Telangana withdraws regulated farming

In News:

The Telangana government has withdrawn regulated farming, introduced in the last agricultural season to discourage maize and promote fine variety of paddy, pulses and oilseeds for reasons of demand in the market.

Details:

The government has also decided not to purchase produce on its own from farmers in their villages. Now, the farmers can sell their produce wherever they fetched a good price.

Rationale behind the move:

It was not possible for the government to purchase or sell farmers’ produce as it was not into merchandise.

All you need to know about Telangana’s regulated farming policy:

The move was aimed at making agriculture a more profitable venture through scientific cultivation based on market demands.

Under the policy, the government would guide farmers on what crops should be cultivated in which area and to what extent.

The State government would extend Rythu Bandhu benefits and ensure MSP only to farmers who follow the directions of the State government.

What is the Rythu Bandhu?

Rythu Bandhu scheme also Farmer’s Investment Support Scheme (FISS) is a welfare program to support farmer’s investment for two crops a year by the Government of Telangana.

The scheme is meant to incentivise the state’s farmers for their day to day work.

Under the scheme, almost 58.33 lakh farmers of Telangana state are provided Rs 4000 per acre, per season (crop-sowing) – to support the farm investment twice a year (total Rs 8,000), for both – the Rabi and the Kharif seasons.

The purpose behind the scheme was to break the vicious cycle of rural indebtedness.

Who qualifies under the Rythu Bandhu scheme?

• To apply under the scheme and to make the cut, the farmer should have been a resident of Telangana state and must own farming land.
• The scheme is applicable for small and marginal farmers; however, commercial farmers are excluded from the scheme.
• Also, farmers who till rented land are excluded from under this scheme.

Currently, more than 8 lakh farmers in Telangana enjoy the benefits of the Rythu Bandhu scheme.

Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor

In News:

PM to inaugurate the New Bhaupur- New Khurja section and the Operation Control Centre of Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor.

About the eastern corridor:

Length: 1856 km.

Consists of two distinct segments: an electrified double-track segment & an electrified single-track segment.

Starts from Sahnewal near Ludhiana (Punjab) and will pass through the states of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand to terminate at Dankuni in West Bengal.

Constructed by Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited (DFCCIL), that has been set up as a special purpose vehicle to build and operate Dedicated Freight Corridors.

Significance:

Eastern Corridor is projected to cater to a number of traffic streams-coal for the power plants in the northern region of U.P., Delhi, Haryana, Punjab and parts of Rajasthan from the Eastern coal fields, finished steel, food grains, cement, fertilizers, lime stone from Rajasthan to steel plants in the east and general goods.

Why do we need DFCs?

Increased burden: Covering a total of 10,122 km, these corridors carry the heaviest traffic and are highly congested. The route carries 52% of passenger traffic and 58% of freight traffic, according to the Make-in-India report of 2017. Also, these routes are highly saturated, with line capacity utilisation reaching as high as 150%.

Rise in demand: Considering increased transport demands, overtly congested routes and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with road transport, these freight corridors will help reduce the cost and allow faster transportation.

Revenue generation: They will open new avenues for investment, as this will lead to the construction of industrial corridors and logistic parks along these routes.

Inner-Line Permit

In News:

Meghalaya’s civil society groups have renewed calls for British-era Inner Line Permit.

Why Meghalaya wants ILP?

Fear among the indigenous people of Northeast against an “illegal immigrant influx”, its effects and long-term damages. Northeast India shares borders with countries such as China, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Bhutan.

What is an ILP?

It is a document required by non- natives to visit or stay in a state that is protected under the ILP system.

At present, four Northeastern states are covered, namely, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Manipur and Nagaland.

Both the duration of stay and the areas allowed to be accessed for any non native are determined by the ILP.

The ILP is issued by the concerned state government and can be availed both by applying online or in person.

An ILP is only valid for domestic tourists.

Rationale behind:

The Inner Line Permit is an extension of the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation Act 1873.

After the British occupied the Northeast, the colonisers started exploiting the region and its resources for economic benefits.

They first started tea plantations and oil industries in Brahmaputra Valley.

The indigenous tribes living in the hill areas would regularly conduct raids into the plains to loot and plunder, marauding the tea gardens, oil rigs and trading posts set up by the British East India Company.

It was in this context that the BEFR 1873 was promulgated.

Should Meghalaya be brought under ILP?

The ILP is considered the only mechanism to contain influx in the state. Influx is perceived as dangerous because it could upset the fragile demographic balance of the tribals of Meghalaya.

Influx definitely is a matter of concern but it requires better solutions than the ILP, not instant solutions demanded by pressure groups. Indeed, how can such a far-reaching policy be decided by one or two groups?

‘Adopt a Heritage’ project

In News:

So far, under the project, 27 Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) have been awarded to 12 Monument Mitras for twenty-five (25) sites and two (2) Technological interventions across India.

Adopt a Heritage Project:

The Scheme was launched on World Tourism Day i.e. 27th September, 2017.

This project is a key initiative of Ministry of Tourism in close collaboration with Ministry of Culture and Archeological Survey of India (ASI), to develop the heritage sites / monuments and making them tourist-friendly to enhance the tourism potential and their cultural importance in a planned and phased manner.

How it works?

The project plans to entrust heritage sites/monuments and other tourist sites to private sector companies, public sector companies and individuals for the development of tourist amenities. The project aims to develop synergy among all partners.

Who are Monument Mitras?

Successful bidders selected for adopting heritage sites / monuments by the Oversight and Vision Committee shall be called as Monument Mitras. The basic and advanced amenities of the tourist destinations would be provided by them.

They would also look after the operations and the maintenance of the amenities. The ‘Monument Mitras’ would associate pride with their CSR activities.

Significance of this project:

Adopt a Heritage project is meant to address the challenges that the Archaeological Survey of India and other government bodies are facing in operating tourism infrastructure at heritage sites.

By allowing private players to build, operate and maintain “tourist-friendly” and “world class amenities at these sites, the expectation is that the project will boost domestic and international tourism.