26.10.21

PRF Loan Signed Between India-ADB Support Urban Mobility In Mizoram

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The Government of India and Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a $4.5 million project readiness financing (PRF) loan on 26 October.

Highlights

The loan agreement will support project preparation and design activities to develop urban flux in the capital city, Aizawl, in Mizoram.
PRF encourages the development of long-term resolutions for developing urban mobility by recognizing high-priority urban transport investments in Aizawl.
It will help in the next project and enhance its readiness by extending due diligence and preparatory activities.
Aizawl is the centre of the administrative and service industry of Mizoram. Urban mobility in Aizawl is severely constrained because of rapid and unplanned urbanization.
This led to traffic congestion on narrow road widths as it impacts road safety, movement efficiency of people & goods, and environmental sustainability.
This project is crucial as it seeks to resolve the transport problems in the city by adopting sustainable urban mobility solutions.

Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP)

A Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP) will be developed for Aizawl, outlining the urban transport development strategy.
It also helps in building synergies with urban development planning initiatives.
The plan further promotes climate & disaster resilience as well as gender inclusiveness in its interventions.
The PRF loan will help in conducting feasibility studies to prioritize projects that are identified in the CMP.
It will prepare detailed project reports and detailed designs for the project.

Portal for pension cases of state employees to come up in Assam

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The Assam Cabinet decided that a dedicated portal for pension cases of state government employees will be launched to expeditiously provide post-retirement remuneration to pensioners. Addressing a press conference after a meeting of the state Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Education Minister Ranoj Pegu said the portal will be named as ‘Kritagyata’.

This portal will be the front-end for processing all pension cases and for matters related to pay fixation. Pension Seva Kendras will be set up by AMTRON (Assam Electronics Development Corporation Ltd) in all districts for government employees.

The minister also said that Rs 508.60 crore loan will be raised by the state government from NABARD for projects under the RIDF-XXVII (Rural Infrastructure Development Fund), to be repaid within seven years.

The cabinet further decided to allot lands to Mising Language & Cultural Research Centre in Dhemaji and NGO Barpeta Zila Mahila Samity in Barpeta.

The Odisha Government will bring out a Fiscal Strategy Report (FSR) soon in order to provide an early indication of how the State Government is planning to approach the coming Budget.

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While the Team Finance led by Principal Secretary Finance Vishal Dev is working out a framework for the Annual Budget-2022-23, the FSR will outline the broad objectives of public financial reforms, macro-economic outlook and medium fiscal outlook.The FSR 2022 will be presenting a fresh look on the State economy as it is looking up for a growth of 9.5 percent during 2021-22. States own revenue is enhanced substantially as compared to 2020-21 and during 2021-22, annual targets for collection of Own Tax and Own Non Tax revenue is all set to surpass as indications are available from now onwards.

While States own revenues are set to have moderate growth, the GST compensation to bridge the gap between the projected revenue and actual collection will continue till June, 2022. Considering these factors, the spending is expected to increase by about 17 percent in Financial Year 2022-23 over the current years revised estimates.The Department of Finance in consultation with the Department of Planning and Convergence will bring out the FSR, indicating the assumptions of revenue and expenditure projections in the medium term outlook for the State economy and finances.

In fact, Odisha is one of the foremost States to prepare the FSR as the State has made great progress in building a foundation for improved fiscal discipline.

As per projections, Odisha is expected to register a growth of 9 percent during 2022-23 and accordingly the Budget framework is being worked out, an official said.

While Odisha is a Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) complaint State and the Odisha FRBM Act, 2005 mandates the State to generate revenue balance and contain fiscal deficit within 3 percent of Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP), these aspects will be taken care of.

The fiscal policy of the State is guided by the principle of long term fiscal sustainability keeping in view the contraction of the GSDP due to impact of Covid-19 pandemic as well as its susceptibility to natural calamities.

While the Department of Finance is engaged in formulation of Revised Estimates for 2021-22 and Budget Estimates for 2022-23, all the departments are engaged in through scrutiny and prioritization of the Budget proposals, sources said.

Gold loan waiver to cost Tamil Nadu govt 6,000 crore

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TheTamil Nadugovernment issued an order giving effect to waiver of loans taken from cooperative banks on gold up to five sovereigns or less.
The move will cost the exchequer about 6,000 crore. The department of co-operation, food and consumer protection issued the GO stating that CMM K Stalinhad, on September 13, announced that the gold loans taken from cooperative banks till March 31, 2021, will be waived off based on certain criteria to benefit the needy.

The department stated that the waiver of the loan will provide the exchequer 6,000 crore approximately except the part repayment of the loan by some of the beneficiaries.

Kerala health department readies action plan for Sabarimala season

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The health department has prepared an action plan as part of the upcoming Sabarimala pilgrimage season that begins on November 15. The action plan was prepared to control and prevent Covid-19 spread, protect the health of devotees and officials who are on duty in Sabarimala during the pilgrim season. It also will cover control and prevention of other communicable diseases.

In view of the pandemic, all pilgrims with co-morbidities who have been infected with Covid-19 in the past three months have been asked to defer their visit and the trek to Sannidhanam due to the high risk of cardiomyopathy.

Treatment facilities, services have been arranged with Pathanamthitta as the core area and the same will be extended to nearby districts like Kottayam, Alappuzha and Idukki.

Priority for Kannadigas in private, govt, semi-govt jobs: Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai

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:KarnatakaCM Basavaraj Bommai said his government will work towards ensuring that Kannadigas get jobs in private, government and semi-government sectors on priority.

Delivering an address at the 66th Karnataka Rajyotsava here, the CM said the government was according importance to get 75% of jobs in skilled and semi-skilled sectors for Kannadigas through effective implementation of the industrial policy. CallingKannadaa unifying factor, he said the states language should be adopted in all walks of life right from primary education till administration to help Karnataka prosper in all sectors.

Telangana’s Dharani land portal completes 10 lakh transactions

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TheTelanganagovernments prestigious Dharani web portal has completed 10 lakh transactions and the portal witnessed a recorded 5.17 crore hits in the past one year.
The web portal was launched on October 29, last year to complete agricultural land registrations, mutations and other land related transactions.

With the launch of Dharani, registration services were being done in all 574 mandal offices which were earlier being done only in 141 sub-registrar Offices.

‘Maoists supporting ganja cultivation and trade in Andhra Pradesh’

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DGP D Gautam Sawang said Maoists are supportingganjacultivation in tribal pockets of Vizag agency and along the Andhra-Odisha border (AOB) areas as the weed has now become the main revenue source for the banned outfit.

Ganja cultivation is quite prevalent in the hilly areas of AOB. As Maoists are supporting the trade, enforcement agencies are struggling to put an end to cannabis cultivation and its smuggling. Coordination with police and enforcement officials of other states is crucial and can help in controlling the ganja menace.

Norway explores ties with Goa on sustainable solutions

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Norway, which has made tremendous strides in greenenergy, ship building and urban wastemanagement, is keen to increase its strategic partnership with Goa, said Norwegian consul general Arne Jan Flolo, who was on his first official visit to the state.Norwayis exploring ties and opportunities in Goa as part of the larger India-Norway bilateral roadmap.

Norway has offered to facilitate partnerships between local shipyards and Norwegianshipbuildingfirms, and also collaborate on student exchange programmes with Goa-based maritime institutes

Maharashtra nod to not revise capital value of buildings, land in Mumbai

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With the elections to theBrihanmumbai Municipal Corporationscheduled to be held early next year, the state cabinet approved a proposal not to revise capital value of building orlandin Mumbai for 2021-22 in view of the pandemic. Under the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act, 1888, the capital value, based on which property tax is paid, is to be revised every five years.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation had got numerous representations from elected representatives, citizens groups, seeking relaxation/waiver of property tax.BMCwill lose about Rs 1,042 crore in revenue. TheMMC Actwill be amended for the purpose.