09-03-23 Daily-Punjab-PPSC Current Affairs

The Chandigarh administration on Wednesday approved a new Excise Policy for fiscal 2023-24, aiming to bring uniformity with neighboring tri-cities — Panchkula and Mohali — and to promote low-alcoholic drinks.

Also, liquor is expected to be slightly cheaper now after the policy comes into force as the cow cess has been reduced on it. But a new tax, clean air cess, will now be levied.

The policy for 2023-24 aims at balancing the aspirations of consumers, manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, and the government, a statement said onWednesday. A major development for the retail vends, clubs, restaurants, hotels, and bars is the extension in time for operating. Now the liquor vends will be operational from 9 a.m. to midnight, while bars till 3 a.m.

To promote low-alcoholic drinks, license fees and duties have not been increased on beer, wine, ready to drink, among others.

The Chandigarh Administration has kept the excise duties on all types of liquor the same as in the previous years policy. Quotas of Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL), country liquor (CL) and imported foreign liquor (IFL) have been kept unchanged. Quarterly quota lifting quantities have been eased based on the suggestions of stakeholders.

The crude steel capacity of the country has increased from 137.97 million tonnes (MT) in 2017-18 to 154.06 MT in 2021-22 and is envisaged to reach 300 MT by 2030-31. The production capacity of 300 MT shall be achieved by the private and public sectors expanding their production capacities. National Steel Policy, 2017 aims to provide the conducive Environment for attaining this objective by providing policy support and guidance to steel producers.

No specific fund has been allocated for Mission Purvodaya in last three years.

In the public sector, one greenfield plant has been set up at Nagarnar, Chhattisgarh.

Seven sites were chosen out of 18 proposals for PM MITRA parks which were received from 13 States.

The Parks will come up inTamil Nadu, , Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra.

These are aimed at helping India to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 9: Build resilient Infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization and foster innovation

It will offer the opportunity tocreate an Integrated Textiles Value Chainright from spinning, weaving, processing/dyeing and printing to garment manufacturing etc. at one location and will reduce the Logistics cost of the Industry.

ASpecial Purpose Vehicleowned by the Centre and State Government will be set up for each park which will overseethe implementation of the project.

The UnionHomeMinistry has started the process for eviction and sale of enemy properties, the immovable assets left behind by people who have taken of Pakistan and China.

There are a total of 12,611 establishments called Enemy Property, roughly estimated to be worth over Rs 1 lakh crore, in the country.

The enemy properties are vested with the Custodian of Enemy Property for India (CEPI), an authority created under the Enemy Property Act.

According to a Home ministry notification, the guidelines for disposal of the enemy properties have been changed under which the process for eviction of enemy properties now shall be initiated with the help of the District Magistrate or Deputy Commissioner concerned before the sale of properties.

Those enemy properties having valuation of Rs one crore and below Rs 100 crore, shall be disposed of by the CEPI through e-auction or otherwise as may be decided by the central government and at the rate determined by theEnemy Property Disposal Committee. The e-auction platform of public enterprise, the Metal Scrap Trade Corporation Limited, shall be used by the CEPI for e-auction of enemy properties.

The government has earned over Rs 3,400 crore from disposal of enemy properties, mostly movable assets like Shares and gold.

The highest number of enemy properties were found in Uttar Pradesh (6,255 properties), followed by West Bengal (4,088 properties), Delhi (659), Goa (295),Maharashtra(208), Telangana (158), Gujarat (151),Tripura(105), Bihar (94), Madhya Pradesh (94),Chhattisgarh(78) and Haryana (71).

The 5th Asean-India Business Summit took place on 6 March 2023 in Kuala Lumpur. Speakers and participants from Asean and India convened to discuss how business linkages, connectivity and supply chain resilience can be enhanced through deeper ASEAN-India cooperation. The Minister of State for Electronics & Information Technology addresses the 5th ASEAN-India Business summit.

It is being held as part of the ASEAN-India Year of Friendship to commemorate the more than three-decade-long engagement between India and the 10-member bloc in Kuala Lumpur.