ONGC gets green nod for Rs 350 crore drilling project in Gujarat
State-owned ONGC has received green nod for its Rs 350 crore project of drilling 22 exploratory wells in NELP-9 blocks located at Banaskantha, Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad districts of Gujarat. According to the proposal, wells would be drilled in blocks CB-CNN-2010/1, 6 and 9, which were awarded to ONGC way back in March 2012 through the NELP-9 bidding process. The petroleum exploratory licence to start the activities as per the production sharing contract (PSC) was granted in February 2013. The initial contract period is seven years. “Based on the views of the expert appraisal committee (EAC), the union environment ministry has given environmental clearance to the ONGC drilling project in Gujarat subject to strict compliance of specific and general conditions,” a senior government official said. The clearance has been granted only for exploratory drilling of 22 wells. In case development drilling is to be done in future, the company should take prior clearance from the ministry, the official said. The total cost of the project is Rs 350 crore. Each well will be drilled up to a depth of 3,000 metres. Among conditions specified, the company has been asked to prepare an oil spillage prevention scheme and comply with the guidelines of disposal of solid waste, drill cutting and drilling fluids for onshore drilling operations. The company has been asked to take necessary measures to prevent fire hazards, containing oil spill and soil remediation as needed. On completion of drilling, the company has been asked to plug the drilled wells safely and obtain a certificate of environment safety from the authority concerned. ONGC is engaged in hydrocarbon exploration and production activities in about 26 sedimentary basins of India, owns and operates more than 11,000 kilometres of pipelines in India and contributes 80 per cent of the country’s crude oil production.
Govt releases Rs 345 cr for ‘Smart Jaipur, Udaipur’
Pink City is now a step closer to being a ‘smart city’, with the Centre releasing Rs 186 crore allocated to it under the ‘Smart City Mission’. The amount assigned for Udaipur under the scheme (Rs 159.20 crore) has also been released. It was in January this year that the central government set the ball rolling on its Smart Cities plan by announcing the first list of 20 cities, which included two from the state – Jaipur and Udaipur. “The funds were sanctioned on March 31. We are about to get the money and would initiate work under the Smart City Mission soon,” said local self-government department’s principal secretary Manjit Singh. The meeting of the board of directors of Jaipur Smart Mission Limited, which is the special purpose vehicle (SPV) for taking forward the smart city proposal, is scheduled for April 6 at JMC headquarters. Issues like appointment of a chief executive officer (CEO) for the SPV will be discussed at the meeting. The SPV has been registered under the Companies Act, 2013. It has a 10-member board of directors that includes Jaipur mayor Nirmal Nahata, Jaipur development commissioner (JDC) Shikhar Agarwal, Jaipur collector Krishna Kunal and JMC CEO Ashutosh Pednekar, among others. “The chairman of the board is Manjit Singh. The chief executive officer (CEO) will be appointed from outside. This issue will be discussed at the board’s first meeting,” said the official. The CEO will be supervising and managing day-to-day operations of the SPV. The person would also help the board in overseeing the implementation of the SPV’s long- and short-term plans.
L&T wins Rs 2,125-crore contracts including major Karnataka highway project
Infrastructure major Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has won contracts worth Rs 2,125 crore, including a major highway project in Karnataka. “The construction arm of Larsen & Toubro has won orders worth Rs 2,125 crore across its various businesses. The transportation infrastructure business has bagged a new engineering, procurement and construction order worth Rs 821 crore from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI),” the company today said in a statement. The contract is for four-laning of the Addahole (Gundya) to Bantwal cross of NH-75 (old NH no. 48) in Karnataka. The project is scheduled be completed in 30 months and involves construction of 63 kms of four-lane dual carriage way with concrete pavement in addition to the construction of 14.5 km of service roads, two flyovers, two major bridges, 14 minor bridges, nine underpasses and a toll plaza. “The order is an index of L&T’s expansion in the road infrastructure space, with the company having bagged prestigious road and bridge projects both in the international and domestic markets, thanks to its well-established capabilities,” the company said. It said its Smart World and Communication business has bagged orders worth Rs 761 crore, which involve design and implementation of safe cities using integrated security features and intelligent and integrated traffic management systems. The company said additional orders worth Rs 543 cr have also been received from various ongoing jobs of Power Transmission & Distribution and Buildings & Factories businesses. Larsen & Toubro is an Indian multinational engaged in technology, engineering, construction, manufacturing and financial services with over USD 15 billion in revenue.
Telangana to set up two electronic clusters in Hyderabad, eying $7.5billion business
Telangana, which on Monday unveiled Information Technology policy with various incentives pertaining to land and power, and reimbursement of stamp duty and registration fee among others, is eying $7.5 billion of production of electronics by 2020 from $1 billion now. Towards achieving this ambitious target, Telangana proposes to invest heavily on IT parks and infrastructure for the ICT companies in the cities and rural areas, including two large electronics manufacturing clusters in nearly 1,000 acres on the Hyderabad outskirts. Aimed at promoting the use of information technology across verticals, India’s newest state also unveiled sectoral policies focussed on innovation, electronics, gaming and animation and rural technology. Infosys founder NR Narayana Murthy unveiled Telangana’s Information and Communications Technology (ICT) policy, while other sectoral policies were launched by Manipal Global Education’s chairman Mohandas Pai and Niti Ayog’s member VK Saraswat. Telangana’s IT minister KT Rama Rao said, “We have the potential to grow in sectors like gaming and animation, cyber security etc., and with such dedicated policies, it will give an impetus to the sectors as also boost our IT production.” Telangana government hopes to attract investments worth $3 billion in the Electronic System Design and Manufacturing (ESDM) sector by 2020. The ICT policy gives thrust on acquiring large tracts of land for IT/ITeS SEZs and the government plans to rope in global agencies like World Bank, World Economic Forum for setting up incubators focused on rural and social enterprises. The government has also inked 28 deals with several partners to promote skill training in the state. The entities that entered into agreements with Telangana include Development Bank of Singapore, University of Cambridge, TiE, Cisco, Microsoft India, CDAC, YES Bank, Nasscom, Value Labs, Fractal Analytics, LED Manufacturers, Max Touch, Kwality Photonics, Axiom, Aries Group, TalentSprint and IMAI among others. Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao said, “We have made easier for companies to set up their units here with our Industrial policy. Under the TSiPass policy, we have given clearances to 1,691 companies under the stipulated 15 days of time and 813 of them are now in stage of production.” Under the innovation policy, Telangana plans to develop one million square feet of work space dedicated to start-ups in five years along with expansion of state backed incubator, T-Hub, to house 900 start-ups and have similar facilities in tier-II cities of the state. As a part of the gaming and animation policy, the state government proposes to create dedicated infrastructure in the form of ‘Game City’ over six lakh square feet of space. It proposes to provide facilities for animation and gaming companies, digital film production houses, music and television studios, training academies and entertainment complexes. “Our policy focusses not only on consolidating our strengths but also on making pioneering efforts into new and emerging areas,” said IT minister Rama Rao, who is also the son of chief minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao. “We might have got on the IT bus later than others in the past, but I am confident that we will not only be on the bus in time but also drive it.”
Government to develop 25 regional airports, says FM Arun Jaitley
To improve air connectivity, Union Minister Arun Jaitley today said the government plans to develop 25 regional airports. “This year I have set a target of having 25 more regional airports,” Jaitley said. Speaking at a conference here, the finance minister also emphasised the need for having long-term funding for infrastructure. He said the government is looking to develop 15 airstrips owned by the state governments and 10 that are with the Airports Authority of India (AAI). There are around 160 airstrips that are lying unused, he said while talking about the steps taken by the government for infrastructure development in the country. According to the minister, AAI would be able to fund itself from the money coming from Delhi and Mumbai airports. The international airports in the national capital and Mumbai are run through public private partnerships, where AAI is a stakeholder. Further, Jaitley said the operation and management of some developed airports could be given to private players. The government has been working on ways to bolster aviation sector, especially increasing regional connectivity amid rising number of air passengers. In the draft civil aviation policy, which is in the advanced stages of finalisation, various measures have been mooted for boosting regional air connectivity.
3 runways, 8 radars and a dozen pair of eyes
t the Indira Gandhi International airport, a brigade of air traffic controllers handles 1,100 landings and take-offs every day. In peak time, it manages up to 75 flights an hour. This works out to one flight operation each minute, making the Delhi Air Traffic Control (ATC) station the country’s busiest. “Our aim is to ensure safety of aircraft, maintain regular flow of flights and avoid incidents involving aircraft or passengers,” says a senior Delhi ATC official. “We have state-of-the-art automation system provided by a US-based firm, which gives us the capacity to manage 75 flight movements per hour on the three runways and two terminals at IGI airport.” Air traffic at Mumbai is comparably higher, says an official, but IGI is the only airport in the country that employs three runways simultaneously. The controllers work in five shifts to keep the ATC operational 24×7. Each shift is headed by a Watch Supervisory Officer (WSO), who oversees the functioning of 55 controllers. Over all, Delhi ATC is headed by a general manager, Air Traffic Movement (ATM). “A team of 11-12 officers sits in the tower managing the landings and take-offs at IGI. The Delhi ATC has jurisdiction over 250 nautical miles. This space is divided in four sectors that are manned by four teams with three members in each,” explains an official. “To prevent collisions, ATC enforces traffic separation rules that obligate aircraft to maintain a prescribed minimum unoccupied space around it at all times. Many aircraft also have collision-avoidance systems. These provide additional safety by warning pilots when other aircraft get too close.” The Delhi ATC uses feeds from eight radars. At IGI airport, there is a long-range instrument called the Air Route Surveillance Radar (ARSR) with the capability of coving the entire 250 nautical miles under Delhi’s purview, two short-range radars keeping vigil on 60 nautical miles of territory, and two surface movement radars that manage the ground surveillance of the runways, apron area, taxiways and bays. Apart from these, the ATC gets feed from three other radars stationed at Varanasi, Udaipur and Bhopal for an integrated surveillance of the entire air space under its jurisdiction. “ARSR is 15 years old, while one of the short-range radars was only bought last year. But we ensure regular maintenance of all of them,” says an official. Apart from radars, IGI’s three runways are also capable of handling landings and take-offs from both ends. Of the six approaches to the runways, three are CAT III-enabled and allow flight operations even at visibility as low as 50 metres. Well-equipped and already at an advanced stage and prepared to handle the rising air traffic, one problem most ATCs face is staff shortage. Delhi, however, given its status as the busiest in the country, has been spared this problem. Elsewhere, the long and stress-filled working hours, the necessity of regularly keeping oneself updated with industry developments and low initial salaries keep the youth away from opting for an air traffic controller’s job. Despite these challenges, however, controllers testify that the responsibility that comes with the job is rewarding in itself.
Traders demand revisit of e-commerce FDI policy
Alleging violations of new FDI policy by major online market places, traders body CAIT has demanded that government should fix the loopholes and provide a level-playing field to small retailers. Opposing the policy permitting 100 per cent FDI in online market places, CAIT Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal said the government circular has no clear definition of a group company. “At times the Companies Act definition of Group Co is used. I believe with such definition entities like Cloudtail, which is a JV between Narayana Murthy’s investment Co and Amazon, is not group company of Amazon (this co sells more than 40 per cent of Amazon India sales). “Cloudtail actually is a listed Retailer on Amazon having investment of Amazon and keeps inventory still with some convuluted logic can carry on retail,” he alleged. According to the DIPP Circular, online market places are barred from inventory-based model and sales of a single retailer or a group company cannot exceed 25 per cent of total sales of the e-commerce company. “For all practical purposes, Amazon is controlling its operations and Murthy is only a name lender and still there is no restriction on operation of Cloudtail. Similarly, Flipkart has its own nominee like WS Retail,” he alleged. Khandelwal further said that the DIPP Circular says that there would be no influence on pricing by e-commerce firm. “However, currently the market place companies reimburse the discounts as marketing support. There is no way this route is blocked,” he alleged. “The most important part of the notification is that while DIPP makes rules there is no authority to check whether any violations are taking place. Or there is no forum to which a small Retailer can complain,” he said. Around 10,000 traders across the country have gathered here for a two-day conclave to oppose the FDI policy. Khandelwal said government should provide a level-playing field to small traders who are contributing over 40 per cent of the GDP and providing employment to six crore people. “E-commerce firms are funded through private equity fund or venture capitalist, which are interest free or by plain funds, which has 0.7 to 3 per cent interest rate while the traders get at 12 per cent,” he said. He also said that the policy “has been brought by the government without having any impact assessment and talking to the stakeholders of the sector”. Trade in around 24 segments has been hit by up to 40 per cent from deep discounting by on line firms, he said. “When FDI in e-commerce was not permitted then segments as mobile phones, consumer electronics, gift items, luggage, crockery, toys has been hit by up to 40 per cent and now when 100 per cent FDI is allowed then we would not be able to compete with them,” Khandelwal said. “We are demanding for a rollback of the government’s new policy of e-commerce allowing 100 per cent FDI (in marketplace format),” he added.
Online shopping to be costlier in Himachal
Online shopping is slated to become costlier in Himachal Pradesh as the state government on Monday introduced an amendment bill to impose tax on all kind of transactions that are resulting in tax evasions. Excise and Taxation Minister Prakash Chaudhary tabled the Himachal Pradesh Tax on Entry of Goods into Local Area (Amendment) Bill of 2016 in the assembly, making provisions to tax online business products. With a view to tap the revenue potential of the ever-growing online shopping business, it is proposed that online purchases be brought under the ambit of the act and the person in-charge of such goods shall be liable to pay the tax on behalf of the importer, he said. The bill is likely to be passed in the ongoing budget session before it is adjourned sine die on April 7.
Turbine fuel tankers pose risk to lives at old Dabolim airport
The lives of people working at the old terminal building of Dabolim airport are at risk due to the movement of tankers containing aviation turbine fuel. As per available information from some of the staff attached to the airlines, the constant movement of tankers loaded with aviation turbine fuel poses danger to the lives of people. It was disclosed that several tankers containing aviation turbine fuel from various petroleum companies make its way to the new terminal building of Dabolim airport in order to provide fuel to airlines which are parked on the apron. These tankers pass from the entrance gate of the old terminal building where several vehicles involving those of yellow black cabs are parked haphazardly. “Airline staff besides passengers, policemen face a risk to their lives, incase of any accident which may take place at the entrance gate of the old Dabolim airport terminal due to constant movement of tankers, carrying aviation turbine fuel,” added an airline staff. He disclosed that the Airports Authority of India (AAI) should take the matter seriously and restrict parking of vehicles at the entrance gate of the old terminal building of Dabolim airport.
Airport Authority of India to study feasibility of height relaxation
The Airport Authority of India (AAI) will carry out a study on the proposal of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) seeking relaxation in the height of buildings in Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) and Wadala. Currently, the height restriction for BKC ranges from 40 metres to 80 metres and the MMRDA had requested the AAI grant a height relaxation of 90 metres in BKC and up to 200 metres in Wadala both at a radius of 8 km from the airport. Confirming the same, U.P.S. Madan, metropolitan commissioner, MMRDA, said, “We have been told that AAI has roped in international consultants to study the proposal of MMRDA and the study has also started, so we expect to get the final word on the height relaxation in the coming six months.” According to MMRDA officials, owing to the height restrictions they haven’t able to exploit the total area of every plot efficiently. The height restrictions near airports are imposed for two reasons. The area falls in the trajectory of the runway and tall buildings could be a hindrance in take-offs and landings. Secondly, the restrictions are imposed so that there is no interference with radar signals.