Manipur set to host 1st international football tourney

For a state that has given the Indian national team more than 50 footballers and provided a steady supply line to the national squad sinceKiren Khongsaibecame the first to don the Indian jersey in 1989, it has been a long wait to host and see the Blue Tigers in an international match.

While it will be a feather in the cap of the 35,000-capacityKhuman Lampark Stadiumwhich has regularly hosted I-League matches as well as the local leagues and been one of the venues for the group stages of the Durand Cup this year, the jewel will be in the crown of the N Biren Singh government whose saffron glow has been marred by recent incidents of social unrest and protests in the state’s hill districts.


Mukroh part of Assam: Sarma to state assembly

The Assam government informed the assembly that Mukroh village is part of the state’s territory and is inWestKarbi Anglong district.
The village that lies along the disputed Assam-Meghalaya border became the bone of contention for both the states after a clash betweenMeghalayavillagers and a joint team of state Police and forest personnel last November resulting in the death of five villagers and a forest guard.

Replying to a query on how Assam has responded to Meghalaya’s claim over Mukroh, chief ministerHimanta Biswa Sarmain a written reply stated, “The subject is being reviewed at different levels.”

Odisha got Rs 54 crore to clean up 3 cities, 4 towns that are highly polluted: Pradip Amat

Three cities – Bhubaneswar,Cuttack, Rourkela – and four towns – Balasore, Angul,TalcherandKalinganagar- have been reporting high Air Pollution.

A reply in the assembly by forest minister Pradip Amat while responding to a question of Bhandaripokhari MLA Prafulla Samal, said, “Seven cities in the state are identified as non-attainment cities. In these cities, the PM-10 and PM 2.5 are high in ambient air. In these places, clean air action plan has been devised as perNational Clean Air Programme(Ncap).”

Under Ncap, the state has received Rs 54.38 crore in the last financial year out of which Rs 20.52 crore has been sanctioned for Bhubaneswar, highest to ensure that steps are taken to reduce air pollution. While Angul is an industrial belt with major steel and sponge iron industries located there.

Special scheme for tech textiles announced in Tamil Nadu

TheTamil Nadugovernment announced a special scheme through which it has extended benefits and subsidies to man-made fibre (MMF) yarn,MMF fabricfrom recycled materials and technicaltextilesmanufacturing units in the state.

The new scheme has extended the benefits on offer under the Nadu Industrial Policy 2021 and covers both new projects or expansions in MMF fabric, MMF yarn from recycled materials and technical textiles and apparel with minimum investments of 100 crore, 50 crore and 50 crore respectively.

Manufacturing units can opt for either a special capital subsidy of 15% of EFA (eligible fixed assets) disbursed over 10 years or a turnover-based subsidy depending on the number of jobs created. If the project creates EMPLOYMENT of 500-2,000 jobs, then the ceiling for the turnover-based subsidy is 2.5% of Investment in EFA per annum for a period of 10 years. If the project creates employment of more than 2,000 jobs, the ceiling is 4% of investment in EFA for 10 years. The scheme was unveiled here on Saturday by chief minister M K Stalin.

Keralawill go for timely alterations in its Responsible Tourism (RT) policy to make the activities more people-centric so as to further strengthen the state’s travel and tourism industry, said tourism minister.

The government’s RT Mission will spread its activities across Kerala by introducing responsible tourism practices in all tourist accommodation units.

Riyas said the government has decided to revise its 2008 Declaration on RT and scale up its Environment-friendly activities across the state.

New 6-digit BIS gold hallmarking norm to kick in across 8 districts of Telangana

All gold jewellery will need a new security check of a six-digit alphanumeric code from April 1. The norm is being rolled out by the Bureau of Indian Standards (Bis) across India to make buying of gold jewellery, and artefacts that fall under the hallmarking system, a safer process.
InTelangana, it will apply to gold traders in eight districts: Hyderabad,Ranga Reddy, Mancherial, Peddapalli, Warangal Rural,Warangal Urban, Khammam, andNalgonda.

Welfare schemes get lion’s share in Andhra budget as YS Jagan Mohan Reddy government eyes 2024 polls

Giving highest priority to the welfare schemes, Andhra Pradesh finance ministerBuggana Rejendranathpresented the annual budget for 2023-24 with an outlay of Rs 2,79,279 crore. He spared Rs 54,228 crore for different welfare schemes to be implemented in the coming fiscal.
Entire Rs 54,228 crore will be disbursed to the eligible poor through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). The state has so far transferred Rs 1.97 lakh crore to the poor through welfare schemes in the last four years at an Average of Rs 49,000 crore per year.

The finance minister put the at Rs 2,28,540 crore while the Capital Expenditure is Rs 31,061 crore. He said that Revenue Deficit is Rs 22,316 crore. The Fiscal Deficit is Rs 54,587 crore which is just 3.7 per cent of the projected GSDP of the state. Finance minister said that the Growth rate in AP is the highest in the country with 11.43 per cent.
While Health-sector”>Health sector got Rs 15,882 crore, school Education got Rs 29,690.71 crore. Similarly, Agriculture-notes-for-state-psc-exams”>Agriculture sector was granted Rs 11,589 crore. YSR pension scheme got Rs 21,434 crore.

Goa Investment Promotion Board clears 6 projects, to bring in Rs 310 crore investment, 2,450 jobs

TheGoa Promotion Board(IPB) headed by CM Pramod Sawant met on Tuesday and cleared six projects, including the proposal for a Mini India theme park in Pernem. “We cleared six projects with investment of Rs 310 crore and EMPLOYMENT potential of 2,450,” said industries minister Mauvin Godinho.

IPB gave Pune-based real estate firm Bramhacorp Theme Park LLP the nod to set up the Mini India theme park on private land at Pernem. The company intends to establish a theme park using miniature models of historical monuments, while also showcasing folk dances, festivals, spices, and cuisine close to Manohar International Airport, Mopa.
A theme park is coming up in the North, and that has also been approved today. It will come up close to Mopa,” said Godinho after the board meeting.

Sand mining policy will be unveiled soon in Maharashtra: Min

State revenue minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil told the state assembly that the government will introduce a new policy on sand mining before the end of the budget session. He had initially made the announcement during the December 2022 session.

The policy will control unchecked excavation, which is an environmental hazard. Private bodies extracting sand unchecked will be stopped. The government will set up controls for excavation,” said Vikhe Patil. He said the policy will put a stop to the use of heavy trucks to transport sand and also provide guidelines for the use of stone-crushers. He said the policy would take into account the use of sand for domestic use by villagers.
Earlier NCP leader Rajesh Tope had said that trucks were carrying 30-40 tons of sand on rural roads which did not have the capacity to carry more than 10 tons of weight.

12L new yellow ration cards generated in Haryana

Stating that a total of 12 lakh new yellow ration cards have been generated in Haryana, the Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Sunday said that ensuring the welfare and safeguarding the interest of every section of the Society is our utmost priority.

Khattar, speaking as a chief guest at the 48th annual fair organized by Kashyap Rajput Punjabi Welfare Society and All India Kashyap Rajput Sabha in Ambala City, said that with the new transparent system, ration cards have been made for those who did not have ration cards. About 12 lakh new ration cards have been made.

Ensuring good Health for every needy and poor, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Ayushman Bharat Scheme. While following his footsteps, Haryana too has successfully generated Ayushman and CHIRAYU cards for 29 lakh beneficiaries under Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Ayushman Bharat Yojana, informed Khattar. He said that constant plans are being made to ensure that the lives of the people remain safe and secure. Under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, work has been done to provide houses to the poor who do not have their own houses. Under Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, work has been done to provide gas connections to nine lakh families in Haryana, informed the Chief Minister.