GAIL and Shipping Corporation join hands for LNG Shipping

New Delhi, June 6, 2013. GAIL (India) Limited and the Shipping of Corporation India Limited (SCI) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to cooperate for transportation of LNG sourced by GAIL from USA.  The MoU was signed in the presence of Shri B.C. Tripathi, Chairman & Managing Director, GAIL and Shri B.K. Mandal, Chairman & Managing Director and Director (Finance), SCI. Other senior officials of GAIL and SCI were present on the occasion.

Under the MoU, both GAIL & SCI shall cooperate for transportation of 5.8 MTPA of LNG being sourced by GAIL from Sabine Pass and Cove Point terminals in USA. The cooperation would include SCI assisting GAIL in the charter hiring of LNG ships and GAIL assigning step-in right to SCI in the ownership of LNG Ships.

GAIL has signed a LNG Sales & Purchase Agreement with Cheniere Energy Partners, LP  (Cheniere) to procure 3.5 MMTPA of LNG from the latter's Sabine Pass Terminal in Louisiana, USA for a period of 20 years. GAIL has also signed a Terminal Service Agreement with Dominion through GAIL Global (USA) LNG LLC for booking 2.3 MMTPA liquefaction capacity in the Cove Point LNG liquefaction terminal project located at Lusby in the state of Maryland. As the agreements are on FOB basis, GAIL is required to make its own arrangements for transportation of LNG from these terminals. The transportation of LNG is expected to begin from mid-2017.

Speaking on the occasion Shri B.C. Tripathi, CMD, GAIL said "LNG has become important business vertical of GAIL and the experience of SCI in the shipping business will bring huge synergetic advantage for both the companies. We expect that this partnership will enable faster development of in-house fleet operations capabilities for the Company."

Shri B.K. Mandal, CMD and Director (Finance), SCI said that "With several LNG import projects being conceived in the country, LNG is seen as a key growth area for Shipping Corporation of India. SCI is planning to develop separate vertical within the Company to manage LNG shipping."

About Shipping Corporation of India

SCI is the only Indian Company having experience in LNG shipping. Currently, the Company is managing 03 ships which are on long term charter hire with Petronet LNG Limited. SCI is the largest Indian Shipping Company with substantial interest in various segments of the shipping trade. SCI's owned fleet includes Bulk carriers, Crude oil tankers, Product tankers, Container vessels, passenger-cum- cargo vessels, phosphoric Acid/Chemical carriers, LPG/Ammonia carriers and offshore Supply vessels. As the Country's premier shipping line, the SCI owns and operates around 38% of the Indian tonnage, and has operating interests in practically all areas of the shipping business, servicing both national and international trades.

About GAIL (India) Limited

GAIL (India) Ltd., is India's principal Natural Gas Company with activities ranging from Gas Transmission and Marketing to Processing (for fractionating LPG, Propane, SBP Solvent and Pentane); transmission of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG); production and marketing of Petrochemicals like HDPE and LLDPE and leasing bandwidth in Telecommunications. The Company has extended its presence in Power, Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) re-gasification, City Gas Distribution and Exploration & Production through equity and joint venture participations.

Sharad Yadav view on Political parties under RTI

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04^th June, 2013

Briefing media Sharad Yadav said,I have called you here to express my astonishment and shock on what is happening in the country now-a-days that the political parties will come under R.T.I as ruled by Central Information Commission. It is no way justified in our country.  We are totally against this move and therefore the Central Government should immediately come forward to scuttle it. It is not practical to share resolutions of the parties which are made in their Executive Committee meetings and also to share the process of selection of candidates for the Party organizations. One has to understand that as to how it is possible to divulge the information about inner matters of any political party. There is no denying the fact that there will be flood of applications seeking information on small inner matters of the political parties which will be of no use to the general public but this will add to unnecessarily work load on the parties. There is already a Constitutional body i.e. Election Commission of India by which every political party is bound to function under its directions. For any small or big deficiency in the conduct of political party, that political party receives immediate notice from the Election Commission of India.  We receive notices from Election Commission even on actions which are unintentionally committed by our parties as it is a watch dog of all political parties in the country and every political party has to abide by its decisions.

The other issue which I would like to raise is about the functioning of B.C.C.I in the country.  This is one of the richest organizations but the Government has no control on it which is surprising.  This can only happen in our country.  B.C.C.I has become an open shop for illegal trading.  One can easily understand that as to why big and powerful people are always interested and mad for getting positions in B.C.C.I.  It is a hub for doing speculation (Satta), Hawala, and joining hands with underworld people.  Has anyone ever questioned the legality of B.C.C.I and bringing it under the ambit of R T I Act.  In my view, B.C.C.I is an open naked dance in our country. B.C.C.I is earning money through the general public of this country, and has got offices and cricket grounds for play matches at subsidized rates from the Government, but it is ridiculous that the Government has no control on it.  It has become a phenomenon to act against the political fraternity and political parties in our country which has been seen in the last one decade.  The responsibility of weakening the system and governance in the country is solely on U.P.A and that is why everyone is raising his head on the matter which has no relevance and impact on general public.  The traditions, culture, values, respect for institutions have all lost in the regime of U.P.A which I am afraid will take a long time to recover the damage caused. The atmosphere has been created against the political people only.  It is not a healthy sign for our democracy.  Like B.C.C.I, some N.G.Os have been allotted offices and land by the Government at subsidized rates but they are not under the ambit of R.T.I. Act. It is a clear discrimination with the political class that the organizations like B.C.C.I, NGOs and other such type of organizations are not under the R.T.I. Act but political parties should come under its ambit is not less than vengeance against them.

The other issue which is in news in our country is Food Security Bill.  It is beyond understanding of anyone that as to why the Congress Party/UPA is in such a hurry to bring an Ordinance on Food Security Bill.  There are serious disagreements on the food security bill, and therefore, it calls for an exhaustive debate in and outside Parliament. There is no reason why it cannot wait till the ensuing monsoon session of Parliament. When it is remained pending for several years, why the UPA cannot wait for a month. We totally reject the move of the Government.  It the Government is bent upon to make hurry in this matter, they can come forward to advance the session so that the bill is debated as demanded by all political parties.

I am of the view that the Government should call all parties meeting to discuss the issues as raised above so that the damage being caused by this Government to the country is curtailed

                                                       Sd/-

(SHARAD YADAV)

                                                       Member of Parliament (LS)

Coca-Cola Cricket Cup players Vikas Dixit, Shivam Chauhan

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Coca-Cola Cricket Cup players Vikas Dixit, Shivam Chauhan and Pranjal Puri selected for Coaching Camp in England

·         Vikas Dixit, Shivam Chauhan and Pranjal Puri all set to fly to London for special 25-day coaching camp

·         Trio displayed extraordinary determination, commitment, and eagerness to learn

New Delhi, June 5^th 2013: Following the eight month long Coca-Cola Cricket Cup in which 12,000 young players from 780 schools in 70 districts battled it out in over a hundred matches, three promising cricketers were picked by selectors to travel to England to participate in a specially organised Coaching Camp.

Vikas Dixit and Shivam Chauhan from Delhi, and Pranjal Puri from Indore will fly to London for a 25-day camp and train under former Somerset cricketer Thomas ‘Tom’ Webley at the famous Merchant Taylors’ School in Northwood, Hertfordshire. The school is well-known in the English cricketing fraternity and offers world-class facilities in cricket coaching.

The selections were made at the end of an intensive three match series where the team played against the Sri Lankan National Under-16 team in, touring Sri Lanka from May 27 to June 3 2013.

Dixit, Chauhan and Puri outperformed 12 other players from their team, the Coca-Cola XI, to earn this excellent life changing opportunity. All-rounder Dixit, who is best known for his match-saving century against the Sri Lanka U-17 team, is a star player from New Delhi’s Salwan Boys High School. Representing LB Shastri Cricket Club, he recently claimed all ten wickets in the DDCA Sr. Division League match. Chauhan, who is from the same school as Dixit, represented Haryana in the prestigious Vijay Merchant Trophy in 2011 and was the highest scorer for his team. Puri is a product of the renowned Residential Cricket Academy in Madhya Pradesh and came into the spotlight after displaying some brilliant economy rates in the Coca-Cola Cricket Cup. The pacer, who represented Christian Eminent School, claimed two crucial wickets against the Sri Lanka U-17.

Coach Webley represented Somerset as a left-handed batsman and slow left-arm orthodox bowler in the 2003 Frizzell County Championship and played for Dorset (2005) and Suffolk (2006-07) in the Minor Counties Cricket Championship.

Procam International will nurture these boys both on and off the field, enabling them to make the best use of their talent and be given opportunities to succeed in the sport of cricket. Players from the previous edition who were provided with an opportunity to hone their skills in the UK were Sarfaraz Khan from Mumbai, Nitin Tanwar from New Delhi and Akshay Brahmbhatt from Baroda.

All three players will leave on June 9th and return on July 5^th 2013. The children will stay with Indian families in Bratford, London.