The North-East - Projects and Development

[studdmanster]

Ideal Hill View | Pathar Quarry, Guwahati | u/c



No. of Towers : 5
No. of Floors : 1(G+14), 2 (G+15), 2 (G+12)

[studdmanster]

cc: TNN

IIM Shillong,one of the new IIMs on the block,has launched a faculty development and mentoring program aimed at taking business education to the next level.They are partnering with Bengal Institute of Business Studies (BIBS),Kolkata for the program in the city.
The mentoring and development program covered a range of areas including the basic challenges faced by a faculty member in management education,the subsequent roles and responsibilities to overcome the same.The curriculum also emphasized on teaching and learning skills in a management classroom environment,and pedagogical approaches.The faculty development program reinstated the importance on the skills of developing research proposals,reviewing of research articles,importance and implications of quantitative techniques and using case study methodologies as an important tool for teaching.It focused on planning and designing of courses and laying a future road map to the emerging trends of management education.
The program also seeks to address the need of the academic people to upgrade their techniques and skills to sustain excellence.

[sunny20rocky]

Guwahati to get first 5 star hotel

The Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) today signed an MoU with Dharampal Satyapal (DS) Group to set up the first five star hotel in Guwahati. The hotel will be set up in an area measuring 27 bighas at Gotanagar by the NH-37. The first phase of the hotel will be completed within 24 months during which Rs. 100 crore will be invested. In the first phase, the hotel will have 200 rooms with 5 Star facility with all modern amenities expected by any business or leisure traveler, with ultramodern communication system in each room, a multi-cuisine restaurant for 100 persons, a coffee shop for 100 persons, a bar for 40-50 persons, a meeting room for 25-50 persons, a large convention hall which can take 500 persons and which can also be converted into two smaller convention halls. The convention hall will have state-of-the-art business communication facilities. It will also include a health club, a wellness center, a swimming pool and a shopping arcade for tourist essentials, etc. The hotel is expected to make the city a preferred destination for international convention for international conventions and functions. This will also give impetus to tourism, which has enormous potential in the North East. With an anticipated increase in various events, the plan for expanding the facilities in the hotel over and above the current plans is likely to be taken up in the second phase. DS Group has all ready made an agreement in principle with Carlson Hotels Asia Pacific for their five-star brand, RADISSON, which will be operating the facility under a specific management agreement contract with DS Group. In the joint venture, the GMDA will get benefits like Rs. 25 lakh per annum as fixed amount with escalation of 15 percent after five years, Rs. 14.4 lakh per year from preferential debentures, and Rs. 84 lakh per annum ad dividend from the equity share of 7.47 percent of the total capital of Rs. 100 crore from third year onwards. The Rs. 1,200 crore Dharampal Satyapal Group (DS Group) is India’s leading diversified conglomerate renowned for its commitment towards innovating premium quality products and services.

[sunny20rocky]

2nd five star in guwahati
Vivanta by Taj checks into Guwahati
Announcement / Corporate March 09, 2010, 20:12 IST

Taj Hotels' first foray into North-East India

The Indian Hotels Company Ltd today announced its plans to launch a new hotel in North-east India with the announcement of Vivanta by Taj - Guwahati, Assam. The foundation stone for the property was unveiled by Mr. Tarun Gogoi, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Assam in the presence of a host of dignitaries including Mr Ratan Tata , Chairman Tata Sons , Mr R.K.Krishna Kumar , Vice Chairman of Indian Hotels Company Limited , Mr Rockybul Hussain , Minister of Forest and Environment, Tourism, Government of Assam, Mr H.S.Das , IAS, Principal Secretary Finance & Tourism , Government of Assam. Corporate Honchos Venugopal Dhoot, MD - Videocon Group, Naina Lal Kidwai, HSBC - India Country Head and M S Banga of Unilever also attended the ceremony in Guwahati.


The property will be located on a 4.5 acre site at G S Road in Guwahati.It will be the city’s first 5-star hotel for a target clientele of business and leisure travellers. The company has been allotted the land on a long term lease for development of a 150-room premium property as part of the State’s overall development agenda. The proposed site is strategically located and is in close proximity to key business districts, the Government Secretariat and the airport.

Unveiling the foundation stone, Shri Tarun Gogoi, CM, Assam said “This is a clear indication that the Tata Group is committed to the development of Assam in north east as a whole. This hotel will provide tourism to a great extent. We are very happy to have our first 5 star hotel because without a 5 star hotel, one cannot bring in development”

Mr Ratan Tata, Chairman, Tata Sons spoke of the business and tourism opportunities in the State and said “It is a great privilege and honour to be here today on this occasion when Taj is registering its commitment to the state of Assam in laying the foundation stone of Vivanta by Taj. I hope this hotel will, as the Minister stated, be a destination for not only business visitors but also tourists, who may visit Assam. In the morning we have had discussions on what we could, as business people, do in Assam and we were always struck by the tremendous change in the state, the level of activity, the enhancement of quality of life and I believe we are all committed to the vision of the Chief Minister to advance the rural environment in Assam, to raise the quality of life in rural areas, to provide jobs and skills. I hope this hotel, that we are all at today, will in its own way contribute to this goal.

Mr Tata further acknowledged the state governments visions for Assam “I applaud the Chief Minister in what he has been able to do, his cabinet and his team and I wish the state every success in achieving what it has set out to do. And I hope that all of us who have the pleasure of being here today, can play our small role in helping making this happen”

Mr. R K Krishna Kumar, Vice Chairman of Indian Hotels Company Ltd, gave further details about the inception of the project. “A couple of years ago, when Shri Tarun Gogoi shared with us his vision about a new Assam, thereafter, the Taj group did a lot of market assessment and decided to come up with Vivanta by Taj in Assam, an excellent location. The hotel will have 150 rooms in the first phase and not only that, it will have a convention facility and since connectivity is pretty good here, we hope that we can bring in new visitors to this beautiful state. This, we believe, will be the first of our ventures here and we have already set up Ginger, a smart basics hotel and hopefully with this beginning we should be able to look at more opportunities in Assam. Vivanta by Taj will be commissioned in 2 years at an investment of Rs 95 crores. This is a new beginning for the Tata Group in Assam. Assam is richly endowed with natural resources and wildlife and is a great candidate for representing in Taj Safaris. This is a strong commitment from Taj to the state of Assam”.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Veer Vijay Singh , Chief Operating Officer , Premium Hotels , Taj Hotels Resorts & Palaces said, “Guwahati is increasingly emerging as a commercial and tourism hub for the state and for North-eastern India. We see immense potential for business and leisure tourism in Guwahati and are proud to introduce a Taj brand to this region. We will endeavour to create job opportunities for the local people of North East and Assam. We look forward to a continued association with the state of Assam.”

The Vivanta by Taj – Guwahati, Assam will consist of 150 rooms and suites and will be built with a design theme inspired from local architecture. The hotel will have an all day dining restaurant, a specialty restaurant and a bar. Recreation facilities like an expansive spa and fitness centre will add to its charm. 6000 sq ft of meeting & banqueting facilities, associated meeting and conferencing areas will complete the experience.

This is a significant development for Taj Hotels as Guwahati is the Gateway to the North East and is a critical administrative, political and financial centre for the state. A key commercial and business hub, Guwahati has many zonal offices of PSUs and corporate offices located in the city. Guwahati is also the vortex for tourism for North East India with world renowned wildlife natural parks located in the state, and hill stations such as Shillong & Cherrapunji close by. The most popular tourist circuit of Guwahati-Kaziranga-Shillong-Cherrapunji-Guwahati ensure the steady flow of tourists to the city in season. Guwahati forms an important axis for bringing together sports and cultural activities for the North Eastern region of the country.

[sunny20rocky]

Satellite township to come up in Guwahati
It will be set up along north bank of river Brahmaputra under Guwahati Metropolitan Area to accommodate about four lakh population projected for 2025
Submitted by jpgupta on 11/24/2010 - 10:47:32 AM

Guwahati: The Assam capital Guwahati would soon have its first satellite township which would have the capacity to accommodate about four lakh population projected for 2025.

Out of the total land area of 6549 hactre for the proposed township, 28 per cent of the land would be used for residential purpose, one per cent for retail commercial, 4.5 per cent for wholesale commercial purpose and nine per cent for industrial purpose.

Twelve per cent of the land would be for public and semi public use while 21 per cent of the land would be green belt and another 15 per cent area would be eco-sensitive and eco-friendly zone.

The Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) master plan has proposed development plan for a new satellite township in the north bank of Brahmaputra river falling with Guwahati Metropolitan Area.

This development plan for this satellite township is now proposed to be made with modification of certain land use and addition to zoning regulation earlier recommended in the final Master Plan 2025.

In urban development, the Chief Minister reviewed the progress of implementation of scheme of providing body carrying vans to municipalities and providing necessary funds to 88 local urban bodies for installation of street lights.

[sunny20rocky]

GUWAHATI TO GET 3RD FIVE STAR HOTEL : HYATT PLACE Hyatt Hotels Corporation (H) announced management contracts for nine new hotels in India. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. This would bring the total number of properties now under construction or development in India to 38.

The agreements are for three Hyatt brands: a Grand Hyatt hotel in Noida; Hyatt Regency hotels in Jaipur, Surat, Ghazibad, Chandigarh, Lucknow and Guwahati; and Hyatt Place hotels in Bangalore Devanhalli and Mumbai Seepz. Added to these, Hyatt Regency Chennai and Grand Hyatt Goa are slated for launch later this year.

The demand for hotels is greater in the international market than in the U.S., particularly in the Asia-Pacific region, where the pace of economic recovery is particularly fast. Apart from the Chinese market, hoteliers are expecting India to offer significant possibilities for growth. In the Indian market, demand for hotels considerably outpaces the supply. Additionally, India is expected to experience a meaningful increase in gross domestic product within the next few years. Thus, we expect Hyatt to benefit considerably from this strategic expansion, going forward.

Hyatt’s emerged in India nearly 30 years back. Since then, the company has focused on driving brand preference by providing full portfolio of brands and extensive service in Indian large as well as mid-sized markets.

However, the company faces stiff competition in the India market from major hoteliers like Wyndham Worldwide Corporation (NYSE:WYN), Marriott International Inc. (NYSE:MAR) and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. (NYSE:HOT) all of which are on track to beef up their Indian portfolios. Marriott plans to open 100 hotels over the next five years in India while Starwood expects a 60% increase in its Indian portfolio by 2013.

[sunny20rocky]

Rs 600-cr Infinity project set to change Guwahati IT outlook




Kolkata/ Guwahati: At a time when Assam and North-East hardly figure as a promising investment destination for IT companies, Kolkata-based Infinity Infotech Parks Limited (IIPL), a company providing infrastructure solutions to IT companies, has ventured into the region with an ambitious Rs 600-crore world-class IT park project in Guwahati and, moreover, has said would try and rope in investments for the park.

Besides, the company will construct two “elite” residential projects in the city at a cost of Rs 200 crore. “If you can provide the IT companies a world class infrastructure, they would surely come and invest here,” said Ravindra Chamaria, chairman and managing director of IIPL.

All the formalities and land acquisition have almost been completed and by this year, the work on the project will begin. Work on one of the residential projects has started and work on another will begin soon.

Pulak Chamaria, executive director of IIPL, told Business Standard that the company was in “touch” with its clients to impress upon them to invest in the park.

Some of IIPL’s clients include HCL Technologies, Mphasis, KPMG, Bharti Airtel, Nortel Networks and so on.

He added that though law and order and security was “surely a concern” that would not act as a deterrent for its clients to come and invest in the park.

He said: “If you create anything iconic, everyone will follow you. We are here to create a benchmark.”

Ravindra Chamaria said that they were studying other North-Eastern towns and cities which have potential for growth of IT sector, especially Shillong and Agartala, and would like to venture into those places in future.

He said that the two residential projects would be based on “Green Homes” concept, which would be for the first time in eastern India, and would conform to the Indian Green Building Council norms.

Infinity has been the pioneer in creating infrastructural solutions for the IT and ITes sector in India and abroad. The twin tower ‘Infinity Think Tank’, ‘Infinity Benchmark’ and ‘Godrej Waterside’, in collaboration with Godrej Properties, are few landmark infrastructures constructed by Infinity in Kolkata.

[sunny20rocky]

GUWHATI SKYLINE SET TO CHANGE(SANGRILA TOWERS G+20, SEVEN BLOCKS)


Simplex Infrastructures Limited in a joint venture with Guwahati Municipal Development Authority (GMDA) is promoting a high quality township of global standards in Guwahati. The township, to be christened as Shangri-La Towers will undoubtedly be one of the most modern real estate projects in the North East.
Shangri-La Towers will have spacious apartments incorporating top of the line amenities, a sparkling well manicured landscape and a host of lifestyle features. Supplementing the high style living at Shangri-La Towers will be family entertainment, shopping etc. The long rich experience of Simplex coupled with guidance of GMDA and expertise and experience of a host of international and national agencies will underscore the success of the prestigious project. This integrated township will usher in a new lifestyle in the North East.
Shangri-La Towers is offering 2/3 and 4 bedroom apartments to suit the requirements of different families. The work on the project is likely to commence soon. From Bongaigaon Refinery to IIT Guwahati, Imphal Stadium to Dibrugarh Hospital, flyovers at 6 mile to Bhangagarh & ISBT, Simplex Infra has demonstrated a world of experience in civil construction. Its work has made a difference to the people of the NE With international expertise, latest technology, hi-tech equipment, strict quality control and time bound deliveries, Simplex executes the most complex construction projects in any location with unmatched efficiency. All the structures mentioned earlier have been designed and constructed providing for the North East’s earthquake zone requirements.
Simplex Infrastructures Ltd, a global Indian Company, has attained great heights since it’s inception in 1924. Its operations cover almost all the Continents from America to Europe, Africa and to Asia. Simplex has construction activities in more than 30 countries.
Across India, Simplex has to its credit Howrah Bridge piling, the 12.5 km Hyderabad Flyover, Supreme Court of India building, Brigade Gateway Township, Metro Rail of Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, ISRO Space station at SriHarikota, many National Highways, Tata Steel plant and nuclear plants in Kerala. These never ending lists of projects speak of Simplex leadership in foundation technology and hi-tech civil engineering. For details one may contact Indranil Sengupta at 9836557057.

[purty_trash]

and all this happens in one day NE. Imagine what could happen if you gave them a week.

Jokes apart, I think it's really cool that we're hearing such good news from the sister states. I think once rail and road connectivity is enhanced we may see more boost in tourism and industrialization.

[sixsigma1978]

Shangrila Towers






image hosted on flickr


http://shangrilatowers.com

[India101]

^Finally, the North East is breaking the 20fl mark. Maybe Guwahati can get a decent skyline in the next decade.

Anyway here a new mall coming up by Brahmaputra Group-

City Centre Mall, Guwahati





Website

[World8115]

Thats a nice design

[sunny20rocky]

NEW DELHI, May 20 – In what could mean fulfilment of a long-pending demand, the Civil Aviation Ministry has given its nod to set up its regional hub of operation at the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport in Guwahati. The proposed hub is expected to become operational early next year.

The plan was finalised at a meeting between Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), Bijoy Krishna Handique, and Civil Aviation Minister Vyalar Ravi. The meeting assumes significance in the backdrop of the recent incidents involving the civil aviation sector in the North-east. Passenger helicopter service is currently under suspension following back-to-back accidents involving Pawan Hans copters. Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu and 17 passengers were killed at Tawang in two separate accidents last month. The Alliance Air operation in the North-east has also drawn a lot of flak.

Emerging from the meeting, Handique told this newspaper that several important decisions were arrived at in the meeting on Friday morning. The Civil Aviation Minister has assured full cooperation to

improve air services in the region, Handique said. The meeting was also joined by chairman of Airport Authority of India (AAI) VP Agarwal and chairman-cum-managing director of Air India, Arvind Jadhav.

Handique said the major decision pertained to setting up of a regional hub of operation at Guwahati, Agaratala, Imphal and Dibrugarh airports. To begin with, operations would start in Guwahati. The airport currently handles 40 flights daily. The proposal is to set up three hangars at Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport. Initially two hangars would be constructed at a cost of Rs 3 crore each. The North Eastern Council (NEC) would fund the construction of the hangars, Handique disclosed.

Regional hub operation at Guwahati is expected to start in about 10 months, officials said.

“The regional hub for civil aviation in Guwahati has been a three-decade-old demand of the people of the region and I thank Ravi for addressing this issue. I am hopeful that Guwahati will start functioning as a regional hub very soon,” Handique said. The Minister of Civil Aviation would lay the foundation stone in the presence of Minister of DoNER and Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi. “This will help in night-parking of aircraft at Guwahati and early morning operations to the interiors of the region,” Handique said.

Meanwhile, the meeting also decided to set up composite training school for ground-level staff for navigation and aircraft maintenance at Lilabari. It is envisaged that the training institute would meet the demand of ground handling and maintenance personnel that is going to arise once the proposed airport in the region becomes operational, Handique said. The initial plan was to set up a pilot training institute but subsequently it was modified, he added.

At the meeting, Vyalar Ravi conveyed Civil Aviation Ministry’s decision to increase the frequency of flights to Tezpur and Lilabari to cater to the rush of passengers in the wake of suspension of Pawan Hans services.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation has decided to increase the services of Alliance Air to Lilabari and Tezpur due to no-operation of Pawan Hans helicopter services to Arunachal Pradesh. Alliance Air would be increasing services to Lilabari and Tezpur with ATR-42 aircraft, it was announced on Wednesday. The frequency in Guwahati-Tezpur-Silchar-Jorhat-Lilabari-Kolkata sectors has been increased. The services to Tezpur and Lilabari will increase to six flights per week. The Alliance Air, meanwhile, is adding another ATR aircraft to its fleet of four operating in the North-east. The fifth aircraft would be used in the Tezpur and Lilabari sectors.

[sunny20rocky]

ITBP HQ TO COME UP IN DIBRUGARH


DIBRUGARH, May 11 – Sree Kamakhya Tea Company Private Limited has offered to transfer a portion of its Manohari tea estate land for establishment of Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) battalion headquarters. The ITBP, a para-military force formed to guard the country’s boundary, ever since its raising soon after the 1962 war with China, was searching for a plot of land on logistical grounds since past few years near the city here.

The proposed plot of land offered is the Manohari tea estate of Sree Kamakhya Tea Company Private Limited, some 16 kilometres from the city centre here. The plot of land measuring approximately 280 bighas was reportedly inspected and approved by a team of ITBP officers recently. The demarcated land falls under Lahoal mouza under the Dibrugarh East Revenue Circle. In a letter written to the Assistant Commandant, officer commanding, ITBP, Mohanbari, Sree Kamakhya Tea Company Private Limited stated that there was no suit on the land and could be offered for sale keeping in view the national interest.

It needs to be mentioned here that the district administration was lethargic in identifying site for the proposed ITBP batallion headquarter although the request for a plot from the ITBP had come even before ITBP Director General wrote a letter to the Deputy Commissioner here, asking for a suitable site in 2009. Although Ghooronia tea estate and Kabir tea estate had shown interest to sell off part of their land to the para-military force for the purpose, the administration failed to initiate for reasons unknown.

The Sree Kamakhya Tea Company Private Limited has reportedly sought to sell off the plot, mostly with tea bushes at the rate of rupees three lakh per bigha. As learned, the ITBP personnel were already in touch with the management of Manohari tea estate.

Meanwhile, the sale plan of the tea estate has not gone well with the workers who earn their daily bread by toiling in the plantations. The workers have expressed apprehension that they may lose job and get evicted from the site. Assam Tea Tribes Students’ Association has already written a letter to the Deputy Commissioner, demanding cancellation of any such move by Manohari tea estate authorities. ATTSA has threatened to shed blood if necessary to retain the plot. The Manohari tea

estate land deal is being sought to be brokered by a city-based income tax consultant, according to authoritative sources.

[sunny20rocky]

Gold's Gym opens another branch in Guwahati; The Land of the Brahmaputra

May 2nd, 2010, Guwahati: Gold's Gym India, the master franchise of Gold's Gym International launched its new branch in Guwahati, spread over 6000 square feet of land and comprises of the latest international and world class equipment, fitted with 19 cardio stations including 10 treadmills, 2 cross trainers, 2 recumbent and 1 upright bike from Precor, USA, 2 arc trainers from Cybex, USA & one stepper from Cybex, USA and 1 rowing machine from Concept. The strength training section is from Cybex Eagle Series and Nautilus Nitro Plus, USA with free weights from Cybex, USA. Additional facilities includes steam, massages and a juice bar.

Actor Nishita Goswami at the launch of Gold's Gym, GuwahatiActor Nishita Goswami at the launch of Gold's Gym, Guwahati

At Gold's Gym, you'll find state-of-the-art circuits and cardiovascular equipment, free weights, and cutting edge group classes such as spinning and aerobics.

With certified trainers and nutritional counseling, Gold's Gym provides a comprehensive approach to the health and well-being of its members. Whether your goal is to burn fat, tone or add muscle, build strength, increase flexibility or improve your cardiovascular health, only Gold's Gym has the atmosphere and experience you need.

Mr. Noel Menezes,-Manager Operations -Franchising Gold's Gym informs "India's biggest fitness lovers work out at our gym. We are happy to announce the launch of yet another branch, where the residents of Guwahati finally get to utilize our services".

Adds Mr. Nikhil Kakkar, Franchising Incharge North & East - Gold's Gym, "Globally, health and fitness is a growing business. We, at Gold's Gym have made a constant effort to increase our branches all over India, so that everyone gets access to an International chain of fitness centres"

Gold's Gym has not only achieved stupendous success internationally, but has also made its mark in India and its cities successfully. Today Gold's is the largest international gym chain with over 700 facilities worldwide. Internationally, Gold's Gym has been immortalized by the acknowledgement of icons such as Arnold Schwazzeneger and Madonna. Sohail Khan, Rahul Khanna, Riteish Deshmukh, Diya Mirza, John Abraham & Bipasha Basu and upcoming star Ranbir Kapoor are some of famous celebrities using Gold's Gym facilities.

44 years of dedicated hard work to help people integrate fitness into their daily stressed out lives has been the utmost priority at Gold's.

In today's fast-paced lives where health often takes a backseat, its time one began to give their bodies their due. So, do come and join Gold's Gym, Guwahati.

[sunny20rocky]

Gas cracker cost likely to double

DIBRUGARH, Feb 16 – Yet another “national project” has become a victim of severe time and cost over-runs. This time, it is the much touted Assam Gas Cracker Project, being promoted by Brahmaputra Cracker & Polymer Limited (BCPL), a joint venture of GAIL (India) Limited, Oil India Limited, Numaligarh Refinery Limited and the Assam Government. As per very optimistic estimates, the project should go on-stream by 2014, which is two years behind the 2012 deadline. Worse, the cost of the project might shoot to Rs 10,000 crore, almost double the earlier estimate of Rs 5,460 crore.

Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh laid the foundation of the project at Lepetkata near here in April 2007, and he then had stated that the project would become operational by 2012. Prior to that, the then Prime Minister, P V Narasimha Rao had performed a similar function for the project in 1994, at Wilton, near Tengakhat in the Dibrugarh district. That site was abandoned following objections by the Indian Air Force, and the project went into cold storage. After the project was revived thirteen years later in 2007, it appears the project has gone into a spin, with chaotic management of affairs by BCPL and the unit’s project management consultant, Engineers India Limited (EIL).

In December 2009, the Public Enterprises Selection Board recommended the appointment of J K Singh Teotia as the managing director of BCPL. Prior to that, he served BCPL as its chief operating officer for a brief period. Upon assuming charge, he told this newspaper that he would work for the timely commissioning of the project. However, it later turned out that he messed up the project, as he failed to build up a cohesive management, and was often found to be at loggerheads with his colleagues and superiors. Ultimately, he resigned from BCPL on January 24 this year, and his resignation came into effect today. During his thirteen months as managing director of BCPL, the gas cracker works suffered immensely, and today, affairs are such that several prime contractors have stopped work as their bills remain unpaid.

A major reason of the ire of the contractors is that their bills have been accumulating for months on end. It was earlier agreed that the bills would be settled in ten days’ time, but this has never happened. Moreover, the contractors are complaining that upto 45 per cent of their bills are kept pending on whimsical grounds by BCPL. To add to the confusion, the direct BCPL recruits and the GAIL deputees to BCPL are yet to get together as a single team.

With just about 25 per cent of the works completed till today, the gas cracker project has been a victim of insensitive GAIL deputees to the project and totally mistaken financial projections. For example, the estimates stated that casual workers at the project would be paid daily wages of Rs 80, as per 2004 schedules. With inflation growing unstoppably, workers’ wages have become a serious issue, as they refuse to work for this sum. The Central Labour Commissioner here too has taken BCPL to task on this score, asking the latter to pay current wages. The issue remains unsettled.

Then, with the BCPL-GAIL-EIL mismatch reaching newer heights every day at the gas cracker project, the contractors have decided to stop their work from today, at least until field working conditions are hammered out. With the prime contractors like Simplex, EPIL, Pratibha, and RVR temporarily suspending work, and sub contractors demanding better wages and working conditions, the chaos at the gas cracker project is complete.

Following the acceptance of the resignation of Teotia, the BCPL Board has appointed Prabhu Nath Prasad as the chief executive officer of the project. He has taken charge today. To take stock of the pandemonium, Union Chemical and Petrochemical Secretary M Raman and BCPL chairman Bhuban Chandra Tripathi are visiting the project site on Thursday.

For a project that is directly monitored by the Prime Minister’s Office and the DoNER Minister, B K Handique, the developments at Lepetkata gives out only frustrating signals.

[sunny20rocky]

Guwahati's first 5-star hotel project gets MoEF clearance


The first 5-star hotel project in Guwahati, ‘Vivanta by Taj’, is expected to budge now as the project has obtained environmental clearance from the Union ministry of environment and forests.

Though the foundation stone of the hotel was laid on March 9 this year, work could not start as environmental clearance was pending. A company spokesperson informed that work on the project would begin soon and the hotel would be commissioned within two years.

‘Vivanta by Taj’ might be the first 5-star hotel in the entire region, although construction of another such hotel by the Dharampal Satyapal Group in underway in Guwahati.

The Taj hotel will come up at Khanapra in GS Road, in Guwahati, and would be spread over 4.5 acres of land. The company has been allotted the land on a long-term lease, the company official said.

Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi had laid the foundation stone of the Rs 90 crore hotel project in March in the presence of a host of dignitaries, including Ratan Tata, chairman of Tata Sons Ltd.

The hotel will have 150 rooms and suites and will be built with a design theme inspired from local architecture.

The hotel will have an all-day dining restaurant, a specialty restaurant and a bar, besides recreation facilities like an expensive spa and a fitness centre.

[sunny20rocky]

BOGIBEEL BRIDGE TO BE READY BY 2015

DIBRUGARH, May 7 – If the general manager (construction) of Northeast Frontier Railway, Ms Vijaya Kanth is to be believed, the Bogibeel rail-cum-road bridge should be ready by 2015, if the current pace of construction work continues. She clarified this in an informal chat with this newspaper today at the Bogibeel Project Officers’ Guest House here, and denied that the bridge superstructure is in for a re-tender. She claimed that the existing global tender stands valid, and only the work awardee remains to be finalised.

She informed that there is every likelihood that the bridge superstructure contract would be awarded in the next seven to ten days by the Railway Board, and that she too is pressing for this at both the Railway ministry and the Railway Board.

In the interaction with the railway official here today, former Dibrugarh MP, Sarbananda Sonowal asked the officials to beautify the bridge and its approaches with suitable tree plantation and measures that would attract visitors and tourists.

Sonowal also suggested that the railways construct a guest house at the Bogibeel area for the benefit of tourists, as the place has vast potential for growth of tourism, given the majesticity of the Brahmaputra (the river is about 8 kms wide there) and the awe-inspiring views of the Himalayas from the place.

He briefed the railway general manager of the railway history of Dibrugarh, and how citizens here crave for an appropriate railway museum. The nation’s second railway line was constructed from Mohanaghat to Dinjan more than a hundred years ago.

Bogibeel project deputy chief engineer, Mohinder Singh said that the Bogibeel site was selected way back in 1927 for a bridge across the Brahmaputra by the then British and Indian railway engineers. The plan then went to the backburner, and survey work on the site was resumed by RITES (Rail India Technical & Engineering Services) in 1967, following persistent demand for a bridge there since 1962 by the Dibrugarh Nagarik Sangha.

As for the bridge construction proper, Ms Vijaya Kanth said all the 47 pillars of the bridge would be ready for the superstructure by the middle of 2013. However, as several pillars towards the north and south banks would be ready in the coming months, work on the superstructure would begin this winter, she said. She said the design of the bridge is the latest in bridge building anywhere in the world. The length of the bridge has been modified and will now be almost five kms long.

Earlier, the length of the bridge was designed to be 4.3 km. The bridge itself would be double decked, with the lower deck having two BG railway tracks and the upper road deck would have three carriageways, with footpath on either side.

Meanwhile, work on the Rangiya – Murkong Selek railway gauge conversion has also commenced. Along with this gauge conversion, Naharlagun in Arunachal Pradesh would have broad gauge rail connectivity from Harmutty station in Assam. The gauge conversion work on the north bank of the Brahmaputra is likely to be completed by 2014.

It is also learnt that the district administration in Dhemaji and Dibrugarh have initiated land acquisition work, to facilitate laying of a four laned highway approach to the bridge, to connect NH 52 on the north bank ad NH 37 on the south bank. The highway link would be executed by the Assam PWD, while the cost of the land is being borne by the railways.

[purty_trash]

great updates sunny.

[anidel]

Originally Posted by sunny20rocky

BOGIBEEL BRIDGE TO BE READY BY 2015

DIBRUGARH, May 7 – If the general manager (construction) of Northeast Frontier Railway, Ms Vijaya Kanth is to be believed, the Bogibeel rail-cum-road bridge should be ready by 2015, if the current pace of construction work continues. She clarified this in an informal chat with this newspaper today at the Bogibeel Project Officers’ Guest House here, and denied that the bridge superstructure is in for a re-tender. She claimed that the existing global tender stands valid, and only the work awardee remains to be finalised.

She informed that there is every likelihood that the bridge superstructure contract would be awarded in the next seven to ten days by the Railway Board, and that she too is pressing for this at both the Railway ministry and the Railway Board.

In the interaction with the railway official here today, former Dibrugarh MP, Sarbananda Sonowal asked the officials to beautify the bridge and its approaches with suitable tree plantation and measures that would attract visitors and tourists.

Sonowal also suggested that the railways construct a guest house at the Bogibeel area for the benefit of tourists, as the place has vast potential for growth of tourism, given the majesticity of the Brahmaputra (the river is about 8 kms wide there) and the awe-inspiring views of the Himalayas from the place.

He briefed the railway general manager of the railway history of Dibrugarh, and how citizens here crave for an appropriate railway museum. The nation’s second railway line was constructed from Mohanaghat to Dinjan more than a hundred years ago.

Bogibeel project deputy chief engineer, Mohinder Singh said that the Bogibeel site was selected way back in 1927 for a bridge across the Brahmaputra by the then British and Indian railway engineers. The plan then went to the backburner, and survey work on the site was resumed by RITES (Rail India Technical & Engineering Services) in 1967, following persistent demand for a bridge there since 1962 by the Dibrugarh Nagarik Sangha.

As for the bridge construction proper, Ms Vijaya Kanth said all the 47 pillars of the bridge would be ready for the superstructure by the middle of 2013. However, as several pillars towards the north and south banks would be ready in the coming months, work on the superstructure would begin this winter, she said. She said the design of the bridge is the latest in bridge building anywhere in the world. The length of the bridge has been modified and will now be almost five kms long.

Earlier, the length of the bridge was designed to be 4.3 km. The bridge itself would be double decked, with the lower deck having two BG railway tracks and the upper road deck would have three carriageways, with footpath on either side.

Meanwhile, work on the Rangiya – Murkong Selek railway gauge conversion has also commenced. Along with this gauge conversion, Naharlagun in Arunachal Pradesh would have broad gauge rail connectivity from Harmutty station in Assam. The gauge conversion work on the north bank of the Brahmaputra is likely to be completed by 2014.

It is also learnt that the district administration in Dhemaji and Dibrugarh have initiated land acquisition work, to facilitate laying of a four laned highway approach to the bridge, to connect NH 52 on the north bank ad NH 37 on the south bank. The highway link would be executed by the Assam PWD, while the cost of the land is being borne by the railways.