Chhattisgarh State PCS

• 07 Oct 2023

Transport Minister Inaugurated the State's First Registered Vehicle Scrapping Centre

Why In News?

On October 5, 2023, Chhattisgarh Transport Minister Mohammad Akbar inaugurated the state's first registered vehicle scrapping center in village Dhaneli under Raipur district.

Key Points:

• It is worth noting that it has been decided to compulsorily scrap all vehicles older than 15 years from the government department.
• During this, the transport minister said that the state government is working towards establishing Chhattisgarh as a vehicle scrapping hub for Central India, this center has been completely digitized to promote scrapping facilities.
• Under the Chhattisgarh Industrial Policy 2019-24, notification has been issued to keep the Registered Vehicle Scrapping Center (RVSF) in the category of high priority industries. RVSFs being set up in the state can also avail the benefits of relaxations prescribed for high priority industries.
• The state's first registered vehicle scrapping center will be operated by Metal Corporation of India.
• After getting the vehicle scrapped from a registered scrapping centre, the benefit of 25 percent tax exemption will be given for purchasing a new vehicle. For exemption, an online certificate will be issued by the registered scraping center, which will be called Certificate of Deposit.
• The Certificate of Deposit will be issued online, which will be displayed in the vehicle software of the Transport Department and will be valid in all the automobile dealerships across Chhattisgarh.
• Apart from this, those vehicles which pay monthly or quarterly tax and have outstanding tax and want to get scrapped will also be given exemption in the tax, penalty and interest of the last one year outstanding on the vehicle.
• Scrapping Process: When a vehicle reaches the scrap center, it is destroyed scientifically. Talking about the different stages, tires and engine kits are removed at the station. In the next step the batteries and free-on gas kits are destroyed. The vehicle's seats, steering, engine and radiator are then removed, leaving a hollow metal structure. Bale press machines are used to convert the metal into blocks, which are then supplied to various companies. Other components of the car are recycled and sold to private companies.

Bee and Silkworm Farmers will get Interest Free Loan

Why In News?

On October 5, 2023, the Ministry of Agriculture Department of Chhattisgarh issued an order to provide an interest free loan facility to beekeeping and silkworm farming in the state in compliance with the announcement of Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel.

Key Points:

• Under the order issued by the Ministry of Agricultural Development and Agricultural Welfare and Department of Biotechnology, institutional short-term and medium-term agricultural loans will be provided to bee and silkworm farmers in Chhattisgarh based on 'Interest Subsidy on Cooperative Loans to Farmers of the State Rules 2021'.
• It is noteworthy that under the centrally promoted Integrated Horticulture Mission, the unit cost of one unit of beekeeping has been fixed at Rs 2.31 lakh, in which 40 percent subsidy is given to the beneficiaries.
• In case of 100% fulfillment of the targets of beekeeping under the Integrated Horticulture Mission in the financial year, short-term agricultural loans will be given by banks and financial institutions to the pending applications as per the prescribed loan scale.
• The interest on cooperative loans to farmers of the state on the loans received by beekeepers through banks and other financial institutions will be borne by the Cooperative and Finance Department under the Subsidy Rules 2021. The maximum limit on the interest subsidy payable will be the same as in the main scheme.
• Similarly, silkworm farmers will get interest subsidies on institutional medium agricultural loans and subsidy on electricity charges like the farmers of the state.
• In the order issued, it has been clarified that under the Silk Samagra-2 scheme run by the Government of India, a total of 90 percent grant, including central share and state share, will be given to small and marginal category farmers rearing silkworms and 70 percent grant to other farmers.
• Loan approval will be given on the basis of a loan scale of Rs 5 lakh per acre for rearing silkworms on mulberry plants.
• In addition to the prescribed loan scale, the farmer category wise beneficiary share of the grant payable in Silk Samagra-2 will be approved as medium-term agricultural loan through banks and other financial institutions in the form of institutional loan at zero percent interest like agricultural crops.
• In case of 100% fulfillment of the targets given to the state under Silk Samagra-2 Scheme in the financial year, the pending applications will be provided medium term agricultural loan facility by the banks and financial institutions as per the prescribed loan scale and the loan received will be financed for 03 years. Nutrition will be borne by the Cooperative and Finance Department under the Interest Subsidy Rules 2021 on cooperative loans to the farmers of the state.
• All banks and financial institutions will sanction loans to farmers as per the norms set by the Government of India under the Silk Samagra-2 Scheme. The maximum limit on the interest subsidy payable will be equivalent to the main scheme.