Govt to recover dues from drug firms

IN PARLIAMENT TODAY

The government today said drug companies had evaded taxes and duties to the tune of Rs 283.215 crore in the last four financial years and action was being taken to recover the dues.

While the tax/duty evasion was Rs 12.53 crore in 2005-06, it was Rs 107.374 crore in 2004-05. It stood at Rs 90.705 crore and Rs 72.603 crore for 2003-2004 and 2002-03 respectively.

"The government is aware of the tax and duty evasion by some drug manufacturing companies. Action as per Central Excise Act, 1944, and rules made thereunder to recover the outstanding amount is being taken," said Finance Minister P Chidambaram.

He said big names like Ranbaxy, Sun Pharma, Alembic, Aurobindo Pharma, Cipla, Novartis, Torrent and Wockhardt figure in the list of errant companies.

No decision on SCI disinvestment yet
The government today said it has not yet taken any decision on disinvestment of the Shipping Corporation of India.

"No decision has been taken with respect to disinvestment of Shipping Corporation of India," s s palanimanickam, minister of state for finance, said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.

He also said there has been no disinvestment in any other profit-earning central psu till date during this fiscal.

Replying to another query, he said the government has decided in principle to list large profitable cpses on domestic stock exchanges and to selectively sell small portions of equity in listed, profitable cpses (other than the navratnas).

Mumbai floods cost Air India Rs 17 cr
Indian Airlines, Alliance Air and Air India have suffered a loss of Rs 4.09 crore and Rs 17.09 crore respectively due to floods in Mumbai, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel informed the Rajya Sabha today. These losses occurred following cancellation of flights by Air India (123 flights) and Indian Airlines (294), Patel said.

The minister also said private airlines cancelled a total of 951 flights, resulting in losses amounting to Rs 24.83 crore.

He said during the Saarc summit held in Dhaka in November this year, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had offered daily services facility for the designated airlines of Saarc member countries to Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad and Bangalore and unlimited access to 18 tourists gateways in India with reciprocal rights to the Indian carriers.

Patel said while this offer stands formalised with Sri Lanka, it was yet to be formally taken up with the remaining Saarc countries.

Continental Airlines' new service
Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel said Continental Airlines, a designated US airlines, has already commenced its daily non-stop service between Delhi and Newark with effect from first November, 2005.

He said a revised air service agreement was signed between the two countries in April, 2005 to increase cooperation in the aviation sector under which both sides can designate any number of services to any point in the territory of the other country with full intermediate and beyond traffic rights.

The minister accepted that a number of pilots have left Alliance Airlines for new private carriers and said some adjustments have been made in the schedule within the existing resources.

Tourism office in China on the cards
The government is considering a proposal for opening a tourism office in China to tap the market potential of that country , Tourism Minister Renuka Chowdhury informed the Rajya Sabha today.

In a written reply, she said a total of 19,751 Chinese tourists arrived in India between January and June 2005, registering 25 per cent growth over last year's inflow. Chowdhury said promotional activities are being undertaken to further augment tourist arrivals from China in the coming years.

Netaji panel's trips cost Rs 11 cr
Over Rs 11 crore has been spent on the overseas travel of the members of the Mukherjee Commission, constituted to probe the death of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, the Lok Sabha was informed today.

Replying to written questions, Minister of State for Home S Regupathy said the commission was set up on May 14, 1999 after which it was given nine extensions. During its probe, the commission travelled to the United Kingdom, Japan, Taiwan and Russia at a cost of Rs 11.02 crore.

No advance licence for duty-free pepper
The government has suspended issuance of advance licence to traders for the duty-free import of pepper except light berries, the Lok Sabha was informed today.

In a written reply, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry e v k selangovan said the decision was taken in June 2005 to protect the interest of farmers.

He said duty-free import of spices was allowed against advance licence for re-export purposes. However, in case of pepper, advance licences were being issued only for import of "light black pepper" for extraction by the oleoresin industry for export purposes, he said.