Central Coalfields Limited (CCL) which acquired Miniratna in 2007 from Jharkhand in 2007, has decided to spend 90 per cent of its allocated funds from Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) on drink

Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) heaved a sigh of relief with the recent movement of coal from the mines of the Panem Coal Mines Limited in Pakur district of Jharkhand.

The 22-day-long agitation in one of Jharkhand’s largest mines run by Panem Coal Mines Ltd was called off on December 9 after the company headed by its chairman and managing director (CMD) Ujwal Upadhyay agreed to implement the provisions of the agreement it signed with the Rajmahal Pahari Bachao Anndolan Samiti in 2006.

CESC Limited will take over power supply services from the Jharkhand State Electricity Board (JSEB) by early next year. JSEB consumers feel this new arrangement will remove their long-standing grievances and discontents against the state’s power board.

The Member (Distribution), JSEB, CD Kumar told Business Standard on Thursday that in the process of biddings, CESC had acquired the bid and a letter of intent was issued to the company in October this year.

Jharkhand State Level Bankers’ Committee in its 40th special meeting here, recently, on drought relief, has decided to exempt the farmers from paying back loan amount in the current financial year because of severe drought that had affected almost al the districts of the state.

The banks and the government officials who participated in the meeting also agreed that loans to existing and new farmers, including those who were allowed to pay back their loan dues next financial year could avail loans from the banks.

The Planning Commission approved Rs 16,300 crore for Jharkhand for 2012-13 against the last financial year’s allocation of Rs 12,232 crors. The state had demanded for Rs 15,323 crore for last year which the Planning Commission had curtailed due to non-utilization of approved funds made by Planning Commission.

Chief minister Arjun Munda told the Planning Commission that Jharkhand needed a central package like Uttar Pradesh and special concessions like Bihar as the state’s various development projects were being seriously affected.

The state chief minister Arjun Munda announced a relief package to the vextent of Rs 410 crore for the relief to 39 lakh farmers in the state owing to adverse impact of lowest rainfall this year in comparison with last few years affecting sevvere drought like condition throughout 24 districts of the state.

Of the sanctioned amount of Rs 410 crore, Rs 150 crore will be provided to the farmers to purchase diesel for irrigation purpose and Rs 240 crore will be utilizes by 39 lakh farmers as interest free loan through banks.

The state cabinet approved a blanket ban on the manufacture, storage and distribution of all types of gutkha and paan masala which have tobacco and nicotine content due to increased number of oral cancer patients.

Cabinet co-ordination department’s principal secretary N N Pandey said the order would become effective in the entire state soon after publication of a notification.

Production of kharif crops, mainly paddy has been adversely affected in all 24 districts of the state due to scanty rainfall. The state government has constituted district-level task forces comprising officials of agriculture, water resources and disaster management departments to visit districts to estimate the losses because of poor monsoon and suggest ways to mitigate it through alternate crops.

During April to June this year, against a normal rainfall of 263 mm, the entire state received only about 127 mm, a deficit of 52 per cent. Till July 15, the state had received 104 mm rainfall against a normal average of 325 for the entire month.

The multinational iron ore producer and exporter – Sesa Goa Limited has recently approached the state industry department for renewal of its MoU that was signed in 2003-04 and cancelled recently. Industry department source said the company has submitted a representation to this effect to state’s director of industries.

Jharkhand government had signed 75 MoUs for steel sector during last eight years, among them Sesa Goa was the 27th companies whose agreements were cancelled as the companies were delaying in implementing the terms and conditions of the MoUs.

The possession of 218 acres of agricultural land in Nagri, 15km from capital Ranchi for establishment of IIM, IIIT and NUSRL campuses by the district administration of Ranch has taken a violent tur