02.06.21 Daily [Andhra Pradesh] APPSC Current Affairs

The All-IndiaHandloom RightsForum (AIHRF) has appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to extend financial assistance tofamiliesin thehandloom sector.

The AIHRF president sought financial help of at least Rs 10,000 per family per month during the pandemic. This, he said, was because while some states have announced lockdowns and others have imposed curfews, all of which are hurting the sector. Narasimham said that around 31.45 lakh families are engaged in thehandloomsector across the country and 75% of those involved in handloom are women.

The AIHRF president also wants the Centre to pay Rs 25,000 into accounts of weavers whose families were hit by Covid-19. He further requested the government to waive all taxes on raw materials, products and all direct and indirect taxes on the sector including those on hank yarn, chemicals, colours and cloth.

The government announced the setting up of an eight-member ministerial panel, headed by Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma, to examine the issue of concessions or exemptions to Covid-19 materials like vaccines, oxygen concentrators, hand sanitisers, testing and PPE kits, masks, ventilators and temperaturechecking equipment.

The fitment committee comprising officers had recommended a reduction in rates for a number of items. While nine states wanted Covid materials to be zero-rated (which means the entire value chain to be exempted while providing tax credits to manufacturers), three states pushed for 5%. TheCentrehas said it was not clear if the benefit of lower rates on vaccines or other goods will flow to the end consumer.

A Housing Pricing Index (HPI) on residential property prices in eight cities across the country has been unveiled by real estate portal Housing.com in association with Indian School of Business (ISB).

It seeks to help homebuyers assess the appropriate time to purchase as well as assist sellers know the opportune moment to sell assets. Policymakers and financial analysts can make use of the Index as a reliable estimate to keep track of the trends in the real estate sector, said a release from Housing.com by Union Housing and Urban Affairs Secretary Durga Shanker Mishra.

India Inc has stepped up its efforts to contribute to thecountrys healthcare infrastructure in the wake of the second wave of Covid.

HDFC Bank, under its Parivartan programme, will set up and enhance medical infrastructure across the country to assist the fight against the coronavirus. The bank said it has committed Rs 100 crore as an initial amount for Covid relief in FY22. This is in addition to the Rs 120 crore the bank spent in FY21.

The money will be used to set up 20oxygenplants attached to hospitals, three 100-bed Covid-care facilities, isolation centres and provide medical equipment & supplies to over 200 hospitals across the country.

The initiative targets providing 20 lakh patients home care support for asymptomatic, mild-symptom cases to reduce pressure on the overburdened health system.