beyond Russia.

Turkmenistan's resources have also been increasingly targeted by Chinese state-run companies, as China looks to boost its energy ties with Central and West Asia and lessen its dependence on the narrow Malacca Straits, through which 77 per cent of China's crude oil imports pass, according to the International Energy Agency.

India, UAE step up security cooperation

Agreement signed on mutual transfer of sentenced persons

Taking cooperation in security-related matters to a higher level, India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Wednesday signed two key agreements — on security cooperation and the transfer of sentenced persons.

While the agreement on transfer of sentenced persons provides the framework to allow convicted prisoners to serve the remainder of their sentences in their respective home countries, and thereby facilitate social rehabilitation, the one on security cooperation seeks to strengthen and develop the existing bilateral framework in areas such as combating terrorism in all forms, addressing activities of organised criminal groups, drug-trafficking, and illicit trafficking in weapons, ammunition and explosives.

The agreements were signed by Home Minister P. Chidambaram and UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Lieutenant General Sheikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

There are around 1,200 Indians imprisoned in the UAE for various crimes, including on drugs and finance-related charges. It is not yet clear how many of them were sentenced prisoners. There is only one UAE national at present lodged in an Indian jail.

Undertrials excluded

The pact will apply only to those who have already been convicted, and not to undertrials. As per its provisions, any Indian sentenced in the UAE, who is to be transferred to an Indian jail, should have a minimum of six months of jail-term left and there should not be any pending case against him.

The two leaders discussed issues pertaining to bilateral security cooperation, drug-trafficking, security and capacity-building so as to enhance cooperation for combating organised crime, a Home Ministry spokesperson said. The issue of international terrorism also came up during the discussions.

The two sides also stressed their commitments to stepping up cooperation in the investigation of mutually relevant criminal cases and the sharing of relevant information in this regard, the spokesperson said.

Revised draft of food bill gives primacy to cash transfers, coupons

Social activists up in arms against proposed reforms; impact on procurement feared

The government's new move to give primacy in the revised draft of the National Food Security Bill, 2011, to controversial schemes like cash transfers and issuance of food coupons to identified public distribution system beneficiaries in lieu of foodgrain entitlements has got social activists up in arms.

The scheme was introduced under ‘Schedule II' in the initial draft of the Bill that was posted on the Food Ministry's website for public comments. It has now been inserted into the main body of the revised draft, as a whole new chapter (VII) linked to reforms in the public distribution system, giving a clear indication that the government is moving towards it.

Activist Biraj Patnaik termed it as “ridiculous'' and said in a country that was high on gender inequality, where the rural banking system was in shambles and direct cash transfers in old-age, widow and disabled pension schemes had not been streamlined, this would adversely impact food procurement and minimum support price to farmers if beneficiaries were to buy supplies from the open market.

“The world over it is known that food is in the hands of women but cash is controlled by men who have different priorities on how to spend it.''

Explained Minister of State (Independent) for Food and Public Distribution K.V. Thomas: “We are not in favour of cash transfers. This has been included as part of the law so that there is no dispute on that later. It is a progressive reform.''

The reforms chapter also calls for leveraging ‘aadhaar' for unique identification, with biometric information of entitled beneficiaries for proper targeting of benefits under the proposed Act linked to progressive reforms in the Targeted Public Distribution System.

Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia has been most vociferous about both the ideas in public meetings.

The Bill, that calls for foodgrain entitlements at subsidised rates to up to 75 per cent of identified rural households and 50 per cent of urban families, lays much stress on “cost sharing'' between the Centre and the States. It provides that not less than 46 per cent of rural and 28 per cent of urban households shall be designated as priority households. The survey to identify the beneficiaries is underway by the Ministry of Rural Development.

The financial implication of providing subsidised foodgrains under law is estimated at nearly Rs. one lakh crore, which would be approximately Rs. 30,000 crore higher than the current food subsidy of around Rs. 70,000 crore.

In addition, the revised draft provides for an expenditure of about Rs. 12,000 crore towards maternity benefit of Rs. 1000 per month for six months to pregnant and lactating mothers, which number was estimated at around 2.25 crore in 2010 under the Integrated Child Development Scheme. The cost of providing free (or at affordable price of estimated Rs. 10 per meal) is estimated to be around Rs. 9000 crore to five per cent of the priority population.

Besides this, the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperation has projected an expenditure of over Rs. 1,00,000 crore towards incremental production of 20 to 25 million tonnes of foodgrains.

The Centre and States shall have to put in place an “internal grievance redress mechanism'' including call centres, help lines, nodal officers and so on before a complaint is taken to the District Grievance Redress Officer or higher level.

The revised draft has been approved by Pranab Mukherjee as chairman of the Empowered Group of Ministers. It has now been circulated to related departments and will be put to the Union Cabinet for approval. “The Bill is expected to be introduced in Parliament by mid-December,'' Mr. Thomas indicated.