India-US Collaboration On Smart Cities: India and the US are to sign an agreement to build three smart cities which will enable US companies to bid for infrastructure projects. Allahabad, Ajmer and Vishakhapatnam are among the locations that have been identified.
Tweet: US cos make smart move to garner smart city action. Consortium formed by CISCO, IBM, 3M, EMC, GE, Honeywell, KPMG, OTIS, Timken & Louis Berger.
Mum-Pune Expressway Expansion Plans: India’s first six-lane, high speed road—the Mumbai Pune Expressway—is all set for expansion. Apart from the addition of two more lanes, a tunnel between Kolhapur and Sinhgad Institute, a valley bridge and a trauma care centre at Ozarde have been proposed at an estimated total cost of ₹5000 crore.
Tweet: Discussions underway for expansion of Mumbai-Pune Expressway from 6 lane to 8 lane due to huge traffic. Why not 10 lane at one shot?
Taking The Road To Innovative Financing: In a bid to raise long term financing for road projects, the ministry of road transport has approached the Employees Provident Funds Organisation (EPFO) to support its upcoming issue of infrastructure bonds by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
Tweet: Safe: Not a bad idea to get Employees Provident Fund to invest in operating road projects that offer safe, predictable tolling cash flows.
Power Play In The Capital: Privatisation of electricity distribution has affected a lot of entrenched interests that had in the past led to huge losses when it was run by the erstwhile state PSU (Delhi Electricity Supply Undertaking). Aggressive efforts, reduced malpractices have contributed to making it a burning political issue.
Tweet: Delhi shows huge reduction in T&D losses ever since privatization of electricity distribution. Maybe that’s why it is such a big election issue.
Yet Another Expert Joins Suresh Prabhu’s Team: Former CAG Vinod Rai will advise the Railways on ways to improve transparency and improve efficiency.
Tweet: Suresh Prabhu surrounding himself with eminent experts. Appreciate former CAG Shri Vinod Rai joining Railways as ‘Honorary Adviser’.
Affordable Housing Gets A Boost: Fiscal incentives for affordable housing and slum re-housing projects are among the government’s latest initiatives. This will enable players to source viability gap funding from financial institutions and avail tax benefits that can be passed on to the end-user.
Tweet: Roof for India: Happy to see Govt serious about allocations, fiscal incentives & infra status for affordable housing & slum re-housing.
Raking Up A Tangled Issue: Lack of coordination has led to a difficult situation for power plants. It is precisely to address such issues that the new government has combined the power and coal portfolios under one minister.
Tweet: Pass the Buck: Pvt power firms suffering hugely on coal supplies due to insufficient rakes. Rlys say not consulted when FSAs were signed.
Sabarmati Riverfront Shows The Way: The transformation of the Sabarmati river from an effluents-ridden water body to a thriving waterfront with commercial opportunities has inspired other cities including Vadodara, Surat, Pune, Varanasi and Chennai to take on similar urban beautification projects.
Tweet: Emulation works: Sabarmati river-front development in Ahmedabad spurs other riverine towns & cities in India to start beautification work.
Andhra Government’s Grandiose Port Plans: Andhra Pradesh government is gearing up to add 14 more ports in the state. The Vishakhapatnam Port Trust (VPT) chairman recently announced that VPT would become the transhipment hub of the future.
Tweet: Chandrababu Naidu urged by experts to support existing ports in AP rather than grandstand about building 14 new ports across 900 km coastline.
Bengal Government Makes Room For Policy Change: In a move aimed at boosting the housing sector, the state government is preparing to auction PSU land. Bolpur and Kalyani have been identified for the development of new townships.
Tweet: Bengal grapples with econ devpt. To sell state PSU’s unutilized lands to pvt sector. State PSU township developer HIDCO to take backseat.
—Vinayak Chatterjee is Chairman of Feedback Infra
His Twitter handle: @Infra_VinayakCh
A weekly selection of the author’s tweets— with a brief backgrounder—in the infra space, by Adite Banerjie
