08.04.21

MoU inked for Manipur film archive

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TheManipurState Film Development Society (MSFDS), a undertaking, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Mumbais Film Heritage Foundation (FHF) for setting up afilm archiveofManipuricinema inImphal.

FHF being a non-profit organization, dedicated to supporting conservation, preservation, and restoration of film heritage in India, will provide technical and intellectual consultancy and support to MSFDS in starting the archive. Special attention will be paid to restoration, preservation and digitization of the cinematic heritage of Manipur.

Odishas District Mineral Foundation fund collection highest in country

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Odishahas collected the highest amount of Rs 11,984 crore among all the states under theDistrict Mineral Foundation(DMF) fund since it was created in 2015, Union mines ministerPralhad Joshitold Lok Sabha.

Till January, a total of Rs 45,095.86 crore in DMF fund was generated in the country. Odisha got more than one-fourth of the share, the ministers written reply revealed.

NeighbouringJharkhand(Rs 6,533.04 crore) and Chhattisgarh (Rs 6,329.78 crore) managed to collect the second and third highest amounts under DMF. Rajasthan is fourth, having collected Rs 4,496 crore.

The funds are contribution from mining companies operating in the respective districts, which has been mandated under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2015. The mining companies pay 30% equivalent of the royalty amount for leases given before 2015 and 10% for leases granted after that when auction of mines and mineral blocks started.

Karnataka govt has to decide on restarting midday meals by April 8: HC

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The said the government has to decide to reintroduce midday meals from April 15, as long as classes 6-10 students are going to school.

Earlier, in its status report, the government said it will continue providing Food Security allowance to students in the form of foodgrains, keeping in view the second wave of the pandemic. It said cooking and serving meals on school premises would lead to more Covid-19 infections.

As for providing meals at Anganwadi centres, the government said a decision will be taken as per the advice of the Health and family welfare departments technical advisory committee.

Telangana: Budget schools want Rs 20,000 for each student

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Almost a year after physical classes gave way to virtual classes, private budget school managements are demanding that the government give Rs 20, 000 to each child for procuring devices and Internet connection.

TRSMA, which has launched Save Education Campaign (Save Students – Save Teachers) on Tuesday, said that it will be adopting a three-way approachprotest, legal, and lobbying to ensure that students and teachers get much-needed help. They asked the state to release the assessment schedule, evaluate Learning outcomes for the year 2020-21.

Newly-elected VMC council prepares Rs 1,400 crore budget

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The Vijayawada (VMC) has prepared abudgetwith an estimate of Rs 1393.54 crore for 2021-22. The first meeting of the newly elected municipal council will be held on April 17 in which the budget proposals will be discussed.

As per the projections, the municipal corporation has set itself a goal of around Rs 723.10 crore as income. Major portion of allocations will be made on drinking water pipeline restoration, road repairs and cement road works.

Soon, Mayem lake to have eco-theme park

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Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) intends to develop an eco-themeparkor amusement park, along with accommodation facilities, atMayemlake.

Mayem lake attracts thousands of tourists every year. And since an extreme adventure Sports facility, including bungee jumping, was introduced there in 2019, it has become even more popular.A senior officer said that they now want to develop a theme park there focusing on nature, which would be children and family-oriented.

Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) intends to develop an eco-themeparkor amusement park, along with accommodation facilities, atMayemlake.

Mayem lake attracts thousands of tourists every year. And since an extreme adventure sports facility, including bungee jumping, was introduced there in 2019, it has become even more popular.A senior officer said that they now want to develop a theme park there focusing on nature, which would be children and family-oriented.

Despite the crisis of Covid-19, Haryana Government has received revenue of Rs 1,022.63 crore from mining operations during financial year 2020-21, which is 31 per cent more than the previous financial year, the states Mines and Geology Minister Mool Chand Sharma said.

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The Minister said that stringent steps taken against the mining mafia in the state have started showing results.

Sharma said that during the year 2019-20, the revenue from mining works was Rs 702.25 crore whereas during 2018-19, revenue was Rs 583.21 crore.

The Minister said that the aims to ensure availability of construction material at reasonable prices for the common man in the state, and also to curb illegal mining. The government has taken stringent steps to bring illegal mining to zero level so as to prevent loss of revenue to the exchequer.

He informed that the monitoring and survey system has been enhanced at every level in the Department.

$300 mn loan for potable water in Amritsar, Ludhiana

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The and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) have approved $300 million loan for canal-based drinking water schemes under Punjab Municipal Services Improvement Project.

The move aims at ensuring quality drinking water 24×7 and minimise water losses for Amritsar and Ludhiana. The two cities are currently being supplied water from tubewells. Two other canal-based water supply projects are already under execution in Jalandhar and Patiala.

As per the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) report, the groundwater has been over exploited and the quality of water has deteriorated, causing Health hazards. Therefore, it has been proposed to change water supply from ground to canal water to ensure uninterrupted potable drinking water supply in urban areas.

The project would be co-financed by IBRD (World Bank) loan of $105 million and an AIIB loan of $105 million along with $90 million government funds. For Amritsar, the source of surface water supply would be Upper Bari Doab Canal and for Ludhiana Sirhind Canal. Treatment plant in Amritsar would be of 440 MLD and in Ludhiana 580 MLD.

Himachal Pradesh University council Okays Rs284 cr budget

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The Executive Council (EC) of Himachal Pradesh University (HPU) approved a budget of Rs 284 crore for 2021-22 with a deficit of Rs 30 crore.

The EC, which held its first regular meeting of 2021 under the chairmanship of Vice-Chancellor Sikander Kumar, also approved 26 posts of professor, associate professor and assistant professor.

It approved the fee structure of new courses, including BLib, MLib and MA in DEFENCE and strategic studies.

The EC gave its nod to split the University Institute of Information Technology (UIIT) into six departments for better functioning.

A proposal to create the departments of archaeology, Population studies, data science and and forensic science was also approved.

Uttarakhand govt asks defence ministry for choppers to control forest fires in hills

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In the wake of risingincidenceof wildfires inUttarakhand, the has written to theministry of DEFENCE, citing what has been termed a worsening situation offorest fires, to provide twoIAFhelicopters which would be deployed in the Garhwal andKumaonregion to douse theforeststhat are burning in these areas.

The forest fires are a result of 80% lesser rains the state received than usual, leaving the entire forest floor dry, and leading officials to anticipate a rerun of the 2016 situation when IAF helicopters had to be deployed as 4,538 hectares of forest area was turned into ashes in wildfires causing loss worth Rs 46.29 lakh.

Notably, in 983 fire incidents this year, over 1,291 hectare forests have been gutted and six human lives were lost, which resulted in loss of Rs 38.29 lakh. The state has lost 735.22 ha forest in Garhwal region followed by 531.01 ha in Kumaon and 24.9 ha of wildlife administration.

In Uttarakhand, 0.17% forest cover comes under extremely fire-prone area, 1.60% is under very highly fire-prone, 9.32% under very highly moderately fire-prone, 21.66% highly moderately fire-prone and 67.25% in less fire-prone categories.