05-06-03-23 Daily-Tamilnadu-TNPSC Current Affairs

To speed up supply of piped natural gas to homes across Nadu, the State Government has come up with a detailed policy and appointed theTamil NaduIndustrial Development Corporation Ltd (TIDCO) as the nodal agency. The target is 2.28 lakh domestic connections and 2,785 compressed natural gas (CNG) stations covering all 38 districts within eight years.
The Centre had given the first contracts to build city gas distribution (CGD) Infrastructure in 2018, including for Chennai and neighbouring districts. The CGD Network is being built in 15 districts and the contracts for the remaining 23 districts have also been authorised. Building CGD infrastructure will cost around 35,000 crore and create jobs for around 20,000 people, both directly and indirectly.
TIDCO to hold meetings monthly to check status of CGD works
Apart from the state-level nodal agency, the policy named district collectors as district-level nodal officers. TIDCO will hold meetings with the officials concerned on a monthly basis to check the status of CGD works.

More than 6% of Indias operational industries (4,40,989) currently do not comply with one or the other environmental standards, risking air, water and soils due to emissions and discharge of effluents carrying various pollutants, shows a compilation on non-compliant industries and relevant actions taken against them over the years by different statepollutioncontrol boards.
According to the compilation, shared by the Environment ministry in response to a question in the Parliament during the pre-recess phase of the budget session last month, Punjab has the highest number (6,293) of such polluting industries followed by Gujarat (4,605),Rajasthan(3,796),Maharashtra(3,043) and Jharkhand (1,760).
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the country’s national pollution watchdog, which has power to impose environmental compensation (EC) on such industries that violate various green norms under different laws, had imposed over Rs 13.4 crore of EC on 34 polluting chemical/Fertilizers and cement industries and collected over Rs 12.3 crore from them during 2018-22. The EC is imposed against the polluters for contaminating/ damaging the environment.

Reserve Bank Of India governor Shaktikanta Das said payments through UPI (unified payment interface) have grown exponentially in the past 12 months with daily transactions crossing 36 crore, which is up 50 per cent from 24 crore in February 2022.

While the UPI has facilitated digital payments to retail outlets, kiranas, street vendors etc, the Bharat bill payment system (BBPS) has ensured Migration of bill payments from cash/cheques to digital mode and the national electronic toll collection (NETC) system has helped in migration of the toll payments to digital mode with enhancing efficiency in terms of reduced waiting time at toll plazas, the governor said.

The national automated clearing house (NACH) system has also facilitated direct benefit transfers (DBT) payments digitally and eliminated leakages in the system.

The first methanol-powered buses in Bengaluru will be unveiled by Union Minister for Road and Transport, Nitin Gadkari. The Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), , Indian Oil Company (IOC), and Ashok Leyland are working together to carry out the initiative, which aims to lower the level of pollutants.

Methanol can be produced through the reaction of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen, which are also known as syngas. The syngas can be produced from various sources such as natural gas, coal, or Biomass.

TheCentres direct and wings have seized immovable property valued at over Rs 1 lakh crore, but disposed of assets to the tune of Rs 71 crore, the government told theRajya Sabha.

According to the data shared by him, the ED has also secured confiscation of proceeds of crime of Rs 15,600 crore.The minister also said that assets of Rs 15,114 crore have been restituted to Public Sector Banks.

Belgiumis expected to officially recognize after the federal government approves a draft law on Friday, opening the door to federal funding, official delegates and school classes.

TheBelgian Buddhist Unionhad requested recognition in March 2006. The union estimates the number of Buddhists in Belgium at 150,000. The only other EU country where Buddhism is recognized is Austria.

There are currently six worship Services officially recognized in Belgium: theRoman Catholic, the Orthodox, theIsraelite, the Anglican, the Protestant Evangelical and the Islamic, recognized in 1974.

Buddhism would be recognized as “a non-denominational philosophical organization” alongside organized Secularism, recognized since 2002. It would receive federal funding of up to 1.2 million euros.