07-08.11.21

100 youths to work as ‘police mitras’

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The commissionerate Police engaged 100 youths of different slums as “police mitra” (police friend) volunteers to help the administration keep slums free from crimes and drug smuggling.
The youths were selected from the slums under the Saheed Nagar, Mancheswar and Nayapalli police limits.

The objective is to make our slums crime-free and prevent drug abuse at those places. The launch of the police mitra initiative is a step forward in serving this purpose. The police mitras can share vital information with us and help us to maintain peace in the slum areas.

TN shared all info on fishers with Centre

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Reacting to Union minister of state for , animal husbandry and dairying L Murugans comments that theTamil Nadugovernment had not written to the Union Government to take steps to release the 25 Tamil Nadu fishermen from the custody of Sri Lanka, Tamil Nadu minister of fisheries-fishermen welfare and animal husbandry Anitha RRadhakrishnansaid that the State Government had taken up the issue with the ministry concerned and prime minister Narendra Modi.

Radhakrishnan said that the additional chief secretary in the ministry of fisheries-fishermen welfare and animal husbandry had written to the joint secretary of the Union ministry of external affairs and the prime minister on October 14 and on October 15 to take steps to release the 23 fishermen of Nagapattinam.

Promoting mental health literacy through theatre

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A group of India and UK-based scholars, theatre artists and filmmakers has been trying to spread awareness aboutmentalhealth in Kerala for the past three years through art-based interventions.

The three-year project, funded by UK Research and Innovation – Economic and Social Research Council (UKRIESRC), Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF), will conclude in December and the project explored the overall awareness of MHL in Kerala through various surveys and interactions. The study demonstrates how theatre, storytelling and film-based platforms can be used as a tool to improve mental Literacy in the Kerala context and initiate conversations around mental ill-Health, its self-awareness and stigmas.

Raghavan, quoting the National Mental Health Survey of India 2017, said that despite the health advances in Kerala, 14.4% of the Population aged18 and above experience mental ill-health once in their lifetime, with 12.5% of individuals with suicidal risk. This is the highest of all states of India.

Karnataka a few steps away from implementing Upper Krishna Project

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Plenty of water has flowed down the river since theKrishnaWater Disputes Tribunal-2 (KWDT-2) delivered its final award, and yet the Upper Krishna Project (UKP) is still stuck in limbo.

Implementing the award, removing silt from the Almatti and Narayanapur reservoirs and improving crumbling Irrigation are major challenges inKarnatakas bid to ensure UKP, one of the biggest irrigation projects in the country, is a success.

UKP consists of three phases, two of which have been implemented. The third stage making use of 177tmcft of water allocated by KWDT-2 is meandering through the judicial system. Some also say there is lack of government will.

The State Government intends to use 130tmcft to irrigate 5.3lakh hectares in Vijayapura, Kalaburagi, Bagalkot, Raichur and Gadag districts under UKP Stage 3. However, plans are stuck as the Tribunals final award has not been notified in the central gazette. Without this mandatory process, the state cannot use the water.

Some farmers believe the state is not all that keen since it would require gigantic sums some Rs 70,000 crore to implement UKP Stage-3. To harness the additional Krishna water, the state will have to increase storage levels in Almatti Dam to 524 metres. But this will affect 22 villages and parts of Bagalkot town. Over 1.3 lakh acres of agricultural land will be submerged under water and a huge chunk of funds will go towards compensating and rehabilitating residents.

Telangana willing to develop a dedicated industrial corridor for French firms: KTR

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TelanganaIT and industries minister KT Rama Rao said the was willing to develop a dedicated industrial cluster for French companies, particularly Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

He said the state has a large land bank of about 2,00,000 acres with the Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TSIIC).
All these lands are very strategically located and have the best of high-quality infrastructure like power, water, waste disposal, connectivity, he said.

He said Telangana was marching ahead under the Leadership of chief minister KCR in the last seven years.

The minister also mentioned the investor-friendly policies and the industrial ecosystem prevailing in the state.

He invited the French businessmen to explore the Investment opportunities in Telangana.

From 3rd to 9th spot, Andhra Pradesh no longer Leads logistics charts

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Andhra Pradesh is ranked ninth in theLeads2021 (LogisticsEase Across Different States) index of the Union ministry of commerce and . This is a drop of six positions from the third rank in Leads 2019. Minister of commerce and industry, consumer affairs, food and public distribution and textiles, Piyush Goyal, released the report in New Delhi.

As per the report, Andhra Pradesh registered its biggest fall in ranking on account of issues across Infrastructure, Services and the regulatory Environment. The state has scored low in indicators of quality of infrastructure.

Interactions with stakeholders have also brought to the fore infrastructure-related challenges in the state. For instance, condition of the road stretch from Vijayawada to Visakhapatnam via Rajahmundry and the stretch from Visakhapatnam port to warehouses along the national highway need attention.

The shortage of Warehousing facilities, specifically in Vijayawada, Kakinada and in parts of Nellore and the general lack of regulation for setting up a warehousing facility in the state are some other negative factors highlighted in industry interactions. A similar sentiment is also reflected in the below Average scores of the state in the extent of facilitation and ease of obtaining approvals.

As per the report, stakeholders have pointed out that high toll costs and additional levy on diesel are two Elements that have resulted in high cost of Logistics in the state. The stakeholder perception score has hence been low on related indicators of reasonableness of road freight rates and prices of terminal services.

No filaria cases since 2011-12, Goa to receive elimination cert from Centre

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Goa has achieved the target of eliminatingfilariaand is expected toreceivea certification from thecentreby the end of this year. Thestatehas not registered a single fresh case since2011-12. It had recorded 96 chroniccasesa decade ago.

The directorate of Health Services (DHS) has also completed a mass drug administration (MDA) programme. This was conducted from 2004 to 2011 in the state. We also did a transmission assessment survey three times in 2013, 2016, and 2019 and tested children born after the completion of the MDA to determine if there was the presence of microfilaria in their blood samples. All test results were negative. Since no new cases have been recorded, we submitted our details to the centre, Mahatme said.

Besides, the 96 chronic filarial patients are monitored by respective health centres. A doctor visits them every two years and they are given a free mobility management kit.

Mountaineer Priyanka Mohite to get Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award

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Maharashtra-based mountaineerPriyanka Mohitewill be bestowed with the prestigious ‘Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award2020’ for her outstanding contribution in the field of land adventure, a central government official said.

Mohite, who hails from Satara district, will receive the award from PresidentRam Nath Kovindat a function in theRashtrapati Bhawanin New Delhi on November 13.

In April this year, Mohite scaled Mt Annapurna, the 10th highest mountain peak in the world, and became the first Indian woman climber to achieve the feat.

In a major relief to farmers, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, on Monday, announced to increase the compensation amount in case of crop damage from Rs 12,000 to Rs 15,000 per acre for more than 75 percent damage.

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Similarly, the compensation amount has been increased from Rs 10000 to Rs 12500 for 50 percent to 75 percent damage. Apart from 25 percent increase in compensation will be given in slabs below this, the Chief Minister said during the launch of a modern Cooperative Sugar Mill constructed at a cost of Rs 263 crore in Karnal.

Khattar said that the Haryana Government is giving the highest crop compensation across the country, however, as there has been no increase in this amount since a few years, so it has been enhanced further.

The Chief Minister called upon the farmers to get their crop insured. He said that two days ago the government had announced that the farmer possessing 2 acres of land will not have to pay crop Insurance premium, while for the farmers possessing 5 acres of land, the government has decided to pay half the premium. The farmers having land more than 5 acres will have to get the crop insured themselves, he added.

Cabinet okays amendments to implement Punjabi in schools, offices

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In a bid to strictly implement Punjabi as the compulsory subject for all students of Classes I to X across the state, the Cabinet on Sunday approved an amendment to the Punjab Learning of Punjabi and Other Languages Act, 2008, to enhance the penalties for contravening the provisions of the Act.

The Cabinet also gave the go-ahead to introduce the Bill in the current session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha.

Any school, which contravenes the provisions of the Act or the rules, made thereunder for a month for the first time, will have to pay a penalty of Rs 50,000. If the school contravenes the provisions of the Act or the rules for a month for the second time, then it will have to pay a penalty of Rs 1 lakh. For the third violation, the fine would be Rs 2 lakh.

The Cabinet also approved amendment to the Official Languages Act, to which in addition to punishment the provision of penalty against officers/officials who do not conduct official business in Punjabi language has been made. As per this provision, the first-time guilty officer or official could be fined Rs 500 as per the recommendations of the Director, Language Department, Punjab. The second and third offences carry a fine of up to Rs 2,000 and Rs 5,000, respectively.