14-04-23 Daily-Odisha-OPSC Current Affairs

Encouraged with a high Growth in collection of Excise revenue in the past two years, the is eyeing for Rs 10,000 crore Excise and VAT collection from liquor during the Financial Year (FY) 2023-24.

Principal Secretary Excise Sushil K Lohani reviewed the Excise and VAT collection in the Excise sector. It came to the fore that the State had collected Rs 4,053.51 crore Excise and VAT of Rs1,346.71 crore from liquor during the FY 2020-21, which has been increased to Rs 5,528.40 crore Excise and Rs 2,100 crore VAT totalling to Rs 7,628.40 crore in 2021-22, thereby registering a growth of 41.26 per cent.

Similarly, the State has collected Rs 6,182.36 crore Excise and Rs 2585 crore VAT from liquor making a record amount of Rs 8,767.36 crore during the FY 2022-23 marking a growth of 14.93 percent against the collection of FY 2021-22.

While Rs 4,053.51 crore Excise revenue was collected during the FY 2020-21, it has increased to Rs 5,528.40 crore in 2021-22, thereby registering a growth of 36.39 percent. The excise revenue collection again increased by 11.83 percent to Rs 6,182 crore in 2022-23.

Moreover, the State collected Rs 1,346.71 crore VAT on excise items during 2020-21, which witnessed a growth of 55.93 per cent in 2021-22 and 23.08 percent growth in 2022-23. The State had collected Rs 2,100 crore and Rs 2,585 crore VAT from liquor during 2021-22 and 2022-23, respectively.

To achieve the ambitious Excise revenue target set for 2023-24, the State Government has come up with a comprehensive Excise Policy for the current fiscal.

Shri Parshottam Rupala, the Union Minister of , Animal Husbandry & Dairying, launched two significant initiatives: the Animal Pandemic Preparedness Initiative (APPI) and the Animal Health System Support for One Health (AHSSOH) project, which is funded by the World Bank. The launch event will take place at the India Habitat Center in New Delhi and will be held under the National One Health Mission

The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying has partnered with the World Bank on a collaborative project called the Animal Health System Support for One Health (AHSSOH), which aims to establish an ecosystem for better animal health management through the One Health approach.

The project will be carried out in five states and will focus on enhancing the capacity building of stakeholders involved in animal health and disease management. It also calls for the participation of the Human Health, Forest and Environment Department at the national, regional, and local levels to create and strengthen the One Health architecture, including community engagement.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Rajasthans first Vande Bharat Express train via video conferencing, which is the 15th such train in the country. The prime minister emphasized that the Vande Bharat Express symbolizes development, modernity, self-reliance, and stability, enriching the spirit of India First, Always First. He also mentioned that the train will greatly benefit Rajasthans tourism

Modi highlighted that this was the sixth Vande Bharat Express launched in the past two months, and that in the past, the modernization of the railways had been hindered by selfish and corrupt politics. Large-scale Corruption had prevented the railways from developing and had made the selection process non-transparent, he added

According to a report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), out of the 28 state chief ministers and two union territories, 29 of them are millionaires in India. Jagan Mohan Reddy from Andhra Pradesh is the richest among them with assets worth 510 crore, while Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister of West Bengal, has the lowest assets worth around 15 lakh. The report also noted that Jammu and Kashmir, which is a Union Territory, does not have a chief minister at present. Out of the 30 CMs analyzed, 29 (97 percent) are crorepatis with the Average assets being 33.96 crore for every CM, the ADR said. Out of the 30 CMs analyzed, 29 (97 percent) are crorepatis with the average assets being 33.96 crore for every CM, the ADR said

The top three chief ministers in terms of assets are Andhra Pradeshs Jagan Mohan Reddy (over 510 crore), Arunachal Pradeshs Pema Khandu (over 163 crore), and Odishas Naveen Patnaik (over 63 crore), according to the ADR

The Philippines and the United States have launched their largest-ever joint military exercises, called Balikatan, involving nearly 18,000 troops to counter Chinas growing assertiveness in the region. The annual drills, which include a live-fire exercise in the South China Sea, are being held for the first time under President Ferdinand Marcos, who seeks to strengthen ties with the US. The maneuvers include military helicopters landing on the Philippine island of Luzon and the retaking of an island by amphibious forces

The exercises follow Chinas three-day military exercise, which simulated targeted strikes and a blockade of Taiwan, which Beijing considers part of its territory. While the joint news conference did not address questions about the Taiwan tensions, U.S. troops will be allowed to use four Philippine military bases under the agreement, including a naval base near Taiwan