Citizens’ group opposes construction of flyover
December 5, 2013
TNN
AURANGABAD: Activists of the Mundha Naka Uddanpul Virodhi Nagri Kruti Samiti on Wednesday staged demonstrations against the proposed construction of a flyover at the Mundha naka on Jalna road by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC).
A bandh was also observed by shops in the area till noon, as directed by the activists. Samiti president – Jitendra Motwani said that a proposal for the flyover was made considering the traffic conditions in 2005-06. However, in lieu of the present situation, activists demanded that the flyover, which is being planned from Amarpreet chowk to Akashwani square in the Mundha naka area, be reconsidered.”The major traffic flow from the main market area towards the Satara and Beed bypass area flows from this road and will eventually increase,” Motwani said.Activists also demanded that a fresh survey be conducted. Motwani said that businesses would also suffer by the traffic diversion leading to inaccessibility of retail outlets and gradually affect employment in the area.
The Samiti members suggested that the underpass should be constructed as an alternative route. “The map drawn does not look feasible for the Rs 17 crore project,” Motwani said.
Aurangabad: Activists of Mundha Naka Uddanpul Virodhi Nagri Kruti Samiti on Wednesday staged protests against the proposed construction of flyover at Mundha naka on Jalna road by the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation Limited.
The activists also observed a bandh for the shops in the area till noon.
Jitendra Motwani president of the Samiti said that a proposal for the flyover was made considering the traffic conditions in 2005-06. However, considering the present situation the activists demanded that the flyover be considered from Amarpreet chowk to Akashwani square, which lie prior and later to the Mundha naka.
“The major traffic flow from main market area towards satara and Beed by pass area flows from this road and would increase eventually, “Motwani said.
The activists further demanded that a fresh survey be conducted in this regard. Motwani said that the business would also be affected due to diversion of traffic leading to inaccessibility of retail outlet, gradually affecting employment also.
The members also suggested an underpass to be constructed as an alternative way. “The map drawn also points many technical aspects which do not look feasible for the Rs 17 crore project, “Motwani said.
Noise barrier for Pedder Road flyover
December 5, 2013
TNN |
This will facilitate easy movement of traffic below and over the flyover and which will reduce air and noise pollution in the corridor.
The EAC has stipulated that should install Noise Barrier System during construction and post construction phase on the alignment of the project. Also, thick vegetation cover should be wherever required for attenuation of noise.
It also asked that stationary construction equipment will be placed away from the habitation and asphalt and hot mix plants shall not be installed at site.
It said, “Noise generating construction activities like drilling, compacting etc. should be carried out only during day time in residential areas.
Besides construction contract specifications should specify use of less noise generating equipments
As regards air pollution, the EAC said, “Fugitive dust entertainment will be controlled by sprinkling water and eco gadgets like solar-powered city air purifiers shall be mounted on street light poles.”
In order to reduce congestion during the work, the EAC said, “The Project Proponent shall use Composite Structures for the construction of the flyover to tghe maximum possible extant. Construction material as well as excavated material should be disposed off or shifted only during the night time when the traffic will be much less. ”
For Construction of Super Structure Pre-cast Segmental construction technology would be adopted, while for in-situ construction, a movable Scaffold System construction method shall be adopted. Thus the construction of piles and substructure shall use only a small part of the lane for a few days, it pointed.
EAC also stipulated that adequate construction boards, portable traffic signs, Chevron Signs, Road Marker Signs, Central lights & linkers on Barricades, etc will be put-up uniformly across near the construction and barricading all along the effective stretch of the proposed road.
175 kilometer road to be constructed in Ludhiana district
December 5, 2013
Vaivasvat Venkat,TNN |
LUDHIANA: The central government will be constructing 175 kilometres of roads in three rural assembly segments of Dakha, Jagaraon and Gill. The proposal was prepared and submitted to the state government by the local MP and the Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari to be forwarded to the government of India.
A spokesman for Tewari disclosed here that the roads will be constructed under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana in the three constituencies. He said, Tewari has personally pursued the proposal and submitted it to the state government for forwarding it to the government of India.
The entire money is provided by the government of India for the rural connectivity. So far the government of India has already provided Rs 100 crores to the state government for the construction of the rural roads in Ludhiana district.
The work on the project is expected to start soon with Tewari personally pursuing the project with the union rural development ministry. Tewari has assured that he will ensure that the project is approved at the earliest and the work is started on these roads in the current financial year only.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com
India’s PPP dream for roads turns sour
December 5, 2013
The road transport & highways ministry, after failing to get an encouraging response from the private sector, has decided to shelve its plan to bid out highway projects on a ‘build, operate and transfer’ (BOT) basis, at least for this financial year. The ministry will now award 5,000 km of road projects under the ‘engineering procurement and construction’ (EPC) model, signalling an end to the country’s ambitious plan to partner with private companies in the roads sector.
The ministry, looking to award 2,800 km of projects, worth Rs 27,000 crore, through the BOT route during the first six months of the financial year, had also planned to conduct roadshows abroad to attract foreign investments in the sector. But, in the wake of a slowdown in the economy and a lack of funding, private companies chose not to bid for these projects.
The government had embarked on a massive public-private partnership (PPP) regime over the past decade and awarded to private companies a number of projects, some of which have now run into financial problems. “We have no plans of awarding BOT projects this year and we hope the environment will be better next financial year. But that does not mean an end to BOT projects. As of now, we are looking to award 5,000 km of road projects through the EPC route,” Road Secretary Vijay Chhibber told Business Standard. He, however, did not give details of the number of projects to be awarded.
According to industry estimates, the government will now have to spend about Rs 40,000 crore to develop roads through EPC. Unlike the BOT model, the government funds the entire project under EPC and a developer undertakes the necessary construction work. BOT requires a private-sector developer to raise and invest money for the construction of roads at its own risk, while the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) acquires land for the project. Given an economic slowdown, the government could not award close to 20 projects during the current financial year under BOT.
“We had set a target of 9,000 km for the year; we need to keep the projects moving. We decided to move on to the EPC route as the BOT projects were struggling. There is also a proposal to embark on roadshows abroad to attract investments; we will tap a number of countries,” another road ministry official said.
A number of road projects, including the Delhi-Gurgaon and Delhi-Jaipur expressways, that were awarded during a privatisation drive, have led to problems between the government and concessionaires, raising serious concerns over the BOT model. In addition, the private companies have also been seeking the government’s intervention to get rescheduled the premium they owe NHAI. Calculated on the basis of future flow of traffic, a premium is the amount a developer pays NHAI as it believes the returns through toll from the project would be higher.
The finance ministry is now awaiting recommendations of a C Rangarajan-headed committee, set up to decide on the quantum of premium to be rescheduled. The government is also considering a proposal to set up by next year a road regulator to address a host of issues faced by private road developers.
Industry experts and officials say the absence of a single-window clearance is one of the main reasons for investors to stay away from the country’s BOT projects. Often, projects take close to five years before work finally starts. This is mainly because of land acquisition hurdles and delays in environmental clearances. This year, the road ministry had to scrap seven projects, worth Rs 3,000 crore, due to land acquisition issues in Kerala and Goa.
Experts also point out that the consultants appointed by NHAI are also to be blamed for a number of BOT projects being affected. According to officials, while the Delhi-Jaipur expressway was being planned, the consultants engaged by NHAI proposed that 80 bypasses be constructed, though the actual need was of 124.
“Consultants should be made answerable to the government. They do not provide a complete picture and the concessionaire struggles because of that. As far as EPC projects are concerned, the government came up with the idea of PPP route since they could not fund all projects. Now, they are going back to the EPC mode and, in the current economic scenario and the fiscal deficit facing the government, we are not sure how they will be able to fund the projects”, said M Murali, director-general, National Highway Builders Federation.
Source-http://www.business-standard.com
Special paint for fog-safe roads
December 5, 2013
TNN |
In a meeting on road safety at Mini Secretariat on Wednesday, deputy commissioner Shekhar Vidyarthi said, “On roads which are less than 25 ft wide, the curves need to be highlighted by lane-markings and reflectors.”
Reflectors should be installed on the dividers and radium tapes wound around the trees on roads, so that they are easily visible to the commuters, he said. “The officers concerned must take the forest department’s permission to remove trees if any before widening a road,” said Vidyarthi.
Concerned about the defaced and misspelt sign boards in the city, the deputy commissioner asked the concerned authorities to get them rectified. He also asked the concerned agency to get all dysfunctional streetlights in the city repaired.
To ensure that school buses follow the safety guidelines issued by the Supreme Court, Vidyarthi asked the secretary, Regional Transport Authority, Dalbir Singh and district education officer Vandana Gupta to start a drive in cooperation with the traffic police. He also directed the city schools to display bus routes on notice boards.
Source-http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Sonia gives 50 road projects to Rae Bareli
December 3, 2013
LUCKNOW: Exactly a week after Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi inaugurated key railway projects in Sonia Gandhi’s constituency, the party president added more than 50 road projects, bank branches, one FM station and a rail project between Rae Bareli and Akbarpur, to the district’s already burgeoning gifts kitty.
Gandhi, who landed at Fursatganj airport on Monday morning, laid the foundation stone for more than 50 road projects under the Centrally-funded Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojana as part of the UPA-II’s rural road connectivity endeavour. Sonia also inaugurated a water treatment plant supplying potable water to 110 villages, FM Rainbow, available at a frequency of 102.8 mhz, to inform and entertain people, and 13 new branches of United Bank of India in Harchandpur block.
Though the bounty, worth several crores also includes the Rae Bareli-Maharajganj-Akbarganj railway line, connecting Rae Bareli to Faizabad through the shortest railway route, the Congress did not seem to have deemed it fit to invite Faizabad MP and UPCC chief Nirmal Khatri.
During the day-long visit, Gandhi did not address a public meeting; she did, however, interact with people of the constituency at some places. A day before her arrival, farmers blocked the Lalganj-Unnao railway track and demanded jobs for their family members at the Rail Coach factory in Lalganj, as promised by Sonia during her earlier visits. The jobs, were to be in exchange of land for the factory, dubbed as Sonia’s dream project.
The farmers claimed that of about 1,340 families, who gave their land for the project, no job has been given to 128 families. Similar protests have been staged before Sonia’s previous visits to the constituency too. Back then, officials of the railway ministry and representatives from Sonia’s office met and took their applications. No discussions in this regard, though, were held on Monday.
Pay toll on Padil-BC Road from Thursday
December 3, 2013
MANGALORE: Travel to BC Road from Mangalore is set to get costlier. The National Highways Authority of India has decided to collect user fee on the 18.60 km National Highway Road from December 5 midnight. This will mean that travel- either by bus or own vehicle, barring two wheelers – will become costlier.
NHAI May Renew MoU on Vijayawada-Machilipatnam Highway
December 3, 2013
By Md Ameen – VIJAYAWADA
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will take a decision on renewal of the contract awarded to Hyderabad-based Madhucon Constructions for widening of the Vijayawada-Machilipatnam highway in a couple of weeks. The NHAI and Madhucon Constructions signed a two-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in 2011 for widening of the 65-km national highway from Benz Circle in Vijayawada to Machilipatnam at a cost of `609 crore.
The project has come back into focus as the period of MoU expired in September, 2013 and the contractors expressing their willingness to start the project in view of the fast-tracking of the state bifurcation process.
The Vijayawada-Machilipatnam highway is one of the most important projects in Coastal Andhra as it connects Hyderabad. The existing two-lane national highway is not adequate to meet the increasing traffic demands between Vijayawada and Machilipatnam.
Of late, the road has become accident-prone especially on the stretch between Benz Circle and Kankipadu where vehicular traffic peaks in the morning and evening hours. The NHAI has proposed bypass roads near Vuyyur, Sultan Nagaram near Machilipatnam, Pamarru and Kankipadu. For some administrative and other reasons, the Madhucon Constructions has failed to ground the construction works for the last two years.
One of the important reasons for poor response from Madhucon Constructions is said to be the delay in the construction of Machilipatnam port. The Vijayawada-Guntur region is in the race for the proposed new capital of the residuary Andhra Pradesh.
If the Vijayawada-Machilipatnam Highway is widened, the revenue of toll gate will increase in the coming years which will be beneficial to the contractors. A senior NHAI official said the organisation is likely to renew the contract.
The proposed widening of the Vijayawada-Machilipatnam highway will play a vital role in the development of Krishna district.
The widened road will be of great use for transportation of goods from the central coastal districts and Hyderabad to the proposed Machilipatnam port.
Source-http://newindianexpress.com
Fresh hope for Sadar flyover, Mominpura railway underbridge
December 3, 2013
Anjaya Anparthi,TNN |
NAGPUR: After lying in cold storage for over five years, there is fresh hope for the proposed flyover on busy Residency Road at Sadar, the railway underbridge (RuB) at Mominpura and a bridge on Nag River at Yashwant stadium. The Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) standing committee on Monday passed a proposal to appoint project management consultant to prepare a revised detailed project report (DPR) for these projects.Central government’s nodal agency Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) had asked the civic body to submit a revised DPR of Sadar flyover, Mominpura RuB and the Nag River bridge. The projects may be approved under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) scheme if everything goes well this time. The standing committee has approved the proposal to appoint Creations Engineers Private Limited for preparing the revised DPR at the cost of Rs37.07 lakh.
The standing committee also approved the proposal to sanction Rs42,000 for repairing of old Jaripatka RoB. The railways is executing the works and asked for an additional Rs42,000 against P&E charges. Earlier, the original cost was Rs25, 46,178, but it has been increased to Rs25,88,178.
24×7 tax collection
In another significant development, the standing committee also approved a proposal to establish 24×7 tax cash collection system at zone offices.
Standing committee chairman Avinash Thakre said property taxpayers can deposit the tax amount in cash at the system round the clock. “It will be like an ATM machine and generate receipt after payment. Citizens will have to log in with the help of an index number. One machine each will be installed at all 10 zone offices. NMC will spend Rs30 lakh on this project. The system will be installed within a month,” he said.
On the proposal to hike property tax mutation charges, Thakre said directives have been given to take legal advice on the proposal. “Proposed charges are based on slab system. There is confusion whether such system can be introduced. Decision will be taken after receiving the legal advice,” he said.
Other decisions
In another development, the standing committee directed the administration to issue birth and death certificates free of cost to citizens under BPL category. “The proposal to hike charges for rest of the citizens has been kept pending due to absence of concerned official,” Thakre said.
On road works, Thakre said the project cost will go up by 21%. “The NMC revised the common schedule of rates (CSR) by 19% while the contractors quoted 2% and above. However, the good thing is that the dispute between the contractors and administration has been resolved paving way for commencement of asphalting of roads. The standing committee on Monday also approved road works of around Rs7 crore,” he said.
On the stalemate over formation of a committee to expedite the process for the proposed Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Memorial near Yashwant Stadium in Dhantoli, the standing committee said it has recommended that its two members be accommodated on the panel. Former mayor and BJP corporator Maya Iwnate and BSP corporator Kishor Gajbhiye are likely to join the committee after general body’s nod. NMC sources said the proposed project has been stuck since long due to the race among corporators to become member of the committee.
Ministry seeks bigger NHAI board to fast-track decisions
December 3, 2013
Road ministry wants to include the economic affairs secretary in the board of NHAI to help fast-track decision making on road projects
Ragini Verma
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New Delhi: The road ministry wants to include the economic affairs secretary in the board of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to help fast-track decision making on road projects by removing a layer of approvals required from other ministries, two officials familiar with the matter said, requesting anonymity.
The road ministry has floated a cabinet note with a proposal to enlarge the NHAI board and empower it to decide on issues such as conversion of project models when bids fail. Currently, the board includes secretary, Planning Commission; secretary, expenditure (ministry of finance); and secretary, road transport and highways; as part-time members, in addition to the chairman and five members of NHAI who are full-time members.
“Since a lot of the PPP (public-private-partnership) projects have failed to get bids between last year and this year and now we have the Prime Minister’s approval to bid those projects as EPC (engineering-procurement-construction), to fast-track the approvals to change the mode of bid, we have proposed in a cabinet note that the NHAI board be enlarged and be given the power to make this decision,” said one the officials mentioned above.
“The note has been sent to various ministries for comments and is likely to be sent for cabinet’s nod soon,” said the other official cited above.
In a 11 November review of the infrastructure sector, Prime MinisterManmohan Singh allowed the road ministry to pursue the EPC model after private firms shunned PPP projects.
“The NHAI board is already a high-powered board. In-principle steps to strengthen the board to take project-specific decisions are welcome,” said Pranavant, director at consulting firm Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India Pvt. Ltd. He uses a single name. “The board should be given the mandate to accord project-specific approvals like mode of implementation.”
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