Tourism to get export house status
The government has announced a host of concessions to the tourism industry, including grant of export house status to the toursim industry. Tourism units earning Rs 6 crore in foreign exchange annually from the present Rs 12 crore will be eligible for the export house status. The concessions that would …
World Habitat Day on 5 Oct
This year the World Habitat Day will be celebrated all over the world on 5 October. It is celebrated on first Monday of every October. United National Commission on Human Settlements at Nairobi (Kenya) determines the theme of the Habitat Day every year. The theme chosen by it for this …
Two-day seminar to form guidelines for safer cities
The ministry of urban affairs is set to discuss the concept of safer cities with the officials of home departments of states and Union Territories. The discussions will form part of the two-day seminar to be held in the capital on "Safer Cities" on the occasion of World Habitat day …
Panel to save Tughlakabad
The Lieutenant-Governor, Mr. Vijai kapur, constituted a committee to advise the Delhi Development Authority on the ways to preserve the Tughlakabad heritage zone and make it more attractive to visitors. The committee, claimed by the member of parliament, Mr Jag Mohan, would comprise former professor of the School of Planning …
Calcutta world's second
The Asian Development Bank has ranked Calcutta as the world's second "speediest" city after Seoul, according to West Bengal transport minister Subhash Chakraborty.
Govt announces creation of 3 states, full statehood to Delhi
In keeping with its promise in its National Agenda for Governance, the BJP-led Government today decided to grant full statehood to Delhi. It also moved a step closer to fulfilling its assurances on creating the new states of Uttaranchal, Vananchal and Chattisgarh.
Special drive against polluting vehicles
With the July 1 deadline for the emission test for pollution control certification nearing, the agencies involved in enforcement are taking up a test campaign against polluting vehicles.The high-level committee which met under the chairmanship of the Environment Secretary, Mr. K.S. Sripathy, on Friday has decided among other things to …
HC serves notices to LG over Master plan issue
The Delhi High Court today issued notices to the Union Ministry of Urban Affairs and Employment and the Lieutenant -Governor of Delhi on a public interest litigation challenging the proposed amendments in the master plan for Delhi-2000.
'Road crashes third largest killers by 2000'
Road crashes will be third largest killer by the year 2020, ahead of war HIV and other infectious diseases. This was revealed by World Disasters Report, 1998. The report which is released annually since the past five years by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies , …
Govt plans to build 13 lakh houses in rural areas this year
The government plans to construct 13 lakh houses in the rural areas in the current financial year in partnership with the private sector and also set up a Rural Housing and Habitat Development Corporation to ensure housing for the rural poor.
Siliguri land transferred to company that did not exist
The state government decided on 1 November 1997 to lease out 406.64 acres of tea garden land to a company for constructing a satellite township in Siliguri. But the company did not exist when the agreement was executed.
State monopoly on acquiring Delhi land ends
The urban policy model initiated at Jawaharlal Nehru's instance for Delhi four decades ago, and then adopted by the rest of India, was formally abandoned as a gross mistake. Union urban affairs minister Ram Jethmalani, with the Prime Minister's approval, announced abolition of the state's monopoly in acquiring and developing …
MCD officials up in arms against DDA
The officials of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, residing in the MCD flats at Soami Nagar, South Delhi, are up in arms against the Delhi Development Authority for allotting a part of a public park for setting up a petrol pump, allegedly in violation of the Delhi Master Plan.
Marketing rights under Patents Act
The proposed amendments to the Patents Act (1970) include a provision for grant of exclusive marketing rights (EMR) during the transition period under the Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights agreement signed by India in 1995.
Haryana sets up high-powered panel
The Haryana Government has formally constituted a high-powered committee to consider the pending cases relating to the acquisition of lands for urban estate . The committee, constituted almost after seven months following announcement by the Chief Minister, Mr Bansi Lal, has, however, invited frowns from various quarters. The committee, headed …
Private firm will fetch luner ice
The first samples of ice from the moon could be returned to Earth for scientific investigation as early as 2001. They could be brought back by a New York company, Applied Space Resources, which is planning a spacecraft called Luner Retriever.
- $375-m ADB loans for road, port projects may be in dock
Asian Development bank (ADB)-funded soft loans worth $375 million currently under negotiation for many road and port projects may be in jeopardy with Japan, the largest donor to the bank, imposing economic sanctions against India. However, ADB being a multilateral agency, Japan will have to carry other partners along for …
Shuklaphanta park yet to compensate locals
It's one of Shuklaphanta's least reported secrets. In 1983, officials at the national park persuaded families to move out of their land as they vigorously pursued the park's extension programmes. Fifteen commissions have been set up since to compensate the locals who lost their land holdings to the park. Sixteen …
Delhi creates Rs 50 cr development fund
The Delhi Government has created a Rs 50 crore 'development fund' to tackle the problem of unauthorised colonies in the Capital. The proposal mooted by the Centre and finalised by the State Government suggests that every colony has its own society to look after its own affairs rather than looking …
- New tourism policy-cum-action plan on the anvil
The government will announce a tourism policy with an action plan within the next two months, tourism minister Madan Lal Khurana said on Wednesday. The ministry has mooted a proposal to set up a high-powered committee on tourism which would have secretaries of various ministries on its board, said Khurana …
