Page 29 - Central Government

Govt tightens stock limits on wheat to curb hoarding, check price rise

The government on Friday further tightened stock holding norms for wholesalers, retailers, big chain retailers and processors with immediate effect in order to curb hoarding and to check price rise. Briefing media, Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra said the stock limit has been reduced to 1,000 tonnes from the existing 2,000 tonnes for traders/wholesalers. The stock limit will be 5 tonnes instead of 10 tonnes on each retailer, 5 tonnes for each depot of a big chain retailer and a total of 1,000 tonnes for all their depots, he said. In case of processors, they can hold 70 per cent of monthly installed capacity multiplied by the remaining months of 2023-24, he added. "This has been done to prevent artificial scarcity and curb hoarding. The revised stock limits will be applicable from immediate effect," Chopra said. The traders will get 30 days time to reduce the stock to the revised limits, he added. All wheat stocking entities are required to register on the wheat stock limit portal .

Patients being charged upto Rs 50K for a bed in Central govt hospitals: AAP

Pandey said that it is a criminal act to allow brokerage to persist and at the same time deny beds at central government hospitals. These hospitals are run entirely by the central government

Delay in fund disbursal halted all works of Delhi Jal Board: Somnath Bharti

Delhi Jal Board vice-chairman Somnath Bharti Friday said all maintenance and developmental works of DJB have "come to a standstill" due to the delay in disbursal of funds from the finance secretary. In an interview with PTI, he said that since maintenance work happens every day and DJB contractors have gone on strike due to non-payment of dues, the work of the jal board has been "suffering". The Delhi Jal Board contractors association has been on strike since November 27 over non-payment of dues, with its general secretary Vinay Mangla claiming that around 1,150 contractors have halted their work until payments are made to everyone. Bharti said, "Multiple projects are underway and contractors haven't been paid since February. Maintenance work, including cleaning of contamination, and repairing or replacing pipelines, happens every other day in Delhi. All maintenance and developmental works of DJB have come to a standstill due to delay in disbursal of funds." He said that as a plea

Cyclone Michaung: PM directs release of Rs 450 cr second instalment to TN

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has directed the Union Home Ministry to release Rs 450 crore, the second instalment to Tamil Nadu for cyclone relief, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said here on Thursday. Following an aerial survey and a hi-level meeting with Chief Minister M K Stalin at the Secretariat, Singh said the first instalment of Rs 450 crore had been released earlier to the state. "PM Modi is distressed by loss of lives in TN due to rains, flood," he said. Since the problem of urban floods has become repetitive in Chennai in recent years, the Government of India has approved a central funding of Rs 500 crore for urban flood management activities, he said. All the Central agencies including NDRF are doing their best as regards mitigation work in Tamil Nadu, he added. "I have been directed by PM Modi to monitor the situation; PM has spoken to CM Stalin." Earlier, Singh undertook an aerial survey of flood hit northern Tamil Nadu and held discussions with Stalin over the extent

Qatar death row: Indian ambassador met 8 Navy veterans, says govt

The Indian ambassador to Qatar met eight former Indian Navy personnel on death row four days back and two hearings took place on an appeal filed against the capital punishment handed down to them by a Qatari court. Spokesperson in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Arindam Bagchi said this at a media briefing on Thursday. The Navy veterans were on October 26 given death sentence by Qatar's Court of First Instance. India described the ruling as "deeply" shocking and vowed to explore all legal options in the case. An appeal was filed against the death sentence by the family members of the Indians. "As you know, we filed an appeal that is from the families and the detainees. Two hearings have since been held. One, I think on November 30 and the other on November 23," Bagchi said when asked about the case. "I think the next hearing is coming up soon. We are closely following the matter and extending all legal and consular assistance. Meanwhile, our ambassador got consular access t

Electricity demand grows 8.5% in Apr-Oct, supply rises 8.8%: Govt

The electricity demand increased 8.5 per cent to 9,82,233 units during April-October 2023, Parliament was informed on Thursday. The energy requirement was 9,05,443 units during the first seven months of 2022, Minister for Power and New and Renewable Energy RK Singh said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha. The energy supply rose 8.8 per cent to 9,79,344 units during the period under review from 8,99,950 units in the year-ago period. In FY 2022-23, the electricity requirement was 9.6 per cent higher at 15,11,847 units over 13,79,812 units in FY 2021-22. The supply was 15,04,264 units, 9.5 per cent up from 13,74,024 units in FY22. The power generation during FY23 rose to 1,624.465 billion units (BUs) from 1,491.859 (BUs) in FY22. During April-October FY24, the generation was at 1,047.439 BUs. "The peak demand has gone up from 136 GW in 2013-14 to 243 GW in September 2023. We have been able to meet the increase in demand because we added 194 GW of capacity between 2014 to 2023," Si

403 Indian students died abroad since 2018, most in Canada: Govt tells RS

The government on Thursday said 403 Indian students have died abroad since 2018 due to various reasons including natural causes, accidents and medical conditions, with Canada accounting for the highest 91 fatalities among 34 nations. In a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan said that according to the information available with the ministry, 403 incidents of death of Indian students abroad have been reported since 2018. He said the heads of mission/post and senior officials visit universities and educational institutions for regular interactions with Indian students and their associations. According to data submitted by the ministry, Canada has reported 91 deaths of Indian students since 2018 followed by the United Kingdom (48), Russia (40), the United States (36), Australia (35), Ukraine (21), Germany (20), Cyprus (14), Italy and the Philippines (10 each). "The safety and security of Indian students abroad is one of the

Apple meets watchdog over warning notification matter: Govt official

An Apple cyber security team has met watchdog CERT-In to discuss the issue of warning notifications sent to some opposition leaders, a senior government official said on Thursday. Last month, several opposition leaders claimed they received an alert from Apple warning them of "state-sponsored attackers trying to remotely compromise" their iPhones and alleged hacking by the government. Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology (Meity) Rajeev Chandrasekhar had said that Apple has to reply to the notice which needs to be done by their global cyber security team. The Apple team was scheduled to meet Indian cyber security watchdog CERT-In by the end of November. "Apple team met CERT-In. Now CERT-In has to submit its report based on its findings," the official said. He said there is no deadline for the submission of the report and CERT-In will submit the report after their investigation. The Members of Parliament (MPs) who received the warning notification on their .

122 YouTube-based news channels blocked since Dec 2021: Anurag Thakur

The Centre on Thursday said that since December 2021 it has issued directions to block 122 YouTube news channels for carrying content related to the "sovereignty and integrity" of the country. Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur, in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, said the channels carried content that was violative of Section 69A of the Information Technology Act. "Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has, since December, 2021, issued directions for blocking from public access of 122 YouTube based news channels for carrying content violative of section 69A of IT Act, 2000, in the interest of sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of the State, friendly relations with foreign States or public order or for preventing incitement to the commission of any cognizable offence relating to the above," he said. Thakur said that when it comes to electronic media, all private satellite television channels are required to adhere to the Programme ..

Govt sanctions Rs 626 cr to build strategically important road in Arunachal

The Centre has sanctioned Rs 625.61 crore for the construction of a strategically important road in Shi-Yomi district of Arunachal Pradesh. The 53.04-km Tato-Monigong Road will ensure all-weather connectivity to the India-China border and ensure socio-economic development in the region. Taking to X, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said, "In Arunachal Pradesh, an allocation of Rs 625.61 crore has been sanctioned for the construction of an intermediate lane road with hard shoulders, spanning 53.04 kilometers from Tato to Monigong section of National Highway 913, also known as the Frontier Highway. "This strategically significant road will ensure all-weather connectivity to the Indo-China Border, fostering socio-economic development in the border regions of Arunachal Pradesh," he added. Expressing his delight, Chief Minister Pema Khandu said that the state is blessed to be at the forefront of infrastructural transformation under Prime Minister Narendra ...

Threats on Indian Parliament by Pannun taken up with US, Canada: Govt

Pannun, who is a designated terrorist by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), in a recent video, threatened to attack Parliament on or before December 13

Tata Motors lobbies against lowering EV import taxes as Tesla looms: Report

As India tries to boost domestic manufacturing and EV adoption, Tesla is proposing to set up an Indian factory, but is demanding lower import taxes for electric cars

Govt bans sugarcane juice, syrup for ethanol making in 2023-24 supply year

The Centre on Thursday banned the use of 'sugacane juice and sugar syrup' for ethanol production in the 2023-24 supply year that started this month, in order to maintain adequate sugar availability for domestic consumption and to keep prices under check. However, the government has allowed use of 'B-molasses' for ethanol production in 2023-24, a move which sugar industry bodies welcomed. In a letter issued to all sugar mills and distillers, the Food Ministry directed them "not to use sugarcane juice /sugar syrup" for ethanol production during the 2023-24 ethanol supply year (December-November). The directive was issued as per clause 4 and 5 of the Sugar (Control) Order 1966. "Supply of ethanol from existing offers received by Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) from B-Heavy molasses will continue," Food ministry said in the letter. The decision by the ministry comes in the backdrop of estimated fall in sugar production in 2023-24 marketing year (October-September). Welcoming the move,

Centre permits export of 20 MT of non-basmati rice to earthquake-hit Nepal

The government has provided a one-time exemption from the export ban to Indian Rice Exporters Federation for shipping 20 metric tonnes (MT) of non-basmati white rice as a donation to Nepal for earthquake-affected people. Last month, the government provided a similar exemption to Patanjali Ayurved. Though exports of non-basmati white rice were banned on July 20 to boost domestic supply, exports are allowed on the basis of permission granted by the government to certain countries to meet their food security needs and on request. "One time exemption from prohibition is granted to Indian Rice Exporters Federation for exports of 20 MT of non-basmati white rice (semi-milled or wholly milled rice, whether or not polished or glazed)...as donation to Nepal earthquake victims," the directorate general of foreign trade (DGFT) said in a notification. In a separate DGFT notification, the government permitted exports of 2.40 lakh tonnes of non-basmati white rice to five countries, including ...

Submit bids for green hydrogen, electrolyser mfg projects by Dec 12: Govt

The last date to submit bids for green hydrogen and electrolyser manufacturing projects under the government's SIGHT Scheme ends on December 12, Parliament was informed on Thursday. In January 2023, the Union Cabinet approved the National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM) with an outlay of Rs 19,744 crore with an aim to make India a global hub for manufacturing this clean source of energy. The mission is expected to lead to development of 5 Million Metric Tons per annum of green hydrogen production capacity by 2030, New and Renewable Energy Minister R K Singh said in Lok Sabha. "Request for selection (RfS) has also been issued for selection of green hydrogen producers for setting up production facilities of 4,50,000 tonnes for green hydrogen in India under the Strategic Interventions for Green Hydrogen Transition (SIGHT) Scheme (Mode-1-Tranche-I) on July 10, 2023. Last date for submission of bids is December 12, 2023," he said. Singh further said that December 12, is also the last date

Probe panel constituted on US inputs: Jaishankar on Pannun plot case

India has constituted an inquiry committee to look into the inputs received from the US as these have a bearing on the country's national security, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar told the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, days after Washington alleged an Indian link to a foiled plot to kill a Sikh separatist on its soil. Replying to a supplementary question on the US charges, the minister said it was not directly connected to the original question which was on the foreign visits of Union ministers. "Insofar as the US is concerned, certain inputs were given to us as part of our security cooperation with the United States. Those inputs were of concern to us because they (were) related to the nexus of organised crime, trafficking and other matters. "Because they have a bearing on our own national security, it was decided to institute an inquiry into the matter and an inquiry committee has been constituted," he said. The minister was also asked why there was no equitable treatment with

Cyclone Michaung: MHA to release Centre's aid to SDRF to AP, TN in advance

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has directed the Ministry of Home Affairs to release in advance the second installment of the Centre's contribution to the SDRF of Rs 493.60 to Andhra Pradesh and Rs 450 crore to Tamil Nadu in view of floods caused by cyclone Michaung. Union Home Minister Amit Shah shared this in a post on X. The prime minister has approved the first urban flood mitigation project of Rs 561.29 crore for Integrated Urban Flood Management Activities for Chennai Basin Project under the National Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF), which also includes central assistance of Rs 500 crore, Shah said. The severe cyclonic storm Michaung left behind a trail of destruction in Andhra Pradesh, damaging 770-kilometre roads, uprooting trees and killing livestock. According to data shared by the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), nearly 40 lakh people from 194 villages and two towns were affected by Michaung's impact, including the inundation of 25 villages. In Tamil Nadu's capital city Chenn

Kashmir suffered for years due to Nehru's two major blunders: Amit Shah

Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday blamed India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru's "two major blunders" -- declaring a ceasefire without winning the entire Kashmir and taking the issue to the United Nations -- for the sufferings of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Replying to a debate in the Lok Sabha on the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill and the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, Shah said if Nehru had taken the right steps, a large chunk of territory would not have been ceded and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir would have been part of India. "I support the word that was used here -- Nehruvian blunder. Because of the blunder that was committed during the time of Nehru, Kashmir had to suffer. With responsibility, I want to say that the two big blunders that happened during the tenure of Jawaharlal Nehru, happened due to his decisions, because of which Kashmir had to suffer for years," Shah said. "Kashmir had to suffer due to Nehruvian blunders. One

Centre to sell up to 8% stake in state-run IRCON International this week

The government owns 73.18% in the engineering and construction company, and the 8% stake sale will help the government to raise about 11.59 billion rupees ($139.11 million)

Govt bond yields dip marginally tracking US peers, RBI policy stays key

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is expected to hold rates at 6.50% for a fifth consecutive meeting at its monetary policy meeting on Friday, according to a Reuters poll