Andhra Pradesh CM Relief Fund gets Rs 400 crore donations to support flood victims

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Andhra Pradesh CM Relief Fund gets Rs 400 crore donations to support flood vi...

by Pabitra Mohan Senapaty

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday said that the Chief Minister's Relief Fund has received generous contributions to the tune of Rs 400 crore from various sections of people to support flood victims in the state.

Vijayawada, Sep 25: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday said that the Chief Minister's Relief Fund has received generous contributions to the tune of Rs 400 crore from various sections of people to support flood victims in the state.

He said political parties, film personalities, social organisations and others contributed to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund and termed it a record.

Speaking at a programme organised here to distribute financial aid among the flood-affected people, he said in the face of a calamity, people worked together with an exemplary spirit of unity.

"While facing a huge calamity, we all worked together to tackle it. People have responded enthusiastically to contribute Rs 400 crore to the CM Relief Fund. This is the highest. No other state would have got this much," he said.

The Chief Minister said the government has released Rs 602 crore for flood relief measures so far. This includes Rs 400 crore given by the donors.

He said 47 people died in the floods while the total losses were estimated at Rs 6,800 crore. A total of 16 villages were affected.

He said financial assistance was being provided to four lakh people. The government was also assisting people, whose two-wheelers and auto-rickshaws, kirana shops, and push carts, were damaged.

Heavy rainfall triggered floods in Vijayawada and the situation aggravated by the breaches in Budameru rivulet, he recalled.

"Along with the officials, I also stepped into the mud. Within a short time we came out of the calamity," he said.

The Chief Minister said officials worked with him for 11 days and made every effort to help the affected people.

CM Naidu said Budameru and Prakasam Barrage never witnessed such massive floods. The flood handling capacity of the barrage is 11.90 lakh and it handled 11.47 lakh cusecs.

He alleged that the negligence of the previous governments led to the flooding in Vijayawada.

He recalled that he first visited Singh Nagar, and after speaking to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, arranged boats and helicopters for rescue and relief operations.

CM Naidu said a large number of food packets and water bottles were distributed among the people in flooded areas. A total of 780 earthmovers were pressed into service. As many as 75,000 houses and roads to a length of 331 km were cleaned with the help of fire engines.

--IANS

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10 Years Of Make In India: Looking Back At Decade Of Transformational Growth

by Hemanta Pande

New Delhi, Sep 25: The ‘Make in India’, one of the flagship initiatives of the Modi government completed ten years on Wednesday. This not only illustrates a decade of India’s transformational growth but also a defining moment for the nation as it positions itself as a global manufacturing hub.

The flagship scheme launched on 25th September 2014, during the first tenure of the Modi government, ushered in big-ticket reforms and played a pivotal role in boosting domestic manufacturing, enhancing skill development and facilitating foreign investment.

A snapshot of achievements

119 per cent rise in FDI in 10 years

In the last ten years (2014-24), India has witnessed a cumulative Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) of USD 667.4 billion, registering an increase of 119 per cent in the past ten years.

This investment inflow spans 57 sectors with most of them being opened for 100 per cent FDI under the automatic route. FDI equity inflows into the manufacturing sector reached USD 165.1 billion, marking a 69 per cent increase compared to the past decade, which stood at USD 97.7 billion.

Over 1 crore investment under PLI scheme

Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme, touted as the game-changer program has led to ₹1.32 lakh crore (USD 16 billion) in investments and a significant boost in manufacturing output. More than 8.5 lakh jobs have been created directly and indirectly due to the initiative.

Surge in exports

India’s exports have surged in the past decade, with an additional ₹4 lakh crore generated due to the PLI schemes.

Rise in Ease of Doing Business Index

India saw a significant jump in its Ease of Doing Business Index, registering a sharp rise from 142nd rank in 2014 to 63rd rank in 2019 in the World Bank’s Doing Business Report. Over the years, 42,000 compliances were reduced while 3,700 provisions were decriminalised.

Key reforms

As the Make in India initiative rolled out, it also saw the onset of many reforms including below

National Single Window System (NSWS), launched in September 2021 simplified investor experience and integrated clearances from multiple ministries and departments thereby facilitating rapid approvals.

PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan (NMP), launched in October 2021 was a transformative move to facilitate data-based decisions related to integrated planning of multimodal infrastructure, thereby reducing logistics costs.

The development of 11 industrial corridors under the National Industrial Corridor Development Programme seeks to enhance India’s competitiveness by providing world-class infrastructure.

The One-District-One-Product (ODOP) initiative has fostered local economic development, with Unity Malls being set up in 27 states to provide platforms for these unique products.

Under the Startup India initiative, the number of recognised startups has gone up to 1,40,803 as of 30th June 2024, which has created over 15.5 lakh direct jobs. (IANS)

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PM Modi To Lay Foundation Stone Of Various Projects In Maharashtra Tomorrow

by Hemanta Pande

Mumbai, Sep 25: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Pune, Maharashtra on Thursday to lay the foundation stone worth over Rs 22,600 crore.

He will inaugurate the Pune Metro section of District Court to Swargate which will mark the completion of the Pune Metro Rail Project (Phase-1). The cost of the underground section between the District Court to Swargate is around Rs 1,810 crore.

Further, the Prime Minister will also lay the foundation stone for the Swargate-Katraj Extension of Pune Metro Phase-1 to be developed at the cost of around Rs 2,950 crore. This southern extension of around 5.46 km is completely underground with three stations namely Market Yard, Padmavati and Katraj.

PM Modi will lay the foundation stone for the Memorial of the Krantijyoti Savitribai Phule’s First Girls’ School at Bhidewada. He will also address the rally at the SP College ground in Pune.

In line with his commitment to make India self-reliant in the field of Supercomputing technology, the Prime Minister will dedicate to the nation three PARAM Rudra Supercomputers worth around Rs 130 crore, developed indigenously under the National Supercomputing Mission (NSM).

These supercomputers have been deployed in Pune, Delhi and Kolkata to facilitate pioneering scientific research.

Giant Metre Radio Telescope (GMRT) in Pune will leverage the supercomputer to explore Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) and other astronomical phenomena. Inter-University Accelerator Centre (IUAC) in Delhi will enhance research in fields like material science and atomic physics. SN Bose Centre in Kolkata will drive advanced research in areas such as physics, cosmology, and earth sciences.

The Prime Minister will also inaugurate a High-Performance Computing (HPC) system tailored for weather and climate research. This project represents an investment of Rs 850 crore, marking a significant leap in India's computational capabilities for meteorological applications.

Located at two key sites, the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) in Pune and the National Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecast (NCMRWF) in Noida, this HPC system has extraordinary computing power.

The new HPC systems are named 'Arka' and 'Arunika,' reflecting their connection to the Sun. These high-resolution models will significantly enhance the accuracy and lead time of predictions related to tropical cyclones, heavy precipitation, thunderstorms, hailstorms, heat waves, droughts, and other critical weather phenomena.

The Prime Minister will launch and dedicate to the nation various initiatives in the petroleum and natural gas sector worth Rs 10,400 crore. These initiatives will focus on energy, infrastructure, safety and convenience of truck and cab drivers, cleaner mobility and a sustainable future.

To enable ease of driving, the Prime Minister will launch the Way Side Amenities for truck drivers at Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra; Fatehgarh Sahib, Punjab; Songadh, Gujarat; Belagavi and Bangalore Rural, Karnataka.

With the objective of developing modern facilities for a comfortable journey break in one place designed to cater to the needs of truckers and cab drivers during their long journeys, wayside amenities such as affordable boarding and lodging facilities, clean toilets, safe parking space, cooking area, WiFi, Gym, etc. are being developed at a cost of around Rs 2,170 crore at 1,000 retail outlets.

To develop multiple energy choices like petrol, diesel, CNG, EV, CBG, and Ethanol blended petrol (EBP), at one retail outlet, the Prime Minister will launch Energy Stations. Nearly 4,000 energy stations would be developed over Golden Quadrilateral, East-West and North-South Corridors and other major highways over the next five years at a cost of around Rs 6000 crore.

Energy stations will help provide seamless mobility through the provision of alternate fuels under one roof to energy-seeking customers.

To facilitate a smooth transition to Green Energy, De-carbonisation and Net Zero Emission and to reduce the range anxiety of Electric Vehicle drivers, the Prime Minister will dedicate to the nation 500 EV charging facilities. Further, 10,000 EV Charging stations (EVCS) are being targeted to be developed by FY 2025 at an estimated cost of Rs 1,500 crore.

The Prime Minister will dedicate to the nation 20 Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) stations across the country including 3 in Maharashtra. To promote the adoption of clean fuel such as LNG for long-distance transportation, 50 LNG Fuel Stations will be developed in various states of the country by Oil and Gas companies at a cost of around Rs 500 crore.

The Prime Minister will also dedicate to the nation 1500 E20 (20 per cent ethanol blended) petrol retail outlets worth around Rs 225 crore.

The Prime Minister will inaugurate the Solapur Airport which would significantly improve connectivity, making Solapur more accessible to tourists, business travellers and investors. The existing terminal Building of Solapur has been revamped to serve around 4.1 lakh passengers annually.

The Prime Minister will dedicate to the nation Bidkin Industrial Area, a transformative project covering an expansive 7,855 acres under the National Industrial Corridor Development Program, situated 20 km south of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in Maharashtra.