20.10.22

Coming up, affordable housing policy in Punjab

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To provide affordable housing to lower-middle income and lower-income families, and revive the real estate sector in the state, the Punjab Housing and Urban Development Department will soon come up with a new affordable housing policy, said Housing and Urban Development Minister Aman Arora.

He said the draft of the new policy had been uploaded on the official website for seeking suggestions from the public.

In the new policy, Arora said, the minimum area for a plotted colony had been fixed at five acres and the minimum area required for group housing was two acres. The saleable area had been increased to 65 per cent as compared to 55 per cent in normal colonies to provide plots at affordable rates to the common man. The saleable area was being given on the total plot area of the project irrespective of any master plan road passing through it.

PM lays stone of 2 power projects in Chamba dist

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi today laid the foundation stone of two hydropower projects 48 MW Chanju-III Hydroelectric Project and 30 MW Deothal Chanju Hydroelectric Project in Chamba district. Both projects will generate over 270 million units of electricity annually and Himachal is expected to get an annual revenue of around Rs 110 crore from them.

The Prime Minister also launched the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) phase III for the upgrade of around 3,125 km of roads in the state. The Central Government has sanctioned more than Rs 420 crore under the scheme for the phase-III for the upgrade of 440 km of roads in 15 border and far-flung blocks.

Yogi cabinet approves new electric vehicle manufacturing policy

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In a bid to promote faster adoption of clean mobility solutions and create a conducive ecosystem for electric vehicles in Uttar Pradesh, the Yogi Adityanath cabinet approved the new Electric Vehicle Manufacturing and Mobility Policy-2022 on Thursday.

Under the new policy, a huge subsidy will be given by the on the purchase of electric vehicles.

He said the new electric vehicle policy aimed not only at developing an eco-friendly transport system in the state but also to make Uttar Pradesh a global hub for manufacturing of electric vehicles, batteries and related equipment.

A provision for a three-pronged incentive system has been made in the Electric Vehicle Manufacturing and Mobility Policy-2022 that includes benefits to consumers for purchasing EVs; to manufacturers of EV, EV batteries and related components; and to service providers developing charging/swapping facilities.

During the first three years of the effective period of the new policy, there will be 100 per cent road tax and registration fee exemption on the purchase of all categories of electric vehicles. If the electric vehicle is manufactured in the state, the same exemption will continue in the fourth and fifth years also.

Jharkhand: Rs 5,280 crore allotted for civic amenities, says JUIDCO

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JharkhandUrban Development Corporation (JUIDCO), an arm of thestate urban development department, said in a statement that Rs 5,280 crore would be spent oncivic amenitiesunder different Urban Local Bodies.

TheAsian Development Bank(ADB) has assured fiscal assistance to the Jharkhand government as its strategic partners for the mission.

According to JUIDCO statement, Rs 5,280 crore will be incurred in creation of Drainage Systems, septage management, drinking water facilities, capacity building of urban local bodies among others.

Of this, ADB will invest Rs 2,800 crore, while the State Government will pitch in with Rs 1,200 crore from its coffers.

CM Nitish Kumar makes online payment to drought-hit families in Bihar

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Chief ministerNitish Kumar launched online transfer of special financial assistance in the bank accounts of all drought-affected families in 96 blocks of 11 drought-hit districts, and asked the district magistrates concerned to ensure that all affected families in their district get the amount before the upcoming Chhath festival.

An amount of Rs 3,500 per family is being transferred directly in the bank accounts of drought affected families.

The CM said a sum of Rs 500 crore has been provided and more funds would be given under the scheme. He said the DMs of all 11 affected districts would personally monitor and ensure that not a single affected family is left out under the scheme.

Chhattisgarh: Govt to allow private colleges in remote areas on PPP mode

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Chhattisgarhgovernment has decided to runprivate collegesin the backward and inaccessible areas on thePPPmodel based on a decision, recently taken in the cabinet meeting chaired by Chief MinisterBhupesh Baghel, with an objective to provide higher Education facilities in the backward and remote areas. Presently, none of the existing private colleges is operating under the arrangement provisioned in this scheme.

PPP model in Chhattisgarh is an innovative step for the state, as no such scheme has been implemented in the past. As per a government release, 12 private colleges in the state are being provided with 100% regular grant under the Madhya Pradesh Private Colleges and Institutions (Establishment and Regulation) Act. After the formation of Chhattisgarh state, 50 percent grant is being provided to four private colleges under the Chhattisgarh non-government colleges and institutions (Establishment and Regulation) Act, 2006, post the approval of the cabinet.

The debt on Madhya Pradesh is continuously increasing. For the second time in a week, a notification has been issued by the Madhya Pradesh Finance Department for taking a new loan of Rs 1000 crore.

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The Madhya Pradesh government is taking this new loan to build and improve the current condition of roads in the state. The State Government is taking loan for the second time in this month. Earlier in October 2019 also, a loan of one thousand crore rupees was taken by the government.

The Madhya Pradesh government is taking the new loan for a period of 11 years. That is, the government has to repay the loan in a period of 11 years. During this, the government will continue to pay interest to the investors regularly.

Energy regulator proposes firms give free solar power to discoms

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TheRajasthanElectricity Regulatory Commission (RERC) while issuing the tariff order for 2022-23 advised the to consider framing rules for mandating solar power generators who are taking energy outside the state to provide 10% free power to the states Discoms.

In the past one year, the issue used to come up sporadically in discussions among Industry members, think-tanks and government officials. But RERCs advisory now is certainly bringing more and more stakeholders into the issue with strong opinions from both sides of the aisle.

Those who argue in favour of companies providing free power say the generators use the Resources of the state extensively, be it vast swathes of land, power Infrastructure and the Environment. Solar power uses maximum land compared to any other industry. In the process, it takes over the entire ecosystem and resources of the local areas.

PM Modi launches Mission LiFE Lifestyle for Environmet

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday launched Mission LiFE movement (Lifestyle for the Environment) at the Statue of Unity in Gujarat. Envisaged by PM Modi, Mission LiFE is expected to be an India-led global mass movement that will nudge individual and collective action to protect and preserve the environment

The launch of Mission LiFE in Gujarat is significant as it was the first state in the country to initiate steps in the direction of and Climate protection.

PM Modi said the mantra of Mission LiFE is Lifestyle for Environment. It connects the powers of the people for the protection of this earth, and teaches them to utilize it in a better way.

Centre mulls removal of TRAI-related provisions from telecom bill

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Following concerns over the possible dilution of powers of the (TRAI) in the proposed telecom policy, the government is mulling the removal of provisions related to the regulator from the bill. It is evaluating introducing a separate bill to strengthen the regulatory body at a later stage.

The DoT is currently under the process of discussion with all stakeholders, including Industry bodies, on the draft Bill. The government has also invited written comments from industry on the Bill.