Union Minister of Commerce and Industry; Consumer Affairs; Food and Public Distribution and Textiles, Shri. Piyush Goyal unveiled the digital version of the ODOP gift catalogue. The digital launch took place during the meeting with Export Promotion Councils and Industry Associations at Vanijya Bhawan on 5th August 2022.

The ODOP gift catalogue includes a wide range of products like Fragrances and Oils, Indian Spirits, Home Décor products, Fabrics, and Silks and Shawls.  HCIM highlighted the ways in which the ODOP gift catalogue is a step towards realizing the potential of all districts in India and will give global recognition to the country’s diverse indigenous products. Further, he urged all the line ministries, Industry Association, and Export Promotion Councils to utilize products from the catalogue for encouragement to designs and branding. He also recommended a conscious effort to be taken to include these treasures of India for corporate gifting. This will provide a tremendous boost to the local economy and will help promote the livelihood and sustenance of many farmers and artisans.

Minister highlighted that utilizing products from the catalogue will promote a brand image for local products in the international market, consequently boosting the Prime Minister’s vision of “Make in India” and “Make for World”. He also requested all the associations to share their feedback on each of these products to ensure continuous improvement so that the products can compete at a global level.

Video on ODOP Gift Catalogue

ODOP Background:

• The ODOP Initiative is aimed at achieving the vision of the Hon’ble Prime Minister to foster balanced regional development across all districts of the country.
• The idea is to select, brand, and promote One Product from each District (One District – One Product) of the country for enabling holistic socio-economic growth across all regions.
• The range of chosen products under ODOP, from all 761 districts of the country, spans multiple sectors, Ministries and Departments.

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; Minister of State (Independent Charge) Earth Sciences; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh today said that besides making governance technology driven, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also introduced innovation in governance reforms. This is the essence of the success story of Modi’s Mantra of “reform, perform and transform”, he said.

Speaking after the launch of 16th edition of Central Secretariat Manual of Office Procedure (CSMOP) 2022, the Minister said, there is continuous innovation in reforms under Modi, who takes personal interest in all governance related issues. He also informed that some of the success stories in governance reforms implemented by Modi as Chief Minister of Gujarat are being replicated at the Centre like the abolition of interviews, prompt redressal of grievances and weeding out of obsolete laws.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, since 2014, when Modi took charge at the centre, there is a visible change in the work culture and all the Ministries are strictly adhering to timelines in execution of projects. Referring to CSMOP 2022, the Minister said, after 2019, this is the 2nd Manual prepared by DARPG within such a short time under Modi Government and this is a clear-cut reflection of continuity, consistency and innovation in reforms.

Referring to productive and result-oriented reforms in grievance redressal, Dr Jitendra Singh said, Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances (DARPG) in the union Ministry of Personnel has emerged as a role model, which many of the States and UTs are trying to emulate. He also pointed out that requests are pouring in from several States and UTs for linking their grievance portal with Central CPGRAMS. He said, after Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, several such requests are being received.

Apart from the launch of 16th edition of Central Secretariat Manual of Office Procedure (CSMOP) 2022, Dr Jitendra Singh also launched Impact Evaluation Report of the Initiative for Increasing Efficiency in Decision Making in the Central Secretariat 2022, Swachhta Assessment Report 2022 and CPGRAMS Monthly Report July 2022.

Dr Jitendra Singh said, the Central Secretariat Manual of Office Procedure 2022 is the 16th Edition of the CSMOP first published in 1955 to enable the march to a digital central secretariat. He said, the 16th Edition has focused on the 4-pronged approach of Delayering, Delegation, Operationalization of Desk Officer System, Digitization of Central Registration Units and Implementation of e-Office ver 7.0 as part of the silent transformation under way in the context of “Maximum Governance – Minimum Government”.

The Swachhta Assessment Report 2022 highlights that the Swachhta Campaign has resulted in holistic process improvement in disposal of pending matters by Central Ministries/ Departments with focus on cleanliness process adoption. The Swachhta Campaign activities are implemented on a regular basis in all Ministries/ Departments for 3 hours/ week. The success of the Campaign is highlighted by the efficient management of the space and bringing pendency down by significant margin. 12 lac sq. feet of space was freed and scrap worth Rs. 62 crore was disposed.

V. Srinivas, Secretary DARPG said that the CPGRAMS Monthly Report, is a unique initiative to present a comprehensive analysis on types and categories of public grievances in Government of India and nature of disposal along with relative performance of Ministries/ Departments. The CPGRAMS Monthly Report says that 68576 PG cases were redressed in July 2022 along with 8539 appeals. The CPGRAMS Monthly Report contains the Grievance Redressal Index which ranks Ministries/ Departments on the overall quality and timely disposal of grievances. For the month of July 2022, Department of Land Resources, Department of Public Enterprises and Department of Expenditure are the top performers in the Grievance Redressal Index for July 2022.

All the 4 reports will be available at www.darpg.gov.in.

The launch function was attended by all Senior Officers of DARPG, all Nodal Appellate Authorities, all Nodal Grievance Officers as also all Nodal Officers of the Special Swachhta Campaign in Government of India.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of various projects of Shrimad Rajchandra Mission, Dharampur in Valsad district, Gujarat via video conferencing. Chief Minister of Gujarat Shri Bhupendrabhai Patel was among those present on the occasion.

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister said hospital projects will prove to be of great service to women and other needy sections of society. He praised the spirit of silent service of the Shrimad Rajchandra Mission.

Recalling his long associations with the Mission, the Prime Minister praised their record of service and said that this spirit of duty is the need of the hour in today’s time of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. The PM expressed happiness over the commendable work done by the Shrimad Rajchandra Mission under the leadership of Pujya Gurudev in the field of rural health in Gujarat.  He said that the Mission’s commitment to the service of the poor gets strengthened by the new hospital. This hospital and the research centre will make affordable quality healthcare accessible to everyone.  “This is going to give strength to the vision of a healthy India in the ‘Amrit Kaal’. This also strengthens the spirit of Sabka Prayas (everyone’s efforts) in the field of healthcare”, he said.

The Prime Minister reiterated, that “in the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, the country is remembering its children, who made efforts to bring India out of slavery. Shrimad Rajchandra ji was such a saint whose great contribution is part of the history of this country.” He also narrated the admiration of Mahatma Gandhi for Shrimad Rajchandra ji. He expressed gratitude to Shri Rakesh Ji for continuing the work of the Shrimad.

The Prime Minister said that such people who have devoted their lives to the empowerment of women, tribal people and deprived segments are keeping the consciousness of the country alive. Referring to the big step in the form of the establishment of the Center of Excellence for Women, the Prime Minister said that  Shrimad, Rajchandra ji was very much insistent on the empowerment of daughters through education and skills. Shrimad spoke earnestly about women empowerment at a very young age. It is the responsibility of all of us to bring the women’s power in the country to the fore in the form of national power in the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, he said.

The Prime Minister remarked that the central government is trying to remove every obstacle that is being faced by the sisters and daughters, which prevents them from progressing. The Prime Minister also stated that the health policy that India is following today concerns the health of every living being around us. India is running a nationwide vaccination campaign not just for humans but also for animals.

About the project

The project cost of Shrimad Rajchandra Hospital at Dharampur in Valsad is around Rs. 200 crores. It is a 250-bed multispecialty hospital with cutting-edge medical infrastructure that will provide world-class tertiary medical facilities, especially to the people of the Southern Gujarat region.

Shrimad Rajchandra Animal Hospital is going to be a 150-bed hospital and will be built at a cost of around Rs. 70 crores. It will be equipped with top-class facilities and a dedicated team of veterinarians and ancillary staff. The Hospital will provide holistic medical care alongside conventional medicine for the care and upkeep of animals.

Shrimad Rajchandra Center of Excellence for Women will be built at an estimated cost of  Rs. 40 crores. It will have facilities for recreation, classrooms for self-development sessions, and rest areas. It will employ over 700 tribal women and subsequently provide a livelihood to thousands of others.

The Union Minister for Home and Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah addressed the third edition of ‘Sankalp Se Siddhi’ conference in Bengaluru today. The Chief Minister of Karnataka, Shri BasavarajBommai, and the Union Minister for Culture, Tourism and North East Affairs, Shri G. Kishan Reddy, were present at the event.

On this occasion, the Union Home Minister said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the Government of India hasdecided to celebrate AzadikaAmritMahotsav on the occasion of 75 years of Independence. During this AmritMahotsav the people must decide as to where India will stand in the world how it will lead the world after 25 years, at the time of the Centenary of our Independence.The conference of Sankalp to Siddhi is a convention to plan from this ‘AmritVarsh’ to the Centenary year.Prime Minister Narendra Modi has described the period from 75 to 100 years as AmritKaal. After the country became independent, 17 Lok Sabha elections were held, 22 governments were elected and we had 15 Prime Ministers and all contributed to the Nation’s progress. But, in the last 8 years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has put the country’s all-round and all-inclusive development before the world. Today the world is watching the speed with which India is developing in different dimensions. Today, there is no area where there has not been improvement, where we have not progressed and where there are no possibilities.Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s is determined to build India through societal welfare, this shows his strong will to build public participation.

Shri Amit Shah said that when Shri Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister of the country in 2014, there was policy paralysis and scams of Rs. 12 lakh crore were making the headlines. Crony capitalism was at its peak, the fiscal deficit was out of control, the ease of doing business was going downhill and our prestige in the world was waning. In such a situation, the people, giving a historic decision, elected Shri Modi as the Prime Minister and after 30 years, a decisive government with an absolute majority came to power. During the previous government, no one considered the Prime Minister as the Prime Minister, instead every minister considered himself as the Prime Minister. At that time the people gave a decisive government and if we look at the journey of the last 8 years, today we have become the fastest growing economy. A record Rs.1.68 lakh crore GST revenue has been generated in April this year through the successful implementation of GST. Most merchandise exports happened in 2022, the highest FDI came in, in2022 and we have also made a quantum leap in the Ease of Doing Business rankings. Shri Shah said in the last eight years,Shri Narendra Modi has made efforts to revive and strengthen the economy. The government has given a direction to the country’s economy with the two slogans of self-reliant India and Make in India. The Modi government has laid the foundation for the next25 years of AmritKaal and today no one can take India lightly.

The Union Home Minister said that in 2019, the country faced the biggest pandemic in history in the form of COVID-19. Everyone was worried how to deal with it as there was no medicine and no vaccine. In this situation, India established itself as a new model and adopted a new policy. The Prime Minister along with our scientists began efforts for indigenous vaccine manufacturing. Due to the decisions taken under the leadership of Shri Narendra Modi, economists across the world believe that India’s economy has been the first to recover from the impact of COVID-19. During the pandemic, to save MSMEs, working capital of Rs. 6 lakh crore was provided to them, the government helped people by providing free ration and started DBT schemes. During this period, we fixed five pillars for focus – the economy, Infrastructure, Systematic Reforms in System, Demography and Demand and Supply. On the basis of these five pillars, we decided to deal with COVID-19 and these policies of Shri Narendra Modi brought India out of the COVID-19 crisis. The Modi government also gave free food grains to 80 crore people for two years. There is no country in the world that has provided food free of cost to 800 million people at their doorsteps for two years. Meanwhile, a new education policy, a new drone policy, a new health policy were crafted, the decision on commercial coal mining was also taken during this period, the National Policy on Electronics was also drafted, a plan to strengthen Make in India was also made, Stand-up India and giving strength to Skill India was also done, Digital India, Udaan and Vocal for Local also became an important part of our policies. Today there is not a single household in India that does not have a toilet. We determined many policies during the period of COVID-19, due to which the economy received a momentum in every field. Along with this, we brought the PLI scheme to increase production of about Rs. 30 lakh crore in 14 sectors. Through this, Shri Narendra Modi has made India self-reliant and a manufacturing hub.

Shri Amit Shah said that under the leadership of Shri Narendra Modi, the nation’s GDP growth in 2022 is 7.4 percent, which is much higher than many developed countries. This shows that our policies have been successful and are showing results. Between 2014 and 2021, FDI worth US $440 billion came into India and we have become the world’s 7th favorite destination for investment. We were at number 142 in the Ease of Doing Business rankings in 2014, today we are at number 63. From a unicorn start-up in 2014 to today with over 100 unicorn start-ups, the youth of India are representing the country on the global stage. We were 71st in the Global Competitiveness Index in 2014-15, today we are at 43rd position.

The Union Home and Cooperation Minister said that by focusing on infrastructure, we have laid the foundation of a great India and we have created assets for the next generation. We launched PM Gatishakti to improve logistics cost. For social and economic infrastructure, we have decided to spend Rs. 100 lakh crore, build 11 industrial corridors and create 32 economic investment zones. Earlier a transmission line was. 3 lakh circle km, which has been increased to 4,25,000 circle km by the Narendra Modi government in 8 years. Earlier only 60 panchayats had optical fiber but in the last 8 years it has reached 1,50,000 panchayats and by December 2025, not a single village in the country will be without optical fiber. The National Highway was about 91,000 kms, it has been increased to 1,34,000kms and renewable energy capacity has crossed almost 100 GW.

Shri Amit Shah said that a large population is a market and a market is created when the country’s growth is symmetrical to it. India’s population was 130 crore and the market was of 800 crore people, because the rest of the people did not have the ability to buy. An individual’s priority was to take care of his family. We gave the people gas cylinders, toilets, drinking water, Rs. 6,000 were given to about 11 crore farmers through PM Kisan, houses were constructed for more than 2.5 crore people, health insurance of Rs. 5 lakh was made available to about 60 crore people, 43 crore bank accounts were openedthrough DBT, the Modi government has transferred Rs. 23 lakh crore directly into the bank accounts of the poor in 8 years without any corruption. This means that the government has freed these 60 crore people from everyday worries. Generations of crores people used to be consumed by everyday worries, but the government led by Shri Narendra Modi has given them all this in the last 8 years. Now freed from worries, a person can think of the future. Now people think about fulfilling their ambitions and are able to associate themselves with National development. He said Shri Narendra Modi has worked to make an economy and a market 130 crore by connecting the aspirations of these crores of people with the development of the economy. When 130 crore people together contribute to the economy, then our power becomes huge. Shri Narendra Modi has given a human face to the economy and the GDP. Shri Shah said that for the last 8 years, pure drinking water to every household has been provided and people have been freed from worries about the health of their family.

The Union Home Minister said the CII should be a platform to promote R&D. India’s industry should not think about increasing its speed but about changing its scale and if scale is to be changed, then the thrust has to be given to R&D. He said India’s youthare considered to be the best brains for R&D and CII should make efforts to do R&D in India. Industry should also back up Startups because there is a kind of linkage between industry and the Startup. He suggested to CII that nothing in the production chain from raw materials to finished goods should be made outside India. CII should identify things. This should be done by industry now and that can only happen when CII becomes a platform instead of just representing on issues. CII should come up with some concrete proposals to solve problems. Shri Shah said we need to move forward by paying special attention to defense, energy, and how to be a cost friendly industry and manufacturing hub. He called on CII that industry should also associate itself with 130 crore people, their interests and happiness and sorrows.

Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh has called upon Central and State Government Departments to ensure foolproof management of land for India to become a global manufacturing hub. He was addressing the inaugural session of a webinar organised on August 04, 2022 to disseminate Geographic Information System (GIS)-based applications, developed by Centre of Excellence for Satellite & Unmanned Remote Vehicle Initiative (CoE–SURVEI), across the Central & State Government departments, Municipal Bodies and Development Authorities for wider use and adaptability.

The CoE-SURVEI was set up by Directorate General Defence Estates (DGDE), Ministry of Defence to promote the use of emerging technologies in land surveys, analysis of data & land management. In the last few months, the Centre has developed a number of softwares in collaboration with Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Visakhapatnam; Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geo-informatics, Gandhinagar; National Remote Sensing Centre; IIT Delhi and other Central Government organisations for effective land management.

“Collaborating with the private sector, the CoE-SURVEI is moving fast towards becoming a one-stop centre to meet the land survey, analysis and management related needs of our country,” the Raksha Mantri said. The applications developed by CoE-SURVEI include those on Change Detection, Land Use Analysis and 3D Imagery Analysis.

The Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based Change Detection Software detects unauthorised constructions & encroachments on defence land. The application, which uses National Remote Sensing Centre’s satellite imagery, has been installed in all 62 cantonment boards. Through the software, Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of Cantonment Boards are able to identify changes on ground that are of permanent nature, enabling them to check if such changes are authorised or without due sanction of the competent authority. It helps the CEO to initiate necessary administrative action in time against unauthorised constructions or encroachments. Earlier, such unauthorised constructions and encroachments were detected through physical verification. Shri Rajnath Singh described the software as effective and time-saving which will help increase surveillance by land holding & land-using departments and prevent unauthorised constructions and encroachments.

The Land Use Analysis software, developed with active participation of Nascent Infotechnologies Pvt Ltd, can analyse any place located in any part of the country through GIS and Remote Sensing (RS) technologies. The Raksha Mantri stated that the tool will prove to be helpful not only for Ministry of Defence, but other Government and State departments as well, ensuring optimum utilisation of existing land. He also appreciated the efforts of CoE-SURVEI for developing tools for 3D imagery analysis and visualisation of hilly areas.

Pointing out that the world population is increasing and so is the demand for resources, the Raksha Mantri stressed on the need for effective and judicious management of inimitable resources such as land for its optimum utilisation. He urged all stakeholders to encourage use of technology in survey & analysis of land and contribute to Nation Building.

In his address, Shri Rajnath Singh also listed out a number of steps taken by the Government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, to resolve various issues such as land disputes. “Issues like land disputes become a barrier in the development process. Our Government has repealed many irrelevant archaic laws related to land. Today, India is one of those countries where, even in villages, land records are being maintained with the help of drones. According to the Digital India Land Records Modernisation Programme (DILRMP-MIS 2.0), land records of about 94% villages have been computerised. With this, people are able to get a clear title of their land,” he said.

Underscoring the importance of clear land titles, the Raksha Mantri described them as not only important for the convenience of residents, but also to facilitate the industries in establishing new set-ups. Clear land titles are an important requirement if India wishes to become a manufacturing hub, attract businesses and investment or be among the world’s leading countries in similar fields, he said.

Shri Rajnath Singh commended other such efforts of DGDE for the development of Cantonment Boards and increasing the ease of living of its residents. These include the survey of about 18 lakh acres of defence land using modern technologies and launch of ‘e-chhawani’ portal, besides the setting up of CoE-SURVEI. He exhorted DGDE to come out with more such reforms, with the support of Ministry of Defence. He hoped that the increased use of technology will bring more efficiency, transparency and accountability in the functioning of DGDE.

The day-long webinar has been organised by DGDE with other Central and State Government Departments with the aim to disseminate latest technologies to achieve the twin objectives of adopting such tools in the day-to-day functions and obtain expert views for their further adaptability and upgradation.

Defence Secretary Dr Ajay Kumar, Director General Defence Estates Shri Ajay Kumar Sharma, other senior officers of Ministry of Defence; officials of various Central & State Government Departments and field officers and DEOs from Cantonment Boards were present on the occasion. During the webinar, expert agencies/departments will make presentations on GIS & RS tools which are either under development or are already under use by various departments.

Union Minister for Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution and Textile Shri Piyush Goyal today announced that India has achieved a landmark milestone, wherein 75000 startups have been recognized in the country. These numbers tell the power of a vision. A vision to see innovation & enterprise drive growth, he emphasized.

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has recognized more than 75,000 startups- a milestone which coincides with 75^th year of independence. As India celebrates Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, the Indian startup ecosystem continues to be fuelled by innovation, enthusiasm, and entrepreneurial spirit.

During the Independence Day speech from the Red Fort on 15^th August 2015, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi had envisioned a new India which taps on the entrepreneurial potential of its people. On 16^th January of the following year, the date which has now been declared as the National Startup Day, a program was initiated to lay out an action plan to build a strong ecosystem for nurturing innovation and startups in the country. 6 years hence, the action plan has successfully guided into making India the 3^rd largest ecosystem. It is also interesting to note that, while the initial ten thousand startups were recognized in 808 days, the latest ten thousand were achieved in only 156 days. With more than 80 Startups getting recognized per day- highest rate in the world, the future of the startup culture is very promising and encouraging.

Startup India program which was primarily setup to provide an enabling environment for the startups, has today evolved into the launchpad for them. From providing funding to tax incentives, from support on intellectual property rights to eased public procurement, from enabling regulatory reforms to access to international fests and events, Startup India program has become synonymous with sustainable economic growth.

Out of the total recognized startups, around 12% cater to IT services, 9% to Healthcare and Life Sciences, 7% to education, 5% to professional and commercial services and 5% to agriculture. An impressive, 7.46 lakh jobs have been created by the Indian startup ecosystem, so far, which has been a 110% yearly increase over the last 6 years. The fact that about 49% of our startups are from Tier II & Tier III today is a validation of the tremendous potential of our country’s youth.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has congratulated the badminton team for winning Silver medal in the Birmingham CWG 2022.

In a series of tweets, the Prime Minister said;

“Congratulations to the Indian badminton team of @srikidambi, @satwiksairaj, @buss_reddy, @lakshya_sen, @Shettychirag04, Treesa Jolly, Aakarshi Kashyap, @P9Ashwini, Gayatri Gopichand and @Pvsindhu1 for winning the Silver medal in the Birmingham CWG. Proud of their accomplishment.”

“Badminton is among the most admired sports in India. The Silver medal in the CWG will go a long way in making the game even more popular and ensuring more people pursue it in the times to come. “

Keeping in view interest of sugarcane farmers (Ganna Kisan), the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) of sugarcane for sugar season 2022-23 (October – September) at Rs. 305/qtl for a basic recovery rate of 10.25%, providing a premium of Rs. 3.05/qtl for each 0.1% increase in recovery over and above 10.25%, & reduction in FRP by Rs. 3.05/qtl for every 0.1% decrease in recovery. However, the Government with a view to protect interest of sugarcane farmers has also decided that there shall not be any deduction in case of sugar mills where recovery is below 9.5%. Such farmers will get Rs. 282.125/qtl for sugarcane in ensuing sugar season 2022-23 in place of Rs. 275.50/qtl in current sugar season 2021-22.

The A2 + FL cost of production of sugarcane (i.e actual paid out cost plus imputed value of family labour) for the sugar season 2022-23 is Rs. 162/qtl. This FRP of Rs. 305/qtl at a recovery rate of 10.25% is higher by 88.3% over cost of production, thereby ensuring the promise of giving the farmers a return of more than 50% over their cost. The FRP for sugar season 2022-23 is 2.6% higher than current sugar season 2021-22.

Due to proactive policies of Central Government ,sugarcane cultivation and sugar industry has come a long way in past 8 years and now reached a level of self-sustainability. This is outcome of timely government interventions and collaboration with sugar industry, State Governments, various departments of Central Government as well as farmers. Salient measures taken by the Government for Sugar Sector in recent years are as under:

• FRP of sugarcane is fixed to ensure a guaranteed price to sugarcane growers.
• Government has increased FRP by more than 34% in past 8 years.
• Government has also introduced the concept of Minimum Selling Price (MSP) of sugar to prevent fall in ex-mill prices of sugar & accumulation of cane arrears (MSP was fixed initially at ₹ 29/ kg  w.e.f  07-06-2018; revised to ₹ 31/kg w.e.f. 14-02-2019).
• Financial assistance of more than ₹ 18,000 crore extended to sugar mills to facilitate export of sugar, for maintaining buffer stocks, to augment ethanol  production capacity & for clearance of farmers’ dues.
• Diversion of surplus sugar for production of ethanol led to improved financial conditions of sugar mills. As a result, they are able to clear cane dues early.
• Due to exports and diversion of sugar to ethanol, sugar sector has become self-sustainable and budgetary support for export and buffer are not required to improve liquidity of mills.

Further, due to various others measures taken for the Sugar Sector during past few sugar seasons which inter-alia included introduction of high yielding varieties of sugarcane, adoption of drip irrigation system, modernization of sugar plant and other R&D activities, the area of sugarcane cultivation, production of sugarcane, cane crushed, sugar production & its recovery percentage and the payment to farmers have increased considerably.

Government committed to increase income of farmers:

Decision will benefit 5 crore sugarcane farmers (Ganna Kisan) and their dependents, as well as 5 lakh workers employed in the sugar mills and related ancillary activities. 9 years back, FRP was only Rs. 210/ qtl in sugar season 2013-14 & only about 2397 LMT of sugarcane was purchased by sugar mills. Farmers were getting only about Rs. 51,000 cr from sale of sugarcane to sugar mills. However, in past 8 years Government has increased FRP by more than 34%. In the current sugar season 2021-22, about 3,530 lakh tons of sugarcane of worth Rs. 1,15,196  cr was purchased by sugar mills, which is at all time high.

Keeping the increase in the acreage & expected production of sugarcane in the ensuing sugar season 2022-23, more than 3,600 lakh tons of sugarcane is likely to be purchased by sugar mills for which the total remittance to the sugarcane farmers is expected to be more than  Rs. 1,20,000 crore. The Government through its pro-farmer measures will ensure that sugarcane farmers get their dues in time.

In the previous sugar season 2020-21, about Rs. 92,938 crores cane dues were payable, out of which Rs. 92,710 crore has been paid & only Rs. 228 crore arrears are pending. In the current sugar season 2021-22, out of cane dues payable of Rs. 1,15,196 crores about Rs. 1,05,322 crores cane dues have been paid to farmers, as on 01.08.2022; thus, 91.42% cane dues have been cleared which is higher than earlier seasons.

India – largest producer & second largest exporter of sugar in the world:

India has surpassed Brazil in the sugar production in the current sugar season. With the increase in the production of sugar in past 8 years, India apart from meeting its requirement for domestic consumption has also consistently exporting sugar which has helped in reducing our fiscal deficit.  In last 4 sugar seasons 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20 & 2020-21, about 6 Lakh Metric Tonne (LMT), 38 LMT, 59.60 LMT & 70 LMT of sugar has been exported. About 100 LMT of sugar has been exported till 01.08.2022 in the current sugar season 2021-22  & exports likely to touch 112 LMT.

Sugarcane farmers & sugar industry now contributing in energy sector:

India’s 85% requirement of crude oil is met through imports. But with a view to reduce import bill on crude oil, to reduce pollution & to make India Atmanirbhar in petroleum sector, Government is pro-actively moving ahead to increase production & blending of ethanol with petrol under the Ethanol Blended with Petrol programme. Government is encouraging sugar mills to divert excess sugarcane to ethanol which is blended with petrol, which not only serves as a green fuel but also saves foreign exchange on account of crude oil import. In sugar seasons 2018-19, 2019-20 & 2020-21, about 3.37 LMT, 9.26 LMT & 22 LMT of sugar has been diverted to ethanol. In current sugar season 2021-22, about 35 LMT of sugar is estimated to be diverted & by 2025-26 more than 60 LMT of sugar is targeted to be diverted to ethanol, which would address the problem of excess sugarcane as well as delayed payment issue because farmers would get timely payment.

Government has fixed target of 10% blending of fuel grade ethanol with petrol by 2022  & 20% blending by 2025.

Till year 2014, ethanol distillation capacity of molasses based distilleries was only about 215 cr litres. However, in past 8 years due to the policy changes made by the Government, the capacity of molasses based distilleries have increased to 595 cr litres. Capacity of grain based distilleries which were about 206 cr litres in 2014 have now increased to 298 cr ltrs. Thus, the overall capacity of ethanol production has doubled in past 8 years from 421 cr ltrs in 2014 to 893 cr ltrs in July’ 2022. Government is also extending interest subvention to sugar mills/ distilleries for loans availed from banks for augmentation of ethanol production capacities. About 41,000 cr investment is being made in ethanol sector which will create employment opportunities in rural areas.

In ethanol supply year (ESY) 2013-14, supply of ethanol to OMCs was only 38 crore litres with blending levels of only 1.53 %. Production of fuel grade ethanol and its supply to OMCs has increased by 8 times from 2013-14. In ethanol supply year 2020-21 (December – November), about 302.30 cr ltrs of ethanol has been supplied to OMCs thereby, achieving 8.1% blending levels. In the current ESY 2021-22, we have been able to achieve 10.17% blending levels. More than 400 cr ltrs of ethanol likely to be supplied by sugar mills/ distilleries for blending with petrol in the current ESY 2021-22 which will be 10 times in comparison to supplies in year 2013-14.

Sugar industry becoming self-sustainable:

Earlier, sugar mills were dependent primarily on sale of sugar to generate revenues. Surplus production in any season adversely affects their liquidity leading to accumulation of cane price arrears of farmers. Government interventions were made from time to time to improve their liquidity. However, in past few years due to Central Government’s proactive policies including encouragement to export surplus sugar & to divert sugar to ethanol, the sugar industry has now become self-sustainable.

Since, 2013-14 about  Rs. 49,000 crore revenue generated by sugar mills from sale of ethanol to Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs). In the current sugar season 2021-22, about Rs. 20,000 cr revenue is being generated by sugar mills from sale of ethanol to OMCs; which has improved liquidity of sugar mills enabling them to clear  cane dues of farmers . Revenue from sale of sugar & its by-products, ethanol supplies to OMCs, power production from bagasse based cogeneration plants & sale of potash produced from press mud   has improved topline & bottom line growth of sugar mills.

The measures taken by the Central Government and FRP enhancement have encouraged farmers to cultivate sugarcane and facilitated continued operation of sugar factories for domestic manufacturing of sugar. Due to proactive policies made by the Government for sugar sector,  India is also now becoming atmanirbhar in energy sector.

Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas & Housing and Urban Affairs Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, here today released publications on Diamond Jubilee milestone of IndianOil’s Guwahati Refinery & Golden Jubilee celebrations of Bongaigaon Refinery. Shri Rameswar Teli, Minister of State, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas & Labour and Employment, Shri SM Vaidya, Chairman and Ms Sukla Mistry, Director (Refineries), IndianOil were also present. The celebrations were also marked with release of My Stamps by the dignitaries. My Stamps have been issued by Indian Postal Department.

While releasing the stamp, Shri Puri lauded the efforts of oil sector PSUs, especially IndianOil. “IndianOil is spearheading many environmental & social initiatives, along with expanding its business horizons in the field of green energy fuels”. “My Stamps released today are a testament of IndianOil’s steadfast commitment to serve the nation”, he added.

“The publications showcase landmark achievements of IndianOil, signifying the zeal of the Corporation towards meeting the fuel demands of the country through continuous technology upgradation”, shared Shri Rameswar Teli during the celebratory function. Shri SM Vaidya said that the IndianOil’s north eastern refineries are playing a crucial role in meeting the energy demands, while adopting latest technology, keeping in tune with evolving times.

Indian Oil’s Guwahati Refinery, the first Public Sector Refinery of the country and Bongaigaon Refinery have been meeting the energy needs of the north-east region of India, and the neighbouring regions. The refining capacity of all the three refineries of IndianOil in the north-east region shall be increased by 2030 under the Government of India’s North-East Vision. Playing an active role in bolstering the economy of north-east of India, these refineries are supporting the local communities through development projects with inclusive growth as the guiding light.

Indian Railways (IR) has recorded best ever July Monthly freight loading of 122.14 MT in July’22. The incremental loading in the month of July has been 9.3 MT i.e. a growth of 8.25 % over  the previous best July figures achieved in 2021. With this, Indian Railways has had 23 straight months of best ever monthly freight loading.

IR has achieved an incremental loading of 11.54 MT in Coal, followed by 1.22 MT in Balance other goods, 0.56 MT each in Cement & Clinker and Containers and 0.47 MT in POL.

Increase in automobile loading has been another highlight of Freight Business in FY 2022- 23 and 1698 rakes have been loaded in FY 2022-23 till July as compared to 994 rakes during the same period of last year i.e. a growth of 71%.

The cumulative freight loading from 1^st April’2022 to 31^st July’2022 has been 501.53 MT as against 452.13 MT achieved in 2021-22 i.e. an incremental loading of 49.40 MT, with a growth of 10.92 % over same period last year.

The freight NTKMs (Net tonne kilometers) have increased from 63.3 Billion in July ’21 to 75 Billion in July’22 registering a growth of 18.38 %. The cumulative NTKMs in the first four months have also grown by 19.46 %.

The sustained efforts of Indian Railways to increase supply of Coal to Power houses, in close coordination with Ministry of Power and Coal, have been one of the key features of the freight performance in the month of July. The loading of Coal (both domestic and imported) to Power Houses has increased by 13.2 MT in July with 47.98 MT Coal being moved to Power houses as against 34.74 MT last year, i.e. a growth of 38%. Cumulatively, in the first four months of the year, IR has loaded more than 47.95 MT extra coal to Power Houses as compared to same period of last year, with a growth of more than 32%.

Your Excellency, My friend President Solih,

Members of both delegations,

Media representatives,

Namaskar!

First of all, I would like to welcome my friend President Solih and his delegation to India. In the last few years, there has been a renewed vigour in the friendly relations between India and Maldives, our closeness has increased. Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, our cooperation is taking the form of a comprehensive partnership.

Friends,

Today, I had extensive discussions with President Solih on a number of topics. We reviewed all the dimensions of our bilateral cooperation, and also exchanged views on important regional and global issues.

Just a short while ago, we welcomed the launch of the Greater Male connectivity project. It will be the largest infrastructure project in the Maldives.

We also reviewed projects for the construction of 4000 social housing units in Greater Male today. I am happy to announce that we will additionally provide financial support for 2000 social housing units.

We have also decided to provide an additional $100 million line of credit, so that all projects can be completed in a time-bound manner.

Friends,

The threat of trans-national crime, terrorism and drug trafficking in the Indian Ocean is serious. And therefore, close contact and coordination between India and Maldives in the field of defence and security is vital for the peace and stability of the entire region. We have increased our cooperation against all these common challenges. It also includes capacity building and training support for Maldivian security officials. I am happy to announce that India will provide 24 vehicles and one naval boat for the Maldives Security Force. We will also cooperate in building police facilities in 61 islands of Maldives.

Friends,

The Maldivian government has set a target to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2030. I congratulate President Solih for this commitment, and also assure that India will extend all possible support to the Maldives to achieve this goal. India has taken up its initiative of One World, One Sun, One Grid internationally, and under this we can take effective steps with Maldives.

Friends,

Today, the India-Maldives partnership is not only working in the interest of the citizens of both the countries but is also becoming a source of peace, stability and prosperity for the region.

India has been and will continue to be the first responder in any need or crisis of Maldives.

I wish President Solih and his delegation a pleasant visit to India.

Thank you very much.

DISCLAIMER – This is the approximate translation of Prime Minister’s remarks. Original remarks were delivered in Hindi.