Page 6 - NIS English 16-30 September, 2023

News Briefs

GOODS WORTH Rs 1

LAKH CRORE SOLD ON

GeM IN 145 DAYS

overnment e-Marketplace (GeM) has achieved
Ga major milestone. In the current financial year
JAN DHAN ACCOUNTS 2023-24, the Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) has
crossed Rs 1 lakh crore in 145 days. While GeM took
OPENED FOR MORE THAN 243 days to achieve this feat in the last financial
year. This extraordinary achievement underlines
50 CRORE PEOPLE GeM's commitment to revolutionize government

he number of account holders of the Pradhan procurement. In FY 2022-23, where the average
TMantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), which has GMV was Rs 412 crore per day, it has reached Rs
690 crore per day in 145 days of the current FY 2023-
played a huge role in accelerating social and 24. This stupendous achievement establishes GeM
economic change in the country, crossed the 50 as the largest public procurement portal globally.
crore mark on August 9, 2023. This scheme was Since its inception, GeM has crossed Rs 4.91 lakh
started on 28-August-2014. Opening of such a large crore in GMV. It has facilitated over 1.67 crore
number of Jan Dhan accounts in a span of nine orders on the platform. Government e-Marketplace
years is a great achievement and also shows a great (GeM) is an online public procurement portal that
strength of Digital India. So far, out of the total Jan facilitates procurement of goods and services by
Dhan accounts opened, 56 per cent accounts are of various government departments, agencies and
women. 67% of the accounts have been opened in public sector undertakings. It was launched in
rural and semi-urban areas. The amount deposited in August 2016 as part of the Government's Digital
these accounts is more than Rs 2.03 lakh crore. About India initiative to bring transparency, efficiency and
34 crore RuPay cards have been issued. The average cost-effectiveness in public procurement.
balance in PMJDY accounts is Rs 4,076. More than
5.5 crore accounts are getting the benefit of DBT.
PMJDY account holders are not required to maintain
minimum balance. Free RuPay card with accident
insurance of Rs 2 lakh and overdraft facility up to Rs
10,000 has also been given in this. It has proved to be
very helpful in the empowerment of the village and
the poor as well as in employment generation.

WASTE DISPOSAL THROUGH 'WASTE TO ENERGY achievement, where the energy generated in the
PLANT', FOR ELECTRICITY GENERATION Municipal Corporation's Waste to Energy plants is being
Under the Swachh Bharat Mission, work is being done used. Under solid waste management, Prime Minister
to eliminate waste through waste management and Narendra Modi inaugurated a 'Waste to Energy' plant
source segregation in the urban areas of the country. with a capacity to generate 14 MW of electricity in
Apart from this, now work has also been started at a partnership with Pimpri Chinchwad Metropolitan and
fast pace in cities like Maharashtra, Karnataka and Antony Lara Renewable Energy Private Limited. Here 14
Delhi to generate energy from waste. Various urban MW electricity is being generated every day using 700
local bodies are working on various innovations to tonnes of dry waste. This project has started saving
convert waste into energy. In this episode, Pimpri about 35 to 40 percent in the regular electricity bill of
Chinchwad of Maharashtra has achieved an important the Municipal Corporation at the rate of Rs 5 per unit.

4 New India Samachar September 16-30, 2023