Indian scientists have developed a flight control system for the light combat aircraft (LCA) despite technology sanctions by the US, APJ Abdul Kalam, scientific adviser to the defence ministry, said on Wednesday. "We have already shown how to handle sanctions bydeveloping our own indigenous flight control system for LCA," Kalam observed presenting his "Vision: India- 2020" at the annual western region session of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in Mumbai.

NCHF disbursal touches Rs 4,585cr

All the 25 state-level apex cooperative housing federations set up under the National Cooperative Housing Federation (NCHF) have advanced a cumulative loan of Rs 4,585 crore to primary co-operative societies so far, official sources said on Wednesday. Altogether 90,000 primary housing cooperatives arefunctioning in the country with a membership of 60 lakh, they said, adding construction of 14,36,380 houses had been completed while 4,37,950 were underconstruction.

Ranganadi hydel project

All three units of the 405 mw Ranganadi hydel project of the North-eastern Electric Power Corporation in Arunachal Pradesh would be completed by January 2001, official sources said in Guwahati on Wednesday. Almost 80 per cent excavation work of the project hasbeen completed and excavation for the main dam is in progress, they said, adding the erection work of generating plant and equipment for all the units were progressing satisfactorily. The project in the lower subansiri district is expectedto generate 1874 units of power.

Paraffin wax, LPG bottling plant demanded

The employees of the Guwahati refinery have demanded the setting up of a paraffin wax plant and a LPG bottling plant to make the refinery viable. "Guwahati refinery is technologically very old and small in capacity and in the present scenario it needs further expansion and value-addition to make it more competitive," general secretary of the refinery workers' union JC sarma said in arelease on Wednesday. The proposal for setting up a paraffin wax plant wassubmitted way back in 1991 and an agreement was reached between the TU and the management over the issue in 1996 but it was yet to take off, he said.

3-month time given for flyash notification

The Delhi high court on Wednesday gave three months' time to the Union government to finalise the notification on regulating the use of flyash released by thermal power plants in the country. A division bench headed by acting Chief Justice Devinder Gupta also directed flyash mission of Department of Science and Technology to file an affidavit detailing whether any material was developed by it from the flyash which could be used as alternative to wood in construction works.

TN to have engg reform panel

The Tamil Nadu government will set up an engineering reform committee to revamp its Public Works Department and make it more efficient and its projects more cost-effective and long-lasting, PWD minister Durai Murugan informedthe state Assembly on Wednesday. Replying to a debate on the demands for public works andirrigation, he said the panel, under an eminent technological expert, would be the first of its kind in the country.