IMA supports 85% pictorial health warnings on tobacco product packs
Over two lakh member doctors of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) have strongly urged the union health ministry to withstand all tobacco industry resistance and implement the 85% pictorial health warnings on tobacco packages enforced from April 1, 2016. Maharashtra FDA is the first government body to have begun a crackdown on distributors selling the products without appropriate warnings. Doctors say large and graphic pack warnings are critical for India because of its low literacy levels. The warnings will effectively communicate the range of diseases caused due to tobacco use, discourage non-users, including youth from starting and encourage current users to stop. “Other countries may have large text warnings but we need to reach out to those who are unable to read. Therefore, 85% pictorial health warnings are necessary in India,” said Dr SS Agarwal, national president of IMA. “The skyrocketing health costs of tobacco use in India, which stand at 1,04,500 crore rupees, have devastating effects on the lives of people as well as the economy. Those working in or affiliated to the tobacco industry must publicly acknowledge the harsh consequences of tobacco use and their capacities must be built to become community based quit counselors as an alternate employment opportunity,” he said. He further added that the issue of illicit trade of tobacco products is unrelated to pictorial health warnings and large warnings do not affect such trade activities. “We are against illicit trade of all products, which must be dealt with stringent action by the Government,” he said. “IMA only has one direct interest: to save lives. Workers engaged in tobacco production have to deal with several debilitating medical conditions like green tobacco sickness in the farms and lung diseases in the bidi factories. These people must transition to other sectors. The government is enforcing measures like the 85% pack warnings to de-normalize tobacco use, so as to protect youth and poor from becoming addicted to tobacco. We fully support this initiative”, Aggarwal added.
IL&FS keen to invest in infra projects in Hyderabad
Prominent infrastructure firm IL&FS today evinced interest in investing in different infra projects in Hyderabad, including housing and roads, the Telangana government said. IL&FS representatives met Telangana Municipal Administration Minister K T Rama Rao and held talks with him, a state government release said. IL&FS expressed its readiness in taking part in the revival of Musi river here, the release added.
Bhopal to get Rs 22,000 crore ‘smart’ booster
Development in Bhopal is set to receive a huge boost with about Rs 22,000 crore to be pumped into revamping city infrastructure in the next five years. On Wednesday, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced Rs 15,000 crore will be spent on Bhopal’s development in the next five years. Later Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) clarified that Chouhan’s announcement was apart investment in proposed Bhopal Metro, which is likely to take off from June. Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has in principle agreed to provide a soft loan of around Rs 7,000 crore for development of first phase of 83-km metro rail in Bhopal. “People who come to the state capital get swayed by its beauty. Rs 15,000 crore will be spent on Bhopal’s development in the next five years and a blue-print for this has been drawn,” said Chouhan. He also inaugurated the longest rail-over-bridge (RoB) that has been named after Veer Savarkar. In a reference to opposition of smart city development at Shivaji Nagar, Chouhan indicated there was no going back on location project site. A redevelopment model for smart city development in Bhopal and its impact on the green cover has highlighted by citizen groups in the recent past. “Greenery will be enhanced by the smart city project. Smart City development will bring about more jobs and development,” he assured. Rs 8,000 crore smart city project pitch was selected in union government smart cities mission. Bhopal is among the 20 cities selected in the first phase. An additional, Rs 100 crore from the CM infrastructure development was also allocated for BMC. It would cover for additional cost incurred in construction of Habibganj RoB and two other flyovers on Upper Lake and Lower Lake. Habibganj RoB has been built for Rs 82 crore. It was originally estimated to cost Rs 37 crore. Rs 1,500 crore will be spent on development of Hamidia road including a new interstate bus terminal (ISBT) at Old Sabzi Mandi, said BMC mayor Alok Sharma. It would part of the Rs 15,000 crore to be spent on Bhopal’s development in the next five years, as announced by CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday. Speaking on the side-lines of the inauguration of Habibganj RoB, Sharma said, “Development of Bhopal as a whole is being planned. Over the years, old parts of the state capital have not received due attention,” said Sharma. “Existing bus stand cannot handle the current requirements. Those coming from nearby areas, usually get a connecting train from Bhopal main railway station rather than Habibganj. A new ISBT would cater to this demand,” he said. Sources said the BMC has put forth the proposal and would be incorporated in the upcoming Bhopal master plan. BMC tax increase likely: CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan commented at low tax collection in Bhopal. BMC sources said that development of the city could mean additional cess by BMC. Multiple bodies, development plans overlap Each of the urban bodies in the state capital is out to get a piece of the various development projects in the state capital. In the absence of a master plan, most of the projects like construction of flyover to grid-separators on congested intersections may not be a reality anytime soon. In the Bhopal Development Authority (BDA) budget for 2016-17, its chairman Om Yadav proposed, construction of flyovers with to unclog Bhopal city traffic. BDA’s main proposal are at Lal Ghati and Board Office square at MP Nagar. Metro rail is proposed to pass through both the places and BDA’s proposal for a grid-separator at the intersection may never see the light of day. Similarly, BMC proposed flyover at Rangmahal remains unlikely given the metro rail project. Development projects related to the Rs 15,000 crore would be take shape in the days ahead after with between BMC, Bhopal Development Corporation, Bhopal Smart city development corporation limited and Madhya Pradesh metro rail company limited (MPMRCL), clarified a government official. After Raja Bhoj, statue of Rani Kamlapati at Upper Lake Rani Kamlapati Palace, Bhopal’s only archaeological survey of India (ASI) protected structure may get much needed lift over. The only remaining part of Rani Kamlapati palace, is considered to be the bath and wash area of the once majestic seven-storey structure built around in early 18th century. “City’s heritage look will be maintained. Rani Kamlapati palace will be renovated. Instruction has been given to install a mammoth bust of Rani Kamlapati at Upper Lake. Bhopal will be transformed into smart city where more greenery will be there and city will wear a unique look after transformation,” said CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan. He also announced installation of a statue of Gond queen, Rani Kamlapati on the Upper Lake.
Remove all speed breakers from national highways, orders Union road transport ministry
The road transport ministry has asked state governments and agencies like NHAI, state PWDs and BRO to remove all speed breakers from highways, which hinder smooth movement of traffic apart from being a safety hazard on high-speed corridors. The ministry has sought details of action taken by next Wednesday. It has also asked for details of rumble strips that have been laid with approval. According to the Road Accident Report (2014), published by the ministry, 4,726 lives were lost in crashes due to humps while 6,672 people died in accidents caused due to potholes and speed breakers. In its recent circular, the ministry mentioned that at many places local authorities are constructing road bumps or speed breakers to check vehicular speed despite guidelines being in place. “This is undesirable, as the function of national highways is to facilitate movement of traffic. Speed breakers can be a source of serious hazards and accidents to the fast-moving traffic,” it said. Referring to its earlier circulars, the ministry said these recommendations provide for properly designed rumple strips at locations such as sharp curves on level crossings and congested or accident-prone areas where control of speed on national highways is unavoidable. “It has been noted that such rumble strips are being provided indiscriminately,” the ministry said adding that location of such traffic-calming measures must be approved by the highway agencies. It also said the agencies should explore the possibility of providing foot over-bridges or pedestrian underpasses on national highways to prevent pedestrians from coming over. International Road Federation chairman K K Kapila agreed there should be no speed-breakers on highways, but said these come up as highways pass through villages and people need to cross over to the other side. “We need to provide pedestrian and vehicular crossings to end this menace,” he said.
New plane gives flying school enough tailwind
In the hangar of the Government Flying Training School (GFTS) in Jakkur, one aircraft stands apart from the vintage Pushpak and Tiger Moth. A spanking new Cessna-172S, the first aircraft the school acquired after it reopened in 2012, seems to signal the resurrection of this flying school. The school is now making do with three aircraft -one Cessna-172P Skyhawk and two Cessna-152 -all of which are over 35 years old. It has 31 students and could not admit more because of the Directorate Geeneral of Civil Aviation (DGCA) rule that requires a student, instructor, aircraft ration of 10:1:1. With the new aircraft, the school can now hire an additional instructor and also raise its student strength to 40, a figure last achieved a decade ago. The school, the only fully government-owned one in the whole of souther n India, was established on March 26, 1949 on 216 acres of land that was earmarked for the Jakkur aerodrome by the Maharaja of Mysuru before Independence. It remained shut from 2007 as the government did not appoint a chief flight instructor. Captain Amarjeet Singh Dange, who took over as the chief flight instructor (CFI) in November 2012 and pressed for the purchase of the new Cessna, hopes to augment his fleet with another aircraft in the next financial year. “That will also probably be a Cessna as the school has a setup for Cessna aircraft. Buying a Cirrus, Tecnam or a Diamond would involve building a new setup for them,” Capt Dange said. Since he took over, the new CFI had a modern Air Traffic Control constructed for the school. The additional advantage of the new aircraft, bought at a cost of `3.34 crore, is its glass cockpit with digitised controls, as opposed to the older ones which have manual controls. “Since the industry uses digitised controls today, we get trained on both types of machines which is a great exposure,” said Kaavya R, who is studying for her Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) on a scholarship. She is among the first batch of students who joined in August 2013 after the school reopened. The school charges `10,000 per hour of flying training per student.The total cost of the course could come up to approximately `20 lakh, considering the mandatory 200 hours of flying required before one obtains a CPL. The school receives an annual grant of `1 crore from state government. Fortyeight-year-old Krishna Durba, who is studying for his licence, says, “Yes, the school was shut for some time but now it is open and fully functional.”
Airports Authority of India asks GoAir to pay Rs 15 crore of dues
National airports operator AAI has asked Wadia Group airline GoAir to pay at least Rs 15 crore by Monday following its dues going up by more than its bank guarantee amount of over Rs 30 crore. Airports Authority of India (AAI) has served the notice to GoAir in this regard, asking it to pay the amount by April 18, a source privy to the matter said. GoAir’s dues at present stand at Rs 45 crore, while its bank guarantee is for a little over Rs 30 crore, the source said. “The AAI has asked the airline to bring down this outstanding amount to below Rs 30 crore and make payment of Rs 15 crore within the next five days,” the source said. The Mumbai-based no-frills carrier has accumulated these dues to AAI on account charges relating to route navigation, landing and parking at its airports. When contacted, the airline said it has always ensured to be within prescribed guidelines of the AAI on payment schedule. “GoAir has a robust process and mechanism to manage dues with AAI. As a business practice we are always in constant communication with AAI in all business-related matters and we ensure to remain within prescribed guidelines,” airline spokesperson said in a text message response. Mike Cammalleri Womens Jersey
AAI calls off talks with Singapore agency on Ahmedabad, Jaipur airports
National airports operator AAI has terminated discussions with a Singaporean government agency to operate and maintain Ahmedabad and Jaipur airports, a proposal which was mooted during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Singapore last November. Airports Authority of India’s (AAI) decision comes after its assessment that the Changi Airport’s proposal would not be commercially viable, a senior official close to the development said. With regard to Ahmedabad and Jaipur airports, AAI had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Singapore Cooperation Enterprise (SCE) during Modi’s visit to the island nation. In January, the Union Cabinet had also given its ex-post facto approval to the MoU. According to the official, AAI held discussions with people from Changi Airport but could not reach “mutually agreeable terms”. SCE had nominated Changi Airport for the proposed project. Changi Airport Group (Singapore) Pte Ltd runs the Changi airport in Singapore. As giving the operation and maintenance of the two airports to the Singapore entity would not be “commercially viable”, AAI has decided not to go ahead with the proposed collaboration, the official said. In this regard, AAI has written to the Singapore entity concerned, he added. Queries sent to AAI acting Chairman in-charge S Raheja on the issue did not elicit any response. According to the official, AAI would float a fresh tender to select entities through competitive bidding for operation and management of Ahmedabad and Jaipur airports. Under the MoU, both parties were to cooperate in planning and development of Ahmedabad and Jaipur airports besides other aspects including traffic and commercial development, service quality and operations and management. Globally, limited O&M (Operation & Maintenance) contract models are prevalent for the entire airport operations, the statement said, adding the AAI has no previous experience in awarding O&M contract model of terminal buildings to other entities. In order to implement the decision, it was necessary to ensure that a suitable entity be engaged for undertaking the O&M contract at Ahmedabad and Jaipur airports, the statement said. During 2014-15, Ahmedabad airport handled 5.05 million passengers, out of which 1.22 million were international travellers. In the same period, Jaipur airport saw 2.20 million passengers and out of them, 0.33 million were overseas people. Anthony Barr Authentic Jersey
Saudi, India discuss oil market situation, boost cooperation: Report
Saudi Arabia’s deputy oil minister Prince Abdulaziz Bin Salman discussed the situation in oil markets and further cooperation with India’s Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday, Saudi state news agency reported. The report did not give details but said the talks included “the evident role of the kingdom (in achieving) stability of the oil markets.” The two officials also discussed cooperation between the two countries in energy as well as boosting India’s purchases of crude oil and oil products, and joint investments. Saudi Arabia was the biggest oil supplier to India in February. India is one of the countries in which state oil giant Saudi Aramco is looking at in terms of downstream investments. The two officials also discussed cooperation between the two countries in energy as well as boosting India’s purchases of crude oil and oil products, and joint investments. Saudi Arabia was the biggest oil supplier to India in February. India is one of the countries in which state oil giant Saudi Aramco is looking at in terms of downstream investments. On Thursday, The International Energy Agency (IEA) said India could replace China as the main engine of global demand growth, estimating its demand growth at 300,000 bpd – the strongest ever volume increase. Leading oil producers including Saudi Arabia plan to meet in Doha on Sunday to cement a preliminary deal reached between Russia, Venezuela, Qatar and Saudi Arabia in February to freeze oil output at January levels to curb a glut in the oil market. Jim Brown Authentic Jersey
Dumping duty imposed on normal butanol from EU, US, Singapore, Malaysia, S Africa
The Finance Ministry has imposed definitive anti-dumping duty on normal butanol imports from the EU, US, Singapore, Malaysia and South Africa. Normal butanol is a primary alcohol that is a clear neutral liquid with a characteristic odour. A large part of N-Butanol is converted into derivatives for use as solvents in coating industries and printing inks. It also finds application as an extractant in production of drugs and natural substances, additives in polishes and cleaners and stabilisers in the textile industry. Andhra Petrochemicals had filed the petition seeking an anti-dumping probe on normal butanol imports from the US, the European Union, Singapore, Malaysia and South Africa. The anti-dumping duty, which will last for five years, ranged from ‘nil’ to $149.31 per ton depending on the producer and country of export (among the EU, US, Singapore, Malaysia and South Africa).
Oil glut set to ease this year: IEA
A global oil glut that hit energy companies hard but meant cheap prices for consumers is set to ease by the end of this year, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Thursday. However, the agency said any potential production freeze agreed by leading oil producers, who are due to meet in Qatar on Sunday, would only have a “limited” impact on supplies. Ahead of the highly anticipated Doha talks, the 29-nation IEA said the oil market, which for months has been depressed by a vast oversupply, is expected to practically balance out in the second half of the year. Prices shot to 2016 highs this week and are now well over US $40 a barrel after plummeting below US $30 early in the year. They are nevertheless far below the US $100-a-barrel mark of mid-2014. The IEA said in its monthly oil market report that it still anticipates “steady oil demand growth and falling non-OPEC supply”, referring to producers outside of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). Expectations that the Doha meeting will agree to freeze output have helped buoy prices recently after reports that state OPEC kingpin Saudi Arabia and non-OPEC producer Russia had reached a consensus on freezing output, boosted hopes of a wider deal. “We cannot know the outcome but if there is to be a production freeze, rather than a cut, the impact on physical oil supplies will be limited.”