Mumbai to get 1st electric AC double decker

Mumbai’s first electric AC double decker is expected to be launched in the first week of August to coincide with the BEST Foundation Day on August 7. With the daily ridership now of over 31 lakh and set to increase by around 1-2 lakh, the BEST will require more buses to meet the increasing demand from commuters. The double deckers will provide a carrying capacity of 78-90 people per bus. With 900 e-double decker contracts already approved recently, the first lot of 225 twin-deck buses are expected by the year end. When contacted, BEST general manager Lokesh Chandra said that the prototype design of the double decker has been finalised and now the body building will be done over the chassis by the contractor. “The bus will have two staircases instead of the single one in the existing double decker. This will ensure smooth movement of passengers while boarding or alighting from the bus,” he said. He further said that the buses will be noiseless, electric and airconditioned, which will not just augment the carrying capacity but will also provide for comfortable rides. At present, there are 48 non-AC double deckers ferrying passengers on 16 routes across Mumbai. It has a good ridership on busy routes from CSMT to Nariman Point, Colaba to Worli, Kurla to Santacruz, etc. One of the most popular routes is the one from CSMT to Backbay depot. Once the twin-deck fleet size increases, more double deckers will be deployed on CSMT-Nariman Point, Churchgate-Colaba/ Cuffe Parade/ Nariman Point and on routes along Western and Eastern Express highways, LBS Marg, S V Road and P D’mello Road, he said. While the first lot of 225 double-deckers are expected this year, the next batch of 225 buses will arrive by March 2023 and the remaining 450 by June 2023. This is a part of BEST’s initiative to save the  city’s iconic double deckers which witnessed a sharp decline by 60% in the past two years -from 120 buses in 2019 to 48 in 2021 as most buses had completed their life span.

5G to be rolled out by year-end: Telecom minister

Telecom minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said 5G deployment will commence in 20-25 cities and towns by the year-end, and indicated that India, with its current data prices significantly lower than global average, will continue to set rate benchmarks as new services are rolled out. The 5G deployment will start from August-September, Vaishnaw said.

The minister said India is developing 4G and 5G stacks, and is set to bolster its position as a trusted source for the world, in digital networks. Speaking at ‘TV9 What India Thinks Today Global Summit’, Vaishnaw said that nations are keen to give preference to 4G and 5G products and technologies being developed by India.

To address the issue of unsolicited calls, an “important” regulation is also in the works, which will enable KYC identity name of a caller to be displayed, when someone calls, the minister informed.

On 5G services, he said: “I can say with confidence that 5G deployment will start in at least 20-25 cities and towns by year end. ” Asked about the pricing for 5G services, Vaishnaw observed that even today data rates in India are at about USD 2, against global average of USD 25. “We are already the lowest in the world, at least by a factor of 10X… 10X we are cheaper than the world, that same trend will be in other areas too,” he said. As India prepares to usher 5G services, it has also developed 4G and 5G technology stacks.

Outlining India’s resolve to match global strides in 4G and 5G, and to take technology lead in 6G, the minister said the world has taken note of the country’s progress, and shown serious interest in the indigenous technologies being developed. “The telecom network supporting mobile phones has to be a trusted network. India’s name is on the top of the list of trusted network providers. When India develops a technology, entire world is interested in it,” he said. 

J&K assembly polls possibly by this year-end: Rajnath Singh

In the first indication of a timeline for assembly polls in J&K since it was downgraded to a Union territory, defence minister Rajnath Singh said there is a possibility of holding the polls “by this yearend”.

Addressing a function here to celebrate the 200th year of the coronation of Maharaja Gulab Singh, the defence minister said the delimitation exercise has been completed following which the number of seats has gone up to 90 with Kashmir having 47 seats and Jammu 43. Rajnath Singh, who is on a two-day visit to the Union Territory, said, “By this year-end, there is a possibility of holding assembly elections in Jammu & Kashmir. ”

The indication of a timeline comes two days after the Election Commission initiated the re-vision of electoral rolls in the Union territory and prepare the draft rolls by August 31.

According to the officials, chief election commissioner Rajiv Kumar and election commissioner Anup Chandra Pandey carried out a review and directed the Jammu &Kashmir chief electoral Officer to map the redrawn assembly constituencies.

During the revision exercise, citizens would be given opportunities to enrol, delete and change their particulars in the electoral rolls. Last month, the Central government issued a notification saying the orders of the Delimitation Commission which redrew electoral constituencies and provided six additional assembly seats to the Jammu division and one to Kashmir would come into effect from May 20. According to the orders of the Delimitation Commission, set up under the Jammu & Kashmir Reorganisation Act of 2019, the Union Territory will have 90 assembly constituencies — 43 in the Jammu division and 47 in Kashmir -— with nine of them being reserved for the Scheduled Tribes.

The erstwhile state had 87 seats —46 in Kashmir, 37 in Jammu and four in Ladakh. During its reorganisation, Ladakh was declared a separate union territory without a legislature.

Indira Gandhi International Airport: Best in India and South Asia

Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi has been adjudged the ‘best airport in India and South Asia’ in the 2022 Skytrax World Airport Awards. The airport has received the best airport accolade for the fourth consecutive year, said Delhi International Airport Ltd, the airport operator.

The airport has also improved its overall ranking, moving to the 37th place in 2022 from last year’s 45th position. It continues to be the only Indian airport to be in the league of the world’s top 50 airports. It has also been adjudged as the “cleanest airport in India and South Asia”.

Videh Jaipuriar, CEO-DIAL, said, “All the airport staff, stakeholders, and partners working at the airport have made Delhi Airport the best airport in India and South Asia with their constant resilience, focus, and customer centricity. This is a proud moment for all of us. Delhi Airport has always set a new benchmark in providing the best airport experience to all its passengers and will continue to do so. ” 

DIAL said the Skytrax World Airport Awards are the most prestigious accolades for the airport industry, voted by customers in the largest, annual global airport customer satisfaction survey. They are regarded as the quality benchmark for the world airport industry, assessing customer service and facilities across over 550 airports. 

Ahmedabad: Manipur-Godhavi set to get 200-acre Olympics village & training facilities

As part of the state government’s ambitious Rs 4,118 crore project to create sports facilities in and around Ahmedabad with an eye to hosting the 2036 Olympics, Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority has planned an Olympics village and training facilities on 200 acres of land at Manipur-Godhavi near Bopal.

Sources in AUDA said that as per earlier plans the government had planned a Games Village with apartments for sports persons in the periphery of Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium in Motera. However, as making changes in two TP schemes -TP 48 in Motera-Koteshwar and TP 21 in Sabarmati area -is taking time due to negotiations with plot owners, the authorities have decided to shift a major chunk of the planned games village to Manipur-Godhavi.

AUDA sources said that to obtain land without any additional cost, the authority has planned to collect deducted pockets of land as per the town planning norms from various TP schemes located in around 400 ha land in Manipur-Godhavi area.

This accumulated land will be around 200 acres on which the authority will build apartments,

gyms and training facilities for sportspersons. “We have stopped issuing development plans on this 400 ha land which includes TP scheme 429 and surrounding land to collect the necessary land parcels to set up these sports facilities,” an AUDA official said in terms of anonymity. The state government plans to sell these apartments to people after the Olympics are over and the estimated 12,500 guests from all around the world leave. In the games village, including the sports enclave, parking space has been planned to

accommodate 7,500 cars and 15,000 two-wheelers. A year ago, the state government had planned to set up a Special Purpose Vehicle for this 4,118 crore project. The SPV will be between the Sports Authority of India and the AUDA. Both these bodies will be the nodal authorities. As per earlier plans, around 3,000 apartments, with two to four bedrooms, were to be built for the athletes at the games village in Motera.

Sources said that most of these apartments are likely to be shifted in the 200 acre land being

accumulated at Manipur-Godhavi. The state government set up some apartments at Motera but

most will come up at the newly identified area.

Somewhere in Gujarat....

 

Centre, States Must Play as Team India: PM Modi

Each state must recognise its strength, set a target, and develop a roadmap to achieve it to help India to become a $5-trillion economy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said. Addressing the first three-day national conference of chief secretaries that concluded on Friday in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh, Modi said the Centre and states must work together as “team India” to make the country a global powerhouse with a $5-trillion economy by 2024-25.

He urged state governments to fill all vacancies across departments, an official statement said. “The prime minister said the states must identify such vacancies under each sector and fill them. ” He also called for strengthening of urban local bodies and innovative urban planning across states, saying urban areas will be key in future development of the country and employment generation.

PM Gati Shakti – a master plan for multi-modal connectivity across the country – should be appropriately implemented to attract investment in the country, he said. Modi also stressed the need for improving usage of technology in all government schemes and programmes, and for creating interoperability of data sets of the Centre and states.

All new ideas and actionable points must be taken forward, incubated and institutionalised, he said. The need of the hour is to perform, reform and transform, he said. Appreciating extensive sessions of the conference that started on June 15, the prime minister said the deliberations were useful in laying out a road- map for various sectors. Action points and fresh ideas discussed at the conference must be implemented without delay, he added. 

Emphasising on minimum government and maximum governance, Modi stressed the need to ensure greater ease of living in India. He also said decriminalisation of minor offences should be taken up in mission mode, the statement said. Modi said states must optimally utilise the GeM (government e-marketplace) portal for purchases made by their departments and local bodies, which would result in time and cost savings.

To achieve the goals of the National Education Policy, he said states must try to integrate Anganwadis with primary schools.

The prime minister also spoke on the usage of drones in the service industry, such as for the delivery of essential drugs or horticultural products especially in hilly areas, which would add more economic value to the farmers and service providers, the statement said. He appreciated the initiatives taken by the states to improve municipal finances and said states and union territories have shared unique experiences, and the ideas discussed at the conference must be incubated and institutionalised.

The prime minister recommended introduction of technology and innovative methods for increasing efficiency of tax collection and suggested that city and ward beautification competitions should be held by states.