MUMBAI, August 12: The parliamentary standing committee on problems of cotton growers in the country has asked the government to release at least 10 lakh bales of cotton for exports well before the new cotton season (Oct 1997-Sept 1998) begins in view of India becoming a cotton surplus country. India has definite leverage to release export quota. Half of this quota needs to be given to the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) and the other half to state federations and others, the committee said in its report tabled in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

Model fuel supply pact soon: The government will finalise the model fuel supply agreement (FSA) for private power producers within this month and the same will be executed by September end, additional secretary in the ministry of petroluem and natural gas Devi Dayal said.

Dayal said the state governments have also been advised by the ministry of power to submit any proposals by September 8 on the change of fuel and location of the naphtha based power plants of independent power producers.

Oilseed output up: The use of improved varieties and hybrids of oilseeds have led to an increase in production from 21.34 million tonnes in 1994-95 to 22.43 million tonnes in 1995-96, agriculture minister Chaturanan Mishra informed the Lok Sabha.

Over 320 improved varieties of different oilseeds have been released and notified so far by various research institutes in the country, he said in reply to a question.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.