No. of questions found: 07
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1458 |
UNSTARRED |
05.03.2010 |
HEALTH AND FAMILY |
DRUG FOR |
1458 . Shri RADHA MOHAN SINGH
BASUDEB ACHARIA
RAMESH BAIS
MOHAMMAD ASRARUL HAQUE
SK. SAIDUL HAQUE
Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:-
(a) whether as per some reports, drug for Influenza A H1N1 was aggressively pushed world over to benefit certain pharmaceutical companies without adequate medical reasons for its widespread prescription;
(b) if so, the details thereof and the reaction of the Government thereto;
(c) the measures taken or proposed to be taken by the Government in the wake of such report;
(d) whether the Government proposes to bring down the price of Influenza H1N1 drug in the country; and
(e) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF HEALTH & FAMILY WELFARE(SHRI GHULAM NABI AZAD)
(a) to (c) International and national media reported in January, 2010 a resolution tabled by the Dr. Wolfgang Wodrag, Chairman of the Health Committee in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe that in order to promote their patented drug and vaccines against the Swine flu, pharmaceutical companies influenced scientists and official agencies, responsible for public health standards to alarm governments worldwide and make them squander, scarce health resources.
The matter was raised by the Government of India in the Executive Board meeting of World Health Organization held at Geneva in January 2010 and asked WHO to clarify to all member countries the factual position so that the credibility of public health programmes does not get eroded by such allegations.
World Health Organization has thereafter written to all member countries refuting the allegation and confirming that the outbreak of Influenza A H1N1 was indeed a pandemic.
(d)&(e) Oseltamivir does not fall under First Schedule of Drugs Price Control Order (DPCO) 1995. Prices of such formulation are fixed by the manufacturers themselves keeping in view factors such as cost of production, marketing expenses, R&D expenses, trade commission, product innovation, product quality etc. The Govt. takes corrective measure where the public interest is found to be adversely affected. National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) monitors the prices of such formulations. Wherever a price increase beyond 10% per annum is noticed, the manufacturer is asked to bring down the price voluntarily failing which, subject to prescribed conditions, action is initiated under paragraph 10(b) of the DPCO, 1995 for fixing the price of formulations in public interest. This is an ongoing process.
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2540 |
UNSTARRED |
12.03.2010 |
FINANCE |
CONTRIBUTION TO |
2540 . Shri MOHAMMAD ASRARUL HAQUE
Will the Minister of FINANCE be pleased to state:-
(a) Whether the Government proposes to enhance the contribution of Central Government employees towards the Central Government Employees Insurance Scheme (CGEIS).
(b) If so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE FOR FINANCEfE&FS (SHRI NAMO NARAIAN MEENA)
(a) & (b): The 6th Central Pay Commission in para 4.9.4. of its report, has recommended a six fold increase in the rates of contribution to CGEGIS, reduction of categories from four to three and asked Government to take a view on the apportionment of the subscription from employees between Insurance fund and Savings fund keeping in view the changes in the average mortality rates. The matter is under consideration of the Government.
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3056 |
UNSTARRED |
16.03.2010 |
AGRICULTURE |
PLIGHT OF FARMERS |
3056 . Shri MOHAMMAD ASRARUL HAQUE
Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE be pleased to state:-
(a) whether the State Government of Bihar has submitted a status report to the Union Government regarding the plight of farmers in Bihar on account of the scant rainfall in the current monsoon year;
(b) if so, the action proposed to be taken by the Government in this regard; and
(c) if not, whether the Government proposes to issue any guidelines to the Bihar Government in view of miserable condition of the farmers?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION(PROF. K.V. THOMAS)
(a)to (c): The Government of Bihar has submitted a memorandum for assistance from the National Calamity Contingency Fund (NCCF) to combat drought.
There is ready availability of funds with the State Government under the Calamity Relief Fund (CRF) to take immediate necessary remedial measures in the wake of natural calamities including drought. Due to deficit rainfall during South-West monsoon, 2009, Government of Bihar had declared 26 districts as drought affected and sought central assistance from National Calamity Contingency Fund (NCCF). The Central Government has approved Rs.1163.64 crores from National Calamity Contingency Fund (NCCF) subject to adjustment of 75% of balance available in the State Calamity Relief Fund (CRF) account. For the year 2009-10, the Government of Bihar has an allocation of Rs.167.45 crores under the CRF which consists of the Central share of Rs.125.59 crores and Rs.41.86 crores as State’s share. The entire central share has been released to the Government of Bihar.
Besides, this, the Government of Bihar has sent a claim of Rs.21.52 crores which has been approved by the Department of Agriculture & Cooperation towards reimbursement of Government of India’s share of expenditure incurred under the ‘Diesel Subsidy Scheme’ for the current financial year. Diesel Subsidy Scheme was introduced in order to mitigate the plight of the farmers in drought affected areas including Bihar.
The Government of India has also been vigorously supporting the efforts of the State Government with financial and logistical support under various schemes including Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), National Horticulture Mission ( NHM), National Food Security Mission (NFSM) & Macro Management of Agriculture (MMA). Advisories were issued to the State Government on a regular basis to take appropriate steps in the wake of scanty railfall leading to severe drought.
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4223 |
UNSTARRED |
21.04.2010 |
WATER RESOURCES |
FLOOD CONTROL |
4223 . Shri MOHAMMAD ASRARUL HAQUE
Will the Minister of WATER RESOURCES be pleased to state:-
(a) whether the Union Government has given any assistance to the State Government for anti-erosion works and to control flood in Basin;
(b) if so, the details thereof and the progress made as a result thereof; and
(c) the steps taken or proposed to be taken by the Union Government to expedite the works undertaken for the purpose in a time bound manner?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF THE STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF WATER RESOURCES (SHRI VINCENT H. PALA)
(a) Yes, Sir.
(b) Central assistance is being provided to all the flood affected states for river management, flood control and anti-erosion works under “Flood Management Programme (FMP)” – a state sector scheme during XI Plan period. A total of 311 proposals from 19 states with a total estimated cost of Rs. 3232.77 crore have been included under “FMP” and central assistance amounting to Rs. 1571.06 crore has been released to the States as on 31.03.2010. A total of 118 flood management schemes have been completed and another 46 works are reported in advance stage of completion by the concerned States.
(c) The flood management works are being monitored very rigrourously by the field teams of Central Water Commission (CWC), Ganga Flood Control Commission (GFCC) and Brahmaputra Board (BB) in their respective jurisdiction.
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5114 |
UNSTARRED |
27.04.2010 |
AGRICULTURE |
GROWTH OF |
5114 . Shri MOHAMMAD ASRARUL HAQUE
Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE be pleased to state:-
(a) the total area of arable land that has become uncultivable due to rampant growth of the parthenium weed;
(b) whether the Government is aware of experiments made in the State of Bihar of using the beetle zygramma as an effective antidote; and
(c) the steps taken/being taken for carrying out adequate tests for the development of this beetle as an antidote to the pernicious weed?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (PROF. K.V. THOMAS)
(a): Out of total cultivable and arable land about 14.25 million hectare land has been estimated to be infested severely with the rampant growth of parthenium weed. However, with manual weeding and using herbicides, farmers are able to cultivate crops in these areas too but with low productivity.
(b): Government is aware that parthenium weed defoliating beetle Zygogramma bicolorata is being used to suppress parthenium in the state of Bihar. Nucleus culture of Zygogramma bicolorata supplied from Directorate of Weed Science Research, Jabalpur is being regularly released by Rajendra Agricultural University (RAU), Pusa, Bihar and Krishi Vigyan Kendras located in different districts of Bihar.
(c): Research efforts have been made at Directorate of Weed Science Research, Jabalpur to develop technologies to mass rear Zygogramma bicolorata throughout the year to use it as an effective antidote against pernicious parthenium weed. Technologies have also been developed to overcome the limitations of this bioagent to make it more effective against parthenium.
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5393 |
UNSTARRED |
28.04.2010 |
WATER RESOURCES |
SOIL EROSION |
5393 . Shri MOHAMMAD ASRARUL HAQUE
Will the Minister of WATER RESOURCES be pleased to state:-
(a) whether arable land is being lost due to soil erosion caused by rivers;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether the Government has taken the required measures to check the soil erosion by rivers;
(d) if so, the details thereof; and
(e) the steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Union Government to compensate the farmers who have suffered loss due to the said erosion?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF THE STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF WATER RESOURCES (SHRI VINCENT H. PALA)
(a) to (d) Yes Sir. The arable (cultivable) land located in the flood plains or the land falling in the course of meandering rivers are subjected to erosion by rivers during floods. The subject of flood management including protection measures against land erosion, however, falls within the purview of the State Governments. The schemes for flood and erosion control are therefore, planned, funded and executed by the State Governments, as per their own priorities, out of their State plan funds which are made available to them through Planning Commission. In order to provide additional financial support to the State Governments, the Government of India also assists the flood prone States in flood management and anti-erosion works for critical reaches. During XI Plan period, central assistance is being provided to all the flood affected states for river management, flood control and anti-erosion works under a state sector scheme, namely, “Flood Management Programme (FMP)’. A total of 311 works from 19 states with a total estimated cost of Rs. 3232.77 crore have been included under “FMP” and the central assistance amounting to Rs. 1571.06 crore has been released to the States as on 31.03.2010.
(e) Relief to the States affected by natural calamities is provided under Calamity Relief Fund (CRF) and National Calamity Contingency Fund (NCCF). As reported by MHA, the erosion of land by rivers has not been identified as a natural calamity by 12th Finance Commission for assistance under CRF and NCCF. As such, there is no provision of compensating the farmers who have suffered loss due to the land erosion by rivers, under CRF and NCCF.
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5999 |
UNSTARRED |
03.05.2010 |
RURAL DEVELOPMENT |
DISCONTINUATION |
5999 . Shri MOHAMMAD ASRARUL HAQUE
Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:-
(a) whether the Government is aware that all works under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) have been stopped in Bihar;
(b) if so, the reasons therefor;
(c) the effect on the registered workers as a result of the same; and
(d) the corrective measures taken by the Government to overcome the situation?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (SHRI PRADEEP JAIN `ADITYA`)
(a)to(d): Mahatma Gandhi NREGA is an Act passed by the Parliament of India. The Act provides a legal guarantee for at least 100 days of employment to every rural household in a financial year for doing unskilled manual work on demand. Works are taken up in accordance with the provisions of the Act in order to meet the labour demand arising at the field level. As reported by the State Government of Bihar, a total of 1,54,946 works were taken up and 40,42,386 households have been provided employment in Bihar under Mahatma Gandhi NREGA.