30.03.23
25cr boost to enhance emergency police helpline
Assam Police is set to enhance its availability by revamping the Dial-112 project and creating a world-classAssam Police Emergency Management System(APEMS) as finance ministerAjanta Neogallocated Rs 25 crore in this yearsbudgetproposals for the purpose.
Neog said any resident in a distress situation such as kidnapping, robbery, sexual assault, vehicle theft, domestic violence, conflict situation can reach out to police via telephonic call, SMS, web portal and mobile app.
The modern and well-equipped Centralised Police Emergency Response Centre in Guwahati operated by well-trained all-women personnel will receive the calls round the clock. The actionable incidents will be passed on by the trained police dispatch officers in real time to the specially trained police staff in the field in emergency response vehicles (ERVs). They will reach the caller via GPS tracked ERVs in the shortest possible time and shall attend to the emergency as first responder
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday wrote to Union Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Minister Piyush Goyal for evacuation of surplus rice from Odisha.
Patnaik stated that during this Kharif season, a record 14,94,320 farmers have sold paddy to the Government at MSP. The paddy procurement for Kharif season (KMS 2022-23) is going to be closed by March 31. About 65.23 LMT of paddy equivalent to 44.23 LMT Kharif CMR has been procured as on March 22.
In the ensuing Rabi (2022-23), it is expected that about 10 lakh MT of CMR would be procured in the State. Thus, total 54 lakh MT CMR is likely to be procured during 2022-23. Odishas own consumption would be 24 lakh MT of rice under NFSA, SFSS and other welfare schemes.
So, the State would be left with approximately 20 lakh MT of surplus rice. Non-evacuation of above quantity of surplus rice from the State would severely affect the States paddy procurement operations in the coming seasons as well as it would adversely impact the livelihood of lakhs of famers, Patnaik stated.
Tamil Nadu govt to celebrate centenary year of Vaikom Satyagraha
Tamil Naduchief minister M K Stalin said his government will celebrate the centenary year of theVaikom Satyagraha(Vaikom struggle) to honour the memory of social reformist Periyar, who fought across the borders for the people and succeeded in making such revolutions in history, and to propagate the principles of social justice.
Making a suo motu statement under Rule 110, the chief minister said the state government would commence the centenary year celebrations on March 30. Various initiatives will be taken up for the public and students to know the history, purpose and victory of the struggle.
Kerala: Revenue from liquor set to hit all-time high this financial year
In a relief to the ailingrevenue collectionof the state, the excise department is set to meet its revised revenue collection target set for the financial year 2022-23, which would come to a close in two more days.
As per the data till February 28, the revenue collection fromliquorsales (excluding sales tax) to the state exchequer is Rs 2,480.15 crore, the highest till February end for any financial year.
The previous highest collection was in 2018-19, when it was Rs 1,948.69 crore. In 2018-19, the total revenue collection till March 31 closed at Rs 2,480.63 crore, which means that Rs 531.94 crore was collected in the last month of the financial year.
The main components of this revenue figure are excise duty, license fee and other regulatory fees. The excise duty is calculated in slabs ranging from 21.5% to 23.5% of the purchase cost per proof litre, and the highest rate of excise duty is Rs 237 per proof litre. With the sales taxes also being revised recently, the revenue from liquor is all set to scale further heights.
Panels for safe environment for kids in villages
TheKarnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights(KCPCR) chairmanNaganna Gowdaon Tuesday announced village level committees composed of social activists, representatives of NGOs, locals, etc to create a safe environment for kids in the village level, which will be monitored bygram panchayatand district-level officials.
Meanwhile, a new observation home for children in conflict with law is planned in Sathagalli area of the city. This home is coming up with all modern facilities.
New 6-digit BIS gold hallmarking norm to kick in across 8 districts of Telangana
All gold jewellery will need a new security check of a six-digit alphanumeric code from April 1. The norm is being rolled out by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) across India to make buying of gold jewellery, and artefacts that fall under the hallmarking system, a safer process.
InTelangana, it will apply to gold traders in eight districts: Hyderabad,Ranga Reddy, Mancherial, Peddapalli, Warangal Rural,Warangal Urban, Khammam, andNalgonda.
Previously, this HUID was restricted to four digits. “Though consumers do not have to worry about their jewellery (with four-digit HUID) as that too will remain valid, they should be careful while buying new ones post April 1. They should check for the six-digit HUID on the hallmarked jewellery. This is done to protect the interests of consumers and to bring transparency,” Rao said.
BEE identifies 30 EE projects worth Rs 400 crore in Andhra Pradesh
TheBureau of Energy Efficiencyfacilitation centre has identified 73 energy efficiency financing projects worth 2,500 crore from all the states. Among these, 30 projects worth around 400 crore belong to Andhra Pradesh.
TheBEEpublished a detailed notification on March 12 and called for willingness forms for implementation of energy efficiency projects in the states.
The large industries and establishments, micro, small, and medium enterprises, and other stakeholders can register on BEEs online facilitation centre to seek financial support and implement energy efficiency projects.
For govt projects, Goa moves to acquire comunidade land
After facing stiff opposition to its land acquisition initiatives, the state government has now decided to acquire comunidade land for public projects, with the prior consent of the respective comunidades. Chief ministerPramod Sawanttold TOI that around 30% of land in Goa belongs to comunidades.
The government, to execute its decision, is set to amend some articles of theGoa legislative diploma.
The state government has also put in a clause wherein comunidades, in case they want to develop plots through private agencies, must invite bids after getting approval from the government.
The bill also seeks to enable the government, with prior consent, to grant land up to 2 lakh sqm on lease to any educational or health institution, or any government-recognised charitable or social trust or institution involved in education or health.
Japanese firm extends Rs 18,750 crore ODA loan for bullet train project
Japan International Cooperation Agency(JICA) has signed an agreement with India to provide an Official Development Assistance (ODA) loan of 300 billion yen (around Rs 18,750 crore) as tr-anche 4 for the construction of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) project, also known as the bullet train project.
It is the largest amount committed through a single project loan agreement in JICA’s history across the globe, said the Japanese agency.
JICA has been supporting the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project by providing ODA loans with the cumulative commitment amount of 650 billion yen (Rs 40,625 crore) since 2017 and by providing technical assistance, including feasibility study, basic and detailed design, trainings in Japan, station area development technical cooperation project, and dispatch of Japanese Shinkansen experts to the National High-Speed Rail Corporation Ltd (NHSRCL), which is the executing agency of the project.