Punjab. Current Affairs July October (2017) Dr. Gaurav Garg

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2 Punjab Current Affairs July October (2017) Dr. Gaurav Garg

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5 Stubble burning down by 30%: Punjab Stubble burning in Punjab has dropped by 30 per cent this year as compared to last year, the state government told the National Green Tribunal (NGT). The Tribunal had earlier this month rapped the Punjab government for not incentivising the farmers or assisting them to manage the crop residue, estimated to be around 35 million tonne, which is consistently being set ablaze by farmers to make up for the short window between winter and summer crops. There were 14,432 cases of stubble burning this year, while in 2016 there were 22,269 cases

6 Punjab government has sought Rs 2,000 crore as financial help from the central government to support its farmers by removing paddy straw from the fields to avoid its burning. The NGT had earlier fixed the environment penalty amount per incident of crop burning to be paid by small land owners having less than two acres of land at Rs 2,500, medium land owners holding over two acres and less than five acres at Rs 5,000 and those owning over five acres at Rs 15,000. The NGT had in 2015 asked Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan to curb this practice and later asked them to incentivise small farmers to manage the stubble.

7 No tax for keeping pets in urban areas: Punjab government The Punjab government trashed media reports suggesting that a new tax would be imposed on people in urban areas for keeping pets, cattle or other animals. A spokesperson said that the state government is framing 'Punjab Municipal Corporation and Municipal (Registration Control of Stray Animals and Compensation to the Victim of Animal Attack) bye-laws, 2017 as per court orders. The Punjab and Haryana High Court had on a civil writ petition recently asked Punjab, Haryana and the Union Territory of Chandigarh to chalk out a policy for putting to a stop the occurrences of people being bitten by stray dogs or other animals and awarding compensation to the family of deceased persons. Under the proposal, no new tax is intended to be imposed

8 Punjab govt fixes industrial power tariff at Rs 5 per unit for 5 years In order to boost industrialization and revive economic activity in the state, the Punjab Cabinet approved the new Industrial and Business Development Policy-2017, paving the way for fixing of industrial power tariff at Rs 5 per unit with effect from November 1 The Punjab government s move comes in the backdrop of India s clean energy tariffs reaching a record low.

9 Punjab imposes entertainment tax on DTH, cable connections According to a statement released by the Punjab chief minister s office, the local bodies will now be able to impose and collect entertainment tax of Rs5 per DTH connection and Rs2 per local cable connection per month with the enactment of The Punjab Entertainments & Amusements Taxes (Levy & Collection by Local Bodies) Act However, no additional entertainment tax has been proposed for cinemas, multiplexes and amusement parks. The government has proposed to bring the new legislation in the next session of the legislative assembly and is expecting to generate Rs crore in annual revenue from the taxes with close to 1.6 million DTH and 4.4 million cable connections in the state. Currently, the GST has been fixed at 18% on DTH and cable services by the finance ministry

10 Ahead of wheat sowing season: Punjab to distribute 2.80-lakh quintals of subsidised seeds. Ahead of the wheat sowing season, which will kick off from the second week of November, the Punjab agriculture department will distribute 2.80 lakh quintal of subsidised and certified seeds to farmers. The subsidy will cost the state Rs 28 crore Around 35 lakh hectares is under wheat cultivation in Punjab. The agriculture ministry will give a subsidy of Rs 1,000 per quintal, which means a farmer will be able to procure seeds at Rs 1,600. Presently, seeds cost between Rs 2,600 to Rs 2,700 per quintal.

11 Punjab to set up 20 industrial clusters Punjab is looking to set up at least 20 industrial clusters across the state with thrust on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector. For this, the state plans to approach the Centre and seek Rs 15 crore for each cluster. Last year, the state could get approval for only one industrial cluster in Mohali, while the adjoining state of Haryana got a nod for seven. Tamil Nadu tops the list with as many as 30 operational clusters.

12 According to the scheme, industrialists can get together on a common platform with approval from the Centre, which issues them grants to develop infrastructure and buy machinery for common use, especially when small-scale industries are not in a situation to purchase expensive equipment. There will be eight clusters in Ludhiana, nine in Jalandhar, two in Mohali and one in Patiala. It is being planned that while clusters in Mohali will focus on engineering, Patiala will be an ideal place for auto parts. Knitwear and engineering tools will be thrust areas for Ludhiana and clusters in Jalandhar can give a boost to sports goods.

13 Punjab win inter-state wheelchair cricket meet Punjab defeated Uttar Pradesh to win the inter-state wheelchair cricket tournament held at Panjab University grounds. Veer Singh as declared Best Batsman and Man of the Match. Anmol from Uttar Pradesh was adjudged Man of the Series.

14 Punjab launches OPD for rehabilitating drug addicts In yet another initiative to curb the drug menace in Punjab, the Captain Amarinder Singh government launched a kind of outdoor patient department (OPD) service for drug addicts from this district. Health minister Brahm Mohindra, who kickstarted the pilot project of the Outpatient Opioid Assisted Treatment (OOAT) at the government rehabilitation centre at Janer village in Moga, said it is also being launched in Tarn Taran and Amritsar districts. Under the OOAT project, a free dose of Buprenorphine (an opioid) will be given to the patients as an alternative to the drug they have been addicted to.

15 Punjab approves hike in OBC income limit Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has approved an increase in the gross annual income limit for the creamy layer of the Other Backward Classes and Backward Classes from 6 lakh to 8 lakh. The decision is in line with the Central government s directive to ensure greater social justice and inclusion of members of the Other Backward Classes and Backward Classes in the matter of reservation. This was the fourth revision of the creamy layer, which was fixed at 1 lakh in 1993 and subsequently hiked to 2.5 lakh in 2004, 4.5 lakh in 2008 and 6 lakh in The Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry had proposed that OBC families which earn more than 8 lakh per year should be under the creamy layer category.

16 One in 87 persons in Punjab dependent on drugs: survey Punjab, which has been battling the menace of drugs, currently could have between 1 lakh to 2.7 lakh people that are dependent on opioids. In Chandigarh, between 1,385 to 7,000 could be using them. Findings from the study titled Epidemiology of Substance Use and Dependence in the State of Punjab, released by the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) revealed that about one in 92 persons in Punjab had used any illicit substance (drug) in the past 12 months, and more than one in 87 were currently dependent on them. The aim of the household survey was to estimate the prevalence of substance use such as heroin, bhukhi (poppy husk) and opium, besides alcohol and tobacco.

17 The objective of the rapid assessment survey was to estimate the size of the population using illicit drugs The study pointed out that approximately one in six persons were dependent on any substance and contrary to expectation, substance use and dependence were more common in rural than urban areas. The single most common substance of use and dependence was alcohol followed by tobacco. There were more than 22 lakh alcohol dependent persons and nearly 16 lakhs tobacco dependent persons currently

18 The rapid assessment survey revealed that in Punjab natural opioids (opium and poppy husk) were the most common types in use while injection opioid use was the second most common form. In injection opioids heroin was the commonest type. In Chandigarh, meanwhile approximately one in 1,250 persons was using illicit opioids substances, according to the household survey while the rapid assessment survey pointed out that in Chandigarh the opioid dependent population was around 7,000. These are typically young males and injections(buprenorphin/heroin/pentzocin) are the most common types in use.

19 Pre-Primary Classes In Punjab Government Schools From November 14 Pre-primary classes will begin in all government schools across Punjab from November 14, Education Minister Aruna Chaudhary said. The minister said that this step would lead to the strengthening of the educational system from the grassroots level besides resulting in overall personality development of the young students. She also elaborated that as per the 'Parho Punjab, Parhao Punjab' project, children in the age group of 3-6 years would be admitted in the preprimary classes.

20 Punjab govt to appoint cricketer Harmanpreet Kaur as DSP Cricketer Harmanpreet Kaur, whose stellar innings against Australia steered India into the ICC Women's World Cup final, may soon don khaki as the Punjab government has initiated the process of inducting her as a DSP ( Deputy Superintendent of Police) in the state police.

21 PUNJAB GOVT RELEASES RS 90 LAKH FOR CONSTRUCTED OF ULTRA MODERN CATTLE POND The Punjab Government has released Rs 90 lakh for the construction of ultra modern cattle pond and a veterinary dispensary at village Kanian Kalan in Jalandhar district. The project would be completed on the lines of cattle pond at Mansa, having the capacity of keeping more than 2000 cattle. Out of Rs 90 lakh, Rs 50 lakh would be used for feed and fodder of live stocks, whereas a new shed would also be constructed with Rs lakh. A veterinary dispensary with 24 hour treatment facilities would also be constructed at the site.

22 Former Punjab minister Gurdev Singh Badal passes away Former Punjab minister and senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Gurdev Singh Badalpassed away. Gurdev had represented Panjgrain and Jaito assembly seats in the past.

23 Punjab rushes to name rights panel chairman The state government rushed through the appointment of Justice Iqbal Ahmed Ansari, former Chief Justice of Patna High Court, as the State Human Rights Commission Chairman. The appointment was finalised despite the law suggesting that the selection process had to be completed in the presence of the Leader of Opposition, a post that fell vacant following the resignation of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader HS Phoolka. The Supreme Court lawyer quit so he could represent victims of the 1984 anti-sikh riots in courts. The AAP leadership is yet to name his replacement.

24 Brahm Mohindra inaugurates first health ATM of Punjab Punjab Health Minister Brahm Mohindra inaugurated the first health ATM of Punjab at the primary health centre at Nidampur in Sangrur. Under the facility, patients will speak to doctors in Bengaluru and Jaipur through videoconferencing and the ATM will record the medicines prescribed by doctors. The inbuilt scanner would scan the prescription and deliver medicines to the patients. Other machines linked with the ATM would conduct ECG, blood pressure, temperature and sugar level tests, and send the reports online to doctors.

25 Govt inks pact with CSIO for farm tech The Punjab Remote Sensing Centre (PRSC) and the Central Scientific Instruments Organisation (CSIO) have joined hands to develop sensing systems and use geospatial technology for management of natural resources so as to provide end-to-end solutions to issues such as water and food security. This will lead to development of a decision-support system for helping farmers to increase yield and providing near real-time information about water quality by fusion of remote sensing technology, data analytics and sensor-based data aggregation,

26 Disabled teachers transfers contrary to Central Act Even as the Centre replaced the Persons with Disability Act, 1995, with a new one and defined the rights of the disabled, the state Education Department has framed a divergent policy. The department ordered that only those having a disability above 70 per cent could be categorised as handicapped and posted on a priority basis. However, the affected persons claimed that it is in violation of Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995, and its amended version - Rights of Persons with Disabled Act, 2016, whereby those having a disability from 40 to 100 per cent should be treated equally. The order harms the interests of those with a disability between 40 to 70 per cent. They will not be considered on priority in routine transfers which the department will effect soon.

27 Property maps will be available at the click of a mouse for people in the state by December 31, following the completion of a special project given to the Punjab Remote Sensing Centre of Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana. The move will bring relief for the common man from running between offices of the patwaris and tehsildars for getting property details while building houses or for other purposes. The digitisation will involve superimposition of the master file of land records following a verification and will serve as an authentic record for all purposes in courts.

28 Punjab CM approves cash grant for war widows in place of land Conceding a long pending demand, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh approved a policy change allowing cash grants instead of land for war widows. The policy change will be applicable to dependents of martyred soldiers, besides permanently disabled soldiers of 1962 Indo-China War, 1965 Indo-Pak War and widows of 1971 Indo-Pak War. Singh had approved a grant of Rs 5 lakh in lieu of one acre of land up to a maximum of Rs 50 lakh for 10 acres, as per individual eligibility.

29 AAP s Sukhpal Khaira new Leader of Opposition in Punjab Assembly Nine days after AAP MLA HS Phoolka tendered his resignation from the post, the Aam Aadmi Party announced Bholath MLA Sukhpal Khaira as the new Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha.

30 Now, e-challaning via point-of-sale machine The Jalandhar police have become the first traffic police unit in the country to start e-challaning through point-of -sale (POS) machines integrated with national network. The machine integrated with the national database of Vahan and Saarthi applications would not only control traffic violations but also help curb crime in the area. Though the police of many states have introduced e-challans, but Jalandhar has become the first district in India to introduce POS machines that have been integrated with the national database of licensing and vehicle registration

31 Traffic cops would just have to fill the vehicle registration number or the licence details of the driver and all details of the vehicle and driver would become available to the challaning authority. Suppose a person has violated a traffic rule in one state and repeated the crime in another area, the machine will have the details and will issue challan receipts accordingly. If a person is found committing three violations of the same kind, his licence will be cancelled with immediate effect.

32 Stubble burning s too stubborn, even for a million dollars The vexing issue of paddy-straw burning and its harmful effect on humans and the environment has thus far proved insurmountable. The Punjab Government has now announced a $1 million Paddy Straw Management Challenge Fund, to be awarded to whoever finds a solution to the problem. The question agitating experts and farmers is: can there be a one-point solution to the problem, which has at least three points of focus the harvest, processing of the straw, and the sowing of the subsequent crop? Given the spread of challenges and the experience thus far, it will require a rather large dose of luck for someone to win that $1 million, however well-intentioned the initiative.

33 In 2012, the university had promoted production biogas from paddy stubble by dry fermentation. It is an effective technique and the residue left is used as manure, but again the costs are high. The state announced a subsidy but that too failed to attract the farmers, says Dr BS Sooch, senior research scientist. Dr RK Gupta, senior soil chemist, Department of Soil Sciences, points to another technique, biochar produced from stubble. It is now being publicised by Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) at Ladowal, Jalandhar, Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Bathinda. This technique reduces pollution and the use of the residue improves soil health, improves water infiltration rate as well as water holding capacity of the soil.

34 The Centre too has chipped in on the paddy straw problem. Union Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced on November 11, 2016, that a new plant to produce ethanol to be set up in Bathinda with an outlay of Rs 500 crore. The plant was to convert paddy residue into ethanol, which would provide additional income to farmers. The then Deputy Chief Minister, Sukhbir Singh Badal, had said such plants would be set up in every district in league with private players. He added this initiative would give farmers an extra Rs 3,000-4,000 per acre. The foundation stone of the plant was laid in December 2016, but since the change of government the fate of the project is not known.

35 Bharti Foundation inks pact with Punjab for building toilets Bharti Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Bharti Enterprises, signed a pact with the Punjab government to jointly build over 50,000 toilets for rural households in Amritsar district. Bharti Foundation will be collaborating with the Punjab government under the 'Satya Bharti Abhiyan', Vijay Chadda, CEO, Bharti Foundation, informed. Under the pact, Bharti Foundation will join hands with the Punjab government and provide financial assistance for the construction of 20,000 toilets in four blocks Chogawan, Majitha, Ajnala and Harsha Chhina with an investment of up to Rs 30 crore

36 The remaining 30,000 plus toilets will be provided by the Punjab government in five blocks Attari, Jandiala, Rayya, Tarsika and Verka The initiative will be supported by grants from two group companies - Bharti Airtel Limited and Bharti Infratel Limited. Satya Bharti Abhiyan' is a private sector-supported intervention designed to contribute to Government of India s 'Swachh Bharat Mission'. It was launched by Bharti Foundation in August 2014 as a response to the call given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging corporates to join the government s efforts in sanitation and health under the 'Swachh Bharat Mission'.

37 Punjab Cabinet approves crop loan waiver The Punjab Cabinet gave its approval to notify the crop loan waiver scheme announced by chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh in the state assembly in June this year. Besides taking over the entire eligible loan amount of the farmers covered by the debt waiver scheme, the government has decided to also take over the outstanding interest of farmers from 1st April, 2017 till the date of notification, which will lead to an additional Rs 400 crore benefit to the farmers. The crop loan waiver scheme, based on the recommendations of an expert group headed by eminent economist Dr. T. Haque, will directly benefit nearly lakh farmers across the state.

38 The chief minister had in June announced waiver of the entire crop loans (upto Rs 2 lakh ) of all small and marginal farmers (upto 5 acres) and a relief of Rs.2 lakh to the remaining marginal farmers irrespective of the amount of loan. The notification envisages that in case of marginal farmer (less than 2.5 acres) the entire eligible amount of those farmers who have total outstanding crop loan liability upto Rs 2 lakh shall be provided as debt relief and in case of eligible amount of more than Rs 2 lakh, only Rs 2 lakh shall be provided as debt relief. In case of small farmers (from 2.5 acres to less than 5 acres), the entire eligible amount of those farmers who have total outstanding crop loan liability upto Rs.2 lakh, shall be provided as debt relief.

39 In the case of a farmer who has taken loans from two separate lending institutions, the first priority shall be given to the Cooperative institutions and second to the Public Sector Banks and third to the Commercial Banks in that order.

40 Heritage Foods enters Punjab Andhra Pradesh-based dairy products maker Heritage Foods has forayed into Punjab after completing the acquisition of the dairy business of Reliance Retail and its brands Dairy Life and Dairy Pure. Reliance Retail s dairy business had pan-india presence, with 60% centred around the states of Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh. The acquisition has given Heritage Foods access to an additional 200,000 litres of milk every day, increasing its handling to 1.4 million litres across 15 states in the country.

41 Punjab to set up viral vaccine units to protect livestock Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh gave in-principle approval for setting up viral vaccine production units to ensure better protection of livestock against critical diseases. The units will help in protecting livestock against foot and mouth disease, swine flu and goat plague.

42 Two universities in Punjab get new vice chancellors The Punjab governor VP Singh Badnore appointed professor BS Ghuman vice-chancellor of Punjabi University and Jaspal S Sandhu vice-chancellor of Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU), Amritsar.

43 Punjab govt approves 100 acres of land for university The Punjab Government approved 100 acres of land of Sri Chamkaur Sahib Nagar Panchayat in Rupnagar district for setting up a skills and vocational university. Local Government Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu said the university would be a tribute to the martyrdom of the vadde Sahibzaade. The vadde Sahibzaade of the 10th Guru, Guru Gobind Singh Baba Ajit Singh, born at Paunta Sahib, and Baba Jujhar Singh, the second son, was born at Anandpur Sahib. The two were 18 and 16 years old respectively when they achieved martyrdom at Chamkaur Sahib.

44 China s Zhuhai Yinlong to set up electric vehicle plant in Punjab China s Zhuhai Yinlong New Energy Ltd plans to set up an electric vehicle manufacturing plant in Punjab, attracted by India s plan to switch to electric vehicles by The first such manufacturing unit by an overseas firm in India comes amid plans to run electric cars and buses in Amritsar, followed by Jalandhar and Ludhiana. Zhuhai Yinlong New Energy manufactures lithium-ion batteries.

45 Punjab cabinet approves culture policy With the Punjab Cabinet approving a new Punjab State Culture Policy, the state claims to have become the second state in the country, after Manipur, to have such a policy for the protection and preservation of its rich cultural heritage Apart from safeguarding and conserving the cultural heritage of the state, the new policy would help promote the quality of its art and culture.

46 Punjab govt s Ghar Ghar Rozgar Yojana employers meet begins The Punjab government s ambitious Ghar Ghar Rozgar Yojana employers meet began at Indian School of Business (ISB), Mohali. The idea of the meet is to seek feedback from the industry on their requirement for manpower. The government is taking this feedback so that they can frame their policies, especially on skilling youth, according to industry needs. According to the survey by Labour Bureau, unemployment rate is 16.6 per cent as compared to 10 per cent for India as a whole. It s because economic growth in Punjab has been very slow

47 Paper mfg company keen to invest Rs 1,000 cr in Punjab A paper manufacturing company has proposed to invest Rs 1,000 crore for setting up a manufacturing unit in Punjab. The unit, proposed to be set up at Chamkur Sahib in Rupnagar district, will also give a boost to Captain Amarinder Singh-led government's efforts to curb stubble burning as the manufacturing unit will use agricultural residue to produce writing and printing paper. Giving details of the proposal, the spokesperson said Ruchira Papers Limited had filed an application in the 'Invest Punjab' office on September 27, seeking state level approvals for setting up a new manufacturing unit.

48 Expected to be commissioned by 2019, the project will generate fresh employment for around 3,500 people, according to the company, engaged in the manufacturing of the well-known brand of 'Kraft Paper'. Ruchira Papers, established in 1980, currently has manufacturing facilities in Himachal Pradesh

49 Industrialist Rajinder Gupta elected Punjab Cricket Association chief. Rajinder Gupta, chairman of Ludhiana-based Trident Group, was unanimously elected president of Punjab Cricket Association in its annual general meeting (AGM)

50 Arjuna awards PUNJAB Khushbir Kaur Athletics 20 Km race walker Harmanpreet Kaur Cricket

51 Rs174 crore allocated for the prevention of cancer and for drug de-addiction. 57 new drug de-addiction centers are being opened in the state section 77 of Juvenile Justice Act under this provision any person who sells drugs to the children may get seven years of sentence and Rs1 lakh as fine.

52 The Punjab U-17 girls cricket team won Gold Medal at the 63rd National School games held at Khandwa in Madhya Pradesh. U-17 team won all its 5 matches and defeated Madhya Pradesh in the final by 7 wickets besides beating Maharashtra in the semifinal by 4 wickets. Veerpal Kaur of Punjab scored a total of 199 runs and was declared the Best in terms of batting while Arshdeep Kaur with 8 was adjudged the best bowler.

53 India strikers Ramandeep Singh and Akashdeep Singh struck crucial goals to help Punjab Police defeat ONGC and win the Surjit Hockey Tournament after a gap of 17 years. Punjab Police, who last won the title in 2000 and reached the final in 2004, beat first-time finalists ONGC 2-1 in the final here today.

54 Punjab will organise what is being touted as the country's first Military Literature Festival (MLF) from December 7 to 9 in Chandigarh. This was disclosed by Punjab tourism and culture minister Navjot Singh Sidhu

55 Punjab Ranji Trophy team's new coach Ajay Ratra The Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh has constituted a steering committee, headed by Olympian Randhir Singh, to set in motion the process of setting up a sports university in Patiala. Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh demise of his mother, Rajmata Mohinder Kaur passed away in her Patiala home She was 96.

56 The Biodiversity and Natural Resources Protection Project, amounting to Rs 817 crore, forwarded by the Punjab Government to the Centre for seeking assistance from Japan Bank Forest Minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot It is also decided to declare Ropar Wetland as a wildlife sanctuary/conservation reserve

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