9th, April, 2022

 

 

Topic: Health Care Sector

 

Importance: Punjab PCS Prelims and Mains

 

What is the news?

• To create awareness amongst masses & disseminate health related information at grass root level, Health & Family Welfare Minister Dr. Vijay Singla launched two new initiatives of the Department of Health and Family Welfare Punjab including a monthly magazine ‘Sehat Jagrukta’ & YouTube channel ‘Health Media Punjab’.

What is the name of Magazines?

• Sehat Jagrukta.

(Source: Punjab Government)

 

 

Topic: Challenges in Agriculture

 

Importance: Punjab PCS Mains

 

What is the news?

• Punjab farmers could lose out on a big opportunity for getting higher than the MSP for this year’s wheat crop if the government does not waive the market development fee (MDF) and rural development fee (RDF) imposed on private traders buying wheat.

 

Challenges:

• Information gathered by The Tribune from some of the major mandis in the state has shown that several agri corporates, which initially started wheat purchase, have now opted out.
• They are instead going to Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh to buy wheat, where the cost is less by almost 6 per cent.

 

Reason:

• But with fresh arrivals, the private purchase is only at Rs 2,020 per quintal, just Rs 5 per quintal more than the MSP. Some wheat exporters from Delhi had initially bought last year’s wheat. This year, some cattle feed manufacturers, including IB Group, started buying wheat from Punjab, but later turned away because of high taxes here. They are now buying from UP,” he said.
• Punjab imposes MDF and RDF of 3 per cent each on wheat purchase, besides a commission of 2.5 per cent to arhtiyas, making wheat here expensive by Rs 145 per quintal. Comparatively, UP and Rajasthan impose 2.5 per cent of taxes and commission, while MP imposes 3.5 per cent taxes, cess and commission.

Demand:

• Government could use the H-forms for exempting exporters from the taxes, if it wanted farmers to get a good price for their crop and bring Punjab on the global map. “It is done for basmati exports, and can be replicated for wheat also,” he said.
• Raj Sood, a commission agent in Khanna, said private purchase of wheat this year was restricted to only local flour mills, because these were exempted from paying the two taxes.

(Source: Punjab Tribune)

 

 

Some More News:

1) Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann Maharaja Ranjit Singh addressing the students at the first convocation of Punjab Technical University, Bathinda.

2) Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann joins the people of Punjab to remember the great guru Sri Guru Nabha Dass Ji, a spiritual teacher who preached the message of love, peace and harmony to humanity, on his Birth Anniversary.