logo
PM to inaugurate new-look Itwari rly station tomorrow

PM to inaugurate new-look Itwari rly station tomorrow

Time of India20-05-2025
Nagpur: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will formally inaugurate the redeveloped
, now known as
, along with four other South East Central Railway (SECR) stations in the Nagpur division on May 22 via video conference.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
The other redeveloped SECR stations in the division include Daswani, Dongargarh, Chanda Fort, and Amgaon.
As part of the Central govt's
aimed at redeveloping railway stations, the PM will inaugurate 103 stations across the country through video conference the same day.
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Itwari Junction is now fully equipped with modern amenities. The redevelopment was carried out at a cost of Rs12.39 crore.
Previously plagued by issues like traffic congestion and parking disorder, the station now features improved entry-exit gates, wide roads, two-wheeler parking, and a traffic control system.
The station premises now boast of modern ticket counters, well-facilitated waiting rooms, dedicated facilities for differently-abled individuals, a Jan Aushadhi centre, and a rail coach restaurant. The exterior of the station presents a beautiful blend of traditional and modern architecture.
The waiting room and concourse are adorned with artworks related to local Gond art, thread painting, and the handloom industry, reflecting Nagpur's cultural identity.
The beautification includes special attractions like Nagpur's famous oranges, a glass mosaic artwork of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, and Gond-style paintings.
Divisional railway manager Dheeraj Kumar Gupta stated that this station has emerged as a highly modern passenger centre while preserving Nagpur's cultural heritage. "This development is a matter of pride not only for the railways but also for the residents of Nagpur. The transformation of the station is a testament to the dedication of the local community, architects, engineers, and artists. The new appearance of this station proves that development and heritage can coexist in India," the SECR stated.
The railway administration has expressed confidence that the new toilet complex inspired by the Bhubaneswar design will symbolise cleanliness and convenience for passengers.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

PM inaugurates two major National Highway projects worth ₹11,000 crore
PM inaugurates two major National Highway projects worth ₹11,000 crore

Time of India

time44 minutes ago

  • Time of India

PM inaugurates two major National Highway projects worth ₹11,000 crore

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated two major National Highway projects, the Delhi section of the Dwarka Expressway and the Urban Extension Road-II (UER-II), in Delhi on Sunday. The projects--the Delhi section of the Dwarka Expressway and the Urban Extension Road-II (UER-II)--have been developed under the Government's comprehensive plan to decongest the capital, with the objective of greatly improving connectivity, cutting travel time, and reducing traffic in Delhi and its surrounding areas. These initiatives reflect Prime Minister Modi's vision of creating world-class infrastructure that enhances ease of living and ensures seamless mobility. The 10.1 km long Delhi section of Dwarka Expressway has been developed at a cost of around Rs. 5,360 crore. The section will also provide multi-modal connectivity to Yashobhoomi, the DMRC Blue Line and Orange Line, the upcoming Bijwasan railway station and the Dwarka Cluster Bus section comprises: Package I: 5.9 km from the Shiv Murti intersection to the Road Under Bridge (RUB) at Dwarka Sector-21. Package II: 4.2 km from Dwarka Sector-21 RUB to the Delhi-Haryana Border, providing direct connectivity to Urban Extension Road-II. The 19 km long Haryana section of the Dwarka Expressway was earlier inaugurated by the Prime Minister in March 2024. PM Modi also inaugurated the Alipur to Dichaon Kalan stretch of Urban Extension Road-II (UER-II) along with new links to Bahadurgarh and Sonipat, built at a cost of around Rs 5,580 crores. It will ease traffic on Delhi's Inner and Outer Ring Roads and busy points like Mukarba Chowk, Dhaula Kuan, and NH-09. The new spurs will give direct access to Bahadurgarh and Sonipat, improve industrial connectivity, cut city traffic, and speed up goods movement in the NCR. Meanwhile, hundreds of supporters have gathered to welcome PM Modi at the Mundka-Bakkarwala Village Toll Plaza in Delhi. PM Modi had also interacted with the construction workers of the Delhi section of the Dwarka Expressway and the Urban Extension Road-II (UER-II) before the inauguration.

Reforming the GST regime
Reforming the GST regime

Hindustan Times

timean hour ago

  • Hindustan Times

Reforming the GST regime

The Goods and Services Tax (GST), when it was finally implemented after decades of labour, was India's largest ever indirect tax reform. It created a nationally unified market and a unique federal forum for governing it. Doing away with state-level bumps in the indirect tax regime, however, was only one of the GST's promises. It was also expected to make the tax regime simple, especially in terms of slabs. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Independence Day speech has raised hopes of this promise being fulfilled eight years after GST's roll out. Speaking from the ramparts of Red Fort — the directional changes were later shared by finance ministry officials — Modi said that the Union government has sent a proposal to the Group of Ministers (GoM) constituted by the GST Council to unleash second generation reforms in GST, which, among other things, will bring most items under just two slabs of 'standard' and 'merit' with some exceptions being put under 'special rates'. HT reported earlier that the Centre has been mulling this, but also pointed out how the GST Council has not met for a long time now. While Modi announced that the reforms, especially on the slab front, would likely be rolled out before Diwali (second half of October), a GST Council meeting is yet to be notified. The idea, at least in principle, ought to be welcomed unequivocally. It will simplify the tax regime and take politicking out of setting tax slabs. However, the devil may very well lie in the details. Any large-scale revision in GST slabs will have to take into account its revenue implications as well as a possible inflationary impact. These two are likely to work in opposite directions and are critical factors for the fiscal and political health of the governments in charge, both in the Centre and the states. One would like to believe that a large part of this homework has been done by the GoM and state governments are on the same page with some of these salient findings. We will know more when these proposals are discussed in the next GST Council. A simplified GST is a much-needed step in India's long, even if gradual, road to reforms. Ideally, this reform should have happened earlier and definitely not in the current environment of global economic turmoil. But that's what political friction to reform sometimes entails.

Atmanirbhar Bharat: Turning crisis into opportunities for growth, security
Atmanirbhar Bharat: Turning crisis into opportunities for growth, security

Hindustan Times

timean hour ago

  • Hindustan Times

Atmanirbhar Bharat: Turning crisis into opportunities for growth, security

On Independence Day, from the ramparts of Red Fort, Prime Minister Narendra Modi painted a bold vision for India's progress, declaring Atmanirbhar Bharat the foundation of a Viksit Bharat — a developed India built on the twin pillars of self-reliance and strong defence. His message was clear: India's path forward lies in turning challenges into opportunities and securing its place as a global leader. Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his speech at the 79th Independence Day celebration at the Red Fort, in New Delhi on Friday. (ANI) During COVID-19, Atmanirbhar Bharat had transformed crisis into opportunity, which led to a surge in economic growth. The Trump tariff threat, too, is bound to turn a crisis into opportunity for greater self-reliance and strength to counter any impending calamity. The 'Sudarshan Chakra' Initiative The ' Sudarshan Chakra', an overarching security architecture, will neutralize any threat and improve India's offensive capabilities. Self-reliance will turn India into a major production hub that will capture world markets. The US tariff threats stem from perceived trade imbalance, India's continued oil purchases from Russia despite US sanctions and frustrations over stalled negotiations. Such tariffs could disrupt India's export-driven growth, affecting sectors like automobiles, IT services, textiles and pharmaceuticals. Managing US tariff pressures with diplomacy The Modi government is ably and patiently navigating the tariff threat through dialogue and diplomacy, and has 'India First' in every policy formulation and strategy. India, today, is one of the fastest-growing economies of the world and, in the words of the IMF, the 'only bright spot in the otherwise dark horizon'. Despite constraints, our monetary and fiscal space has enabled accelerated growth and our external accounts are comfortable. Infrastructure and digital progress Hence, an over 7% sustainable growth rate can be made our baseline, given the robust foundations we have created. We are a $4.187 trillion economy, relentlessly pursuing the vision to be a $ 30-35 trillion economy by 2047. One of our major achievements has been to lift over 250 million people above the poverty line and, at the same time, to have digitized the economy in a big way. From 14 km of road space per day in 2014, we are now at over 34 km per day, which reflects our prowess in infrastructural development. And we have been the 'Vishwamitra' – the pharmacy of the world during Covid 19- which supplied medical equipment, pharma products and vaccines to several countries. This proves our capability and unstinted ability and resolve to weather any storm. The tariff threat, in fact, will give India the opportunity to nudge towards emerging markets in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Africa offers vast opportunities in infrastructure, agriculture and energy collaboration. Our Act East Policy will help in increasing exports in apparels and electronics. ASEAN nations provide dynamic consumer markets for Indian textiles, pharmaceuticals and machinery. The UK, EU and Australia are new avenues where India is already engaged in talks and we now have an FTA with the UK. By pursuing South-South cooperation, India can position itself as a global supplier beyond the West. Promoting Indian brands, semiconductor manufacturing Indian brands need to be promoted on global marketplaces like Amazon and indigenous platforms should be built to broaden market outreach. The first 'Made in India' chips will be in the market by the year-end. The country is now in mission mode with six semiconductor units in the pipeline and four new ones already approved. Our 'Make in India' punch has already taken off in renewable energy with the 500 GW of clean green energy drive by 2030 and thrust on indigenous defense production, as announced on the 15th of August by the Prime Minister. Initiatives like the International Solar Alliance and Global Bio-fuel Alliance will position India as a leader in renewable energy, potentially opening up the doors to tariff-exempt trade deals. India spends about 0.7% of its GDP in research and development compared to 2 to 3% in advanced nations. This is now increasing. The Startup India Mission with over 1.6 lakh startups needs to be scaled up. The National Quantum Mission, with a $1 billion outlay, will develop indigenous capabilities and reduce import reliance. India is already a global IT services powerhouse and diversification of exports by expanding cloud services, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, quantum computing and fintech will help as these are sectors where tariffs are less likely to apply. By strengthening the intellectual property regime, India will be able to negotiate better terms in trade talks. By becoming a preferred alternative manufacturing hub, India can both absorb supply chains and build resilience against US tariffs. Building supply chain resilience Supply chain diversification is imperative to stymie Trump's policies and India must enhance its Production-Linked Incentive Scheme to lure global firms. Accelerating domestic production is most essential. Investments in infrastructure and reducing logistics costs can make our exports cost-competitive globally. India's logistics costs nearly 14% of the GDP as compared to 8 to 9% in developed countries. So we need to invest in faster cargo and port clearance and efficient warehousing and supply chains. Next-gen GST and tax reforms The Modi government has announced the 'Next Generation GST reforms' which would substantially reduce the tax burden across the country. The GST Council will also consider proposals for further ease of compliance using technology and faster refunds to exporters. Moving to a two-rate GST structure will catapult India at par with advanced economies. Compliances for MSMEs, which form the backbone of India's exports, are also being simplified and will strengthen the nation's manufacturing capabilities and make us more self-reliant. Easing regulations would attract companies relocating from China. Tourism, being tariff proof, must be propelled and, considering India's several beautiful locations, this is the right time. Other structural reforms, eliminating redtapism and enforcing strategic disinvestment and asset monetization to execute the Modi government's policy of 'Minimum government Maximum Governance' will help the endeavor for free enterprise. As mentioned above, India today is one of the world's fastest growing economies with a 6.3% growth and pacing to be a $5.5 trillion economy by 2028. There has been a great leap in economic reforms, healthcare, ease of doing business, infrastructural growth, enforcing a tech-driven digital India, serving the poor with several schemes and with the largest food security programme in the world and Nari Shakti. 80% of stand up India loans and 68% of Mudra loans have gone to women entrepreneurs. We are aiming at one nation, one tax and one market; we are a global e-payment leader and economic growth engine and have ensured a faceless tax system for a more accountable economy. India today is a new India — strong, secure and invincible, as ably proved after we have pulverized Pakistan. All this is due to our policy of 'Sabka saath, sabka vikas, sabka vishwas and sabka prayas. And it is this 'Nation First' commitment of a determined government, which is dedicated to the welfare of its countrymen, which will make us succeed- always and every time. The author is a former chairman, Haryana Public Service Commission and chairman, Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission. Views expressed are personal

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store