Form committees for vccination drive, Centre to states

Food Minister Piyush Goyal has said Food Corporation of India and state agencies are all set to procure a record quantity of 742 Lakh Metric tonnes of paddy during the ongoing Kharif crop season as against 627 Lakh Metric Tonnes paddy last year.Virtually briefing the media in New Delhi Friday, Goyal said, the number of purchase centres for Kharif 2020-21 have also been increased from 30 thousand 7 hundred nine to 39 thousand 1 hundred 22. He said, the procurement season had been advanced to 26th September in view of the early arrival of paddy in the market. Goyal said, production of pulses has gone up in the last five years due to the relentless efforts of the Narendra Modi Govt and introduction of support prices. He said, Government is  working on a twin track, to increase domestic production and ensure that the consumers get the pulses at the right price. The Minister said,  Moong, Urad and Tur Dal have been supplied from buffer stocks to States and Union Territories. Two Lakh Metric Tonne of Tur is to be disposed of from the buffer stock through open market sale in the next 15 Days.

-The National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted searches at four locations in Maharashtra's Sangli district. These searches were conducted as part of its probe related to the seizure of 83.62 kilograms of smuggled gold bars in August from eight arrested accused in Delhi. The searches were conducted on the premises of persons allegedly connected to the smuggling syndicate that had procured the gold from countries like Myanmar, Bhutan and Nepal. According to NIA Spokesperson, during the searches, incriminating documents and electronic devices containing details of suspicious transactions as well as of the persons involved in the instant crime, who are also having linkages abroad including Myanmar and Nepal, were allegedly seized.

-The government of Bangladesh has launched a mega scheme to dredge 10,000 kilometres of riverways in the country to improve inland river navigability.The Ministry of Shipping said in a Facebook post that the State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury will inaugurate the dredging work of Old Brahmaputra river in the Sherpur district on Saturday. Speaking to the official news agency BSS, the Shipping Minister said that the purpose of the dredging work is to ensure round the year movement of goods and passenger vessels safely. It will also help the agriculture and fisheries sectors by improving water flow in  the rivers, said the minister. The dredging work will be carried out on 178 rivers of Bangladesh. 

-Centre has asked states to constitute committees for coordination and overseeing COVID-19 vaccination drive while ensuring minimal disruptions in other routine healthcare services, and stressed early tracking of social media to dispel rumours which could impact the community acceptance of coronavirus inoculation. Stating that COVID-19 vaccine introduction will span over a year with multiple groups being included "sequentially starting from health care workers", the Health Ministry has sought constitution of committees at state and district levels which will review preparatory activities in terms of cold chain preparedness, operational planning, strategies for state-specific challenges in terms of geographical terrain and hard-to-reach areas, etc. In a letter to states and union territories, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan has suggested setting up of a state steering committee (SSC) chaired by the chief secretary, a state task force (STF) led by additional Chief Secretary or principal secretary (health), and a district task force (DTF) to be headed by the district magistrate.

- A major Gurjar organisation on Friday said it will begin an agitation over reservation for the community from November 1.Talking to reporters in Hinduan, Gurjar leader Colonel Kirori Singh Bainsla said the community was left with no option as the state government ignored their demands. He said the Rajasthan government should get the Gurjar reservation included in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution, fill the backlog of vacancies and give the benefit of five per cent reservation to the Most Backward Classes (MBC) in the pending recruitment process. Meanwhile, police and the administration stepped up vigil in Karauli, Alwar, Dausa, Bundi, Sawai Madhopur and Bharatpur districts ahead of the agitation. "Mobile internet services have been suspended in Karauli, Bharatpur, Jaipur and Sawai Madhopur. Additional police force, including Rapid Action Force and Armed Border Home Guards, have been alerted to deal with any situation," Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Saurabh Srivastav said.