Haryana

• 12 Jul 2022

94-Year-Old Bhagwani Devi Won 3 Medals Including Gold

Why in News?

• In the World Masters Athletics Championships, 2022 held in Tampere, Finland on July 10, 2022, 94-year-old Bhagwani Devi Dagar of Haryana won 3 medals including Gold.

Key Points

• Bhagwani Devi Dagar won the gold medal in the senior citizen category in the World Masters Athletics Championships in the 100m sprint event with a timing of just 24.74 seconds, while also winning two bronze medals in the shot put.
• It is noteworthy that Bhagwani Devi has won many medals before this as well. He won three gold medals in the National Masters Athletics Championships held in Chennai, after which he was qualified for the World Masters Athletics Championships, 2022.
• The World Masters Athletics Championships were started in 1975 . Players above the age group of 35 years can participate in this championship. Initially, only 5 age groups were included, but now sports events are held in 12 age groups.
• The first age group is above 35 years of age. 2nd above 40 years, 3rd above 45 years, 4th above 50 years, 5th above 55 years, 6th above 60 years, 7th above 65, 8th above 70 years, 9th above 75 years, 10th 80 years Above, 11th is above 85 years and 12th is above 90 years.

The Working of PACS will be computerized

Why in News?

• On July 11, 2022, Haryana Chief Minister, Manohar Lal Khattar, in the state level review meeting of Haryana State Cooperative Apex Bank (HARCO), while deciding to make the working of government departments online, directed to computerize the working of PACS in a phased manner.

Key Points

• In the meeting, the Chief Minister directed the officers to explore the possibility of opening a branch of HARCO Bank in every district of the state. If the rules must be amended for this, then it should be done.
• At present, Harco Bank has only two branches in Chandigarh and Panchkula, while the bank controls the branches of the District Central Co-operative Bank.
• It was informed in the meeting that THE PACS is not directly linked to the Harco Bank. There are about 700 PACS in the state, which remain at the village level.
• TVSN Prasad, Additional Chief Secretary, Finance Department said that the entire work in Kanauli PACS of Panchkula district has been computerized and the process of computerization of 62 other PACS is in progress. This work will be completed by 30th November 2022.
• The Chief Minister said that the salary of the employees of PACS should also be centralized, and arrangements should be made by the government. To end the monopoly on PACS, on the same lines, Village Agricultural Primary Cooperative Societies (VAX) should be formed at the village level by talking to the educated young farmers in the village and their registration should be done under the Co-operative Societies Registration Act and the farmers themselves. Operate these waxes.
• The Chief Minister said that crop loans should be made available to the farmers in three instalments – seeds, tillage and fertilizers for preparing the fields as well as at the time of payment of wages. Debt recovery should be linked to the harvesting season, so that farmers can sell their crops and repay the loan on time. Farmers who pay on time will be given an incentive of one percent.
• In the meeting, the Chief Minister also directed the officers that loans should be made available promptly on the applications approved under 'Mukhyamantri Antyodaya Parivar Utthan Yojana'.