Day: January 27, 2022

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Usage of 30% drought and disease tolerant seed to enhance wheat production

Islamabad, January 27, 2022 (PPI-OT):Federal Minister of National Food Security and Research Syed Fakhar Imam chaired the wheat review committee on 27th January, 2022. The meeting was conducted with the provincial counterparts to monitor the status of wheat crop in the country. The meeting was attended by the representation from all provinces.

On the special invitation, Ms. Fehmida Mirza, Minister for Inter- Provincial Coordination also attended the meeting. Fakhar Imam said that the purpose of the meeting was to ensure progress is monitored in order to ensure that the assigned wheat crop targets are met. He said that wheat is the most important crop and any issues arising should be catered to timely in order to stay on track.

Fakhar said that the current government has put extraordinary focus on agriculture, regular monitoring is being done through weekly meetings. Fakhar Imam was briefed that 30% drought and disease tolerant seed was used which would positively contribute towards wheat production. Secretary Agriculture Punjab discussed revision of minimum support price (MSP) of wheat to support successful achievement of wheat procurement target.

Proposed procurement target of Punjab stands at 3.5 MN tonnes, KPK and Baluchistan at 1 lakh tonnes. Whereas, Sindh’s procurement target will be between 1.2-1.4 MN tonnes, which will be finalized by the Sindh Cabinet. Agriculture Punjab briefed Fakhar Imam that Punjab will achieve its previous sowing target but will not be able to achieve its enhanced target. On the other hand, KPK, Balochistan and Sindh has achieved their sowing targets. All provinces stated that the assigned production targets will be met however concern was shown about the DAP and urea availability and prices.

Minister was briefed by Met Department that forecasted that during February below normal, whereas in March, 2022 above normal rainfall spell, especially in the Central Punjab, may occur. Moreover, IRSA clarified that irrigation water shortage which was estimated at 28 percent at the sowing time of crop has now been improved due to recent spell of rainfall.

Now shortfall for the current Rabi season is calculated at 20 percent. It was a general consensus that certified seed was adequately available. However, high prices and unavailability of urea was considered an on-going challenge. Minister was briefed that the high price of DAP has also resulted in its overall lower usage. Fakhar said few parameters have been established to ensure that wheat crop sowing is monitored effectively.

Fakhar said these parameters include but are not limited to wheat sowing area and completion percentage of the assigned target, sowing method (Drilling or Broadcasting), quantum of fertilizer used during sowing practices (DAP and Urea), fertilizer off take, certified seeds used, seed varieties used during sowing (old or new rust tolerant wheat varieties), availability status of herbicides and fertilizer availability and pricing status etc.

Fakhar Imam ensured all the participants that necessary steps will be immediately taken to ensure that the factors of production are available in ample supply. Fakhar Imam praised the efforts of Punjab in ensuring that the farmers sow wheat seeds timely.

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19 million Ehsaas Rashan applicants going into data analysis pipeline for eligibility Ehsaas Rashan Riayat roll out on the anvil: Sania 

Islamabad, January 27, 2022 (PPI-OT):A meeting of the steering committee for the Ehsaas Rashan Riayat programme was convened at the Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Division (PASSD). Senator Dr. Sania Nishtar, SAPM chaired the meeting.

The steering committee has been re-constituted to oversee the roll out of the Ehsaas Rashan Riayat through PASSD and National Bank of Pakistan (NBP). The meeting began with the briefing on Ehsaas Rashan Riayat design and roll out progress.

The steering committee discussed and took beneficiary targeting decisions in line with guidance from the Federal Cabinet to support deserving families through Rashan programme. Ehsaas 8171 SMS registration service has been closed for families to register for Ehsaas Rashan on Jan 26, 2022 at 12 midnight. “Overall, 19 million applicants have registered for the programme.

Ehsaas National Socio-economic Registry is being used to target beneficiary families. On the ratification of steering committee, the applicants’ data is currently being analysed with Ehsaas’ data analytics to determine the eligibility.

Data Analytics are hardwired in the design of programme to enhance the accuracy of targeting for the country’s first ever targeted subsidies programme.” She then continued, “The nationwide rollout of the Ehsaas Rashan Riayat is just on the anvil in partnership with NBP.”

Families earning below Rs. 50,000 monthly are eligible for the Rashan programme. Allowing the maximum number of families to benefit, the committee endorsed the criteria previously approved by the Cabinet to include government servants with salary less than Rs. 31,500 a month, passport holders who had travelled abroad and persons with average monthly phone bill in excess of Rs. 1,000.

In addition, beneficiaries who have availed NADRA’s executive center services was also approved by the steering committee since the principle was linked to the criterion for travel abroad, which the Cabinet had already approved. Under the stewardship of the steering committee, a Project Management Unit (PMU) has also been established within the Division. PMU will provide oversight over the project’s fiscal management, monitoring and evaluation, and policy.

With Dr. Sania in chair, Additional Secretary PASSD, Additional Secretary Finance, Chief Secretary Punjab, Chief Secretary KP, Chief Secretary AJK, Secretary Finance Baluchistan, Secretary Industries Punjab, Secretary Social Welfare KP came to the table together with MD Utility Stores, Group Head Digital Banking NBP, DG Social Protection Authority Punjab, DG Technology Ehsaas and DG Ehsaas National Socio-Economic Registry.

On the other hand, the registration of Kiryana retailers for Ehsaas Rashan Riayat is underway all over the country in collaboration with NBP, participating provinces (Punjab, KP, GB, and AJK) and district administrations. After the scrutiny, families declared eligible will be able to avail a subsidy of Rs. 1000 monthly to buy flour, cooking oil/ghee and pulses from NBP’s network of Kiryana retail shops and Utility stores.

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Srinagar-Jammu highway closed due to landslide in Ramban 

Jammu, January 27, 2022 (PPI-OT):In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, the Srinagar-Jammu highway, the only all-weather road linking Kashmir Valley with the rest of the world, was closed for vehicular traffic due to a landslide in Ramban district in Jammu region.

Officials said that the highway was blocked by a landslide at Duggi pull near Chanderkote in Ramban. As a result, many heavy motor vehicles (HMVs) and light motor vehicles (LMVs) are stranded at different points on the highway, they said. Meanwhile, one person was killed and another was injured when a truck rolled down into a gorge near Tulbagh at Banihal in Ramban on Wednesday night, the officials said.

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Students’ body calls for strike in Bihar against railway recruitment 

Patna, January 27, 2022 (PPI-OT):The All India Students Association (AISA) has called for a strike in Bihar, tomorrow, to protest against irregularities in the examination process of the Railway Recruitment Board. According to Kashmir Media Service, the Bihar Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) has also extended support to the strike call.

The protests started after several students claimed that there were discrepancies in the RRB recruitment process. The government’s decision to conduct two computer-based tests (CBT) for the RRB Non-Technical Popular Categories (NTPC) irked thousands of students across the state.

In light of the protests, the Railways decided to suspend its Non-Technical Popular Categories (NTPC) and Level 1 tests. It has also formed a committee to examine the grievances of those who have passed the exams under different RRBs and those who have failed.

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Jamia Masjid Anjuman Auqaf launches yearly calendar in Srinagar 

Srinagar, January 27, 2022 (PPI-OT):In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Anjuman Auqaf of Jamia Masjid Srinagar, in collaboration with Mirwaiz Foundation, launched the yearly calendar in Srinagar, today. The calendar includes daily prayer and fasting timings. The calendar is adorned with beautiful pictures of the historic Srinagar mosque highlighting its aesthetic beauty and minimalistic grandeur.

The Anjuman president, Umar Farooq, who unveils the yearly calendar at the Friday congregation in the mosque, could not do so as the mosque is closed for prayers and he himself continues to be under strict house arrest since August 2019. As usual, the Anjuman is distributing the calendars free of cost.

For more information, contact:
Kashmir Media Service
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Bajrang Dal workers protest in Mumbai against naming of sports complex after Tipu Sultan

Mumbai, January 27, 2022 (PPI-OT):Workers of extremist Hindu organization Bajrang Dal protested against ‘naming’ of a garden in a sports complex in Malad area of Mumbai after the 18-century Muslim ruler of Mysore, Tipu Sultan. Congress leader and Mumbai Guardian Minister Aslam Shaikh, who inaugurated new facilities at the garden, said that the place always bore the name of Tipu Sultan, and there was no fresh nomenclature.

As Shaikh attended the event, workers of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad staged a protest at the venue, demanding a renaming. Police detained some of the protesters before the event, officials said.

The Congress leader said BJP had sent its goons to defame the country as there was no conflict in India over the name of Tipu Sultan for 70 years. “There was no conflict on the name of Tipu Sultan in last 70 years, today BJP has sent its goons to defame the country and not let the country develop by creating ruckus over naming projects. We don’t need to get into controversy over nomenclatures,” Aslam Shaikh said.

“The garden is named thus (after Tipu Sultan) for the last 15 years, but nobody objected to it till now. I even know a BJP MLA who is pushing for repairs of a road in the area which is named after Tipu. He conveniently keeps mum over it as he wants votes,” he said. The minister said that the garden was just renovated to add tennis and badminton courts and that the sports facilities in the garden were available to all irrespective of religion or caste.

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NSA says India funded, supported attacks on CPEC

Beijing, January 27, 2022 (PPI-OT):National Security Adviser (NSA) Moeed Yusuf has said the safety of foreigners in the country is Pakistan’s responsibility, and concerns of Chinese workers and engineers working on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) are taken seriously.

The NSA said this in an interview with the Beijing Review. He maintained that some countries and their proxy actors do not want the CPEC to succeed as they see the Pakistan-China partnership as a “threat”.

Moeed Yusuf acknowledged that there have been a number of attacks on the CPEC projects, highlighting that India supported and funded them through anti-Pakistan militant organisations operating from third countries. “Unfortunately, our enemies will continue to seek ways to target us,” he added.

However, the NSA stated that regardless of these attacks, there is clear evidence that the Pakistan-China relationship is still going strong as the two countries came out “stronger and further strengthened security protocols”.

Moeed Yusuf said, all inimical forces working at the behest of external powers to undermine the CPEC will be defeated. He added that Pakistan now has a mechanism to ensure the security of every Chinese citizen in the country. He emphasised that the full potential of the CPEC will only be realised when there is peace in the region.

Moeed said that the CPEC is beneficial for both China and Pakistan as well as everyone who participates in it. He said since the start of the project in 2014, significant progress has been made on the ground. “We are entering the second phase, which is critical for industrialisation in the country and connectivity between China, Pakistan and the rest of the world,” he said, adding that this phase will involve investment in a range of sectors, including agriculture and science and technology.

The NSA further emphasised that the projects will contribute to internal physical connectivity, job creation, agricultural modernisation and industrial expansion in Pakistan. “We envisage CPEC to be a springboard for transforming Pakistan into a regional connectivity and trade hub,” he said. Moeed Yusuf said that Pakistan’s good relations with China were based on shared interests and mutual respect, and do not target any other country.

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Hitachi Energy achieves 100% fossil free electricity in own operations

The global technology and market leader in power grids has achieved the first-step target in its Sustainability 2030 plan and steps up the pace towards carbon-neutral

Zurich, Switzerland, Jan. 27, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Hitachi Energy today announced that it has achieved the first-step target set out in its Sustainability 2030 plan – the use of 100% fossil-free electricity in its own operations1. The company is driving towards being carbon-neutral in its own operations by 20302, in line with its Purpose, ‘Advancing a sustainable energy future for all’.

“By achieving 100% fossil-free electricity in our own operations, we have reduced our CO2 equivalent emissions by over 50% compared to 2019,” says Claudio Facchin, CEO of Hitachi Energy. He continued, “The Net Zero challenge is global and it’s about acting now, innovating and collaborating across countries, industries and societies. Together with customers, partners, and all stakeholders, we are advancing the world’s energy system to be more sustainable, flexible and secure.”

The targeted 50% reduction achieved ahead of plan will amount to approximately 175 kilo tonnes of CO2e per year, equivalent to removing over 35,000 passenger cars off the road.

To achieve 100% fossil-free electricity in its own operations – and in support of the Hitachi Group’s carbon-neutrality goal3 – the company has pursued a number of pathways including supporting projects to generate its own fossil-free electricity, such as installing solar roof panels combined with e-meshTM digital solutions for distributed energy resources maximizing energy efficiency and minimizing CO2 emissions. In its Zhongshan factory in China, the company is generating nearly 20% of its total energy consumption from solar panels. In its first year of operation, the power generated at the factory is expected to reach 1,510 megawatt hours (MWh), contributing to the reduction in annual carbon emissions by more than 1,000 tonnes.

To achieve 100% fossil-free electricity, Hitachi Energy has also switched to green tariffs, bought Energy Attribute Certificates (EACs), and signed Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) across its operations and facilities in 90 countries.

Looking ahead, Hitachi Energy is continuing to invest in its journey towards carbon-neutrality by further increasing energy efficiency, as well as electrifying its own operations. In Ludvika, Sweden, the company is now using 100% renewable electricity generated from hydropower and from solar panels to support its operations. Ludvika, which is one of Hitachi Energy’s largest production facilities, has gone beyond tackling its electricity supply and is now close to removing the use of all fossil fuels from the whole of its operations.

The company has a track record of implementing its own technologies in its operations to enable the integration of renewable energy. For example, in 2015 its South Africa operations installed a 750 kW rooftop photovoltaic plant and a 1 MVA/380 kWh battery-based PowerStoreTM for enhancing the use of renewables and providing a continuous supply of power.

Through its Sustainability 2030 plan and targets, the company reinforces its commitment to accelerating actions driving business in a sustainable way. Based around four pillars – Planet, People, Peace, and Partnerships – the strategy draws from the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with specific focus on the following eight: 3 (Good health and well-being), 4 (Quality education), 5 (Gender equality), 6 (Clean water and sanitation), 7 (Affordable and clean energy), 12 (Responsible consumption and production), 16 (Peace, justice and strong institutions); and 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). In line with these SDGs, each pillar has corresponding targets that drive the business to contribute social, environmental, and economic value.

Notes
1. The contract for its South Korea operations (equivalent to 0.4% total electricity usage) is expected to be signed in February 2022 retrospectively through green tariffs.

2. Discover more about Hitachi Energy’s approach to Sustainability 2030 here

3. Hitachi Sustainability Report 2021

About Hitachi Energy Ltd.

Hitachi Energy is a global technology leader that is advancing a sustainable energy future for all. We serve customers in the utility, industry and infrastructure sectors with innovative solutions and services across the value chain. Together with customers and partners, we pioneer technologies and enable the digital transformation required to accelerate the energy transition towards a carbon-neutral future. We are advancing the world’s energy system to become more sustainable, flexible and secure whilst balancing social, environmental and economic value. Hitachi Energy has a proven track record and unparalleled installed base in more than 140 countries. Headquartered in Switzerland, we employ around 38,000 people in 90 countries and generate business volumes of approximately $10 billion USD.

About Hitachi, Ltd.

Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, contributes to a sustainable society with a higher quality of life by driving innovation through data and technology as the Social Innovation Business. Hitachi is focused on strengthening its contribution to the Environment, the Resilience of business and social infrastructure as well as comprehensive programs to enhance Security & Safety. Hitachi resolves the issues faced by customers and society across six domains: IT, Energy, Mobility, Industry, Smart Life and Automotive Systems through its proprietary Lumada solutions. The company’s consolidated revenues for fiscal year 2020 (ended March 31, 2021) totaled 8,729.1 billion yen ($78.6 billion), with 871 consolidated subsidiaries and approximately 350,000 employees worldwide. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company’s website at https://www.hitachi.com.

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Rebecca Bleasdale
Hitachi Energy Ltd.
+41 78643 2613
rebecca.bleasdale@hitachienergy.com