1st, Feburary, 2022

 

 

Topic: Infrastructure

 

Importance: Himachal HPAS Prelims

 

What is the news?

• Minister Virendra Kanwar lays foundation stone of the state’s first animal feed factory to be built.

 

Where?

• At Dhandri, Dhandri is a Village in Amb Tehsil in Una District of Himachal.

(Source: HP Government)

 

 

Topic: Curbing Drug Trafficking.

 

Importance: Himachal HPAS Mains

 

What is the news?

• The Cabinet, during a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, today approved the Himachal Pradesh Comprehensive Drug Prevention Policy.

 

Aim:

• The policy is designed to curb drug trafficking, drug addiction, culture, drug production and use in the state. It also aims to strengthen inter-governmental and inter-institutional coordination within the framework of a pluriliteral cooperation mechanism by sharing seizure statistics/data, joint drug law enforcement operations and the establishment of a joint question and answer center.

(Source: HP Tribune)

 

 

Topic: Cabinet Decisions.

 

Importance: Himachal HPAS Prelims and Mains

 

What is the news?

• The income cap for pension schemes raised to Rs 50,000
• The annual income ceiling to benefit from various pension schemes of the Social Justice and Empowerment Department was raised from Rs35,000 to Rs50,000 per year.
• The decision to benefit about 78,158 additional beneficiaries under various schemes.
• The government to bear the Aadhaar card authentication charges of 25 paisa per transaction being imposed on ration card holders.
  This will benefit about 19.30 lakh ration card holders and the government will spend about Rs55.58 lakh on this account.

(Source: HP Tribune)

 

 

Topic: Cannabis Farming for Medicinal Use

 

Importance: Himachal HPAS Mains

 

What is the news?

• The first-ever Integrated Drug Prevention Policy approved here today has cleared the decks for the cultivation of cannabis for medical, scientific and industrial purposes under the provision of the Cultivation and Regulation under NDPS Act 1985. The Cabinet approved.
• The policy document cited Section 10 and 8 of the NDPS Act, 1985, for the regulation of cannabis cultivation for medical, scientific and industrial purposes as hemp seed are used for the treatment of tumors and cancerous ulcers and hemp oil contains 80 percent polyunsaturated fatty acids.

 

About Cannabis:

• Cannabis is biologically active and acts as narcotic, sedative, anti-fungal, anti-psychotic, antibacterial, anti-malarial, anti-leishmanial and stomachic and Section 14 of the NDPS Act permits cannabis cultivation for horticultural and industrial purposes by issuing a general or special order.

Purpose:

• The policy aims at curbing the grievous problem of drug trafficking, substance abuse, drug cultivation, production and consumption in 10 districts and stringent action under the NDPS Act against the illegal cultivation of cannabis and opium, said convener of the Nasha Nivaran Board OP Sharma, who drafted the policy.
• The Mission Development Drug Control (MDDC) for eradication of drug-yielding crops and subsequent production and abuse suggests introducing high-yield and high-income generating crop diversification models dedicated to the drug affected areas, providing trainings/ capacity building in natural farming and other crop management practices and establishing forward linkages (market facilities) and ensure immediate and fair price returns, he added.

How it will be set up?

• A joint interrogation center will be set up for collecting information, collaboration with international agencies like the UNODC to prevent Darknet market operations and training will be imparted to drug law enforcement personnel for combating illicit trafficking of drugs, besides launching public awareness campaigns about the harm caused by peddlers.
• To keep a tab on the sale of drugs to children, all educational institutions will be notified as “No-Drugs, No Intoxication Zone”. Sports infrastructure (one playground and gymnasium) will be provided at each Panchayat and municipal ward to engage the youth.
• The policy also prescribes for the establishment of a compulsory mechanism for collection of statistics with regard to illicit drug production and trafficking, drug addiction and its impact on socioeconomic status as well as internal security, besides profiling of drug traffickers.
• The policy prescribes for taking initiatives to motivate neighboring states to assert unified regional strategy to fight drug problem, conducting joint drug law enforcement operations. The Integrated and Dedicated Multilateral Program, namely the HP ‘Integrated Drug Prevention and Alternative Rehabilitation Program’ will also be launched.

Curbing drug peddling:

• The policy aims at curbing the problem of drug trafficking, substance abuse, drug cultivation, production and consumption in 10 districts and stringent action under the NDPS Act against the illegal cultivation of cannabis and opium.

(Source: HP Tribune)