The recent derailing incidents put the focus on ensuring track safety.some that arenft past even 25% of their lifespan are showing fractures. (PTI)
Real Estate sector battling challenging environment in 2017. Slowdown + Demonetisation + RERA and now imminent GST (on land & immov prop)
• Realty: GST will hurt, but cause good in the long run Bringing the sector under GST will cause further pain but long-to mid-term gains are high. It will cut down deployment of black money in the construction sector. Getting states to agree will be a difficult job, though.
Among d 40 suggestions given by bureaucrats to PM, pleased to specially note 2 of them ~ Scrap L1 system of procurement & set up Land Bank
• Curing L1-itis
The proposals include spending 1% of department budget on innovation. The glowest project costh focus of L1 tender system has often come at the cost of poor quality of materials and project execution. There has been a long-standing demand to create a Land Bank Corporation.
Following requests frm NGT, Govt getting ready to issue new set of guidelines on Groundwater usage. NOCs & extraction fees by industry
• Regulating groundwater usage
A fee based on use, area and quantum of groundwater extracted is to be charged. It will vary from Rs 1 to Rs 6 per 1,000 litres. Of the 6,607 units (blocks, mandals, taluks and districts) in the country assessed for groundwater usage, 1,071 are overexploited and 217 are critical.
Rly Safety: Not just tracks. Immed technical review required (to start with) of all ROBs, FOBs, regular bridges, culverts > 50 yrs age
• Railway must address safety
The recent derailing incidents put the focus on ensuring track safety.some that arenft past even 25% of their lifespan are showing fractures. But after the Elphinstone Road tragedy in Mumbai, the focus must be widened to ensuring safety standards for all Railways infrastructure.
Another real & heartening step towards Ganga cleaning. 4 sewage treatmnt plants in Patna at `738 cr project cost. FoundStone event 2day
• Cleaning up the Ganga
Union water resources minister Nitin Gadkari has clarified that Ganga clean-up may get complete only by March 2019. The four STPs in Patna are part of 29 projects sanctioned for Bihar at a cost of Rs 4,918 crore under Namami Gange.
As a PSU, NBCC has created a strong brand equity for itself. Potential acquisn of EPI, Hind Prefab & HospitalSCC will further enhance it
• Creating a construction giant
This will create a public-sector construction giant. NBCC, a Rs 22,000 crore market-cap navratna is one of the handful of CPSEs that is doing well. Its shares have already climbed with the news of the potential acquisition.
L&T vs Punjab Govt: SuprCourt clarifies calorific value of coal at generating site. Washing & tpt costs included for tariff determination
• Landmark coal ruling
The SC has directed Punjab to pay Rs 1,125 crore to L&T for the 1,400 MW plant at Nabha. The state electricity board had argued the tariff L&T had quoted to bag the project was allinclusive and so the costs of washing and transportation could not be passed on.
NPA resolution compass turns 180 degrees. Banks now say happier to make additional provisions than c drastic value erosion under Bankruptcy
A weekly collection of the authorfs tweets – with a brief backgrounder – by Sarthak Ray
