logo
BJD slams cancellation of coastal highway tender; calls it double betrayal by Centre

BJD slams cancellation of coastal highway tender; calls it double betrayal by Centre

BHUBANESWAR: The BJD on Tuesday voiced strong opposition to the cancellation of the tender for state's coastal highway project by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), describing it as a 'double betrayal by the double-engine government'.
BJD vice-president and former minister Sanjay Das Burma told a media conference here that the development has thrown the long-delayed project into uncertainty yet again. He said under the Centre's Bharatmala project, 413 km-long coastal highway was planned and formally announced by Union minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari at Pipili on July 9, 2015. It was proposed that the route from Ratanpur to Chandanpur would be declared a national highway and connected with the proposed coastal highway.
The proposed length of the coastal highway was later changed to 346 km. Das Burma said initially it was decided that the highway would be of four-lane and tenders were invited accordingly.
But now, after re-evaluation, there are indications that it may be downgraded to a two-lane road, which is completely unacceptable, he said. He urged Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi to immediately discuss the matter with the Centre and ensure that the project is executed as originally planned.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Water sharing: Will Telangana attend deferred meet on Tribunal Award?
Water sharing: Will Telangana attend deferred meet on Tribunal Award?

New Indian Express

time40 minutes ago

  • New Indian Express

Water sharing: Will Telangana attend deferred meet on Tribunal Award?

HYDERABAD: The Ministry of Jal Shakti will hold a consultation meeting on the implementation of the Brijesh Kumar Tribunal Award in Delhi on June 18. The meeting, originally proposed on May 7, was postponed due to some unavoidable reasons. According to information received here, the Jal Shakti minister will convene the meeting at 3 pm on June 18 in the national capital. Ministers of stakeholder states — Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra — were invited to the meeting. If the Brijesh Kumar Tribunal Award is notified, it would provide immediate benefits to AP, Karnataka and Maharastra but not Telangana. According to sources, Maharashtra and Karnataka have been exerting pressure on the Centre to notify the Tribunal Award. It is not clear if the Telangana government is in favour of the consultation process initiated by the Jal Shakti Ministry and also notifying the Tribunal Award in the gazette. 'We will discuss it in the Cabinet and take a final decision on whether or not to attend the Jal Shakti meeting,' Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy said. It may be recalled that the Union government referred the Krishna water tribunal disputes between AP and Telangana to the existing Tribunal under Section 3 of the Interstate River Water Disputes Act, 1956, for the allocation of Krishna waters afresh between the two sibling states.

Why One Nation, One Election might have to wait till 2034
Why One Nation, One Election might have to wait till 2034

India Today

timean hour ago

  • India Today

Why One Nation, One Election might have to wait till 2034

Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Centre's ambitious One Nation, One Election initiative, which seeks to synchronise elections for the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha, is unlikely to be implemented before 2034, according to BJP MP PP Chaudhary, who is chairing the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the proposed 129th Constitutional Amendment Bill, approved by the Union Cabinet in December 2024, outlined a framework for simultaneous national and state-level elections. The Bill was tabled in the Lok Sabha in December 2024, and just a few days later, it was referred to the Joint Parliamentary Committee, which BJP's Pali MP, Chaudhary, is One Nation, One Election draws from the recommendations of the High-level Committee on Simultaneous Elections, chaired by former President Ram Nath Kovind. He submitted a 18,626-page report to President Droupadi Murmu in March 2024. But despite the Centre's legislative push, India is unlikely to see simultaneous polls before 2034, as the timeline depends on complex logistical, legal, and political preparations, a point recently reiterated by the JPC ONOE CAN'T HAPPEN BEFORE 2034In a recent interview with The Indian Express, when asked about the timeline for the first simultaneous elections, PP Chaudhary said: "The committee will deliberate; Parliament will decide. We can't say when, but the Bill says the first session of Parliament. If it happens with the appointed date, then it would be from 2034".The primary reason the One Nation, One Election plan can't be enforced before 2034 is because of how the Bill is structured. The Bill proposes adding a new Article 82A to the Constitution. This article would let the President announce an "appointed date" during the first sitting of a newly-elected Lok Sabha. But since the first sitting of the current (18th) Lok Sabha commenced in 2024, it could be done next in the President's notification of the appointed date, the terms of state legislative assemblies elected thereafter will be curtailed to synchronise with the five-year term of the Lok Sabha commencing in means that any state assembly elected after the appointed date -- whether its term begins in 2031 or 2033 -- will have to end by 2034, so that its next election can align with the Lok Sabha cycle starting that the next opportunity for the President to notify would come only after the 2029 Lok Sabha elections. If the Bill passes by then, the next Lok Sabha will run until 2034, and that's when simultaneous elections could ELSE IS HOLDING BACK ONOEApart from this, there are other significant challenges as the One Nation, One Election Bill to become law, it must be passed by a two-thirds majority by both houses of Parliament. After enactment, it would also have to be ratified by at least 50% of state legislatures, which looks like a challenging task given the National Democratic Alliance's numbers in the NDA holds a little over 290 seats in the Lok Sabha and 129 in the Rajya Sabha, it falls short of the two-thirds majority required -- 364 in the Lok Sabha and 164 in the Rajya Sabha -- to pass the the Narendra Modi-led Centre will need support from parties outside its coalition, a point emphasised by Chaudhary, who said, "parties who think of the national interest would support the Bills".From the perspective of ratification by state and Union Territory assemblies, as of June 2025, the NDA holds power in 20 of India's 30 legislative assemblies, while the INDIA bloc governs 10, a number that works in the NDA's getting the Bill through Parliament will require extensive deliberation, and there's always the possibility that the numbers may shift over there are logistical and financial challenges Election Commission of India (ECI) needs to double the number of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and upgrade infrastructure to conduct simultaneous elections. The ECI estimated that it would need Rs 10,000 crore every 15 years for new EVMs if simultaneous polls were to be held, reported news agency by 2029, numbers may change, and building consensus after extensive consultation would be required. This challenge is reflected in the plans of the 39-member parliamentary panel, led by Chaudhary, which is set to visit all states and Union Territories over the next two to two-and-a-half years and gather feedback on the proposed Watch

Delhi, Bengaluru To Get Flying Buses? Gadkari Outlines Govt's Plans To Cut Traffic Woes
Delhi, Bengaluru To Get Flying Buses? Gadkari Outlines Govt's Plans To Cut Traffic Woes

News18

time2 hours ago

  • News18

Delhi, Bengaluru To Get Flying Buses? Gadkari Outlines Govt's Plans To Cut Traffic Woes

Last Updated: Nitin Gadkari has detailed the government's plans to ease the traffic problems in major cities of the country, including Delhi and Bengaluru. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has outlined the future of the Indian transport system in major cities of the country, which will have an air pod system and flash-charging electric buses. These transportation initiatives will ease the problem of traffic congestion, bringing relief to the residents from long, tiring journeys. Detailing the government's plan in this direction, Gadkari said that a pod system in the air is being planned along the Dhaula Kuan-Manesar route. 'We want to start a pod system in the air from Dhaula Kuan to Manesar because there is a lot of traffic on this road," the Union Minister told news agency ANI. He also underlined that a similar study is being carried out in Bengaluru – a city which is infamous for its long traffic congestion, particularly during rainfall. #WATCH | When asked about 'flying buses', Union Minister Nitin Gadkari says, '…We want to start a pod system in the air from Dhaula Kuan to Manesar because there is a lot of traffic on this road. We are doing the same study in Bengaluru. In Uttarakhand and Kashmir, we are… — ANI (@ANI) June 9, 2025 What Is Pod System? A pod-based transport system consists of small, driverless electric vehicles that run on raised tracks by either hanging from rails above or running on top of them. They are similar to on-demand taxis, wherein one can call a pod when in need and transit from one place to another without any stoppage. A pod can carry around five to six people. Gadkari said that the government has started a flash-charging electric bus in Nagpur, which has 135 seats. This bus will run at a speed of 120 km/h and will stop for 30 seconds to recharge and run again. 'We have also started a flash-charging electric bus in Nagpur with 135 seats. This bus will be executive class with TVs in front. It will run on the road to Nagpur. The bus will have a speed of 120 kmph. It will stop for 30 seconds after every 40 kilometres, people will get off and get on. The bus will get charged in 30 seconds and will start again…The bus will be less expensive because it will require less battery power," he detailed, highlighting that the fare on such buses will be 30% lower compared to diesel buses. Upon successful completion of the initiative in Nagpur, the government will roll out the same buses from Delhi to Jaipur, Delhi to Dehradun, Bangalore to Chennai, Mumbai to Nashik, and Pune, the Minister announced. First Published: June 10, 2025, 12:10 IST

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store