Government awards 49 port projects worth Rs 8,341 crore in FY17
The government awarded 49 port projects with an investment of Rs 8,341 crore in the previous fiscal, which will result in capacity addition of 104 MT. This was against a target of 102 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) capacity augmentation. “In respect of development of port infrastructure, 49 projects have been awarded with a capacity of 103.52 MTPA against a target of 102 MTPA with an investment of Rs 8,341.12 crore during the last fiscal,” Shipping, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari told PTI. He said concerted efforts to improve port infrastructure have resulted in the highest ever capacity addition of 100.59 MT in major ports during the last fiscal. “Major ports capacity during 2015-16 was 965.36 MTPA. This crossed 1,065 MTPA during 2016-17,” the minister said. India has 12 major ports — Kandla, Mumbai, JNPT, Marmugao, New Mangalore, Cochin, Chennai, Ennore, V O Chidambaranar, Visakhapatnam, Paradip and Kolkata (including Haldia) which handle approximately 61 per cent of the country’s total cargo traffic. Boosted by a slew of steps, the major ports surpassed private players by handling a record 647.43 million tonnes of cargo in 2016-17. They registered an annual growth rate of 6.79 per cent in cargo handling against 4.32 per cent in 2015-16, whereas private ports annual growth rate stood around 4 per cent in the just-concluded fiscal. Ben Gedeon Authentic Jersey
Record 8,231 km of national highways constructed in 2016-17: Nitin Gadkari
Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday said a record 8,231 kilometres of national highways were built during 2016-17. He also ordered fast-tracking of awarding and construction of national highway projects to further expedite them. Gadkari’s directions came as he reviewed various projects of National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) here. The minister said that while a record 16,271 kilometres of national highways were awarded and 8,231 kilometres constructed during the last fiscal, work needs to be done at a much faster pace to award more projects and construct those that have been awarded. He also announced that the best performing project director and regional officer would be awarded for their work. In 2015-16, a total of 6,029 kilometres of national highways were constructed which was also the highest till that year. Gadkari said the Mumbai-Vadodara, Bengaluru-Chennai and Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressways would be sanctioned by June 2017. “Tender for 33 wayside amenities is also to be floated by June 2017. Electronic toll collection will be made available on all lanes on all toll plazas by March 31, 2018,” a statement from his office said. Referring to the problem of land acquisition as one of the hurdles in implementation of projects, Gadkari called for “positive cooperation” from the state governments to tackle the issue. He also called for expeditious resolution of issues like forest clearances and appointment of independent engineers. Jacob Trouba Jersey
Haryana government exempts solar devices from Value Added Tax levy
In order to give a boost to implementation of the Haryana Solar Policy and also to encourage entrepreneurs to set up ventures for manufacturing solar devices and equipment in the state, the Haryana Government today exempted solar devices and equipment or parts used in installation of solar power projects, from the levy of Value Added Tax (VAT) in the state. A decision to this effect was taken by the Haryana Cabinet, which met under the chairmanship of the chief minister, Manohar Lal, here today. At present VAT of five per cent plus surcharge is levied on solar devices and equipment in the state. Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh have already exempted solar energy devices from VAT. Exemption of VAT will enable the trade and industry in Haryana to compete with other states where solar energy devices are exempted from VAT. This exemption will cost the state exchequer about Rs 2.30 crore. Solar devices like solar lantern, solar home system, stand along street lighting system, solar water heating system, solar water pumping system, solar cooker box as well as dish type, solar charger or inverter, solar photovoltaic modules, solar collectors, solar dishes, its inverters or power conditioning units, energy meters and alternators purchased for the installation of solar power generation plants both rooftop and ground mounted and spare parts like solar photovoltaic modules, solar collection and solar dishes would be exempted from levy of VAT. Patrick Peterson Authentic Jersey
Delhi’s power subsidy policy helps rich more than poor
Delhi government’s policy to subsidise power for households is undoubtedly among the most generous in the country but it is benefiting the rich more than the poor due to inefficiencies. While poor households on an average get subsidy of around Rs 1,000 per year as they consume less electricity, rich households end up benefiting by Rs 9,000, a Brookings India research paper has said. This is happening due to the combined impact of the eligibility criteria, which is based on how much one consumes, and the high subsidy cut-off point of 400 units a month. As a result, around 80 per cent of households qualify for the 50per cent subsidy paid with taxpayer’s money. “In some months, this goes as high as more than 95 per cent of households. This is beyond cross-subsidies approved by the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission in the tariffs that keep household power prices lower than cost,” the paper written by Brookings India fellow Rahul Tongia said. “Mid-level consumers, ostensibly the middle classes, enjoy more benefits on a percentage basis than the poor. The lowest tier gets under 33 pr cent subsidy on net billing on an average, while those using a little under the limit get over 40 per cent net subsidy,” the paper added. Delhi is one of the richest states in the country and has the highest per capita power consumption for households. Mark Barron Jersey
Civil aviation, AAI, Amritsar airport director told to hold meeting
The Punjab and Haryana high court on Tuesday asked the Union ministry of civil aviation, Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the director of the Amritsar international airport to hold a meeting with senior advocate M L Sarin, who is amicus curiae, regarding the operation of international flights by private airlines from the holy city. The meeting would be held within three weeks. Sarin will examine all possibilities of operating flights by private airlines interested in launching operation from Amritsar and submit his assessment to the HC. A division bench headed by Justice S S Saron passed these orders during the hearing of an ongoing petition filed by the Amritsar Vikas Manch (AVM) against the decision of Air India to divert the Amritsar-Birmingham flight to Delhi. Assistant solicitor general Chetan Mittal has been asked by the bench to facilitate the holding of the meeting. The order came after the court was informed that Air India was not making profit from its Amritsar-Birmingham flight. On March 28, the HC had asked Air India to explain as to why it had diverted the Delhi-Birmingham flight from Amritsar to Delhi despite the fact that majority of passengers were from Punjab. During the hearing, counsel for the AVM, Ankur Soni submitted a list of private airlines that were interested in starting a flight from the Amritsar airport for various international destinations. The AVM had approached the HC, seeking resumption of non-stop international Air India flights from Sri Guru Ram Dass Ji International Airport, Amritsar, to London, Birmingham and other destinations. It has been arguing that as per the 2015-16 statistics, 1,36,046 passengers travelled on the Amritsar-Delhi-Birmingham route. It was also argued that Delhi was the only airport which charges user development fee (UDF) from both arriving and departing passengers. This means that the charge for the Delhi-Amritsar-Birmingham flight would be around Rs 1,500 while Amritsar charged only Rs 950. The Delhi International Airport is charging around Rs 550 excess per passenger which for 1,36,046 passengers comes around to Rs 75 crore, which is the amount Air India is paying in excess to the Delhi airport but still not ready to start its flight from Amritsar. It was also stated that the c of Amritsar airport was Rs 50 crore, which could be compensated if Air India started its flight from there. Lanny McDonald Authentic Jersey
₹10-lakh cr umbrella road project to subsume Highways Development plan
The ambitious ?10-lakh-crore umbrella programme for roads, Bharatmala, will subsume the National Highways Development Project (NHDP), launched by the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government in 1998. This may be one of the last mega projects of the BJP government before it seeks public mandate in 2019, besides being the second largest highway project after the NHDP that saw development of about 50,000 km of NHs as per global standards. First phase investment The Prime Minister’s Office, after going through a presentation on the ambitious Bharatmala project earlier this month, has asked for Public Investment Board’s (PIB) clearance to the first phase of the project, a government official told PTI. The first phase will be carried out at an estimated investment of ?5.35 lakh crore for building 29,000 km of highways network that includes economic corridor schemes, coastal and other roads. “After viewing the presentation by the Road Transport and Highways Ministry, the PMO was of the view that a note should be floated for PIB approval,” said the official, who did not wish to be named. Blueprint ready “A blueprint of the Bharatmala project has already been finalised and detailed project reports (DPRs) are in the process of formation,” the official said. Another official in the know said the Bharatmala project has been envisaged as an umbrella programme that will subsume unfinished parts of the NHDP and also focus on the new initiatives such as creation of economic corridors, development of border and international connectivity roads, coastal and port connectivity roads and other corridors. The NHDP is being implemented in various phases and includes Golden Quadrilateral connecting four metropolises besides the North-South Corridor connecting Srinagar to Kanyakumari and East-West Corridor joining Porbandar to Silchar. About 10,000 km of projects under NHDP are yet to be completed and most likely will be awarded by the end of the year. The official said deliberations are under way for financing of the projects under Bharatmala and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) could be delegated projects under engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) as the NHAI board has the autonomy. 44 corridors identified A Road Transport and Highways Ministry-appointed study under the proposed Bharatmala project by global consultancy firm AT Kearney has identified 44 economic corridors. The economic corridor project is aimed at faster movement of cargo and will be developing not only economic corridors with a length of about 21,000 km but 14,000 km of feeder routes. The corridors include Mumbai-Kochi-Kanyakumari, Bengaluru-Mangaluru, Hyderabad-Panaji and Sambalpur-Ranchi, to name a few. Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has been stressing the need for reducing logistics cost in the country from the current 18 per cent. Noting that high logistics cost has been one of the major bottlenecks in trade and business, the minister has been stressing on the need to develop innovative methods for transport. Anthony Hitchens Jersey
Delhi’s power subsidy policy helps rich more than poor
Delhi government’s policy to subsidise power for households is undoubtedly among the most generous in the country but it is benefiting the rich more than the poor due to inefficiencies. While poor households on an average get subsidy of around Rs 1,000 per year as they consume less electricity, rich households end up benefiting by Rs 9,000, a Brookings India research paper has said. This is happening due to the combined impact of the eligibility criteria, which is based on how much one consumes, and the high subsidy cut-off point of 400 units a month. As a result, around 80 per cent of households qualify for the 50per cent subsidy paid with taxpayer’s money. “In some months, this goes as high as more than 95 per cent of households. This is beyond cross-subsidies approved by the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission in the tariffs that keep household power prices lower than cost,” the paper written by Brookings India fellow Rahul Tongia said. “Mid-level consumers, ostensibly the middle classes, enjoy more benefits on a percentage basis than the poor. The lowest tier gets under 33 pr cent subsidy on net billing on an average, while those using a little under the limit get over 40 per cent net subsidy,” the paper added. Delhi is one of the richest states in the country and has the highest per capita power consumption for households. Milwaukee Brewers Jersey
The 9 MMTPA Rajasthan Refinery Project Finally Takes Of The Ground
All decks have been cleared for Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) 9 MMTPA (Million Metric Tonnes Per Annum) capacity grass root Refinery cum Petrochemical Complex to be set up at a cost of Rs 43,129 crore at Barmer in Rajasthan. To be set up as a Joint venture between HPCL and the Government of Rajasthan (GOR), the complex will have State-of-the-art technologies and best combination of process units for maximizing the value. The refinery will produce Petrol and Diesel fuels meeting BS-VI specifications and Petrochemicals such as Polypropylene, Polyethylene and other petrochemical products. The Refinery will have flexibility to process a mix of locally available Rajasthan crude and other types of local and imported crudes The refinery will be set up by a joint venture company named “HPCL Rajasthan Refinery Limited” in which HPCL will hold 74% equity and GOR will hold 26% equity. Government of Rajasthan will provide viability gap funding of Rs. 1123 Crore per year for 15 years starting from year of commercial production in the form of Interest free loan which shall be refunded by the JV company to GOR in next 15 years. GOR has already allotted 4800 acres of land at Pachpadra in Barmer district for setting up the Refinery complex. The project is expected to be mechanically completed within 4 years from the last date of receipt of all statutory approvals. The project opens up huge potential for developing downstream industries and other service sectors in and around the region, opening up new opportunities for direct and indirect employment. Setting up of the Grass-root Refinery cum Petrochemical complex in Barmer will be an important trigger for fueling all round economic growth in the State of Rajasthan. Larry Johnson Womens Jersey
Rajasthan State Gas Ltd & GAIL Gas Ltd Ink Pact To Provide 24×7 Clean Gas To Households
In what is seen as a significant step towards making Rajasthan a key base for setting retail gas infrastructure and opening CNG corridors connecting key cities, a Business Transfer Agreement (BTA) was signed on Tuesday between Rajasthan State Gas Ltd (RSGL) and GAIL Gas Ltd. The MoU, signed between Ravi Agarwal, Managing Director, RSGL and P K Pal, CEO GAIL Gas, will facilitate creating infrastructure to meet aspirations of housewives for 24×7 affordable clean gas to the burner, making aspirations of the commercial centers including Hotels and coaching centers for Kota, aspirations of the smart city for dedicated gas utility corridor for fueling industrialization and for clean & affordable fuel vehicles owners. The availability of clean energy is the key issue identified for systematic development of identified industrial clusters. Govt. has authorized Rajasthan State Gas Limited (RSGL) (Joint Venture Company of GAIL Gas and RSPCL) as a nodal player for setting retail gas infrastructure in the State of Rajasthan through the collaborative efforts with Govt. and industries. The state was not able to attract investment in the absence of natural gas supply which is the major requirement for the industries. RSGL has taken initiatives for making gas available from Neemrana to attract the investments from major business entities. GAIL (India) Limited has a energy leader has facilitated retail gas infrastructure in the key states for fulfilling aspirations of all type of customers for affordable and clean gas. The Business Transfer Agreement (BTA) will pave the way for transforming Kota to a smart city by providing clean energy to boost up industrialization and setting up CNG corridor between Kota & Jaipur and Kota – Baran – Jhalawar besides providing green energy to the industrial clusters at Baran – Jhalawar adjoining areas of Kota. RSGL also carrying out necessary activities for providing clean energy solution for the proposed smart cities Kota, Ajmer, Udaipur and Jaipur. in order to fuel industlization and in meeting socio-economic expiration of the people. The strategic tie-up between RIICO and RSGL for gas based infrastructure development will create an industrial revolution, making the State a sought after business destination. Rajasthan State Gas Ltd has set up first green highway between Delhi-Jaipur after commissioning Mega CNG station at Neemrana & Daughter Booster Station at Kukas in June’2016 under the Chief Minister Budget mission. RSGL has adopted collaborative efforts with the stakeholders and industries for creating ease of business. Even the state is blessed with most of raw materials required for ceramic industries. Aaron Colvin Womens Jersey
Investment worth Rs 70K crore expected in Petroleum and Petrochemical Sector in Rajasthan, DharmendraPradhan
Investment worth Rs. 70,000 crore is expected to flow in Rajastha’a Petroleum and Petro Chemical projects in the next 4 years, union petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Tuesday at a function in Jaipur. Speaking at the MOU signing ceremony between Rajasthan Government and HPCL for setting up Refinery at Pachpadra, Pradhan said about Rs 43000 crore will be in invested in the refinery to be set up in Pachpadra in Barmer district while Rs 27000 crore will be invested in the oil fields of Cairn Energy. Pradhan and Chief minister of Rajasthan Vasundhara Raje presided over the MOU signing ceremony. The MoU was signed by the Director Refineries HPCL Vinod S. Shinoy and Principal Secretary, Department of Mines and Petroleum, Government of Rajasthan Ms. Aparna Arora. Another bilateral trade agreement was inked between Rajasthan State Gas Limited and GAIL Gas Limited was signed for creating a city gas network in Kota district of Rajasthan. Minister Pradhan said that re-negotiation between Rajasthan Government and HPCL has resulted in a saving of Rs. 40000 crore to the state exchequer. State owned HPCL will hold a74% stake in the refinery whileRajasthan Government will have an equity of 26%. This state of art refinery will be producing 9 million metric ton of petroleum conforming to BS VI standards. Pradhan assured that the construction work of refinery will begin in the current financial year and will be completed in four years. Referring to Prime Minister Ujjwala Yojna, Pradhan informed that during the last three year 43 lakh additional LPG connections have been released in Rajasthan taking the total number of gas connections to one crore 10 lakh. On her part, Ms Raje expressed the hope that in coming 5-10 years, the whole scenario in western Rajasthan will witness a drastic change following the setting up of refinery. ?Earlier, the Chairman & Managing Director of HPCL Mukesh Kumar Surana thanked, both the Central and State governments for showing faith in HPCL for the refinery in Rajasthan. The Minister of State for Mines & Petroleum, Government of Rajasthan, Surendra Pal Singh welcomed the guests. Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, Government of India, Kapil Dev Tripathi, senior Ministers and Officials of Rajasthan government and other dignitaries were present on the occasion. Dan Feeney Authentic Jersey