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700 wayside amenities along national highways to be completed by FY29: Nitin Gadkari

New Delhi, April 2 (IANS) The government on Wednesday said that the development of more than 700 wayside amenities (WSAs) along national highways is likely to be completed by the financial year 2028-2029.

The wayside amenities have provision of facilities like fuel station, electric vehicle charging station, toilets, drinking water, parking, dhaba/restaurant/eateries, etc.

Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, said in the Rajya Sabha that 501 WSAs along national highways/expressways have been awarded to date.

Out of these, 94 WSAs have been made operational, the minister informed.

The government, through National Highways Logistics Management Limited (NHLML) envisions development of WHAs at approximate intervals of 40-60 kms.

“A digital feedback system to enable users to provide digital inputs is installed at WSAs for the purpose of quality monitoring,” said the ministry.

WSAs are operated by operators selected through a private bidding.

However, to create employment opportunities and promote local artisans, areas have been assigned for Kiosks as part of mandatory facilities in dedicated covered zones, according to the ministry.

In order to promote the local produce, village ‘haats’ have been provisioned as permissible facilities through Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC).

Meanwhile, to maintain the vast National Highway (NH) network, the government has approved short-term maintenance contract (STMC) works in 17,884 km length, costing Rs 2,842 crore, and performance-based maintenance contract (PBMC) works in 6,118 km length, costing Rs 6,757 crore, in the current fiscal (FY25), the government informed late last month.

At present, 1,310 NH projects in 31,187 km length costing Rs 8.11 lakh crore are under construction in the country. While STMC works are generally undertaken for a contract period of 1-2 years, PBMC works are undertaken for a contract period of about 5-7 years.

Additionally, the government has taken up the installation of the Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS) on four-lane and above national highways.

–IANS

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Union Cabinet nod for 3rd launch pad at Sriharikota at a cost of Rs 3,984 crore

New Delhi, Jan 16 (IANS) Ahead of upcoming space missions, the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Thursday approved the establishment of the Third Launch Pad (TLP) at Satish Dhawan Space Centre of ISRO at Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.

The launch pad is expected to be developed at a cost of Rs 3,984.86 crore in the coming four years.

While India currently has two launch pads, it cannot support the new generation of heavier launch vehicles — critical for upcoming space missions including the Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS) by 2035 and an Indian Crewed Lunar Landing by 2040.

“The Third Launch Pad project envisages the establishment of the launch infrastructure at Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh for the Next Generation Launch Vehicles (NGLV) of ISRO and also to support as a standby launch pad for the Second Launch Pad at Sriharikota,” a Cabinet communique said.

It “is highly essential so as to meet the evolving space transportation requirements for another 25-30 years”, it added.

The project will have a universal configuration that can support the NGLV and the Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LMV3) with a semi-cryogenic stage, as well as scaled-up configurations of the NGLV.

Led by the ISRO, the project will be established “with maximum industry participation”, the communique said.

It also aims to boost the launch capacity for future Indian human spaceflight missions.

The project will boost the Indian space ecosystem by “enabling higher launch frequencies and the national capacity to undertake human spaceflight and space exploration missions”, the communique said.

Currently, India has two launch pads at Sriharikota.

The Indian Space Transportation Systems are completely reliant on two launch pads.

The First Launch Pad (FLP) was built 30 years ago for the PSLVs and it continues to provide launch support for the PSLVs and the SSLV.

The Second Launch Pad (SLP) was established primarily for the GSLVs and the LVM3s. It also functions as a standby for the PSLVs.

SLP has been operational for almost 20 years and has enhanced the launch capacity towards enabling some commercial missions of PSLV/LVM3 along with the national missions including the Chandrayaan-3 mission.

SLP is also getting ready to launch the human-rated LVM3 for the Gaganyaan missions.

–IANS

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Chandrababu Naidu slams Oppn for fielding candidate in V-P election

New Delhi, Aug 22 (IANS) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) President N. Chandrababu Naidu, on Friday, criticised the opposition parties for fielding a candidate for Vice-Presidential election, knowing well that his defeat is certain.

He said it was not unfair on part of the Opposition to expect TDP support despite the fact that TDP is a partner in the NDA governments, both at the Centre and in Andhra Pradesh.

Chief Minister Naidu was talking to media persons after calling on NDA candidate for the Vice-Presidential election, C. P. Radhakrishnan, here.

Accompanied by Union Ministers belonging to the TDP and some party MPs, Chief Minister Naidu met C.P. Radhakrishnan and extended support to him.

“Why announce a Telugu leader as Vice-Presidential candidate knowing defeat was certain,” he asked while questioning the decision of INDIA bloc to field former Supreme Court judge B. Sudershan Reddy as their candidate.

“Politics not important. TDP was part of the NDA even before the elections. Once NDA fielded its candidate, why did they field a candidate when the defeat is certain,” he asked.

“How can they expect? We are in an alliance with NDA. How can it be expected that we will support another candidate?” the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister remarked when his reaction was sought to an appeal made by Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy to TDP and all other parties from Telugu states to back the candidature of Sudershan Reddy.

Stating that TDP is for Telugu community, the TDP Chief recalled that when former Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao contested Lok Sabha elections, TDP made the sacrifice for the Telugu leader though it was fighting the Congress.

“Telugu Desam Party is for Telugu community. That is a different issue. We are in alliance. Our party is having ethics, credibility. We have built this credibility over a period of five decades. How can you expect all these things,” he asked.

“If anybody compares candidature-wise, he (Radhakrishnan) is the best candidate everybody has to support. If the majority is there, it is a very dignified post,” he said and exuded confidence that the NDA candidate will win with comfortable majority.

–IANS

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