States Current Affairs 14.08.2017 Notes - UPSC

•  Funds for Rajasthan police cut under central scheme 
• Already facing paucity of funds, Rajasthan policewitnessed a massive cut-down in funds released under modernization of police forces (MPF) Scheme from the Centre. 
• Under MPF scheme, Rajasthan was allotted Rs 102 crore in 2014-15. However, in the subsequent years it came down to just Rs 34 crore and Rs 34.54 crore. The allocation for 2017-18 saw a marginal increase and Centre paid Rajasthan government amount of Rs 38.17 crore. 
• Under the MPF scheme, with a view to strengthen state police forces, assistance is provided to the state governments in the form of grants-in-aid towards purchase of equipment, including that for handling cybercrimes, as per strategic priorities of the states incorporated in the respective state action plans. 
• The unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were procured by Rajasthan police for its nine police zones at Ajmer, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Udaipur, Bharatpur, Jaipur commissionerate and Jodhpur commissionerate. In addition to that government proposed to set up new integrated command and control centres across all divisional headquarters.

 Rs 13,000 crore liability if Rajasthan loses cases in Supreme Court

• Supreme Court's (SC) decision in favour of state government employees against which Rajasthan government is fighting number of cases is posing a serious challenge to financial Stability of the government.
• Financial liability of about Rs 13,000 crore will surface if government loses cases in the apex court. These are those matters in which the state has already lost in high court but moved apex court in appeal. In most cases, hearing is in final stage and affected employees are expecting verdict by the end of this year. 
• Employees who have gone to court include probationers, government-aided teachers, multi-purpose workers, teachers recruited in 2012 among others.

GUJARAT

• Cigarettes, gold most smuggled items in Gujarat
• Estimates by officials of Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) - Ahmedabad Zonal Unit, indicate that cigarettes and gold are among the highest smuggled commodities in Gujarat. "While some 80 lakh sticks of cigarettes were smuggled in Gujarat from April to July, about 110kg gold was smuggled in the same period. The risk and investment involved in smuggling of cigarette is lesser than what it is for gold.
• Smuggling of cigarettes yields higher profits than what is earned in gold.
• Disparity in taxes and prices of the same commodities usually leads to increase in smuggling. Among other items being smuggled into Gujarat, include Red Sanders, diamond powder and pharmaceuticals.

MAHARASHTRA 

• SRA to acquire 172 acres of encroached trust land
• The SlumRehabilitation Authority (SRA) has identified 172 acres of encroached land owned by private trusts in the eastern suburbs for acquisition in phase I. The area is equal to around eight Oval Maidans.
• The government has identified 407 acres of trust land that has been encroached upon by slums for rehabilitation.
• In 2015, the SRA began GIS mapping of slum land in Mumbai to prepare a master plan and ensure planned development of slums so that they are integrated into the city's infrastructure. Often, developers take up areas where they can garner 70% consent from slum-dwellers for rehabilitation. This resulted in haphazard development as open spaces are often condoned to accommodate rehabilitation.

 MADHYA PRADESH

• After UP, MP govt tells madrasas to hold Tiranga rally.
• The Madhya Pradesh Madarsa Board has ordered over 5000 madrasas or Islamic seminaries in the state to compulsorily organise a Tiranga (Tricolor) rally to celebrate Independence Day and email it the photographs of the celebrations. 
• This is for the first time that state that the Board has issued an order asking the managements of the madrasas to take out a Tiranga rally. 
• There are around 5000 madarsas in the state. They have been celebrating Republic Day and Independence Day with much gusto over the years. And they keep sending us the photographs of these celebrations. This has been the case over the years. 
• The order of the MP Madarsa Board directs all the madrasa managements to hoist national flag, organise a cultural programme and take out a Tiranga rally in their respective areas on August 15.

CHHATISHGARH

• Green corridor created for retired IPS from Bhilai to Raipur
• An emergency green corridor was formed for nearly 35 minutes between Bhilai and Raipur airport to carry former additional director general of police Ramesh Chandra Sharma who had to be urgently Airlifted to Delhi for Treatment. 
• Famously called as 'green man' for his love towards environment, the retired IPS is stated to be critical, hence, the traffic was cleared and he was successfully brought to Raipur airport in joint co-ordination of Raipur-Bhilai police. 
• In July 2016, a navy officer's daughter was brought to Raipur from Bhilai for the first time via green corridor after she was stated critical due to an accident. Then, another boy in December 2016 was brought from Bhilai after he sustained severe injuries in road accident.

BIHAR

• CM Nitish asks Centre to fix one rate of electricity across the country.
• Lamenting that Bihar is getting electricity from the central pool at a higher rate compared to other states, CM Nitish Kumar on Sunday asked the Centre to fix equal rate of electricity across the country.
• Addressing an energy department's function where he laid foundation stones as well as inaugurated power-related schemes worth Rs 1462.36 crore, Nitish said Bihar has been getting electricity from the central pool at a higher rate. "But, the rate is higher than other states. The rate of electricity should be one and equal across the country like the rate of train fare.

JHARKHAND

• Jharkhand bans book on tribals after it is dubbed `porn'
• The Jharkhand government has banned `The Adivasi Will Not Dance', a collection of short stories by Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar. Shekhar, who won Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar in 2015 for his novel, `The Mysterious Ailment of Rupi Baskey', is accused of denigrating Adivasi culture and portraying Santhal women in a bad light. Shekhar is a Santhal, and works as a doctor in Pakur, close to Ranchi. One of the stories in his collection, `November Is the Month of Migrations', was about a Santhal woman who trades her body for Rs 50 and some bread pakoras.

UTTAR PRADESH

• BJP to launch campaign to commemorate 75th anniversary of Quit India Movement
• The BJP is set to launch a two-week long campaign, 'Naya Bharat — Sankalp se Siddhi', across Uttar Pradesh from Monday to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Quit India Movement.
• The party's Yuva Morcha will organise a 'Tiranga Yatra' on motorcycles on August 14 in each district of the state. 
• BJP state spokesperson Chandra Mohan said the idea is to make youngsters aware of the sacrifices of martyrs.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during a recent episode of his radio programme 'Mann Ki Baat', had exhorted citizens to launch a new "quit India" movement against poverty, corruption, casteism, terror, communalism and other problems.
• The Union ministry of personnel in a recent order had said the 70th Independence Day should be celebrated as 'Sankalp Parva'.
• "This five-year period from 2017-22 gives us a unique opportunity of 'Sankalp' to 'Siddhi' towards a new India; hence, August 15 should be celebrated as 'Sankalp Parva' or the 'Day of Resolve', which by 2022, our nation will transform that resolve into 'Siddhi' or 'attainment'," said the ministry.

UTTARAKHAND

• Awareness campaign to save elephants
• The state will be witness to one of the biggest campaigns to conserve wild elephants organised in the country in recent times.
• The Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), in partnership with the Union Government’s Project Elephant, is organising a 15-day awareness campaign — The Gaj Yatra — tomorrow. The day coincides with World Elephant Day.
• The campaign will especially focus on elephant corridors that are used by many wild species, especially large mammals like elephants and tigers, to move between protected forests in search of food and water. When corridors are not present, animals are forced to move through areas under human use, leading to human-wildlife conflict. Roadshows, engagement with schoolchildren for fun activities and concerts of prominent artists will be part of the awareness activities in the state.

HIMACHAL PRADESH

• Non-functional ventilators, ACs compromising critical care in Himachal Pradesh hospital.
• Gorakhpur incident in Uttar Pradesh has called the attention of the nation to the health care facilities in government hospitals. In Himachal, Dr. Rajendera Parasad Medical College is the only biggest government hospitals of state after Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) in Shimla.
• It is around 900 bedded and caters to a major population of state from Kangra, Chamba, Mandi, Hamirpur and Una districts. Here, the non-functional air conditioners and ventilators are compromising critical health care of the patients. The institute is located at Tanda area of this district.

ANDHRA PRADESH

• Innovative Programme by AP Police-Refresh Yourself-Go Safely to the Destination’
• Stop -Wash Your Face-Relax a while and Go Safely” programme is being effectively implemented in late night in the limits of Srikakulam district. The vehicles will be stopped at toll gates and police stations to implement the programme.
• Srikakulam, which has the longest highway stretch in the State, is always in news with the frequent road accidents. Many people of Odisha, Chhattisgarh and other places also become victims of road accidents after tedious journey on the highway.
• The district police wing observed that many accidents were taking place on highway with the late night journey when drivers are tried

ASSAM

• Assam floods: Bihar flood stops trains to Assam.
• The flood at Krishanganj and its surrounding stations in north Bihar forced Northern Railway to cancel the trains to Dibrugarh in Assam for August 13 and 14 and close the bookings.
• For the convenience of passengers, Northern Railway has added a stoppage at Arsikere on routes of 22685 Yashvantpur-Chandigarh and Chandigarh-Yashvantpur bi-weekly Sampark Kranti Express trains from August 17 to February 16, 2018.
• CM further lauded the efforts of Bihar State Power (Holding) Corporation Limited (BSPHCL) officials, for setting up the country's first all-woman power grid sub-station in Patna.
• Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi said the state government has fixed a target of connecting all habitation with electricity by the end December 2017 and all househol