17-18.04.21

Punjab: Reforms in MSME sector to reduce regulatory burden

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To makePunjabstand out for ease of doing businessfor MSME, chief minister Amarinder Singh on Thursday announced reforms to further reduce theregulatory burdenthrough rationalisation, digitalisation and decriminalisation of the regulatory landscape.

He said the reforms would bring about future changes, including rationalising trade licenses with shops and Establishments Act and removing imprisonment terms from 100 low risk provisions in non-labour related rules.

The reforms, launched in PARTNERSHIP with Game (Global Alliance for Mass ) and Omidyar Network India, prioritise Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) forMSMEsin the state, based on data-informed regulatory changes. These were suggested by the Game EoDB Task Forces report Transforming EoDB for MSMEs in Punjab. The task force was set up on the recommendation of the Montek Ahluwalia committee, set up by the State Government to revive business in the post-Covid Environment.

To ensure timely delivery of key licenses and permits, as prescribed under the Transparency Act 2018, a monthly data driven assessment mechanism under the chief secretary has been launched to ensure not a single license or permit is delayed beyond the stipulated period.

In a bid to tap the ecotourism potential in the hill state, Himachal Government has swung into action to prepare a comprehensive ecotourism development plan.

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The plan is being prepared following the directions of the Central Government.

The comprehensive plan will identify existing ecotourism sites and those sites which are ideal for developing ecotourism activities like trekking, rock climbing, forest trails, nature walks, angling, camping, bird watching among others.

About the proposed ecotourism plan, Sharma said that the composite plan will reflect HPs ecotourism potential, tentative sites on private and government land for sustainable practices and potential ecotourism development and its operationalizing procedure.

Bestowed with natural grandeur of snow capped Mountains, lush green valleys and picturesque locations, Himachal has immense ecotourism potential. The had earlier released its revised eco-tourism policy 2016 aimed at bringing the wilderness and virgin Ecosystems of Himachal closer to visitors and ensure adequate safeguards for the protection and conservation of Resources“>Natural Resources.

The policy aims at making the hill state a leading eco-tourism destination with eco-tourism activities attracting atleast 10 percent of overall tourists visiting Himachal by the year 2030.

In the past, the government had also identified 113 sites to be developed as ecotourism sites in the state.

Forest fires turn Uttarakhands air lethal

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For days now the forests ofUttarakhandhave been on fire, turning the air over the pristine hill state lethal. Levels ofblack carbon, or soot, have shot up six times while that of ozone has trebled both going straight from safe levels to dangerously toxic ones within perhaps a week.

levels had gone from about 1,000-2,000 microgram per cubic metre last month, before thefiresstarted, to 10,000-12,000 microgram per cubic metre of air.

Theconcentrationof ozone, which used to be around 40-45 parts per billion then, has risen to 110-115 parts per billion now. The safe threshold for black carbon in the air is 3,000-4,000 microgram per cubic metre, while that of ozone is 40-50 parts per billion with an hourly range of 80 and an eight-hour Average range of 60. High black carbon and ozone in the air can cause complications from chest pain to coughing, irritation and, on prolonged exposure, damage the heart and lungs.

Ranchi district has reported exactly half of the 82 Covid deaths that occurred in Jharkhand since March 10, indicating that the state capital was accounting for more casualties during the second wave of Covid-19 in comparison with East Singhbhum, which reported the highest casualties during the first wave last year.

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As per figures compiled by the National Health Mission (NHM), Ranchi accounts for 41 of the 82 Covid casualties reported in the state in the past one month. On the other hand, East Singhbhum, which continues to top among Jharkhand districts in terms of Covid casualties, has reported only seven Covid fatalities since March 10, reveals NHM data.

As per NHM data, Ranchi reported 7,017 of the 14,279 fresh Covid cases in Jharkhand since March 10. In totality, the district accounts for 40,407 of the 1,34,715 cases of Covid infection reported in Jharkhand so far. The figures indicate that Ranchi has reported 49 per cent of cases in the past one month and only 29 per cent of the total cases reported in Jharkhand so far.

As per figures with the NHM, Ranchi accounts for 290 of the 1175 Covid casualties about 24 per cent in Jharkhand so far.

HC to Bihar govt: Boost health infra in districts

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ThePatnahigh court expressed concern over alarming rise inCovidcases in the state and orally observed that patients are being forced to rush to the state capital from other districts due to lack of medical facilities at healthcare centres.

The court asked to buy portable x-ray machines and other medical equipment for Covid centres in districts so that people dont have to rush to Patna. It also sought to know from the government about availability of pulmonologists at these centres. The government, however, replied that pulmonologists have not been deployed at the Covid care centres.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that, we got 350 metric tonnes of oxygen, whereas consumption has been 335 metric tonnes. The supply of oxygen is fast returning to normal in the State. By making local arrangements, 1,293 oxygen concentrators have been installed in the districts.

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Approval by the Central Government for supply of 445 MT Oxygen till April 20, 565 MT till April 25 and 700 MT on April 30 has been obtained. This amount of oxygen would be sufficient for estimated patients till April end.

Set up RT-PCR facilities in smaller centres: Gujarat HC

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Taking into account the uncertainity of how long Covid-19 pandemic is likely to last, the Gujarat on Thursday asked the State Government to ramp up testing and create permanent RT-PCR testing and CT scanfacilitiesin smaller districts in the coming days.
The court has also sought a report on Covid testing that is going on at present across the state. The judges insisted that the government should promote entrepreneurs by extending loans to establish laboratories with RT-PCR testing facilities, which require nearly Rs 25 lakh to Rs 30 lakh.

While thAMCs drive-through testing initiative, the judges said that they were more concerned with testing facilities available for common man at the grassroot level. They asked the government if the common mans five-day long wait for RT-PCR testing has been reduced. The government answered in the affirmative, but also submitted that the laboratories have been overwhelmed with the rush, and this also causes delay in declaring results.

The judges also pointed out that the government affidavit did not talk much about testing facilities in smaller districts. The Advocate General said that except Dangs, all districts have RT-PCR facility.

Advocate Amit Panchal countered this and submitted that six districts Dangs, Tapi, Narmada, Gir-Somnath, Mahisagar and Dwarka do not have this facility. Justice Bhargav Karia of the division bench pointed out that a major district like Anand also did not have this facility, and people come to Ahmedabad for testing. The government said that there are two facilities in Anand district including one facility for TrueNat system.

Rajasthan bypolls: 44.89% voter turnout in 3 constituencies

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A total of 44.89 per cent voter turnout was registered in the bypolls to three assembly constituencies inRajasthan.

The bye- will decide the fate of 27 candidates in the three constituencies where the number of voters is 7,43,802.

The bypolls are being held after the demise of sitting MLAs MasterBhanwar Lal Meghwal(Sujangarh), Kailash Trivedi (Sahara) andKiran Maheshwari(Rajsamand).