Few officers can’t take decision of smart city in Bhopal: BJP minister
State higher education minister and BJP MLA from Bhopal (south west) Umashankar Gupta has said that there was no blueprint for the smart city project in Shivaji Nagar. Talking to TOI, Gupta said, “Some officers cannot take decisions of cutting trees and displacing people. The final decision will be taken by people’s representatives.” A major portion of his constituency will be disturbed in the proposed smart city plan. He said, “The blueprint for the smart city is not yet ready. Few officers of the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) cannot decide how many trees are to be uprooted and how many houses are to be demolished.” Gupta said the only thing that has been finalised is that the smart city will be developed at Shivaji Nagar. “We have clarified that nobody would be removed without rehabilitation. We have asked the officials to bring their plan. We want them to come up with the details,” he said. Gupta said the chief minister has also spoken on the similar lines. The CM also wants the people to comment on it. “I am MLA of the area. Smart city will not be built for gloom. It will be built for happiness.” Political pundits attribute Gupta’s utterances to the fact that in the present state of affairs, his constituency will be affected badly and he may have to face voters’ ire in the next elections. Jermey Parnell Authentic Jersey
IT tools monitoring 900 highway projects worth Rs 6 lakh crore: Nitin Gadkari
To expedite pace of infrastructure building in the country, the Centre is using IT applications on a large scale to monitor 900 highways projects worth Rs 6 lakh crore, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari today said. “We have decided to use IT applications on a large scale. We are monitoring 900 projects worth Rs 6 lakh crore. We can see the progress. By monitoring, we can increase efficiency,” Road Transport and Highways Minister Gadkari said addressing an event, IT For Parivahan. The minister said the government has managed to roll out majority of the 403 projects worth Rs 3.8 lakh crore that were stuck when the current NDA government took over. “Some problems are related to 21 projects that are valued at Rs 30,000 crore, but we will very soon resolve these,” Gadkari said. He said some innovative initiatives by the ministry, like the launch of a portal for making available cement and steel had resulted in availability of 250 lakh tonnes of cement for infrastructure projects at affordable rates. Likewise e-tolling on 380 plazas across the nation would result in saving precious time and money he said pointing out to a study by IIM Kolkata which calculated that delays at toll plazas resulted in Rs 60,000 crore loss annually. Gadkari said steps were on to augment the length of National Highways to two lakh km. The minister said when the BJP government took over, the length of national highways was barely 96,000 km of the 52 lakh km of total road length and 2 per cent of the National Highways bore 40 per cent of the traffic. He said efforts were also on to reduce the logistics cost from the present 18 per cent to at least 8 per cent and that is bound to boost exports 1.5 times. NHIDCL Director Sanjay Jaju said various efforts were on to integrate IT applications with ministry’s functioning. IT-Task Force Member Vineet Goenka said information technology should be used as a decision support system in strengthening, maintaining and upgrading national transport system. Wayne Gallman Authentic Jersey
Centre considering common regulator for metro fare fixation
The Union Ministry of Urban Development is looking at appointing a common regulator for fare fixation for all metro projects. The proposal was discussed at a review meeting called by Urban Development Secretary Rajiv Gauba. Issues ranging from appointment of independent directors and chief vigilance officers, standardisation of equipment, bulk procurement, fare fixation, performance-based promotions, competitive bidding, security etc were discussed at the meeting, an official statement said. States to be consulted “It was decided that the views of respective States would be taken into consideration while taking a decision (on a common regulator),” the statement added. Officials of metro projects felt that since the losses on account of metro operations were to be borne by respective States under the law, their views need to be factored in while considering a common regulator. The Ministry has also asked all metro projects being built and operated with Centre’s equity to promote efficiency in procurement and while hiring manpower, the statement said. Independent directors Gauba urged all metro operators to ensure early appointment of independent directors on the boards, including at least one woman director as required under the Companies Act, 2013. He also called for early appointment of Chief Vigilance Officers by respective boards in consultation with Chief Vigilance Commissioner. Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has been directed to come out with a Draft Tender Document within three months to facilitate common bulk procurement of various equipment required by different metros to take advantage of economies of scale as done in the case of seven ultra mega power projects, it added. Slater Koekkoek Womens Jersey
Hyderabad Metro project faces 18-month delay
The country’s biggest public-private partnership project (PPP), the ?16,375-crore L&T Metro Rail Hyderabad, is likely to see delay in implementation of the 71-km elevated metro rail, as also faces cost-overrun. Proposed to be ready by July 2017, the project is likely to be ready by December 2018, on completion of all the three metro segments. Pending clearances Even the proposed commissioning of two stretches, Nagole to Mettuguda (8 km) and Miyapur to SR Nagar (11 km) of completed rail network, to be launched on the June 2, 2016, coinciding with the Telangana State formation, is unlikely as several mandatory clearances are yet to be secured. The project seeks to connect three corridors of Nagole to Hitec City, Miyapur to Dilsukhnagar and Mahatma Gandhi Bus Stand to Falaknuma. Addressing a press conference, senior management of L&T expressed the hope that the project execution pace would pick up once the clearances are received. They said it would not be possible to peg the increased cost at this point as they need to factor in various external issues and delays. Investment J Ravikumar, Chief Financial Officer of LTMRHL, said they had invested about ?9,000 crore out of ?16,375 crore. This includes ?2,700 crore equity, ?600 crore from VGF and the rest is debt. SN Subrahmanyam, Deputy Managing Director and President, L&T, and Chairman of L&T Metro Rail (Hyderabad) Ltd, said, “As a concessionaire, L&T has been executing the project on behalf of the Telangana government. Most of the hurdles have been crossed, while some are being sorted out. Once that is done, we will be able to expedite the project.” Asked if the project will head for arbitration given the delay and cost escalation potential, he described the metro project as a greenfield project in brownfield congested city area. ‘Complex project’ “This is one of the most complex and largest projects taken up in the PPP mode where L&T has made its biggest investments. We have cordial relations with the government and are confident that the project will be implemented as early as possible,” he said. VB Gadgil, Chief Executive of L&T Hyderabad Metro Rail, said, “Nowhere in the world, a metro rail project has managed to cover so much in terms of development within three-and-a-half years in spite of the hurdles it faces. There continue to be several issues to be resolved including right of way and acquisition of some key properties.” On the third corridor which passes through Old City, Gadgil said, “We are yet to hear from the government on the progress of acquisitions and right of way.” Luc Robitaille Womens Jersey
Coastal corridor can unify India’s domestic market: ADB
India’s first coastal economic corridor can help unify the country’s domestic market, integrate its economy with Asia’s global value chains, and support the Make in India initiative to spur manufacturing, a new study by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) showed. Spanning more than 800 km of India’s eastern coastline, the Vizag-Chennai Industrial Corridor (VCIC) is part of the country’s east coast economic corridor. The NITI Aayog has advocated building coastal economic zones to boost trade and economic growth. NITI Aayog vice chairman Arvind Panagariya has said India should look at creating large, export oriented firms and coastal economic zones to garner a bigger share of global trade. The new industrial corridor is expected to spur growth by augmenting investment in world-class transport networks, infrastructure, and industrial/urban clusters that are supported by a robust institutional framework and a competitive business environment, the report titled ‘Scaling New Heights’ said. “By linking areas that are lagging in development with dynamic industrial and urban clusters, VCIC will create employment opportunities to alleviate poverty and reduce inequality. As a coastal corridor, VCIC can provide multiple access points to global gateways,” the report said. “Greater connectivity and economic integration between South Asia and rest of Asia is likely to contribute significantly to development and foster regional cooperation as well. Mike Wagner Authentic Jersey
CCEA approves one highway project each in Himachal Pradesh and UP
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved four-laning of Shimla bypass (Kaithlighat to Shimla section) on NH-22 in Himachal Pradesh and four-laning of the Lucknow-Sultanpur section on National Highway-56 in Uttar Pradesh. The road project in Himachal Pradesh work will be under the National Highways Development Project (NHDP) Phase-III and is approved in hybrid annuity mode, said an official statement. The project is estimated to cost Rs.1,583.18 crore and covers 28 km of road length. “Project seeks to expedite improvement of infrastructure in HP and reduce time and cost of travel on Kaithlighat to Shimla section on NH-22,” said the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) in a series of tweets. “Development of this stretch will also help in uplifting socio-economic condition of the concerned regions and increase employment potential,” posted the PMO in another tweet. The other road project — four-laning of Lucknow-Sultanpur section on National Highway-56 — will be under the National Highways Development Project (NHDP) Phase-IV and is also approved in hybrid annuity mode, said the official statement after the CCEA meeting on Wednesday. The cost is estimated to be Rs.2,844.72 crore including cost of land acquisition, resettlement and rehabilitation and other pre-construction activities. The total length of the road will be approximately 128 km. “This project will boost infrastructure in UP and reduce time and cost of travel for traffic plying on the Lucknow-Sultanpur section on NH-56,” said the PMO in another tweet. Josh Doctson Womens Jersey
Government to build 1,000 km of expressways for Rs 16,680 crore
To ensure quicker connectivity, the government plans to build 1,000 km of expressways at an investment of Rs 16,680 crore under its NHDP programme, which include the Vadodara-Mumbai project. “The central government has approved a plan for constructing 1,000 km of expressways under the National Highways Development Project (NHDP) phase VI at a cost of Rs 16,680 crore on design, build, finance, operate and transfer (DBFOT) basis,” Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways Pon Radhakrishnan told the Lok Sabha in a written reply. The main criterion for the selection of expressway corridors is traffic volume, with the government approving the high-density corridor i.e. Vadodara-Mumbai (400 km) for feasibility study, he said. It was also decided that the remaining 600 km will be selected out of the routes identified on the basis of traffic volume. The high density corridors approved under NHDP phase VI are Vadodara-Mumbai stretch (400 km) in Gujarat and Maharashtra, Delhi-Meerut (66 km) on NH 58 in Delhi/UP and Bengaluru-Chennai (334 km) on NH 4 in Karnataka-Tamil Nadu, the minister said. The remaining projects include “Delhi-Jaipur (261 km) on NH 8 in Delhi-Rajasthan, Delhi-Chandigarh (249 km) on NH 1 and NH 22 (now changed to Delhi-Ludhiana-Amritsar-Katra expressway) in Delhi/Punjab/J&K, Kolkata-Dhanbad (277 km) on NH 2 in West Bengal/Jharkhand and Delhi-Agra (200 km) on NH 2 in Delhi/UP,” he added. Out of 66-km length of Delhi-Meerut expressway, 30.63 km length has already been awarded in two packages and contract agreement is executed on March 4, 2016. Radhakrishnan said, “In addition to the above, the government has approved taking up one more expressway, namely eastern peripheral expressway for a length of 135 km in six packages. The construction… has started effective September 14, 2015, with construction period of 30 months.” The progress of these expressways is being monitored closely by the ministry and NHAI has been asked for time-bound construction. Adam Foote Jersey
Government approves Rs 4,428 crore highway projects in UP,Himachal Pradesh
The government today approved Rs 4,428-crore highway projects in Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh under its highways building programme NHDP. The projects were approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) today. The project in Uttar Pradesh pertains to four-laning of Lucknow-Sultanpur section on NH-56. “This work will be under the National Highways Development Project (NHDP) Phase-IV. The approval is in Hybrid Annuity Mode,” a statement from Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said after the meeting. The cost of the project is estimated to be Rs 2844.72 crore including cost of land acquisition, resettlement and rehabilitation and other pre-construction activities. The total length of the road will be approximately 128 kms. The second project approved by the government pertained to two-laning with formation of four lane of Shimla Bypass (Kaithlighat to Shimla section) on NH-22 in Himachal Pradesh. This work will be under the NHDP Phase-III. “The cost is estimated to be Rs 1,583.18 crore including cost of land acquisition, resettlement and rehabilitation and other pre-construction activities. The total length of the road will be approximately 28 kms.” The main object of the project is to expedite improvement of infrastructure in Himachal Pradesh and also in reducing the time and cost of travel for traffic, particularly heavy traffic, plying on the Kaithlighat to Shimla section on National Highway-22, it added. Evgeny Kuznetsov Jersey
SmartCity Kochi all set for the inauguration on May 20
The Singapore-based MariApps which offers state-of-the-art maritime enterprise solutions for the marine industry having its operations in Europe, South-east Asia among other locations, will be the first company to be operational from SmartCity Kochi when it is going to be inaugurated on May 20, 2016. Another Singapore-based company, Singnet Solutions, will follow suit when it is going to be functional in the first week of June 2016 from the first IT tower. Dr. Baju George, interim CEO, SmartCity Kochi, said the project is in full throttle now to meet the 2020 deadline of the completion of the master plan as envisaged. “With the support of our co-developers, SmartCity is on its track to changing the business and social landscape of Kochi,” he said. Holiday Group, one of the joint developers of SmartCity Kochi, has begun the construction of its 14.37 lakh sq ft tower. It wiill be the third IT tower in the 246-acres SmartCity project right after SmartCity Kochi’s own first IT building and the IT tower by Sands Infrabuild Private Limited, which is touted to be one of the tallest IT towers in the country. Spread over 6.27 acres, Holiday group’s 14.37 lakh sq ft building will boast of twin towers each comprising 10 storeys. With around 35 storey capacity, the Sands Infrabuild towers will provide employment to 22,000 people. On the social infrastructure front, the 3 lakh sq ft facilities of GEMS Modern Academy, the K-12 international school being set up by GEMS Education, one of the largest educators in the world, is fast nearing completion. Keelan Cole Authentic Jersey
UAE companies to invest $3.68 billion in Uttar Pradesh
Five leading Indian–owned businesses in UAE have committed to invest over Rs 25,090 crore ($3.68 billion) towards infrastructure and industrial development initiatives launched by Uttar Pradesh at the UP Investment Summit held in partnership with Times Now in Dubai. The Uttar Pradesh government led by chief minister Akhilesh Yadav had launched an ambitious programme to boost all-round development of the state by attracting NRI investments from across the globe, especially from the Middle East. These UAE-based companies have signed an MoU with the high-level delegation of UP state officials visiting the UAE, pledging to invest in the state’s upcoming manufacturing, utilities and healthcare initiatives. Barkevious Mingo Jersey