6-Dec-2018: Ministry of Shipping approves a Rs 156 crore Freight Village in Varanasi
The Ministry of Shipping has approved the development of Rs 156 crore freight village in Varanasi adjoining the Inland Waterways Terminal on River Ganga. The Varanasi freight village will be developed by the Inland Waterways Authority of India. It will serve as a cargo hub, and a centre for aggregation and value addition. It will also provide support to stimulate development of a professional logistics industry in Varanasi.
A freight village is a designated area where facilities for various modes of transportation, distribution of goods and other logistics are available in a synchronized manner on a large scale. The main function of freight villages is management and utilization of various modes of transport, synergizing them and decongesting the existing mode of transportation. Freight villages are basically cargo aggregators which offer various logistic choices to a shipper/ cargo owner; i.e. choice of rail-road; rail-waterway; road-waterway. The choice is based on the optimal/ lowest logistic cost that can be derived by the shipper/ cargo owner. Delivery and coordination of various freight related activities under one roof ensures ease of doing business and makes it possible to realize high truck capacity due to which economic efficiency and activity of the enterprises on site can be improved.
A World Bank pre-feasibility study has found Varanasi to be a suitable site for the freight village. The city is located strategically and is a focal point in the logistics chain of Eastern Transport Corridor of India where the National Waterways-1, Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (EDFC), National Highway-7 and National Highway-2 pass through. The volume of traffic on inland waterway to Varanasi is expected to increase with the commissioning of the multi modal terminal being built under the Jal Marg Vikas project. The estimated volume of traffic for Varanasi multi modal terminal is 3.55 MMT by 2020; 3.82 MMT by 2025; 10.12 MMT by 2035; and 10.32 MMT by 2045. Vessels with capacity of up to 2000 DWT would be able to berth at the IWT multi-modal terminal that will have the infrastructure facilities required to handle this expected increase in the volume of cargo traffic from JMVP and EDFC through synchro-modality.
The Varanasi freight village is proposed to be developed over a land area of about 100 acres, which will be acquired in two phases - 70 acres in first phase and 30 acres in second phase at a total estimated cost of Rs 120 crores. Another pre-investment cost of Rs 45 crores is expected to be incurred on soft aspects of the projects such as procurement of consultancy service and operation of project management unit.
The IWAI will own the land of the freight village, but part of it will be leased to logistics companies and waterways related manufacturing and trading companies at prices to be fixed as per market conditions and on terms and conditions to be framed, to set up their own business. The freight village can potentially cater to a diverse cargo profile including containers, bulk and break-bulk cargo, liquid bulk and bagged cargo.
26-Sep-2018: Cabinet approves financial assistance worth Rs.825 Crore for relining of Sirhind Feeder Canal and relining of Rajasthan Feeder Canal
The Union Cabinet has approved providing Central Assistance of Rs. 620.42 Cr. and Rs. 205.758 Cr. for implementation of relining of Rajasthan Feeder Canal and Sirhind Feeder Canal respectively over five years (2018-19 to 2022-23) for Relining of Sirhind Feeder from RD 119700 to 447927 and relining of Rajasthan Feeder from RD 179000to 496000 of Punjab.
Impact:
- Implementation of these twin projects would help in addressing the problem of water-logging in 84800 Ha of land in Muktsar, Faridkot and Ferozepur districts in South-West Punjab.
- Implementation of these projects would address the problem of water logging in South-West Punjab and enhance the flows/ water availability in the two canals.
- Farmers in the area would be benefitted due to stabilisation / improved irrigation in 98,739 Ha of land due to relining of Rajasthan Feeder and 69,086 Ha due to relining of Sirhind Feeder.
Expenditure:
- Funding for CA to the Rajasthan Feeder and Sirhind feeder shall be made through NABARD under existing system for funding of 99 PMKSY-AIBP projects under LTIF.
- In addition to existing monitoring mechanism for projects by Central Water Commission, an Expert Project Review Committee may be constituted to oversee the overall implementation of these projects.
- The approved cost of relining of Sirhind Feeder Canal is Rs. 671.478 Cr and that of relining of Rajasthan Feeder Canal is Rs. 1305.267 Cr, at 2015 PL. Of the total estimated cost, Rs. 826.168 Cr would be provided as Central Assistance (Rs. 205.758 Cr for Sirhind Feeder and Rs. 620.41 Cr for Rajasthan Feeder).
- Investment Clearance of Revised Cost Estimates amounting to Rs.671.478 crore and Rs.1305.267 crore for Relining of Sirhind Feeder and Relining of Rajasthan Feeder respectively have been accorded on 6th April, 2016.
- The projects were visited by a team under Chairman CWC during 2016 and by another team under Sh. A. B. Pandya, former Chairman, CWC during 2017. They recommended remedial works to be taken up. The Punjab Government also conveyed its financial concurrence on 26.04.2018.
Background: Sirhind and Rajasthan Feeders take off upstream of Harike Head works and flow through Punjab before crossing over to Rajasthan. The twin canals have a common bank and were constructed in the 1960s as lined (brick) channels to convey water to command areas in Punjab and Rajasthan.
The Government of Punjab has reported considerable seepage loss due to damages in the lining of both Sirhind and Rajasthan Feeders. As a result, apart from reduced flows in these canals, the adjacent areas have been affected by water logging causing huge agricultural losses.
The project would mitigate water logging problem and enhance the flows/ water availability in the two canals.
23-Sep-2018: PM to inaugurate Sikkim's first-ever airport
The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Sikkim's first-ever airport tomorrow i.e. Monday, 24th September, 2018.
Speaking to media persons soon after his arrival in Gangtok today on the eve of Prime Minister's visit, the Union Minister for Development of Northeastern Region (DoNER), Dr Jitendra Singh said that it is a historic occasion for the entire Northeast and, in fact, for the entire country to celebrate. It has been over 40 years since Sikkim became a part of India, but now tomorrow the Prime Minister will inaugurate the airport in this hill State and bring it on the air-map of the world, he said.
Elaborating further, Dr Jitendra Singh informed that the airport is located at Pakyong, around 60 kms from the Indo-China border, which also makes it strategically relevant from the security point of view. The Indian Air Force (IAF) will also find this airport convenient for the landing and taking off of its aircrafts, he said.
From the tourist point of view, Dr Jitendra Singh said, this is a major booster because Sikkim has been one of the favorite destinations for tourists, almost all throughout the year. With the new airport becoming functional, he said, the travelling time will be get cut down by almost 5 hours because, earlier, the nearest airport to which the tourists could fly down was Bagdogra in West Bengal.
Built at an estimated cost of over Rs. 605 crore, the Pakyong airport is a new distinction for the State of Sikkim which has, in the last three to four years, achieved the distinction of becoming the first "Organic State" of India and also the first "Open Defecation Free" (ODF) State of India.