26.12.22

Sarpanches protest e-tendering of panchayat works across Haryana

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A day after the show of strength by sarpanches in Tohana, the Home town of Development and Panchayat Minister Devender Singh Babli, they staged demonstrations outside the Block Development and Panchayat Offices across the state today to press for their demand for the withdrawal of e-tendering in the development works in the villages and also oppose the Right to Recall.

In the new system, villagers can get details of the tender of any work to find out every detail related to the work, including amount and other parameters of the quality in works.

Punjab Governor hosts Millets Lunch for citys elite

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To mark the launch of International Year of (IMY) – 2023, Punjab Raj Bhavan on Monday hosts Millets Lunch for the city’s elite. City Beautifuls renowned people, including the members of the newly-constituted Administrator Advisory Council, bureaucrats, politicians, industrialists, doctors, academicians and media were seen feasting their palate with millets delicacies, including Little Millet Kheer (kutki ki kheer), Ragi Halwa, and the Steamed Ragi Dumplings.

Calling upon all to popularize millets, making a beginning with their own kitchen, the Governor shared the millet popularization and promotion initiatives in Chandigarh. Jowar and Bajra have been incorporated in the Supplementary Nutrition Programme for the beneficiaries of all 450 Anganwadi Centres. Presently, Khichri and Dalia of millets are being provided in the form of ‘hot cooked meal’ to the beneficiaries, he said.

He said that Anganwadi workers are mobilizing community members on regular intervals by organizing stalls of millet recipes’ demonstration. During POSHAN Maah-2022, more than 200 programmes or awareness activities were organized at Anganwadi Centres for demonstrations of Millets recipes.

Himachal: Bill passed for raising deficit up to 6 per cent this fiscal

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The Himachal Pradesh Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (Amendment) Bill 2023 and the Himachal Pradesh Goods and Service Tax (Amendment) Bill 2023 were passed with a voice vote in the House on the third day of the Winter Session. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had tabled the Bills in the House.

The Himachal Pradesh Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (Amendment) Bill 2023 aims at maintaining a of 6 per cent or less of the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) in 2022-23. It also keeps 3.5 per cent fiscal deficit of the GSDP for the next two financial years (2023-24 and 2024-25). Thereafter, a fiscal deficit of 3 per cent of the GSDP shall be maintained.

Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri said that the Bill had become necessary due to excessive borrowing done by the previous BJP government. He added that the current debt of the state stood at Rs 74,622 crore. In the past five years, the debt burden had increased by Rs 26,716 crore, he added.

The Bill also states that the interest free loan for 50 years to states under the scheme of special assistance for Capital Expenditure for financing Infrastructure projects shall be allowed over and above all limits specified.

The Himachal Pradesh Goods and Service Tax (Amendment) Bill 2023 aims at merging all indirect taxes of the state and Central governments, as per the amendments affected by the Centre under the Finance Act 2022 on the recommendations of the GST Council.

Uttarakhand govt orders geological study of ‘sinking Joshimath’

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As fearful residents of Joshimath continue their protests over the town’s apparent sinking and appearance of cracks in their houses, Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority (USDMA) has ordered a detailed bearing capacity analysis of the border town, regarded as the gateway to Badrinath, Valley of Flowers and Auli, following cracks in almost 500 houses.
USDMA, in its latest meeting, minutes of which are with TOI, ordered the Irrigation department to “make a drainage plan and conduct ageological studyof the town”

The panel also pointed out that the damage wasn’t restricted to floors or walls of houses. It extended to ceilings, ran through houses, including courtyards and outdoor areas, and even dislocated beams, resulting in lopsided structures.

The state irrigation department has also been tasked to make a plan to stop ongoing land erosion by Alaknanda river which has been attributed as one of the primary reasons behind the ‘sinking’ by the panel.

Ram temple to increase tourism in Ayodhya

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Uttar Pradesh is a state with infinite possibilities in terms of tourism. All major centres of religious, spiritual, eco-tourism are present here. Today Uttar Pradesh is number one in terms of domestic tourism. In 2024, when the Shri Ram temple will be ready in Ayodhya, tourism will increase 10 times.

The chief minister said that the efforts made by the under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the last five years had made Uttar Pradesh number one in domestic tourism.

Citing the example of Prayagraj, the chief minister said that 24 crore devotees visited the city during the 2019 Kumbh, one of the best organised events. The chief minister also mentioned about the government’s plans to develop Ramayana, Krishna and Buddhist circuits. The chief minister said that important Buddhist sites like Sarnath, Kushinagar, Kapilvastu, Shravasti, Kaushambi were located in UP while an international airport was being built at Shravasti in Kushinagar. He said Naimisharanya, the land of scripting Vedic shrutis, and Chitrakoot, associated with Lord Rama’s exile, was also located in UP.

51% growth in coal production by NTPC

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Coal Mining division of NTPC is maintaining its Growth trajectory and surpassed its earlier record in terms of coal production and sustainable quality fuel supply to NTPC power Plants. With a coal production of 14.55 Million Metric Tonnes till Dec22 in this fiscal compared with 9.65 Million Metric Tonnes of coal production in the same period of previous year, NTPC has portrayed a phenomenal year-on-year production growth of 51%. The four operational coal mines viz. Pakri-Barwadih (Jharkhand), Chatti-Bariatu (Jharkhand), Dulanga (Odisha) and Talaipalli (Chhattisgarh) have contributed to accomplish the highest ever monthly coal production of 22.83 Lakh Metric Tonnes in December22 since inception. So far, the captive mines have delivered 60.95 Million Metric Tonnes of coal to more than 22 power plants of NTPC. In the 3rd quarter of the current fiscal, NTPC has produced 5.79 Million Metric Tonnes coal, the highest ever production in a quarter and dispatched 5.42 Million Metric Tonnes to its power plants, which is the best ever quarter performance since inception. Along with this coal production, NTPC has also attained the highest ever monthly overburden removal of 89.16 Lakh cubic meter in December22 and achieved overburden removal of 448.77 Lakh cubic meter in this fiscal compared with 206.08 Lakh cubic meter in the same period last year, with year-on-year production growth of 118%.

The growth path for NTPC mining division has not been rosy. It is continuously facing numerous issues. With formidable Leadership, spirited workforce and the constant support of District & State Administration, the roadblocks, mainly the agitation of some group of persons with vested interests, could be overcome. Further, with meticulous planning, resource mobilization, and regular monitoring, NTPC has achieved such substantial growth.

Health hazard for people as AQI still in ‘very poor’ category in Patna

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A thick layer of smog prevailed in Patna in the morning hours as the pollution level in the state capital slipped to the lower end of “very poor” category on Friday. The overall air quality index (AQI) in the city stood at 378, as per the daily bulletin released by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

The air quality early warning system for Patna under the ministry of earth sciences of the central government predicted that the air quality will remain “very poor” on Monday owing to calm wind, fall in temperature, and moisture, which are unfavourable for dispersion of pollutants in the air. There will be no large change in the weather as well for the next 48 hours.

An AQI between zero and 50 is considered ‘good’, 51 and 100 ‘satisfactory’, 101 and 200 ‘moderate’, 201 and 300 ‘poor’, 301 and 400 ‘very poor’, and 401 and 500 ‘severe’. According to CPCB, severe AQI level can affect healthy people and seriously impact those with existing diseases while very poor day can cause respiratory illnesses on prolonged exposure.

Chhattisgarh govt replies to governors queries over 76 per cent reservation bills

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Amidst the impasse over reservation, the Chhattisgarh government has replied to the 10-point queries raised by governor Anusuiya Uikey over the bills, passed by a special session of the legislative assembly, for enhancing the states overall reservation to 76 per cent.

Am imbroglio over reservation is prevailing in Chhattisgarh after the state set aside a 2012 State Government order enhancing the overall reservation to 58 per cent.
The high court had also held that any reservation over and above 50 per cent was unconstitutional.

Atal’s grand memorial to be built in Gwalior: Shivraj

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A huge statue of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee will be installed and a research centre will be built as part his grand memorial in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said.

He was speaking on December 26 at the ‘Gwalior Gaurav Diwas’ function to mark the late leader’s 98th birth anniversary. The event was also attended by Union Ministers Jyotiraditya Scindia and Narendra Singh Tomar. Vajpayee was born in Gwalior on December 25, 1924.

Chouhan told the gathering that a grand memorial of Vajpayee will be built in Gwalior, which will have an e-library and a research centre to highlight his life and works through audio visual medium. The work on the project will start soon, he added.

The Madhya Pradesh government has allotted nearly 4,050 hectares of land in Sirol area of Gwalior to build a memorial of Vajpayee.

Investments worth 6k Cr get grounded in petroleum sector

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Out of the nearly Rs 23,000 crore worth of proposals in the petroleum sector, over Rs 6,000 crore has been grounded, according to a statement by the department.

During the InvestRajasthan summit Cairn India (Rs 20,000 crore), Oil India (Rs 663 crore),Ongc(Rs 1,050 crore) andFocus Energy(Rs 1,125 crore) had signed MoUs with the State Government to make the investments.

Cairn had proposed maximum investment and the company is implementing projects worth Rs 5,671 crore in Barmer and Jalore.

Similarly, Focus Energy has also started implementing projects worth Rs 113 crore in Jaisalmer.

ONGC has also started exploration and production in Jaisalmer and Bikaner. The company is in the process of investing Rs 212 crore.

Oil India has already invested rs 144 crore in various exploration and field development projects.