mgnrega: Govt pegs NREGS persondays work generation at 227.6 crore

Anticipating a significant drop in demand for work under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, the government has projected its labor budget or man-days of work for 2022-23 at Rs 227.6 crore under the Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, Which is the lowest since 2018-19. On the back of higher capital expenditure allocation with focus on labor intensive sectors.

Labor for the 2021-22 budget was 337.76 million, 385.67 million in 2020-21, 2019-20, 277.63 million and 256.56 million in 2018-19 in.

A senior government official told ET that the projections for 2022-23 have been made based on the economic recovery witnessed in the last few quarters. “As the economic growth projections for the current year are strong, we expect more and more workers to move back to industrial cities for work, which will reduce the demand for work under MGNREGA,” the official said.

Turn has kept fiscal plan similar Rs 73,000 crore in the budget estimates of the budgetary allocation for 2021-22 in. Revised estimates for the last financial year was ₹ 98,000 crore, although the actual cost of the scheme ₹ reaching 1,06,548.18 crore.

Betting big on capital expenditure-led growth, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman raised capital expenditure by 35% to Rs 7.5 lakh crore for 2022-23.

In her budget speech, Sitharaman had said, “Capital investment also helps in generating employment opportunities, spurring a growing demand for inputs created from large industries and MSMEs, services of professionals.”

Experts say that the estimate under MGNREGA depends on the improvement in the labor market.

Labor Economist KR Shyam Sundar said, “The government feels that the labor market will be normal in the short term and will do better in the coming months with demand recovery after higher allocation to MSMEs.”

Sundar said labor supply is also expected to increase and regular migration from rural to urban India has resumed as workers’ savings would have been eroded due to the two-year pandemic.

However, he observed that there was little room for optimism for the government unless the data showed some sort of plateau with monthly unemployment levels below 6%. “If urban unemployment remains above 7%, then the pressure on MGNREGA will remain,” he cautioned.

The Labor Ministry’s Quarterly Employment Survey for Urban India shows a quarter-on-quarter improvement in formal sector job creation in the country. According to the latest data, India’s formal sector employment grew by 0.4 million in the October-December quarter of 2021, with the total number of workers employed in nine sectors at 31.4 million compared to 31 million in the July-September quarter and 30.8 million in April. million was. June 2021 quarter.

Originally published at Pen 18

punjab: Need stable, strong government at Centre in 2024, says former Punjab CM Amarinder

Former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday said that the 2024 Lok Sabha elections are important as the country needs a stable and strong government which Prime Minister Narendra Modi is already providing. The Punjab Lok Congress (PLC) chief was addressing a meeting of party candidates contesting the Punjab Assembly elections in February. A PLC release said state BJP general secretary Subhash Sharma also attended the meeting. Singh said, given the geopolitical situation prevailing in the world in the wake of the Russo-Ukraine war, the country needs a stable, mature and strong leadership, which Prime Minister Modi is providing. Singh said the PLC and its ally BJP will jointly contest the upcoming elections to the four municipal corporations – Ludhiana, Patiala, Amritsar and Jalandhar.

The meeting took stock of the current situation in the state and also reviewed the performance of party candidates in the last assembly elections. Notably, the PLC failed to win a single seat in Punjab in the last elections. The Aam Aadmi Party returned to power by winning 92 of the 117 assembly seats in the state. Congress won 18, SAD 3, PLC’s ally BJP 2 and BSP 1. An independent also won. Singh said, while the people of Punjab had voted overwhelmingly for the Aam Aadmi Party with high hopes, “there is already a feeling of disillusionment against the government more than expected”. “The AAP government has not only backed down on many promises and promises, but has also hurt the pride of Punjabis by usurping their power and rights,” he alleged. “Punjabi will never tolerate an outsider like Arvind Kejriwal running the government from Delhi,” Singh said. He narrated how “Kaijriwal was organizing meetings of Punjab officials in Delhi and issuing orders to them”. “It is unconstitutional and unacceptable,” he said, adding, “the way Kejriwal is running the government, he will bring down Punjab.” Responding to demands from party leaders that he should start traveling across the state, Amarinder said, he would soon announce his state-wide schedule.

He said that in the first round he would visit all the district headquarters and then the assembly constituencies. Addressing the meeting, BJP state general secretary Subhash Sharma said though the BJP-PLC alliance could not win many seats, a strong foundation has already been laid. He said, while the immediate focus will certainly be on municipal elections which are now due in less than a year, the alliance will be a formidable force in the 2024 general elections. He predicted that the 2024 elections in Punjab would be mainly on the margins between the BJP-PLC alliance and the Aam Aadmi Party between the Congress and the Akalis.

Originally published at Pen 18

Salman Khan Wishes Eid Mubarak in His Trademark Swag From Balcony, Bhai Fans go Crazy – Pen 18

salman khan wishes eid to fansActor Salman Khan is known to wish his fans on Eid and their birthdays. tiger 3 The actor greeted his fanfare from his building to catch a glimpse of him on Eid-ul-Fitr. Salman, who enjoys a massive fandom, waved to the crowd that had gathered to watch him. Watch this clip shared by Viral Bhayani:Also read- Shahrukh Khan gave Eid Mubarak to Mannat after 2 years, fans said, ‘Finally the moon came’

Salman woos the fans!

As Salman came out of his balcony, he shook hands and interacted with his fans. The actor known for his Eid blockbusters always has something special to offer to the audience on Eid. While no film was released this time, Salman lightened the spirits of his fans by donning a navy blue kurta for the occasion. the crowd cheered, while tiger 3 The star smiled at him. A fan commented on the viral clip “Happy Eid my hero”. Check Comments: Also read- What is the difference between Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-al-Adha?

Also Read – India celebrates Eid ul-Fitr 2022 with pomp after 2 years of COVID hiatus

Salman is ready for Eid and Diwali!

Salman is all set for his next film sometimes eid sometimes diwali And tiger 3 With Katrina Kaif and Emraan Hashmi. The actor also has a cameo in YRF’s Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone and John Abraham starrer Pathan:,

Watch this space on India.com for more updates on Salman Khan.

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yogi adityanath: Yogi Adityanath calls for ‘comprehensive reform’ as Akhilesh Yadav slams power crisis

Amid the power crisis in the state as well as other states of the country, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday called for “comprehensive” reforms in the sector, tasked the department to come up with a plan for change at each level. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav attacked the handling of the government, especially after the SP rule, for not increasing power generation capacity and “burdening” the expenditure on the public.

While the CM called for bringing in a one-time settlement (OTS) scheme to encourage people to clear their pending dues, Yadav asked the government to waive off pending electricity dues from April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2022. Problems faced by the public during the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to an estimate, the state is capable of supplying 20,800 MW of electricity against the demand of 23,000 MW. According to information shared by the office of Urban Development and Energy Minister AK Sharma in UP, it was decided to supply an additional one million metric tonnes of coal by rail as well as road to Anpara Thermal Power Station with a capacity of 2,630. MW Sharma has also been conducting “amazing inspections” of substations.

On Monday, CM Yogi called for “comprehensive reforms” in the power sector and stressed on encouraging people to make timely payment of electricity bills, thereby getting the right bill at the right time. He said that special efforts are needed in rural areas to increase efficiency in billing and collection agencies. The heat of the power crisis, which comes with a major national crisis, has been felt even by the BJP’s own representatives. Minister of State (Independent Charge) Dinesh Pratap Singh wrote to Sharma last month complaining that the people of his MLC area in Rae Bareli were seriously upset due to extreme power cuts, urging Sharma to bring back the supply to their old levels. . BJP MLA from Dhanghat assembly constituency Ganesh Chauhan had also issued a video statement to “buy time from him” in resolving the crisis.

Originally published at Pen 18

narendra modi: India, Germany ink pact for encrypted connection between foreign offices

India and Germany have signed a Declaration of Intent on an agreement to establish a direct encrypted connection between the foreign offices of the two countries, in addition to eight other agreements to promote green energy, economic partnership and mobility.

The agreement was signed on Monday along with the 6th India-Germany Inter-Governmental Consultation in Berlin chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. The agreement will help establish an agreement between the Foreign Ministry and the German Foreign Office for the exchange of classified information and for mutual security and direct encrypted connections. Modi and Scholz also signed an agreement establishing a Green and Sustainable Development Partnership.

However, both sides maintained their differences over the Russia-Ukraine conflict. This was evident in the joint statement, even as both sides explicitly condemned the civilian casualties in Ukraine. According to the joint statement, “Germany reiterates its strong condemnation of unlawful and unprovoked aggression by Russian forces against Ukraine.” Talking about the crisis in Ukraine, Modi said, “No country can emerge victorious in the Ukraine conflict. We are for peace, call for an end to the war.”

“Germany and India expressed serious concern about the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. They explicitly condemned the civilian casualties in Ukraine. They reiterated the need for an immediate cessation of hostilities. They emphasized that the contemporary global order is united. The Charter of Nations is built on international law and respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states. They discussed the destabilizing effects of the conflict in Ukraine and its wider regional and global implications. Both sides agreed to remain closely engaged on this issue happened,” the joint statement said.

At the IGC, both governments underscored the importance of an effective rules-based international order with the United Nations and the fundamental principles of international law enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, including respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states. ,

Originally published at Pen 18

Quick commerce firm Zepto valued at $900m, gets $200m

Mumbai: Quick commerce startup Zepto has closed a $200 million funding round led by existing investor YC Continuity Fund, a growth-stage fund run by Silicon Valley’s renowned accelerator Y Combinator.

The valuation of Zepto has reached $900 million after the latest round. This is a nearly 60% jump from the previous fundraising in December last year, when it was valued at $570 million. Quick commerce refers to the delivery made in 15-30 minutes.

New investors join the latest round along with existing backers including Kaiser Permanente Nexus Venture Partners, Glade Brook Capital and Lachey Groom.

The Mumbai-based startup, which promises grocery delivery in 10 minutes, faces intense competition from well-capitalized rivals such as Swiggy, Reliance Industries-backed Dunzo and Tata Digital-owned BigBasket, which offer different delivery times. Trying to tap the segment through.

Food delivery platform Swiggy has earmarked $700 million to grow its ultra-fast commerce platform Instamart, Chief Executive Officer Sriharsha Majeti said in December last year.

Ultra-fast commerce firms, which gained prominence during the Covid-19 pandemic, were questioned about their unit economics and high cash-burn, which has gone up to $10-$15 million per month in some cases.

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In the United States and Europe, consolidation has already begun in the segment, with some well-funded startups such as the SoftBank Vision Fund-backed Gopf, valued at $15 billion, preparing layoffs to reduce costs, according to a San Francisco-based tech publication. The information was reported in March.

Another Zepto rival, Gurugram-based Blinkit (formerly known as Grofers), is in advanced stages of closing a merger with food delivery app Zomato after struggling to raise fresh capital from outside investors amid increased competition. is in.

ET reported on March 17 that the Zomato deal is likely to cost Blinkit around $750 million, which is lower than the previous round.

Swiggy’s Instamart has also done away with its aggressive campaigns of 15-minute delivery.

Aditya Palicha, co-founder and CEO of Zipto told ET, “It is becoming clear in the space that things like Amazon and Flipkart will happen… and we intended to accelerate that trend.” “The objective here is just to get to a position where we have enough currency to start consolidating over the next year.”

According to Palicha, Zepto will use the funds to expand its product and technical teams to more than 1,000 people in a few months, including engineering, analytics, operations, marketing, finance and human resources.

“We posted an 800% increase in quarter-on-quarter revenue growth, while our burn has reduced five-fold on a per-order basis,” he said.

Palicha said Zepto is on track to close at $1 billion in gross merchandise value (GMV) in the current fiscal year. According to industry sources, Zepto’s monthly cash burn is reported to be around $10-$15 million. However, Palicha did not confirm the number.

Zepto will use this fund next year to expand its presence in the existing 11 cities, including non-metro cities.

Palicha said Zepto will reserve a portion of the funds for possible consolidation in the market.

“The accelerated commerce model works on density dynamics… what people need in Chandigarh is not much different from what they need in Bengaluru or Hyderabad… The objective is that if you look at the top 30 cities in the country, So the density dynamics work well,” he said.

Zepto, he said, was seeing early signs of that adoption in these cities.

Founded by Stanford University dropouts Palicha and Kaivalya Vohra, Zepto launched its accelerated commerce service in April 2021. At the age of 17, Palicha created another startup, GoPool, a mobile application that helped parents in Dubai find and schedule carpools at school.

The startup has raised $360 million to date, including the latest round.

Zepto operates from a network of ‘cloud stores’ or micro-warehouses to fulfill orders within the time frame. These stores, also known as dark stores, are small warehouses located in the heart of a city through which orders can be delivered rapidly.

other uses
ET reported on February 15 that Zepto plans to tap the private label to improve margins and reduce cash burn.

Palicha said private labels will be available on the app in the next one or two quarters. Meanwhile, it is operating a service to deliver coffee, tea and other cafe items in 10 minutes in select areas of Mumbai.

“…we are very excited about this and we will aggressively expand it in the next quarter or so in other cities,” Palicha said.

Originally published at Pen 18

hemant soren: Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren gets EC notice on disqualification for holding mine lease

The Election Commission of India has asked Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren why he should not be disqualified under the Representation of the People Act, 1951 for holding a mining lease in his name. ET has learned that the Election Commission’s notice given on Monday gave Soren time till next Tuesday to explain why action under Section 9A of the RPA should not be taken against him.

The Election Commission has said that the notice was sent following a reference from the Governor to the representation of BJP MLAs in Jharkhand on the issue. The Election Commission said the state chief secretary in his reply to the poll panel had confirmed the facts on the ownership of the mining lease. Under this, the CM has been asked why he should not be disqualified.

Hemant Soren was issued a stone quarry mining lease for 0.88 acres in Angara block of Ranchi district in June 2021 by the District Mining Department. Governor Ramesh Bais recently referred the matter to the Election Commission under Article 192 of the Constitution. This provision authorizes the Governor to take a decision on the disqualification of the elected member on the basis of the advice of the Election Commission.

ET was the first to report that the EC was probing the reference of governors under Section 9A of the RPA, 1951, which attracts disqualification for legislators on the ground of owning government contracts, etc. The provision states that a person shall be disqualified, and for so long as, “for the supply of goods to that Government, or for the performance of any act done by that Government in his association with the appropriate Government.” exists a contract entered into by him in the course of business or business”.

The terms of the contract with the state government as part of the mining lease license allotted to Soren in June 2021 were studied under the same clause. The excavation of mines and minerals is leased by the government and usually involves revenue sharing which is mostly read as ‘contract’.

An army of lawyers is ready to defend the case before the Election Commission and the Jharkhand High Court, which is hearing the matter. In the Election Commission, the exercise may also include hearings before the matter is finalized and sent to the Governor. A PIL has been filed in the HC on the matter, alleging abuse of office was also a case of ‘office of profit’ and disqualification should be initiated against the sitting CM in both the cases.

The state government has argued in court that the mining lease was given to the CM in error and surrendered, but the HC issued a notice on April 8. BJP leaders including former Chief Minister Raghubar Das had made representations to the Governor on the matter. , The complaints allege that in September 2021, the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority granted environmental clearance to Soren for mining in the Angara stone deposit, as seen in the authority’s minutes and according to a PIL filed in the HC in February. The District Mining Office approved the progressive mine closure plan for the same in July 2021. Soren handled the portfolio of Mines and Environment during the period when agencies under the departments approved mining proposals.

Originally published at Pen 18