Transport and Shipping

Shipping:

• Kamrajar Port, Ennore is now ISO 14001-2004 certified for Environmental Management System.
• Ministry of Shipping has evolved a new incentive scheme to encourage major ports to become green ports. Green projects such as waste water treatment, renewable energy generation, use of bio-diesel and provision of shore power would be supported upto 50% of the project cost. Each major port would be given a financial grant of upto Rs.25 crores for undertaking these initiatives.
• Nine major ports have also given a commitment to generate 150 MW of non-conventional energy through solar and wind power in the next five years. This includes 25 MW generation by Jawaharlal Nehru Port and 20 MW each by Paradip Port, Kamarajar Port and Kandla Port.
• Minister reviewed shipping services at Andaman & Nicobar. Junglighat Jetty inaugurated. Connectivity between islands to be improved.
• Delegation of Financial Powers to Ports. Last revised in 1997. More autonomy and faster decision making to increase efficiency.
• Capacity addition at Ports. PPP 14.5 MMTPA Dry bulk cargo terminal at Tuna, Kandla, inaugurated by Minister.
• Cargo handled at 12 major ports during April 14 to Jan 15 is up by 4.8% from 460 MT to 484 MT.
• Upgradation of VTMS at New Mangalore Port- work awarded
• Action initiated by Chennai Port for setting up 6.5 MW wind energy project. Target to meet 50% energy requirement through green energy.

Transport:

• Government drawing up plan to make toll tax less taxing.
• Government has shut down 62 toll booths on roads and highways and is proposing to do away with toll charges on roads built at less than Rs 100 crore .
• Nitin Gadkari, has approved the Haryana government’s demand to have another national highway connecting Haryana to Rajasthan.
• The civil aviation minister Ashok Gajapati Raju has agreed to set in motion the Navi Mumbai Airport project.
• Government has decided that urban facilities shall be available to Rural areas through the RURBAN mission. In the first phase, Rs 100 crore will be spent on the scheme in three identified projects in Warangal district of Telangana and Sangli and Buldhana districts of Maharashtra. The mission was a promise made by the BJP in its 2014 Lok Sabha election manifesto.
• Urban development minister has announced that Pune Metro clearance would be expedited.
• Measures to increase the share of coastal shipping and inland waterways have been taken by the ministry of shipping.
• Reduced service tax & duty exemption will enable coastal shipping. With higher share of coastal shipping our logistics cost will come down.Read more about this from links:Link1 Link2

• The mission of road transport ministry is to contribute 2% GDP in less than two years. An ambitious target of 30 km/day has been set.
• In the last 100 days, they have so far managed to restart 24 projects stuck in dispute
• Department has taken steps to bring in new technologies to build Eco friendly roads e.g. waste slack would be used to build roads
• NHAI & IHMCL took a major step in taking forward our PM Modi’s vision of Digital India. The Fastag E-Toll collection will remove logistic inefficiencies at toll plazas and has the potential of saving Rs. 60K Cr of our fuel bills.The department is committed for E-Governance to improve efficiencies and transparency, have introduced online National Permit System
• Signing of MoU with mormugao port trust (MPT) and ICC shipping association for developing port connectivity road project to bypass inhabited areas of Vasco da Gama, Goa Inked the deal for faster clearance of construction of railway over bridges
• An amendment to the merchant shipping act has been passed in Parliament.The convention aims at protecting the marine environment and human health from adverse effects of use of listed harmful anti-fouling systems. Merchant Shipping (Second) Amendment, Bill 2013 will pave the way for providing better working conditions for the seafarers.
• Amendments to the motor vehicle act facilitating the plying of E-Rickshaw is passed by the Parliament. Flagged off the first technically approved E-Rickshaw.
• Ministry of Road Transport & Highways has sanctioned and awarded 7 projects for the development of 395 km in Uttar Pradesh

Courtesy: Government notice

•  Ministry of Road Transport & Highways has decided to implement 7 projects for the development of 222 km length in Punjab

Courtesy: Government notice

•  Launched the website of National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation (NHIDCL), https://www.nhidcl.com
• The main objective of NHIDCL is to speed up projects in the North-East region
• In Meghalaya, the Ministry of Road Transport has agreed to give 100 percent funding, instead of the present 50:50 system of funding for important road projects in the state under the “Roads of Economic Importance and Inter-State Connectivity”. This was agreed following a meeting between Meghalaya Chief Minister Dr. Mukul Sangma with Union Minister for Road Transport, Nitin Gadkari in New Delhi. The Union Minister, who expressed appreciation of the Chief Minister for taking up a number of road projects in the State, asked the State government to expedite land acquisition process in order to implement the projects at the earliest.
• Transport secretaries of India Nepal Bhutan and Bangladesh have finalized the frame work for inter country movement of vehicle.
• This move would help in improving the connectivity to North-East through Bangladesh
• Inaugurated the online bill payment system. This will ensure timely and transparent payments to vendors
• Government scored a tactical victory over cartelization by cement as it put up a list of 36 companies committing to supply 95 lakh tonnes of the construction material during this year at price up to Rs 180 per bag. These companies will supply cement from 103 factories spread over the country and the material can be bought for building roads, affordable housing, irrigation projects, drain and other civil works by Centre, state and local governments.
• The ministry as decided already,  will build concrete cement roads in place of traditional bitumen roads as cement roads are cost-effective and require less maintenance. This will not only reduce  foreign exchange outgo by reducing  dependence on bitumen but it will also help  domestic cement industry grow.

Courtesy: Economic times Courtesy: Economic times

 

Courtesy: BJP website

 

Other suggested aspects:

• Suggested development of energy & time efficient modes of transportation like cable-car, rope-way for Himalayan states.
• Linking places with tourism potential of Himalayan regions by road is a priority of the ministry.
• Pandharpur palkhi marg will be upgraded by the dept. Idea to connect all religious places with quality roads to improve religious tourism.
• Connecting two service centers Pune & Hyderabad by quicker transport will benefit the livelihood of people in this corridor
• Encouraging freight transport by water will reduce our dependence on imported oil and create a major impact on our current account balance.