Taking a leaf from Madhya Pradesh, theGujarat governmentrecently announced a monthly assistance of Rs 4,000 for children who have been orphaned in Covid-19 pandemic. The financial assistance will continue till the child is 18 years old.
GUJARAT
Favourable prices and industrial demand drove silver imports to a record high of 1,173 metric tonnes (MT) in 2022-23. This was 91% higher than the 631 MT silver imported the previous fiscal year, according to data from the Ahmedabad Air Cargo Complex (AACC).
With prices touching a low of Rs 52,000 perkgaround September 2022, silver demand picked up, bullion traders and analysts said.
Retail consumption of silver has also increased significantly. Jewellers attribute this to the growing popularity of silver for everyday wear jewellery and gift articles and accessories.
Mankind to set up Rs 500 crore plant in Gujarat
TheGovernment of Gujarathas given an in-principle nod to Indian pharma majorMankind Pharmafor setting up a Rs 500 crorepharmaceutical plant in Gujarat.
In the first phase of the project, the company plans to invest Rs 500 crore for the plant that will be set up in Vadodara. Mankind Pharma will invest Rs 1,100 crore in a phased manner.
The plant being set up by the company will be 100% exports oriented and the products manufactured here will be sent to countries such as United States, Netherlands, to name a few, Das said. He added that companies such as Mankind Pharma will be able to benefit from Government of Indias Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes and which in turn will help reduce the import dependency.
Drone flying under SVAMITVA takes off
The central government informed the parliament in the recently concluded winter session that the Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas (SVAMITVA) scheme has taken off inGujarat, but no property cards have been issued to farmers yet.
Drones capture the land area and maps are made which are handed over to the state, which sends these back to the Union Government after verification. Following this, property cards are issued and distributed to persons residing in villages. It may be said that as of September 2021, drone flying activity had not been taken up in the state under the scheme.
According to the schedule prepared by the union ministry, 1,000 villages of Gujarat have to be covered under the SVAMITVA scheme by 2021-22, 8,510 villages have to be covered in 2022-23 and 9,505 villages have to be covered in the year 2023-24. Against a target of 1,000 villages, drone flying has been undertaken in only 103 villages of the state so far in this financial year.
Ministry of panchayati raj (MoPR) is implementing the SVAMITVA scheme with the aim to provide theRecord of Rights to village household owners possessing houses in inhabited areas in villages. Legal ownership rights (property cards/title deeds) are issued by mapping of land parcels using drone technology. The scheme aims to cover all the villages across the country by March 2025.
Gujarat likely to spend Rs 450 crore to hold 2022 assembly poll
A sum of Rs 450 crore is expected to be spent from the state exchequer for conducting a “free and fair” assembly election inGujarat.
A sum of Rs 450 crore is expected to be spent from the state exchequer to conduct a free and fair assembly election in Gujarat.
Ahead of every assembly and general (Lok Sabha) election, it is the state CEO offices practice to make a requisition for a special provisional budget.
Finalizing rules for Clinical Establishment Act soon: Gujarat government
The submitted before theGujarathigh court that it is about to finalize the rules for implementation of the Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act, which has been adopted to regularize healthcare facilities.
After the issue of fire safety at Covid-19 hospitals came to the High Court, the state government stressed on adopting theClinical Establishments Act. On February 26, a division bench insisted that the state government adopt the central law. The state assembly passed a bill in this regard five days later.
Gujarat mango exports set to scale new heights
With increased demand from the US, exports of mangoes from Gujarat are expected to scale new heights and grow by at least 45%, suggest estimates by Gujarat Agro Industries Corporation Limited (GAICL).
The sweet, succulent, tropical burst of flavours packed in Gujarat’s mangoes are in high demand in the international market too.
For instance, Gujarat recorded direct exports of 445 metric tonne (MT) mangoes to the United Kingdom and Middle East in 2022-23, according to GAICL. However, an additional demand coming from the US with orders pouring in huge volumes has already led Gujarat’smangocultivators to export 65 MT to the USA alone. This accounts for a lion’s share of 55% of the total mango exports from Gujarat at 114 MT so far, according to GAICL. Exports are expected to increase as the season progresses.
The United States Department of Agriculture-notes-for-state-psc-exams”>Agriculture-Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS) has approved the Gujarat Agro Radiation Processing Facility (GARPF) in July 2022. This gives Gujarat’s mango farmers and exporters an added advantage with additional demand pouring from the US.
Gujarat government sanctions Rs 249 crore for water projects
The on Monday gave in-principle assent to allocation of Rs 249 crore for water supply networks in one Municipal Corporation and ten municipalities of the state.
The Money has been sanctioned under Swarnim Jayanti Mukhyamantri Shaheri Vikas Yojana. The government has set a target of achieving 100% coverage of all houses under the Nal Se Jal programme, the statement added.
Various water supply projects will be taken up in the municipalities of Gandhidham, Gondal-Keshod, Rapar,Jetalpur-Navagadh, Porbandar-Chhaya,Kalavad, Bhanwad, Bhuj and Kutiyana. The municipal corporation of Junagadh will also get water supply projects, the release said.
Gujarat: Textiles units hurt by US-Europe inflation
Gujarat-based Home textiles manufacturers are struggling to get export orders. These manufacturers foresee tough times for almost six months, due to high raw material prices and high in key exports markets such as Europe and the US. Margins have fallen significantly and even after the start of the newcottonseason, the situation has not improved. Gujarat-based home textile manufacturers get around 75% of their revenue from exports.
Gujaratis a large manufacturer of home textiles and around 80% of our production is meant for export.
According to Industry players, Indian home textile exports were worth about $9 billion in the last financial year and the US accounts for more than 55% of India’s home textile exports, from where demand has been adversely affected.
Pharma products’ approvals in Gujarat rise as firms expand portfolios
With a strong demand Growth in thehealthcarespace and people focusing more on preventative care after the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic, pharma companies are adding more drugs and products to their existing portfolios.
As a result, there has been a substantial jump in productapprovalsgranted to manufacture medicines inGujarat.
For instance: Gujarat Food and Drug Control Administration (FDCA) in September issued 5,494 licences to make different allopathic drugs and products. Except January and April, the number of product permissions provided to pharma firms every month has hovered above the 5,000-mark this year, shows data compiled by the FDCA-Gujarat.
While exports of pharmaceuticals have been robust ever since the pandemic struck, the domestic market growth has also bounced back strongly. This has prompted more and more companies to launch their products to cater to the growing demand, added players.