IMPORT POLICY OF NEWSPRINT FOR THE YEAR 1974-75
Public Notice No. 79-ITC(PN)/7 New Delhi, The 7th June 1974 SUBJECT : Import Policy for Newsprint-Printing and Writing Paper (excluding laid marked paper) which contains mechanical wood pulp amounting to not less than 70% of the fibre contents-(S.No. 44/V)-for the year April 1974-March, 1975.
The import policy for Newsprint (S. No. 44/V) for the year April 1974-March 1975 is given in Annexure I to IV to this Public Notice and shall be applicable with effect from the 1st April, 1974.
B. D. Kumar
Chief Controller of Imports and Exports
Annexure I to Public Notice No. 79-ITC (PN)/74 Dated June 7,1974
Part & Description Licensing Policy for Validity Remarks
S No. of Authority Established of licence
I.T.C. Importers
Schedule
44/V White printing Paper CCI&E Nil 12 months 1.Licences for
(excluding laid marked newsprint
paper) which contains will also be
mechancial wood pulp Valid for
amounting to not less import of
than 70 % of the fibre water lined
content. news print
provided it
contains
mechanical
wood pulp
amounting to
not less than
70% of the
fibre
content and
its weight is
not less than
48-52+40%
grammes per
square metre.
II A.U. for publishers and/or printers of newspapers and periodicals.
III A.U. applications in 'J' Form from publishers and/or printers of newspapers and periodicals for news print will be submitted, in duplicate and complete in all respects, through the Registrar of Newspapers for India, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, New Delhi.
IV Grant of import licences for newsprint wit i be considered on the basis of applications for the same received by the Registrar of Newspapers for India not latter than the 2nd September, 1974.
V The entitlement of individual newspapers/periodicals for newsprint will be determined by the Registrar of Newspapers for India, New Delhi, on the basis of its performance in 1972-73, taking into account the average circulation, average number of pages and average page area actually published by utilising news- print authorised for that period.
N.B.-In the case of newspapers/periodicals which commenced publication during 1973-74 and are in receipt of quota, the entitlement of these newspapers will be on the basis of their performance in 1973-74, taking into account the average circulation, average number of pages and average page area actually published by utilising newsprint authorised for that period.
V (b) The entitlement of individual newspapers/periodicals as worked out under Remark V(a) above will be subject to a reducting of 40 per cent on account of reduced availability of newsprint.
V (c) Daily newspapers on application will be allocated 7 per cent of their 1974-75 entitlement in Printing and Writing Paper. This is on the basis of a quantity of about 16,000 tonnes (of 60 grammes substance) made available for distribution to daily newspapers by the Ministry of Industrial Development.
V (d) The entire position will be reviewed whien more quantity of newsprint and/or printing and writing paper becomes available for distribution to newspapers.
V (e) Allocation of newsprint in accordance with the entitlement so fixed is subject to availability of foreign exchange or newsprint or either or both in case either or both fall short of expectations, appropriate further cuts will be made
V (f) The basis of newsprint entitlement of individual newspapers/ periodicals as indicated above will not be applicable in respect of those newspapers/periodicals whose circulation has been checked by the circulation teams of the Registrar of Newspapers for India and assessed lower than the newsprint entitlement the basis will be the assessed circulation on the one hand and the claimed average number of pages and average page-area, in 1973-74 on the other. However, the newspapers/periodicals whose circulation was checked for a year before 1970, can claim entitlement on the basis of claimed circulation or performance in 1972-73. Such claim will be subject to verification through an agency to be named by the Registrar of Newspapers for India.
V (g) The entitlement for standard newsprint as also Nepa newsprint will be worked out on 53 grammes sub- stance.
V (h) A compensation of 5 per cent of entitlement will
be given for wastage in transit and/or machine room.
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V(i) The entitlement in Nepa newsprint will be increased by 10 per cent as compensation for higher grammage.
VI The entitlement of newsprint will be met by issue of allotment in favour of newspapers/periodicals for imports through the State Trading Corporation of India Ltd. New Delhi, on high sea sales basis (canalised imports) or authorisation(s) issued i;n; favour of applicants in terms of Remark V above in the following manner:
Annual entitlement Quantity to be Quantity to be Cuts imposed
allowed allowed on account of
in imported in indigenous reduced
newsprint newsprint availability
manufactured by
Nepa Mills
(Standard newsprint and indigenous newsprint)
DAILIES (including
their Sunday editions)
(a) Less than 100 tonnes 60% nil 40%
(b) 100 tonnes or more
but less than 1,000
tonnes 35% 25% 40%
(c) 1,000 tonnes and above 40% 20% 40%
PERIODICALS
All entitlements 60% nil 40%
N.B. Daily newspapers with less than 100 tonnes of entitlement after the cut and all periodicals to whom imported newsprint is admissible may opt for their entitlement being met upto 50% in imported newsprint and 50% in indigenous newsprint manufactured by Nepa Mills Daily newspapers/ periodicals with entitlement upto 25.00 metric tonnes can opt for their entire entitlement in Nepa Newspapers/Periodicals opting for Nepa newsprint will have to obtain their requirement in sizes that Nepa Mills can make available.
Notes
1. Newsprint imports from abroad will be canalised through the State Trading Corporation of India Ltd. Since the suppliers do not entertain orders in lots of less than 25 tonnes. newspapers with entitlement less than 25 tonnes will either have to arrange their imports by the State Trading Corporation of India Ltd., through an established importer or through State Industrial Development Corporations and specify the same in 'J' Form. Otherwise they will be granted authorisation on the State Trading Corporation of India Ltd.
2. Since adequate supplies of glazed / rotogravure newsprint have not become available so far, periodicals will be allotted unglazed/rotogravure newsprint becoming available. the same will be allotted on a pro-rata basis to periodicals on application.
3. Allotment to all categories will be made in reels only An additional quantity for conversion of reels into sheets at rate of 10 per cent in respect of standard newsprint will be granted to newspapers with entitlement upto 25.00 tonnes.
4. Since Nepa Mills are not in a position to despatch consignments of less than 10 tonnes, Nepa newsprint in lots of less than 10 tonnes will not be allotted. Allotments of smaller quantities may, however, be made to recipients who are willing to take delivery of their quota at the Nepa Mills and arrange for its transport.
5. On applications received after 2-9-1974 cuts will be made on entitlement as follows:
(i) applications received upto 31-10-1974 10%
(ii) applications received beyond 31-10-1974 and upto 20%
(iii)applications received beyond 1-1-1973 and upto 31-3-1975 40%
VII (a) Newsprint is allotted to each individual newspapers, periodicals and the newspaper/ periodical is the recipient of the newsprint. Newspapers/periodicals will not be periodicals will not be permitted to adjust between them the quota allotted to each of them even when the publications/ are under the same ownership and/or bear the same title/ name.
VII (b) The authorised quota of newsprint allotted under this policy to a newspaper/periodicals may, however be used for a new "edition" of the same newspaper/periodical and the newsprint,if so used, shall be accounted for separately.
Notes:- For the above purpose an "edition" is a newspaper/periodical which, irrespective of the place of publication, bears the same name /title is in the same language and has the same periodicity as the newspaper/newspaper/periodical already being published by the same ownership /management,and is a reprint/separate run of the newspaper/periodical with variations decated by the time factor and to meet requirements of existing local readership and speedier distribution.
VIII(a) Clearance regarding availability of newsprint for new daily newspapers/periodicals
Publishers of new daily newspapers and periodicals intending to apply for newsprint quota will obtain clearance regarding availability of newsprint from the Registrar of Newspapers for India before commencing a publication. Information as per Annexure III should be furnished while applying for clerance under the allocation policy.
VIII (b) News daily newspapers/periodicals
In vies of the shortage of newsprint, no quota will be allotted to new daily newspapers and periodicals for the first six months. after six months of regular publication, the publishers of such newspapers should submit an application in Actual Users Form along with information contained in Annexure III and a Chartered Accountants Certificate showing the average circulation achieved and the average page area and average number of pages printed during the first six months along with documentary evidence of the purchase of paper used for printing the publication quota will be allotted to news newspapers/periodicals for the rest of the licensing period on the basis of the average circulation actually achieved and the average number of pages and page area actually printed during the first six months subject to a maximum of 15,000 copies of 6 pages of standard size (2540 sq. cms) in the case of dailies/weeklies/tri-weeklies/bi-weeklies and a maximum of 15,000 copies of 12 pages of standard size in the case of other periodicals, provided the applicants execute bonds duly guaranteed by scheduleds banks for 75 percent of the value applied for under column 10 of the Actual Users Form ('J'). The bonds which are intended to ensure that the newsprint thus granted is utilised for publishing the proposed news papers will be cancelled on production of documentary evidence to the satisfaction of the Registrar of Newspapers for India or the Chief Controller of Imports and Exports to show that the newsprint has been utilised for the publication of the newspaper(s) concerned.
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VIII (c) Existing newspapers which did not obtain clearance for the use of newsprint or licences/authorisations in 1973-74 will be treated as in VIII (a) and (b) above. Further, the requirements of executing bonds duly guranteed by scheduled banks will be waived in the case of those newspapers/periodicals who are borne on the records of the Registrar of Newspapers for India and are in regular publication from January, 1, 1971.
VIII (d) In the case of dailies and periodicals which commenced publication prior to 1-4-1974 and which are in receipt of quota of newsprint less than the maximum admissible to a new daily/ periodical, the entitlement will be revised to the maximum admissible on specific application and production of documentary evidence, i.e.quarterly, Chartered Accountant,s Certificate as per Annexure II for the licensing year 1974-75. But this will not apply to newspapers whose circulation had been checked by Registrar of News-papers for India and assessed lower than the claimed circulation after January, 1970.
IX The following categories of newspapers and periodicals will not be entitled to the allocation of newsprint under this Public Notice notwithstanding that they are classified as newspapers:
(a) Journals published primarily to promote sale of goods or services;
(b) Posters/Pamphlets for Election or compaigns of commercial nature;
(c) House journals /Magazines brought out by individual/firm/industrial concerns;
(d) Price Lists, catalogues and directories;
(e) Publications intended for free distribution;
(f) Fiction;
(g) Racing guides;
(h) School/College magazines;
(i) Teaching Journals/Teaching guides; and
(j) Government publications.
X If any newspaper/periodical had not fully utilised the quantity allocated in 1973-74, the unutilised quantity shall be adjusted from its entitlement for 1974-75. To enable the Registrar of Newspapers for India to determine the consumption of newsprint in 1973-74,the particulars (monthwise) of circulation, pages. page-area and number of publishing days in 1973-74 should be furnished by the newspaper(s) periodical(s) in the form given in Annexure II and IV to this Public Notice. The consumption in 1973-74 will be worked out on the actual number of days published in the period. The particulars furnished in Annexure II referred to above should be certified by the Charterered Accountant. The Chartered Accountant's Certificate need not be submitted where the circulation of a newspaper/periodical is less than 2,000 copies per publishing day, (This facility will, however, not be available to those newspapers applying for newsprint quota under Remark VIII above.)
NOTE.- Allotment obtained in 1973-74 under schemes for Export Promotion etc., will also be taken into account for determining quantity utilised/held in stock by the Newspapers in 1973-74. For this purpose, information shall be furnished in Annexure IV to this Public Notice/Columns 11 and 12 of Actual Users' application (`J' Form).