18.11.22

Padampur to get dist status by 2023 end

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An action committee demanding district status for Padampur subdivision on Wednesday met Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and later told reporters that the CM assured them of fulfilling their demand by December 31, 2023.

The committee members said the discussion with Patnaik was fruitful as he gave them assurance to accord district status to Padampur, presently part of Bargarh district.

They said the agitation regarding the demand would be called off once the ruling BJD mentions about the assurance in its election manifesto for the Padampur by-election scheduled for December 5.

The committee led by Minister Niranjan Pujari met Patnaik at the Naveen Niwas as the demand for district status to Padampur intensified with several organisations staging dharna near Paikamal Chhak in Bargarh.

CM inaugurates 75cr smart city projects in Tirupur

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Chief ministerM K Stalinvirtually inaugurated a multi-level parking lot and renovated old bus terminus, Thennampalayam weekly market and flower market in Tirupur city.

The projects were implemented by the Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department under thesmart citymission at a cost of 75.4 crore.

According to a source, the multi-level parking lot was set up at a cost of 19 crore, while the old bus terminus was renovated at a cost of 38.8 crore. The Thennampalayam weekly market was renovated at a cost of 12.9 crore and the flower market at 4.7 crore.

Karnataka approves new sandalwood policy: No curbs to grow and sell

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The state cabinet approved the Karnataka State Sandalwood Policy 2022. The government plans to introduce the policy soon. Currently, farmers must provide details on the number of saplings they intend to plant and secure permission from the department to cut the trees. Farmers are allowed to sell sandalwood logs only at the depots run by the forest department. Health ministerK Sudhakar, who briefed reporters after the meeting, said sandalwood is in high demand in both domestic and international markets.

They will insert microchips in trees to help track them even if they are stolen, the minister said. The cabinet also gave approval to construct a new campus for Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS) at Archakarahalli, near Ramanagara town, at a cost of Rs 600 crore.

Telangana government should announce NRI policy soon: Madhu Yashki Goud

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Congresscampaign Committee chairperson and ex-MPMadhu Yashki Goudhas demanded that the Telangana government should immediately look into the issue of Indian workers working in the construction Industry in Qatar being sent back to the country.

He said about 25,000 people from Telangana are being sent back and demanded that the TRS government should ensure that they get EMPLOYMENT back in the state and also allot them with a 2-BHK unit each.

Stating that the Qatar government is sending 25,000 workers back to Telangana, he said this was being done in connection with the ensuing FIFA World Cup being organised in the Gulf country and demanded that the TRS government soon announce its NRI policy.

Govt extends dengue testing facility to 54 hospitals in Andhra Pradesh

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In an effort to further its seasonal disease surveillance system, theAndhra PradeshHealth department has extended the dengue MAC-ELISA testing facility to 54 sentinel surveillance hospitals (SSHs), including all government general hospitals/medical colleges, district hospitals, and area hospitals. The diagnostic testing was available at only 19 SSHs in AP back in 2015.

The lgM capture ELISA (MAC-ELISA) is conducted for confirmation of dengue infection due to its high sensitivity. However, as these SSHs doubled up as Covid-19 treatment facilities both in 2020 and 2021, including some as state-level Covid-19 hospitals to treat only emergency cases, the state recorded only 964 dengue infections in 2020 and 4,767 cases in 2021.

From 50% to nil, Centre cuts ore export duty for Goas mining boost

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TheUniongovernment has reduced the export duty on iron Ore below 58-grade from 50% to nil. The decision of the Centre, ahead of the auctioning of four mining blocks, may receive huge response from mining and steel companies to participate in the auction. The Union Government in May this year had increased the export duty on iron ore.

Most of the iron ore produced in Goa is low grade (below 58-grade), and most of it is exported. The Centre had also hiked export duty on ore above 58-grade to 50% from existing 30%. But it has also reduced it to 30%.

Mining in Goa came to a halt in March 2018, after theSupreme Courtquashed the second renewal of 88 mining leases.

The has put up four mining blocks for auction, of which three are in the north and one is in the south, and over 24 companies have shown interest in participating in the auction.

This is for the first time that the state government is auctioning leases to carry out mining activities in the state. The state government has revised the timeline for the auctioning process. Major steel and iron ore mining companies from outside Goa have shown interest in operating mines in the state.

Haryana govt notifies Electric Vehicle policy

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Haryana government has notified the Electric Vehicle Policy 2022 which aims to promote the manufacturing of electric vehicles and their components in the state.

Additional Chief Secretary of the Industries and Commerce Department, Anand Mohan Sharan on Thursday said that with the formulation of this policy, research and development in the field of electric vehicles will be encouraged.

In addition to strengthening the , provisions have been made in the policy to reduce the upfront cost of electric vehicles. In this, the buyers of hybrid EVs will also get incentives, he said.

Earlier in June, the Haryana government approved the EV Policy 2022 offering several financial incentives to EV manufacturers. The EV policy offers various financial incentives to EV manufacturers by giving incentives on fixed capital Investment (Fci), net SGST, stamp duty, EMPLOYMENT generation, etc. There is a 100 percent reimbursement of stamp duty along with an exemption in electricity duty for a period of 20 years.

The EV Policy aims to protect the Environment, reduce carbon footprint, make Haryana an EV manufacturing hub, ensure Skill development in EV field, encourage uptake of EV vehicles, provide EV charging infrastructure and encourage R&D in EV technology.

To check the tax evasion in the state and increase the government’s income, Punjab Government has decided to set up a Tax Intelligence Unit (TIU). The approval to establish the tax intelligence wing was given by the state government on Tuesday, said the state Finance, Planning, Excise and Taxation Minister Harpal Singh Cheema.

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Cheema, sharing the details, said that apart from preventing , the newly-established wing would help in increasing the Governments income.

Available information suggests that the tax intelligence wing will be headed by an Additional Commissioner. Apart from one centralized unit, two more units will be established.

Reiterating Punjab Governments commitment to improving the states fiscal Health, Cheema said that the State Government has received more than Rs 250 crores through enforcement actions by way of inspections and checking of vehicles; using data mining for recovery of pending dues from tax evaders and conducting an audit of selected high-volume taxpayers, whereas, during the regime of the previous government the department had received only Rs 600 crores in the past two years.

Bio-metric attendance in all departments, boards, corporations in Himachal

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The today directed all the departments, board, corporations and universities to start bio-metric attendance in view of the High Court directives.

Deputy Secretary (Personnel) Balbir Singh today shot off a letter to all Administrative Secretaries, heads of departments, all divisional commissioners, Deputy Commissioners and Managing Directors of all boards and corporations in this regard.

The court in its orders had directed the Chief Secretary to issue necessary directions to all the departments, boards and corporation to make bio-metric attendance operational.

Ukhand cabinet approves stricter anti conversion laws in State

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In a major decision, the Uttarakhand government has made forced religious conversions in the State as a non bailable cognizable offence. The offenders under the new law will serve up to 10 years of Jail term if convicted of forced conversion. In a meeting of the State cabinet held on Wednesday, the proposal to make suitable amendments in theUttarakhand Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Bill, 2022 was approved. The cabinet in its meeting also took an in principle decision to shift the Nainital (HC) to Haldwani.A total of 26 issues were tabled in the cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami out of which a decision on 25 was taken.

The issue of forced conversion was the main agenda of the meeting. The cabinet approved the proposal to amend the existing laws in the State regarding religious conversions. In the new amendment the compensation payable by the accused to the victim of the religious conversion, has been increased to a maximum of Rs five lakh rupees, which shall be in addition to the fine. After the nod of the cabinet the amendment bill would now be tabled in the upcoming winter session of the assembly.

In another decision, the cabinet approved the proposal to set up a joint collaborative enterprise between the THDC India limited and UJVNL. In the new enterprise the THDC would have a stake of 74 per cent while the stake of UJVNL would be 26 per cent.

The cabinet also approved an amendment in the Uttarakhand Land revenue act of year 1901 which would solve the problem of the land disputes arising due to absence of the mutation. In an endeavour to increase mobile connectivity the cabinet cleared a proposal to clear hindrances in the way of construction of towers in selected areas. In the meeting a decision to bring rehabilitation and resettlement policy for the Jamrani Dam multipurpose project was made. A special type of Om symbol would be constructed in the arrival plaza of Kedarnath shrine.