Uttarakhand:Out of 150 missing people, 12 rescued so far

Government has allocated 16 thousand crore rupees for Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana for 2021-22 to boost the safety of farmers' crops. Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Ministry said, this will ensure maximum benefit of crop insurance reaches to farmers. The Ministry said, this is a budgetary increase of around 305 crore rupees as against the previous fiscal year 2020-21, which reiterates the government's commitment towards growth of agriculture sector in the country.The scheme extends coverage for the entire cropping cycle from pre-sowing to post-harvest including coverage for losses arising out of prevented sowing and mid-season adversities. Government had approved this flagship crop insurance scheme, five years ago, on 13th January 2016. The scheme was conceived as a milestone initiative to provide a comprehensive risk solution at the lowest uniform premium across the country for farmers. The Ministry said, today, Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana is globally the largest crop insurance scheme in terms of farmer participation and 3rd largest in terms of premium. Over five crore 50 lakh farmer applications are received on year-on-year basis.

-Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said that the government trusts the taxpayers and hence is working as a facilitator. Addressing industrialists on the Union Budget-2021 in Mumbai on Sunday, Ms.Sitharaman said that she values every tax payers’ rupee, adding that each single penny should be spent qualitatively so that more wealth is generated.She said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was clear in his thought of not putting any additional burden on the common man through Covid cess. Disapproving the speculative media reports about Covid cess, she said, they were mere false reports. The finance minister said, even though there are some developed economies which are struggling, however, India has found a way to survive. She credited the citizens of the country for it. She further said that since the last 60 years India was living with a socialist baggage. Because of the regulations and License Raj, Indian entrepreneurs could not show their complete strength. The Indian industries and entrepreneurs somehow survived the license quota raj, she added. The FM said the steps which should have naturally followed after liberalization in 1991 did not happen.

-Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday launched a scathing attack against the Shiv Sena-led government in Maharashtra. Calling it a 3-wheeler government, he said all the three parties which are sharing power are heading in a different direction.Addressing a gathering after inaugurating a medical college built by BJP leader Narayan Rane in Sindhudurg, Shah said, Shiv Sena betrayed the mandate of the people and in order to enjoy power, it went with NCP and Congress.Retorting to the claims of Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray that promise of sharing the chief minister’s post was made in a closed-door meeting, Shah said if he has to make such a promise he would rather do it openly. He also said, during the election rallies that time it was informed that if BJP-Shiv Sena alliance comes back to power then Devendra Fadnavis will be the chief minister of the state. He questioned as why Shiv Sena did not object to it that time.

-In Chhattisgarh, the domestic flights from Bilaspur city will begin from March 1 under the regional connectivity scheme.The announcement was made by Union Civil Aviation and Urban Housing Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Sunday at a press conference held at Raipur.The Union Minister informed that so far fifty-six cities of the country have been covered under the UDAN scheme of the Central Government. He said that the ministry has set a target of operationalising 100 unserved and underserved airports and starting at least 1,000 air routes under the UDAN scheme.

-The State Disaster Management Authority, Dehradun says that seven bodies have been recovered so far from Raini, Biraji, Alakapuri and Chchinaka villages. Out of 150 reported missing people, twelve persons have been rescued so far.The flash flood due to the avalanche has destroyed houses situated at the river bank side. Five bridges have been damaged along with the residential and office complex of NTPC. The water level of Alaknanda river has stabilized. Teams of NDRF, SDRF, SSB, ITBP, and Defense personnel are actively participating in the rescue and relief operations. The state government has issued helpline numbers for people stranded in affected areas. The numbers are- Disaster Operations Center number 1070 or 9557444486.