Meet focuses on food security-human health
With an objective to find balance between human health and global agriculture, the 6th Bio-pesticide International Conference - BIOCICON was held at the Amity University in Raipur. It offered immense opportunities to learn, review, implement and equally to inculcate recent advances in the sciences of bio-pesticides and related technologies. Attended by over 20 international delegates from abroad and 200 Indian researchers, BIOCICON interacted with farmers, agro-based industries and experts from agri-fields to deliberate upon issues, challenges and scope of usage and application.
‘Smart City’ Raipur moves a step ahead
As part of the ‘Smart City’ project, the Chhattisgarh capital was recently set up with a high-tech traffic management and surveillance centre, which will work as an integrated command unit. Launched under the state government’s scheme ‘Daksha’, it will cater to security and public communication along with traffic management. With 332 CCTV cameras in place, the centre has been established at a cost of Rs 158 crore. The government hopes the capital will better compliance of traffic rules and that crimes stay in check. The project is being jointly operated by departments of police, transport and civic bodies.
Settle the bill first to be a beneficiary
Chhattisgarh government started fulfilling another of its pre-Assembly poll promises by halving the electricity bills for all domestic users. But the state’s electricity department has added a rider for beneficiaries. Consumers will have to clear all their outstanding dues first. The department has set March 15 as the deadline for consumers to pony up. Bills would be reduced by 50 percent up to 400 units and beyond that, normal charges would resume, said the department.
Clothes bank for the needy in the city
Raipur’s youngsters have come to set up ‘Lead-18+’ with the support of citizens to routinely collect old and new clothes from across the city to distribute them among the needy in the state-owned Dr Ambedkar Medical College and the Raipiur district hospital every Sunday. The group, that claims to assist patients and their relatives who come from far-flung areas to the capital, has appealed to other youngsters to join their mission. Occasionally, members of the organisation also distribute fruits and food packets they receive from any marriage or ceremonial occasions in the city.
Mukesh Ranjan
Our correspondent in Jharkhand
mukesh.r@newindianexpress.com