MMTC floats bids to import onions
New Delhi: State-owned MMTC has floated a global tender for import of 2,000 tonnes of onions, a senior consumer affairs ministry official said Tuesday. The onion imports are aimed at boosting the local availability and curbing prices, which at present are ruling as high as Rs80 per kg in the national capital. “MMTC has issued a tender for onion imports. We expect this will help control the prices,” the official said. The government trading agency will import onions in two tranches. Meanwhile, cooperative Nafed has started procuring onions directly from farmers for distribution in consuming areas. It has been asked to buy about 10,000 tonnes of onions. Another agency SFAC has been directed to buy 2,000 tonnes of onions, which will start soon, the official added.
Air India Express CAT-III-B certified
Mumbai: Air India Express (AIE), the overseas budget arm of Air India, has secured the Category III-B certification from regulator DGCA, which allows it to operate in dense foggy conditions. Air India Express flights can now land and take off in low visibility conditions even up to an RVR (runway visual range) as low as up to 50 meters, the airline said Tuesday. The airline is now 100 per cent CAT III B certified and all its pilots have also completed the low visibility training, required for carrying out operations in foggy conditions. Domestic airlines are required to deploy only CAT-III compliant planes and crew trained to fly under low visibility conditions while operating in and out of a CAT-III. At present, only three airports -New Delhi, Jaipur and Lucknow — are CAT III-B compliant aerodromes.
Indian Bank holds loan mela at Danpur
Bhubaneswar/Kendrapara: Indian Bank organised a loan mela at Danpur at which sanction letters were issued to more than 60 borrowers. The bank sanctioned loans valued at more than Rs100 lakh an official release stated. General Manager, Financial Inclusion & Development Department of Reserve Bank of India AR Samal was the chief guest at the event. He was accompanied by AGM of the bank Tapas Biswas. Deputy Zonal Manager of the bank, Vallery Rath, welcomed the dignitaries and addressed the gathering on the imnportance of the MUDRA scheme. The loan mela was also attended by staff of Indian Bank branches from Danpur, Kendrapara, Patamundai, Oupada, Hariank and Sasan.
NINL to start blast furnace capital repair
Bhubaneswar: Odisha-based Neelachal Ispat Nigam Limited (NINL) would start capital repair process of its 15-year-old blast furnace from Thursday and has set a target to complete the work within 90 days. The blow down process of the blast furnace, which had been commissioned in 2002, commenced November 26 and the capital repair work will begin from November 30, a company official said. The blast furnace capital repair, running of the SMS (Steel Melting Shop) in full capacity and operation of the captive mines at Koira are important stages to realise the company’s plans, NINL Vice-Chairman & MD SS Mohanty said in a statement. The company also expects to start mining operation after its captive mines at Koira get the final stage-II forest clearance in the next few months from the Ministry of Environment & Forest, he said.
