Development Watch – Week #1 January ’23

Development News

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Data Integration of 12 Ministries with GatiShakti Platform

GatiShakti National Master plan (NMP) is aimed at developing an advanced infrastructure to reduce costs in logistics. It aims to create a technology-based tool for effective and integrated infrastructure development in India. All logistics and infrastructure projects with an investment of more than 500 Crores are directed to the Network Planning Group. This has been constituted under PM Gati Shakti initiative.

Twelve social sector ministries like Health and Panchayati Raj, Higher Education, Women and Child Development, Tribal Affairs, Panchayati Raj, Health & Family Welfare, Sports, Rural Development, Culture and Department of Posts are under advanced stages of data integration on the NMP platform. Ministries are identifying attributes for data layers that would further enhance the platform. Over 1,900 layers of data, including land, ports, forests and highways, are already available on the integrated portal.

Implications of Energy Conservation Bill 2022

Energy Conservation Bill 2022, which was passed in Rajya Sabha recently, addresses several energy efficiency and decarbonization measures across the Indian economy. The include the following:

• a non-fossil fuel mandate for designated consumers
• setting up of a carbon credit trading scheme
• including residential buildings in the new Energy Conservation and Sustainable Building Code
• Adding vehicles and industrial units in the purview of energy consumption standards

These ambitious climate targets have been set as part of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to tackle climate crisis. These further include short and long-term measures like reducing emissions intensity by 45%, installing 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity, and achieving a net-zero economy by 2070.

UP RERA addressed 9,300 consumer complaints in 2022

UP RERA has lodged approximately 6,900 complaints in 2022, and disposed of 9,300 complaints of aggrieved allottees. UP RERA was set up in 2017 to regulate real estate sector, bring more transparency and protect interests of homebuyers to ensure speedy resolutions of disputes between consumers and builders. UP RERA has received 47,000 consumer complaints, which constitutes 38% of total complaints filed in India. 41% of complaints across the country have been disposed of by UP RERA. It has settled matters related to refund and possession of units, during execution proceedings or through conciliation forums established at Lucknow and Greater Noida. Value of property under settlements is about Rs. 2,100/- Crores. As of now, UP RERA has transferred Rs. 410 Crores into accounts of 2,575 allottees after recovery by collectors.

Railway Projects worth Rs. 5,800 Cr launched in West Bengal

The new projects include Howrah-New Jalpaiguri Vande Bharat Express, Joka-Esplanade Purple Line Metro, Boinchi-Shaktigarh route, double line between Nimtita and New Farakka, and new line between Dankuni and Chandanpur. In aadition, the Adi Ganga project worth Rs. 600 Crores will clean rivers of effluents. The new Vande Bharat train covers a distance of 564 km in 7.45 hours. It saves 3 hours of travel against the other trains. It has 16 state-of-the-art coaches and will be preferred by regular passengers, tea industry executives and tourists travelling to Himalayas in North Bengal and Sikkim. Soon, Indian Railways will also run hydrogen powered trains on heritage routes. These include Darjeeling Himalayan Railway and Kalka Shimla Railway. These trains are compliant with the narrow and meter gauge tracks. The new trains be running on clean fuel and will help to preserve the look and feel of the routes. Green-hydrogen powered trains may also start operating from December 2023.

Navi Mumbai Metro Rail Line to commence

In the last week of December, trial was completed on Metro Line No. 1 of the Navi Mumbai Metro. The trial run was held earlier between Central Park and Pendhar. Later, trial run was completed between Central Park to Belapur. Metro Line No. 1 from Pendhar to Belapur has a length of 11 km. It is one of the four elevated metro rail routes being developed by CIDCO in Navi Mumbai

Port projects worth Rs. 22,900 Crores in the pipeline

Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways has a pipeline of 44 projects, totaling a budget of Rs. 22,900 Crores. The projects are phased till 2024-25. The government is working on stressed PPP projects at major ports and is coming up with policies to support shipbuilding industry in India. The national monetization pipeline (NMP) of the MoPSW has given approval to 22 projects worth 12,000 crores. Out of these, 7 projects worth Rs. 5,278 Crores have already been awarded in the PPP mode. Other projects are in various stages of bidding.

Under the Ministry of Ports, 9 High Impact (HIP) projects have been identified. These are part of the Project Monitoring Group (PMG) Portal, and are being monitored at Cabinet Secretariat Level. 3 HIP projects are already complete. National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC) at Lothal is being developed as a unique project to display India’s rich maritime heritage. First phase of the project would likely be ready by end of 2023.

Rs. 42 Crores Grant to HP for industrial projects

Himachal Pradesh has been awarded central funding of Rs. 42 Crores. This is under the PM Gati Shakti scheme regarding Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment. The expenditure is being borne by the Ministry of Finance. The budget has been approved by the screening committee of Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade. IT Park at Rakh in Nagri, Kangra, is a flagship project. The climate and airport connectivity is highly suitable for IT enabled industries in India. New industrial areas are also proposed in Bhud and Baddi.

Priority to Rural and Semi-rural areas in India

In the last 8 years, the government’s welfare schemes have made an attempt to reach the needy. The goal is to maximize reach and and utilize the government’s schemes in rural areas so that no one is left out. Various CSS schemes are also being implemented in different sectors. Financial as well as physical progress of mega projects like PMGSY, Jal Jeevan Mission, Power, MGNREGA, PMAY Rural and Urban, SBM Grameen, Amrit Sarovar, are being monitored closely.

Areas like agriculture, horticulture, animal and sheep husbandry, Ayushman Bharat, PMBJAK and other social security schemes are also being implemented. Of late, demand for jobs under MGNREGA scheme has also lessened. It caters to rural members who volunteer to do 100 days of unskilled manual work. In the last few months, demand for FMCG products have gone up marginally in rural areas. Retail intelligence firm Bizom has analyzed that declining inflation is also spurring strong consumption in rural areas. Demand for branded commodities and home care products have been steady during the winter.

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