02-03.10.22

UNC iterates stand against 7 new districts in Manipur

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he UnitedNagaCouncil (UNC), a conglomerate of various Naga civil bodies of the state, on Wednesday reiterated the Naga peoples decision adopted in December 2016 against the creation of seven new districts in the state in the same year.

The districts five in the hills and two in the valley were created on December 8, 2016, by the erstwhileCongressgovernment which said those were set up for administrative convenience. The state has now 16 districts.

Earlier, the UNC had strongly contended that the Nagas ancestral areas were divided by carving out the new districts. It also outrightly rejected the 6th and 7th Amendment of theManipur(Hill Areas) District Council Bill, 2022.

Assam cabinet decides to withdraw 3 lakh petty cases

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TheAssam cabineton Sunday decided to withdraw about three lakh petty cases pending in various subordinate courts throughout the state within six months to speed up justice delivery in serious cases.

Under Section 321 ofCrPC, the public prosecutor in charge of a case has been empowered to withdraw from prosecution, with the consent of the court, at any time before the judgment is pronounced.

Briefing the media, cabinet ministerJayanta Malla Baruahsaid about 4.19 lakh cases are pending in the state today and most of these cases are petty ones.

MoEF panel gives green nod to JSWs steel plant project

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An expert appraisal committee of the Union ministry of environment and climate change (MoEF&CC) has recommended grant of environment clearance (EC) for JSW Utkal Steel Ltds proposed steel plant near Paradip in Jagatsinghpur district. The committee that had deferred granting environment clearance to the company seeking more information, has set a series of conditions while giving its nod.

TheSajjan Jindal-ledgroup has planned a 13.2 MTPA crude steel plant along with 900 MW captive power and 10 MTPA cement grinding unit. It also plans to set up a captive jetty near the plant. While the state government is in the process of handing over of land for the project, the project has been facing stiff resistance from some locals. At least three petitions relating to the project have also been pending in theOrissahigh court.

The expert appraisal committee, while recommending clearance for the project, has said that its proponent (JSW) should abide by all orders and judicial pronouncements, made from time to time by the Orissa high court.

Tirupur readies for 48th India International Knit Fair

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The 48thIndia International Knit Fairwould commence inTirupuron October 12.
Organized by theIndia Knit Fair Association(IKF), apex body of the Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC), the fair would be conducted from October 12 to 14 at theIKFAcomplex in Tirupur.

Supported byTirupur Exporters Association, Handloom Export Promotion Council, Apparel and Handloom Exporters Association and Karur Textile Manufacturers & Exporters Association, the event would showcase a fresh range of designs in high-end fashion garments for men, women and kids.

Kerala: Panel to verify eco sensitive zones near sanctuaries

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The government has set up an expert panel, headed by former chief justice of Calcutta high courtThottathil B Radhakrishnan, for the physical verification of eco-sensitive zones (ESZ) and other constructions that are present in ESZs around 23 national parks and wildlife sanctuaries in state. The committee also includes additional chief secretaries of environment and LSG departments, principal secretary of forests and wildlife department and former head of forests force James Varghese.

Kerala has already filed a review petition before the court on buffer zones. On July 27, the cabinet had decided to rectify its 2019 order and recommend the exclusion of human habitats around national parks and wildlife sanctuaries from the ambit of ESZ. It had given clearance to forest department to exclude such habitats, government and semi-government institutions that are lying close to 23 sanctuaries and national parks in state from the ambit of ESZ.

Karnataka lost 746 hectares of forest in three years

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Karnatakais one of the key states fast losing large swathes offorest landto mining and developmental projects.

And the most recent instance is the Hubballi-Ankola rail, clamour for which has reached a new crescendo, especially after the visit of an experts’ committee, even as conservationists oppose the proposed diversion of 595.6 hectares of forest land for the project.

The state has lost 746.1 hectares of forest land in just three years, including two pandemic years which saw minimal activity. According to data from the forest department, Ballari andUttara Kannadahave been the worst-affected districts losing much of the forest areas.

Telangana cleanest, Assam worst in rural area Swacchta survey

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Telangana, Haryana andTamil Naduemerged the cleanest among all large states on parameters of rural sanitation whileAssam, Bihar and Jammu and Kashmir were the three worst performers, according to the Swachh Survekshan Grameen (SSG) 2022.

Among districts Bhiwani in Haryana is the cleanest even as the second and third best performers award were bagged by Jagtial and Nizamabad districts of Telangana. Golaghat district of Assam finished at the bottom of 709 districts, which were ranked in this survey. The two other worst performers were from Bihar Banka (708 rank) and Katihar (707).

Since Delhi and Chandigarh are fully urbanised UTs, these were not ranked.

Cotton ryots in AP to gain big this season

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Cottontrade season is expected to begin on a positive note inAndhra Pradesh. While early market reports have indicated poor yields from cotton dominant states likeMadhya Pradesh, Gujarat,Maharashtraand Karnakata, the crop area in AP has jumped by 30% with production expected to rise by nearly 15 per cent.

In normal conditions, the increase in crop area and production would have adversely hit farmers. However, AP farmers are likely to gain big as the crop in neighbouring states were damaged due to heavy rains and floods, which in turn is expected to increase demand for the stock from state farmers.

Notwithstanding the favourable market conditions, Cotton Corporation of India has set the stage ready for procurement of stock from growers in AP. CCI has brought as many as 34 procurement centres in 14 cotton growing districts in the state into operation. The Centre has already announced 6,380 as minimum support price for the current season, which is nearly 355 more than the MSP granted last season.

According to inputs from the agriculture department, cotton cultivated area has gone up by nearly 30 per cent across the state as many farmers went for its cultivation in large extents.

The agriculture marketing department is also coordinating with CCI to extend support to growers at cotton procurement centres.

Centre sanctions highway projects worth Rs 2,200 crore for Goa

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CM Pramod Sawant said that road projects worth Rs 2,228 crore have been sanctioned for Goa by the Union ministry for road transport and highways (MoRTH). The projects approved include a six-lane highway on stilts at Porvorim, a four-lane highway expansion from Navelim to Cuncolim, and a four-lane bypass from Mashem to Pollem in Canacona.

The Navelim to Cuncolim highway has received a sanction of Rs 361 crore, while the Mashem to Pollem bypass will be constructed at a cost of Rs 177 crore.
The Porvorim highway on stilts is a long-awaited project.

Work of highway expansion that began in late 2016 is expected to be complete from Patradevi up to Karaswada and Verna (including one lane of the new Zuari bridge) by December 2022. Only a stretch of around 3km in Porvorim remains to be expanded.

Presently, due to this pending work at Porvorim, traffic movement continues to be affected at the bottleneck between the Sangolda junction and Mall de Goa.

Industries seek railways business development centre in Aurangabad

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Ahead of the Union railway ministerAshwini Vaishnaws official visit toAurangabad, the local industries have demanded the setting up of the research and development (R&D) and business development centre of the national transporter in the city.

In a memorandum addressed to the minister, MAGIC, a state-recognised business incubator run under the aegis of the Chamber of Marathwada Industries and Agriculture (CMIA), said that the desired facility can be raised under the newly-announced StartUpsfor Railways policy by the Indian Railways.
MAGIC directorAshish Gardesaid the facility can be established at AURIC the countrys first well-planned and greenfield smart industrial city being developed on 10,000 acres in Aurangabad.