Green plan for UK blues
CHANCELLOR SUNAK’S MINI-BUDGET FOR SUSTAINABLE ECONOMY
Archaya Shree Palkeshbhai Trivedi’s seven-day recital of the holy Hindu scriptures, the Shreemad Bhagwat, at the Jalaram Mandir in Greenford, London, came to an emotional close last Saturday (4). Thousands of devotees watched the virtual katha broadcast on the Aastha television channel in the UK, US and India. The discourse was hosted by the Dhamecha family in memory of Khodidasbhai Dhamecha, who passed away earlier this year, and his brother Jayantibhai Dhamecha and granddaughter Visha Bharti. Pradipbhai Dhamecha, CEO of the Dhamecha Group, took part in the proceedings by playing Lord Krishna’s father Vasudev. Pradipbhai is pictured above carrying the baby Krishna in a basket crossing the Yamuna river with Sheshnag shielding the newborn from the thunderstorm, while his wife Veena is seen clapping to welcome the newborn.
nCHANCELLOR Rishi Sunak was set on Wednesday (8) to unveil a mini-budget to help kickstart the UK economy following devastation wreaked by coronavirus fallout, featuring green investment worth £3 billion.
The chancellor hopes the plan will help to support more than 100,000 green jobs, including across the construction sector.
He will offer £2bn in grants for households to insulate homes and make them more energy efficient, the Treasury said in a statement on Tuesday (7), as Eastern Eye went to press.
Sunak will also provide £1bn in green grants for public sector buildings, including hospitals, schools and social housing. In England, the government aims to pay for at least two thirds of homeowner costs on green upgrades. “As Britain recovers from the outbreak, it’s vital we do everything in our power to support and protect livelihoods across the nation,” Sunak said in the statement.
“Our green homes grant will not only cut families’ bills by making their homes energy efficient, it will also kick start our economy by creating thousands of green jobs – and supporting those skilled tradespeople who are ready to work.”
Households will be offered vouchers of up to £5,000 to make their homes more energy efficient, while some of the poorest families will be given up to £10,000.
The plan is part also of Britain’s long term pledge to reduce carbon emissions to net zero by 2050 to tackle climate change.
Prime minister Boris Johnson has vowed that his Conservative administration will deliver an “infrastructure revolution” to help Britain build its way out of the economic devastation wreaked by the virus.
Recent official data showed that the UK economy suffered its biggest quarterly contraction for more than 40 years – at minus 2.2 per cent in the period between January and March.
However, the data included only the first full week of the lockdown and economists expect subsequent damage to be considerably worse for the second quarter.