22.8.16
Pune-Nashik rail route update
Minister of state (railways) Manoj Sinha said the government has decided to cut down the shelf period of the Pune-Nashik rail route from two years to six months. The 265-km rail route is to be built at a cost of Rs.2,425 core.The work on the project is expected to start in the next six months.
He said the ministry has outlined their priority to ensure that the trains reach their destinations on time with safety.
Expectations were riding Sinha's first visit to Nashik, especially towards some concrete announcement for the development of the city, where the Central Railway have over 125 acre land lying vacant since acquisition in 1973. Sinha, however, simply said the priority of the ministry is to run trains on time and other things would be taken up as and when required.
The minister dedicated the footover bridge, platform number 4, ticket booking window and the toilet block under Accessible India Campaign to public, over a year after they were constructed and used.
He, however, referred to the works being carried out in the state. He said the rate of investment by the ministry has increased multi-fold after the BJP came to power at the Centre. “As against the times when the Congress-led governments invested Rs.1,532 crore in a single year for Maharashtra, the BJP has invested Rs.4,458 crore in 2015-16 and Rs.4,767 crore in 2016-17 in Maharashtra to increase the railway network and railway development,“ he said.
On horticulture train for onions, the minister said the the Central Railway had started the project in some places and soon a similar train would be started in Nashik for transportation of onion. “We are considering starting the train in Nashik as well. Slowly, but surely, we will have one train in place,“ Sinha said.
He said the ministry has outlined their priority to ensure that the trains reach their destinations on time with safety.
Expectations were riding Sinha's first visit to Nashik, especially towards some concrete announcement for the development of the city, where the Central Railway have over 125 acre land lying vacant since acquisition in 1973. Sinha, however, simply said the priority of the ministry is to run trains on time and other things would be taken up as and when required.
The minister dedicated the footover bridge, platform number 4, ticket booking window and the toilet block under Accessible India Campaign to public, over a year after they were constructed and used.
He, however, referred to the works being carried out in the state. He said the rate of investment by the ministry has increased multi-fold after the BJP came to power at the Centre. “As against the times when the Congress-led governments invested Rs.1,532 crore in a single year for Maharashtra, the BJP has invested Rs.4,458 crore in 2015-16 and Rs.4,767 crore in 2016-17 in Maharashtra to increase the railway network and railway development,“ he said.
On horticulture train for onions, the minister said the the Central Railway had started the project in some places and soon a similar train would be started in Nashik for transportation of onion. “We are considering starting the train in Nashik as well. Slowly, but surely, we will have one train in place,“ Sinha said.
Of India's largest spectrum auction....
India's largest spectrum auction is likely to see heavy demand for the 4G bands of 1800 MHz and 2300 MHz and those in the 2100 MHz (3G) band, with Vodafone India pegged to be the most aggressive bidder in the sale slated to start on September 29. Experts expect the Indian unit of UK's Vodafone Group to maximise spectrum purchases in the 1800 MHz band to have enough to launch 4G in all key markets. The country's second-largest mobile carrier is also expected to plug 3G spectrum gaps in seven circles to have a pan-India 3G footprint in the 2100 MHz band.
Vodafone currently has 4G airwaves in five circles where it has already launched services.
This senior executive also expects the telco to target cheaper capacity 4G spectrum in the 2500 MHz band as a fallback option, if the price of 1800 MHz airwaves shoot up sharply beyond the base price, given the strong likely demand for this band.
An analyst at a leading foreign brokerage, in turn, expects Idea Cellular--with 4G airwaves and operations in 10 circles--to also selectively target spectrum in the 1800 and 2100 MHz bands to plug 4G and 3G gaps in its leadership circles.
Idea's immediate priority , he said, would be grabbing 4G spectrum in the 1800 MHz band in key markets, UP-West and Gujarat--two circles where its spectrum trading deal with Videocon Telecom fell through. In case Idea fails to acquire these air waves a second time, it could even target expensive 4G spectrum in the 700 MHz band “in just these two leadership circles to secure turf“, said the executive cited above.
The company is also likely to target 4G airwaves in the 1800 MHz band in UP-East and Bihar and similarly plug 3G gaps in the 2100 MHz band in Mumbai, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu to reinforce data spectrum holdings in its leadership markets.
Market leader Bharti Airtel, which has the strongest 4G footprint among incumbent carriers, is widely expected to target 3G airwaves in the 2100 MHz band to plug gaps in Kolkata, Kerala and Punjab. It is also likely to go for incremental capacity 4G spectrum purchases in the 2300 MHz band in five circles to have a pan-India coverage on this band.
Experts and analysts are split on 4G newcomer Reliance Jio's bidding strategy, with a section suggesting that the Mukesh Ambani-led telco's top most priority would be plugging sizeable gaps in its 800 MHz spectrum footprint in order to be in a position to jointly access 10 MHz of such contiguous 4G spectrum in top markets with Reliance Communications by virtue of its airwaves sharing deal.
Others expect Jio to leverage the recent reduction in the block size of airwaves in the 2300 MHz band from 20 MHz to 10 MHz, to augment its countrywide spectrum holdings on this band.
In contrast, bidding by Anil Ambani-led RCom and Tata Teleservices is slated to be a low key affair. Both are likely to only focus on markets where their permits expire next year. Accordingly , RCom is slated to solely target 1800 MHz spectrum in Gujarat where its licence expires next September, while the Tatas may bid for airwaves in the 800 MHz band in key circles like Mumbai, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, where its permits expire next year.
The government will auction a total 2,354.55 units of airwaves across the 3G bands of 900 MHz and 2100 MHz and the 4G bands of 700 MHz, 800 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2300 MHz and 2500 MHz.
21.8.16
ID-cards for non-Muslim refugees
In a major relief for minority refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, the Centre will allow them to open bank accounts, buy property for self-employment and access identity documents like driving licence, PAN and Aadhaar cards.
Facilities such as banking services for refugees residing in India on long-term visas (LTVs) will help them access a range of services till a legislation that offers a path to citizenship by amending the Citizenship Act is passed by Parliament. This reflects the government's pre-poll commitment that non-Muslims who have come to India due to persecution deserve a special dispensation. The bill is before a House panel headed by the BJD's Bhartruhari Mahtab, which is expected to submit its report for consideration during the winter session. For now, the government has said minority communities on long-term visas (LTVs)--Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians--will be able to submit affidavits in place of a renunciation certificate.They will be granted LTV for five years instead of two and can avail of facilities like education and employment.
Refugees' children on LTV will also be able to seek admission in schools and colleges under foreigners' quota without any further permission from the state administration. State governments and UT administrations are empowered to grant permission to such people to engage themselves in employment of purely private nature.
Though there is no definitive figure, an estimate suggests that there are over two lakh refugees, mostly Hindus and Sikhs from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, living in India. There are some 400 Pakistani Hindu refugee settlements in cities like Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Jaipur, Raipur, Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Kutch, Bhopal, Indore, Mumbai, Nagpur, Pune, Delhi and Lucknow. The Modi government has already given LTV to nearly 35,000 refugees.
Senior officials said issuance of driving licence, PAN and Aadhaar cards will give refugees a means to be identified and the right to run businesses and pursue economic activities in India. The government has also allowed free movement within the state or UT they are residing in, transfer of LTV papers from one state to another.
Facilities such as banking services for refugees residing in India on long-term visas (LTVs) will help them access a range of services till a legislation that offers a path to citizenship by amending the Citizenship Act is passed by Parliament. This reflects the government's pre-poll commitment that non-Muslims who have come to India due to persecution deserve a special dispensation. The bill is before a House panel headed by the BJD's Bhartruhari Mahtab, which is expected to submit its report for consideration during the winter session. For now, the government has said minority communities on long-term visas (LTVs)--Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians--will be able to submit affidavits in place of a renunciation certificate.They will be granted LTV for five years instead of two and can avail of facilities like education and employment.
Refugees' children on LTV will also be able to seek admission in schools and colleges under foreigners' quota without any further permission from the state administration. State governments and UT administrations are empowered to grant permission to such people to engage themselves in employment of purely private nature.
Though there is no definitive figure, an estimate suggests that there are over two lakh refugees, mostly Hindus and Sikhs from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, living in India. There are some 400 Pakistani Hindu refugee settlements in cities like Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Jaipur, Raipur, Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Kutch, Bhopal, Indore, Mumbai, Nagpur, Pune, Delhi and Lucknow. The Modi government has already given LTV to nearly 35,000 refugees.
Senior officials said issuance of driving licence, PAN and Aadhaar cards will give refugees a means to be identified and the right to run businesses and pursue economic activities in India. The government has also allowed free movement within the state or UT they are residing in, transfer of LTV papers from one state to another.
20.8.16
Flying High
Domestic air passenger growth was a healthy 25.8% in July, when IndiGo strengthened its top position with a 39.8% share of the market. A total of 85.08 lakh people flew last month compared with 67.62 lakh a year earlier. IndiGo was followed by Jet Airways and Jet Lite, which together carried 19.1% of the passengers, according to data compiled by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation.
IndiGo offered the highest number of seats in the domestic sector with a fleet of 110 Airbus 320 aircraft. The airline, in its first-quarter results for this financial year, had said that it added 25% capacity over the year-ago period. Airlines in India offer 240,000 domestic seats daily and IndiGo's share was about 38%.
SpiceJet had the highest passenger load factor at 92% during the month, followed by GoAir, which flew with over 90% of its flights full.
SpiceJet also recorded the second-best on time performance in July at 79.2%. Vistara topped the list by flying 80.3% of its flights on time. IndiGo was third with 76.8% of its flights on time.
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