• 15 Oct 2022

Paddy purchase Policy and formation of Uttar Pradesh Natural Farming Board

Why In News?

• In the meeting of the Uttar Pradesh cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on October 13, 2022, with the aim of providing relief to the farmers suffering from rains and floods, many exemptions for the agriculture sector including the announcement of 'Paddy purchase Policy' and the state Decision was taken to constitute 'Uttar Pradesh Natural Farming Board'.

Key Points

• According to Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Shahi, the state cabinet has announced a new paddy purchase policy, under which the minimum support price for normal grade paddy has been fixed at Rs 2,040 per quintal and for A grade paddy at Rs 2,060 per quintal.
• The Agriculture Minister informed that the paddy purchase period is from October 1 to January 31 in Hardoi, Lakhimpur Kheri, Sitapur, Bareilly, Moradabad, Meerut, Saharanpur, Agra, Aligarh and Jhansi districts and Rae Bareli, Unnao, Chitrakoot, Kanpur, Ayodhya, Basti. For Gorakhpur, Azamgarh, Varanasi, Mirzapur and Prayagraj, this period is from November 1 to February 28.
• He said that online registration is mandatory for paddy purchase and all purchases from farmers would be done on the basis of computer verified Khatauni and Aadhar card. Paddy will be procured by biometric authentication of farmers through electronic point of purchase machines at the purchasing centres.
• Paddy will be procured through 4,000 procurement centres of six agencies like food department, PCF, PCU, Mandi Parishad, UPS and Food Corporation of India.
• Paddy price will be paid by all purchasing agencies through PFMS portal of Government of India within 48 hours of purchase of paddy.
• The cabinet has also approved the proposal to prepare procurement policy for coarse cereals (maize and bajra) under the Price Support Scheme.
• Under this policy, the minimum support price of maize has been fixed at Rs 1,962 per quintal and the minimum support price of bajra at Rs 2,350 per quintal. The period for procurement of maize and bajra will be from October 15 to December 15.
• Maize Bulandshahr, Hapur, Badaun, Aligarh, Etah, Kasganj, Firozabad, Mainpuri, Hardoi, Unnao, Kanpur Nagar, Kanpur Dehat, Kannauj, Farrukhabad, Etawah, Auraiya, Gonda, Bahraich from Shravasti, Ballia, Jaunpur, Deoria, Sonbhadra and Lalitpur districts, while bajra from Bulandshahr, Bareilly, Badaun, Sambhal, Aligarh, Etah, Kasganj, Hathras, Agra It will be procured from Mathura, Mainpuri, Firozabad, Kanpur Dehat, Etawah, Auraiya, Ghazipur, Jalaun and Prayagraj districts.
• Farmer registration and online procurement have been made mandatory at all purchasing agencies for sale of maize and bajra. Maize and bajra will be procured from farmers on the basis of computer verified khatauni, photo identity proof and Aadhaar card.
• The Cabinet also approved the proposal for constitution of 'Uttar Pradesh Natural Farming Board' to increase the spread of natural farming in the state and to provide continuous guidance.
• The Chief Minister will be the chairman of the governing body of the Uttar Pradesh Natural Agriculture Board, while the Minister of Agriculture and Education will be the vice-chairman. Ministers of Finance, Agricultural Marketing, Horticulture and Food-processing, Animal Husbandry and Milk Development, Panchayati Raj and Rural Engineering, Cooperation, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises departments will be the members of the governing body.
• Chief Secretary, Agriculture Production Commissioner and Principal Secretary or Additional Chief Secretary of Livestock and Milk Development, Horticulture and Food Processing, Agricultural Education, Agricultural Marketing, Panchayati Raj and Rural Development, Cooperation and Planning departments will be members.

Cabinet Approves New Textile and Apparel Policy

Why In News?

• On October 13, 2022, the Uttar Pradesh cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, approved a new textile and apparel policy to attract private investment in this sector and ensure development of all units to make the state a textile hub.

Key Points

• The cabinet has approved the Uttar Pradesh Textile and Garmenting Policy-2022 and has authorized the Chief Minister to make any amendments in it.
• The main objective of the new policy is to establish the state as a global level garment manufacturing hub and sustainable development of all types of units related to the textile industry, such as handloom, powerloom, spinning, weaving, processing and apparel.
• The specific objective of the policy is to attract private investment of Rs 10,000 crore in the textile and apparel sector, create employment opportunities for five lakh people, develop five textile and apparel parks in the private sector and increase the income of handloom and powerloom weavers.
• Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Khanna said that in the Textile and Apparel Policy-2022 of Uttar Pradesh, there was a provision to give special incentives to the units investing in the textile sector along with financial facilities in various items with the aim of attracting investments and generating employment.
• The policy will be effective for a period of five years from the date of promulgation. The policy will increase investment in the state and create three lakh job opportunities.
• Under the new policy, textile and textile units will be provided 25 percent capital subsidy on investment made on purchase of plant and machinery.
• Apart from this, additional capital grant will be reimbursed at the rate of 5 percent to the textile and clothing units to be set up in Madhyanchal region of the state and at the rate of 10 percent to the textile and clothing units to be set up in Purvanchal and Bundelkhand. The capital subsidy limit will be limited to Rs 100 crore per unit.

Uttar Pradesh Dairy Development and Milk Product Promotion Policy-2022

Why In News?

• On October 13, 2022, in the meeting of the Uttar Pradesh cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the cabinet approved the 'Uttar Pradesh Dairy Development and Milk Product Promotion Policy-2022' by abolishing the Uttar Pradesh Milk Policy-2018.

Key Points

• The Uttar Pradesh Dairy Development and Milk Products Promotion Policy-2022 will be effective for five years from the date of notification.
• Its main objective is to encourage the establishment of milk-based industries in the state by simplifying the procedures for the convenience of investors. A capital investment target of Rs 5,000 crore has been set in the next five years to increase the level of milk processing.
• In the proposed policy, dairy units making new milk processing and milk products will be made available to various FPOs, cooperative institutions and private sector entrepreneurs of the state. Setting up of manufacturing units and capacity expansion (minimum 25 percent increase in existing capacity) has been proposed.
• Under the new policy, 1.25 lakh new jobs are estimated to be created directly and indirectly.

Justice Pankaj Mithal Appointed 40th Chief Justice of Rajasthan High Court

Why In News?

• On October 14, 2022, the Governor of Rajasthan, Kalraj Mishra administered the oath of office to Justice Pankaj Mithal as the Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court at the Raj Bhavan. Justice Mithal is the 40th Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court.

Key Points

• Justice Pankaj Mithal took oath in Hindi language. Earlier, Justice Pankaj Mithal was the Chief Justice of the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Courts.
• Justice Pankaj Mithal's tenure will be around 8 months. He will be the Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court till June 16, 2023.
• Justice Pankaj Mithal was born on June 17, 1961, in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh. In 1982, he graduated from Allahabad University and in 1985, he did an LLB course from a college in Meerut affiliated to Chaudhary Charan Singh University.
• He started practice in the Uttar Pradesh Bar Council. On July 7, 2006, he was appointed as a judge in the Allahabad High Court for the first time. Appointed Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court in the year 2021.
• This is the third time in the Rajasthan High Court that a judge of the Allahabad High Court has taken over as the Chief Justice. For the first time in the year 1949, Justice K.K. Verma was appointed to this post. Verma, who was the Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court, became the first Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court. He held this post from 29 August 1950 to 24 January 1950. After this, on January 26, 1950, after the constitution came into force in the country, Kailash Nath was appointed as the Chief Justice.
• It is to be noted that Justice SS Shinde, the Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court had retired on August 1, 2022, since then Justice M.M Srivastava was handling the job.
• The Supreme Court Collegium, chaired by Chief Justice of India (CJI) U.U Lalit in the last week of September 2022, recommended the transfer of Justice Pankaj Mithal from the Jammu and Kashmir High Court to the Rajasthan High Court. After this, on October 11, the Union Law Ministry issued an order to transfer Justice Pankaj Mithal to the Rajasthan High Court.

Implementation of Five Irrigation Projects

Why In News?

• In the 75th meeting of Narmada Control Board held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on October 14, 2022, it was decided to approve tenders for construction works of 5 irrigation projects costing Rs 11,540 crore for Narmada water use in the state.

Key Points

• The implementation of these projects will ensure the use of 2.223 MAF of Narmada water from Madhya Pradesh's share. The construction of these projects will irrigate an area of about 2 lakh 14 thousand hectares and will also generate 100 MW of electricity.
• The tenders that were approved in the meeting included Upper Narmada 45 thousand 600 hectares in Dindori district, Dudhi 55 thousand 410 hectares in Hoshangabad district, Sugar-Screw Link 95 thousand 839 hectares in Narsinghpur district, Basania 8 thousand 780 hectares in Mandla district and Sehore. Irrigation projects are included in the Dobi 8 thousand 544 hectare area of the district.
• The Chief Minister directed to complete the work of Sleemanabad tunnel of Bargi project by June 2023. Tenders were also accepted in two groups for the Rewa branch canal coming out after the tunnel. Irrigation facility will be created in 42 thousand 700 hectare area.

3rd Jharkhand Science Film Festival

Why In News?

• On October 14, 2022, Amarendu Prakash, Director-in-Charge, BSL, inaugurated the two-day 3rd Jharkhand Science Film Festival jointly under the aegis of Science for Society (Jharkhand) and BSL in the Main Auditorium of BSL's Human Resource Development Centre.

Key Points

• The film festival began with the screening of the film 'Life of Snail'. Focused on North Chotanagpur, the festival will screen several films including 'Jharia' based on Padma Shri Simon Oraon and young filmmaker Anirudh Upadhyay's short film 'Kameez' among others.
• The two-day science film festival will feature films directed by directors from different states of the country like Green, DK, Water Warrior, An Engineered Dream, Bravo Banana, Arunachal Virtual Archive, Vaade, The Granita Story, Outcome Sounds from Books and Bags, Kameez , Coral Woman and Jadav Molai Payeng will be screened.
• It is noteworthy that this festival is being organized in association with Science for Society, Bokaro Unit and Education Department, SAIL, Bokaro Steel Plant in Bokaro and Giridih, Jharkhand, where more than 15 films will be screened in two days.
• These films include documentaries, short films, animation. During this, apart from Jharkhand, P. Movies from states/UTs like Bengal, Kerala, North-East India, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Telangana, Ladakh etc. will be shown.

Revenue from Coal Mining Progressively Increases in Chhattisgarh

Why In News?

• According to the information given by the Chhattisgarh Public Relations Department on October 14, 2022, in the last three years, Chhattisgarh has received revenue of Rs.7 thousand 217 crore, registering a progressive increase in the revenue received from coal mining.

Key Points

• Of these, the revenue received by the state from coal mining is Rs 2 thousand 337 crore in 2019-20, Rs 2 thousand 356 crore in 2020-21 and Rs 2 thousand 524 crore in 2021-22. This achievement has been achieved by the efficient implementation of Chhattisgarh Mineral Storage Rules 2009 by the State Government.
• It is worth mentioning that under the Chhattisgarh Mineral Storage Rules, 2009, there is a provision to give information about the quantity of mineral proposed, grade recipient etc. to the district office before dispatch of mineral to the mineral lessees and licensees in special circumstances.
• The operation and dispatch of coal mines in the state is mainly done by SECL, a Government of India undertaking. Coal is provided by SECL to different consumers according to power and non-power category through various schemes like linkage, e-auction etc.
• The royalty payable to the state government on coal is 14 percent of the basic sale price of coal being provided by SECL as per the scheme. There is wide variation in the basic sale price of coal scheme wise power and non-power category and grade wise.