First flight under regional air connectivity likely in January, says Civil Aviation Minister
Government expects the first flight under the regional air connectivity scheme, which is in advanced stages of finalisation, to take off in early January 2017, Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju has said. The Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS), which seeks to provide air services between un-served and under-served areas, is part of larger plans to boost the domestic aviation sector, which is clocking over 20 per cent passenger growth. Raju , under whose stewardship the civil aviation policy was announced in June, said work is at an advanced stage with respect to RCS. “We expect the first flight under RCS to take off by the end of this year or early January 2017,” he told PTI. The civil aviation ministry has already signed memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with various states, including Gujarat, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, for implementation of RCS. The scheme refers to operation of an air transport service between any two airports, of which at least one has been declared by the central government as un-served or under-served. There are 394 un-served and 16 under-served airports. Last week, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) said as many as 20 un-utilised airports are ready to start operations for regional flights. A slew of incentives are being proposed under RCS, including Rs 2,500 cap on airfare for one-hour flights. Airlines under RCS will be extended viability gap funding (VGF) while the states concerned are required to offer certain concessions such as providing police and fire services free of cost. Dion Sims Womens Jersey
Centre to invite bids from foreign funds for asset recycling
The Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways will invite bids from foreign pension funds for recycling of brownfield projects to raise funds, a senior official said. “The Cabinet has approved the proposal last month. There is a need for model concessional agreement after which the Request For Proposal (RFP) will be finalised,” Joint Secretary with the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways Rohit Kumar Singh said on the sidelines of a BCCI seminar here. Once the request for proposal was ready, bids would be invited, he said adding “We are expecting to invite bids in the next two or three months.” The process involves handing over of 75-odd brownfield road projects across the country to these foreign funds for a concession period of 30 years, he told reporters. During this period, the foreign funds would collect toll as per law and maintain them while ownership would not be transferred. “The ownership will remain with the government,” he said. Mr. Singh said in this way, the government was expected to garner Rs.50,000 crore which would be given upfront by the fund managers and would be then ploughed back in creating other new road assets. “This mechanism of called asset recycling which is quite popular in other countries like Australia,” Mr. Singh said. Carlos Henderson Womens Jersey
Rs 1000 for LPG connection under PMUY
A little more than Rs 1000 is enough for registration of a new LPG connection under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwal Yojana (PMUY) which is exclusively for women belonging to BPL families. For Manipur, registration of new LPG connection under PMUY would entail payment of Rs 2600 and this amount is exclusive of the price of LPG refill. Out of this Rs 2600, the consumer need to pay only Rs 1000 and this is the price of one LPG stove. The remaining Rs 1600 would be borne by the Government of India. Women seeking LPG connection under PMUY should buy LPG stoves of the brand name ‘Ujjwal Stove’ at Rs 1000 each. Except for this Rs 1000, they need not pay any extra money. The amount of Rs 1600 which should be borne by the Government of India consists of Rs 1250 for empty cylinder security deposit, Rs 150 for pressure regulator security deposit, Rs 100 for Suraksha hose pipe (1.2m), Rs 25 for DCC (Blue Book) and Rs 75 for inspection/installation/demonstration/ documentation. Only women belonging to BPL families listed in the Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) of 2011 are eligible for PMUY. Altogether 2,36,653 households of Manipur which are listed in SECC 2011 are eligible for the scheme. However, so far only 1020 women have applied for LPG connection under PMUY, informed an official source. Even as the Indian Oil Corporation has been working hard to launch PMUY in the State, LPG stock at the Sekmai bottling plant is almost nil. Sekmai bottling plant has six storage tanks and their combined capacity is 1800 metric tonnes. Four of the storage tanks are of 150 MT capacity each while two are of 600 MT capacity. The stock position at Sekmai bottling plant declined to nil as LPG bullet tankers stopped transporting LPG into the State citing the prevailing law and order condition. J’Marcus Webb Womens Jersey
POWER GRID PREPARING TRANSMISSION INFRA IN TELANGANA
The Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (PGCIL) has commenced the process of developing the 765kV Wardha-Dichpally-Maheshwaram transmission line in Telangana State for enabling receipt of 1,000 MW power supply from Chhattisgarh. The project is expected to be completed by December this year and power supply may start the same month from Chhattisgarh to Telangana State, officials informed. Notably, the Chhattisgarh Government decided to sell 1,000 MW of power to the newly formed Telangana State in 2014. Chief Minister Raman Singh and his counterpart from Telangana, K Chandrashekhar Rao had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the purpose in Raipur on November 3, 2014. The officials of Chhattisgarh State Power Distribution Company Limited (CSPDCL) had stated at that time that the decision to sell electricity to Telangana was taken in view of increasing power production capacity of Chhattisgarh and after fulfilling the power supply requirement of the State. They added Telangana government will bear the transmission expenses in supplying the power to it. The CSPDCL will get trading margin money and this will add to the income of the company. This will thereby help in reducing the electricity rates in Chhattisgarh on the basis of competition, they had stated. The officials said that the contract was signed after considering the power received from private power generating companies. They claimed that the State will not face any power shortage due to the deal signed with Telangana. In the month of May last year, the Central government had also notified generation linked projects in Chhattisgarh and Odisha with a view to encouraging participation of Private sector in building the Transmission capacity in India, officials stated. It had notified 14 power transmission schemes worth Rs. 33,900 crore during 2014-15 across the country. These transmission schemes includes 765 kV and 400 kV transmission system strengthening schemes in the Northern, Western, Southern, North Eastern Regions and would facilitate transfer of Power from new Hydro electric projects in Bhutan and the generation linked projects in Chhattisgarh and Odisha etc. By the end of 12th five year plan, the power generation installed capacity of Chhattisgarh is expected to reach 22,000 Megawatt, officials informed. According to officials, the per capita power consumption in Chhattisgarh has jumped from 300 units to 1,724 units. In the view of increasing power supply demand, the Chhattisgarh State Power Generation Company Ltd (CGPGCL) has made an investment of Rs 22,000 crore, officials informed. Officials further informed that the number of very high-pressure sub-centers and distribution systems have also increased in the State. They further informed that for the first time gas based very high sub center has been developed in Raipur and in the same way very high sub-centers based on hybrid technology is being used. For ensuring continuous power supply, double transmission-distribution system has been developed in some key areas of the State. David Johnson Jersey
Govt plans Rs 1,000 cr Sterlite project to rid Gurgaon of blackouts
Gurgaon’s chronic power woes could be a thing of the past in a little more than a year from now. A Rs 1,000 crore-plus transmission project is under way to raise electricity supply to the millennium city and its surrounding areas, home to scores of multinationals, call centres and manufacturing units, by 2,000-3,000 MW. The project, awarded to Sterlite Power promoted by NRI metals-and-mining tycoon Anil Agarwal, is part of the Jagdish Khattar government’s efforts to turn Haryana into a zero-blackout state. The Sterlite project would prop up another plan being pursued by the central and state governments to make Gurgaon the first city in the country with a full-scale smart grid that would allow consumers to reduce power bills by turning into ‘prosumers’- becoming suppliers during the day by feeding surplus power from rooftop solar systems into the mains and drawing back in the night. The Sterlite project envisages laying four lines totalling 170 km and three high-power sub-stations to raise wheeling capacity to rid the area of generators and power cuts. The sub-stations would strengthen the network in Gurgaon and connect other sub-stations located at Palwal, Rangla, Rajpur and adjoining areas of Meerpur Kurah in Haryana – all part of the inter-state transmission system. “This project is quite challenging as it passes through established human settlements. We are confident of delivering it ahead of schedule, as we have been doing on our other projects,” Sterlite Power CEO Pratik Agarwal told TOI. Land acquisition has begun and the financial closure is expected any time now. “It’s a matter of days,” a company source said. The company is confident of completing the project in 17 months, or by the middle of 2018, much ahead of the sanctioned time. Besides augmenting power supply to residential areas, the project would also improve reliability of electricity supply for manufacturing and service sectors in the region and help generate jobs. The transmission links are proposed between Aligarh and Prithla , covering a distance of 52 Km. The second line between Prithala and Kadarpur would cover 40 km and the third one linking Kadarpur with Sohna Road travel 21 Km, while the fourth between Neemrana and Dhanonda would cover 54 Km. The sub-stations are being planned at Sohna Road, Kadarpur and Prithla along with associated 400 kv (kilo volt) connectivity. Sergei Fedorov Womens Jersey
No possibility of setting up nuclear plant in Punjab: SAD
Ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today ruled out the possibility of setting up a nuclear plant anywhere in Punjab, holding there was no feasibility for it in the state, a day after the Centre said it was looking at possible sites in Uttarakhand, Punjab and Haryana. SAD General Secretary and Member of Parliament Prem Singh Chandumajra said there was no feasibility for setting up a nuclear power plant in the state. He said if the Centre really wants to set up nuclear plants, it should look for sites in Rajashatan or Madhya Pradesh. Read More: Green activists oppose nuclear plant near Doon. Govt. exploring opportunities to set up nuclear power plants in U’khand, Punjab and Haryana. Meanwhile, chairman of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) K D Chaudhary said no such proposal was there for consideration with the state. He said that the state is “power plus” now. Yesterday, Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office Jitendra Singh had said that the central government is looking at possible sites in Uttarakhand, Punjab and Haryana for setting up new atomic power plants. The Congress government had rejected the proposal for setting up a nuclear power plant in Darauli in Patiala in 2000. CORR VJ AJR SC AJR Derrick Johnson Jersey
Diwali power boost with eye on polls in UP
The people of poll-bound Uttar Pradesh can expect a brighter Diwali this year as the state government is all set to increase power supply around the festival of lights, which is on October 30. Presently, rural and urban areas get 12-14 hours and 18-22 hours of power supply, respectively. This will be increased to 16-18 hours for rural and 22-24 hours for urban areas. A formal announcement is likely to be made by chief minister Akhilesh Yadav. Managing director, UP Power Corporation Limited, A P Mishra said all preparations for an increased power supply will be completed by October-end. “It was part of the state government commitment,” he said. Sources said that the state government seeks to wheel in more power when the demand lessens. As on date, while the demand is at the peak up to 15,000MW, the UPPCL is able to provide nearly 13,000MW, leaving a gap of nearly 2,000MW. The rural areas are facing prolonged power cuts and the maximum power supply is in the range of nearly 10-12 hours. The same is with urban areas where power supply is to the tune of 18-22 hours. Sources said the state government is looking to not only state-owned power plants but also those of the private sector like Rosa, Bajaj, Bara and Lanco for a higher and efficient generation. While the UP Rajya Utpadan Nigam has set a target of nearly 4,000MW from state-owned power plants, the UPPCL expects to get nearly 5000MW just from private players. A senior UPPCL official, however, said power supply from IPP will come through only after a separate power corridor is created. “For this, we need to have a Short Term Open Access (STOC) and Long Term Open Access agreement,” he added. Zay Jones Jersey
Border village, devoid of electricity or roads, hopes for a better future
A visit to Thapliyalkheda, a village in Champawat district on the Indo-Nepal border is an illustrative example of how villages in the far-flung reaches of Uttarakhand remain disconnected from the rest of the region and the country even now in times of instant communication. Located around 170 km from Nainital, the judicial capital of the state and headquarters of Kumaon division, the village of around 45 families still has no electricity or road. Till 1998, the villagers were also not able to exercise their voting rights since their names were not included in the area’s electoral rolls due to few officials visiting the place because of its inaccessibility. Visiting the village is like going back a few decades in time — in the absence of electricity, life comes to a standstill after sunset although some families have started using solar powered lanterns provided by the Sahastra Seema Bal (SSB) which guards the border areas. The irony is that the National Hydropower Corporation-operated Tanakpur power plant on Sharda river is just nine kilometres from the village. The other irony is that the area is represented by a MLA of the ruling Congress but still has to struggle with basic sadak, bijli, paani issues. Residents say that till the time the SSB moved into the area (in 2001), they also had to grapple with mischievous elements from across the border. “People from Nepal used to come and take away away our cattle. We were helpless as no official used to visit us. Only sometimes, officials from the forest department came to our area. We had to struggle a lot in order to get our names included in the voters’ list which happened only in 1998,” said Mohan Singh, the village head. The remoteness of the village can be gauged from the fact that the only sound one can hear is of an occasional vehicle of the armed forces making its way to the border outpost which is just a few kilometres away. Most of the youth of the village work either as daily wagers or farmers. With the arrival of the SSB in the area though, some hope has sparked amongst villagers of a better future. The border force has started providing basic amenities to villagers like solar lanterns, medical and public phone facilities as well as guidance for those youngsters who want to join the armed forces. In the pipeline, says Shyam Singh, inspector general, of SSB frontier Ranikhet, is a plan to light up around 10,000 homes in the border areas with solar units. SSB has collaborated to this effect with the NGO SCALE (Society to Create Awareness Towards Life & Environment). According to Arun Sinha, general secretary, SCALE, solar lanterns for use in villages like Thapliyalkheda are being manufactured in Uttarakhand for which units and workshops have been set up in Haldwani and other towns. Radha, a class nine student of Thapliyalkheda student who uses a solar lantern to study, says she wants to “become a doctor and cure everyone in the village.” Similar aspirations abound among other youngsters. Pooja Dhek, a 23-year-old graduate has recently appeared in the physical fitness test for entry into the SSB. “I want to get a government job so that I can support my family and do something for my village,” she says, eyes sparkling with hope for the future. Ryan Allen Jersey
ONGC Top Guns Face Travel Allowance Cut
The directors at Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) are set to lose the perk of claiming full travel allowance and comforts while working in Delhi that helped them claim piles of cash on top of their salaries. The directors are officially based at Dehradun, the company HQ, but mostly operate from Delhi and end up being on a perennial tour to Delhi, claiming daily allowance, residential and any other benefit available to a visiting top executive. An oil ministry decision will now end this. For directors, the headquarters will be changed to Delhi, said sources with direct knowledge of the matter. “The company’s headquarters will remain at Dehradun. The shift from Dehradun to Delhi is only with respect to directors’ base. This will help us save public money,” said a source. At present, most directors have company-paid accommodations in Delhi and Dehradun or another city, sources said. The houses, called transit accommodation, are in posh localities of Delhi with monthly lease of Rs 2 lakh or more. Another perk directors will lose is daily allowance of about Rs 1,800 or roughly Rs 50,000 per month. The food and transport is also paid for by ONGC. “As per terms and conditions of their appointment, the ‘headquarters’ of CMD and functional directors is Dehradun. However, in the terms and conditions of appointment of director (onshore) received from ministry of petroleum & natural gas on 27.09.2016, his headquarters has been mentioned as ‘New Delhi’,” ONGC said in response to ET’s email query. According to sources, similar communications are being sent to other directors and chairman as well. “During their stay at Delhi, chairman & managing director/directors are provided with transit accommodation instead of hotel. “However, during their visits to Dehradun, they avail ONGC guest house. CMD/directors are not claiming any DA for their stay at Delhi,” ONGC said. At present, ONGC has seven functional directors, including the chairman, two government nominee directors and three independent directors, according to its annual report. Linus Ullmark Jersey
No option but to run Gail pipeline through farmland: Union min
Union petroleum and gas minister Dharmendra Pradhan has reiterated that the gas pipeline in western districts of Tamil Nadu will go only through farmland and there is no other alternative to the pipeline along highways. In a letter to DMK Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi, the minister said the Centre would hold talks with the Tamil Nadu government and find a solution the problem. Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) is laying pipes from Kochi to Bengaluru through Coimbatore, Tirupur, Salem, Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri. Of the total 879km, the pipeline will be passing through 310km in Tamil Nadu. “You had raised the issue in the Rajya Sabha as a calling attention motion. I consulted the company officials on the project. The farmers will retain ownership of their land even after the pipes are laid,” said Pradhan. Adding, since the pipes are laid one metre below the ground, there is no danger to crops cultivated in the land. He said pipes could not be laid on highways as it was not possible to set up valve stations and maintenance stations. Farmers in the districts are apprehensive of losing their land. “Land will be acquired only on a temporary basis and only if there are trees or buildings which need to be uprooted or demolished. Suitable compensation will be paid based on the revenue loss as well as based on the Petroleum and Minerals Pipelines (Acquisition of Right of User Inland) Act, 1962,” said the minister. The Supreme Court on February 2, 2016 ordered the Tamil Nadu government to compensate the farmers as per the market rate as on January 1, 2016. “The court had ordered 10% of the land value and 30% on compassionate basis to the farmers for the use of the farmland. After laying of the pipes, the land will be returned to the farmers who can carry out normal cultivation activities on the land,” he said. Ben Hutton Womens Jersey