• 12 Feb 2024

Haryana CM Approves New Projects

Why in News?

Haryana government has decided to implement 33 new projects worth more than Rs 190 crores under Rural Augmentation & Mahagram Scheme in 5 districts namely Jind, Hisar, Sirsa, Kaithal and Bhiwani.

Key Points

• The new works under Maharagram Scheme includes:
  • Augmentation water supply system and construction of water works in village Naguran, district Jind at an estimated cost of Rs 43.91 crore,
  • Providing sewerage system in village Naguran, district Jind at an estimated cost of Rs 25.31 crore,
  • Upgradation of water supply scheme in village Khedar, district Hisar at an estimated cost of Rs 10.63 crore.

Rural Augmentation and Mahagram Scheme

• This scheme was launched by the State government through the Development and Panchayat Department in 2008-09.
• It envisages providing sewerage system, Improvements of drinking water supply, construction of pucca streets, improvement in electricity etc.

Rajasthan Government Announces Mission Olympics 2028

Why in News?

In the interim budget 2024-25, Rajasthan deputy chief minister and finance minister Diya Kumari announced the Mission Olympics 2028.

Key Points

• Under the scheme, 50 talented youths will be provided world-class sports facilities.
• The selected youths will be given access to an acceleration center and an acceleration coach in Jaipur, where they will be groomed for the Olympic level competition.
• The state government has also allocated Rs. 100 crore for setting up a Centre of Excellence for Sports in Jaipur, which will offer state-of-the-art infrastructure and equipment for various sports disciplines.
• The Mission Olympics 2028 scheme is part of the state government’s vision to promote sports and physical education in Rajasthan.
  • The minister also announced several other initiatives in the budget, such as providing free sports kits to 10 lakh students, constructing 500 playgrounds in rural areas, and establishing a Sports University in Jodhpur.
• According to the minister the government is committed to creating a conducive environment for sports in the state and encouraging the youth to pursue their dreams.

Anti-Encroachment Drive Turns Violent in Uttarakhand

Why in News?

A violent clash erupted between police and locals in Haldwani’s Banbhoolpura area of Uttarakhand, when a team of district administration officials attempted to demolish an ‘illegal madrasa’ in the area.

• Shoot-at-sight orders were issued and curfew was imposed in the town.

Key Points

• According to the officials, following court’s orders, a team from the district administration had gone to conduct an anti-encroachment drive in the area.
  • This is when some miscreants entered into a brawl with the police which left several policemen and officials injured.
• Banbhoolpura is the same locality where hundreds of Muslim families are living in a 2 km stretch along the railway track, facing an uncertain future after the Railways served eviction notices to them, citing that their homes were built on its land.
• The residents, after weeks of protest against eviction ordered by the Uttarakhand High Court, later moved the Supreme Court and the matter is sub-judice.

Sub Judice

• Sub-judice is a Latin term that means “under judgment” or “under consideration by a court of law.”
• In legal contexts, it refers to a case or matter that is currently pending before a court and is therefore not available for public discussion or comment.
• The purpose of the sub judice rule is to ensure that the trial or hearing is fair and impartial, and that the parties involved are not prejudiced by outside influences.

Jharkhand CM to Distribute First Installment of Abua Awas Yojana

Why in News?

Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren distributed letters of acceptance and first installments to 24,827 families of Kolhan region in the first phase of the Abua Awas (housing) Yojana.

Key Points

• In the first phase of the scheme, the CM will hand over letters of acceptance in Kolhan division comprising families from East Singhbhum district, West Singhbhum and Seraikela-Kharsawan district along with the first installment of Rs 30,000 each, which will be transferred to their bank accounts through Direct Benefit Transfer.
• Former CM Hemant Soren had launched Abua Awas (housing) Yojana on 15^th November 2023 to provide houses to the homeless and those who were deprived of the benefit under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY).
  • The scheme also includes provisions for assistance to build toilets under the Swachh Bharat Mission Rural or through the convergence of other dedicated sources.

Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY)

• It is a government initiative that aims to provide affordable houses to the urban poor keeping a target of building 2 crore (20 million) houses by 2024.
• The two basic components of the scheme are:
  • Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana- Urban (PMAY-U) looks into the housing requisites of poor urban people. The urban poor has been categorised into three sectors, which depend upon the annual household income:
    • (i) Economically Weaker Section (EWS), (ii) Low-income Group (LIG) (iii) Middle Income Group (MIG). Additionally, the slum dwellers within the urban population can also apply to the scheme.
  • Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana- Rural (PMAY-R) has been brought in to help economically weak families living in rural India become property owners. The residences in such rural areas will have all the required basic facilities such as electricity, clean water, a well-developed sewage system, a sanitation facility, etc.

Swachh Bharat Mission Gramin (SBM-G)

• It was launched in 2014 by the Ministry of Jal Shakti to accelerate the efforts to achieve universal sanitation coverage and to put focus on sanitation.
• The mission was implemented as a nation-wide campaign/Jan Andolan which aimed at eliminating open defecation in rural areas.

Abua Awas Yojana (AAY)

• Under this scheme, the state government will provide housing to the needy people from its own fund by spending more than Rs 15,000 crore in the next two years.
• Three room houses will be provided to the poor, deprived, labourers, farmers, tribals, backward and Dalits.   

Chhattisgarh Presented Budget in Assembly

Why in News?

Chhattisgarh Finance Minister OP Choudhary presented a budget of Rs 1,47,446 crore for 2024-25 in the state Assembly.

Key Points

• The budget is focused on the economic development of GYAN- Gareeb (poor), Yuva (youth), Annadata (farmers) and Naari (woman), stimulating infrastructure growth by increasing capital expenditure, as well as employment and livelihood promotion for youth.
• A document titled 'Amritkaal: Chhattisgarh Vision @2047' will be dedicated to the people on November 1, 2024 with the aim to transform the state from a developing to a developed one.
  • The first mid-term goal for achieving the vision under it shall be doubling the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) in the next five years from Rs 5 lakh crore to Rs 10 lakh crore by 2028.

Projects Worth Rs10 lakh Crore to be Implemented in Uttar Pradesh

Why in News?

At the Groundbreaking Ceremony (GBC) 4.0, the Uttar Pradesh Government is set to announce ₹10 lakh crore worth of Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) covering 14,000 projects, expected to create 33.50 lakh employment opportunities.

Key Points

• The projected investment rollout for GBC 4.0 is five times greater than the cumulative investment of over ₹2.10 lakh crore implemented in the previous three groundbreaking ceremonies.
  • Over 52% of these projects will be launched in western Uttar Pradesh, which is also known as Paschimanchal region.
  • Around 29% of the MoUs will be implemented in the Purvanchal region, which comprises eastern parts of the state.
  • 14% MoUs will be implemented in Madhyanchal, and 5% in Bundelkhand.
• These MoUs were signed at the Uttar Pradesh Global Investors’ Summit-2023 organised in Lucknow in February 2023.
• Around 3000 people, including eminent industrialists, representatives of 500 companies, foreign investors, ambassadors, high commissioners and other distinguished guests will attend the Groundbreaking Ceremony 4.0.

Previous Groundbreaking Ceremonies

• Three groundbreaking ceremonies have already taken place in the state, bringing investment of over ₹2.10 lakh crore.
• The first UP Investors’ Summit was held in February 2018 in which 1045 MoUs worth ₹4.28 lakh crore were signed.
• The first groundbreaking ceremony took place in July 2018, followed by another in July 2019, resulting in the successful launch of 81 projects with investment of ₹61,792 crore and about 290 projects with investment of ₹67,202 crore, respectively.

PM Inaugurated Projects in Madhya Pradesh

Why in News?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of developmental projects worth Rs 7,500 crore in Madhya Pradesh's Jhabua district and addressed a conference of tribal communities.

Key Points

• During the event, the Prime Minister:
  • Disbursed monthly installments to nearly two lakh women beneficiaries under the Aahar Anudan Yojana of the state.
    • Under the scheme, Rs 1,500 per month are provided for nutritious food for women, especially from the backward tribes.
  • Distributed 1.75 lakh 'adhikar abhilekh' (record of land rights) under the SVAMITVA scheme, which will provide documentary evidence to people for the right to their land.
  • Transferred funds of Rs 55.9 crore to 559 villages under the Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana, which will be utilized for various kinds of construction activities, including Anganwadi Bhawans, fair price shops, health centres, additional rooms in schools, internal roads, among others.
• Laid the foundation stone of:
  • the Tantya Mama Bhil University which will cater to the youth from tribal-dominated districts of the state.
  • 'CM Rise School' in Jhabua which will integrate technology to provide modern facilities like smart classes, e-Library, among others to students.
  • 'Talavada Project', which is a drinking water supply scheme for more than one thousand villages of Dhar and Ratlam; and 14 urban water supply schemes under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) 2.0, benefitting more than 50,000 urban households across multiple districts of Madhya Pradesh.
  • 'Nal Jal Yojana' for 50 gram panchayats of Jhabua, which will provide tap water to about 11,000 households.
• The rail projects that will be dedicated to the nation include projects for doubling of Indore-Dewas-Ujjain C cabin railway line, Itarsi-North-South grade separator with yard remodelling and a third line connecting Barkhera-Budni-Itarsi.
• The Prime Minister will also dedicate to the nation multiple road development projects costing more than Rs 3,275 crore in Madhya Pradesh.

AMRUT 2.0

• It is the continuation of the AMRUT mission launched in June 2015 to ensure that every household has access to a tap with the assured supply of water and a sewerage connection.
• AMRUT 2.0 aims to provide 100% coverage of water supply to all households in around 4,700 ULBs (Urban Local Bodies).
• It also seeks to promote Atmanirbhar Bharat through encouraging Startups and Entrepreneurs (Public Private Partnership).

Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana (PMAGY)

• It was launched during 2009-10. The Scheme aims at integrated development of Scheduled Castes majority villages.
• The objective of this Scheme is to ensure integrated development of the selected villages with more than 50% SC population:
  • Primarily through convergent implementation of the relevant Central and State/UT Government Schemes; and
  • By taking up identified activities, which do not get covered under the existing Central and State Government Schemes, through ‘Gap-filling’ funds provided as Central Assistance to the extent of ₹20,00,000 per village.