Over 250 people joined hands with police personnel in
managing long queues, waiting outside banks and ATMs to get their demonetised
Rs.500/1000 currency notes, as part of Delhi Police’s ‘Police Mitra’ initiative
launched on Saturday by Commissioner Alok Kumar Verma.

The civilians–mainly farmers, housewives, self-employed
individuals, jhuggi dwellers, social workers, retired officials, students,
advocates, ex-servicemen–came forward to help police in managing crowd in the
southwestern range.

Varma hailed ‘Police Mitras’ for accepting this additional
responsibility of assisting Delhi Police in various police duties like crime
prevention, crowd management, traffic management, safety of women, children and
senior citizens etc.

He also appreciated them for their proactive role in
assisting police, in the last few days, during the ongoing demonetisation
facilitation arrangements at banks, ATMs, post offices and petrol pumps.

In the southwestern range, comprising west and southwest
districts, 294 civilians including 49 women, have been deputed outside banks
and ATMs which are being thronged by people after the Centre demonetised Rs 500
and Rs 1000 currency notes.

“West and southwest districts have 166 and 128 ‘Police
Mitras’ respectively. The scheme was formally launched on Saturday but they have been
helping our staff for the last few days.

They helped in pacifying people in queues,” Joint
Commissioner of Police (Southwest) Dependra Pathak said.

The Southwest range is the first to roll out the initiative
which other districts are to follow in the next few weeks. Delhi Police
Commissioner had last month issued standing orders to implement the initiative.

Under the initiative, every police station will have
civilian volunteers, whose number will depend on the area, and they will help
police in crime prevention and establishing a better public-police interface.

Those with “good social record” will be enrolled.

Their job will be to help police in addressing issues like
drug addiction, maintaining communal harmony in the area.

The idea was suggested by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at
the Directors General of Police and Inspectors General conference last year
where he had stressed that police forces should work on bridging the gap
between them and the society.

Over 250 people joined hands with police personnel in
managing long queues, waiting outside banks and ATMs to get their demonetised
Rs.500/1000 currency notes, as part of Delhi Police’s ‘Police Mitra’ initiative
launched on Saturday by Commissioner Alok Kumar Verma.

The civilians–mainly farmers, housewives, self-employed
individuals, jhuggi dwellers, social workers, retired officials, students,
advocates, ex-servicemen–came forward to help police in managing crowd in the
southwestern range.

Varma hailed ‘Police Mitras’ for accepting this additional
responsibility of assisting Delhi Police in various police duties like crime
prevention, crowd management, traffic management, safety of women, children and
senior citizens etc.

He also appreciated them for their proactive role in
assisting police, in the last few days, during the ongoing demonetisation
facilitation arrangements at banks, ATMs, post offices and petrol pumps.

In the southwestern range, comprising west and southwest
districts, 294 civilians including 49 women, have been deputed outside banks
and ATMs which are being thronged by people after the Centre demonetised Rs 500
and Rs 1000 currency notes.

“West and southwest districts have 166 and 128 ‘Police
Mitras’ respectively. The scheme was formally launched on Saturday but they have been
helping our staff for the last few days.

They helped in pacifying people in queues,” Joint
Commissioner of Police (Southwest) Dependra Pathak said.

The Southwest range is the first to roll out the initiative
which other districts are to follow in the next few weeks. Delhi Police
Commissioner had last month issued standing orders to implement the initiative.

Under the initiative, every police station will have
civilian volunteers, whose number will depend on the area, and they will help
police in crime prevention and establishing a better public-police interface.

Those with “good social record” will be enrolled.

Their job will be to help police in addressing issues like
drug addiction, maintaining communal harmony in the area.

The idea was suggested by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at
the Directors General of Police and Inspectors General conference last year
where he had stressed that police forces should work on bridging the gap
between them and the society.

The cold has already begun to set in.  How about a bowl of luscious hot tomato soup under soft winter sun? The weather is pleasant for a comfortable weekend. Food always sounds better on weekends. Are you ready to cook something special this time? You would definitely like to share your experience with others after making and relishing this sweet and tangy hot tomato soup.

Preparation time: 15 minutes; Cooking time: 30 minutes; Serves: 8

Ingredients:

Tomato                             6 Big

Water                                6 cups

Tomato ketchup              3 Tbsp

Corn flour                         1 tbsp

Salt                                    1 tsp

Black pepper powder     ½ tsp

Cream                                ½ cup (fresh and thick)

White sauce ingredients:

Butter                                  1 Tbsp

Maida                                  1 Tbsp

Milk                                      ½ cup

Method of preparing white sauce –

Heat butter in a pan. Add maida and saute for 4-5 minutes. Add milk and cook till thicker stirring constantly. Turn off gas and keep aside.

Method

Boil the whole tomatoes in an open utensil till the outer peel starts cracking.

Strain the water and peel them off.

Grind the peeled tomatoes in a food processor to make a fine puree.

Add this tomato puree in 6 cups of water and give a boil.

Simmer the gas. Add salt, pepper powder, tomato ketchup and white sauce stirring rapidly.

If you find lumps of white sauce, smoothen them well with the help of handy mixer.

Dissolve corn flour in half cup of water and pour it in the soup stirring steadily.

Cook for 10 more minutes.

Turn off the gas and add cream.

Serve hot.

For seasoning saute finely chopped onion in butter. Add it in the soup with dry parsley and mix well. You can serve crunchy bread crumbs, soup sticks or cocktail buns with butter cubes to make this soup a mini meal.

This bowl of hot soup is very satisfying and simply delicious. It is always a good starter with taste and health. Above all, it is simple to make and does not need much ingredients.

The cash crunch following the scrapping of high value currency is likely to impact the GDP growth, experts say. The growth in 2017-18 is likely to fall to 5.8 per cent from an estimated 7.3 per cent as economic activity slows down after demonetisation.

“The way things are right now, economy will be under pressure and there will be an impact on the growth due to demonetisation. It will take at least 2-3 months for the economy to stabilise,” former RBI deputy governor KC Chakraborty said, pointing out that replacing old notes with new ones will take time.

A total of 14 lakh crore, 86 per cent of the value of the currency in circulation became useless after Nov 8 that led to a cash crunch and given current printing capacity it may take a few months to print replacement currency.

“Downturn has already set in with businesses getting adversely impacted. Small scale industries as well as big businesses and services have got hit. And now as the middle class postpones their purchases, the demand will decline further, impacting production and investments, resulting in low growth,” JNU Professor Arun Kumar said, adding that once the downturn sets in it takes it takes time to become normal.

According to a report from brokerage house Ambit Capital, from October-December 2016 until October-December 2019, Ambit Capital expects a strong 'formalisation effect' to play out. “We expect this dynamic to crimp GDP growth in India in FY18 as well and hence we cut our FY18 GDP growth estimate to 5.8 percent from 7.3 percent,” the report said.

The demonetisation move is expected to disrupt economic activity in the short term, especially those segments where cash-based transactions are the norm like real estate, unsecured lending, real estate construction services and building materials.

Half of the non-tax paying businesses in the informal sector that forms 40 per cent share will become unviable and cede market share to their organised sector counterparts, leading to low growth, the report states.

“While in the near-term, we expect these businesses to suffer, over the next couple of years the strongest players in these sectors will gain market share as competition from unorganised players reduces,” the report adds.

    -BY Anjul Tomar

The cash crunch following the scrapping of high value currency is likely to impact the GDP growth, experts say. The growth in 2017-18 is likely to fall to 5.8 per cent from an estimated 7.3 per cent as economic activity slows down after demonetisation.

“The way things are right now, economy will be under pressure and there will be an impact on the growth due to demonetisation. It will take at least 2-3 months for the economy to stabilise,” former RBI deputy governor KC Chakraborty said, pointing out that replacing old notes with new ones will take time.

A total of 14 lakh crore, 86 per cent of the value of the currency in circulation became useless after Nov 8 that led to a cash crunch and given current printing capacity it may take a few months to print replacement currency.

“Downturn has already set in with businesses getting adversely impacted. Small scale industries as well as big businesses and services have got hit. And now as the middle class postpones their purchases, the demand will decline further, impacting production and investments, resulting in low growth,” JNU Professor Arun Kumar said, adding that once the downturn sets in it takes it takes time to become normal.

According to a report from brokerage house Ambit Capital, from October-December 2016 until October-December 2019, Ambit Capital expects a strong 'formalisation effect' to play out. “We expect this dynamic to crimp GDP growth in India in FY18 as well and hence we cut our FY18 GDP growth estimate to 5.8 percent from 7.3 percent,” the report said.

The demonetisation move is expected to disrupt economic activity in the short term, especially those segments where cash-based transactions are the norm like real estate, unsecured lending, real estate construction services and building materials.

Half of the non-tax paying businesses in the informal sector that forms 40 per cent share will become unviable and cede market share to their organised sector counterparts, leading to low growth, the report states.

“While in the near-term, we expect these businesses to suffer, over the next couple of years the strongest players in these sectors will gain market share as competition from unorganised players reduces,” the report adds.

    -BY Anjul Tomar

Chief Minister
Naveen Patnaik on Saturday inaugurated and laid foundation stones for different
projects worth around Rs.32 crore in the Ganjam district, including his own
constituency – Hinjili.

The projects inaugurated by Patnaik included 135
newly constructed Anganwadi centres (Rs 6.77 crore), ten mini stadiums in
different blocks (Rs 2.50 crore), new bus-stand at Chhatrapur, constricted by
the Berhampur Development Authority (Rs 6.44 crore), a new office building of
the district police, Chhatrapur (Rs 3.27 crore) and laid foundation stones for
several road projects in his home constituency Hinjili and Sanakhemundi.

In his day-long whirlwind tour of the district,
the Chief Minister addressed the students at Science College, Hinjilicut and at
the district level meeting of the Biju Patnaik birth centenary at Chhatrapur,
the district headquarter town.

“Biju Babu had a dream for development of all
sections of the society, including womenfolk, working class, tribals and
others. He had also dreamt for the development in Information and Technology,
education and some other sectors,” Patnaik said.

He said he has been trying to fulfil the dreams of
Biju Babu with development of all sectors and all sections of the people.

Almost all MLAs, MPs and education minister
Pradeep Panigrahy and forest minister Bikram Keshari Arukh were present at the
meeting.

Earlier Patnaik attended the Jeevan Bindu
programme – blood donation camps organised by the ruling party at five places
at Hinjilicut, Samarajhola, Pochilima, Kurula and Sheragada.

The Chief Minister’s visit assumed significance as
the three-tier panchayat election is scheduled to be held in early next year.

Chief Minister
Naveen Patnaik on Saturday inaugurated and laid foundation stones for different
projects worth around Rs.32 crore in the Ganjam district, including his own
constituency – Hinjili.

The projects inaugurated by Patnaik included 135
newly constructed Anganwadi centres (Rs 6.77 crore), ten mini stadiums in
different blocks (Rs 2.50 crore), new bus-stand at Chhatrapur, constricted by
the Berhampur Development Authority (Rs 6.44 crore), a new office building of
the district police, Chhatrapur (Rs 3.27 crore) and laid foundation stones for
several road projects in his home constituency Hinjili and Sanakhemundi.

In his day-long whirlwind tour of the district,
the Chief Minister addressed the students at Science College, Hinjilicut and at
the district level meeting of the Biju Patnaik birth centenary at Chhatrapur,
the district headquarter town.

“Biju Babu had a dream for development of all
sections of the society, including womenfolk, working class, tribals and
others. He had also dreamt for the development in Information and Technology,
education and some other sectors,” Patnaik said.

He said he has been trying to fulfil the dreams of
Biju Babu with development of all sectors and all sections of the people.

Almost all MLAs, MPs and education minister
Pradeep Panigrahy and forest minister Bikram Keshari Arukh were present at the
meeting.

Earlier Patnaik attended the Jeevan Bindu
programme – blood donation camps organised by the ruling party at five places
at Hinjilicut, Samarajhola, Pochilima, Kurula and Sheragada.

The Chief Minister’s visit assumed significance as
the three-tier panchayat election is scheduled to be held in early next year.

 An elderly
man, who was standing in a queue outside a bank to exchange defunct currency
notes, died on Saturday in Jhunjhunu district of Rajasthan, police said.

“Ratna Ram, 75, was in the line outside State
Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur (SBBJ) bank to exchange notes in Pilani.

“He collapsed in the line and was rushed to a
hospital where doctor declared him dead on arrival,” police said.

The body has been shifted to the mortuary for
postmortem.

 An elderly
man, who was standing in a queue outside a bank to exchange defunct currency
notes, died on Saturday in Jhunjhunu district of Rajasthan, police said.

“Ratna Ram, 75, was in the line outside State
Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur (SBBJ) bank to exchange notes in Pilani.

“He collapsed in the line and was rushed to a
hospital where doctor declared him dead on arrival,” police said.

The body has been shifted to the mortuary for
postmortem.