Work kick-starts on Lucknow Metro
Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav Saturday offered prayers for the Lucknow Metro projects, giving the go-ahead to kick-start the work. In the first phase, construction will begin on 8-km stretch between Transport Nagar and Charbagh, which houses the railway station, officials said. They said the work for the first phase is likely to be completed by December 2016 and it would cost the exchequer Rs.2,000 crore. The Uttar Pradesh and the central governments will participate on the basis of 50:50 model for financing the project. The state government has also decided to seek external loan of Rs.3,502 crore for the project, an official told IANS. In the first phase, north-south corridor in all eight stations – Transport Nagar, Krishna Nagar, Singar Nagar, Alambagh, Alambagh bus station, Mavaiyya, Durgapuri and Charbagh – will be elevated. The completion of the entire 23-km stretch will include the second phase construction from Charbagh to Munshipuliya in Indiranagar and will cost Rs.6,880 crore. Larsen and Toubro has been selected for the civil work while French company Systra has been selected by the state government for designing the metro stations and viaducts. (IANS)
Amrita Mutt donates Rs 25 cr for J&K relief
Kollam (Ker): Mata Amritanandamayi Mutt in Kerala today donated Rs 25 crore as relief assistance for flood-ravaged Jammu and Kashmir. The donation was announced at the inaugural of the 61st birthday celebrations of the Mutt head Mata Amritanandamayi in the presence of Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh. Singh was the chief guest at the celebrations held at the Amritapuri Ashram at Vallikkavu near here. Kerala ministers V S Sivakumar and C N Balakrishnan, leaders of various political parties and community outfits and eminent film personality Shekhar Kapur were among the guests present at the function. (PTI)
Buddhist conclave begins
Bodh Gaya: The fourth International Buddhist Conclave was inaugurated Saturday in Bodh Gaya by union Tourism Minister Shripad Naik and Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi. Over a year after series of blasts occurred in Bodh Gaya, this will the first step to boost tourism and send a strong message that normalcy has returned. The Buddhist pilgrims and foreign tourists should not be afraid of anything, Manjhi said in his inaugural address. The central government would help to develop Buddhist circuits including Bodh Gaya to attract more tourists and pilgrims, Naik said. A souvenir was also released on the occasion by Manjhi and Naik. Gaya District Magistrate Sanjay Kumar Agrawal said at least 131 foreign delegates representing 33 countries including the USA, France, Britain and Japan are participating in the conclave jointly organised by the union tourism ministry and the state tourism department. Most of the foreign delegates Friday arrived in Bodh Gaya. They visited the Mahabodhi temple, considered as the holiest Buddhist shrine, where a special prayer was also offered for peace and prosperity. They also visited the 80-feet-tall Buddha statue, one of the four places targeted by the terrorists July 7, 2013 during the blasts. The International Buddhist Conclaves have earlier been organised in New Delhi and Bodh Gaya (February 2004); Nalanda and Bodh Gaya (February 2010) and Varanasi and Bodh Gaya (September 2012). (IANS)
UP to bring down line losses to tackle power crisis
Lucknow: Faced with an acute power crisis, the Uttar Pradesh government has decided to take steps to significantly bring down the line losses, an official said on Saturday. At a meeting of senior power officials with Chief Secretary Alok Ranjan Friday, it was decided that the UP Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) would take the measures. An intensive campaign will be undertaken soon in 155 towns with a population of 30,000 to 400,000, and in 12 big cities of the state with a population of over 400,000, the official told IANS. Principal Secretary Sanjay Agarwal said under this programme, transformer-wise combing will be conducted to remove the flaws at all levels. Consumers, who are not yet in the billing net, will be included in billing and recovery process. Officials said Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav instructed the power department at a review meeting earlier this week to normalise the power situation in the state. Following the instructions, senior officials ordered combing operation to bring down the line losses. UPPCL Managing Director A.P. Mishra said that in two months of feederwise checking drive from July 1 to August 31 this year, around 24 lakhs new power connections were released and the power load was increased in 207,421 connections and action was taken in 15,763 power theft cases. He also said approximately Rs.531 crores was recovered in load increase and power theft cases. (IANS)