Kerala announces ₹5,650-crore package to tide over COVID crisis
The Hindu
Govt. will bear up to 4% of the interest on loans of ₹2 lakh or below under a ₹2,000-cr. scheme; three loan schemes in place to boost industries
The Kerala government has come out with a ₹5,650 crore package for helping out small traders, industries and farmers hit hard by the COVID 19-induced economic crisis. Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal announced the ‘supplementary package’ in the State Legislative Assembly on Friday. A ₹2,000-crore interest subsidy scheme for loans taken from Central and State financial institutions, cooperative sector institutions and commercial banks forms the major component of the package.The Shakti Scheme in Karnataka has completed its first year, yet the smart cards intended for the beneficiaries remain undistributed. According to Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy, while the smart cards have been prepared, their issuance has been stalled due to the absence of electronic ticketing machines (ETMs) in all buses, making them impractical.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly R. Ashok were engaged in war of words over the Lok Sabha election results on Tuesday, with the former calling the latter “ignorant and entertaining people”. In response, Mr. Ashok said the Chief Minister “sometimes wakes up from deep slumber to exhibit his arrogance and anger”.
Makineni Jishnu Sai from Guntur secured the first position in the engineering stream while Yellu Srishant Reddy from Nizampet in Telangana bagged the first place in the Agriculture and Pharmacy (Bi.P.C. stream) in the Andhra Pradesh Engineering, Agriculture and Pharmacy Common Entrance Test (EAPCET)-2024.