Development Watch – Week #4 October ’22

Development News

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Welfare schemes to be available on one Database

The government is planning to merge two of its flagship beneficiary identification schemes to complete an asset-based classification of the poor. This would help in targeted delivery of social and economic delivery. After this merger, the Social Registry will become a single-source database register for all welfare programmes. These will be updated on a real-time basis. The Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) will be rolled into the Social Registry being jointly developed by Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and NITI Aayog.

Revamp of Stations along with Monetisation

Indian Railways has proposed to club real estate monetization with development of 16 stations. This includes Anand Vihar in Delhi, and Thane, Tambram, Dadar, Kalyan, and Andheri in Mumbai. These 16 stations would be bid out in the PPP mode during current fiscal year. For a while, Railways had removed associated real estate monetization as part of station redevelopment. However, it is now reverting to the original plan due to concerns about the private sector being unable to recover investment from station usage fee.

Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA) has also issued RFPs for development and leasing of 9 multi-functional complexes in West Bengal, Rajasthan, Haryana and Punjab. These sites would be given on a 45-years lease for development of multi-functional complexes (MFCs). Total plot area would be 10,009 sq metres. The MFCs would include budget hotel, lodging, and boarding facilities, restaurants, shops, parking facilities, ATMs and other amenities. RLDA has leased out 58 MFCs to developers pan India. 16 MFCs have so far been commissioned while rest are in various phases of construction.

New freight corridors at 56% Completion

Progress of 56% of dedicated freight corridors have been commissioned on crucial railway lines. More than 99% of the land required for eastern and western corridors of the project has been acquired by Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India (DFCCIL). Freight corridors would help decongest existing Railways network which faces track availability issues. Once complete, freight corridors will provide seamless movement of goods across ports and manufacturing-consumption hubs of India.

Jewar Airport gets 70% farmers’ consent for land acquisition

Officials of Jewar airport have received consent letters of more than 70% farmers to proceed for land acquisition for 2nd phase of Noida International Airport. 70% is the minimum required bylaw for the government to carry out land acquisition as per RFCTLARR Act of 2013,. The first phase of the greenfield airport, which would be India’s largest upon completion, is under development some 75 kms off Delhi. It has an estimated cost of Rs. 29,560 Crores. In the second phase, 1,365 hectares of land is to be acquired from 6 villages of Ranhera, Kureb, Dayanatpur, Karauli Bangar, Mundrah, and Birampur.

MLAs have been touring the 6 villages after several landowners denied to give up their land in lieu of compensation. The UP Chief Minister also held a meeting with farmers in Lucknow and assured increased compensation of Rs. 3,400/- per sq m. Henceforth, the district administration can send proposal to carry out formalities under section 11 of Land Acquisition Act. Once the govt approval comes, survey for land and compensation will begin. RFCTLARR Act also mandates other features like rate of compensation, resettlement and rehabilitation facilities for government to proceed with land acquisition.

Expansion of International Transfer Area in Delhi Airport

Delhi International Airport Ltd. (DIAL) will soon have an expanded area for international transfer passengers at Terminal 3. This is to accommodate the increasing number of International-to-International transfers. The newly extended area covers 3,000 sq metres and is double the size of previous I-to-I transfer area. It will have 7 F&B and retail counters, 10 check-in counters, 15 frisking booths, and 8 X-ray machines. It would also help in enhancing the airport’s operational efficiency. From 2023, the passenger handling capacity will increase from 100 million passengers per annum (MPPA) from the current 69 million, and airside capacity will go up to 140 MPPA.

New construction work on Imphal International Airport

A new airport terminal building will be constructed with modern facilities at Imphal International airport in Manipur. Work has already been awarded and would be completed in 24 months. The work includes construction of a new integrated terminal building (NITB) with technical block cum air traffic control tower. It will also have an Apron Linked Taxiway, and associated city side works. The cost of project is Rs. 500 Crores and new terminal building will be spread across 22,000 square metres. NITB will cater to 800 passengers during peak hour flight operations, up from current capacity of 250. Annual passenger capacity of the NITB would be 2.5 million passengers per annum. An additional cargo complex is also being built at a cost of Rs. 16 crores.

New river cruises services on Yamuna

Government plans to start cruise services on Yamuna River, according to UP Braj Tirth Vikas Parishad. The cruise service will commence from Jugal Ghat Vrindavan and terminate at “Vasudeo Vatika” adjacent to Gokul barrage. It will have halts at various points. More than half a dozen jetties would be developed for the 22 km journey from Vrindavan to Gokul. Orders have been placed with Cochin Shipyard by the Union govt for two cruises. Similar river transport is also being developed in Ayodhya and Varanasi.

Highway Inter-corridor for Arunachal Pradesh

Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has floated development of inter-corridors between NH-15 Trans Arunachal Highways and frontier highways in the state of Arunachal Pradesh. 6 inter-routes are proposed across 2,178 kms. Through an office memorandum, the Ministry has stated that presently there are two arterial routes/corridors which run longitudinally along foothills bordering Assam and AP. The second one being Trans Arunachal Highways which runs midway in the state of Arunachal Pradesh. Another highway has been proposed by Ministry of Home Affairs along the international border of India/China called Frontier Highways. Length of this highway is about 1,859 km.

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