Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh has asked the public to avail benefits from the state Health scheme of chief minister-GI Hakshelgi Tengbang (CMHT) and Ayushman Bharat Yojana for Covid-19 treatment.
Meant to address the economic concerns of the poor, both the health schemes will cover Covid cases irrespective of their economic strength.
TheIndian Meteorological Department(IMD), in its updated long-range forecast for the southwest monsoon season that spans from June to September, has forecast most likely normal rainfall over the country.
But over the northeastern region alone, the Probability of below normal rainfall is more.
The country is divided into four homogenous rainfall regions Northwest India, South Peninsula,Central Indiaand Northeast and the Monsoon Core Zone which depicts most of the rainfed Agriculture-notes-for-state-psc-exams”>Agriculture regions.
According to the IMD update, while the SW monsoon is likely to be normal over Northwest India (between 92-108% ofLPA) and South Peninsula (between 93-107% of LPA), Central India is likely to receive over normal rainfall (more than 106% of LPA).
But Northeast India is likely to get below normal rainfall (less than 95% of LPA). The monsoon core zone is likely to receive above normal (more than 106% of LPA) rainfall.
The IMD considers normal rainfall to be 96-108% of the long period Average (LPA) of the season rainfall over the country for the period 1961-2010, which is 88 cm.
Based on IMDs Multi Model Ensemble (MME) system for forecasting, the forecast probability of below normal rainfall over NE is more (40%), while the forecast probability for normal rainfall is 33% and the probability of above normal rainfall is just 27%.
The new strategy uses the existing statistical forecasting system to generate these forecasts along with a newly developed Multi-Model Ensemble (MME) forecasting system based on coupled global Climate models (CGCMs) from different global climate prediction and research centers including IMDs Monsoon Mission CFS (MMCFS) model.
He said that creation of mangrove forest was the only viable solution to prevent devastation which was witnessed during the recent cyclonic storm Yaas, mainly in three districts including Baleswar, Bhadrak and Kendrapada. Jena observed that the need of hour is to create a wall of mangrove forests for a 480 km coastline with one km width. Per hectare while nearly Rs 50,000 is needed for 48,000 hectares of land the amount about Rs 250 crore would be required. Jena also opined that another option to construct a seawall wont work as it would cause water draining issues. When the trees along with the coast are being cut mindlessly and indiscriminately, it has created an ecological imbalance.
Except in the Bhitarakanika sanctuary, the mangrove forest of the State is almost nonexistent these days. Hence, the should undertake the mangrove forest plantation in a time-bound manner, Jena emphasised. Jena also observed that a programme entitled Coastal Shelter Belt was undertaken following a severe cyclone in 1971, which caused loss of human lives of over 10,000 besides huge damages to Livestock and other assets, by former CM Biju Patnaik as a long term solution to the tidal surge but the programme was stalled subsequently.
He further said the shrimp farming should be regulated through a regulatory authority and the mangrove forest should be revived and created along the sea coast in both the forest lands as well as Government lands.
With the exact impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Nadus economy yet to be known this year, the State Government may have to increase its borrowings for managing its fiscal Health.
According to the 15th Finance Commissions recommendations, the Fiscal Deficit has to be within 4% of the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) for 2021-22. If the State government goes beyond its planned borrowings, the fiscal deficit is bound to go up, for which it has to seek the Centres approval. As per the Interim Budget presented by the previous AIADMK regime in February, the plan was to borrow 84,686.75 crore, by keeping the fiscal deficit at 3.94% of GSDP.
Under normal circumstances, there will be a certain amount of increase in revenue even in the absence of a hike in taxes or charges. But with the second wave of the pandemic, a fall in revenue looks imminent. For example, as per the Budget Estimates worked out by the government prior to the outbreak of the pandemic in March 2020, the SOTR for 2020-21 was expected to be about 1.34 lakh crore. [It was later revised to 1.09 lakh crore].
As per a provisional estimate, the revenue netted last year was about 1.06 lakh crore. This meant that the gap was about 28,000 crore. It remains to be seen whether the State would see a similar drop in revenue this year as well if the pandemic continues.
Thegovernmentwould ensure thatKeralas shoreline will be protected fromsea erosionwithin the next five years, said CM PinarayiVijayanin the assembly. The project to protect the shoreline to be implemented viaKIIFBhas begun.
While finding a permanent solution to sea erosion, the government will implement programmes that will ensure the participation of the fishermen community.
Power minister K Krishnankutty, who spoke on behalf of Resources“>Water Resources minister Roshy Augustine, said the government is preparing projects worth Rs 5,000 crore for coast protection.
Even as the second Covid-19 wave has shown early signs of ebbing, the spread of the disease into villages and ower vaccination numbers in rural areas points to a potential crisis there.
According to Health department officials, of 1.3 crore doses ofvaccineadministered in the state so far, only 35 percent have been given to the rural Population. Only those above 60 years have been given Vaccines in villages and around 60 per cent are yet to get the second dose. People in the 45-60 age are hardly covered.
government has urged the Centre at the GST Council meeting to raise the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) limit from three to five per cent for borrowing purpose as the States revenue had dipped significantly and its expenditure shot up considerably due to COVID pandemic.
Yet, Telangana was in a better position to borrow because its Fiscal Deficit in the revenues for 2021-22 was expected to touch 23.10% while the aggregate Average of all States put together was pegged at 36.3%.
Mr. Rao sought immediate release of 218 crore due to Telangana from the 13,000 crore deposited to the consolidated fund of Integrated Goods and Services Tax. The deposit to the fund was only 2,638 crore.
The All-IndiaHandloom RightsForum (AIHRF) has appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to extend financial assistance tofamiliesin thehandloom sector.
The AIHRF president sought financial help of at least Rs 10,000 per family per month during the pandemic. This, he said, was because while some states have announced lockdowns and others have imposed curfews, all of which are hurting the sector. Narasimham said that around 31.45 lakh families are engaged in thehandloomsector across the country and 75% of those involved in handloom are Women.
The AIHRF president also wants the Centre to pay Rs 25,000 into accounts of weavers whose families were hit by Covid-19. He further requested the government to waive all taxes on raw materials, products and all direct and indirect taxes on the sector including those on hank yarn, chemicals, colours and cloth.
In a clear indication of the economic hit of the lockdown-like restrictions inMaharashtra, state GSTcollectionsplummeted by 36.4% between April and May. The curbs announced to control the second wave of Covid clamped down on most sectors barring Agriculture-notes-for-state-psc-exams”>Agriculture, manufacturing, construction and essential Services. Currently, non-essential retail has been allowed to open in a limited manner.
GST collections in April reflected the transactions made in March. However, receipts in May reflect the transactions after the lockdown-like curbs began.
The latest data shows that GST collections decreased from Rs 22,012 crore in April to Rs 13,399 crore in Maya fall of Rs 8,130 crore.
GST is a consumption-based tax and is an indicator of economic activity.
Maharashtra had ended the pandemic-struck year of 2020-21 with GST collections that were 11% lower than 2019. Data showed that the state collected 1.6 lakh crore worth of GST in 2020-21 compared to 1.8 lakh crore in 2019-20. The receipts had dipped by Rs 20,609 crore.
The state has been pressing the Centre to settle its pending GST compensation dues, which are currently Rs 24,000 crore.
The state has collected a total revenue of Rs 861.09 crore from deed registration during the first two months of the current fiscal year (April 1 to May 31).
A total stamp duty of Rs 803.12 crore and registration fee of Rs 57.97 crore were collected in these two months.
Similarly, Faridabad with a total of 3,886 deed registrations resulted in stamp duty collection of Rs 74.58 crore and fee of Rs 5.24 crore. A total of 4,746 deed registrations in Karnal resulted in a stamp duty collection of Rs 48.01 crore and fee of Rs 3.95 crore.