NEW DELHI : To curb red-tapism and enhance transparency, NHAI will deploy software specifically to track files that will pin-point officials behind delays in disposing of matters, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has said.
This will be a part of several measures to enhance efficiency and transparency at NHAI, road transport minister Gadkari said.
In June last year, the National Highways Authority of India had said that it has become the first construction sector organisation to go ‘fully digital’ with cloud-based Data Lake Software.
“Red-tapism will no longer be tolerated…Delayed decision-making results in losses. To eradicate red-tapism, we will be bringing a software that will specifically detect how much time one particular official has taken in disposing of any file,” Gadkari said.
The minister said several proposals have been made to enhance efficiency and transparency in NHAI and he had a detailed discussion with NHAI Chairman SS Sandhu and Highways Secretary Giridhar Aramane.
Lauding the efforts by the NHAI Chairman and Highways Secretary, he said: “In our system, we are trying red-tapism is eliminated and decision making is made fast and transparent. Work should happen timely, corruption-free, in a time-bound manner and efficiently. Those who do not take timely decisions will be tracked”.
He also warned of stern action against such officials.
Besides, Gadkari said project management consultancy system will be introduced soon — where alignment, land acquisition, forest environment clearance, utility shifting, construction, designing, road safety and roadside amenities — everything will be provided about the project.
New technologies are being promoted, while attention is being paid on reducing the cost of construction of projects without compromising with the quality, he added.
Admitting that the hurdles were there in the way of innovation and reforms, Gadkari said the ministry is overcoming problems and moving ahead fast.
“I take pride that work worth Rs 17 lakh crore has been done by Ministries during the NDA-1 regime without any corruption,” the minister noted.
NHAI in June last year had announced introducing Data Lake software to forecast the delays, likely disputes and expedite decision making.
“As one of the biggest reforms, the NHAI has gone ‘fully digital’, with the launch of unique cloud-based and artificial intelligence-powered big data analytics platform – Data Lake and Project Management Software,” it had said.
NHAI had earlier said that disputes can be minimised, as Data Lake software has provisions to keep track and check on all the constraints like delays in land acquisition and ensure work is carried out within the deadlines in a transparent manner.
Unhappy over the work culture of delay, Gadkari in October had warned officials that it was time to show the exit door to non-performing assets, complicating and delaying projects by creating obstacles.
National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has become a breeding ground for inefficient officials who are creating hurdles and referring every matter to committees and it was time to ‘suspend’ and ‘terminate’ them and bring in reforms in its functioning, the minister had said.
NHAI has been mandated the task to develop, maintain and manage national highways, the arterial roads of the country, for inter-state movement of passengers and goods.
National highways have a total length of about 1.32 lakh km to serve as the arterial network of the country. Although national highways constitute only about 2 per cent of the road network, it carries 40 per cent of the total road traffic. (agencies)
NHAI to use software to track delays in files processing: Gadkari
Jeweller’s killing?
A resident of Indira Nagar Srinagar Satpal Nischal living there for the last 50 years and doing the business of a gold smith of moderate means was shot dead at point blank range by some militants in his shop at Sarai Bala. This cold blooded murder raises many questions which need to be answered. Does anyone particularly from any place or area but having been not a state subject, deserve to be killed in Kashmir.? If his only fault, as analysed in preliminary investigations by the Police, was his obtaining the new Domicile Certificate for which he was all entitled to, is a matter to be felt concerned about and dealt with sternly. Why could the police not get prior information about such designs and mechanisations of some elements working at the behest of their mentors from across the border? At least, such dastardly attack on the victim who was past his 65 years of age, could have been pre-empted. Were the CCTVs not in functional mode so as to record the movements of the killers so that they could have been apprehended immediately? That, the victim jeweller Nischal had bought the shop as well as a house in Srinagar even after continuously living there for more than half a century did not, under any civilised norm and human consideration, least under any law, make him any ”culprit” that the militants thought to kill him in broad day light. Under one pretext or the other, these amoral and reprobate agents of the enemy still go on killing innocent and unarmed people selectively.
While we deride and denigrate such a myopic mindset and condemn such a cowardly but dastardly act, we would like to send a note of caution to such misled and misguided elements that any type of violence, as a natural corollary, begets violence. Such elements should ponder over their deeds, as to who was behind promoting of such a dangerous mindset and what interest such promoters and handlers had in such acts getting executed at their behest. It is evident that no benefit of any sort of any daydreaming could accrue to them except bringing in more disaster and misery for the UT of Jammu and Kashmir , especially for the Kashmir valley. These elements definitely are waning and shrinking and getting neutralised too, they are having no support from the local people, their presence in hiding burrows and places are in fact being fully made known to authorities and one who took to gun had to be dealt with by a gun, must make them realise about their wasteful and unacceptable stand of whatever hue. When that is the ultimate drop scene of all this violence and myopic narrative issued by such elements and even by newer terror outfits frequently floated like changing of old shoes, there is no fun in pursuing such destructive agenda.
These terror outfits like newly floated some “Resistance Front ”must read the writing on the wall that their narrative and misinformation cannot in any case bring about any change in new Domicile Laws and provisions and any type of deceptive and mischievous propaganda also shall be of no avail. All such terror activities like the one under reference, grenade attack on Kathua temple and planning of series of attacks on temples in Poonch in Jammu region – were all signs of utter restlessness, defeat and frustration of militants. “Mainstream politicians” particularly from the valley, should clear their stand on violence and frenzy of such elements and condemn them in unequivocal terms.
Jammu Airport with better infrastructure
In fact, Jammu Airport has virtually been clamouring for providing improved and extended infrastructure so that aircraft of every type could take off and land irrespective of constraints like fog, poor visibility and the like on account of which passengers had to face inconvenience of many hues. However, it is a matter of relief that now upgraded Instrument Landing System (ILS) has been commissioned at the airport. However, many hiccups were seen in its installation as in March 2019, it was withdrawn due to renovations of the airport runway and only now, a revised improved version is installed.
Airport Authority of India (AAI) had, through its technical wing of Flight Inspection Unit (FIU), prior to commissioning of the upgraded instrument conducted necessary tests and other requirements for the purpose. For landing of any aircraft, ground based support is necessary and the new upgraded instrument plays that part by providing precision lateral and vertical guidance to an approaching aircraft for landing on the runway. Usually, advanced lighting system, in precise simple parlance, is provided to guide the approaching aircraft. Usually whenever a flight destined for Jammu from any airport was taking off, in many cases on entering the UT , fog and poor visibility was either keeping the aircraft airborne making several attempts to land or in many cases diverting to other nearest airport. All that was putting the passengers to discomfiture. Now, with this precision landing aid, landing constraints shall be a thing of the past.
Militant module busted in Poonch, arms recovered
POONCH: A consignment of arms, ammunition, and grenades were recovered this morning from Dabbi village located ahead of the Line of Control (LoC) fence in Balakote, said Poonch Senior Superintendent of Police Ramesh Angral.
The recovery includes a pistol, three pistol magazines, 35 bullets, and five hand grenades.
The fresh recovery has been made on Sunday morning during an operation in LoC village Dabbi of Balakote, according to an official release.
Senior Superintendent of Police Poonch Ramesh Angral said that on December 28 last year, three militant associates were arrested in the Balakote area near LoC with six hand grenades were recovered from their possession.
The trio includes Mustafa Khan son of Yasir Khan resident of Galuta, Mohammad Yaseen son of Walayat Khan, and Rayees Ahmed son of Mohammad Iqbal, both residents of Dabbi Balakote.
SSP said that during sustained interrogation of the trio, some more vital clues were developed after which a team of Police headed by SDPO Mendhar Zaheer Jafri and Army launched an operation in Dabbi village located ahead of LoC fence in Balakote from where a consignment of arms, ammunition, and grenades have been recovered on Sunday morning.
He said that today’s recovery is the third recovery under this module of militant associates busted in the LoC area of Mendhar.
SSP Poonch Ramesh Angral further informed that Jammu and Kashmir Gazanvi Force is the militant outfit that was operating this module from POJK
SSP said that Jammu and Kashmir Gazanvi Force apart from militant activities is now also trying to carry out militant activities and is attempting to target religious places with an aim to trigger communal tension in the Jammu region.
He added in the first recovery of six hand grenades that were made from the arrested three persons, it is evident that grenades were to be lobbed on religious places in Ari and Mendhar town areas of Poonch district.
The second recovery was made from Dabi village wherein two pistols, seventy bullets, and two grenades were recovered.
“The handlers from across used to drop the consignment in hidden patches right in front of Indian locations and these arrested militant associates then managed to pick it up for further carriage in the hinterland,” SSP said. (AGENCY)
11 coal miners shot dead after being kidnapped in Balochistan
KARACHI : At least 11 coal miners were shot dead on Sunday after gunmen kidnapped them and took them to nearby mountains, where they opened fire on them in Pakistan’s restive southwestern Baluchistan province.
According to police, the miners were on the way to work when the unidentified gunmen kidnapped them and opened fire on them after taking them to the nearby hills in Machh area, the Express Tribune reported.
Six of the miners died on the spot and five who were critically wounded died on the way to a hospital.
A heavy contingent of police, Frontier Corps, and district administration officials reached the site after the incident.
Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan has condemned the incident and sought an inquiry report from the authorities concerned, the daily reported.
“Those who targeted these innocent coal miners do not deserve any concessions,” he said. (AGENCIES)
45 more arrested over attack on Hindu temple in northwest Pakistan
PESHAWAR: Pakistani police have arrested 45 more people for their alleged involvement in the vandalisation of a Hindu temple by a mob led by members of a radical Islamist party in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
With the latest arrests, the number of accused arrested in the case has risen to 100. Over 350 people have been named in the FIR after the temple in Terri village in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Karak district was vandalised and set on fire on Wednesday by a mob protesting against its expansion work.
The arrested people were produced in the anti-terrorist court (ATC) where the police secured three days remand of the accused.
The temple, which also has a samadhi of a Hindu religious leader, was attacked by the mob after members of the Hindu community received permission from local authorities to renovate its decades-old building.
The mob, led by some local clerics and supporters of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam party (Fazal ur Rehman group), demolished the newly constructed work alongside the old structure.
The attack on the temple drew strong condemnation from human rights activists and the minority Hindu community leaders.
India has also lodged a protest with Pakistan over the vandalisation of the temple and sought strict action against those responsible for the incident.
The protest was conveyed to Pakistan through diplomatic channels, sources in New Delhi said on Friday.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Chief Minister Mahmood Khan has assured that his government would reconstruct the damaged temple and the Samadhi at the shortest possible time.
According to a notification issued by the Chief Minister’s Secretariat on late Saturday night, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government has constituted a four-member committee to assess the damages caused to the temple and develop its reconstruction plan in consultation with the Hindu community.
The committee has been asked to complete the work in 10 days.
Pakistan’s Supreme Court has also ordered the local authorities to appear before it on January 5.
The court has issued directions to one-man Commission on Minorities Rights, KP chief secretary and KP inspector general of police to visit the site and submit a report on January 4. Hindus form the biggest minority community in Pakistan.
According to official estimates, 75 lakh Hindus live in Pakistan. However, according to the community, over 90 lakh Hindus are living in the country.
The majority of Pakistan’s Hindu population is settled in Sindh province where they share culture, traditions and language with Muslim residents. They often complain of harassment by the extremists. (AGENCIES)
Discoms’ outstanding dues to power gencos rise 35% to Rs 1.41 trn in Nov
NEW DELHI: Power producers’ total dues owed by the distribution firms rose over 35 per cent to Rs 1,41,621 crore in November 2020, reflecting stress in the sector.
The distribution companies (discoms) owed a total of Rs 1,04,426 crore to power generation firms in November 2019, according to portal PRAAPTI (Payment Ratification And Analysis in Power procurement for bringing Transparency in Invoicing of generators).
The portal was launched in May 2018 to bring in transparency in power purchase transactions between the generators and discoms.
In November 2020, the total overdue amount, which was not cleared even after 45 days of grace period offered by generators, stood at Rs 1,29,868 crore as against Rs 93,215 crore in the year-ago period.
According to the latest data on the portal, total outstanding dues in November increased on a month-on-month basis as well. In October 2020, the total outstanding dues of discoms stood at Rs 1,39,057 crore.
The overdue amount in November 2020 has increased from Rs 1,26,444 crore in October 2020.
Power producers give 45 days to discoms to pay bills for electricity supply. After that, outstanding dues become overdue and generators charge penal interest on that in most cases.
In order to give relief to power generation companies (gencos), the Centre enforced a payment security mechanism from August 1, 2019. Under this mechanism, discoms are required to open letters of credit for getting power supply.
The central government had also given some breathers to discoms for paying dues to power generating companies in view of the COVID-19-induced lockdown. The government had also waived penal charges for late payment of dues in the directive.
In May, the government announced Rs 90,000 crore liquidity infusion for discoms under which these utilities would get loans at economical rates from Power Finance Corporation (PFC) and REC Ltd. This was a government initiative to help gencos to remain afloat. Later, the liquidity infusion package was increased to Rs 1.2 lakh crore.
Discoms in Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Haryana and Tamil Nadu account for the major portion of dues to power gencos, the data showed.
Overdue of independent power producers amount to 34.01 per cent of the total overdue of Rs 1,29,868 crore of discoms in November. The proportion of central PSU gencos in the overdue was 34.27 per cent.
Among the central public sector power generators, NTPC alone has an overdue amount of Rs 19,215.97 crore on discoms, followed by NLC India at Rs 6,932.06 crore, Damodar Valley Corporation at Rs 6,238.03 crore, NHPC at Rs 3,223.88 crore and THDC India at Rs 2,085.06 crore.
Among private generators, discoms owe the highest overdue of Rs 20,242.74 crore to Adani Power followed by Bajaj Group-owned Lalitpur Power Generation Company Ltd at Rs 4,373.23 crore, GMR at Rs 2,195.12 crore and SEMB (Sembcorp) at Rs 2,168.45 crore.
The overdue of non-conventional energy producers like solar and wind stood at Rs 11,862.07 crore in November. (AGENCY)
Rahane is born is to lead, he’s brave and smart captain: Chappell
New Delhi : Describing Ajinkya Rahane as a “born leader”, legendary Ian Chappell has credited stand-in skipper’s “smart and brave” captaincy apart from his valuable contribution with the bat for India’s historic win in the Melbourne Test.
Under Rahane, India made a remarkable comeback after their humiliating loss in the first Test in Adelaide by winning the second Test by eight wickets.
“It was no surprise that Ajinkya Rahane captained India flawlessly at the MCG. Anyone who saw him in charge in Dharamsala in 2017 would have recognised a man born to lead cricket teams,” Chappell wrote in his column for ESPNcricinfo.
In that Dharamsala match in 2017, India had beaten Australia by eight wickets in the fourth Test to warp up the series 2-1. Rahane remained not out on 38 in India’s run chase — just like at the MCG — after scoring 46 in the first innings.
“There were a lot of similarities between that 2017 match and the one at the MCG. Firstly it was between the same two highly competitive rivals, then there was the valuable first-innings lower-order contribution from Ravindra Jadeja, and finally Rahane aggressively accumulating the required runs in a nervy pursuit of a moderate victory total,” Chappell wrote.
“The moment that caught my attention in the Dharamsala match was the time Rahane called on debutant left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav when David Warner and Steve Smith were involved in a century partnership. ‘This is a brave move’ I thought, and it turned out to be a very smart one.”
Yadav quickly claimed the wicket of Warner, caught by Rahane at first slip, and that prompted a five-wicket slide for Australia to lose the match.
“That’s part of Rahane’s success as a skipper: he’s brave and smart. However, there’s much more to his leadership than just those two important qualities. He is calm when things could easily get out of hand,” said the former captain and a respected figure in world cricket.
“He has earned the respect of his team-mates, one of the most important aspects of good captaincy. And he gets runs when they are needed, which adds to the respect his team has for him.”
Chappell also praised the performance of Indian bowlers Jasprit Bumrah, R Ashwin and Mohammed Siraj as well as the debutant Shubman Gill’s show with the bat.
Despite the valuable performances from other Indian players, Chappell said “the Johnny Mullagh medal-winning contribution from Rahane turned the match firmly in India’s favour.
“The captain’s century came at a time when India could easily have faded to a two-nil deficit, and it was this performance that gave his team the conviction that victory was attainable.
“A former resident of Mumbai told me his wife lip-read Rahane say the words ‘Come on, India’ when he reached his MCG century. That is another thing that defines Rahane’s captaincy: he’s all about the team.”
Chappell said the tantalising series is far from over and despite the departure of Virat Kohli on paternity leave and injuries to Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav, the visitors “have fewer selection headaches than Australia”.
“It’s helpful that they have a strong, calm leader and a vibrant spirit that has built up under the Kohli-Rahane-Ravi Shastri coalition.
“If India do go on to repeat their last tour’s success in Australia, the Mullagh medal won’t be the only gong Rahane receives.” (AGENCIES)
Vikramaditya Motwane launches production company
Mumbai, Jan 3: Filmmaker Vikramaditya Motwane has launched his production banner, Andolan Films.
The production company’s first venture is Motwane-directed “AK vs AK”, currently streaming on Netflix.
The “Udaan” director took to Instagram on Saturday night and posted a ten-second video, thanking his colleagues for their support.
“New year, new film, new production company. Thank you @atulsanalog for the name, to @synapsequence, @thebigfatminimalist and @cinemakasam for the logo, to @itsamittrivedi for the music, @sidmeer and @siddharthdiwan for the look.
“Arpan Gaglani and the team at @philmcgi for the animation, Akira for the voice and @ishikamohanmotwane for the… Err… Star of the show,” the 44-year-old director wrote.
Motwane also expressed his gratitude to collaborators “old, new and future”, for being an integral part of the journey.
“You helped us get here and we hope you join us on this journey. The revolution might hurt, but it will be exhilarating!” he captioned.
Motwane was earlier one of the founders of the production banner, Phantom Films.
The company, however, was dissolved in 2018 after sexual harassment allegations surfaced against one of its partners, filmmaker Vikas Bahl. (AGENCIES)
Rani Rampal-led Indian women’s hockey team leaves for Argentina tour
NEW DELHI, Jan 3: The Indian women’s hockey team, led by Rani Rampal, on Sunday left the country for the tour of Argentina, looking to gain international match exposure after nearly a break of one year due to COVID-19 pandemic.
The Indian team was forced to train at the Sports Authority of India centre in Bengaluru for several months as international competition came to a halt due to the pandemic.
The Indian team is scheduled to play four matches against the world number two Argentina side (January 26, 28, 30, 31). Before that, it will play two matches each against Argentina’s junior and B sides.
“It feels amazing to be touring again. We have worked very hard on our game in the last few months and the time has come for us to execute our skills in an international match,” skipper Rani said ahead of departure.
“Playing in international matches is going to be a bit different this time, since we will be in a bio bubble, however, the team is excited to be back on the field in the best possible manner at the moment,” she said.
Hockey India and the host country’s national association have created a bio bubble for both the teams.
The Indian team will stay at a hotel where there will be provisions for separate rooms/halls for all the meals, team meetings and sessions.
The entire Indian contingent underwent a COVID-19 RT-PCR test 72 hours prior to their departure.
Though there is no requirement for quarantine upon arrival in Argentina, the team will still be following all safety and health measures as advised by the respective governments of India and Argentina, a release said.
India’s vice captain and goalkeeper Savita thanked Hockey India and SAI for arranging the tour of Argentina.
“We desperately needed to get back into competitive mode as there’s not much time left to go for the Olympics. We have been doing well in practice sessions, but an international match is always the real test for any sportsperson,” said Savita.
“We are really looking forward to a great tour and hopefully, we start playing to our full potential right from the first match,” she added. (AGENCIES)