Indian Economy-News & Updates

[RISING SUN]

Going formal: How the government is trying to widen India's tax base
The government is trying to put an end to the informal sector by promoting cashless transactions and digitisation. With the Finance Bill, it puts a cap on the value of a single cash transaction at Rs 2 lakh. Hoping to widen India's tax base, the government is looking to encourage businesses in the informal sector to shift to the formal sector with a variety of tax measures.

The informal sector accounts for almost half the country's GDP output.

With Finance Bill which was passed by the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, the income tax levied on the Micro Small and Medium Enterprises' (MSME) - or companies with an income of less than Rs 50 crore will come down to 25 percent from the current 30 percent starting April 1.

This will not only strengthen the MSME sector, but also act as an incentive for informal organisations to make a shift to the formal sector.

"Government is constantly pestered to spend more for the farmers, the MGNREGA , irrigation, defense. But how does the government increase spending when India remain a largely tax non-compliant society," said Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in a Lok Sabha address on Wednesday.

However, the problem also lies in the significant chunk of our country's workforce being employed in the unorganised sector. According to National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) statistics from 2011-12, around 72 percent of India's workforce was in the informal sector.

While income tax on individuals earning less than Rs 2.5 lakh per annum is nil, the government has also halved the tax on workers with an annual income of less than Rs 5 lakh.

"By decreasing the tax charged on an individual, we want to encourage them to be a part of the tax net," said Jaitley.

Apart from taxes, the government is also trying to put an end to the informal sector by promoting cashless transactions and digitisation. With the Finance Bill, it puts a cap on the value of a single cash transaction to Rs 2 lakh.

The government's less-cash drive led to the opening of 27 crore savings bank accounts under the Jan Dhan Yojana, with deposits worth Rs 63,800 crore.

Union Minister JP Nadda, too, had recently stated that over 80 percent of economic activity in the informal sector will soon be shifted the the formal sector.
The Goods and Services Tax, which is set to be implemented by July 1, will also facilitate the country's shift away from the parallel economy,
http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/in...den-indias-tax-base-2245079.html?classic=true

 

[RISING SUN]

National Waterway 1, linking Haldia, Sahibganj, Varanasi, likely to be ready by 2018
With the development of national waterways being an integral part of the Centre’s plan to upgrade transport infrastructure in the country, work is afoot on National Waterway-1 (NW-1) linking Haldia to Allahabad. The projects on the river Ganga will boost the economies of West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.

Under the National Waterways Act of 2016, the government has committed to developing 111 designated national waterways. Of these, NWs-1, 2, & 3 are partially operational. The national waterways would not only reduce logistics costs, but also lessen congestion on the road and rail networks, having a multiplier effect on the Indian economy.

Work on NW-1 had been pending since 1990 due to hurdles posed by siltation. The shipping ministry has finally pushed the development of the Haldia-Varanasi stretch (1620 km) with projects for construction of multi-modal terminals at Varanasi, Haldia and Sahibganj, strengthening of the river navigation system, conservancy works, and development of information systems and night navigation facilities, besides construction of a navigational lock at Farakka.

Amitabh Verma, till recently the chairman of the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), says “the Prime Minister’s project monitoring group is looking at the work on a day-to-day basis and all projects have to be completed in a time-bound manner.”

Full operationalisation of the Haldia-Varanasi stretch would allow the navigation of vessels with a capacity of 1,500-2,000 tonnes, he says. The development of the waterway, expected to cost Rs 4,200 crore, has been taken up with assistance from the World Bank.

Construction work for the multi-modal terminals at Haldia, Sahibganj and Varanasi has commenced. The terminal at Haldia would become a hub for transportation of cargo to the North East. The terminal, according to Verma, has already received a commitment of 5.92 million tonne per annum of cargo once it becomes operational in 2018. IWAI also plans to build a new navigational lock and modernise the existing one at Farakka.

The terminal at Sahibganj in Bihar would further the transportation of coal to power plants. The terminal is expected to be operational by 2018. This project, according to IWAI officials, would help in the de-siltation of the river.
In Bihar, the IWAI also envisages investment in terminals at Kalughat and Gaighat, ferry and RO-RO services and dredging. The Kalughat terminal would boost transportation of cargo from Kolkata to Nepal, reducing costs by 26% and 13% compared to the railways and road, respectively. An analysis by the World Bank has concluded that the project would lead to extensive economic and social development along the banks of the Ganga in Bihar.

Work on the multi-modal terminal at Varanasi (Ramnagar) commenced in August 2016. Estimated to cost R170 crore, it is expected to be operational by August 2018.

The NW-1 projects are expected to create 1,60,000 direct and indirect jobs, Nitin Gadkari, union minister of shipping, has said. Besides being cheaper to develop than railways and roadways, waterways cost 25-30 paise per km of transport, as against R1 for railways and R1.50 for roadways. From the abysmal 3.5% at present, IWAI is aiming to increase waterway transportation of cargo in India to 15% by 2019. Even this would be low compared to countries like China, South Korea, UK, Germany, France where it is in the range of 35%-40%.
http://www.financialexpress.com/eco...j-varanasi-likely-to-be-ready-by-2018/603613/

 

[RISING SUN]

Rlys to have software for faster data collection and analysis
Railways today undertook a major IT initiative for an integrated software, considered a "game changer", which can optimise about Rs 50,000 crore for the national carier over the years.

The integrated software IR-OneICT, a first-of-its-kind for Railways, will enable data collection at sources with minimum handling and become a single source of validated and authentic information for the rail sector. It is estimated to cost about Rs 5,000 crore over the next five years.

"We are working on an integrated, comprehensive strategy to leverage IT for improvements in systems, processes, enhance efficiency," Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu said here at the Digital Railway for Digital India conference in association with Nasscom here.

Though Railways have many stand-alone software developed for various purposes, an attempt has been made to develop an integrated software for data collection and analysis in the fastest possible time.

"Our policies have led to a piecemeal approach in IT. We have now initiated for an integrated one and it will be the game changer which can according to the industry optimise Rs 50,000-60,000 crore for railways," Prabhu said.

The proposed integrated software envisages timely availability of actionable information for authorised persons at place of use and enable improved data analysis and usage.

Prabhu said the conference was part of a series of discussions being held to consult sector experts, external stakeholders to deliberate on infusion of IT in all aspects of Indian Railways functioning.

"ICT will cover all the aspects, including cost analysis, attendance, accounting, asset management, medical management and land management of the Railways," he said.

Better capacity and asset utilisation would help the Railways run more trains, carry more freight, provide better and reliable services to passengers, increase its revenues and make its operations more safe.

"Some routes are not profitable but socially necessary, on other routes though there is demand not many trains run on that route so it can be captured which can lead to revenue gain. So this can be a building block for informed decision making," the Railways Minister said.

Referring to cyber theft, he asked the industry to do the needful to have an inbuilt security system.

"We must keep in mind cyber security issues as we are going to be sophisticated and more vulnerable to security issues. ICT is necessary. Do a better job in creating safety wall," he said.

Referring to the complaints against railway service, Prabhu said it is the best information system available free of cost that can be used as management tool to take informed decision.

Railways has scaled up its IT expenditure from Rs 336 crore in 2016-17 to Rs 513 crore in the 2017-18 fiscal.
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/...er-data-collection-and-analysis/1/913763.html

 

[RISING SUN]

Walmart to open 50 new stores, half of those in UP, Uttarakhand
Global retail giant Walmart is looking to locate nearly half of its 50 stores in the country in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand as it seeks to ramp up operations in the cash-and-carry segment, while also eyeing food retail if the government eases the norms.

Sources told TOI that Walmart, which currently has 20 stores across the country, is planning as many stores in the two northern states, where BJP recently swept to power. In addition, the US retailer plans to open 10 stores each in Maharashtra (where it currently operates its 'Best Price outlets in Amravati and Aurangabad), Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Walmart is looking at two more stores in Lucknow in addition to Ghaziabad, Noida, Kanpur, Allahabad, Haridwar, Dehradun and Haldwani. With each store providing direct and indirect employment to 2,000-2,500 persons, the company may end up creating over 40,000 jobs in UP and Uttarakhand.

The sources said that retailer, which parted ways with Bharti a few years ago and had put its store expansion on hold for a while, sees enormous opportunity in UP and Uttarakhand where there is little competition from others (such as Metro AG and Reliance) operating in the cash-and-carry format. Cash-and-carry stores are wholesale outlets, which are only allowed to sell to retailers, canteens and hotels.

"Our commitment to the country is very deep and we are growing our footprints in India further by opening 50 more cash-and-carry stores in next few years across key focus states, including AP, Telangana, UP, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Maharashtra etc. Our development team is growing this store pipeline for last couple of years and we're confident of continuing our contribution to the creation of thousands of skilled jobs, helpings kiranas, farmers & SME suppliers succeed through our cash & carry business," a Walmart India spokesperson said in response to a questionnaire from TOI.

The 50 new stores will be opened over the next three-to-four years. So far, the company has developed hubs, which are its focus areas. For instance, Punjab, Haryana, UP and Uttarakhand comprise the northern cluster, the second one includes Andhra and Telangana with the third one in Maharashtra.

Walmart is, however, awaiting clarity on the food retail guidelines as it does not want to limit itself to domestically produced and manufactured food products. With the government looking at relaxing the rules, the Walmart spokesperson said: "As we've said earlier, allowing 100% FDI in food retail is a very progressive step, but having a certain percentage of non-food items in this policy will make it economically viable."
http://m.timesofindia.com/business/...se-in-up-uttarakhand/articleshow/57845711.cms

 

[RISING SUN]

Amazon working on setting up physical stores in India

Read more at:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com...ofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

Telcos asked to link over 1bn numbers with Aadhaar
Over one billion mobile phone numbers will have to be linked to their owners' Aadhaar account in the next one year, which telecom companies say may cost as much as Rs 2,500 crore.

"We have been asked by the telecom ministry to start the process of linking mobile numbers/subscribers with their Aadhaar account. Mobile companies will start the process soon," Rajan Mathews, director-general of Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), told TOI.

Top service providers such as Airtel, Vodafone, Idea and Reliance Jio are members of COAI. Mathews said that the Supreme Court had sought the linkage to Aadhaar after receiving a public interest litigation (PIL) over having a fool-proof identity verification system in place.

57156448


An official with Idea Cellular said that the companies have started to gear up for the mammoth exercise. "We are looking into this issue on an urgent basis, and trying to find out the best possible solution to implement it."

Officials at telecom companies said that it is still being worked out on whether a customer needs to visit a store to verify his/her credentials, or whether it can be done with an SMS or a phone call.

"The modalities are being worked out, and we plan to begin the process soon," a top official with a leading telecom operator said. Mathews said that among other things, SIM cards taken on fraudulent papers will not be possible after completion of this exercise.
http://m.timesofindia.com/business/...numbers-with-aadhaar/articleshow/57833449.cms

Aadhaar to be mandatory for driving licence
In a move to check multiple driving licenses under one name, the Centre will ask states to make Aadhaar identification necessary for a new licence as well as for those seeking renewal. This is expected to prevent the issuance of multiple licences, means adopted to beat the suspension of licence for traffic, criminal offences or for fake identity. The Aadhaar number's biometrics details will help prevent such practices. The new regime is expected to kick off from October this year, official sources said. The Union road transport ministry has already started work to roll out the measure by incorporating the necessary changes. Since issuance of a driving licence is a state subject, the ministry will urge states to adopt this "safe system", which will almost end the practice of people getting multiple licences from different regional transport offices (RTOs) in different states. Aadhaar must for I-T returns to curb tax evasion and frauds, says government. Since it is not too difficult to get such multiple licences at present, even the confiscation of a driving licence by police doesn't work as a deterrent. "Aadhaar will be a single document which will be enough to establish the identity of the applicant. If anyone does not have it, then he/she has to submit several other documents. We are making the necessary changes and incorporating provisions to enable RTOs to record these details. All RTOs will have access to the central database of driving licences (known as Sarathi) to check whether the applicant has got any other driving licence issued anywhere in the country," a source said. Till recently, RTOs followed a manual system and in the absence of access to real time data of all RTOs, they couldn't check if an ap plicant already had another driving licence. The National Informatics Centre, which is responsible for managing the database of vehicles and licensed drivers, has uploaded most of the data available in RTO records. "We are expediting the process to convert all data from hard copy registers to the digital format. Uninterrupted access to updated details will bring a huge transformation. It will be nearly impossible to get a fake or duplicate licence," the source said. According to official estimates, about 18 crore driving licences have been issued across the country so far.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...ing-licence/articleshow/57834023.cms?from=mdr

India's Reliance Industries penalized for alleged fraud
India's markets regulator has barred Indian conglomerate Reliance Industries and 12 others from trading in equity derivatives for a year for allegedly fraudulent trades made 10 years ago.

The multibillion-dollar Reliance Industries rejected the ruling by the Securities and Exchange Board of India and said it would appeal the order.

In its ruling late Friday, the securities regulator said that the fraud is related to the 2007 sale of a 5 percent stake in subsidiary Reliance Petroleum when it was a separately listed company. The company used unlawful trade practices to profit from that sale, the ruling said.

The regulator said Reliance made about 5 billion rupees ($76 million) in profits from that and has asked it to give up nearly 4.5 billion rupees along with 12 percent interest within 45 days.

According to the Press Trust of India, SEBI official G. Mahalingam said that that he passed the order "in order to protect the interest of the investors" and make them trust the regulatory system.

"The noticees may, however, square off or close out their existing open positions," the order said.
http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wire...or-accuses-reliance-industries-fraud-46368563

India replaces Japan for 3rd spot in domestic air travel
Propelled by the tail wind generated by increasing domestic air travel demand, the Indian aviation industry continues to soar to new heights. The world's fastest growing air travel market for several months in a row has added another feather on its cap by being the third-largest domestic aviation market globally with more people flying within the country last year than Japan, which has been pushed to number four spot.

Calendar year 2016 saw 10 crore domestic flyers in India, more than the 9.7 crore in Japan, according to the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA). "In 2015, India was at number four in domestic air travel and now it is at number three. Japan was number three in 2015," said Kapil Kaul, India head of CAPA. "On the international-cum-domestic air travel front, India saw a combined traffic similar to the UK in 2016 and they are both at number four spot now. UK was ahead of India on this front in 2015. Given the way our air traffic is growing, India is all set to overtake UK this year," said Kaul.

This data emerges from a report CAPA has prepared for the aviation ministry. According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), India has overtaken Japan on domestic air travel front as the country has been the world's fastest growing in-country market for 22 months in a row .
This growth, however, has left Indian airports - at least the big ones - choking. While slots for new flights at metro airports like Delhi and Mumbai are very hard to get, hovering of flights is a regular occurance again due to air traffic congestion. Given the massive growth, Indian carriers have ordered hundreds of planes but no one knows where they will even be parked. The government has said it will add aviation infrastructure. Navi Mumbai may get the hugely-delayed airport in a few years and Delhi could also expect another airport in NCR soon with a BJP government both at the Centre and in Lucknow.

"Our expectation is that we would have at least two to three greenfield (new) airports in UP. We are already working with the state government to determine where they would come. There is tremendous interest in a new greenfield airport in western UP and we will like to expedite it with the state government. The greenfield airport in western UP will definitely serve two purposes - enable world class air connectivity in the area and add more flight connectivity options for the NCR," aviation minister Jayant Sinha said.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...-domestic-air-travel/articleshow/57834063.cms

http://www.livemint.com/Politics/zD...Finally-a-health-policy-for-all-of-India.html

Walmart to open 50 new stores, half of those in UP, Uttarakhand
http://m.timesofindia.com/business/...se-in-up-uttarakhand/articleshow/57845711.cms

 

[Soumitra]

National Waterway 1, linking Haldia, Sahibganj, Varanasi, likely to be ready by 2018
With the development of national waterways being an integral part of the Centre’s plan to upgrade transport infrastructure in the country, work is afoot on National Waterway-1 (NW-1) linking Haldia to Allahabad. The projects on the river Ganga will boost the economies of West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.

Under the National Waterways Act of 2016, the government has committed to developing 111 designated national waterways. Of these, NWs-1, 2, & 3 are partially operational. The national waterways would not only reduce logistics costs, but also lessen congestion on the road and rail networks, having a multiplier effect on the Indian economy.

Work on NW-1 had been pending since 1990 due to hurdles posed by siltation. The shipping ministry has finally pushed the development of the Haldia-Varanasi stretch (1620 km) with projects for construction of multi-modal terminals at Varanasi, Haldia and Sahibganj, strengthening of the river navigation system, conservancy works, and development of information systems and night navigation facilities, besides construction of a navigational lock at Farakka.

Amitabh Verma, till recently the chairman of the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), says “the Prime Minister’s project monitoring group is looking at the work on a day-to-day basis and all projects have to be completed in a time-bound manner.”

Full operationalisation of the Haldia-Varanasi stretch would allow the navigation of vessels with a capacity of 1,500-2,000 tonnes, he says. The development of the waterway, expected to cost Rs 4,200 crore, has been taken up with assistance from the World Bank.

Construction work for the multi-modal terminals at Haldia, Sahibganj and Varanasi has commenced. The terminal at Haldia would become a hub for transportation of cargo to the North East. The terminal, according to Verma, has already received a commitment of 5.92 million tonne per annum of cargo once it becomes operational in 2018. IWAI also plans to build a new navigational lock and modernise the existing one at Farakka.

The terminal at Sahibganj in Bihar would further the transportation of coal to power plants. The terminal is expected to be operational by 2018. This project, according to IWAI officials, would help in the de-siltation of the river.
In Bihar, the IWAI also envisages investment in terminals at Kalughat and Gaighat, ferry and RO-RO services and dredging. The Kalughat terminal would boost transportation of cargo from Kolkata to Nepal, reducing costs by 26% and 13% compared to the railways and road, respectively. An analysis by the World Bank has concluded that the project would lead to extensive economic and social development along the banks of the Ganga in Bihar.

Work on the multi-modal terminal at Varanasi (Ramnagar) commenced in August 2016. Estimated to cost R170 crore, it is expected to be operational by August 2018.

The NW-1 projects are expected to create 1,60,000 direct and indirect jobs, Nitin Gadkari, union minister of shipping, has said. Besides being cheaper to develop than railways and roadways, waterways cost 25-30 paise per km of transport, as against R1 for railways and R1.50 for roadways. From the abysmal 3.5% at present, IWAI is aiming to increase waterway transportation of cargo in India to 15% by 2019. Even this would be low compared to countries like China, South Korea, UK, Germany, France where it is in the range of 35%-40%.
http://www.financialexpress.com/eco...j-varanasi-likely-to-be-ready-by-2018/603613/

Infrastructure is key to India's growth - waterways, Highways, Ports, Rail etc

Faster transportation = faster growth

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Railways
29-March, 2017 15:33 IST
Rail Coach Factories

Presently three Rail Coach Factories, two Diesel Locomotive factories and an Electric Locomotive Factory are functioning in the country under Ministry of Railways.


The number of coaches, diesel and electric engines built during the last two years in these factories are given below:-


Year
Coaches
Diesel Engines
Electric Engines

2014-15
3314
355
250

2015-16
3978
341
280


This Press Release is based on the information given by the Minister of State for Railways Shri Rajen Gohain in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha on 29.03.2017 (Wednesday).

******************

Ministry of Railways
29-March, 2017 15:33 IST
Safety Measures taken on India Railways

Indian Railways accord highest priority to safety in train operations. Safety measures taken on Indian Railways is a continuous process which envisage accident prevention and mitigation directed towards continuous reduction in risk level to its customers. This is done by adopting new technologies and improvement in asset reliability to reduce human dependency. In the Budget 2017-18, setting up of a Rashtriya Rail Sanraksha Kosh (RRSK) has been announced with a corpus of Rs1 lakh crore over a period of 5 years. A provision of Rs 20,000 crore has been made in Budget 2017-18 towards RRSK to fund essential safety works.

Railways have introduced new technologies such as Train Protection Warning System (TPWS)/ Train Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) as means of Automatic Train Protection on pilot section to prevent accident due to over speeding & passing signal at danger. Further the TPWS System is under implementation at 3330 RKMs section on Suburban/High-density Route. During 2017-18, work of TCAS System at 1427 RKM has also been sanctioned. Other Safety measures taken to prevent accidents include Vigilance Control Device (VCD) to check alertness of Loco Pilot, Electrical/Electronic Interlocking System with Centralized operations of points to eliminate human failure, Complete Track Circuiting, Axle Counter for Automatic Clearance of Block Section (BPAC), interlocking of manned Level Crossing gates and replacement of filament type signal with Light Emitting Diode (LED) Signals. Safety measures taken to improve safety of Railway Track include usage of prestressed concrete sleepers, 60 Kg, 90 or higher Ultimate Tensile Strength (UTS) Rails, Long Rail Panels of 260m/130m length, provision of Thick Web Switches (TWS) for all important routes and Track Management System. It has also been decided to gradually phase out ICF Coaches and replace them by new design light weight modern technology Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) Coaches, introduce high capacity Centre Buffer Couplers (CBC) and Bogie Mounted Brake System (BMBS). Indian Railways is gradually moving towards automatic condition monitoring of Rolling Assets. As a part of this initiative, Railways are installing Wheel Impact Load Detectors (WILD), Online Monitoring of Rolling Stock System (OMRS) and Centralized Bearing Monitoring System (CBMS) in a phased manner.

This Press Release is based on the information given by the Minister of State for Railways Shri Rajen Gohain in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha on 29.03.2017 (Wednesday).


****

Ministry of Railways
29-March, 2017 15:33 IST
Measures to Ensure Jerk-Free Train Journey

It has been decided to replace the Centre Buffer Couplers (CBCs) of LHB (Linke Hofmann Busch) type coaches fitted with Single pack draft gear or Floating plate draft gear with CBCs with Balanced draft gear to mitigate the jerks in the train ride.

Sanction for the retrofitment of improved design CBCs with Balanced draft gear in 1350 LHB coaches is already available under Rolling Stock Programme (RSP) and provision of the same in 500 more LHB coaches has been sought under RSP 17-18 at a cost of ₹ 5 lac per coach. The approximate cost for this work in 1850 LHB coaches at a cost of ₹ 5 lac per coach would be ₹ 92.5 crore.

All new passenger coaches (Mainline) are being manufactured with CBCs with Balanced draft gear.

It has been decided to proliferate coaches with CBCs with Balanced Draft Gear on Indian Railways irrespective of specific trains/routes.

This Press Release is based on the information given by the Minister of State for Railways Shri Rajen Gohain in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha on 29.03.2017 (Wednesday).

*****

Ministry of Railways
29-March, 2017 15:31 IST
Measures Taken by Railways for Protection of Elephants

Railway has developed the following process/steps/corrective measures for protection of elephants getting killed on railway tracks:-

Imposition of suitable speed restrictions in identified locations keeping the joint advisory of Ministry of Environment & Forest and Ministry of Railways and train operation requirements in consideration, provision of signage boards on identified corridors to alert the loco pilots, training programme to sensitise train crew and Station Masters on a regular basis, deputing of staff of Forest Department in the control office, need-based clearance of vegetation on the sides of the track within railway land, VHF communication links between forest officials and stations, construction of underpasses and ramp passes for the movement of elephants at identified locations, construction of girder bridges at the entrance of the deep cuttings to prevent elephants getting trapped, and provision of fencing at isolated locations etc.

This Press Release is based on the information given by the Minister of State for Railways Shri Rajen Gohain in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha on 29.03.2017 (Wednesday).

*****

Ministry of Railways
29-March, 2017 15:28 IST
Deen Dayalu Coach Scheme of Indian Railway

During the period from April 2016 to February 2017, about 141 Deen Dayalu un-reserved coaches have been inducted in 23 pairs of Mail/Express trains. Further, induction of more Deen Dayalu coaches is an on-going process and is being done in a phased manner.


Instructions have been issued for the provision of the following additional facilities in the Deen Dayalu coaches manufactured at Production Units of Indian Railways:


· Provision of cushioned luggage rakes.

· Provision of additional hand hold in doorway area.

· Provision of J hooks near longitudinal luggage racks.

· Toilets with polymerized floor coating.

· Provision of bio-toilets.

· Water level indicator.

· Toilet occupation indication display board.

· Enhanced mobile charging facility.

· Fire extinguishers with anti-theft arrangement.

· Pleasing interior and exterior colour scheme with anti graffiti measures.

· Potable Water similar to Aquaguard type water filtration system.


The approved production programme for Deen Dayalu Coaches is given below:



Year
Deen Dayalu Coaches

2016-17
577

2017-18
385

2018-19
384

2019-20
392


These coaches will provide a better travel experience to unreserved passengers.



This Press Release is based on the information given by the Minister of State for Railways Shri Rajen Gohain in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha on 29.03.2017 (Wednesday).

****

 

[Soumitra]

Big boost to regional air connectivity. 33 unserved/underserved airports to be connected via the UDAN scheme.

In a century of avaition 76 airports became operational. Now in one year 33 are being added

Price of tickets Rs. 2500 for 1 hour flights (minimum 50% of the tickets to be sold at this price)

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Railways31-March, 2017 15:38 IST
Modernisation and Manufactureing of Rail Coaches

Several measures have been taken by Indian Railways to modernize / upgrade rail coaches of Mainline trains in the recent past. These include provision of improved interiors with upgraded fire retardant properties, Bio Toilets, Balanced Draft Gear for reducing the jerks in Centre Buffer Couplers (CBC) fitted coaches, Light Emitting Diode (LED) lighting, Screw less Fibre-Reinforced Polymer (FRP) or Aluminium Composite Panel (ACP) paneling for interiors, etc. Besides, a policy decision has been taken to proliferate Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) coaches. LHB type coaches are based on new technology and are of superior design as compared to conventional Integral Coach Factory (ICF) type coaches.

In addition to the above, Humsafar trains having additional amenities in the coaches have recently been introduced for providing comfortable Air-Conditioned III Tier travel. Humsafar coaches have better passenger amenities, improved aesthetics, passenger announcement system, Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) based surveillance system, etc. Also, Antyodaya and Deen Dayalu coaches for unreserved travel, having additional amenities in the coaches, have been introduced in service. These coaches have features such as cushioned luggage racks, drinking water dispenser, pleasing interior and exterior with anti-graffiti measures, enhanced number of mobile charging points, etc.

Targets set for the manufacture of Humsafar/Deen Dayalu and Antyodaya coaches for the next three years, which are available now, are as under:

Type of coach
2017-18
(coaches)

2018-19
(coaches)

2019-20
(coaches)

Humsafar
200
200
200

Deen Dayalu
385
384
392

Antyodaya
160
200



The modernization/upgradation of rail coaches of Mainline trains as a continual process is carried out based on availability of capacities/funds.

The zone-wise holding of coaches of Indian Railways, as on 31.03.2016 is as below:

Zonal Railway
Number of coaches

Central Railway
5241

Eastern Railway
4241

East Central Railway
3761

East Coast Railway
2572

Northern Railway
6659

North Central Railway
1473

North Eastern Railway
2702

Northeast Frontier Railway
2813

North Western Railway
2624

Southern Railway
6784

South Central Railway
4686

South Eastern Railway
3389

South East Central Railway
1146

South Western Railway
3439

Western Railway
4639

West Central Railway
1415

Total
57584


Indian Railways undertakes Mid-Life Rehabilitation (MLR) of Mainline coaches in a programmed manner depending upon the capacity and availability of funds. During 2016-17 (upto February 2017), 766 such coaches underwent MLR. It is planned to do MLR for around 1000 coaches in 2017-18.

As a part of MLR, selected number of coaches are being refurbished. Refurbished coaches with improved interiors, vibrant colour scheme, additional amenities, etc. have been inducted in the Mahamana Express running between New Delhi and Varanasi. Additional coaches are taken up for refurbishing based on sanctions under the Rolling Stock Programme and availability of capacities/funds.

This Press Release is based on the information given by the Minister of State for Railways Shri Rajen Gohain in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha on 31.03.2017 (Friday).

****



AKS/MKV/AK/SM


Ministry of Railways
31-March, 2017 15:36 IST
Plantation of Trees in Vacant Railway Land

In pursuance of Railway’s commitment towards environmental improvement through afforestation and also with a view to safeguarding the precious railway land against unauthorized occupation/encroachment, tree plantation is being done on Railways land on regular basis. At present 39542 hectares of Railway land is under afforestation. Besides this, Ministry of Railways has also finalised a model agreement in consultation with Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change to be entered between Zonal Railways and respective State Forest Department in January, 2016 for plantation of trees on Railway land along the railway track and station yards without transferring the ownership of the land in favour of State Forest Department. As per the provisions of the model Agreement, cost of the plantation including its protection and maintenance can be borne by State Forest Department or Railway Administration or can be shared by both. The plantation work on Railway land along the railway track has already been started under this agreement in some of the States. During the year 2016-17 (up to February 2017) 1.22 Cr. saplings have already been planted.

This Press Release is based on the information given by the Minister of State for Railways Shri Rajen Gohain in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha on 31.03.2017 (Friday).

****

 

[A Basu]

New Alstom design of eLOCO which will be built at new factory in Bihar. Wag10?

Model presented to Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu

 

[RISING SUN]

Railways to spend Rs 10,000 crore for track renewal: Suresh Prabhu
The Railways will spend about Rs 10,000 crore for renewal of tracks and adopt latest technology to detect rail fracture to reduce the accident rate to zero level, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu said today.

He also said that the Railways will install train protection warning system and eliminate all unmanned level crossings across the country by using Rs 1 lakh crore 'Railways Suraksha Kosh'.

Replying to a debate on Appropriation (Railways) Bill in the Rajya Sabha which was approved later, Prabhu claimed that the rate of train accidents in India has come down, as per the "global index".

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"It does not mean I am happy with this. We would like to work towards zero accident," he said on a day a train derailed in Uttar Pradesh, in yet another mishap.

Referring to the recent train mishap in Kanpur which is being probed by the NIA, he expressed concern about the "some of the causes of the accident".

With the help of NIA and state agencies, the Minister said "We will be able to work out."

In his almost 90-minute reply, the minister talked about a slew of initiatives planned for safety, technology upgradation and passenger amenities, like cleanliness.

Prabhu said the government is changing rolling stock and making sure that tracks are properly renewed. The Rail safety fund will be used to eliminate unmanned level crossings.

On renewal of tracks, the government has set a target of 3500 km at a cost of Rs 10,153 crore for the year 2017-18.

Prabhu said the Railways is using and is in the process of using various modern technologies to avoid accidents caused by human errors.

In this context, he listed out the new technologies like ultra sonic detection system, train protection warning system, train collision avoidance system, use of strong couplings.

"Without using these technologies, we will not be able to avoid accidents," he said

"Without using these technologies, we will not be able to avoid accidents," he said

In order to improve the profitabilty of railways, Prabhu said the government is trying to maximise revenues from fares as well as non-fare methods besides reducing the cost of operations.

Minister said it was a difficult year for railways as the cost increased due to Pay Commission and revenue did not increase. To cut cost, Prabhu said the government will focus on reducing energy cost through electrification and use of alternate source of energy.

He said the government plans to save Rs 41,000 crore in energy bill in the next 10 years. It is targeting generation of 1000 MWs of and 200 MWs of wind power besides energy mix, use of LED bulbs, waste to energy plant.

On electrification, he said railways is targeting 4000 km route in the next fiscal and in the next five years it will be double.

Referring to the congestion in rail lines, Prabhu said currently 16 per cent of the track is catering to the 60 per cent of the traffic, as a result of which major trunk routes are saturated.

"That is why we are doing expansion of rail track through doubling and tripling." Citing the paucity of space at stations for accommodating the increasing number of trains, the Railway Minister said he was wondering whether rail tracks could be constructed beneath and above the existing ones to docongest the platforms.

Making a comprarison with the previous governments, he said "In the last two-and-a-half years, we have done 12,700 km long doubling of tracks whereas total doubling done since 1947 was 15,000 kms." He emphasised that railways problem is not linked with the railway budget.

He also said there is a significant increase in the capital expenditure. "Rs 1.31 lakh crore has been allocated in the Capex for the 2017-18 including Rs 55000 crore for Gross Budgetary Support."

Highlighting decline in investment in the railways and increase in the road sector over the years, he said "The government has decided to go for more investment in the rail sector. Railways has earmarked Rs 8.5 lakh crore for the five years."

Prabhu said the railways is trageting to generate Rs 17,500 crore as non-fare revenue in the next fiscal. Non-fare revenue refers to branding of trains, advertising at stations and platforms.

Prabhu said freight has declined but expressed confidence that loading will rise in the future as freight rate has been rationalised to attract more loadings.

Prabhu said railways is targeting laying of 3500 km of line for the broad gauge purpose in a year, which means 10 km per day. This will be increased to 19 km per day in the next two years.

Talking about the passenger amenities proposed, the Railway Minister said escalators will be provided at major stations. Wi-Fi facilities have been provided at about 150 stations and more stations will be covered soon.

Referring to new services introduced for passengers, he said Mahamana Express, Antodaya Express and Humsafar Express have been introduced with many facilities. Tejas Express will be introduced in the next few months to be followed by double-decker Udaya Express.

He said railways has introduced new catering policy separating cooking and distribution of food to improve catering.

Highlighting transparency, he said now all procurement and tenders in railways are on e-platforms and auction of scraps are also conducted through online process.

He said there is a special focus on maintaining cleanliness at rail premises. All coaches will be equipped with bio-toilets in the next three years.
http://www.newindianexpress.com/bus...-for-track-renewal-suresh-prabhu-1587915.html

 

[RISING SUN]

Government approves Rs 6,721 cr National Highway projects in Meghalaya, Mizoram
The government today approved Rs 6,721-crore projects in Meghalaya and Mizoram for development of 403 kms of National Highways. “The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has given its approval for development of 403 kms of National Highways in Meghalaya and Mizoram,” a statement from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said after the CCEA meeting. Out of the 403 km, approximately 52 kms will be in Meghalaya and 351 km in Mizoram.

The projects will be executed in EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) mode.

“The estimated cost is Rs 6,721 crore including cost of land acquisition, resettlement and other pre-construction activities,” the statement said.

The projects will be taken up for implementation during the financial year 2017-18. The civil works are expected to be completed by 2021 and maintenance works by 2025.
The projects will encourage sub-regional socio-economic development by improvement of infrastructure in Meghalaya and Mizoram, the statement said. They will also enhance the connectivity with inter-state roads and international borders, it added.

The work for development to two-lane standards are under the scheme ‘North East Road Network Connectivity Project Phase I’ with loan assistance of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

The existing carriageway of all the stretches is varying between single lane and intermediate lane.

The statement said the condition of pavements is very poor and at some locations not in traffic worthy condition. In addition, the stretches are also in poor condition in landslides areas / sinking zones.
http://www.financialexpress.com/ind...highway-projects-in-meghalaya-mizoram/598515/

ONGC doubles gas production in Tripura in 5 years
State-owned ONGC has more than doubled its gas production in five years in Tripura brightening prospects of setting up of more gas based projects, officials said here on Wednesday.

"ONGC has more than doubled its production from 6,450 lakh cubic metres of gas in 2012-13 to 13,820 lakh cubic metres in 2016-17," a spokesman of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) said.

The company is presently supplying gas at a rate of 45 lakh cubic metres per day to various power projects, to run vehicles on compressed natural gas (CNG) and supply piped natural gas (PNG) to households for cooking purposes and crematorium.

The spokesman said that as part of enhancing drilling activities, the rig fleet has been increased from three rigs in 2015-16 to seven rigs in 2016-17, with one more rig under tendering stage.

"With the addition of these rigs, the number of wells drilled in the state has gone up from 10-12 wells in 2015-16 to 15 wells in 2016-17. It plans to drill 22 wells per year in the next three years."

ONGC Tripura Asset is also augmenting its gas processing capacity from 49.5 lakh cubic metres per day in 2015-16 to 57.5 lakh cubic metres per day in 2016-17 by setting up of a GCS (Gas Collection Station) at Sonamura in western Tripura.

"To further boost the gas processing capacities two more big GCS would be set up in Gojalia (in southern Tripura) and Agartala Dome in western Tripura by April 2019," the official said.

The spokesman said the exploration activities in the entire northeastern India are being monitored by Assam and Assam-Arakkan Basin operating from Jorhat in eastern Assam.

"Four forward base offices located at Nazira, Jorhat and Cachar - Silchar (all in Assam) and Agartala also monitored the exploration activities in the region. The Assam and Assam-Arakkan basin comprises of two geological structures of Assam Shelf," she added.

The official said that as part of its continuous efforts to enhance gas production in the state and to supply all the consumers on sustainable basis, ONGC Tripura Asset has taken lot of initiatives for augmenting its resources and expanding its operational activities across Tripura.

ONGC, which has been operational in Tripura since 1972, has so far drilled about 212 wells in Tripura more than half of which are gas-bearing.

The company has also earlier commissioned its first commercial power project in India, located in southern Tripura and run by ONGC Tripura Power Company (OTPC), a new company formed by ONGC, Tripura government and Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services Limited (IL&FS).

The 726 MW capacity gas-based combined cycle power project (using both water and natural gas), located at Palatana, 60 km from Tripura capital here, has been supplying electricity to the seven northeastern states.

ONGC has also planned to set up a Rs 5,000 crore fertiliser plant in northern Tripura in association with the state government and Chambal Fertilisers and Chemicals Ltd, a Rajasthan based private company.

"Electricity is being supplied to seven of the eight northeastern states from the Palatana power project. Also 100 MW of power is being supplied to Bangladesh since March 23 2016," another ONGC official said.

"The generation capacity of the OTPC power project is likely to be increased to 1,090 MW from the existing 726 MW in near future. Works are going in this direction," a top OTPC engineer told IANS on condition of anonymity.
http://www.business-standard.com/ar...ion-in-tripura-in-5-years-117032200527_1.html

India clears the decks for passenger ferry services with Bangladesh
India is pulling out all the stops to operationalize a proposed passenger ferry service to Bangladesh in preparation for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s upcoming visit to the country next month.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) for a passenger ferry service between the two countries was signed in November 2015 but the project hit a road block due to the home ministry’s reservations over allowing Bangladeshi crew into India without valid passports.

The decks are now being cleared for an announcement. Sheikh Hasina’s visit to India next month comes seven years after her last. The final terms and conditions for the passenger ferry service are to be discussed and an announcement is likely to be made, an Indian government official said requesting anonymity.

“The passenger ferry services to Bangladesh will be started shortly,” said another government official who also did not wish to be identified.

The move to launch the ferry service comes in the backdrop of India’s interest in accessing transnational multi-modal connectivity and playing an important role in the proposed transportation architecture in the region and beyond.

Indian Railways is working on a plan to operationalize the Trans-Asian Railway (TAR) route of Dhaka-Kolkata-Delhi-Amritsar-Lahore-Islamabad-Zahedaan-Tehran-Istanbul.

ALSO READ: As China looms large, India set to pledge new cash for Bangladesh

Sheikh Hasina’s visit on 7-10 April is aimed at strengthening Bangladesh’s ties with India, Asia’s third largest economy.

“A draft MoU on passenger and cruise services on coastal and protocol route was initialed by the respective Secretaries of the two countries as a token of agreement which will be formalized after approval of the respective Governments,” the Indian government had said in a November 2015 statement.

India has also been instrumental in the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway project, as well as the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal Motor Vehicles Agreement.

India-Bangladesh ties have seen an upswing since the two countries completed procedures for the ratification of a 1974 border pact during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Dhaka trip in 2015.

However, there is no consensus yet on another issue—the sharing of the waters of the Teesta and Feni rivers. The Teesta river, which has its source in Sikkim, flows through the northern part of West Bengal in India before entering Bangladesh and joining the Brahmaputra.

India is building a bridge over the Feni river in an attempt to connect Tripura with the Chittagong port in Bangladesh.

The road transport ministry is taking up a new bridge over Feni river in Tripura to facilitate connectivity with Bangladesh at an estimated cost of Rs130 crore. This project is at tendering stage, said road transport and highways secretary Sanjay Mitra.

Queries emailed to spokespersons in the Indian ministries of external affairs and shipping and the Bangladesh embassy in New Delhi remained unanswered at the time of going to press.
http://www.livemint.com/Politics/gD...ks-for-passenger-ferry-services-with-Ban.html

 

[Soumitra]

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate to the nation Asia's longest bi-directional road tunnel on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway on Sunday (April 2). The Chenani-Nashri all-weather tunnel has been built at a cost of over Rs 2,500 crore in about five years.

Built at an altitude of 1,200 meters, the 10.89 km tunnel would cut the travel distance between Jammu and Srinagar by about 40 kilometres, and is expected to save passengers over 2 hours in travel time as it will bypass snow- and landslide-prone Kud, Patnitop and Batote on National Highway 44. According to estimates, it also promises fuel savings of over Rs 27 lakh per day and will also provide better connectivity to people in Kishtwar, Doda and Bhaderwah in the Jammu region.

The work on the twin-tube tunnel, which is part of National Highway Authority of India's (NHAI's) 286-km-long four-lane project on the highway, started on May 23, 2011, in the lower Himalayan mountain range. The project forms part of the proposed widening of NH-44 (old NH-1A) from Jammu to Srinagar.

Hailed as an engineering marvel, this marks significant roadbuilding firsts in India, including an unprecedented stress on user safety. Amongst its host of intelligent road tunnel features are:

Integrated traffic control system
Entrance Detection Control System
Active Firefighting System
Electronic Surveillance System
Evacuative Broadcast System
Tunnel Ventilation System

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VENTILATION:

With inlets every 8 metres bringing fresh air into the main tube, and exhaust outlets every 100 meter opening into the escape tube, the longest highway tunnel in India also happens to be Asia's longest bi-directional highway tunnel with fully transverse ventilation system. Such a ventilation system is a first for India.

For such long tunnels, ventilation systems are essential to maintain clean air, permissible carbon dioxide levels and expel harmful vehicle emissions. In layman parlance, the drives for ventilation system are akin to the lungs and the motors and safety software akin the muscles for the tunnel ventilation system.

To ensure smooth travel and safety of commuters, ABB designed, engineered and supplied low harmonics variable speed drive (VSD) system for tunnel ventilation. The VSDs and motors are installed at the North (Nashri) and South (Chenani) portals for air supply and exhaust. "ABB India is privileged to deploy technology for another infrastructure project of national importance. ABB's best in class global technology manufactured in India will make Asia's longest road tunnel safer and will ensure effective ventilation," Sanjeev Sharma, CEO and Managing Director, ABB India, told toi.in. "The new tunnel's safety controls were developed by ABB in India, for effectively mitigating any fire emergencies."

Globally, ABB has executed the world's most powerful ventilation system with the power of 80 Formula E cars for Gotthard Base Tunnel in Switzerland+ - the world's longest (35.5 miles) and deepest (8,000 feet maximum depth) train tunnel.

SAFETY:

Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services (IL&FS) Company is all set to handover the project to the NHAI soon after the focal inauguration by the Prime Minister. The company says the tunnel has unprecedented safety features, a key feature being the two tubes that run parallel to each other.

The main traffic tunnel is 13 metres in diameter and has a safety tunnel alongside that's about 6 metres in diameter. The two 9-kilometre-long tubes are connected by 29 cross passages at regular intervals along the entire length of the tunnel. The 29 cross passages between the two tunnels will be used to evacuate a user who might be in distress, or to tow away a vehicle that might have broken down. 124 cameras and a linear heat detection system inside the tunnel will alert an Integrated Tunnel Control Room (ITCR) located outisde to monitor and intervene, if necessary.

ECONOMIC IMPACT:

Cars will pay Rs 55 on one- way fare and Rs 85 for to-and-fro journey and Rs 1,870 for a 'monthly pass', while bigger vehicles like pick-up and small buses will have pay Rs 90 for one-way and Rs 135 for to-and-fro toll. Buses and trucks will be charged Rs 190 for a single journey and Rs 285 for return.

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Commuters will also be able to use their mobile phones inside the tunnel. BSNL, Airtel and Idea have set up facilities inside the tunnel to carry signals.




"The tunnel has multiple economic gains as connectivity in the remote area can help transform the life of this neglected region in the hills. The credit goes to previous planners for having mooted this tunnel," S P Singh, senior fellow at the Indian Foundation of Transport Research and Training (IFTRT) told Economic Times.

 

[RISING SUN]

Dabur announces commissioning of Rs 250 crore manufacturing facility in Assam

Read more at:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com...ofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

 

[RISING SUN]

Assam to have water taxis, revamped waterways soon
Assam will soon start water taxis between Guwahati city and the airport near here, a state minister said on Tuesday.
Assam Industry Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary said this while addressing a press conference and added that the government has decided to bring in 50 water taxis soon.
The introduction of water taxis will reduce travel time between Guwahati city and the airport to a mere 18 minutes.”A jetty will be developed near the Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport. The water taxis will take the visitors from the jetty in the city to the proposed jetty near the airport. From there, air conditioned buses of the Assam State Transport Corporation will take the visitors to the airport in absolute comfort,” Patowary said.
He said the government has also taken up several steps to revitalise inland water transport in Assam, and added that the Central government has also notified nine new national waterways in Assam, apart from the Brahmaputra and Barak national waterways.
“We are planning to improve and upgrade all the jetties in Assam, the number of which is 101 at this moment. Most of them are in dilapidated condition. If needed, we are going to set up some more jetties with modern technologies to make the waterways vibrant. The use of waterways will reduce the transportation cost in the landlocked state to a great extent,” he said. (IANS)
Read more at http://www.theshillongtimes.com/201...mped-waterways-soon/#puTQCgg1RdJTGDXw.99Assam will soon start water taxis between Guwahati city and the airport near here, a state minister said on Tuesday.
Assam Industry Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary said this while addressing a press conference and added that the government has decided to bring in 50 water taxis soon.
The introduction of water taxis will reduce travel time between Guwahati city and the airport to a mere 18 minutes.”A jetty will be developed near the Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport. The water taxis will take the visitors from the jetty in the city to the proposed jetty near the airport. From there, air conditioned buses of the Assam State Transport Corporation will take the visitors to the airport in absolute comfort,” Patowary said.
He said the government has also taken up several steps to revitalise inland water transport in Assam, and added that the Central government has also notified nine new national waterways in Assam, apart from the Brahmaputra and Barak national waterways.
“We are planning to improve and upgrade all the jetties in Assam, the number of which is 101 at this moment. Most of them are in dilapidated condition. If needed, we are going to set up some more jetties with modern technologies to make the waterways vibrant. The use of waterways will reduce the transportation cost in the landlocked state to a great extent,” he said. (IANS)
http://www.theshillongtimes.com/2017/03/29/assam-to-have-water-taxis-revamped-waterways-soon/

BHEL commissions 250 MW unit at Bongaigaon plant in Assam
State-run power equipment maker BHEL today said it has commissioned a 250 MW unit at the upcoming Bongaigaon thermal power station in Assam.

"BHEL is executing the main plant package contract for setting up three coal-fired units of 250 MW each at Bongaigaon TPS of NTPC. Significantly, this is the highest rating coal-based power plant in the North-East region," BHEL said in a statement.

The first unit of the power plant was commissioned earlier by BHEL and is presently operational, while the third and final unit is in advanced stage of commissioning, the statement said.

Bongaigaon power plant is located at Salakati near Bongaigaon in Kokrajhar district of Assam. Also known as the gateway to lower Assam, Bongaigoan is one of the industrial towns of the state, which also has a major petrochemical industry. This project has been set up after demolishing an old 4x60 MW power station of Assam State Electricity Board, it said.
In Assam, BHEL is also executing a gas-based combined cycle power project of 98.4 MW at Namrup.
http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/bu...nit-at-bongaigaon-plant-in-assam-2245629.html

Assam to get 6 thermal projects with total capacity of 992 MW
As many as six thermal power projects with a combined installed capacity of 992 MW are being set up by the state-owned power generation company in Assam.

Union minister of state for power Piyush Goyal, in reply to a question by AIUDF MP Badruddin Ajmal, informed the Lok Sabha that at present there is no hydroelectric power project from Assam under consideration for concurrence of the Central Electricity Authority (CEA).

The minister stated that as per the information furnished by the CEA, the power projects proposed to be set up in the state are the 660-MW Margherita Project, 12-MW Golaghat Project, 70-MW Lakwa Replacement Project, 30-MW Cachar project, 100-MW Amguri Project and 120-MW Lower Kopili Project. He added that the CEA approved Lower Kopili in May, 2016.


According to Assam Power Distribution Company Limited, it is now supplying power to the extent of 95% to 100% during off-peak hours and to 90% to 95% during peak (evening) hours.

The APDCL website says that there has been a steep rise in the demand for power during the last three to four years in the state. "In Guwahati alone, there has been a three-fold increase in demand for power in the past five years. Until a couple of years ago, only 16% rural households were electrified which has now enhanced to about 50%. But as per the National Electricity Policy, steps have been undertaken to electrify every household of Assam by 2019. As such, there has been a great increase in demand for power in rural as well as urban areas in recent times," the website adds.


Official sources said the average peak demand for power in the state is 1400 MW, which is a two-fold jump over the demand five years ago. However, the total availability of power at present is around 1200 MW, which includes just 260 MW from the state's own generations. The state's primary source of power is hydro generation, which accounts for about 60% of the total existing power availability.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...y-of-992-mw/articleshow/57802482.cms?from=mdr

ONGC makes new discoveries of 10 mmt oil in Assam
What could be said as its biggest discovery after a gap of three years in Assam, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has made reserve accretion of 10 million metric tonnes (MMT) of oil in the state.

The area of the discovery falls in Jorhat district and two wells, one each at Sufayam and Dayalpur, have already been drilled to exploit this 10 MMT reserve.

The two new wells are producing around 50 tonnes of oil daily, thus taking the total daily production of Jorhat asset from 350 tonnes to 400 tonnes.

‘We are now putting enhanced focus on production besides continuing with our exploration activities. As soon as we make onshore discoveries of oil or gas, our target is to soon start production from them. First time in three years we have made reserve accretion in Assam of 10 MMT. Within two months’ time we created facilities and put these two fields into production,” said Ved Prakash Mahawar, director (onshore) of ONGC.

Mahawar said the company would achieve the target set for the production in Assam in the year 2016-17. The target of production for 2016-17 for Assam asset and Jorhat asset collectively is 0.96 MMT. “We will achieve 100 per cent target this year. Till now 98 per cent target achieved,” Mahawar added.

Mahawar further said the company wishes to re-enter Nagaland and exploit the discovered reserves there. ONGC, he said, would however, like to work out on modalities with the Nagaland government as how to go ahead, whether solo or in partnership with the state government etc., before entering the state again.

“We have already let known the ministry (union ministry of petroleum and natural gas) that Nagaland has substantial reserves and it rests on the ministry how it puts those reserves into production mode,” he said. The company was present in the state till 1994 when it quit in the wake of violent militant activities.

In Tripura, where ONGC is producing natural gas, the company plans to take up its daily production from 45 lakh cubic metres (LCM) to 50 LCM and this additional output may go to the 726 MW ONGC Tripura Power Company (OTPC).

With regard to Arunachal Pradesh Mahawar said: “We came to know that the state has reserves of gas but we need to undertake exploration.”
http://www.business-standard.com/ar...es-of-10-mmt-oil-in-assam-117031000868_1.html

ONGC puts two oil wells discovered in Assam on production

Read more at:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com...ofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst