Yogi opts for RBI's e-Kuber system for payment disbursement

by Argus News

Lucknow, April 9: To ease government transactions and improve transparency and efficiency, the Yogi Adityanath government has decided to implement the e-Kuber system of RBI to disburse government funds directly to the payee's bank account, in times of natural disasters like flood, drought, hailstorm, excess rain, lightning, etc.

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath has issued instructions to the Department of Revenue to implement the e-kuber portal at the earliest.

The system would also overcome payment delays and eliminate risk of paper vouchers being lost in transit.

The transfer of disaster relief amount is currently being done at the district level only.

Under the manual procedure, after getting notified of the details of the incident, the account of loss is recorded by the lekhpal , which is then sent to the district magistrate for payment of tax approved by a series of revenue officials after which the payment is made at the treasury.

The process involves unnecessary delays in providing relief to the victim because of the lengthy paperwork.

There is also lack of transparency as there is no method to keep a check on how many times the same person has received the fund.

Apart from this, the victims are even deprived of the right to file for a claim directly.

According to the government spokesman, the chief minister has emphasised on adopting the e-Kuber DBT system which is aimed at overcoming the shortcomings of the existing system and elimination of delays in transmission of funds to the actual beneficiaries.

In the first phase, all types of agricultural investment grants will be transferred online, while in the second phase, relief funds in cases of loss of life, property and livelihood because of natural disasters will also be transferred online.

The Revenue Department will be the first in the state to implement the e-Kuber system.

E-kuber will facilitate quick transfer of government aid in cases of floods, droughts, fire outbreaks, hailstorms, fog and cold waves, cloudbursts, earthquakes / tsunamis, cyclones, landslides, pest attacks, avalanche, unseasonal heavy rainfall, celestial lightning, thunderstorms, heat strokes, boat accidents, snakebite, sewer cleaning, gas leakage and in cases of wild animal attack.

The main features of the system are that the bill can be directly generated online by the department in half an hour through e-Kuber.

If the money is not transferred to the beneficiary's account due to any reason, the amount remains in the Treasury.

Failed transactions can be checked under the e-Kuber system.

A digital database of the relief recipients will be prepared for quick assistance monitoring from DBT to the beneficiary.
(IANS)

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Delhi's Air Quality Remains In Very Poor Category

by Manisha Das

New Delhi, Dec 9: The Air Quality Index (AQI) remains in the 'Very Poor' category in parts of Delhi, as per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

Visuals from the area around Akshardham, shot at 6:55 am showed smog engulfing the city.

The air quality in the national capital was recorded in the 'very poor' category on Friday. As per the Central Pollution Control Board, the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) at Anand Vihar, Delhi, stood at 374 on Friday morning.

Earlier on Thursday, the air quality in the national capital continued to remain in 'poor' category. The overall Air Quality Index (AQI) of Delhi, as per SAFAR-India (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research), was recorded at 276 on Thursday morning.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted no rainfall in the National Capital till December 11. There will be clear skies with shallow to moderate fog in the morning across the city. Delhi has been experiencing air quality in the range of 'severe' to 'very poor' over the last few weeks.

Congress MP Jairam Ramesh hit out at Union Minister Bhupender Yadav saying that he gave a "gol mol" reply to pointed questions on public health and air pollution inside Parliament.

The Congress MP was referring to the reply he received from the Union Minister during Question Hour on 'air pollution in NCR and the country' in Rajya Sabha on the fourth day of the ongoing Winter Session.

Jairam Ramesh asked a question about whether the Centre was considering a review of the Pollution Control Act that was passed in 1981 and the National Ambient Air Quality Standards.

To this Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said, "In view of the problem of air pollution in the country, a provision of Rs 19,711 crore was made by the Central government. And to define the standards that were set, 131 cities in the country were also identified. Schemes were implemented by the central government to identify these cities, all provisions were made keeping in mind the toxic emissions that spread in the air, especially PM 2.5 and PM 10. And I would like to say that the standards which were made in these 131 cities, progress was made quite satisfactorily."

"Rather, I would like to tell Jairam Ramesh that the municipalities that did good work and contributed in these 131 cities were also given awards in a positive manner. Because this topic is related to the lives of all of us, and especially the local municipalities, we should participate in it as much as possible, and those who have done good work should be specially compensated," he added.

The air quality index from 0 to 100 is considered 'good', 100 to 200 'moderate', 200 to 300 'poor', 300 to 400 'very poor' and from 400 to 500 or above 'severe'.

(ANI)

CJI Chandrachud Inaugurates New Office Of Central Administration Tribunal In Mumbai

by Manisha Das

Mumbai, Dec 9: The Chief Justice of India, DY Chandrachud inaugurated the new office of the Central Administration Tribunal in Maharashtra's Mumbai district on Thursday.

During the inauguration, Chief Justice Chandrachud addressed a gathering and emphasised the significant stride toward gender diversity within the judiciary in the recent recruitment processes for civil judge junior division positions across various states.

Highlighting the findings of the "State of the Judiciary" report, Chief Justice Chandrachud revealed, "Out of 16 states, which recently conducted the civil judge junior division recruitment process, 14 states had more than 50 per cent selection of women judicial officers."

The Chief Justice commended the progress made by these states in promoting gender balance within the judicial system, emphasizing the importance of creating an inclusive and representative judiciary that reflects the diversity of the society it serves.

"In some states, even in the absence of a horizontal 30 per cent reservation, the number of women being recruited at the lowest level of the Indian judiciary has gone up to 70-80 per cent," he added.

The CJI further said that the tribunals in the country play a significant role in assisting to unclog delays in courts and in aiding the overall dispensation of justice.

"One of the objectives of tribunals was to combat and battle the delays faced by our courts and it was hoped that these tribunals, which are untethered by strict rules of evidence and procedure, would help unclog the courts and aid overall in the dispensation of justice," the CJI said.

He further said that there is a constant tussle about who will get ultimate control over the appointment of judges even as vacancies arise and appointments are kept pending for a long period.

"There is this constant tussle about who will get ultimate control over the appointment of judges," CJI Chandrachud said.

The CJI also emphasised the need to make courtrooms more accessible to differently-abled persons.
"Technology cannot become the sole medium to access justice, and physical access to courts can never be understated and hence must be constantly improved," he added.

The CJI further said that infrastructural advances must be guided by the objective of accommodating people with diverse needs from diverse segments of our society.

"A well-maintained and accessible infrastructure can enhance the public's confidence in the state's ability to meet not only their legal needs but also account for their comfort as they navigate through the complexities of these daunting legal journeys," he added.

(ANI)

Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel Reviews Progress On Metro Rail Phase-2 Project

by Manisha Das

Gandhinagar, Dec 9: Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel conducted a comprehensive inspection of the ongoing operations related to the 6.5 km stretch of the C-2 project on the Metro Rail Phase-2 route from Motera to Gandhinagar.

This crucial phase of the project holds significance for the state's transportation infrastructure, aiming to enhance connectivity between Motera and Gandhinagar.

Accompanied by Chief Advisor Hasmukh Adhia, Chairman of Metro Rail Corporation SS Rathore, and other senior secretaries, CM Patel meticulously examined various aspects of the railway route and stations currently under construction.

During the inspection, the Chief Minister's visit covered a span from Bhaijipura to Ch-2, focusing on key areas including Dholakuwa, Randesan, Gift City, and other strategic locations along the route.

In addition to assessing the Metro Rail developments, CM Patel extended his scrutiny to the construction work underway on the Visat to Narmada to Koba Circle road.