Pib

Pib

1. PM visits Kedarnath, lays Foundation Stone for infrastructure projects

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, visited Kedarnath today. He offered prayers at the Kedarnath Temple, and laid the Foundation Stone for five infrastructure and development projects. These include the development of retaining wall and ghat on the Mandakini River; development of retaining wall and ghat on Saraswati River; construction of main approach to Kedarnath Temple; development of Shankaracharya Kutir and Shankaracharya Museum; and development of houses for Kedarnath Purohits. The Prime Minister was briefed on the Kedarpuri Reconstruction Project.

2. National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM)

Under the provisions of DPCO, the prices of only those medicines are fixed which are in the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM), numbering about 850 against more than 6,000 medicines available in the market of various strengths and dosages. This constitutes approximately 17% of the total pharmaceuticals market, in value terms. There is an Expert Committee which continuously evaluates the list of Essential Medicines.

Important issues under consideration of the Department are i) treating the drugs which have become non-scheduled as non-scheduled drugs without any freezing of their prices for a further year; ii) revision of the list of scheduled medicines on the basis of revision of NLEM by incorporating only additions and deletions to the list so that the prices of only ‘’new medicines” which are added to the NLEM will be fixed by NPPA; iii) limiting the determination of overcharged amount of a medicine found to be sold at higher than the ceiling price to the stock available with the defaulter; iv) In case of negative WPI, mandating the NPPA to change the ceiling price of scheduled drugs and not require the individual drugs to also reduce their MRPs if they are already lower than such revised ceiling price; etc. Other issues include new provisions for using Institutional price data for fixation of prices of those scheduled medicines which are being supplied directly to the Healthcare Institutions.

3. ‘Air Quality in Delhi Better Compared to Last Year’: Dr. Harsh Vardhan

A comparison of the air quality until this period with last year shows positive changes in air quality levels. The year 2017 has seen few ‘Good’ days (AQI <50) this year unlike last year, when there were no ‘Good’ days. Number of ‘Satisfactory’ days (AQI between 51 and 100) up to October 19 has nearly doubled. The number of ‘Moderate’ days (AQI between 101 and 200) has increased by nearly 22%. Number of ‘Poor’ days has nearly declined by 10% (AQI between 201 and 300). The number of ‘Very Poor’ days has declined by nearly 30% (AQI between 301 and 400). There has been no ‘Severe’ day (AQI >400) in 2017, as against 7 during the same period in 2016. The air quality has been significantly better this year than last year during Diwali. AQI on Diwali and post-Diwali day was 426 and 425, respectively last year and it has been 326 and 367 this year. Also, there has neither been smog, as was the case last year post-Diwali, nor has there been an Emergency-plus situation.

4. “Significant Employment and Enterprise Thrust in Rural Areas”

The Budget of the Department of Rural Development has more than doubled since 2012-13. Adding the State contribution, in all the programmes as also the large transfers under the 14th Finance Commission for rural infrastructure, the total fund available is over 3 times of what it was 5 years ago. 51 lakh houses under construction, nearly 1 lakh kilometers of roads in different stages of construction and large scale wage work available under MGNREGS especially for agriculture and allied activities, have ensured greater opportunities for wage employment.

The Bank linkage for women Self-Help Groups has also more than doubled over the last 3 years. The placement-based wage employment skill programmes like DDU-GKY and the self-employment programmes through RSETI are also helping households to move up the skilling ladder and in diversifying livelihoods.

MGNREGS being a demand-based programme, over Rs.40,000 crores from Government of India has already been released to States. Adequate funds have been released for drought affected States like Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. On account of drought, States like Kerala, Tamil Nadu and parts of Telangana have also received higher releases in the first quarter. The labour budget of States like Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Puducherry have been increased to meet additional demand for wage employment. Timely release of wages is ensured in nearly 85% cases (within 15 days) so far. Follow up with Department of Financial Services and CMDs of Banks and Department of Post has been taken up to ensure that fund released through Banks/Post Offices reach the labourers’ account immediately.