Cabinet approves scheme on remunerative crop prices
New Delhi, Sep 12 : The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved more pro-farmer initiatives ahead of the 2019 general elections. The government will have a new umbrella scheme that will also allow private players to procure crop produce at remunerative prices.
The new scheme, "Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan" (PM-AASHA), was approved at a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Addressing the media here, Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh said the Cabinet also decided to give an additional government guarantee of Rs 16,550 crore for procurement, taking the total to Rs 45,550 crore.
This will ensure remunerative prices to the farmers for their crops as announced in this year's Union Budget, the Minister said.
In addition, the budgetary provisions for procurement operations have also been increased and Rs 15,053 crore sanctioned for the implementation of the scheme.
The PM-AASHA comprises three sub-schemes -- Price Support Scheme, Price Deficiency Payment Scheme or Bhavantar Bhugtan Yojana and Private Procurement and Stockist Scheme.
According to an official statement, the Cabinet decided that the participation of private sector in procurement operations needed to be piloted so that the ambit of private participation could be increased.
The Minister said that other existing schemes vis-a-vis procurement of paddy, wheat and nutri-cereals or coarse grains by the Food Ministry and of cotton and jute by the Textile Ministry would also continue for providing MSP to farmers for these crops.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
