Patna Projects Thread

[Bhartiya]

AHMEDABAD: Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar may have whipped up a political storm with his scathing attacks on Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, but, when it comes to giving Patna a makeover, the Bihar CM does not mind a Gujarat influence.

Based on Gujarat's town planning schemes, Ahmedabad's Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology (Cept) University has prepared a master plan for Patna's town planning scheme. The draft, which has been approved in principle, will guide planned urban development in Bihar.

In January 2011, the Bihar government had approached Cept to prepare a city development plan for Patna, which had been facing civic issues, especially water-logging, waste management and unplanned constructions.

Cept is now ready with the new town planning scheme for Patna, which will be announced in August by Nitish Kumar. During discussions with Cept and Patna-based consultants, representatives of the Bihar government had requested that Bihar's urban plan should be similar to that of Gujarat.

"Cept has submitted its recommendations along with the master plan to the Patna city authorities, which has been approved. The plan is based on Gujarat's town planning model," said Utpal Sharma, dean, Faculty of Planning & Public Policy at Cept University.

As part of the task, Cept prepared a master plan, which covers areas like town planning, urban flood and solid waste management, housing plans for poor, public transport, industrial area infrastructure development and even tourism.

Cept has also proposed conservation measures for heritage structures in Patna, which is an important pilgrimage centre for Buddhists from all over the world.

"Patna is different from other cities and has its own charm, history and stories. But the city is quite congested and had not been planned for the last 20 years. We had to keep all these aspects in mind while planning the city's development," Sharma added.

Source (TOI)

[azzi282]

More on that:

Nitish Kumar takes Gujarat's help for Patna makeover

AHMEDABAD: Nitish Kumar may have whipped up a storm with his scathing attacks on Narendra Modi, but when it comes to giving Patna a makeover, the Bihar CM doesn't mind a Gujarat influence.

Based on Gujarat's town planning schemes, Ahmedabad's Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology (Cept) University has prepared a master plan for Patna's town-planning scheme. The draft, approved in principle, will guide planned urban development in Bihar.

In January 2011, Bihar had approached Cept to prepare a city development plan for Patna, which had been facing civic issues, especially water-logging, waste management and unplanned constructions. Cept is now ready with the new scheme which will be announced in August by Nitish.

During discussions with Cept and Patna-based consultants , representatives of the Bihar government had requested that Bihar's urban plan should be similar to that of Gujarat.

"Cept has submitted its recommendations along with the master plan to the Patna city authorities, which has been approved. The plan is based on Gujarat's town planning model," said Utpal Sharma, dean, Faculty of Planning & Public Policy at Cept University.

As part of the task, Cept prepared a master plan, which covers areas like town-planning, urban flood and solid waste management, housing plans for poor, public transport, industrial area infrastructure development and even tourism. Cept has also proposed conservation measures for heritage sites in Patna, an important pilgrimage centre for Buddhists from all over the world.

LINK

[donadarsh]

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today said that the Airport Authority of India (AAI) has given consent to set up an airport at Nalanda, for connectivity to the proposed Nalanda University.

The decision was taken at the Nalanda University monitoring committee meeting held in New Delhi and presided over by the Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia to discuss the communication reference points like airport, road and railway connectivity for the proposed university, he said.

The AAI has given consent to the proposal to set up an airport at Nalanda, Kumar said.

The Chief Minister said that he was also invited for the meeting to discuss transportation infrastructure for the proposed institution and gave valuable inputs.

TOI
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/...w/14610250.cms

[donadarsh]

Linke Holfman Bush (LHB) coaches will replace the Patna-New Delhi Sampoorna Kranti Express's old rake from July 8. The train with the new LHB coaches will run from Rajendra Nagar Terminal to New Delhi on July 8, said divisional railway manager (DRM), Danapur, L M Jha.
According to Jha, the load combination of Sampoorna Kranti Express with LHB will be of 22 bogies which will include First AC (1), Second AC (1), 3AC (3), III-Tier (10), general bogies (4), one pantry car and two generator car-cum-luggage vans. Railways had already made a trial run of this rake between Patna Junction and Mughalsarai at 110km/hr speed under the supervision of the commissioner of railway safety (CRS), R P Yadav, he said.
According to sources, railways intends to run the train with LHB coaches at 130km/ph between Mughalsarai and New Delhi. The CRS of Northern Railway has also given permission to run Sampoorna Kranti Express with new combination of LHB coaches, sources said, adding that railways has already taken a policy decision to replace all old coaches of long-distance mail and express trains with LHB coaches.
The DRM said the pantry car of this particular rake is also AC. Railways is making all possible efforts to run this LHB rake with the support of two battery-generator cars, he said.
Impressed with the quality, design and safety of LHB coaches, railways has taken all possible steps for its proper maintenance at Rajendra Nagar complex. The new rakes would provide more comforts to the passengers travelling by Sampoorna Kranti Express. Besides, railways would ensure proper cleanliness and hygienic condition on the running train, the DRM said.
The greatest advantage of LHB coaches is that the sound level of these coaches is hardly 60 decibels compared to about 100 decibels in conventional coaches. The disc-braking system of LHB coaches is superior to that of conventionally used thread-braking system. Besides, the FIAT technology used in the LHB coaches is both heat and cold resistant. The new technology consumes less energy while creating heat and cool effect in these new coaches, the DRM said.
LHB coaches are more comfortable due to its improved suspension system. The controlled discharge toilet system (CDTS) is an added feature. The windows are wider and each coach has a pantry provision as well, Jha said, adding that railways has partially modified the design of these coaches keeping in view the interest of passengers. These coaches have the capacity to accommodate about 72 passengers in each AC-3 coach as against 64 passengers in an AC-3 conventional coach, he said.
TOI:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/c...w/14683652.cms

[azzi282]

Patna airport unsafe for big jets, DGCA tells AAI

NEW DELHI: In the first action of its kind in India, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has termed Patna airport as 'unsafe'. Operation of big aircraft like Boeing 737 and Airbus A-320 on the runway of an airport that is surrounded by tall trees is "being undertaken in violation of requirements of civil aviation requirement on aerodrome design and operations".

The regulator has asked the Airports Authority of India which runs the airport, to reduce the available runway length at Patna and mark it accordingly by Wednesday (June 11) "on a most urgent basis". Patna in any case, has a small 1,954-metre-long runway without the required runway end safety area. On one approach side of the runway is a zoo and botanical garden and on the other is a rail line and tall treeson railway land.

As a result, big aircraft like B-737 and A-320 have to first fly high enough to dodge the trees and then suddenly descend to touch down at the required point to be able to stop in time before hitting the boundary wall on either sides.

"The matter of removal of obstacles (trees) of Patna airport had been taken up with the (state) government last January itself. Several meetings have also taken place on the subject... it appears that removal of obstacles within a given period is unlikely and we have to move in the direction of altering the declared distance in the interest of aircraft safety," the DGCA's communique to AAI says.

In simple language, AAI has been asked to reduce the current available 1,954-metre length of runway available for aircraft taking off to 979 meters on one side and 1,179 meters on the other. Similarly, the 1,820 meters available from side on the runway has to be reduced to 1,289 meters and from 1,677 meters on the other to 1,141 meters.

This would mean that the available length of runway would be enough only for smaller turboprops and not the jets that currently operate there. AAI has been accordingly asked to redo the runway markings and lightings and alter the precision approach path indicator (a light path visible in cockpits that brings aircraft down to the runway at the required final approach path).

A senior AAI official said: "Our team is in Patna and had meeting with forest department officials on Tuesday. They have agreed to prune some trees. We have started doing what the DGCA has asked us to do as no one wants another mishap. We are now staring at the possibility of Patna being out of bound for big planes and being used only by ATRs'"

LINK

[azzi282]

An airport too far upsets Bihar opposition

The search for a location for a new airport in Bihar is finally over. But the people of Patna will have to travel about 100 km from the city to catch a flight.

The Airport Authority of India (AAI) has given its nod to set up the new airport in Nalanda - the home district of CM Nitish Kumar - instead of Patna.

The existing Jayaprakash Narayan International Airport in the state capital has been declared 'dangerous' - thus the proposal to shift it.

But the AAI zeroing in on Nalanda has raised the hackles of the state opposition parties.

Calling the move 'impractical' because of the distance between the proposed location and Patna, they alleged that Nalanda had been selected to favour the CM and his home district. Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee president Mehboob Ali Kaiser said: 'It takes two to three hours to reach Nalanda from Patna if there is no traffic,' he said. 'It will not take less than two hours even if an expressway is made to connect the capital with Nalanda.'

The party is now seeking the intervention of the Congress high command to stall the move. Senior party leader Prem Chandra Mishra said: 'The decision is impractical. It has been taken to benefit the CM's home district.' He added that shifting the airport would cause problems for women and children who often travel alone.

'What about their security? How will they reach if they have to catch a late-night flight?' he asked. The opposition leader in the state assembly, Abdul Bari Siddiqui, said the new airport should have been located near Patna. 'It should be set up at Maner or any other place nearby,' he said. Nitish has denied he had a hand in the proposal to shift the airport.

He said an airport had been mooted in Nalanda in the light of the terms of reference of the upcoming Nalanda International University, which needed air connectivity. He said he came to know of the proposal during a recent meeting of the university's monitoring committee.

'We will start acquiring land once AAI finalises the exact location,' the CM said.

According to Nitish, the AAI had shelved its plan to expand the existing Patna airport.

He also said the new university was first proposed to be set up at Bihta near Patna. 'A team of AAI officials visited Bihta last year but they were told that land acquisition was not possible there as large tracts of land of local farmers had already been acquired for various projects,' Nitish said. He insisted Nalanda would be reachable from Patna by road in 50 minutes in the future. 'Many four-lane highways are coming up on the route,' he said, adding: 'Most airports in the country are located far away from cities.'

Meanwhile, a two-member AAI team inspected the Patna airport and expressed reservations over grant of licence for air operations from there. The airport has been declared unfit for the landing of big aircraft because of its short runway caused by the obstructions around it.

LINK

[donadarsh]

Motihari or Gaya — the three-year battle between the Centre and the Bihar government on where the state’s first central university should be located has finally been resolved.

Human resource development (HRD) minister Kapil Sibal announced that the state would get two central universities, one in Motihari and another in Gaya, a solution that academic circles hailed as the “beginning of a new era in higher education” in Bihar.

“We have decided to grant two central universities for Bihar. They will be known as Central University of Motihari and Central University of Gaya. Land is already available in Gaya while in Motihari, the university will come up on over 300 acres of land on the side of the national highway. The land acquisition is going on in Motihari,” Sibal said.

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, who had been rooting for Motihari as the location for the central university, welcomed the decision. He said he spoke to Sibal over the phone 10 days ago on the issue. “During my meeting with Sibal in New Delhi two months ago, I asked him to grant central university status to Patna University too as it is one of our oldest demands,” Nitish said in Patna.

Nitish agreed to provide all help and assistance for setting up the two universities at Gaya and Motihari, for which the HRD ministry will bring an amendment to the Central Universities Act, 2009, in Parliament.

“Two central universities in Bihar will herald a new era in higher education. Both universities, one in the northern part and one in the southern region, will provide anchor and be a benchmark for quality higher education,” Central University of Bihar (CUB) vice-chancellor Janak Pandey said.

The present CUB, which is running from a temporary campus in Patna, will be shifted to the proposed university campus in Gaya. The central university of Motihari will get its vice-chancellor and other staff as soon as the land is acquired by the state government.

In political circles, the grant of the two universities to Bihar is being linked with the JD(U) breaking ranks with the BJP and supporting the UPA’s presidential candidate, Pranab Mukherjee. The JD(U) has also given ample indication that it would also support UPA’s candidate for Vice-President.

Bihar was supposed to get just one central university. However, the issue of a campus for CUB has been mired in controversy since 2009 after its creation, along with 15 other such institutions, under the Central Universities Act.

While the Bihar government has been pushing for Motihari as the location for the CUB campus, the HRD ministry was not keen on that site. The ministry, especially Sibal, was of the view that locating the university in an inaccessible area like Motihari would not be beneficial as the institution may not attract good faculty. The ministry had identified 300 acres of defence land on the outskirts of Gaya, which has both air and rail connectivity.

Both Sibal and Nitish have exchanged strong letters disapproving each other’s stand in the recent past.

However, the solution route was opened after Nitish met Sibal at his residence two months ago and decided on a twin-campus formula.

A team of officials from the HRD ministry has visited the proposed site in Motihari, along NH-28, and approved it. The team was convinced in view of improvement in the road network between Patna and Motihari.

“We were opposed to Motihari because of access. The road connectivity has improved and it takes just two-and-a-half hours to reach Motihari from Patna. The issue of access does not exist any more,” Sibal said.

However, two universities may not mean any additional financial grants from the Centre this year. The initial financial commitment of Rs 240 crore, which was meant for CUB, would be divided for the two institutions, sources said.
Telegraph:
http://www.telegraphindia.com/112071...p#.UAD32nnHlhA

[donadarsh]

Jai Prakash Narayan International Airport is trying to spread wings within its limited space to make it flying-fit.

The airport, which lost its operating licence on June 30, is extending the existing terminal building of the airport by redeveloping the VVIP lounge.

According to sources, the daily footfall at the terminal building is 2,700 against its actual capacity of 700 people. The ongoing expansion is being done to absorb a fraction of the overburdened terminal.

Manohar Lal Lehkra, the regional executive director of eastern region of Airports Authority of India (AAI), told The Telegraph on Friday: “Considering the continuous rise in flow of passengers at Patna airport and shortage of space, we resorted to make a small expansion of the existing terminal by redeveloping the VVIP lounge. The ongoing work is expected to be completed by October end.”

However, sources said the work is mere peanuts when compared to the master plan for the overall expansion of the airport, which is aimed at developing the infrastructure and facilities on a par with most of the international airports across the country.

At present, night parking facility for aircraft is not available at the airport. However, the master plan envisages to extend the aerodrome over 52 acres, along its southern flank between the boundary of the airport and the Howrah-Delhi railway track, to create parking bays for aircraft.

“The land belongs to state animal and fish resources department. It has been a decade since we have been pursuing with the state government to hand over the land,” said a senior Patna Airport Authority officer.

On being asked about the issue, animal and fish resources minister Giriraj Singh said any decision related to Patna airport would be chief minister Nitish Kumar’s discretion. “Any decision on Patna airport is taken by the chief minister. His decision is above all and we are bound to follow it,” said Singh.

The master plan envisages development of a second terminal building over the land occupied by existing IAS Bhavan or the Bihar Flying Institute on the northern side of the existing terminal. Sources said the AAI chairman, V.P. Agrawal, had written to the state government in this regard in 2010 but nothing happened after that.

Sources added that it is because of this “lackadaisical” attitude of the state government regarding the airport expansion, the AAI is now taking measures on its own to sustain the existing passenger flow.

Lehkra added: “Since we did not receive any response from the state government against our proposals for handing over the land, we are now making several arrangements to sustain the passenger flow, including the ongoing expansion over the VVIP lounge. We have also asked the senior officers at Patna airport to co-ordinate with airlines to prevent operation of too many aircraft at once.”

The regional executive director said: “There should be sufficient gap in the arrival and departure of flights so that passengers of not more than three to four flights are at the terminal building at a time. The airlines would also be asked to clear the luggage of the arriving passengers in minimal time after the arrival of flights to avoid overcrowding of passengers. The airlines would be asked to inform the passengers hours in advance in case a flight is delayed. If passengers arrive at the airport, they should be taken out of the security hall. These measures are aimed at preventing overcrowding of passengers as the terminal building has limited space.”

On the other hand, the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has held up the renewal of the operating licence of the airport till date.

Lehkra said if the DGCA does not reply to the application sent by the AAI for renewal of licence of an airport within two months then it is deemed to have been granted licence. “However, the DGCA in its communiqué to AAI on July 5 had set a deadline of seven days to remove the obstacles at Patna airport or reduce the length of the runway to the effective length for the licence renewal. Though, I have learnt that the state government is taking “immediate” steps in this regard, technically speaking, the airport is still running without the licence. However, AAI has communicated to the DGCA that steps are being taken from both sides and we expect that soon most obstacles would be removed,” said Lehkra.

Lehkra added that after his July 10 meeting with officials of the environment and forest department, he asked the officers at Patna airport to reduce the number of trees at Patna zoo marked for pruning from 2,917 to around 1,500 to 2,000.

Telegraph:
http://www.telegraphindia.com/112071...p#.UAD3sHnHlhA

[azzi282]

Metros to get second airports due to growing air traffic

Extract from the article:

Observing that most of the 35 key non-metro airports need new capacity now or very shortly, it said cities like Pune, Patna, Jaipur, Nagpur and Lucknow had “urgent requirements”.

“In most cases the state governments do not recognise the implications of failing to address this issue. New terminals will assist in some cases where land is available, but in many cities there is a need to look at building new airports with a long-term perspective,” CAPA said.

LINK

I only posted an extract, as that is the only mention of patna. An interesting article nevertheless.

[azzi282]

Gandhi Maidan facelift by Aug 15

PATNA: The beautification work of Gandhi Maidan here will be completed before the Independence Day this year. Patna district administration is all set to install a 40-feet-high statue of Mahatma Gandhi at the historic ground, as promised by CM Nitish Kumar.

Patna divisional commissioner K P Ramaiah on Thursday ordered that the Maidan would remain closed for visitors from July 15 to August 14, except for morning walkers. All the gates would remain closed and guards would be deployed by the Patna police to enforce ban on the entry of people, if required.

The building construction department (BCD) has been entrusted with the task to replace the existing Gandhi statue at the ground with a bigger one. Ramaiah said, "A meeting with the chief secretary is scheduled for July 19 and the model of the new Gandhi statue would be finalized. If the new statue is not installed before August 15, the existing statue could be shifted to the centre of the maidan." He added the existing Gandhi statue is not centrally located.

When contacted, BCD chief engineer, South Bihar, Gopal Krishna, said, "The 40-feet-tall bronze statue is being prepared by famous sculptor, Padmashri Ram V Sutar at Noida." He added the department has been allotted Rs 8.40 crore for the new statue.

After Bihar Diwas celebrations earlier in the year, Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) had requested the district administration not to hold any programme at the ground, so that its levelling could be done without hindrance. Patna DM Sanjay Kumar Singh said the officials concerned had finished levelling and grading of the ground by June 20. The next step would be the construction of a pathway, laying of grass bed and planting of small flower trees. "We plan to finish the rest of the work before Independence Day," he said.

Ramaiah said, "Rehearsals for the Independence Day would take place from August 1 to August 13 at the Gandhi Maidan. Other departments concerned have been asked to improve the drainage system and beautification work will be completed in time."

LINK

Why replace the statue? If i were in charge, i would have just gone for a "touch up" on the existing staue (buff it up and stuff), but why waste so much money on replacing a statue, when they could have spent the 8 crores on something like beautifying the main commercial roads of the city, or putting some electrical wires underground etc....

Unless the old statue was in a dispicable state i dont know if it is or not), then the old statue should never have been replaced. I think it goes without saying that the older a monument, the more famous it will be???

[azzi282]

Three floating fountains at Patna zoo inaugurated

PATNA: Deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi inaugurated three high-rise floating fountains at the Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park, popularly known as Patna zoo, on Saturday.

The fountains, which would pump water up to 90ft, have colourful lighting system. The fountains cost around Rs30 lakh. The zoo authorities are sure they would help increase the footfalls.

Announcing several new plans to be launched by the zoo authorities, Modi said, "There are plans afoot to install several small fountains at various other locations inside the park." He also said the Central Zoo Authority has approved the master plan of the park.

"The three fountains installed near the old lake was a much-awaited project and I am glad to see them working," he said while announcing that the zoo is all set to launch the 'adopt an animal' scheme on July 20. A new pair of chimpanzees will also reach Patna by July 17.

Modi also focused on the renovation of the snake house so that more snakes could be housed in the zoo. The electronic gates and the electronic ticketing system would be started soon. "Entry tickets should be beautiful to grab the attention of the visitors," Modi said.

A new canteen having four food counters and an air-conditioned food court would also come up at the zoo soon. The authorities have planned to open a 3D theatre this year and organize several wildlife conservation programmes for students during vacations.

The detailed project report (DPR) of the proposed 3D theatre is being prepared. "We will float tenders after the DPR is approved. We have planned to screen daily three shows of films and documentaries based on wildlife and botanical research works," Modi said.

According to the zoo officials, many institutions like the State Bank of India, Bank of Baroda, Life Insurance Corporation of India and Bihar State Bridge Construction Corporation have shown interest in the animal adoption scheme. Few bureaucrats have also evinced interest in adopting some animals.

"We have added several new fishes, including colourful cichlids, after refurbishing the aquarium. We are also trying to get several big fishes and coloured turtles for the aquarium," said Abhay Kumar, director, Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park. The aquarium is a major attraction for visitors coming to the Patna zoo.

LINK

[donadarsh]

The coach maintenance workshop at Harnaut in Nalanda district, the home district of chief minister Nitish Kumar, has started intermediate overhauling work. Though this project has been delayed due to some technical problems, railways is committed to make it functional in a full-fledged manner from September this year to carry out periodical overhauling (POH) of passenger coaches. This will be the second major project of railways to be made functional after the wheel factory at Belapur, Chhapra in Bihar.
According to the chief administrative officer (CAO) of the workshop, Rajiv Misra, railways has completed the entire civil work related to the project. East Central Railway (ECR) has been handed over the charge of sheet metal shop, bogie repair shop, wheel axle shop, bogie repair shop and administrative block (IT section) of the workshop, he said. Work on building staff quarters is going on in full swing.
Misra said rare machineries have been installed at the workshop under the supervision of technical experts. "Railways is keen to make it functional in September this year to fulfil the needs of ECR," he said, adding the workshop has the latest technology for coach maintenance work .
According to the CAO, the railways has also completed road cum drainage system in the workshop. Carriage repair shop has been set up with rare equipment with an aim to cater to the needs of coaches, including LHB German coaches. The ECR, which has been sending coaches outside the state for periodical overhauling, will not have to do so after the workshop's commissioning, he said.
ECR GM Varun Bharthuar has been personally supervising completion of the workshop. He is keen to make it functional soon so that the coaches of ECR are brought here for periodical maintenance on a regular basis, an ECR official said.
According to sources, the coach maintenance workshop has been developed in about 113 acres, while staff quarters cover 37 acres. Altogether 18 sheds have been built on the sprawling workshop for its smooth functioning.
The special feature of the workshop is that it has been provided with double-stacked coach maintenance technology, sources said, adding the cost of the project has been revised from Rs 98 crore to Rs 224.51 crore.
ECR is one of the biggest zones comprising five divisions, namely Danapur, Mughalsarai, Dhanbad, Sonepur and Samastipur. It has about 4,000 passenger coaches. Thus the workshop is likely to cater to the needs of these coaches, sources said. Former president A P J Abdul Kalam had laid the foundation stone for the workshop on June 30, 2003 during Nitish Kumar's tenure as railway minster.

TOI

[donadarsh]

The Union government’s gift of two central varsity campuses to Bihar has renewed Patna University’s age-old demand for a similar tag.

Union human resource development (HRD) minister Kapil Sibal on Friday announced that the state would get two campuses of Central University of Bihar, one in Motihari and another in Gaya.

Chief minister Nitish Kumar and RJD leader Lalu Prasad, however, said the struggle would be incomplete unless the Centre accorded PU the status of a central university.

PU is the seventh oldest university in the country.

“The state government will again write a letter, in the form of a reminder, to the Union government requesting it to provide PU with the central university status. The demand has to be accepted,” education minister P.K. Shahi told The Telegraph on Sunday.

PU vice-chancellor Shambhu Nath Singh said: “The demand for granting central university status to PU is not new but has always been ignored because there was no strong political lobbying.”

“Many universities have been earned the status of central universities. Guru Ghasidas University, Bilaspur (Chhattisgarh), and HP Singh University, Sagar (Madhya Pradesh) are among them. But the Centre never considered the case of PU seriously. Being the seventh oldest varsity in the country, PU fulfils all the criteria required for a central university,” the VC added.

Teachers and employees of the university are also raring to join hands with politicians to put pressure on the Centre for the status.

Patna University Teachers’ Association president P.K. Poddar said a team of teachers and employees would meet the chief minister, the education minister and, if required, the Union HRD minister.

He added: “The university will approach members of its alumni, many of whom are in top position in politics as well as bureaucracy, to join the cause.”

V.S. Dubey, a senior teacher of the institute, claimed that PU was not only one of the oldest universities in the country but also fulfiled the norms necessary for the coveted tag.

He added: “Apart from being a residential university, it would introduce semester system from the next academic session. The university’s biggest strength is the quality of its faculty.”

Patna College teacher Randhir Kumar Singh said: “If PU gets the status of a central university, several problems will be sorted out because it will get funds from the Centre. Posts of teachers will be filled up and research activities can be strengthened with UGC and Union government funds.”

All India Students’ Federation member Sushil Kumar said: “Patna University fulfils all criteria to become a central university. But constructive and strong political lobbying are required both at the Centre and the state.”

TELEGRAPH

Related Story:
TOI

[azzi282]

HC: Ensure smooth traffic on Boring Canal Road

PATNA: The Patna high court on Monday directed the Patna divisional commissioner to ensure smooth flow of traffic on Boring Canal road in the state capital and get removed all structures, including even the part of a temple obstructing the traffic flow.

A single bench presided by Justice V N Sinha passed the order while dismissing as withdrawn a writ petition of Avinash Kumar who had filed the petition challenging the order of the commissioner for shifting of the Sai temple, which is at a makeshift stage on Boring Canal road. The court gave liberty to the petitioner to approach the commissioner to seek any relief. The commissioner had earlier directed the administration to shift the Sai temple from the Boring canal road to any other place as it was obstructing the flow of traffic at that place. The commissioner had constituted a high-powered committee to look into the matter.

The petitioner's counsel, Kamal Nayan Chaubey and Tuhin Shankar, pleaded for allowing the Sai temple to continue at the same place. Standing counsel Abhay Shankar Jha and his junior Sarvesh Chandra Verma pleaded the state government stand for removing the temple for smooth traffic flow.

Justice Sinha remarked that he was aware about the traffic obstruction due to construction of Sai temple there.

Directive to housing board: A division bench comprising Justice T Meena Kumari and Justice Chakradhari Sharan Singh on Monday directed Bihar State Housing Board to submit counter affidavit in six weeks to a PIL alleging commercial use of structures in housing colonies planned and constructed by it.

The court also directed the state housing board to reply, in its counter affidavit, to the plea made in the PIL of Mahesh Kumar that school and hospital were not constructed on the space identified for the purpose in Hanuman Nagar locality in Kankarbagh as per the plan to develop the colony.

The petitioner submitted that the commercial use of several premises in residential areas, developed by the state housing board and other state agencies, was causing civic amenities problem. Such premises include some multi-storey buildings in residential colonies developed by the state agencies, the petitioner's counsel added.

Road diversion: The same bench of Justice T Meena Kumari and Justice Chakradhari Sharan Singh directed the state government to file a counter affidavit to the PIL of Nivaran Seva Sansthan challenging the state road construction department order to alter the place of some of the roads approved in the original plan in Phulwarisharif locality of Patna district. The court directed the government to file a counter affidavit in this case in a month.

LINK

[donadarsh]

The ambitious Ganga driveway, entailing construction of a 20.5-km-long road connecting west Patna with the eastern end of the city, has attracted some big infrastructure sector players, including Reliance Infrastructure.

Simplex Projects Ltd, Transstroy India Ltd, Welspun, Indus-C&C Consortium and Nagarjuna Construction Company are also in the fray for lapping up the project. All these firms came out in flying colours in the technical bid. One of them would be awarded the job of executing the scheme after the financial bids are opened on August 3.

Road construction minister Nand Kishore Yadav told The Telegraph: “Six companies have cleared the technical bid for the construction of Ganga driveway and now we are in the process of conducting the financial bid. The name of the company which will execute the project would be announced on August 3, 2012, the day the department would open the financial bids.”

He said: “The company quoting the lowest amount for constructing the Ganga driveway will be awarded the work.”

Asked about the technical bid process, Nand Kishore said: “The companies interested in a certain project have to fulfil certain criteria. We see if a company has the calibre to complete the project in the stipulated time or not in the technical bids. Based on these, the firms are shortlisted for financial bidding.”

The four-lane Ganga driveway would provide hassle-free connectivity between west and east Patna. While the western end of the road would be near Digha Ghat, its eastern end would be at Didarganj. The new road would bring down the travel time between the two ends of the city from the existing two hours to just 25 minutes.

The total cost of Ganga driveway project is Rs 2,234.46 crore. “The Centre would provide 20 per cent of the project cost (Rs 446.89 crore). The state government would invest the same amount and an additional Rs 116.6 crore towards meeting the cost of land acquisition and shifting other utility services,” said Nand Kishore, adding that the company selected for the project in the financial bid would have to invest a minimum of Rs 1,340.78 crore.

According to rules, in any infrastructure project implemented in the PPP mode, a maximum of 40 per cent of the project cost can be raised through viability gap funding (VGF). The Centre and the state concerned share the amount of VGF.

The minister said the state government had started the land survey work for identifying the land those to be acquired for the project. “Land survey has begun and small parks would be constructed on vacant space.”

On the beginning of construction work, Nand Kishore said: “Once the company is selected, it will be given six months for resource mobilisation. It will have to make arrangements for the gadgets and other important stuff in that timeframe. It means, the construction work will begin in the first week of February, 2013. The project is expected to be complete by 2015.”
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Patna's sanitation work outsourced

PATNA: The state capital will be a cleaner and more beautiful city by next year, claimed deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi here on Thursday. He said the government has now outsourced the task of cleaning the city to a new company.

Inaugurating a two-day training of trainers (TOT) programme on municipal solid waste and plastic waste management organized by Environment Protection Training and Researched Institute (EPTRI), Hyderabad an Andhra government institute, in association with Bihar State Pollution Control Board (BSPCB), Modi said, "This new company will be responsible for cleaning all the wards of the state capital. It will include door-to-door collection of garbage, dumping it at the land fill site and their disposal.

Earlier, another company named A2Z Infrastructure was given the task of waste management in several cities including Patna, but it failed to do the job satisfactorily, Modi added.

"It is impossible to keep the city clean with the present manpower; we need mechanical intervention, but machines should be strong enough to be used in Indian context," said Modi. After the outsourcing of waste management, no municipal employee would lose his job, he stated.

Speaking on the occasion, Deepak Kumar Singh, secretary, state environment and forest department, said, "We need to create awareness about hygiene. By proper disposal and recycling of waste, we cannot only get rid of diseases but also earn more money."

Subhash Chandra Singh, chairman, BSPCB, said, "We are planning to start campaign in various districts about the use of recyclable waste and to create awareness about the disease caused by garbage."

P Prasad Rao, head of environment and sustainable development division, EPTRI, said, "In 2000, the Centre had asked all the states to install waste management units by 2003 but not all states have an effective system yet. Under the Government of India plan, we are carrying out TOT programme in nine states... with the aim to prepare a team of master trainers and ensure people's participation in scientific management of municipal solid waste and plastic waste."

Asha Pandey, an environmental scientist, EPTRI, said, "Like Bhopal and Nagpur that utilize plastic waste in making cement and fuel oil respectively, other cities too should try to utilize plastic waste."

Around 70 participants, including academics, executives from municipal bodies and representatives of NGOs, are presenting their papers on different subjects at the TOT programme.

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The central government today accepted Bihar’s long-pending demand for setting up a 4,000MW ultra power project in the state to make it self-reliant in the energy sector.

Following the Centre’s in principle nod for setting up a thermal power project, a high-level technical team comprising officials from the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) and Power Finance Corporation (PFC) Ltd visited the state today.

The officials also conducted a detailed study of the state’s topography and available resources with the help of satellites.

The central team, comprising CEA director P.D. Shival, secretary M.S. Puri, chief engineer Arun Kumar Jain, along with PFC vice-chairperson R.K. Shahi and advisor D.K. Gilhotra also met the principal secretaries of the departments of energy, revenue and land reforms, water resources, Bihar State Electricity Board (BSEB) chairperson and Bihar Power Infrastructure Company (BPIC) officials in the state capital.

“Any power project above 4,000MW capacity is considered as an ultra power project. It requires 2,400 acre land and 120 cusecs water availability,” BSEB spokesperson H.R. Pandey told The Telegraph.

He added: “BPIC has been entrusted the job of preparing the detailed project report keeping in mind the easy availability of land, water and coal linkage after consulting with various state departments. The company is expected to submit its proposal within a month to the state government.”

The expert team would visit the state again to conduct inspection for site selection. Sources said that the project would be set up at a place from where coal linkage would be easily available through railways, as such a mega plant would require coal in huge volume.

If established successfully, the ultra power project would help the power-deficient state in meeting its energy requirement.

At present, Bihar has negligible daily power generation of about 100MW against its energy requirement of 3,000MW during peak hours in summer. The state meets its energy requirement from central sector allocation from which it is supposed get 1,833MW. (It gets around 1,000-1,300MW on an average). Bihar also purchases 500MW from the open market. Patna gets 450MW of power supply daily against the requirement of 600MW in summer.

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The Mauryalok Complex is a step closer in getting a complete makeover.

The standing committee of Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) has approved the preliminary report prepared by Hafeez Contractor to renovate the complex. The renowned architect would supervise the entire work.

The Telegraph on June 29 had reported how Contractor’s plans to renovate the complex without demolishing its basic structure.

“The standing committee in its meeting on Thursday agreed to Hafeez Contractor’s plans for renovation of Mauryalok Complex. The plan was proposed by Bihar Urban Infrastructure Development Corporation (BUIDCo). The standing committee approved BUIDCo’s proposal as it claimed that it would not take any funds from PMC for the renovation. Moreover, urban development department minister Prem Kumar instructed PMC on Tuesday to undertake the renovation work at Mauryalok on a priority basis,” a senior PMC official said.

According to sources, Contractor was entrusted with the task of preparing the preliminary project report comprising the initial designs and renovation plans by BUIDCo, after talks with the civic body. Earlier, Patna Regional development Authority, which is now a part of the PMC, was the owner of the complex.

“According to our proposal, the complex would to be redeveloped in public-private partnership (PPP) mode, which would offer ample sources of revenue generation for the private partner as well. On receiving the official written communiqué from PMC, the corporation would ask Contractor to prepare a detailed project report first,” a BUIDCo officer said.

Mauryalok, one of the largest and the most popular commercial hubs of the city, is located near Dakbungalow crossing. It houses 300 shops and 100 offices of the state and central governments.

The renovation plan by Contractor leaves the existing five blocks in their original shape and envisages resurfacing of the damaged walls and interiors. It also envisages renovation of the existing façades by covering them with modern material, including glasses.

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Commuters heading to the airport or the southern and eastern parts of the capital would be cruising to their destination a fortnight on with the completion of the western arm of Karbighaiya-Buddha Marg flyover.

The new arm of the flyover would be ready by the second week of August. It would be thrown open for public use thereafter.

Commuters had been facing a difficult time after the construction of the flyover’s new arm began in November, forcing closure of the General Post Office-R-Block stretch on Hardinge Road. They have been taking a circuitous route through Buddha Marg, Income Tax roundabout and R-Block roundabout to reach the western part of the capital and vice-versa. Soon, all that would be a matter of the past. People from the eastern or southern parts of the capital take around 45 minutes on an average to reach the airport at present. After the new arm of the flyover is thrown open, the journey time would be reduced to 25 minutes.

The increased vehicular pressure near the Income Tax roundabout made weekdays a nightmare for commuters. Rajesh Chandra, a car owner, said: “The traffic congestion is such that at times I take more than half-an-hour to travel the 2km distance between Patna High Court and Dak Bungalow roundabout through Income Tax roundabout.”

The state government seems to be keeping tabs on the project, with the road construction department turning its focus on widening roads near the new arm of the flyover to ensure smooth movement of traffic. It has decided to widen the 1.1-km-long Serpentine (Daroga Prasad Rai) Road, connecting Beer Chand Patel Path near R-Block roundabout on the south with Bailey Road at Hartali Mor on the north, into a four-lane road.

“We are soon going to float tenders for widening this road from existing two lanes to four lanes,” road construction department secretary Pratyaya Amrit told The Telegraph. The work would be carried out at an estimated cost of Rs 7.8 crore.

The work over, those coming from the Kankerbagh side of the capital would not have to touch the busy Dak Bungalow roundabout and Income Tax roundabout. After descending the western slope of the flyover, vehicles can take the Serpentine Road and reach Hartali Mor, from where they can go westward through Bailey Road. Commuters coming from the western side of the capital can use the same route to go towards the southern and eastern parts of the capital, including Kankerbagh.

“We had planned to complete the construction by end-March. But location constraints and additional work to ensure the bridge’s strength delayed work,” said a senior official of Ircon, the executing agency of the Rs 183-crore joint project of the Indian Railways and the state government.

He added: “The construction is over. We now have some work related to road surfacing, which would not take more than 10 days.”

Regarding opening the new arm of the flyover to the public, the Ircon official said: “Once we complete the road-related work on the flyover, we would apprise the state government so that it can choose a suitable date for formally opening the new part of the flyover.”
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A little over two years of its inception, Aryabhatta Knowledge University (AKU) is all set to get its fourth temporary address. From August 1, the university would function from Chanakya National Law University (CNLU) campus at Mithapur.

A dream project of chief minister Nitish Kumar, AKU started functioning from a room of the flat of its vice-chancellor (VC) S.N. Guha at Rajkishori Complex in Kankerbagh on March 19, 2010. On July 12 the same year, the university was given a new address at a government building at 8 Polo Road, which also houses the official residence of deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi. Five months on, the university was shifted to the premises of AN Sinha Institute of Social Studies near Gandhi Maidan on December 10, 2010.

Things were relatively smooth for the next 18 months. But earlier this month, the varsity administration received a notice from the education department stating that the university would be shifted to the CNLU campus.

AKU vice-chancellor S.N. Guha told The Telegraph: “From August 1, the university, which was functioning from AN Sinha Institute of Social Studies, will get a new address at CNLU. We are shifting to the new campus as we have been asked to do so by the state education department. The new office of the university would be located at the eastern wing of CNLU on the second floor of the building.”

Guha said: “The shifting process is on for the past one week. Naturally, it is affecting the functioning of the university.”

The VC said: “As the varsity is working with a limited workforce, shifting of the campus becomes a Herculean task. We hope this is the last time we are shifting.”

Amarjeet Sinha, the principal secretary of the state education department, said: “This is the last shifting of the AKU before it its upcoming campus at Mithapur gets ready.”

The AKU campus is coming up on 7.5 acres and its construction work has started. Land filling of the site is done. The VC said the deadline for the completion of the new campus is 2014.

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