NEWS : INFRASTRUCTURE
framework of highways development as the
government plans to revive the model which has
failed to elicit interest from the private sector. The
authority has initiated consultations with the
industry on the kind of changes that can be carried
out in the framework. NHAI has identified projects
with high traffic density which can be offered on
BOT. Some of the major challenges facing BOT
projects are timely land acquisition and
forecasting traffic density correctly. Developers
have in the past bid irrationally, after which they
were not able to get financial closure and the
projects were stuck in the operational stage. In the
past, the operating risks were left completely on
the private sector and there has almost always
been a mismatch in the assessment of total
project cost between NHAI and the developers
rationalisation of various levies in infrastructure
sector, fiscal incentives for development of
Electric Vehicles industry, greater emphasis on
recycling/up-cycling of waste material, and
imparting infrastructure status to renewable
energy sector.
Varanasi to have ropeways to ease
road congestion
Budget 2019: Infrastructure sector
seeks more capital and tax rebates
Infrastructure sector has sought more capital and
tax rebates for creating sustainable and stable
opportunities. In a meeting stakeholders from
infrastructure and climate change sectors
suggested introduction of tax-free bonds to boost
investment, streamlining of land acquisition
p r o c e s s , c r e a t i o n o f G r e e n Te c h n o l o g y
Acceleration Fund to promote renewable energy.
In a statement the finance ministry said that the
main areas of discussion included ways to bring in
more capital to the infrastructure sector including
incentives for electric vehicles as well as for the
Green Sector including renewable energy among
others. Other suggestions were to contain the
rising cost of infrastructure projects,
Work has begun for improving public transport
system. As metro and mono rail are unfeasible
here due to narrow roads, the proposal for
ropeways is taking shape. Survey has begun on
three routes for ropeway and in a meeting held by
Commissioner Deepak Agarwal, it was decided
that RITES (Rail India Technical and Economic
Service) and engineering consultancy company
specializing in the field of transport infrastructure
would supervise the project. RITES official
Vishakha said: "Ropeway is a good idea for old
Kashi where roads are narrow and it is not
possible to break structures." The first proposed
route of the ropeway would be Shivpur to Sigra
and Lanka while the second route would be from
Kuccheri to Lahurabir, Maidagin and Gudauliya.
The third route would be from Lahartara to
Banaras Hindu University. Varanasi Development
Authority (VDA) Vice-Chairman Rajesh Kumar
said that the proposal for ropeways was presently
under study. RITES is studying the feasibility of
the project - whether a single ropeway or a double
ropeway would be better. Once the initial study is
completed which would take another fortnight or
so, we will move on to the next stage of preparing a
detailed project report (DPR)," he said.
PAGE 11 I METROBERRY I JULY 2019