06.07.21

Recovery rate in Mizoram low due to rigid discharge protocol: IMA

by

Indian Medical Association (IMA)Mizoramstate branch attributed the lowrecovery rateofCovid-19infected people in Mizoram to thestate government’s refusal to change the Covid-19 discharge protocol. Mizoram’s recovery rate was 78.21% as against 96.80% in India.

IMA’s Mizoram state branch president Dr Rosangluaia said that the IMA, Mizoram state branch had repeatedly asked the to change the discharge protocol, but the government has stuck to its guns.

Another doctor said that the state government dared not change the discharge protocol due to pressure from the local-level task force who are helping the government machinery in combating the pandemic in their own respective areas.

The irony in Mizoram is that the state government, without consulting medical experts, used to make decisions on the pressure from outside agency.

Assam cow bill seeks ban on beef around 5km of temples

by

Assamchief ministerHimanta Biswa Sarmaon Monday tabled the Assam Cattle PreservationBill, 2021, in the state assembly to regulate slaughter, consumption and transportation of cattle, even as the Opposition MLAs staged a walkout over price rise on the first day of the budget session.

After the Bill gets the nod of the assembly, sale, offer or exposure of beef will be prohibited in areas which are predominantly inhabited by Hindu, Jain,Sikhand other non beef-eating communities. The will also come into effect within a radius of 5km of any temple,satra(Vaishnavite monastery), or other Hindu religious institutions. It also may be applicable to any other institution or areas prescribed by the competent authority.

The Bill, however, brought exemptions for slaughter which is certified by a veterinary officer authorised on this behalf by the State Government in the interest of public Health. Slaughter of cattle suffering from incurable, infectious, contagious disease or is a danger to other cattle has been permitted but with due permission from the authorised veterinary officer.

The already existingAssam Cattle Preservation Act1950, regulates cattle slaughter in Assam, provided concerned veterinary officers give a fit-for-slaughter certificate. Slaughter of cattle that are over 14 years of age is conditionally allowed. The new legislation will repeal the 1950 Act where consumption of beef was not an offence. Besides, the legislation may lead to further intensify the BJP-governments move against cow smuggling toBangladeshwhich is on through the porous international border and riverine areas along the international border for long.

Odisha govt plans to enact Road Safety Act as accidents and fatalities rise

by

The is planning to enact the Odisha Road Safety Act and appoint a senior Ias or Ips officer to exclusively look after road safety issues.

In a recent meeting chaired by development commissioner Pradeep Kumar Jena, the government asked the commerce and transport department to explore the feasibility of formulating the Road Safety Act. Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Gujarat have already enacted it. Besides, Kerala and Tamil Nadu have also appointed road safety commissioners. The creation of a road safety commissionerate or directorate in Odisha has been under consideration for quite some time.

The development assumes significance in the wake of road fatalities having increased by 21% from 2014 (3,931 deaths) to 4,738 deaths in 2019 despite The Supreme Court committee on road safetys direction to bring down the accident deaths by 50% by 2020. The fatality rate (death per 100 accidents) is about 48.2% in Odisha as compared to the national Average of 36.6%.

Stalin orders to provide Rs 1.25crore aid to Tamil Chair at University of Cologne in Germany

by

Naduchief minister M KStalin ordered to provide Rs 1.25 crore financial assistance for theTamil Chairat University of Cologne in Germany that faces closure due to paucity of funds, said a statement.

Stalin said the previous AIADMK government announced an assistance of Rs 1.25 crore to the Tamil Chair in 2019 and he too as the leader of the opposition had urged the previous government to release the promised aid without delay. On Learning that the promised assistance had not been released until now, Stalin ordered to provide Rs 1.25 crore assistance to the Tamil Chair.

The university in 2014 announced that it would close the Tamil Chair after the retirement of Tamil professorUlrike Niklasin September 2020 due to lack of funds. Indians settled in the United States came to the rescue of the Tamil Chair and donated half of the financial requirement following which the university postponed the closure to June 2022.

Panel to recommend industrial law reforms, says Kerala industries minister P Rajeeve

by

The government has appointed a three-member committee to submit recommendations for the reforms of redundant rules and regulations in industrial laws, said state industries minister P Rajeeve.

Addressing mediapersons on the sidelines of an interaction with industrialists, Rajeeve said the committee has been asked to submit its report in three months. National university of advanced legal studies (NUALS) vice-chancellor K C Sunny would chair the committee in which former civil servant T Nandakumar and law reforms commission vice-chairman K Sasidharan Nair would be members.

KSIDC would coordinate the functioning of the committee and the panel would hear industrialists and public before finalizing its report, Rajeeve said. The industries minister is holding a series of interactive sessions with representatives, following allegations by Kitex group against hostility meted out to investors and industrialists in the state.

Karnataka releases more water from KRS, Kabini dams

by

The water pathways of the Cauvery recorded heavy inflow on Thursday with Karnataka releasing more water from the Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) and Kabini Dams to the state.

A public works department (PWD) official at the Stanley Reservoir at Mettur said Karnataka had increased the quantum of water being released from the Kabini dam to 5,000 cubic feet per second (cusecs) from 700cusecs on Thursday morning. The water discharged from the KSR dam was also increased to 1,400cusecs from 800cusecs on the day.

The inflow to both the Kabini and KSR dams had increased following continuous rain in the catchment areas such as Uttara Kannada, Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Chikmagalur, Hasan and Koorg districts. The tributaries of the Cauvery had swelled following the incessant rain, forcing Karnataka to release more water to the state.

Telangana pools in Rs 2,000 crore via auction of bonds, eyes more funds

by

raised Rs 2,000 crore via auction of Bonds following Reserve Bank of Indias (RBI) approval last week. The state went for a payment of the longest duration of 30 years.

Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Goa, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand and West Bengal also raised bonds. All these states took loans with interest repayment schedule of seven to 10 years, unlike Telangana.

Besides Telangana, other states on long duration schedule are Bihar (15 years) and AP (14). Telangana also fixed a slightly higher interest rate (7.24%) than other states, which kept it in the range of 6.95% to 7%.

Meanwhile, the state will also go for another round of auction to raise Rs 1,000 crore this month end as per schedule given to RBI. According to the calendar, in the July-September quarter, the state will go for auction of Rs 8,000 crore.

In the last quarter too, it had applied for raising of Rs 8,000 crore, but taken Rs 16,000 crore loan. In June, it had taken Rs 10,000 crore loan.

In the 2021-21 budget, it was proposed to pool in funds worth Rs 47,500 crore via loans. Sources said that in this quarter too, the state will go for more loans than it requested in the calendar to the RBI.

Despite Andhra Pradeshs concerns, power generation on at Pulichintala project

by

Not with standing Andhra Pradeshs appeal, continued power generation at Pulichintala project for the fourth consecutive day on Friday.

Telangana State Genco is producing about 120mw of power from four Plants attached to the Irrigation project. AP officials had met TS Genco officials on Thursday and appealed them to stop power generation to prevent wastage of water.

Pulichintala project was chiefly built to regulate the Krishna delta ayucut spread over 14 lakh acres in Krishna, Guntur and West Godavari districts. The project has only around 23 tmc water against its full capacity of storage 45 tmc. According to AP officials, the Telangana government is utilizing nearly 6,500 cusecs for power generation which would dip existing water reserves. The outflows from the power generation centre has resulted in heavy inflows at Prakasam barrage prompting the AP irrigation authorities to lift the gates of Prakasam barrage and let out water to downstream.

In 1 year, Goa diverted near 150 hectare forest land for power projects

by

The countrys tiniest state with an area of 3,702 sqkm has diverted nearly 150 hectare of forest land, rich in and Home to many endemic animals and Plants, for power projects last yearthe third highest just behind Arunachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, which are 23- and 66-times Goas size, respectively.

When it comes to diversion of forest land for any linear projectroad, rail, power or waterGoa is among the top 10 in the country, according to a report by the Delhi-based Legal Initiative for Forest and Environment.

The only proposed diversion in Goa rejected by any of the committees was to carry out mining near the Bondla wildlife sanctuary.

Maharashtra govt seeks 3 crore more vaccines for 10 high-risk districts

by

CM Uddhav Thackeray on Friday asked the Centre to rush 3 crore additional Vaccines to the state to carry out full vaccination in 10 high-incidence districts on priority.

Thackeray said these districts — Pune, Satara, Sangli, Kolhapur, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Raigad, Palghar, Ahmednagar and Solapur — have a high rate of infection and are continuing to keep the Covid graph high.

These districts have 2.06 crore adults and 87.9 lakh have been vaccinated so far. If additional three crore doses are given, the state will complete vaccination here, said Thackeray.