UP alert over Covid variant ‘Omicron’

Virendra Singh Rawat

Lucknow / Nov 29, 2021

The Uttar Pradesh government has sounded alert over new Covid-19 mutant ‘Omicron’ detected in several countries including South Africa, Hong Kong and Botswana.

All inbound travellers from these countries will be subjected to strict screening and genome sequencing to mitigate spread of infection. The airports have come under higher vigilance and scrutiny.

In his advisory, UP additional chief secretary, medical and health, Amit Mohan Prasad has instructed all the chief medical officers (CMO) to screen travellers arriving from, or transiting through, these countries.

Their samples will be collected for genome sequencing, and the district surveillance officers will follow-up with their contacts as well. Genome sequencing is a tool to check if a certain variant of Covid is present in the population.

Meanwhile, strict vigil will be kept on foreigners coming to Agra, Prayagraj, Varanasi, Lucknow and Kanpur.

Besides, the state health department has asked premier medical institutes, including Lucknow based SGPGI and King George’s Medical University (KGMU), where patients come from abroad for treatment, to compulsorily screen all patients.

Modi dedicates Rs 23,000 crore Purvanchal Expressway

Virendra Singh Rawat

Lucknow / Nov 16, 2021

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday dedicated to public the 341 km Purvanchal Expressway that cuts across nine districts in Eastern Uttar Pradesh.

It entailed an investment of about Rs 23,000 crore. Modi arrived in Sultanpur district for the inauguration ceremony aboard an Indian Air Force (IAF) Hercules aircraft and landed on the Purvanchal Expressway airstrip. An air show comprising IAF fighter jets viz. Mirage and Sukhoi was also held.

Addressing the gathering, the PM clubbed prosperity and national security, while he flayed the previous governments for doing precious little to enhance the country’s defence capabilities.

He observed Purvanchal Expressway will facilitate the emergency landing of fighter jets. “The air show will scare those elements who have neglected our defence capability needs for decades.”

The expressway spans Lucknow, Barabanki, Amethi, Ayodhya, Sultanpur, Ambedkar Nagar, Azamgarh, Mau and Ghazipur. It will connect the socioeconomically laggard Eastern UP (Purvanchal) region to the National Capital Region (NCR) via Agra-Lucknow Expressway and Greater Noida-Agra Yamuna Expressway.

Modi noted good connectivity was vital for industrial development. “The expressway, which has cost more than Rs 22,000 crore, will spur investment to the tune of several lakh of rupees and create lakhs of job opportunities.”

At present, four expressway projects totalling Rs 80,000 crore have been undertaken by the Yogi Adityanath government. These comprise 341 km Purvanchal Expressway, 296 km Bundelkhand Expressway, 91 km Gorakhpur Link Expressway and 600 km Ganga Expressway.

“We need balanced development for ensuring composite development and to alleviate disparities between different regions. The Purvanchal Expressway will put UP on the path of faster development, enhance its stature and spur all round growth in different sectors,” Modi said.

In his address, UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath said the project was completed in record time despite pandemic. “We are giving due importance to improving the infrastructure including roads, expressways, metro trains etc. UP will play a vital role in realising the PM’s vision of propelling India as the world’s leading economy.”

India discussing non-tariff trade barriers with Bangladesh

Virendra Singh Rawat

Lucknow / Nov 14, 2021

Union commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal on Sunday said the central government was discussing the issue of non-tariff trade barriers with Bangladesh to promote Indian exports to the neighbouring country.

“Bangladesh allows for a restricted number of Indian goods train as well as road cargo transport to protect its indigenous industry. However, we are discussing these non-tariff barriers with the country,” Goyal said while interacting with Uttar Pradesh based exporters and entrepreneurs in Lucknow.

He underlined the Centre had taken a slew of measures to promote exports and realise the potential of the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) sector in job creation and spurring economic activities.

The union minister noted UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath had rightly espoused the concept that export promotion is as much a responsibility of the respective states as the Centre.

“UP is the country’s top landlocked exporting state in India. In fact, the state has the potential to achieve export volumes of Rs 7.5 trillion in the next five years from the current level of Rs 1.5 trillion,” he added.

Referring to UP’s flagship One District, One Product (ODOP) scheme that aims to promote indigenous industries and handicrafts, Goyal said UP was at the forefront of reviving the traditional industries of the state.

“There is a big potential for inward investment in UP given the improvement in the law and order machinery and pro-industry stance taken by the Yogi government,” he said.

Further, Goyal said inclusive policies which cater both to the industry and the deprived sections simultaneously were needed to take the country on the path of speedier socioeconomic growth and job creation.

Yogi flags off Rs 11,000 crore Kanpur Metro trial

Virendra Singh Rawat

Lucknow / Nov 1, 2021

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday flagged off the trial run of Kanpur Metro, which is expected to cost more than Rs 11,000 crore.

Last year, the European Investment Bank (EIB) had consented to provide a loan of Euro 650 million for the mega project.

Kanpur Metro is now expected to start the commercial operations before December 31, 2021, which means it would be up and running much before the crucial next UP assembly polls in the early months of 2022.

“Kanpur is now a metro city both in terms of population and on account of good passenger transport infra too,” the CM said in his message after the flagging off ceremony. He also travelled in a coach during the inaugural trial run to get the first hand information of the ambitious project.

In the first phase, Kanpur Metro will traverse nine km between IIT Kanpur and Motijheel stations. In all, two corridors of more than 32 km are proposed as part of the larger Kanpur Metro blueprint.

While, the first corridor spans 23.8 km from IIT Kanpur to Naubasta, the second 8.6 km corridor runs from Chandrashekhar Azad Agricultural University to Barra area.

Even during lockdown, the ‘strategic execution’ of the Kanpur Metro project ensured the civil work progressed unhindered on the 9 km priority corridor.

Interestingly, the Kanpur Metro is the first Indian metro where pre-cast double T-girders have been used for constructing the concourse level of metro stations.

Meanwhile, the Yogi government is working on another metro project in Agra. Last year, the Supreme Court (SC) had cleared the Rs 8,380 crore Agra Metro project, thus paving way for the mass rapid transit system (MRTS) in the Taj City.

Yogi government to set up ‘Social Media Monitoring Cell’

Virendra Singh Rawat

Lucknow / Nov 9, 2021

The Uttar Pradesh government will set up a specialised ‘Social Media Monitoring Centre’ as part of its general law and order control machinery.

According to UP additional chief secretary, home, Awanish Kumar Awasthi, the proposed Centre will be established in the state Intelligence department headquarters in Lucknow.

“On the directions of chief minister Yogi Adityanath, a slew of steps have been taken to fortify the law and order machinery and control crime,” he said in a statement here on Monday.

The new Centre will be equipped with advanced ‘news extractor’ and ‘database analytics’ software to monitor the social media outlets for possible breach of norms and culpable delinquency.

The Yogi Adityanath government has also approved the proposal to engage National Institute for Smart Government (NISG) as consultant and executing agency of the proposed Centre. NISG is a not-for-profit company incorporated in 2002 by the Centre and NASSCOM to support the digital and smart governance initiatives undertaken by the government departments and entities.

Moreover, the UP government has simultaneously been upgrading the cyber crime wing of the police to curb the growing incidents of online frauds and digital crimes, especially related to the financial and banking spectrum.

Modi to unveil Rs 23,000 crore Purvanchal Expressway

 

Virendra Singh Rawat

Lucknow / Nov 8, 2021

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Rs 23,000 crore Purvanchal Expressway on November 16.

According to sources, Modi will dedicate the mega infra project to public at a ceremony in Sultanpur district of Uttar Pradesh.

Purvanchal Expressway project also entails an airstrip in Sultanpur for the landing and takeoff of the Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter planes during emergency. The inauguration ceremony will be held at the airstrip, which will also witness the PM address a public meeting.

The mega expressway cuts across nine districts viz. Lucknow, Barabanki, Faizabad, Ambedkarnagar, Amethi, Sultanpur, Azamgarh, Mau and Ghazipur. It will provide seamless connectivity to the backward Eastern UP (Purvanchal) region to the National Capital Region (NCR) via Agra-Lucknow Expressway and Greater Noida-Agra Yamuna Expressway.

The project entailed acquisition of 4,330 hectares of land. Earlier, the project was divided into eight packages and awarded to different bidders for expeditious development.

In fact, the expressway has already been thrown open for public use at different stretches even as some of the civil works continued in others, according to a senior UP Expressway Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA), the nodal agency of the project, here.

Currently, four big expressway projects totalling about Rs 80,000 crore are in different stages of development. These include 340 km Purvanchal Expressway, 296 km Bundelkhand Expressway, 91 km Gorakhpur Link Expressway and 628 km Ganga Expressway.

Most of these infra projects have been funded with bank loans, as such the Yogi Adityanath government did not face any budgetary hurdles in their development.

Meanwhile, the Yogi government is also in the process of holding a competitive bidding for Rs 36,000 crore Ganga Expressway project. In September 2021, the Adityanath cabinet had okayed the bidding document of the project envisioned on public private partnership (PPP) model of DBFOT (design, build, finance, operate, transfer).

Yogi government logs Rs 2.75 trillion in Direct Benefit payments

Virendra Singh Rawat

Lucknow / Nov 7, 2021

Setting a new record, the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has logged Rs 2.75 trillion in Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) payments under different schemes in the last four and half years.

Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) refers to the direct money transfer to the beneficiary’s bank account, and is reckoned as a revolutionary step towards transparent governance. 

On Saturday, the UP government had credited Rs 1,980 crore in the accounts of parents of 18 million students of government and aided schools for purchasing uniform, sweater, bag, shoes and socks.

In the last budget session of the UP assembly, Governor Anandiben Patel, while referring to DBT, had said in the financial year 2020-21, the state had transferred Rs 56,000 crore directly to the accounts of the beneficiaries, thus eliminating the middlemen.

While the DBT helps in curbing corruption, it is proving to be a boon for farmers, labourers, daily wagers, students and pensioners, a UP government spokesperson said here.

The programme has helped the government in mounting an effective response during the Covid-19 lockdown. The funds were sent directly to the accounts of millions of farmers, MNREGA workers, labourers, women, elderly, ‘divyangs’ and pensioners. The no-frills Jan Dhan bank accounts opened on the initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi became the orbit for such transfers.

The DBT was also resorted to for the government’s flagship farm loan waiver scheme totalling Rs 36,000 crore that benefitted 8.6 million small and marginal farmers in UP.

Besides, the DBT pertains to the payment of sugarcane arrears totalling Rs 1.45 trillion apart from PM Kisan Samman Nidhi totalling Rs 27,521 crore to the accounts of more than 25 million farmers. 

India to recoup 157 artifacts stolen during British era

Virendra Singh Rawat

Lucknow / Nov 4, 2021

Union minister for tourism and culture G Kishan Reddy on Wednesday said the Centre was negotiating with foreign countries for the return of 157 statues and artifacts stolen from India and shipped abroad during the British period.

“The culture department missions in our respective embassies abroad have identified these artifacts, including paintings. The process of securing our stolen heritage and bringing them back is underway,” Reddy told the media here.

These heritage items are currently in different countries, including USA, Singapore, Belgium, the UK, Switzerland etc, he informed.

Since Independence, he said, a total of 55 artifacts, including stolen figurines have been brought back to India. “Of these, 42 heritage pieces have come back since 2014 during the current Narendra Modi regime, which is 75 percent of the total recouped items.”

Reddy said of the 157 artifacts, for which the process of bringing them back to India was underway, about 100 are in the US alone.

“It is due to the unstinted efforts mounted by the Modi government that a large number of our stolen heritage is being identified and brought back,” he noted.

Recently, a Mata Annapurna Devi statue has been brought back to India from Canada. It is believed to have been smuggled away from the reverred Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi nearly 100 years back.

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh chief minister said the state government will take out a grand four-day ‘Yatra’ during 12-15 November from Kasganj to Varanasi districts for the ritualistic reinstallation of the statue in the Kashi Vishwanath temple.

“Under the inspiring leadership of PM Modi and his diplomatic outreach, the stature of India has scaled new heights,” Adityanath said while referring to the global popularity of Yoga and Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj.

“Due to the prime minister, our ancient medicine system of Ayurveda received international recognition during the millennia’s biggest pandemic (Covid-19),” the CM underlined.

After Modi-Yogi pairing, central kitty to UP hit Rs 2 trillion

Virendra Singh Rawat

Lucknow / Sep 23, 2021

 

The kitty of central funding to Uttar Pradesh jumped 45 percent to more than Rs 2 trillion under the current Yogi Adityanath dispensation (2017-present) compared to the previous Akhilesh Yadav regime (2012-17).

 

Compared to Rs 1.37 trillion received by UP during 2012-17, the state was remitted central funds for development purposes to the tune of Rs 2 trillion from 2017-18 financial year to August 2021.

 

Since seven months still remain to be accounted for in 2021-22, the total central funding to UP during the current financial year will be higher, considering it is an election year with the crucial assembly polls slated in the early months of 2022.

 

“After the Narendra Modi government came to power at the Centre, the central funding to UP saw a major hike. However, the infusion of central funds to the state surged after Yogi Adityanath became the state chief minister in 2017,” a UP government spokesperson said.

 

He claimed UP had received significantly lower central funding when the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government was at the helm.

 

“The real impact of the ‘double engine’ government can be substantiated by the quantum of central assistance over the last four and a half years, which has led to the optimum implementation of the developmental schemes in UP,” he underlined.

 

The Centre had released about Rs 17,338 crore and Rs 22,405 crore to UP in 2012-13 and 2013-14 respectively. The infusion leapfrogged to Rs 32,691 crore in 2014-15, when Modi came to power.

 

The transfer of funds in the subsequent years stood at Rs 31,861 crore in 2015-16 and Rs 32,537 in 2016-17. “However, the development process gained momentum when the ‘double engine’ government led by Yogi Adityanath took over the reins of UP,” he noted.

 

As such, the Centre devolved funds to the tune of Rs 40,648 crore in 2017-18, Rs 42,988 crore in 2018-19, Rs 44,044 crore in 2019-20, Rs 57,488 crore in 2020-21 and over Rs 16,415 crore in 2021-22 (till Aug 31).

 

UP has been adjusted to be top ranked in a slew of central government schemes viz. PM Awas Yojana, PM Employment Generation Programme, Ujjwala Scheme, Saubhagya Scheme, construction of toilets, Smart Cities etc. 

Yogi positions Ayodhya as global tourism hub

Virendra Singh Rawat

Lucknow / July 25, 2021

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday reiterated his resolve to develop Ayodhya as a global religious and cultural tourism hub.

“Ramnagari (Ayodhya) offers an amalgamation of spirituality and tourism, and the state government is working dedicatedly towards the cause. Ayodhya will shine globally and millions of devotees and pilgrims will converge here,” Yogi said during his visit to the temple town.

Observing that the central and state governments were “committed to restoring Ayodhya to its ancient glory,” he said multifarious development works were being carried out for the composite development of the town.

The Ayodhya airstrip is already being redeveloped as an international airport even as the state has proposed to set up a 251 metre Lord Ram temple and develop a ‘New Ayodhya’ modern township.

The CM, who arrived in the afternoon, also visited the Ram Janmabhoomi site to review the progress in respect of the construction of a grand Ram temple. He offered obeisance at the famous Hanuman Garhi Temple too.

Meanwhile, he took stock of the medical and healthcare situation in Ayodhya in the backdrop of Covid-19 as well as the ongoing vaccination drive. The government has recently set up an oxygen plant in the district and augmented facilities to deal with any exigency in view of the warning about possible 3rd wave of the pandemic.

UP to launch free online Sanskrit classes

Virendra Singh Rawat

Lucknow / July 13, 2021

Sanskrit is reckoned as one of the world’s oldest living languages, one which sadly lies in utter neglect and apathy of the government(s) and patrons alike.

However, the Uttar Pradesh government has decided to promote the ancient language by launching free virtual Sanskrit classes by the month end.

The training will be offered by UP Sanskrit Sansthan to those desirous of speaking, reading and learning Sanskrit, which is reverred as the Language of the Gods by Hindus and one which forms the basis of several other Indian languages and dialects.

According to the state government, the people, including students, could easily register themselves with a missed call alert. This training will be imparted through virtual classes of an hour each for 20 days, thus a total of 20 hours of study/training.

“The UP government is trying to inculcate Sanskrit and give an opportunity to those who want to learn it,” a government spokesperson noted.

An individual could give a miss call at mobile phone number 9522340003, and follow it up by filling up a simple form.

Dr Vachaspati Mishra, Sansthan president, said it was a novel initiative of the Yogi government and that the learners will be taught moral values along with Sanskrit module.

Lockdown-hit cinema halls to get relief package

Virendra Singh Rawat

Lucknow / July 5, 2021

Expanding the spectre of unlocking in Uttar Pradesh, the multiplexes, cinema halls, gyms and stadiums reopened from today after several weeks of lockdown 2.0.

However, they are mandated to follow standard Covid-19 safety protocols. The night curfew between 9 pm and 7 am and the weekend curfew on Saturday and Sunday will exist.

Meanwhile, UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath has directed officials to hammer out a relief package for the state cinema halls owners, who had suffered major losses owing to the pandemic, according to UP additional chief secretary, information department, Navneet Sehgal.

Nonetheless, the educational institutions, including schools, colleges and coaching centres are still not allowed to function in the state.

Earlier, the UP government had allowed for the conditional reopening of shopping malls and restaurants in the state from June 21, subject to a maximum of 50 per cent capacity. The parks and street food outlets were also allowed to reopen.

In fact, the process of unlock 2.0 in UP outside the containment zone was set in motion from June 1, 2021 in those districts, where the active number of Covid cases was below 600.

So far, the state has administered 32.6 million doses of Covid vaccines with 4.8 million people getting both the doses, he informed.

Yogi government espouses ‘population control’ agenda

Virendra Singh Rawat

Lucknow / July 3, 2021

Escalating efforts to create awareness about population control, the Uttar Pradesh government will now spread the socioeconomic message of ‘Do Bacche Hi Acche’ (Two children are ideal) from door to door.

To execute the plan, the state government will launch ‘Population Stability’ fortnight on the occasion of World Population Day falling July 11 under the aegis of the National Health. 

Earlier, the government had launched a ‘Couple Contact’ fortnight from June 27, which will continue till July 10. In this campaign, the Asha workers will identify couples, who have two or more children, so as to counsel them.

Moreover, a separate team will contact the newlyweds to inform them about the government schemes and benefits under the ‘Hum Do Hamare Do’ theme.

During the mega fortnight drive, special mobile vans will be deployed in the villages to educate people about the perks and benefits associated with family planning.

The targetted people will also be informed about the benefits of keeping a gap of at least three years between two children. At the same time, public representatives will be encouraged to carry out these programmes in each district.

Sugar sector meeting 15% oxygen demand in UP

Virendra Singh Rawat

Lucknow / June 28, 2021

 

Uttar Pradesh, which was among the worst affected states in the second wave of pandemic, had seen its liquid medical oxygen demand (LMO) shoot past 1,000 tonnes a day during the peak of active Covid-19 cases.

 

At that time, the state government had taken urgent measures to supplement the LMO supply with all the available sources including importing from other states, augmenting production and diverting industrial oxygen for medical usage.

 

Additionally, the state sugar sector was asked to contribute to the production of critical commodity by setting up captive oxygen manufacturing plants in sugar mills or facilitating the installation of units in the state government hospitals.

 

Rising up to the occasion, the state sugarcane and excise departments worked in tandem to expedite the process, which has now resulted in the sugar sector currently meeting nearly 15 per cent of the aggregate oxygen demand in UP.

 

So far, the authorities comprising district magistrates, chief medical officers (CMO) and the representatives of sugar and excise departments have jointly selected 80 hospitals in 75 districts to install oxygen generators. This way, oxygen supply has been ensured to about 3,250 hospitals beds to cater coronavirus patients.

 

UP additional chief secretary, excise and sugarcane, Sanjay Bhoosreddy informed today oxygen generator plants had been procured with the corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds. “With the joint effort of the two departments, a community health centre or district hospital each has been selected through 33 units of excise department and 47 sugar mills across the state.”

Railways to raise Rs 1,900 crore by monetising land

Virendra Singh Rawat

Lucknow / June 27, 2021

Indian Railways arm Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA) is looking to raise more than Rs 1,904 crore by monetising its land assets across the country.

RLDA, a statutory body under the Ministry of Railways for the development of Railways land, has called for bids for leasing out 16 land assets across India, of which 4 are located in UP at Lucknow, Gorakhpur and Varanasi.

The cumulative reserved price for these 16 land parcels is nearly Rs 1,904 crore, of which the 4 properties in UP are pegged at Rs 770 crore. The Authority will lease out these land parcels to prospective developers who will develop these sites in line with local bye-laws.

RLDA vice chairman Ved Prakash Dudeja said these land parcels are ‘strategically located’ in important cities across India and hold tremendous potential for residential and commercial development. 

“These sites offer tremendous growth opportunities for investors and developers. Once completed, these sites will lead to economic development, employment generation and boost real estate prospects of the respective regions,” he noted.

Taking the catastrophic effect of the pandemic in its stride, RLDA is targeting revenue generation of Rs 2,000 crore for the Indian Railways in 2021-22, up from Rs 352 crore in the previous year.

RLDA has four key mandates as a part of its development plan viz. leasing of commercial sites, colony redevelopment, station redevelopment and multi-functional complexes.

Prominent amongst the 16 sites offered for bidding are Lucknow Railway Station Redevelopment, Ramgarh Tal Colony (Gorakhpur), land parcel at Gomti Nagar (Lucknow), land parcel near Moula Ali Flyover (Secunderabad), Boulevard Road Colony (Delhi) and land at Salt Golah (Howrah).

The Indian Railways has approximately 43,000 hectares of vacant land parcels across India. RLDA is currently handling 84 commercial (greenfield) sites and 84 railway colony redevelopment projects across India for leasing, and the eligible developers for each will be selected through an open and transparent bidding process.

Besides, RLDA is mandated with the redevelopment of railway stations and is currently working on 60 railway stations in a phased manner while its subsidiary, IRSDC, has taken up another 63 railway stations pan India.

UP readies dossier on anticipated Covid 3rd wave

Virendra Singh Rawat

Lucknow / June 21, 2021

 

Taking a proactive stance, the Uttar Pradesh government has prepared a dossier on the anticipated third wave of Covid-19 even as the current second wave is on the wane.

 

The research based report has been prepared by the high level UP health experts’ consultative committee, which was formed to help the government in fighting the steep second wave.

 

Presiding over a meeting on Sunday, UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath directed senior officials to expedite arrangements and foster preparedness according to the report and its postulations ahead of the possible third wave of the pandemic.

 

The committee comprises top medical experts to advise ‘Team 9’ – the UP Covid-19 task force. It is led by Lucknow-based Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS) director R K Dhiman and includes senior doctors as members.

 

Meanwhile, the state has announced if the active Covid-19 cases in any district breached the count of 600, the relaxations from the corona curfew would automatically get revoked.

 

From June 21, the state has allowed the shopping malls and restaurants to reopen subject to 50 per cent occupancy, while relaxing the night corona curfew for an additional two hours from 9 pm to 7 am. However, the weekend curfew remains across the state.

 

At the same time, the government is setting up pediatric ICU and neonatal ICU wards in all the medical colleges in wake of the third wave warning.

 

The idea is to increase the number of beds by an additional 100 in every medical college, while the district hospitals and community health centres (CHC) will also be upgraded on similar pattern to counter subsequent waves in the coming months. UP medical education minister has been asked to submit a report in this regard after taking the stock of the ground situation.

 

“The state of UP has shown that positive results could be derived against any challenge including pandemic if we dispense our responsibilities with the spirit of collective obligation,” Yogi observed.

Yogi government to harness power of social media

Virendra Singh Rawat

Lucknow / June 20, 2021

Ahead of the crucial 2022 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, the Yogi Adityanath government will harness the power of social media for instant communication with the masses.

The departments have been directed to use popular social media platforms viz. Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Instagram, WhatsApp et al for publicising the government programmes and welfare schemes by fostering speedy connect with the people.

According to UP additional chief secretary, information, Navneet Sehgal, chief minister Adityanath has stressed that the social media be extensively used to propagate government initiatives and also taking the feedback of the people to fine-tune decision making.

Taking the agenda forward, Sehgal recently presided over a meeting of all the social media nodal officers in the different government departments. The state has mandated every department to create a distinct social media handle to communicate with their respective targetted audience.

“The social media is a remarkable medium for initiating a dialogue process between the government and the people. Today, it is also vital for resolving the grievances of the people, who also use the social media channels for getting instant redress,” he noted.

Since, 2022 UP assembly elections are less than 8 months away, the Yogi government is pulling out all stops to keep the state electorate in good humour though instant communication and expediting the process of redressing grievances.

Fantasy sports brand Dream11 to invest in UP

Virendra Singh Rawat

Lucknow / June 18, 2021

Indian unicorn and fantasy sports platform Dream11 is looking to invest in Uttar Pradesh and promote the sports culture in the state.

The company has proposed to develop the sports ecosystem in UP by promoting the culture of sports, forging alliances and creating sports infrastructure at the local level. It will also build an enabling environment for encouraging local sports such as kabaddi, volleyball and handball.

Former Indian Cricket Team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is the brand ambassador of Dream11.

According to the company, the partnerships fostered by Dream11 will also help in identifying sports talent in the remote areas of UP and to train them for mega sports events, including Olympics. Simultaneously, the company will handhold sports’ startups, and provide a rich knowledge pool regarding the technical aspect of sports.

Meanwhile, a Dream11 team on Thursday gave a virtual presentation to UP MSME and exports promotion minister Sidharth Nath Singh, who assured the company that the state government will take a call on its proposals after consulting the state sports and justice departments.

He observed the Dream11 investment will not only nurture the sports culture and foster job opportunities in the sports segment in UP, but also generate revenue for the state coffers.

“The state government is running a slew of schemes to promote sports talent in the rural and urban areas. It is among our priorities to cultivate a rich sports culture in UP,” Singh underlined.

He noted that tens of millions of sports lovers were connected with the online sports and in such a scenario, the proposed investment by Dream11 will encourage sportspersons and enable seamless integration of even the remotest areas on its platform.

Amid Twitter row, Yogi warns against fake news

Virendra Singh Rawat

Lucknow / June 17, 2021

 

In the backdrop of the Ghaziabad Police in Uttar Pradesh registering a case against US micro blogging major Twitter and others, chief minister Yogi Adityanath has issued stern warning against fake news.

 

Presiding over a high level meeting here yesterday, Yogi directed officials to take stern action against those indulging in spreading or circulating fake news or videos. “The state government will not tolerate any attempt to fan communal frenzy through fake news,” he underlined.

 

On Tuesday, the cops at the Loni Border Police Station in Ghaziabad had registered a first information report (FIR) against Twitter, Twitter India and seven others, including a news portal, over a viral video pertaining to an elderly man.

 

The video purportedly depicted Abdul Samad Saifi being assaulted and his beard forcibly cut by unidentified persons, who allegedly also asked him to chant religious slogans.

 

In the FIR, the cops also booked AltNews co-founder Mohd Zubair, Congress leaders Maskoor Usmani, Salman Nizami and Shama Mohamed, apart from journalists Saba Naqvi and Rana Ayyub and news portal The Wire for allegedly attempting to give a communal twist to the incident.

 

The FIR noted that follow up tweets were not merely opinions, but purposely circulated for nefarious designs, thus pointing towards criminal conspiracy. The accused have been charged with trying to spread hatred and hostility between the two communities.

 

Twitter has been charged with failing to take any steps to remove the so called objectionable tweets. The accused have been booked under Sections 34 (common intention), 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 153 (provocation with intent to cause riot), 153-A (promoting enmity on grounds of religion), 295-A (deliberate act to outrage religious feelings) and 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) of the Indian Penal Code.

 

Meanwhile, the Ghaziabad Police claimed Samad was assaulted by miscreants known to him. According to the cops, Samad had previously given an amulet for good fortune to those accused of roughing him up. They beat him up when the amulet failed to bring the promised results.

IIT Kanpur partners US firm Ansys for O2 concentrators

Virendra Singh Rawat

Lucknow / June 15, 2021

 

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur has partnered and raised funding from the US based global leader in engineering simulation software, Ansys for manufacturing oxygen plants and concentrators.

 

The collaboration has been firmed up by the IIT Kanpur arm, Start-up Incubation and Innovation Centre (SIIC) under its Mission Bharat O2, which is aimed at making the country self-reliant in oxygen production and supply.

 

The cross-border partnership will operate on a decentralised model to generate indigenous manufacturing capabilities and a distribution network of health infrastructure. Through Mission Bharat O2, SIIC aims to create manufacturing pockets where Indian manufacturers will develop oxygen concentrators and plants on a rapid scale.

 

The association comes at a crucial juncture to promote indigenous manufacturing at par global standards. Mission Bharat O2 is a step towards the larger vision of SIIC to nurture a self-sustainable healthcare system in India, according to the Institute.

 

In the recent past, Ansys has collaborated with AIPL, an SIIC incubate, in design qualification of oxygen plants. Ansys provided critical design insights by leveraging its expertise in computational fluid dynamics and structural mechanics.

 

“IIT Kanpur aims to turn India into a manufacturing hub by supporting product innovation that originated from cutting-edge research and development. Our incubated companies have contributed immensely since the outbreak of Covid-19 in India. Now, we want to go a step further to build a nexus of local manufacturers who will put India on the map of the global manufacturing hubs. The support from Ansys is a vital contribution in that direction,” SIIC CEO Dr Nikhil Agarwal observed.

 

“Mission Bharat O2 under the aegis of SIIC is a crucial step towards the indigenisation of oxygen concentrators and plants that will go a long way in fighting Covid-19. Ansys is committed to the ‘Make in India’ initiative and for this to be successful, manufacturing is key. Simulation driven product development is the edge that will provide that much needed innovation, improved quality and decrease risks,” Ansys, area vice president (India and South Asia Pacific) said.

 

SIIC has selected eight manufacturing partners from 70+ participants who had competed to manufacture indigenous oxygen plants and concentrators under the Mission. With this, SIIC has taken a step forward to make the Indian healthcare manufacturing ecosystem self-sustaining by reducing dependence on imports.

IIT Kanpur nets US$ 4.25 million alumni donations

Virendra Singh Rawat

Lucknow / June 10, 2021

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur has received alumni donations worth US$ 4.25 million for promoting education and research in different fields.

The dollar denominated donations have been made by two high profile alumni of the Institute viz. Muktesh Pant and Dev Joneja, who have contributed US$ 2.5 million and US$ 1.75 million respectively.

While, IIT Kanpur had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Micky and Vinita Pant Charitable Fund for establishing the School of Medical Research and Technology (SMRT) in March 2021, Joneja is now funding the setting up of Smt Pavitar Joneja Chair, in honour of his mother, in the Humanities and Social Science Department at the campus.

“The Smt Pavitar Joneja Chair is a platform for students to undertake intensive research and broaden their knowledge on subjects related to Humanities and Social Sciences. Over the years, Dr Dev Joneja has made significant contributions towards his alma mater,” IIT Kanpur director Prof Abhay Karandikar observed.

 Joneja serves as the Chief Risk Officer at Exodus Point Capital Management. He previously worked as the Global Head Risk and Analytics at Millennium Management LLC. Earlier, he was with Lehman Brothers for 13 years serving as the Head of European Fixed Income Research and as the Global Head of Lehman Indices and Point.

Besides, he has also served on the faculty at the Graduate School of Business at Columbia University, New York.

Joneja is a graduate in Mechanical Engineering from IIT Kanpur in 1984. He has already instituted the Arjun Dev Joneja Faculty Chair in honour of his father at the Department of Civil Engineering.

“The courses in Humanities and Social Sciences I took at IIT played a much bigger role in my career than I appreciated at the time, and I would like to support this part of every IIT student’s education,” he noted.

The other alumni, Pant has obtained his B Tech in Chemical Engineering from IIT Kanpur in 1976. In a career spanning about 35 years, he held senior positions in top MNCs including Hindustan Unilever, PepsiCo, Reebok and Yum Brands. Later, he went on to lead YUM! China as the CEO of the firm, when it was spun off as a listed entity.

SMRT will bring together the expertise of engineering technologies, biomedical research and clinical set-up under a single umbrella to create a one-of-its-kind world-class medical school in India. SMRT will produce outstanding medical professionals trained in state-of-art engineering technologies who can meet the future healthcare needs of our country.

“IIT Kanpur has always been renowned for leading the way in engineering education and this focus on bringing engineering excellence to medical technology has the potential to create many healthcare miracles in future,” Pant had said.

UP to hire MBAs to run government hospitals

Virendra Singh Rawat

Lucknow / June 8, 2021

 

Amid an early warning about a possible third wave of Covid-19, the Uttar Pradesh government is looking to hire Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree holders to run government hospitals.

 

This is aimed at relieving senior doctors of the administrative and managerial functions at the hospitals run by the state health as well as medical education departments.

 

In his unequivocal directive to the UP Covid-19 taskforce known as ‘Team 9’, chief minister Yogi Adityanath has underlined that doctors should only be posted for dispensing medical related tasks.

 

“The doctors who have been deputed for administration or managerial functions in the hospitals and offices of the health and medical education departments should be immediately relieved. For the purpose of hospital management, MBA degree holders youth should be given the opportunity,” he observed.

 

The Yogi government is targetting to vaccinate 10 million and 30 million beneficiaries in the months of June and July 2021 respectively. Since January 16, when the Covid-19 inoculation drive started pan India, UP has administered 20 million jabs.

UP government assures oxygen supply to industry

Virendra Singh Rawat

Lucknow / June 6, 2021

 

Allaying the concerns of entrepreneurs regarding oxygen supply for the continuous manufacturing industries, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath today directed officials to ensure adequate supply of the commodity to plants.

 

In line with the central and state government directives following a spurt in the demand of liquid medical oxygen (LMO) in April 2021 during the second wave of Covid-19, steel and ferrous industries, using oxygen for purifying liquid stainless steel, had surrendered oxygen for diversion of the critical commodity for medical use.

 

However, the demand for LMO, which had breached the level of 1,000 tonnes per day in UP a few weeks back at the peak of the second wave, has now come down by nearly 40 per cent.

 

Adityanath, while reviewing the oxygen situation here recently, noted there was adequate availability of the commodity in the districts and that the state would take all possible steps to ensure that sufficient supplies were made to the industrial units.

 

Earlier, the state had started the process of stringent oxygen audit to stem pilferage, which fetched encouraging results and translated into speedier distribution of the commodity in government hospitals across 75 districts according to the demand.

 

The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) had also urged the government to allocate O2 for the steel and ferrous units. This had come in the wake of the union home ministry & Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) allowing O2 supply to certain ferro alloy manufacturing units.

 

Besides, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) chamber Indian Industries Association (IIA) had demanded the Yogi government to allow for balanced allocation of oxygen for industrial and medical uses following easing of demand for LMO.

 

Meanwhile, the state is planning to facilitate the setting up of more than 400 oxygen manufacturing plants, apart from other industries related to the manufacture of oxygen cylinders, containers etc. These plants will come up in the private and public sector. Several companies are setting up O2 plants in the government hospitals as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activity.

UP revenue collection zooms 42% in May 2021

Virendra Singh Rawat

Lucknow / June 4, 2021

 

Despite a stiff second wave of Covid-19 this year, the tax and non-tax revenue collection by the Uttar Pradesh government has zoomed by 42 per cent in May 20201 compared to the corresponding month in financial year 2020-21.

 

Against total collection of Rs 5,820 crore in May 2020, the UP government mopped up Rs 8,272 crore in May 2021, a growth of 42 per cent or Rs 2,452 crore, although the industrial and commercial activities remained shut during the month following Corona Curfew.

 

According to UP finance and parliamentary affairs minister Suresh Khanna here today, the state collected Rs 2,771 crore and Rs 2,286 crore under the goods and services tax (GST) and value added tax (VAT) heads respectively in May 2021 vis-à-vis Rs 1,939 crore and Rs 1,020 crore in May 2020.

 

Under the excise and stamp & registration heads, UP collected Rs 2,138 crore and Rs 625 crore in May 2021 compared to Rs 2,169 crore and Rs 349 crore respectively in May 2020.

 

Meanwhile, the state transport department logged collection of Rs 314 crore in May 2021 against Rs 99.86 crore in May 2020.

 

Under the non-tax heads of geology and mining, the state collected Rs 136 crore against Rs 242 crore in May 2020, thus showing a month-on-month (MoM) decline of nearly 43 per cent.

UP tops by testing 50 million Covid samples

Virendra Singh Rawat

Lucknow / June 2, 2021

Uttar Pradesh has become the first state in India to test 50 million samples of novel coronavirus also known as Covid-19.

Currently, the state is testing more than 300,000 samples a day under its aggressive ‘test, trace and treat’ strategy, which has helped the state to successfully flatten the curve of second wave.

Interestingly, UP has come a long way from getting the first Covid test conducted from the lab at National Institute of Virology, Pune in the first wave last year to achieve the feat of cumulatively testing 50 million samples.

According to the state government, testing is the backbone for curbing the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 as it aids early detection of cases, and their isolation and contact tracing.

Besides, a large number of surveillance committees constituted by the Yogi Adityanath government contributed immensely in curbing the spread of the disease in countryside.

More than 73,000 surveillance committees have so far scanned 98,000 villages across 75 districts and covered nearly every rural household, the government claimed.

Yogi orders for genome sequencing of Covid-19

Virendra Singh Rawat

Lucknow / June 1, 2021

Amid a waning second wave of Covid-19 but an early warning of possible third wave in the coming months, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath has ordered to engage Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI) for advanced genome sequencing research on coronavirus.

The proposed study by Lucknow-based CDRI, a premier research organisation under the Council of Scientific and Industrial research (CSIR), is aimed at unravelling the newer strains and mutations of Covid-19 and helping in making strategies to counter its impact.

Yogi said a detailed study on the Covid was imperative even as other organisations were also conducting research at different levels.

The UP government has adopted an aggressive ‘test, trace and treat’ strategy to control the spread of the pandemic, which has borne fruits for UP, which was once among the top two worst affected states apart from Maharashtra.

Meanwhile, the 61 of 75 districts, wherein the number of active coronavirus cases are less than 600, today witnessed relaxation in Corona Curfew during the day time between 7 am and 7 pm outside the containment zones.

However, the weekend curfew on Saturday and Sunday, apart from the night curfew would remain in place across UP. Besides, the shopping malls, cinema halls, gyms, clubs, educational institutions etc would remain closed as well.

The 14 districts wherein the number of active cases is above 600 would continue to observe full Corona Curfew. These include Lucknow, Meerut, Saharanpur, Varanasi, Ghaziabad, Gorakhpur, Muzaffarnagar, Bareilly, Gautam Buddha Nagar (Noida), Jhansi etc.

Controlled ‘unlocking’ in UP from June 1

Virendra Singh Rawat

Lucknow / May 31, 2021

 

With the daily positivity rate dwindling amid a marked improvement in the Covid-19 active cases, the Uttar Pradesh government has allowed for controlled ‘unlocking’ in 61 of 75 districts from June 1.

 

The districts which have less than 600 active cases will witness a relaxation in Corona Curfew outside containment zones. The state has permitted the lifting of day curfew in such districts between 7 am and 7 pm.

 

However, the weekend curfew on Saturday and Sunday apart from the night curfew would stay across the state, while the shopping malls, cinema, gyms, clubs, educational institutions etc would remain shut too.

 

Major cities including Lucknow, Meerut, Saharanpur, Varanasi, Ghaziabad, Gorakhpur, Muzaffarnagar, Bareilly and Noida would remain under ‘lockdown’ for the time being.

 

The remaining 14 districts would see automatic revocation of Corona Curfew from the day their active case load slips below 600 on the basis of the daily health department report.

 

The restaurants would only be allowed to home deliver food even as the eateries lining the state highways could function after following the norms.

 

Meanwhile, the transport and logistics companies, warehouses etc would be allowed to function to cater the ferrying of essential commodities such as food, medicines etc.

 

EOM

UP invokes ESMA to ban strike by government staff

Virendra Singh Rawat

Lucknow / May 28, 2021

Amid the spiral of second wave of Covid -19 pandemic in Uttar Pradesh, the Yogi Adityanath government has invoked the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA), 1966 banning strikes in all departments and corporations for six months.

The provisions of ESMA empowers the state police to arrest a person, without a warrant, if found violating the stringent provisions of the Act.

In a UP Government Order (GO), which has already been ratified by Governor Anandiben Patel, state additional chief secretary Mukul Singhal said the invoking of the ESMA was deemed “expedient in the public interest…”

The prohibitive order encompasses any public service in connection with the affairs of the state of UP, and any service under a corporation owned or controlled by the state government or under a local authority.

Under ESMA, the government employees pertaining to scheduled essential services like post and telegraph, railway, airport and port operations are prohibited from proceeding to a strike.

The Act mandates imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year, or fine which may extend to Rs 1,000, or with both, to any person who instigates a strike which is deemed illegal under the Act.

Interestingly, the EMSA provisions are by default invoked at all times and the same are extended vide GO at the expiry of such terms.

UP to develop mobile app for Covid management

Virendra Singh Rawat

Lucknow / May 27, 2021

 

Even as the Covid-19 second wave is on a downward trajectory in Uttar Pradesh, the state government will now develop a user friendly mobile app to facilitate easy location of designated hospitals.

 

While government hospitals will also be geo-mapped, the mobile app will provide vital information regarding the number of doctors and paramedical staff, availability of drugs, medical infrastructure and location of these health care centres.

 

UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath has directed the state Covid-19 response team, referred to as ‘Team 9’, to prepare a database of all government run primary health centres (PHC), community health centres (CHC) and district hospitals.

 

“Our strategy of ‘test, trace and tread’ has proved to be effective against coronavirus. We are not only setting new record in the daily number of sample testing, but the number of cases is dwindling fast while the recovery rate is improving significantly,” he noted.

 

Meanwhile, the government is ramping up medical infrastructure for the treatment of black fungus patients. The state has mandated Lucknow-based Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS) experts to monitor such cases in various government hospitals in Lucknow, Meerut, Gorakhpur, Varanasi etc.

 

The CM has ordered the state medical education department to ensure there was no shortage of Covid related drugs. At the same time, the state has adopted a proactive policy to deal with the exigency of possible third wave of Covid-19 as well. All 58 medical colleges in UP have been directed to set up 150 bed dedicated critical care units/wards each on priority.

 

So far, more than 1.3 million people in the 18-45 years bracket have been vaccinated in 23 districts of UP. From June 1, the vaccination drive for the category would cover all 75 districts. The state has floated a global tender to procure 40 million doses for universal inoculation.

UP government dialing to vaccine makers!

Virendra Singh Rawat

Lucknow / May 26, 2021

Having floated a global tender for procuring 40 million Covid-19 vaccine doses to inoculate an estimated 90 million people in the 18-45 years bracket, the Uttar Pradesh government is now proactively reaching out to the companies for bidding.

Interestingly, the state had relaxed bidding norms to allow more companies to participate in the tender process, which has so far met with little success not only in UP but in peer states as well.

Chairing a review meeting on Sunday, UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath said the state had floated a global tender for ensuring a seamless vaccination drive. “We should strive that more and more companies participate in the tender process, for which a sustained dialogue process should be kept alive with these firms.”

While the Centre has approved three vaccines for Covid-19, more vaccine brands are likely to be made available soon, Adityanath noted.

Currently, the Covid vaccination drive in UP for the 18-45 years category is underway in 23 districts. From June 1, it would cover all 75 districts. Since, Covaxin and Covishield jabs manufactured by Bharat Biotech and Serum Institute of India (SII) respectively are being used, he instructed officials to coordinate with the two companies.

At the pre-bid meeting virtually convened by UP Medical Supplies Corporation (UPMSC) on May 12, the representatives of vaccine manufacturers had suggested amendments in the global tender criteria.

The pre-bid meet was attended by the representatives of Pfizer, SII, Bharat Biotech, Dr Reddy’s Lab (Indian licensee for Russia made Sputnik), Zydus Cadila apart from a South Korean firm.

Later, UP amended the norm of storing vaccines between 2-8 degree Celsius, and allowed firms to participate even if their vials needed storage at sub-zero temperatures. The 2-8 degree Celsius storage condition had rendered Pfizer and Moderna out of contention since their mRNA (messenger RNA) vaccines have to be stored at minus 20-80 degree Celsius.

Further, the state halved the earnest money deposit (EMD) criteria for the participating firms from Rs 16 crore to Rs 8 crore.

Interestingly, the SII expressed its inability to participate in the tender citing large volumes of orders it had already had. Pfizer representative said the company was expecting to receive the approval of the Centre for supplying its vaccine.

Zydus Cadila representative said the company’s vaccine was in the clinical trial stage and regular Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) was yet to give its nod to the manufacture and supply of vaccines in India, but it was expected next month.

Last month, UP had directly placed an order for 10 million doses, 5 million each to Bharat Biotech and SII. Apart from global tender of 40 million doses and direct order of 10 million doses, the state will receive additional vaccines from the Centre for the vaccination programme.

Bill Gates’ philanthropic arm to set up O2 plants in UP

Virendra Singh Rawat

Lucknow / May 24, 2021

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Microsoft founder Bill Gates, will set up 10 oxygen plants in Uttar Pradesh, which is fast ramping up medical oxygen infrastructure to overcome the current second wave and possible third wave of Covid-19.

The 10 oxygen plants to be set up by the Foundation are among the proposed 485 new oxygen plants to be established in the public and private sectors in UP.

According to the UP government, 59 oxygen plants will be set up by the private sector under the corporate social responsibility (CSR) route, of which three units had already been installed.

As part of the state’s mission to achieve self-sufficiency in medical oxygen, the government is working on a war footing to establish 258 oxygen plants in the state sector alone.

Besides, UP has also sent proposals to the Centre for setting up 167 plants to end the state’s dependence on oxygen from other states.

More than 40 oxygen plants are being funded by the members of parliament and members of state legislature by contributing money from their local area development purse even as the State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF) will be used to establish 25 plants.

Meanwhile, the private and government sector sugar mills in UP have planned to set up 79 oxygen plants.

At the same time, the initiatives of oxygen audit and software based tracking have curbed leakages and ensured adequate supply of oxygen across 75 districts.

While 33 oxygen plants have been set up, the work was underway on 258 plants. A total of 188 new oxygen plants are to be set up from the PM Cares Fund, of which five have been established while the work is underway on 16 others.

Earlier this month, the Yogi Adityanath government had announced a dedicated oxygen policy to attract private investment in the now critical segment. The UP Oxygen Production Promotion Policy 2021 is aimed at encouraging private companies to foray in the manufacture of medical and industrial oxygen by offering capital subsidy and stamp duty exemption.

Industry wants ‘essential commodity’ tag for steel

Virendra Singh Rawat

Lucknow / May 20, 2021

 

In the backdrop of rising domestic steel prices and recent diversion of oxygen from manufacturing towards the medical use, the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) sector has urged the Uttar Pradesh government to notify steel under the Essential Commodities Act.

 

In a memorandum sent to UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath, Indian Industries Association (IIA), an umbrella of nearly 5,000 MSMEs, said steel should be notified as an essential commodity in wake of the recent upsurge in prices and resultant impact on steel-based industries.

 

The prices of iron and steel, copper, aluminum, plastic and rubber have increased drastically in recent weeks as compared to last year, while the entrepreneurs are in dire need of additional capital to keep their businesses afloat following the Covid-19 induced lockdown matrix, the Association claimed.

 

“There is an urgent need for instituting a proper mechanism in relation to controlling the price increase. Due to the coronavirus crisis, there has been an unprecedented increase in the demand for oxygen in the health sector. While, IIA supports the diversion of the commodity for medical uses, the steel industry is affected by the reduction in production in the steel sector,” IIA underlined seeking relief.

 

Despite muted domestic demand owing to Covid-19 lockdown and restrictions on movement, the steel price hike is primarily a fall-out of the international price movement, which has been ticking northwards after China restricted its exports.

 

Meanwhile, industry has also sought relaxations with regards to the repayment of business loans due to the lack of industrial activities and demand slump since last year.

 

“The entrepreneurs are saddled with the lack of liquidity coupled with fixed regular expenses in the form of salary, tax liability, interest payments etc. In such a situation, an economic package is required from the banks, such as offering financial assistance at a lower rate of interest,” the memorandum mentioned.

 

Due to weak market demand, muted capital flow and lack of resources, the repayment of installment of old loans to entrepreneurs is outweighed. In such a situation, there is a need to provide special facilities to banks for MSMEs, IIA noted.

 

Nonetheless, the UP entrepreneurs have expressed keenness to foray into the segment of oxygen generating plants and other life saving devices such as oxygen concentrators etc.

 

“It is suggested that a guideline should be formulated early regarding administrative and technical approval and clearance in this respect. Regarding technical support and guidance to the entrepreneurs, efforts should be made by the government, urging reputed institutions like DRDO, IIT for research and development,” the IIA memorandum underlined.

UP frames oxygen policy to attract investment

Virendra Singh Rawat

Lucknow / May 19, 2021

In the backdrop of rising demand for liquid medical oxygen (LMO) for the treatment of Covid-19 patients, the Uttar Pradesh government has announced a dedicated policy to attract private investment in the now critical segment.

The UP Oxygen Production Promotion Policy 2021 is aimed at encouraging the private sector for the manufacture of medical and industrial oxygen apart from creating fresh job opportunities by offering differential capital subsidy and stamp duty exemption depending upon the regions.

The state cabinet meeting virtually chaired by chief minister Yogi Adityanath recently approved the new policy, which has been drafted by the UP infrastructure and industrial development department.

Under the policy, the private investors will be eligible to avail of capital subsidy in three equal annual installments of 25 per cent for Bundelkhand and Purvanchal, 20 per cent for Mandhyanchal and 15 per cent for Pashchimanchal regions.

Besides, there will be 100 per cent stamp duty waiver for Bundelkhand and Purvanchal, 75 per cent for Madhyanchal and 50 per cent for Pashimanchal regions.

Although the supply of LMO in UP has breached the record levels of 1,000 tonnes per day, yet the state government has taken the policy decision to facilitate the setting up of O2 plants in the public and private sectors on a permanent basis to overcome contingent situations in future.

The early warning of a possible third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic has also made the Adityanath government to take preemptive measures for attaining self sufficiency in critical medical supplies.

The new policy will provide an enabling ecosystem to the private sector to foray into the entire oxygen/medical oxygen value chain comprising oxygen, oxygen cylinders, oxygen concentrators, cryogenic tankers, containers etc.

Earlier, the state government had even asked the state manufacturing industry to divert oxygen consumption from their industrial process for the medical use.

At present, the daily requirement of medical oxygen by the Covid hospitals and home isolation patients in the state is pegged at almost 1,200 tonnes. However, the daily liquid O2 production capacity in UP is merely 340 tonnes, including generation by oxygen separators. The remaining portion of the supply in the state is being sourced from the Centre and peer states.

Meanwhile, the UP cabinet also gave its nod to the UP Covid Emergency Financing Scheme to provide sops to existing industries producing notified medical items viz. oxygen, medical oxygen, hospital beds, ventilators etc.

The eligible units will be provided financial assistance from a special corpus. The policy will be valid for one year from the date of notification.

Currently, 300 oxygen plants are in the process of being set up in UP. The state is also encouraging the private sector to set up oxygen plants under the corporate social responsibility (CSR) route.