Uttarakhand

• 17 May 2023

Bills of Branded Products will also be included in the 'Bill Lao, Inam Pao' Scheme

Why in News?

On 15 May 2023, Uttarakhand State Tax Commissioner Iqbal Ahmed said that along with extending the 'Bill Lao Inam Pao' scheme till November 2023, the state government has abolished the condition of non-branded bills. Now bills for branded products will also be included in the scheme.

Key Points:

• It is known that the 'Bill Lao Inam Pao' scheme was launched on 1 September 2022, with the aim of encouraging customers to collect GST bills.
• Till now, GST bills for non-branded clothes, sweets, restaurants, dry fruits, beauty parlours, laundry services and products were being included in the scheme but now GST bills for the purchase of all goods including branded ones will get a chance to get the reward in the scheme. The mega lucky draw of the scheme will be drawn in November 2023.
• State Tax Commissioner Iqbal Ahmed said that if the consumer buys household items other than branded company goods, he can upload the GST bill on the BLIP app. After that every month 1500 winners will be given smartphones, smartwatches and earphones as prizes through the lucky draw.
• Mega lucky draws will be drawn on the bills uploaded from 1 September 2022 to 30 November 2023, in which the winners will be given many attractive prizes including cars, motorcycles, laptops, and smart TVs.
• GST bills received from online purchases will not be included in this scheme. Bills for goods/services directly from vendors will be included in the scheme. These bills have to be uploaded on the BLIP app. Points will be given to consumers on every uploaded bill, which will be in the form of rewards, cash back, and discount coupons.
• Under the scheme, such GST-registered traders will also be rewarded, from whose establishment maximum bills will be uploaded.

Bio-fencing to be done to Protect Crops from Wildlife

Why in News?

On 16 May 2023, Chief Wildlife Warden of Uttarakhand Forest Department, Dr. Sameer Sinha said that bio-fencing will now be promoted in place of solar power fences to reduce the loss of crops caused by wildlife in the state.

Key Points:

• In order to promote bio-fencing, instructions have been given by the state government to set up a cell as well as appoint special officers for this. Apart from promoting bio-fencing, this cell will also conduct research on these subjects.
• Budget will be arranged for this in the Campa Fund itself. Plant species will be studied for different fencing.
• It is known that till now only solar energy fencing was used to protect crops from damage, but the cost of installing it is high. Once the fencing is done by the department, it is handed over to the villagers. Due to a lack of proper maintenance, this fence wears out quickly and the beneficiaries do not get the expected results.
• In order to avoid this problem, Chief Secretary Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, in the meeting of the Steering Committee of CAMPA (Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority), directed the forest officials to promote bio-fencing.
• Wild boars, elephants and monkeys especially harm the crops in the state. Bio-fencing will be done accordingly in the area where the terror of wildlife is more.
• Depending on the weather, climate and geographical conditions, different bio-fencing is done at different places. These commonly include black bamboo, thorn bamboo, ram bamboo, geranium, lemongrass, various types of cactus, Euphorbia antiquorum (tridhara), devil's backbone, eastern red, Clerodendrum inermis, bougainvillaea, gooseberry, Jatropha curcas, Duranta erecta, hybrid vine tree, Leyland Cypress and Hemelia etc.
• Dehradun Forest Division's forest officer Nitishamani Tripathi said that bio-fencing was used in Lansdowne in the year 2015, which was successful. Some time ago this method was also adopted in Ramnagar. This type of fencing is being used in many countries.
• Under this, beekeeping is used as bio-fencing. In this, instead of keeping the bee boxes on the ground at the edge of the field, with the help of trees or pegs, they are suspended above the ground with the help of a wire. As soon as an animal moves this wire, bees come out and attack it. This method has proved effective in keeping elephants away from the fields.
• That's why bio-fencing is better:
  • Solar power is cheaper than fencing and there is not much hassle of maintenance after installation.
  • Different types of fences also yield different types of production.
  • Prevents soil erosion.
  • It is a cheaper deal than building a wall or digging a pit.

A grand bronze ‘Om’ weighing 60 quintals will be installed in Kedarnath Dham

Why in News?

On May 16, 2023, Mayur Dixit, District Magistrate of Rudraprayag, Uttarakhand said that a grand bronze Om (ऊँ) figure weighing 60 quintals will be installed in the Gol Plaza of Lord Ashutosh's Dwadash Jyotirlinga Kedarnath.

Key Points:

• The District Magistrate said that the District Disaster Management Authority and the Public Works Department, with the help of a Hydra machine, conducted a trial to install the figure in the round plaza, which was completely successful. Soon it will be installed permanently.
• It is known that under the dream project of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kedarnath is being grandly decorated along with securing it. These days the work of the second phase is going on in full swing in the Dham. In the first phase, the Temple Road and Gol Plaza were constructed along with the expansion of the temple complex.
• The figure of Om is being installed at the Gol Plaza in Kedarnath, which is situated just above the Sangam, about 250 meters before the temple. The grandeur of Kedarnath Gol Plaza will increase even more if the shape of Om is established.
• The bronze figure of Om weighing 60 quintals has been made in Baroda, Gujarat.
• To completely secure the Om shape, welding will be done with copper from all four sides. Also, the middle portion as well as the edges will be protected so that it does not get damaged due to snowfall. Om shape will be installed permanently in a week.