Himachal Pradesh Monthly Current Affairs – [June 2021]

Himachal Pradesh Monthly Current Affairs

Work on Research Projects in Progress for strengthening Environment Management in the State:

• State Government has taken many effective steps for environmental protection, pollution control and climate change adaptation in the State.
• Himachal Pradesh has emerged as a leading state of the country in environmental protection.
• Plastic cups, plates, glasses etc. have been banned in the state in the year 2011. Items made of thermocol such as thali, cups, plates, spoons etc. have also been banned in the year 2018, besides other steps.
• Plastic waste was being collected through Polythene hatao – Paryavaran Bachao campaign and it was being used for road construction and as fuel in the cement industries.
• Every year about 60 tonnes plastic waste was being collected and 190 km roads were metalled using the plastic.
• State Government has launched Buy Back Policy for procuring non-recyclable plastic waste at Rs. 75 per kg to tackle the problem arising due to plastic packaging waste. Under the scheme, 1,35,600 kg plastic has been procured so far by spending an amount of Rs. 87 lakh.
• Work on many research projects was in progress for strengthening the environmental management in the state. Land Slide Early Warning System has been developed with the help of experts from IIT Mandi.
• The Air Quality Monitoring System has also been developed by the Environment, Science and Technology Department.

Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna extended in the state: 

• Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojna till November, this year in the state as well as country.
• This scheme would go a long way in benefitting over 80 crore people of the country by providing decided amount of free ration every month during the time of pandemic.

Over 500 gets jobs under MMSAGY:

• Mukhyamantri Shahri Ajeevika Guarantee Yojana has been proven useful and effective to provide guaranteed employment in urban areas, especially during current lockdown period. This scheme is also termed as Urban MNREGA.
• Over 1300 people were registered under this scheme from 1^st April, 2021out of which more than half were registered during the current lockdown period after 7^th May, 2021.
• More than 500 people have been working under this scheme during the current lockdown period while more than 800 were issued the job cards.
• The scheme was envisaged last year during lockdown period to help the urban people with guaranteed job assurance.
• More than 5000 people have been registered under this scheme till March this year, out of which 4800 were issued the job cards.
• Around 4500 people were assigned with works till March this year.
• Rs. 3 crore were spent on this scheme during previous financial year and there was a provision of Rs. 4 crore in the state budget for this scheme in this financial year.

About the scheme: 

• The scheme was launched in the line of MNREGA for urban areas. Focus was laid on the publicizing the scheme. More people would be benefitted with this. Elaborating about the scheme, he said that 120 days job guarantee has been assured to residents of urban local bodies within 15 days of issuance of job cards, failing which Rs. 75 per day would be paid as unemployment allowance.

Amit Negi scaled world highest peak:

• Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur congratulated Amit Negi  of village Batseri of Kinnaur district for scaling world highest peak Mount Everest recently.

Baljeet Kaur scaled toughest peak in Everest Massif:

• Baljeet Kaur scaled one of the toughest peaks in the Everest Massif in Nepal.
• Baljeet Kaur hails from Solan district and was part of a 12-member team that was set to attempt to conquer all four peaks that was part of the Everest Massif expedition.
• The aim of this two-month-long expedition was to make the first Indian ascent of the challenging Mt Nuptse and Mt Pumori, besides making an ascent of the difficult Mt Lhotse and Mt Everest.

Financial assistance worth Rs. 31000 to be given under Shagun scheme:

• The State Government has notified “Shagun” scheme for providing Marriage Grant to BPL Girls/Women.
• Main objective of the scheme is to provide Rs. 31000 as financial assistance to the parents/ guardians or the girl herself if her parents were not traceable for marriage of their girls who belong to BPL families, above 18 years of age and bonafide resident of Himachal Pradesh.
• The marriage grant would be given even if the girl from Himachal Pradesh is marrying a boy from outside the state of Himachal Pradesh.
• The financial assistance under the scheme may be paid two months in advance of the proposed date of marriage. If the marriage has already taken place, the grant shall be disbursed even after the applicant applies for the grant of marriage, within a period of six months. In case the applicant applies after a period of six months from the date of marriage, the application shall not be considered and no benefit shall be provided.
• Shagun scheme would be applicable throughout the State from 1^st April, 2021.

How to avail this scheme?

• For getting benefit under the scheme the application should be made in the prescribed form by the parents/guardians the girls herself, in case she is destitute to the concerned Child Development Project Officer/Incharge Nari Sewa Sadan/Superintendent Balika Ashram. The Child Development Project Officer/Incharge Nari Sewa Sadan/Superintendent Balika Ashram will verify the antecedents contained in the application.
• The District Programme officer would be competent to sanction a marriage grant of Rs. 31000 to bonafide Himachal Pradesh girls/women who are above 18 years for their marriage.

State Government co-contributes to Atal Pension Yojna:

• Government of Himachal Pradesh is providing co-contribution of Rs. 2000 or 50% of the contribution, whichever is less as additional benefit to the subscribers viz, Anganwari Workers, Mid-day Meal Workers, MGNREGA workers, farmers, agriculture, horticultural labourers, shop workers etc. under the Atal Pension Yojna.
• With the objective to attract new subscribers and to extend the benefit of Atal Pension Yojna to maximum number of un-organized sector workers, the State Government has decided to extend this scheme till 31^st March, 2022 and continue co-contribution of Government in the accounts of existing eligible beneficiaries and also new subscribers, registered under the Atal Pension Yojna, upto 31^st March, 2022.

Rs. 1050 crore being spent for providing Social Security Pension to 6.60 lakh people:

• The State Government was committed for welfare and empowerment of women and has launched several schemes to ensure their socio economic upliftment.
• The State Government has enhanced the post birth grant being provided to two children of the families living below poverty line from Rs. 12000 to Rs. 21,000 in shape of fixed deposit at the time of birth by rationalizing and unifying both post birth grant scheme as well as scholarship schemes.
• The State Government has also launched ‘Shagun’ Scheme for providing financial assistance of Rs. 31000 to the girls belonging to all the BPL families at the time of their marriages.
• The State Government was also providing social security pension to all the eligible vulnerable sections of the society.
• Presently 5.77 lakh people were being provided social security pension by spending an amount of Rs. 875 crore.
• As many as 40,000 additional beneficiaries would be covered under the social security pension scheme.
• State Government was providing social security pension of Rs. 1500 per month to eligible senior citizens above the age of 70 years.
• From this year the Government has decided to expand social security net for eligible elderly women in the age group of 65 to 69 years irrespective of income criteria under the Swaran Jayanti Nari Sambal Yojna.
• Social security pension of Rs. 1000 per month would be provided to about 60,000 eligible women.
• A total 6.60 lakh people were being covered under different social security pension schemes on which Rs. 1050 crore were being spent annually.
• ‘Grihini Suvidha Yojna’ has proved a boon to the home makers by freeing them from disease and pollution. Under this scheme as many as 2.92 lakh families have been provided free gas connections.

HPCL agrees to set up ethanol plant in Una district:

• Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) has decided to set up a grain based ethanol plant in Una district with a capacity of 125 KL per day.
• The state government would provide about 70 acres of land for setting up this plant and rail-fed POL terminal of higher capacity.
• Major raw materials for producing ethanol like rice and maize would be procured from Kangra, Hamirpur, Bilaspur and Una districts besides Hoshiarpur and Rupnagar districts of neighbouring State Punjab.
• These projects would be set up at a cost of Rs. 400 crore and would provide direct and indirect employment to about 300 persons. Besides, it would also accelerate the pace of development in the State and earn annual revenue of Rs. 20 to Rs. 25 crore to the State exchequer in the form of SGST.

248 public services brought under Public Service Guarantee Act:

• A meeting of the Cabinet sub-committee constituted for the implementation of Swarnim Himachal Drishti Patra-2017 was held here under the chairmanship of Urban Development Minister Suresh Bhardwaj in Shimla. In the meeting various issues pertaining to Swarnim Himachal were discussed in detail.
• On this occasion, Suresh Bhardwaj said that 248 public services have been notified by 34 departments of the State under the Public Service Guarantee Act.  These services are being made available to the people in a time bound manner.  The time period has been fixed for the public services provided by every department.
• Out of 248 public services, 110 services are being provided through online medium, 30 services through e-district and 80 services under ease of doing business.
• Provision has also been made for imposing fine ranging from rupees one thousand to five thousand for not providing the services within the stipulated time period.
• This will not only improve the efficiency of governance but also provide a strong foundation for good governance.

Government enhances grant-in-aid of fairs:

• The state government has increased the grant-in-aid of the district, state, national and international level fairs organised in Himachal Pradesh.
• The grain-in-aid of the district level fairs has been enhanced from Rs. 30,000 to Rs. 50,000, state level fairs from rupees one lakh to Rs. 1.50 lakh, national level fairs from rupees two lakh to rupees three lakh and international levels fairs from rupees three lakh to rupees five lakh.
• Meanwhile, the state government has also notified Janamashtmi fair Nurpur in district Kangra as state level fair.

Read more: HP Current Affairs [Weekly and Monthly]

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