CHHATTISGARH

The Chhattisgarh Government had been sanctioned Rs 352 crores for development of roads in Left Wing Extremism (LWE) infested districts under Road Requirement Plan-I (RRP-I) during the current financial year, the Central Government has informed.

The Government has approved a scheme of construction of roads under Left Wing Extremism (LWE) under Road Requirement Plan-I (RRP-I) in 2009 for development of 5477 km roads at a cost of Rs. 7300 crore covering eight States viz. Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha (erstwhile Orissa) and Uttar Pradesh, with other developed areas of the respective States as well as neighbouring States and other parts of the country. The details of State-wise expenditure made till December 31, 2017.

The Chhattisgarh government had informed last year that new roads measuring 1320 kms have been completed in Left Wing Extremism (LWE) infested districts of the State under Centre’s RRP-I scheme.

Notably, a total of 6372 rural roads measuring 26,815 kms had been prepared in Chhattisgarh so far involving an expenditure of Rs 7880 crore under Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) during the current financial year so far.

The Government have taken up the task of constructing a total of 98 roads in seven districts of the State under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY).

The districts where the roads would be constructed are- Sukma, Rajnandgaon, Bijapur, Dantewada, Kondagaon, Janjjgir-Champa and Kanker, officials informed. Notably, a total of 6372 rural roads measuring 26,815 kms had been prepared in Chhattisgarh so far involving an expenditure of Rs 7880 crore under Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) during the current financial year so far.

A total of 6697 rural roads had been approved by the Central Government measuring 29,562 kms under PMGSY.

In Chhattisgarh, Malkangiri district of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, LWE areas of Jharkhand, there is challenge for Prime Minister Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) implementation on account of Left Wing Extremism (LWE). The states of Bihar and West Bengal which also have large connectivity to achieve and therefore, require speedy implementation, the Central Government has informed.

The Ministry is constantly following up with all these States to ensure achievement of targets by March 2019. Funds are not a constraint and States have been forthcoming with their State share, it informed.

The major challenge lies in Assam, Jammu & Kashmir and Uttrakhand on account of the difficult terrain.

To further enable ease of decision making, monitoring and transparency, the Department is committed to complete GIS mapping of all rural roads of the country by 2018.

INTERNATIONAL

The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, inaugurated the World Hindi Secretariat building on March 13, 2018 on the third day of his visit to Mauritius.

He also launched the World Hindi Secretariat’s logo and a large ENT hospital being built with Indian assistance.

The President noted that the 11th World Hindi Conference is going to be held in Mauritius in August 2018.

Apart from India, Mauritius is the only country where this conference is being hosted for a third time

Nepal’s first woman president Bidya Devi Bhandari has been relected for a second term in office.

Incumbent President Bhandari defeated Nepali Congress leader Kumari Laxmi Rai with an overwhelming majority in the presidential election.

Businessman-turned politician Sebastian Pinera was sworn in as Chile’s president, beginning what will be his second term in office after a four-year absence.

Pinera, 68, was re-elected in last November elections, promising to lower taxes and boost investment, and will serve until 2022.

· Saudi Arabia Cabinet Approves Nuclear Power Program National Policy

Saudi Arabia‘s Cabinet approved the national policy of its atomic energy programme, as the kingdom prepares to award contracts for its first nuclear power plants.
The policy insists on limiting nuclear activities to peaceful purposes and calls for enhanced safety measures as well as the use of best practices for radioactive waste management.
Saudi Arabia, the world’s top oil exporter, is seeking nuclear power to diversify its energy supply mix in order to free up oil to boost exports.

NATIONAL

· Prime Minister Narendra Modi Launches Campaign to Eradicate TB By 2025

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a campaign to eradicatetuberculosis (TB) from India by 2025, five years ahead of the globally-set deadline.
After inaugurating the Delhi End-TB Summit Modi launched the TB-free India Campaign to take the activities under the National Strategic Plan for TB Elimination forward in a mission mode for ending the epidemic by 2025.
A target has been set to end TB globally by 2030. Mr. Modi stated that India has targeted to eliminate Tuberculosis by 2025.

Tata Motors and Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) have begun the country’s first demonstration trials for a hydrogen fuel cell bus.

The demonstration event was held in the presence of Dr R Chidambaram, principal scientific adviser to the government of India and the chairman and board members of Indian Oil.

The project is being executed under partial financial support from the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) and Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).

RBI discontinues Letter of Undertaking, Letter of Comfort
In view of the alleged Rs 12,700-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam, done through fraudulent issuance of Letter of Understanding (LoUs) by connivance of the bank’s staff, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has discontinued issuance of LoUs by banks for trade credits for imports into India.

The RBI notification further said that Letters of Credit and Bank Guarantees for trade credits for imports into India may continue to be issued subject to compliance with the provisions.

India’s tallest national flag was unfurled in Belagavi (also known as Belgaum) in Karnataka.
The event was attended by leaders, schoolchildren, and leaders of Hindu, Muslim, Christian and Sikh institutions at the Kote Kere front.
Where size is concerned, this flag in Belgaum beats the one at the India-Pakistan border at Attari in Punjab.
Belagavi District Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi unfurled the 9,600 sq ft wide flag on a 110-meter-tall flagpole.

A signed hardcover copy of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore’s ‘The King of the Dark Chamber’- the English translation of his famous Bengali play ‘Raja’– has been sold for USD 700 at an auction in the US.
Signed on a prefatory page in fountain pen by Tagore, the Bolpur edition of the book was published by The Macmillan Company in 1916.