Surface transport minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday presented a cheque for Rs 15 crore to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee for the National Defence Fund. The contribution money was received from autonomous bodies and public sector undertakings under the ministry of surface transport.

GPCC collects Rs 72 lakh

The Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee president CD Patel on Saturday handed over two cheques for Rs 72 lakh to Congress president Sonia Gandhi for rehabilitation of the families of the soldiers killed in Kargil. An additional contribution of Rs 10 lakh would be made later, Patel said while handing over the cheques to Sonia at an election campaign meeting in Ahmedabad.

BP to set up unit in Mauritius

Bharat Petroleum Ltd is planning to set up a distribution network in Mauritius for supplying aviation fuel and petrol. Talks in this regard have already been initiated with the Mauritius government and a final decision on the samewould be formalised shortly, Mauritius high commissioner Rohit N Guttee said.

BIFR raps Montari, IDBI

The Board for Industrial and Financial Reconstruction has seriously objected to both Montari Industries Ltd and IDBI for "acting in concert to settle deals behind the curtains" and restrained MIL from exploiting BIFR's protection against secured creditors.