Highest Number of Divyangjans will be felicitated by Prime Minister at Rajkot Samajik Adhikarita Camp on 29th June 2017

The biggest ever Samajik Adhikarita Shivir for distribution of Aids & Assistive Devices to Divyangjan (PwDs) will be organized at Rajkot (Gujarat) on 29th June 2017 by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India through ALIMCO, Kanpur, a CPSU under the Department. The camp will be held at Race Course Ground in Rajkot, Gujarat where assistive Aids and Appliances will be distributed under ADIP scheme of Govt. of India to Divyangjans in the august presence of the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, Chief Minister of Gujarat Shri Vijay Rupani and Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Shri Thaawarchand Gehlot. Besides Union Ministers of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Shri Ramdas Athwale, Shri Krishna Pal Gurjar, Shri Vijay Sampla, Minister of Gujarat for Social Justice and Empowerment, Women and Child Development Shri Atmaram Parmar, Member of Parliament Shri Mohanbhai Kundariya and other State dignitaries will also be present during the function.

The camp is being conducted under the ADIP Scheme of Govt. of India. The scheme is in vogue since 1981 and has been revised with effect from 01st April 2014. The main objective of the scheme is to provide latest and modern aids mainly manufactured by Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India (ALIMCO) and distributed by National Institutes, District Disability Rehabilitation Centres, State Handicapped Development Corporations, other local bodies and NGOs. These aids are being given to the Divyangjans to promote their physical, social and psychological rehabilitation.

The distribution camp at Rajkot wherein 18430 beneficiaries are going to be served is the biggest camp in the history of the nation in terms of beneficiaries. The earlier such camps previously conducted by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Govt. of India were at Varanasi, Navsari & Vadodara in the year 2016, wherein 10000, 11000 and 8000 beneficiaries approx, were served.

ALIMCO is a major implementing agency under the ADIP Scheme and has conducted assessment camps of Divyangjan residing in Rajkot district with the focus to cover maximum population of divyangjan specially from distant rural areas. The assessments have been conducted with the help of District Administration, Rajkot in two phases; Phase –I from 15th May, 2017 to 21^st May, 2017 and Phase-II from 12th June, 2017 to 18th June, 2017.

In the Mega ADIP Camp at least total number of 18430 beneficiaries have been identified in the assessment camps. Out of this 10100 beneficiaries have been assessed by ALIMCO to whom 14828 no. of appliances will be distributed at an estimated cost of Rs. 5.60 Crores under ADIP Scheme of Government of India and 5330 beneficiaries have been assessed by National Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities (Divyangjan) (NIEPID), Secundarabad for distribution of TLM Kit for persons with intellectual impairment. 3000 Beneficiaries have also been identified by District Administration for distribution of various appliances.

The items proposed to be distributed include both, conventional aids required for daily living like crutches, walking stick, wheelchairs, tricycles, Hearing Aids etc., and also the High-end-devices aimed at imparting education, training, information technology awareness and to serve as direct or indirect means for self employment and enhancing living conditions in general.

Among the assistive devices that are to be distributed in the camp, Major appliances are :

·                     Battery operated Motorized Tricycle

·                     Artificial Limbs

·                     Special chair for CP (Cerebral Palsy) patients

·                     Education/ Modern Gadgets like Daisy Player

·                     Smart Phone with Screen Reading

·                     Software for low vision / visually impaired

·                     Kits for Persons with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

·                     BTE Digital Type Hearing Aid

A day before the camp, a Guinness World Record will be attempted by 1500 people, the highest number of participation in a sign language lesson at a single venue. The attempt will better the previous world record held by China with 978 people. The topic of the lesson will be our National Anthem. The lesson will be instructed by the qualified sign language teacher. Date of Attempt is 28 June 2017 at Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Kalawad Road, Rajkot. All those who have attempted the record will also present their performance in front of the Prime Minister during the distribution day on 29th June 2017.

Another Guinness World Record is being attempted in the category with highest number of Orthosis (Calipers) fitted to mobility impaired persons on a single day. Acceptance of request of this category is awaited from Guinness World Record authority in London.

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25 Ministries/ Departments to turn into e-office by end of June, says Dr. Jitendra Singh

E-files increased from 8,000 to 4,62,000, says MoS (PP) 

The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Development of North-Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh visited the office premises of Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) here today, to review the implementation of the Swachhta Action Plan. The DARPG and Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare are observing the Swachhta Pakhwada from 16th-30th June, 2017. 

On the occasion, Dr. Jitendra Singh complimented both the Departments for undertaking various Swachhta related activities during this Pakhwada and also expressed happiness that the two Departments are working together as one team. He said that the habit of cleanliness should be practised by all and it should be the responsibility of everyone to keep their surroundings clean. Highlighting the steps taken by DARPG, he said that 25 Ministries/ Departments will be turned into e-office by the end of this month. He also said that there has been an increase of a whopping 6000%, in the number of e-files with 4,62,000 e-files generated in 2017, compared to 8,000 e-files last year. 

Dr Jitendra Singh said under the guidance of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the Departments are committed to provide maximum Governance to the public. He said that the process involved in the Civil Services Day has been completely transformed by DARPG in the last three years, as the participation and involvement of stakeholders has increased many folds. He said that DARPG is seen as the HR department of the Government of India. All good practices originate from this Department, he added. The Minister said that an MoU between India and Portugal on Cooperation in the field of Public Administration and Governance Reforms has been recently approved by the Cabinet. Dr Jitendra Singh expressed happiness over the fact that there has been near 100% disposal of grievances under Centralized Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) and 50% of the feedbacks received under Centralized Pension Grievance Redressal and Monitoring System (CPENGRAMS), have expressed satisfaction on their grievance redressal. 

Secretary, DARPG Shri C Viswanath said that Modernisation and Swachhta go hand in hand and the allocation for DAPRG Modernisation has been doubled compared to last year. He said that the Department has implemented 100% e-office with digitisation of records. He also said that 58 Central Ministries/Departments and 33 States and UTs have abolished affidavits and attestation. He highlighted the various activities being undertaken by the Department during the Swachhta Pakhwada. 

The DARPG is undertaking various activities like recording, reviewing and weeding out of old records, digitization of records, disposal of old and obsolete items etc. A poster(s)/ slogan competition has also been organised on the theme of Swachha Bharat. The best workstation will also be declared in the Department and appreciation certificate will be awarded to the winner. The Department has also planned to utilise Rs 10 lakhs for Swachhta related activities in the department during the current financial year. The Department of Pension & Pensioners' Welfare is also undertaking similar activities during this Pakhwada. 

Senior officers of the DARPG and Department of Pension & Pensioners' Welfare were also present on the occasion.

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Information Technology must be embedded into Pollution Control Regime

‘Information Technology must be embedded into Pollution Control Regime; need to clear the Pollution of Corruption from the system’: Dr. Harsh Vardhan 

Environment Minister inaugurates 62nd Conference of Chairmen & Member Secretaries of Pollution Control Boards/Committees 

Union Minister of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, Dr. Harsh Vardhan has made a strong pitch for embedding Information Technology into pollution control regime to enhance transparency and efficiency in efforts to contain and mitigate pollution.  Addressing the inaugural session of the 62^ndConference of Chairmen & Member Secretaries of Pollution Control Boards/Committees here today, the Environment Minister said that there is a need to clear the pollution of corruption from the system, besides clearing air and water pollution. He emphasised that the use of Information Technology will ensure better compliance, as well as enhance the interaction and outreach between various stakeholders.  He also said that IT will also help in resolving issues with State Pollution Control Boards. The Minister pointed to the urgent need for innovative thinking and an out-of-the-box approach to resolve various issues.

Expressing concern over the air quality status of Delhi, the Minister called for substantive action at the local level, along with a holistic action plan for air quality management.  “Our Government is committed to promote economic well-being, along with environmental well-being”, Dr. Harsh Vardhan said.  

Referring to the flagship schemes such as Swachch Bharat Abhiyaan, Make in India campaign, Smart Cities Project and Digital India Campaign, Dr. Harsh Vardhan said that Make in India will adopt a ‘Zero Effect Zero Defect’ policy, which will leave Zero Effect on the environment.   The Minister stressed upon the need to address the gaps in the disposal of Solid Waste Management, as 50% of the waste collected is dumped unscientifically.  He also pointed out that while 259000 tonnes of plastic waste is generated every day, only 14 States/Union Territories have banned plastic carry-bags.  Dr. Harsh Vardhan also said that while the estimated quantity of E-waste generated is about 1.70 million TPA, the quantity of E-Waste that is recycled is about 462896 TPA.   He also expressed dissatisfaction that E-waste inventorization had been completed by only five states - Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Goa, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab.  The Minister urged the remaining States to complete the process of inventorization of E-waste at the earliest.

The Environment Minister called for an emphasis on the implementation of the concept of 4 Rs – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Recover, for the proper management of solid waste and sewage.  He directed the Boards to ensure strict adherence to timelines to achieve a reduction in waste generation, as incorporated in the amended Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 and Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016.    

Dr. Harsh Vardhan suggested that people must be educated and motivated about the actions that they can take individually to bring about a quantitative and qualitative change on environmental issues.   He sought inputs for creation of a Databank of good environmental actions and deeds that can be taken by individuals, as their contribution towards protection of environment. 

The Minister also said that he has asked the Ministry of Science & Technology and Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change to work together closely and to benefit from the scientific innovations in the field of science and technology.   He pointed to the need to bring in a new perspective into the existing rules and laws, along with a commitment from the society on environmental issues.    

Dr. Harsh Vardhan urged those present in the gathering to hold quality brainstorming sessions and incorporate all new innovative ideas emerging into action plans.  He also asked all the agencies to involve the people of the country and to make efforts to restore the status of environment that our ancestors had given to us and which we have to deliver to future generations. 

Chairman, Central Pollution Control Board, Dr. S.P.S Parihar made the welcome remarks.  Member-Secretary, CPCB, Shri A.B Akolkar delivered the Vote of Thanks.

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Union Home Secretary Shri Rajiv Mehrishi flags-in ITBP’s Mount Dhaulagiri-1 Expedition

Union Home Secretary Shri Rajiv Mehrishi and Director General of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) Shri Krishna Chaudhary flagged-in the first Mount Dhaulagiri-1 (8167 Mtr) International Mountaineering Expedition-2017 of ITBP at the Force HQ here today. Appreciating the contribution and achievements of ITBP in mountaineering, Shri Mehrishi conveyed his congratulations to the Leader and team members of the Expedition.

Shri Mehrishi said that the ITBP is a unique mountain trained Force and the working conditions in the Himalayas test mountaineering skills of the Force personnel. He hoped that the Force will continue to excel in mountaineering and contribute to bring more laurels for the country in future as well. Describing about the successful expedition, Shri Krishna Chaudhary, DG, ITBP said that six ITBP Mountaineers were able to successfully summit Dhaulagiri-1 which has been the first such mission by the Force on the peak. The team negotiated different challenges and did typical technical climbing at stretches. Shri Arjun Singh, Commandant led the 25-member expedition team.

Mt. Dhaulagiri-1 is the 7th highest peak of the world situated in Nepal. Five members of the Force - Shri Rattan Singh Sonal, 2I/C, HC/GD Pradeep Kumar, Ct/GD Nurbo Wangdus, Ct/GD Sanjay Kumar, Ct/GD Pradeep Panwar reached the top of the mountain on May 19, 2017 and one member, HC/GD Krishan Prasad, scaled the peak the next day. Three high altitude Sherpas also successfully climbed the peak with the team.

The Expedition was flagged off by Shri Mehrishi and Shri Chaudhary at Force HQ on March 10, 2017. ITBP has the unique record of conducting 207 successful mountaineering expeditions.

On the occasion, Shri Mehrishi released the new and modified version of ITBP Force Song. Bollywood singer Sonu Nigam has lent his voice free of cost to the song.

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Union Sports Minister Shri Vijay Goel concludes 2-day visit to Mizoram

Minister of State (I/C) for Youth Affairs and Sports Shri Vijay Goel today concluded his 2-Day visit to Mizoram. During his visit, he inspected various sports facilities and participated in programs promoting sports and youth development activities. He was received by the State Chief Minister Shri Lal Thanhawla and the volunteers from the Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan.

Shri Goel said, Mizoram has always given the best Footballers and is one of the leading Indian states promoting football, He said, he is delighted to be there. The state government's support towards football is yielding results; 8 players in the Under 23 National side is a testament of the state’s sports culture.

Shri Goel visited the Sihmui Cricket Stadium which is as big as the MCG stadium. After an inspection of the facilities along with the Chief Minister Shri Lal Thanhawla, Sports Minister interacted with the officials and suggested ways and means through which maximum utilization of the stadium could be done.

In his address to the students of NYKS, NSS, NCC and SAI trainees Shri Goel announced that a Football Academy would be established within the premises of Mizoram Football Academy at Sairang. He urged them to utilize their knowledge and skills for New India and an overall nation building. On the second day of his visit Shri Goel was the chief guest in an event organized by Mission 11 Million; a legacy campaign of FIFA which targets to introduce 11 million children to football and active sports. Shri Goel also met the Governor of Mizoram Lt.Gen. (Retd.) Nirbhay Sharma.

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Shri Kalraj Mishra Gives Away National Awards for MSME 2015

Also Launches Digital MSME Scheme 

3 MoUs Exchanged with SAP India, Intel and HMT 

National Awards for MSME 2015 was organized here today. Shri Kalraj Mishra, Union Minister for MSME gave away the MSME Awards 2015. Since the United Nations has declared 27th June as the UN Day for MSMEs, the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises has selected this day for distributing National Awards to Micro, Small and Medium Entrepreneurs for their outstanding performance, to express the gratitude of the Government to the achievers in this field which is so important for the national economy.
Shri Giriraj Singh and Shri Haribhai P. Chaudhary, Ministers of State for MSME were also present to grace the occasion. Shri KK Jalan, Secretary MSME, Shri Surendra Nath Tripathi, Development Commissioner, Shri. Vinai Kumar Saxena, Chairman, KVIC, Shri C.P. Radhakrishnan, Chairman, Coir Board also were present on the occasion.
On this occasion the Union Minister for MSME Shri Kalraj Mishra also launched ‘Digital MSME Scheme’ and handed over three Memorandums of Understandings to SAP India, Intel and HMT respectively. These steps would further boost Ministry’s effort towards making the Digital India Mission successful. The Digital MSME Scheme is revolving around Cloud Computing which is emerging as a cost effective and viable alternative in comparison to in-house IT infrastructure installed by MSMEs. In cloud computing, MSMEs use the internet to access common as well as tailor-made IT infrastructure including software for managing their business processes. Cloud computing is free from the burden of investment on hardware/software and infrastructural facilities. Therefore CAPEX converts into OPEX. This scheme would encourage MSMEs towards this new approach i.e. Cloud Computing for ICT adoption
Speaking on the occasion, Shri Kalraj Mishra, Union Minister for MSME informed that for the year 2015 the total number of National Awardees are 56 for various categories, including 50 for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and 6 for Banks. He also said that the Ministry of MSME is making concrete efforts in line with ‘Digital India’ and ‘Make in India’ visions of the Speaking on the occasion, Sh. Kalraj Mishra, Hon’ble Union Minister (MSME) informed that for the year 2015 the total number of National Awardees are 56 for various categories, including 50 for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and 6 for Banks. He also said that the Ministry of MSME is making concrete efforts in line with ‘Digital India’ and ‘Make In India’ visions of the Hon’ble Prime Minister. He congratulated the award winners for achieving excellence in various fields and expressed his hope that other enterprises in the sector would emulate the examples set by the awardees. He exhorted the MSME sector to walk the path of ZED and Lean manufacturing to make Hon’ble Prime Minister’s dream a reality.
Union Minister of State for MSME, Shri Haribhai P. Chaudhary stated that the importance of MSMEs and their contribution to the economic and social development of India could not be overemphasized. The MSME sector including Khadi & Village Industries and Coir Sector is the largest employer, after agriculture. The MSMEs have shown growth of over 10% in recent years, this being more than that recorded by the large corporates. The MSMEs provide employment to over 110 million persons through over 50 million enterprises producing over six thousand products. In view of its importance in the national economy, the MSME Sector has always been in the top priority of the present Government. He also listed out the achievements made in MSME sector during the last three years. Further, the Government has also extended the coverage of the loans covered under the Credit Guarantee Scheme from Rs. 1 Crore to Rs. 2 Crore and the corpus of Credit Guarantee Fund has also been enhanced from Rs. 2500 crore to Rs. 7500 crore to facilitate collateral free loans to Micro & Small Enterprises.
Union Minister of State for MSME, Shri Giriraj Singh stated that M/o MSME, as per the vision of Hon’ble Prime Minister, has taken a number of steps for ‘ease of doing business’ and ‘Digital India Mission’. Udyog Adhaar Memorandum launched in September, 2015, an online portal linked with Aadhaar number, can be filed within few minutes with no fee and on self certification basis. Furthermore, MSMEs can now access information on all schemes implemented by the Ministry on a single window at MyMSME mobile app.
Background:
Recognizing the achievements of successful entrepreneurs in the MSME sector, in the form of exceptional entrepreneurial capability, excellent product quality and excellence in exports, Innovation and Lean Manufacturing Techniques, the Union Government decided to encourage them by giving the national awards. The First, Second and Third National Awards carry a cash prize of Rs. 1,00,000/-, in each category, a certificate and a trophy. Special Awards are given to honour one outstanding woman entrepreneur, one outstanding entrepreneur from SC/ST community and one entrepreneur from North Eastern Region, and the best divyang entrepreneur. The event aims not only to recognize the contribution made by the entrepreneurs but also aims to encourage the participation of rural and urban population in the country’s trade and commerce including the economically and socially backward people.
The awards are also given to Banks in recognition of their outstanding efforts in providing credit support to the Micro and Small Enterprises. Three National Awards each under two categories namely Excellence in MSE lending and Excellence in lending to Micro Enterprises to Public Sector Banks are given. The First and Second Awards in each category are given to the major Public Sector Banks & a special award is given to one of the Associate Banks of State Bank of India. The awards are given in the form of Trophies along with Certificates.

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Cruise Tourism to be a growth driver for India’s economy, says Shri Nitin Gadkari

Clear Action Plan drawn to revitalise Cruise Tourism in India 

The Minister of Shipping and  Road Transport and Highways Shri  Nitin Gadkari  has said that Cruise Tourism is one of the fastest growing components of the leisure industry worldwide, and  can be a major growth driver for the Indian economy by generating huge employment opportunities.  Shri Gadkari was  speaking at the National Workshop on “Action Plan for Development of Cruise Tourism in India”, in New Delhi today. The workshop was also attended by Minister of State for  Culture and Tourism (I/C) Dr Mahesh Sharma, and representatives of all stakeholder organizations – both from the government and the private sector – including regulatory agencies which deal with issues impacting cruise tourism.

Pointing out that tourism has the highest investment to employment multiplier Shri Gadkari said that on an average, employment generation on a cruise ship is 1 job for 3-4 passengers. With India having the potential to cater to 700 cruise ships per year as against 158 handled this year, the cruise industry can generate more than 2.5 lakh jobs for ten lakh cruise passengers, giving a big boost to the country’s economy. He further informed that cruise terminals are being developed at five major ports – Mumbai, Goa, Cochin, Mangalore and Chennai. In addition, the transport potential of 111 inland waterways will  also be tapped. Work will start for developing ten inland waterways by the end of this year. This includes the rivers Ganga and Brahmaputra on which work is already in progress, he informed.

Shri Gadkari called upon  state governments also to play an active role in promoting cruise tourism by developing, packaging and marketing  their tourists attractions to draw more and more tourists.

The Ministry of Shipping has been working actively with all relevant ministries and organizations of the government to promote cruise tourism in the country.  A joint task force headed by Secretary Shipping and Secretary Tourism was constituted for the purpose, and a global consultant was engaged for drawing up an Action Plan. The objective of today’s workshop was to discuss this Action Plan which requires various arms of the Government to take action for creating an enabling business eco-system for growth of cruise tourism in the country.

Speaking on the occasion Dr Mahesh Sharma said that India is fast growing as an attractive tourist destination. To realize the full potential for cruise tourism in the country there was a need for all stakeholders to work together, in cooperation with each other, and create a favourable ecosystem for growth. 

Highlighting the efforts of the Shipping Ministry for promoting cruise tourism, Dr Alok Srivastava, Special Secretary (Shipping), informed that e visa, e-landing and incentives like minimum rebate of 30% on all cruise vessel related charges and additional rebate of 25% for coastal cruise movement have already been implemented. Further to this, a joint task force has been set up by the Ministry of Shipping & the Ministry of Tourism and an action plan for deriving standard operating procedure has been drawn, which would be implemented in a time bound manner after discussion with various stakeholders.

Secretary Tourism Smt Rashmi Verma said that the coming together of the Shipping and Tourism ministries to promote cruise tourism in the country would help maximize the benefits that the sector has to offer.

Stakeholders discussed several regulatory issues pertaining to various aspects of cruise port operations namely security, immigration, customs, ports in the workshop. They worked towards drawing up Standard Operating Procedures for all govt. organizations for cruise vessel handling.

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Minister of Railways Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu Lays the Foundation Stone for Final Location Survey of Bilaspur-Manali-Leh New Broad Gauge Line Today

After the significant progress in the completion of the rail line in the state of Jammu & Kashmir, the Indian Railways endeavours to extend the socio-economic benefits of rail transportation to other remote areas and challenging terrains of the hilly states (HP & J&K) where development is scarce. Amongst the various socially desirable projects in the country, Bilaspur-Mandi-Leh Rail Line (route length 498 Kms) constitutes great significance. The project is of both strategic and economic, development and tourism importance, with its unique distinction being the highest railway track in the world.

Minister for Railways Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu laid the foundation stone for the Final Location Survey Of Bilaspur-Manali-Leh New Broad Gauge Line, at Leh today (27^th June 2017) in the august presence of distinguished guests on the occasion. Shri R.K. Kulshrestha General Manager, Northern Railway and other Senior Railway officials were also present in the function.

Leh is the most important town in Ladakh region of J&K State having approximately 1.5 lakhs population. It has a high footfall of Indian & Foreign tourists each year. The district Leh is the second largest district in the country with elaborate Army Establishments and is the Headquarter of 14 corps. The region being a cold desert, the temperature during the winter months (Oct-Mar) plummets down to well below freezing point. The road connectivity to this area is gets cut off from other parts of country due to heavy snowfall, thus necessitating all weather rail connectivity both for strategic as well as socio-economic needs.

In order to connect Leh with a broad gauge railway line with the rest of the country, Indian Railway have taken up Final Location Survey, a precursor to actual construction from Bilaspur to Leh via Manali. The alignment shall connect Mandi, Kullu, Manali, Keylong and other important towns of Himachal Pradesh & Jammu & Kashmir states enroute. The line from Bilaspur shall be further connected to Bhanupali between Anandpur Sahib and Nangal Dam.

The Proposed alignment passes through the Shivalik, Great Himalayan & Zanskar Ranges, areas with wide variation in height (600m to 5300 m above MSL) and Seismic zone IV and V  [ IS:1893(Part-I)-2002], necessitating  building of large number of tunnels, deep viaducts & bridges. The work of Final Location Survey has been entrusted by Ministry of Railways to RITES Ltd and is planned to be completed by March 2019 with an approximate cost of 157 crores.

Activities Involved for the Survey:

State of Art technologies are being employed to have a constructible, most economic, safe, and all weather railway line.

●       Development of corridors with different grades using Digital elevation Models, with overlays for Geological Maps, Snow & Avalanche Studies, Hydrological & Seismic Data using the latest software and selection of most optimum corridor.

●       Analysis of the selected corridor and development of most suitable alignment.

●       Geological and Geophysical investigations and design of bridges, tunnels & viaducts.

●       Marking of central line of alignment on site.

●       Preparation and submission of Detailed Project Report.

The construction of railway line in such difficult and treacherous terrain would be a daunting challenge for Indian Railways and would be an unmatched marvel globally once completed.

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UD Ministry seeks Swachh action plans from DUSIB and 3 MCDs in a week

Ministry of Urban Development today sought Action Plans from Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) and the three Municipal Corporations of Delhi in a week’s time for construction of required number of Community and Public Toilet seats and Individual Household Toilets for making Delhi ‘Open Defecation Free’ at the earliest. 

Shri Durga Shanker Mishra today held detailed discussion with the officials of DUSIB and the three MCDs in this regard and stressed on the need to make the national capital ODF by October this year. He directed these agencies to come with necessary action plans for further discussion on July 4th. 

Issues relating to availability of land for building toilets at 24 locations along railway tracks were discussed in details. Joint teams of DUSIB and Northern Railway were asked to undertake site inspection at these locations for making available mobile toilets or pre-fabricated toilet units with septic tanks as appropriate and report at the next meeting. 

In Delhi, DUSIB has been entrusted with the task of building Community and Public Toilet seats whose requirement is assessed to be 27,000 toilet seats of which 18,000 seats have been reported to have been made available so far. MCDs were asked to enable construction of necessary individual household toilets whose requirement is felt to be not substantial. It was reported in the meeting that so far only 1,200 applications have been received for construction of individual household toilets. 

Shri Mishra will discuss the action plans on July 4th before Minister of Urban Development Shri M.Venkaiah Naidu takes a meeting with Mayors, Municipal Commissioners and DUSIB soon thereafter.

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Shri Piyush Goyal, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Power

Shri Piyush Goyal, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Power, Coal, New and Renewable Energy and Mines chairs 5th Geoscience Advisory Council Meeting 

Shri Piyush Goyal, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Power, Coal, New and Renewable Energy and Mines, addressed the 5th Geoscience Advisory Council (GAC) Meeting in New Delhi today. Mines Secretary Shri Arun Kumar, DG GSI Shri M Raju and other Ministries’ Official members, Scientific Institutions and Non-Official members of the GAC participated in the daylong deliberations. 

The 5th GAC discussed issues related to Geophysical techniques for exploration of concealed/deep seated mineral deposits, Mineral System Research and advanced techniques for exploration of subsurface mineral deposits, and the strategy for exploration, augmentation of mineral resources and mining of Rare Earths/Rare Minerals and other strategic resources. Shri Piyush Goyal @PiyushGoyal, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Power @MinOfPower, Coal @CoalMinistry, New and Renewable Energy @mnreindia and Mines @MinesMinIndia, asked the scientific community working in the field of geosciences and mineral system research to add value to the mineral wealth of the country especially in the area of strategic and critically important metals and minerals. At the same time there has to be a harmony between wealth creation and preservation of ecology and environment for sustainable development. 

Geoscience today constitutes a huge and fast expanding canvas. Apart from Ministry of Mines, the members comprise Secretaries of Earth Sciences, Science and Technology, Environment and Forests, Atomic Energy, Niti Aayog, Space, Water resources, Coal and Steel. Other Official members are heads of the scientific organisations like Geological Survey of India, Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research, Indian Metrological Department, National Institute of Oceanography, Central Arid Zone Research Institute, Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Birbal Sahani Institute of Palaeobotony, National Geophysical Research Institute and Head of Geology ONGC. Up to 12 non-official members are nominated by the Ministry of mines from amongst the persons who have long experience and expertise on geophysical policy and R&D. 

The GAC advises the Ministry of Mines on geoscientific policy matters in general and the role and direction of the GSI in particular prioritizing GSI thrust areas etc.

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India Signs Loan Agreement with the World Bank for USD 35 Million for “Assam State Public Financial Institutional Reforms Project”

An agreement for IBRD Credit of USD 35 Million from World Bank for “Assam State Public Financial Institutional Reforms Project” was signed today at New Delhi. The agreement was signed by Shri Raj Kumar, Joint Secretary (MI), Department of Economic Affairs on behalf of the Government of India and Mr. John Blomquist, Acting Country Director, World Bank (India) on behalf of the World Bank. The Implementing Entity Agreement was signed by Additional Chief Secretary (Finance), Department of Finance, on behalf of Government of Assam, and the Country Director (India) on behalf of the World Bank. 

The programme size is USD 44 million, of which USD 35 million will be financed by the Bank, and the remaining amount will be funded out of State Budget. The programme duration is 5 years. 

The objective of the project is to improve predictability and transparency in budget execution and efficiency in tax administration in Assam. The project will benefit the citizens of Assam through efficient processes, enhanced transparency and better service delivery (such as electronic payments and collections for services, better public procurement, and enhanced taxpayer services) provided by public institutions.

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6th Joint Trade Committee Meeting between India and Myanmar

The 6th India – Myanmar Joint Trade Committee (JTC) Meeting co-chaired by Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of Commerce & Industry from India and Dr. Than Myint, Union Commerce Minister from Myanmar was held on 27th June 2017 at New Delhi. The Joint Trade Committee plays a key role in facilitating issues related to enhancement of the bilateral economic partnership between the two countries. 

Addressing the meeting The Minister stated that both countries have long history of shared religious, linguistic and ethnic ties. Myanmar is India’s gateway to South East Asia and ASEAN with which India is seeking greater economic integration through ‘Act East’ Policy. Myanmar shares a long land border of over 1600 Kms with India as well as a maritime boundary in the Bay of Bengal. Our bilateral relationship has been further strengthened by the high level exchanges between our countries. Prime Minister of India visited Myanmar in November 2014 for the Twelfth India-ASEAN Summit. State counsellor of Myanmar visited India in October 2016

Stating that Trade and Commerce play a significant role in the bilateral relationship of the two countries, Smt.Sitharaman noted that India’s trade with Myanmar grew by 6.01% from USD 2.05 bn in 2015 -16 to USD 2.18 bn in 2016-17. The total export achieved in 2016-17 was 1.11 USD Billion, reflecting an annual growth of 3.79%. The import stood at 1.06 USD Billion showing a growth of 8.43%. 

The Minister stated that the bilateral trade between either countries has a much larger untapped potential. She sought the cooperation of the Myanmar side in actively pursuing enhanced road, sea and air connectivity between the two countries. Highlighting the progress made by India in various components of the Kaladan Multimodal Transport Project, she sought the cooperation of the Myanmar to expedite work on their side. She highlighted the need for the Myanmar side to allow expeditious completion of the inland waterway works linking the Port of Sittwe to the Myanmar hinterland. She drew the attention of the Myanmar side to an expeditious negotiation of a Motor Vehicle Agreement bilaterally which would facilitate seamless movement of cargo vehicles. 

During the meeting discussions were held on exploring the feasibilities of direct shipping lines with Sittwe port and Vizag/ Chennai. Similarly, the need for direct air connectivity with Chennai/ Guwahati was discussed. 

Noting the progress made on border trade, ever since both countries did away with barter trade and opened the border posts for normal trade w.e.f. 1.12.2015, the Minister sought the cooperation of Myanmar side in quick finalisation of the Mode of Operation(MoO) for making the Border Haats functional on the ‘India-Myanmar border’. It was noted that 10 points spread across 4 states viz., Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Nagaland and Manipur, have been identified for operationalising Border Haats. Both sides also agreed to explore opening of two new Border Trade Points at Pangkhuwa and Zoninpuri. 

Both sides also agreed to deepen their engagements in some of the mutually identified core sectors. Comprehensive MoUs would be explored in areas of Health Care and Textiles. The MoUs on capacity building between RBI and CBM signed on 22 September, 2015 and on cooperation in the field of Power Sector signed on 19 October, 2016 will be operationalised quickly. The proposed MoU between RBI and Central Bank of Myanmar on currency exchange rate fixation also needs to be expedited. Myanmar side was also requested to explore the suggestion of opening of a Counsellor Office in the North-East. 

Minister also highlighted that Project Development Fund for CLMV is under implementation. Since the first Inter-Ministerial Meeting on 25.4.2017, projects have been identified for preparation of DPRs and new areas have been identified for conducting pre-feasibility studies. Project identified for Myanmar for preparation of DPR includes setting up of a Multi-Specialty Hospital and/ or Medical College and an Educational Institute in Myanmar. It is proposed to consider Nursing and Paramedics Education for the pre-feasibility studies for the FY 2017-18. The Minister sought the cooperation of Myanmar in extending all assistance to EXIM Bank to facilitate implementation of the Projects. 

Smt. Sitharaman stated that the 4th India – CLMV Business Conclave has emerged as the main B to B forum for countries of the region and India. The 5th Edition is now poised to be organized in Cambodia. She expressed the hope that the Conclave along with JTIF set up by the Ministry will help faster growth of business to business contacts and FDI inflows between the two countries. 

The Minister requested the Government of Myanmar and its business community to actively partner in India’s initiatives to strengthen her manufacturing capacities, viz ‘Make in India’ and stated that India is also ready for a similar move in Myanmar. She expressed hope that together we can deepen our manufacturing capabilities, learn from each others experiences and create a better regional platform for trade and commerce.

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