CM Mann's Green Initiative: State Cooperative Banks Offers Loan upto 80% subsidy on Crop Residue Management
CM reiterates Government's commitment to crop residual management and prevention of stubble burning
Bhagwant Mann urges farmers to avail maximum benefits of this scheme
Move aimed at checking environmental pollution caused due to paddy straw burning
Chandigarh, October 6:In consonance with the commitment of the Punjab government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann to check the menace of paddy straw burning, the State Cooperative Banks across the State, have launched the Crop Residue Management loan scheme.
Speaking about the scheme, the Chief Minister said that the main aim is to make rural credit available easily for farmers to purchase machinery for proper crop Residue management in order to check the environmental pollution caused due to paddy straw burning. He said that the scheme has been introduced in State Cooperative Bank in Chandigarh and 802 branches of the District Cooperative banks. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that the farmers can avail the benefits of this scheme through a simple and easy procedure.
The Chief Minister said that the Primary Agriculture Cooperative Societies(PACs) in villages and other progressive farmers can avail the benefits of this scheme. He said that the Primary Agriculture Cooperative Societies or other entities can avail benefit of 80% subsidy on purchase of agriculture equipments under the Common Hiring Centre(CHC) scheme. Likewise, Bhagwant Singh Mann said that the progressive farmers will be entitled for 50% subsidy on purchase of agriculture implements for crop residue management like balers and superseeders.
The Chief Minister envisioned that the scheme will go a long way in reducing environmental pollution caused due to paddy straw burning. Likewise, he also said that the scheme will be also instrumental in encouraging the farmers to opt for the crop residue management. Bhagwant Singh Mann, while reiterating the firm commitment of the state government to ensure the welfare of the farmers by all possible means and urged the farmers to avail the benefits of this scheme.
The Chief Minister said that the major thrust is to reduce the amount of pollution generated when stubble is burnt and to encourage more industry-farmer participation in the agri-residue supply chain to support bio-energy plants. He hoped that this initiative will help in avoiding this pollution through the establishment of an agri-residue biomass supply chain from the farmers to the bioenergy industry. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that power generation units, compressed biogas (CBG) plants, 2G ethanol factories, could strengthen their feedstock supply chain and benefit the biofuel industry as a whole from this step.
The Chief Minister said that supply chain will be established through a cluster based approach in the vicinity of various industries utilizing the paddy
straw. He said that the supply chain beneficiaries will collect, densify, store the paddy straw at desired locations and will make available the same to various users or industries
as per requirement. Bhagwant Singh Mann said that repayment period of loan will be five years and repayable in 10 half yearly instalments June 30 and January 31 annually.
===========================================
Punjab State Election Commission launches a new online composite application "Local Bodies Poll Activity Monitoring System" (LBPAMS) for the facilitation of the election officials and general public
· LBPAMS brings greater transparency and streamlining of the election management system
Chandigarh 6 October 2024:Punjab State Election Commission has developed a new online composite application titled as "Local Bodies Poll Activity Monitoring System" (LBPAMS) for the facilitation of the election officials and general public in connection with the current Gram Panchayat Elections 2024. The said application is now available on the website of the Commission i.e. sec.punjab.gov.in.
Disclosing this here today, Punjab State Election Commissioner Raj Kamal Chaudhuri, said that this is a new step in modernising the electoral processes with specific reference to the local body elections i.e. Panchayat and Municipal elections and the Commission has sought to adopt some of the good practices being followed by the Election Commission of India so as to ensure free, fair, and transparent elections to the local bodies.
He further informed that with the development of LBPAMS, there will be greater transparency and streamlining of the election management system and the system is being introduced for the first time for the upcoming Gram Panchayat elections due to be held on Oct. 15, 2024. The online application will also be used for the upcoming Municipal as well as Zila Parishad/Block Samiti elections.
Sharing more details, he added that online display of Voter Electoral Rolls for all Districts which makes it easier for the public to search for their vote details. Voters will have easy access to information about Nomination Forms and Self-Declaration Forms/Affidavits of the contesting candidates for any of the Panchayat or Municipal Elections.
In addition to this he said that the Real-Time Event Monitoring on Pre-Poll and Poll Days which provides information to the election officials about despatch and arrival of Polling Parties, Poll Activities, Voter turnout, Votes Polled, critical events and Counting Results, etc.
He revealed that One-Stop Dashboard which allows the State Election Commission officers, District-level officers, Block-level officers, and Returning Officers to view real-time election activity across all administrative levels.
It is pertinent to mention here that the introduction of LBPAMS marks a significant leap towards greater accountability, transparency, and participation in Punjab's Gram Panchayat elections. The State Election Commission urges all voters, candidates, and officials to utilize this platform to stay informed and actively participate in the democratic process.
State Election Commissioner Raj Kamal Chaudhuri and Secretary State Election Commission Jagjit Singh thanked the NIC Punjab Team consisting Vivek Verma, DDG & SIO, Usha Rai, Senior Director (IT), Director (IT), and all DIOs in NIC District Centres for computerization in a limited time which is being done for the first time.
=============================================
Delegation of 50 Head Masters/Head Mistresses sent for training at IIM Ahmedabad: Harjot Singh Bains
Chandigarh, October 6-With aim of making school education and management more efficient, the third batch of 50 Head Masters/Head Mistresses sent for training at IIM Ahmedabad under the special training campaign launched by the Punjab Government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh. The Punjab School Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains sent off this batch from the airport in Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar.
Divulging details, Mr. Harjot Singh Bains said that the third batch comprising 50 headmasters/headmistresses has been sent to IIM Ahmedabad for special training. This batch will impart training from 7 October to 11 October 2024.
The Cabinet Minister informed that IIM Ahmedabad is renowned world wide for management training and the Punjab government has decided to provide special training to the headmasters of the state from this reputed institution.
Mr. Bains said that earlier the state government has also provided training to 202 principals from the world-renowned Education institute of Singapore and 100 Headmasters/Head Mistress from IIM Ahmedabad.