Road ministry sanctions 115,435 kms of national highways
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways informed Lok Sabha that total 115,435 kilometres of National Highways have been sanctioned in all 35 states and Union Territories in the country. In a reply of unstarred question raised by Shimla Member Parliament Virender Kashyap in lok sabha, Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways Pon Radhakrishnan informed Lok Sabha that out of total 115,435 kilometres, 10,668 kilometres national highways have been sanctioned in the states of Himachal, Punjab , Haryana, Chandigarh and Jammu Kashmir. He told that 2,642 kilometres national highways have been sanctioned in Himachal Pradesh while 2,641 kilometres in Haryana , 2,601 kilometres in Jammu & Kashmir, 2,769 kilometres in Punjab and 15 kilometres have been sanctioned for Union Territory Chandigarh . The minister told that highest 15,436 kilometres (kms) national highways have been sanctioned for Maharashtra while minimum 15 kilometres have been sanctioned for Chandigarh. The Minister further said that 6286 kms national highways in Andhra Pradesh, 2537 kms in Arunachal Pradesh, 3845 kms in Assam, 4,839 kms in Bihar, 15 kms in Chandigarh, 3232 kms in Chhattisgarh, 79 kms in Delhi, 262 kms in Goa, 5017 kms in Gujarat, 2641 kms in Haryana, 2642 kms in Himachal Pradesh, 2601 kms in Jammu & Kashmir, 2661 kms in Jharkhand, 6791 kms in Karnataka, 1782 kms in Kerala, 7854 kms in Madhya Pradesh, 15436 kms in Maharashtra, 1746 kms in Manipur, 1204 kms in Meghalaya, 1422 kms in Mizoram, 1547 kms in Nagaland, 4838 kms in Odisha, 64 kms in Puducherry, 2769 kms in Punjab, 7906 kms in Rajasthan, 463 kms in Sikkim, 5381 kms in Tamil Nadu, 3786 kms in Telangana, 854 kms in Tripura, 8711 kms in Uttar Pradesh, 2842 kms in Uttarakhand, 2998 kms in West Bengal, 331 kms in Andaman & Nicobar Islands, 31 kms in Dadra & Nagar Haveli, 22 kms in Daman & Diu have been sanctioned by ministry of Road Transport and Highways in these states . The Minister informed Lok Sabha that among Union Territories, Andaman & Nicobar Islands has been sanctioned highest 331 kms national highways while Chandigarh has been sanctioned minimum 15 kms national highways in the country. He said that about 20557 kms of National Highways are under Detailed Project Report preparation as on June 30, 2017. Mario Edwards Jr Womens Jersey
India will need $4.5 trillion by 2040 for infrastructure: Report
India will need investments to the tune of around USD 4.5 trillion till 2040 to develop infrastructure to improve economic growth and community wellbeing, said Global Infrastructure Hub today. According to its report `Global Infrastructure Outlook’, India has an infrastructure investment need of USD 4.5 trillion by 2040, making it the second largest infrastructure market in Asia after China. “Rising income levels and economic prosperity is likely to drive significant demand for infrastructure investment in India over the next 25 years,” the report said. Taking sustainable development goals (SDGs) into account, the country is predicted to need an additional USD 888 billion by 2030 to provide universal household access to electricity and water. “In absolute terms, the total investment needed to meet the SDGs is greatest in India – a total of USD 1.3 trillion of investment is needed by 2030, more than China, which is USD 257 billion,” the report said. The firm, which conducted an intensive study of 50 countries and seven industry sectors, found out that by 2040, the global population will grow by almost two billion people – a 25 pet cent increase. Rural to urban migration continues with the urban population growing by 46 per cent, triggering massive demand for infrastructure support, it said. The cost of providing infrastructure to support global economic growth and to start to close infrastructure gaps is forecast to reach US$94 trillion by 2040, with a further USD 3.5 trillion needed to meet the UN SDGs (sustainable development goals) for universal household, access to drinking water and electricity by 2030, bringing the total to USD 97 trillion, the report added. Jordan Howard Jersey
In-principal approval for airport in Uttar Pradesh’s Kushinagar: Government
The Centre has granted in- principle approval for an airport at Kushinagar in Uttar Pradesh, Parliament was informed today. This is the second airport in UP to be approved by the Centre since BJP’s Yogi Adityanath took over as the state’s chief minister in March. Last month, Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju announced that the government had given clearance for an airport in Jewar in Greater Noida, which would be operational in five to six years. “Government of India has granted ‘in-principle’ approval to Government of Uttar Pradesh (GoUP) for setting up of a new Greenfield Airport at Kushinagar in Uttar Pradesh,” Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha said in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha. The Kushinagar airport would be developed by the government of UP. “In case of Kushinagar airport, GoUP made efforts for implementing the project under Public Private Partnership mode, however, the project could not attract private investors due to non-viability. Subsequently, GoUP has decided to develop the airport on its own,” Sinha said. PTI JCIn- principal approval for airport in UP’s Kushinagar: Govt New Delhi, Jul 25 (PTI) The Centre has granted in- principle approval for an airport at Kushinagar in Uttar Pradesh, Parliament was informed today. This is the second airport in UP to be approved by the Centre since BJP’s Yogi Adityanath took over as the state’s chief minister in March. Last month, Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju announced that the government had given clearance for an airport in Jewar in Greater Noida, which would be operational in five to six years. “Government of India has granted ‘in-principle’ approval to Government of Uttar Pradesh (GoUP) for setting up of a new Greenfield Airport at Kushinagar in Uttar Pradesh,” Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha said in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha. The Kushinagar airport would be developed by the government of UP. “In case of Kushinagar airport, GoUP made efforts for implementing the project under Public Private Partnership mode, however, the project could not attract private investors due to non-viability. Subsequently, GoUP has decided to develop the airport on its own,” Sinha said.
Goa’s new airport to be commissioned by May 2020: Manohar Parrikar
The first phase of Goa’s upcoming Mopa international airport will be operational by May 2020, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar told the state assembly on Tuesday. “GMR Goa International Airport Limited (GGIAL) has already started pre-construction work and, as per concession agreement, the first phase of the project is likely to be commissioned by May 2020,” Parrikar said in a written reply tabled on Tuesday, during the ongoing monsoon session of the state assembly. Parrikar said the process of meeting pre-construction requirements was in progress and the actual construction work of the Mopa Greenfield airport, located nearly 40 km north of Panaji, was expected to begin shortly. “Mopa airport project is expected to create multiplier effect in the economy generating employment across various sectors,” he said. The Chief Minister said the existing Dabolim international airport in South Goa, which operates out of an Indian Navy base, will continue to be operational for civilian purposes. Demetrius Harris Authentic Jersey
Air India privatisation is unpatriotic and illogical, says former employees assoication
The employees union of Air India representing retired its personnel on Wednesday termed the government’s move to privatise the airline “unpatriotic” and “illogical” in a letter to civil aviation minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju. The letter also says that the the government’s priority should be to restructure the airline’s huge debt. The All India Airlines Retired Personnel Association (AIARPA), which has written the letter, represents nearly 11,000 former employees of Air India. “Why has the government announced the decision to privatise AI — a decision taken in great haste — just at a time when the airline is on the verge of becoming profitable. “The move is unpatriotic as well as not logical at this point of time,” the union said in the letter. For the first time in a decade, the airline posted an operational profit of Rs 105 crore in 2015-2016. It rose to Rs 300 crore in 2016-2017. Nick Vigil Authentic Jersey
Low-cost flying in for the long haul
Barely hours after the Union Cabinet gave an in-principle approval to national carrier Air India’s strategic disinvestment late last month, India’s biggest low-cost airline IndiGo jumped into the fray showing interest in taking over the debt-laden, loss-making airline. However, at the heart of IndiGo’s interest lies its strategy to start long-haul international operations replicating a successful low-cost model which the airline follows on domestic routes. The airline’s promoters made it clear — the plan is to start long-haul international operations, with or without Air India. In May, another interesting development in the aviation space unfolded when low-cost airline SpiceJet’s chairman and managing director Ajay Singh said he planned to introduce a direct Delhi-London flight at ?30,000 for a round trip. The fare quoted by Mr. Singh was much lower than ?40,000-?45,000 a ticket being offered by other airlines on this popular route. He said the airline woud look at unbundling services such as food, beverage and Wi-Fi from the fare component, essentially sticking to a low-cost model on a longer duration international flight. The difference between a low-cost and a full-service carrier is simple. Low-cost airlines sell only the core product i.e. a seat to travel from one point to another to the passenger as a part of the airfare and passengers need to pay separately for the frills. Full-service airlines offer passengers a host of value added services, including in-flight meals, free beverages, and lounge for frequent fliers, among others but generally at a higher fare as these elements are packaged together. In India, the market share of low-cost airlines such as IndiGo, SpiceJet and GoAir has expanded from about 24% in 2006-07 to 65% in 2015-16 compared with full-service airlines such as Jet Airways and Air India. The compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.7% of low-cost airlines in the nine-year period compared with an 8% dip for full-service airlines shows that the former now occupied the imagination of the Indian flyer. But can the magic of a low-cost model in flightsof between one and three hours duration be replicated on a 10-12 hour journey on international flights? T.J. Green Authentic Jersey
How safe is our RGIA?
Hyderabad: Despite being billed as one of the busiest airports in the country, the vicinities of Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) at Shamshabad continue to remain exposed and vulnerable. The Cyberabad police are literally losing their sleep over several sections of the airport that lack proper CCTV surveillance coverage, which were very recently identified as vulnerable points. According to the Cyberabad police, despite regular collaboration meetings with the security personnel and top officials from GMR Hyderabad International Airport Limited (GHIAL) on the issue, a fool-proof plan to install the best available CCTV surveillance technology has not been installed at RGIA. Security chinks call for care at Hyderabad airport In the recent meetings with the GHIAL, police department had apparently stressed on the need to have CCTV surveillance cameras at the identified vulnerable spots. “As many as 21 places were identified as vulnerable spots in RGIA. Essentially, these places cover the areas like runway, parking, ticket booking counters and arrival and departure points. The spots were identified based on earlier reported cases,” says Deputy Commissioner of Police, Shamshabad, PV Padmaja. The top police officials also rue lack of support from GHIAL in taking measures to secure the vicinities of the busy airport. “The proposal to strengthen security and CCTV surveillance had come up several times for discussions during the coordination meetings but action is yet to be initiated on this issue,” says DCP, Shamshabad said. Jarome Iginla Authentic Jersey
With Jet Airways’ new cost cutting policies, is it time for pilots to move on to greener pastures?
After Jet Airways asked its junior pilots, who joined the brand in 2016, to take a 30 percent pay cut or leave, the full-service airline has now reportedly asked its pilots to furnish surety bonds of up to Rs 1 crore. This is said to be the airline’s way of making sure that the pilots stay with the company for at least five to seven years. The National Aviators Guild (NAG), which is Jet Airways’ union, has said that the information has been passed on to the junior pilots. “They (junior pilots) have to give a seven year bond of Rs 1 crore, non-depreciating,” the Times of India quoted a source as saying. However, Jet Airways’ spokesperson told the Press Trust of India that the carrier has not asked for any kind of bond. “No new bonds (have been) asked for. It is just a pattern that has been introduced,” the Jet Airways spokesperson said. The NAG now plans to meet the airline’s management to discuss the bond as well as the pay cut notice that was sent to the junior employees last week. In a bid to trim costs, Jet Airways had made a few changes to the pilots’ contracts and it will now be mandatory for them to take 10 days of leave in a month apart from their weekly offs, which in turn will result in a 30 percent reduction in their salaries. The pilots have been given until the end of the month to take a decision. Matt Benning Jersey
Mjunction appointed to build a platform for e-bidding, e-evaluation of bids and e-allocation of oil & gas fields
Mjunction services limited, one of the country’s largest e-commerce companies and a 50:50 joint venture between Steel Authority of India Ltd and Tata Steel, has been appointed by the Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH) to build a platform for e-bidding, e-evaluation of bids, and e-allocation of oil and gas fields. This will enable transparent allocation of natural resources, and help reduce. the country’s oil import bill by $8 billion annually, a statement issued by mjunction on Monday said. Commenting on the development, mjunction CEO Vinaya Varma said: “I am happy we have been entrusted with the responsibility of building this platform, in addition to managing e-auction of spectrum for the Government of India. We have built up strong competencies in design and conduct of large value e-auctions, and I want to thank DGH for this nationally important contract.” DGH is the nodal agency under the ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas for allocation of oil and gas fields to interested bidders for exploration and production activities. Varma said that mjunction will customise its e-bidding software to provide facilities to electronically receive and evaluate bids and to automatically allocate oil and gas fields under the Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy (HELP) framework, which was introduced in 2015. HELP replaced the 18-year-old New Exploration Licensing Policy (NELP), and is expected to remove its various limitations which led to inefficiencies in exploiting natural resources. Justin Falk Authentic Jersey
Bangladesh Energy Division to seek approval on importing diesel from India
The Energy and Mineral Resources Division (EMRD) will seek cabinet approval on the Sale Purchase Agreement (SPA) between India and Bangladesh for importing of High Speed Diesel (HSD) through the proposed 131 kilometres Indo-Bangla friendship pipeline. “We will send a proposal to the cabinet committee very soon in this regard,” an official of Energy and Mineral Resources Division told the Dhaka Tribune Sunday. On April 10 this year, India’s state-owned Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) and Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) signed an initial for SPA, which includes construction of a 131 km long pipeline from Siliguri to Parbatipur, with a capacity of one million Metric Ton per annum (MMTPA). The pipeline is supposed to connect NRL terminal of West Bengal’s Siliguri and BPC depot in Parbatipur of Dinajpur. The agreement will be effective for 15 years. The estimated cost is Rs 3.63 billion and it will take two years for the commissioning of the pipeline after signing the SPA. India will finance the pipeline as grant-in-aid. “Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation will pay Numaligarh Refinery Limited a premium of $5.50 per barrel,” BPC Director (operations and Planning) Sayed Mohammad Mozammel Haque told the Dhaka Tribune. He added: “The price of oil imported from India will be fixed according to international market rate.” The route survey for the pipeline has been completed and the detailed feasibility report has been prepared by Engineers India Limited. On the other hand, the government is set to build a diesel-fired 150 megawatt power plant in Saidpur of Nilphamari. The fuel for the plant will be imported from Numaligarh. On July 19, the cabinet committee on economic affairs approved the proposal for setting up the power plant through financing under an export credit agency. On January 12, 2017, a Railway rake containing 2,281 MT of high speed diesel was dispatched from NRL’s marketing terminal in Siliguri to Parbitipur BPC depot. The consignment containing 42 wagons travelled over 516km (253km in India and 263km in Bangladesh), on the existing railway line via Rangapani, Singabad, Rohanpur, to reach Parbatipur. Earlier, India and Bangladesh entered into a new era of petroleum trade with a goodwill train flagged off by the Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas (Independent Charge) Dharmendra Pradhan on March 17 2016 from NRL’s Siliguri marketing terminal to Bangladesh. Andrus Peat Jersey