The Hindu Editorial: Developing the western corridor
The project to build a Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) got the much-needed push, with the signing of two Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) between the Japanese and Indian institutions.
The DMIC Development Corporation and the Japanese JETRO are to promote 24 eco-cities or smart communities along the corridor, while the Japan Bank for International Cooperation has offered a $75 million loan facility to help establish a Project Development Fund to kick-start the project.
The DMIC project comprises a host of sub-projects for infrastructure development — for instance industrial estates, power plants, and logistics parks — which are to come up on either side of the proposed 1,483 km Delhi-Mumbai railway freight corridor.
The foundation stone for the rail corridor was laid by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh way back in October 2006. This Rs.22,000 crore project is expected to change the face of the western corridor, with the DMIC developing the entire hinterland. The Gujarat government has embarked on a vigorous drive to attract foreign investment for the project and it can be expected to gain momentum as a result of the recent visit of Japanese Prime Minister Yokio Hatoyama. In addition to harnessing Japanese investments and interests, the States along the western corridor will also be tapping foreign and domestic investments for the overall development of the region.
The western rail freight corridor will link the Jawaharlal Nehru port and other ports in Gujarat to the industrial belts in the western, central, and northern regions extending up to New Delhi. A separate dedicated corridor to the east has also been planned by the Indian Railways, and the work on it was launched in February. The dedicated corridor is meant to focus exclusively on carrying freight, and the project, conceived in 2004-05, envisages 2,700 km of new freight lines and about 5,000 km of feeder lines.
The western corridor will connect Vadodara, Ahmedabad, Palanpur, Jaipur, Rewari, Tughlakabad, and Dadri.
It is now for the Government of India, and all the agencies involved in the massive project — including the Railways, the State governments, and even the Planning Commission — to work in close coordination and ensure that it does not suffer undue delays and the consequent cost over-runs.
Japan wants to showcase the DMIC as a model not just for India, but the whole world.
To begin with, the Indian agencies need to expedite the basic work on the feasibility report, environmental clearances, land acquisition, and preparation of a blueprint for the whole project. The prospective investors will need a definite time frame and a detailed plan to finalise their investment plans.
Wednesday, 30 December 2009
Monday, 28 December 2009
Industry & Economy - Non-conventional Energy
Bengal, Gujarat, Rajasthan to play major role in solar power
Kolkata, Dec. 28
West Bengal, Gujarat and Rajasthan will be the major participants in the National Solar Mission (NSM) as these three States together will produce nearly 30 per cent of the targeted 20,000 MW solar power in the country by 2022, according to Mr SP Gon Chowdhury, Managing Director of the West Bengal Green Energy Development Corporation.
Addressing media persons on the sidelines of the 23rd Industrial India Trade Fair here on Monday, Mr Chowdhury said, “West Bengal has set the target of producing 110 MW solar power by 2013 involving investment of Rs 1,500 crore by different companies”.
A total of 15 MW solar power was currently generated in the State and the total investment in this in last three years was Rs 800 crore, he pointed out.
Mr Chowdhuty indicated that Gujarat and Rajasthan were expected to generate 130 MW and 100 MW solar power respectively in three years.
The Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy, Mr Farooq Abdullah, recently declared the target of producing 1,300 MW solar power in the first phase of National Solar Mission by 2013. “We would soon send a proposal to the Centre to block 110 MW solar power and to connect the same to the power grid,” Mr Chowdhury said.
The West Government, he pointed out, had targeted to set up one lakh solar home lighting units in the Sstate in two to three years under the Centre-sponsored Decentralised Distributed Generation Scheme.
The State was also expected to manufacture solar modules capable of producing 500 MW power by 2022, he said. The national target in this regard is 5000 MW.
A number of companies, including Webel, Reliance Industries Ltd, Videocon, Moser Baer and Astonfield have rolled out their investment plans in the renewable energy sector in West Bengal, Mr Chowdhury said.
The State was also expected to produce 5 MW solar power from “rooftop projects”, he added.
Meanwhile, the West Bengal IT Minister, Mr Debesh Das, said that there was need to manufacture solar panels from raw silica in the State.
“Though a lot of companies are interested in generating solar power, we also need to be self reliant in raw materials,” he said.
Bengal, Gujarat, Rajasthan to play major role in solar power
Kolkata, Dec. 28
West Bengal, Gujarat and Rajasthan will be the major participants in the National Solar Mission (NSM) as these three States together will produce nearly 30 per cent of the targeted 20,000 MW solar power in the country by 2022, according to Mr SP Gon Chowdhury, Managing Director of the West Bengal Green Energy Development Corporation.
Addressing media persons on the sidelines of the 23rd Industrial India Trade Fair here on Monday, Mr Chowdhury said, “West Bengal has set the target of producing 110 MW solar power by 2013 involving investment of Rs 1,500 crore by different companies”.
A total of 15 MW solar power was currently generated in the State and the total investment in this in last three years was Rs 800 crore, he pointed out.
Mr Chowdhuty indicated that Gujarat and Rajasthan were expected to generate 130 MW and 100 MW solar power respectively in three years.
The Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy, Mr Farooq Abdullah, recently declared the target of producing 1,300 MW solar power in the first phase of National Solar Mission by 2013. “We would soon send a proposal to the Centre to block 110 MW solar power and to connect the same to the power grid,” Mr Chowdhury said.
The West Government, he pointed out, had targeted to set up one lakh solar home lighting units in the Sstate in two to three years under the Centre-sponsored Decentralised Distributed Generation Scheme.
The State was also expected to manufacture solar modules capable of producing 500 MW power by 2022, he said. The national target in this regard is 5000 MW.
A number of companies, including Webel, Reliance Industries Ltd, Videocon, Moser Baer and Astonfield have rolled out their investment plans in the renewable energy sector in West Bengal, Mr Chowdhury said.
The State was also expected to produce 5 MW solar power from “rooftop projects”, he added.
Meanwhile, the West Bengal IT Minister, Mr Debesh Das, said that there was need to manufacture solar panels from raw silica in the State.
“Though a lot of companies are interested in generating solar power, we also need to be self reliant in raw materials,” he said.
Friday, 18 December 2009
Proposal to make Ajmer World Class Railway Station
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13:13 IST
RAJYA SABHA 17 De2009
Ajmer Railway Station has been identified for development into World Class Station through Public-Private Partnership(PPP) mode. Preliminary activities have been taken up. No target date for completion has been fixed.
It is planned to provide state-of-the-art station building with good architecture and having segregation of arrival/departure of passengers, modern amenities like food plazas, currency exchange counter, tourist info booth, retail outlets, internet café, ATM facilities, Hotels, car rentals, prepaid taxi booths wherever feasible, well illuminated circulating area, etc.
This information was given by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Railways, Shri E. Ahamed in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
13:13 IST
RAJYA SABHA 17 De2009
Ajmer Railway Station has been identified for development into World Class Station through Public-Private Partnership(PPP) mode. Preliminary activities have been taken up. No target date for completion has been fixed.
It is planned to provide state-of-the-art station building with good architecture and having segregation of arrival/departure of passengers, modern amenities like food plazas, currency exchange counter, tourist info booth, retail outlets, internet café, ATM facilities, Hotels, car rentals, prepaid taxi booths wherever feasible, well illuminated circulating area, etc.
This information was given by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Railways, Shri E. Ahamed in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.
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