People's Democracy

on file

THE UPA coalition, which came to power on a pro-poor and pro-rural platform, would have been embarrassed had this happened in public. On Thursday (June 23) evening, rural development minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh accused finance minister P Chidambaram of being anti-rural and anti-poor at a meeting called by prime minister Manmohan Singh, sources said…..

What reportedly angered him was that despite announcements of a business plan, with Rs 1,74,000 crore to be invested over four years, nothing concrete was coming forth in the form of additional financial commitments. There were indications that the finance minister might oblige with limited additional money for some schemes – but no commitment.

--- The Times of India, June 25   

SIX million children who die each year from preventable diseases could be saved if richer nations gave another 5.1 billion dollars a year, researchers said on Friday (June 24).

That’s the amount they calculate would cover the costs of providing drugs, vitamins and vaccines to treat sick babies in 42 countries that account for 90 per cent of child deaths.

“This cost represents 1.23 dollars per head in these countries,” said researcher Dr Jennifer Bryce, lead author of the report published in The Lancet medical journal….

About half of the deaths from preventable diseases in children under five years old occur in six countries: India, Nigeria, China, Pakistan, Democratic Republic of Congo and Ethiopia.

The illnesses that kill them range from diarrhoea, pneumonia and malnutrition to malaria and HIV/AIDS.

Although doctors have the means to prevent childhood deaths with simple interventions and inexpensive treatments, they are not being incorporated into public heath policies.     

--- National Herald, June 25

THE country’s external debt increased 7.2 per cent to 120.9 billion dollars at the end of December 2004, against 112.8 billion dollars at end-December 2003.

At the end of December 2002, external debt was 105.4 billion dollars.

A status report on the country’s external debt released on Friday (June 24) said that long-term debt at the end of December 2004 stood at 114.03 billion dollars or 94.3 per cent of the total debt.

Between December 2003 and 2004, the external debt increased 8.1 billion dollars, of which 3.1 billion dollars was contributed by valuation effect arising from depreciation of the dollar.

--- Business Line, June 25