Latest news with #AKSharma
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Min: Intensify cleanliness efforts, ensure effective use of sanitation machines
1 2 3 4 Lucknow: Urban development minister AK Sharma on Saturday emphasised the need to intensify cleanliness efforts in the city and stressed the importance of treating waste as a valuable resource. Speaking at 'Seva aur Samarpan' programme organised to mark two years of mayor Sushma Kharkwal in office, Sharma said, "While a lot of progress has been made in city's cleanliness, in some areas, sanitation machines are reportedly stationed without any actual cleaning work being carried out. If a machine is available in any area, it must be used, as the man-machine partnership increases productivity by up to 1,000 times. " He appreciated the mayor's active role in ensuring cleanliness in the city and stressed the importance of treating waste as a valuable resource, citing examples like Shivala Park in Prayagraj which has been developed using waste. He suggested that a similar model should be adopted in the city. The mayor also shared updates on civic initiatives, including increased tax collection, beautification projects using waste, installation of CCTV cameras, establishment of new transfer stations for solid waste, and plantation of five lakh saplings under 'Green Lucknow' initiative. BJP state president Bhupendra Chaudhary acknowledged the progress made in functioning of the civic body. He said that the contributions of figures like Rajmata Ahilyabai Holkar should be highlighted prominently in public discourse. A booklet detailing the municipal corporation's work over the past two years was released, and a short documentary highlighting improvements in civic services — including drinking water supply, garbage disposal, and sanitation —was screened. Mankameshwar ward corporator Ranjit Singh was felicitated for his contributions during the pandemic, including the cleaning of the Gomti river and the cremation of unclaimed bodies. BJP MP Dinesh Sharma also addressed the gathering and recalled his own tenure as the city mayor. He acknowledged the work carried out by the current municipal administration. The mayor expressed gratitude for the support received over the past two years and reaffirmed her commitment to the city's development.
Hindustan Times
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Probe ordered into frequent shutdowns by Lucknow's CG City substation
A week after Uttar Pradesh energy minister AK Sharma found during a surprise inspection of the 33/1kV1 kV CG City substation near Raj Bhawan in Lucknow that more than 10 shutdowns had occurred in a single day there, he has ordered a probe to find out the reasons for it. He flagged the situation as a serious operational lapse, raising concerns over frequent power cuts faced by residents despite government directives for uninterrupted electricity in the state capital. Citywide audit of substations on Following the CG City inspection, the minister directed a broader audit of all substations in Lucknow that recorded more than one shutdown in a day. Sharma emphasised that such patterns are indicative of wider systemic inefficiencies, stating, 'If a substation takes more than one shutdown in a day, it directly reflects the multiple power cuts endured by residents, which is unacceptable in the capital city.' Chief engineer, (Lucknow Electricity Supply Administration (LESA), Ravi Agarwal, said all directives issued by the energy and urban development minister will be implemented. As per him, significant improvements have already been made in the power department's response mechanisms. 'This year, the reaction time to attend to faults has been shorter and the duration of power outages has reduced as compared to previous years,' Agarwal further said, highlighting efforts already underway to enhance service reliability and minimise disruptions for consumers. Infra upgraded, yet shutdowns persist The LESA has invested over ₹400 crore under the Centre's Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme to modernise the city's power infrastructure. Despite these upgrades, recurring shutdowns remain a concern. Officials warned against complacency The energy minister issued strict directives to power distribution company officials, warning them against complacency. 'Stop sitting inside offices—go to the ground, inspect substations and address the problems firsthand,' Sharma told discom staff. He also hinted at more surprise inspections in the coming weeks to ensure accountability. Officials have been ordered to ensure that no feeder experiences more than one shutdown at a time. One of the shutdowns under scrutiny was reportedly executed for the permanent disconnection of a temporary connection—raising questions over the planning and necessity of such outages. Additionally, feeders with excessive load are to be rebalanced immediately to maintain a consistent and stable power supply. Zero tolerance for frequent outages Strict warnings have also been issued against frequent tripping, low voltage issues, and unnecessary shutdowns. Officials have been told that such service disruptions will no longer be tolerated, as the administration pushes toward delivering uninterrupted electricity to all corners of the city.
Hindustan Times
25-05-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
UPSCR project set to roll: Chennai firm to draft master plan, cabinet approval soon
The Uttar Pradesh State Capital Region (UPSCR), envisioned as a major driver of regional development and real estate growth, is poised for a formal launch with the state government selecting a Chennai-based firm as the top bidder to prepare its master blueprint. Officials confirmed that the selected firm emerged as the Level-1 bidder among three applicants. Its appointment is expected to be cleared by the state cabinet shortly. According to government sources, a team of 18 experts from the consultancy will be tasked with preparing a detailed project report (DPR) for the SCR, a regional planning initiative modelled on the National Capital Region (NCR). The project will integrate six districts, Lucknow, Barabanki, Hardoi, Sitapur, Rae Bareli and Unnao, covering a combined area of 27,826 square kilometres. The SCR is being developed as a balanced urban-rural growth region around Lucknow. According to the 2011 Census, Lucknow district alone has a population of 45.89 lakh over 2,528 sq km. Barabanki, its immediate neighbour, spans 4,402 sq km with a population of 32.60 lakh. To ensure seamless intra-regional mobility, the government plans to introduce a Rapid Rail Transit System (RRTS) connecting the six districts. The project will mirror the operational Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS corridor, which has drastically reduced commute times and eased pressure on roads. Sources said that the proposed plan includes the construction of two 100-km-long ring roads and five elevated corridors aimed at reducing traffic congestion and improving regional connectivity. Urban development minister AK Sharma said that the project will move forward shortly, with groundwork for planning and coordination already underway. Officials said the integrated approach of the SCR will open up large-scale investment opportunities across its constituent districts.
Hindustan Times
18-05-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
Unnecessary power cuts in Lucknow won't be tolerated: Minister to officials
Amid rising temperatures, Uttar Pradesh energy minister AK Sharma conducted a surprise inspection of the 33/11 kV power substation at CG City under the Raj Bhavan division here to assess power supply management and operational readiness. Reviewing the substation's logbook and load panel, Sharma examined the power transformer load and directed officials to ensure uninterrupted power supply in line with rising demand. The substation, with a capacity of 2×10 MVA, supplies power to areas, including Yahiyamau, Chhatnagar, Swati City, Ektanagar and Prithvipuram through three public feeders. Expressing displeasure over repeated shutdowns for maintenance on the same feeder, the minister instructed officials to complete all repair work in a single instance to minimise disruptions. He emphasised that unnecessary power cuts, tripping and low voltage issues in Lucknow would not be tolerated. Sharma directed officials to swiftly address transformer damage or malfunction, maintain cleanliness around power equipment and promptly resolve power interruptions reported via the 1912 helpline. Non-responsive staff members would face strict action, he warned. Sharma also urged consumers to cooperate in curbing power theft and conserving energy. The state government, he said, had undertaken extensive upgrades in power infrastructure over the past three years, including the replacement of dilapidated lines, poles and transformers and capacity augmentation under the RDSS scheme and business plan at an investment of ₹24,000-25,000 crore. Senior officials, including executive engineer, SDO and junior engineers, were present during the inspection.
Hindustan Times
06-05-2025
- Automotive
- Hindustan Times
U.P. Cabinet decision: Nod to policies for streamlining parking, regulation of bus terminals
With a view to streamlining parking of private vehicles in city limits and of buses around bus terminals, the State Cabinet on Tuesday approved the Uttar Pradesh Municipal Corporation (Construction, Maintenance and Operation of Parking Spaces) Rules – 2025 and the UP Stage Carriage Bus Terminal, Contract Carriage and All India Tourist Bus Park (Establishment and Regulation) Policy, 2025. No one will be allowed to park their vehicles in a manner that disrupts traffic such as on footpath, roadside and other public space. (For Representation) The new parking policy is aimed at establishing modern parking facilities in urban local bodies. In the first phase, the policy will be implemented in 17 municipal corporations across the state. 'The parking space in municipal corporations will be given on private-public-partnership (PPP) mode,' said urban development minister AK Sharma at press conference held to brief reporters about the Cabinet decisions. Among riders for starting parking space include approach road of more than 12-mts width, separate parking for divyangjan, designated space for charging facility for EVs, boom barriers and digital signals etc. The 17 municipal corporations where the new parking policy will be implemented include Lucknow, Kanpur, Ayodhya, Aligarh, Agra, Ghaziabad, Gorakhpur, Prayagraj, Firozabad, Bareilly, Mathura, Meerut, Moradabad, Varanasi, Shahjahanpur and Saharanpur. No one will be allowed to park their vehicles in a manner that disrupts traffic such as on footpath, roadside and other public space. 'For starting a parking facility, a licence will be issued by Nagar Nigam against a fee. An individual can apply for tender on government land or shall apply as individual on their own land too for starting a parking facility. The parking contractor will also get vehicles parked in an unauthorised manner towed,' the minister said. Each district will have a parking management committee that will take decision regarding management. The minister said spa, salon and car bazaar shall be allowed at parking spaces apart from toilets and fee will be decided by the parking management committee. The tender will be given for a period of five-year. Among riders include power with parking management committee to end contract if more vehicles than capacity are parked or if any of the norms are not met. Besides, the Uttar Pradesh Cabinet also approved the UP Stage Carriage Bus Terminal, Contract Carriage and All India Tourist Bus Park (Establishment and Regulation) Policy, 2025, to bring in private players to operate parking facility for buses within a vicinity of 5 km radius of the bus terminal. Private bidders can compete for taking tender of the parking spaces that will come up on at least 2 acres of government land. If a private person has 2 acres or more land with an annual turnover of at least ₹ 50 lakh, they can also apply for tender. A district level committee will regulate its functioning. A private bidder shall not be given more than 10 tourist bus parks in state, not more than two in a district and not more than one on one road/stretch, said finance minister Suresh Khanna addressing the press conference. 'The bus park should be within 5 km radius of the bus terminal. The contract under PPP will be given for 10 years and if found suitable for another 10 years,' the minister added. The Cabinet also approved land transfer from labour department to medical education department for construction of 100-bed critical care hospital block for government medical college under Prime Minister Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure.
