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Editorial Gujarat Seeking To Build Futuristic Transport System

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With transportation becoming an integral part of modern life, it has started impacting the development of any country and its way of life in a major way.

In the light of transport system’s centrality in terms of progress and development, we found it valid enough subject to delve upon as to how it is influencing life at large in one of the most happening States of the country – Gujarat.

Our cover story “Green and Sustainable Transport for Smart Gujarat” explores what, where, why and how things are happening in the transportation space of this State, which is known for its industrious people and vibrant economy.

With ICT solutions being also looked upon and utilised in offering a better experience of services and administration, transport is being made more effective with it. Our various interviews, stories or experts’ take are an endeavour to reveal, analyse and interpret this and much more.

The latest issue carries an exclusive interview of Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani who has shared his vision for the State, while stating how this investment destination for numerous businesses, industrial infrastructure, natural resources, and business friendly environ is setting new benchmarks of success and development.

Key policymakers from Gujarat like Vipul Mitra, Principal, Secretary, Department of Transport, Government of Gujarat, Gaurav Dahiya, Mission Director, National Health Mission, Government of Gujarat, Dr Vinod Rao, Commissioner, Vadodara Municipal Corporation, Banchhanidhi Pani, Commissioner, Rajkot Municipal Corporation, have shared about various ongoing projects and visions of their respective departments.

Dinesh Kumar Jain, Additional Chief Secretary (Finance), Government of Maharashtra, in an interview has talked about the economic development of the State.

Another exclusive interview is of Swantantra Dev Singh, Minister of State for Transport (Independent Charge), Uttar Pradesh, who talks about the ongoing innovations in the State’s Transport Department and how it’s paving way for progress and a better way of life with modern technology’s intervention. He talks about how Yogi Adityanath government is working to introduce and implement new-age technology to ensure a better State transport system.

Offering an insight into the worldview of industry, private players like IL&FS and eSmart Solutions Private Limited working in the field of Smart Transportation have also shared their solutions which hold potential to bring a vast change.

A special interview of P Bala Kiran, Director, Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala, provides a tourism perspective in the God’s own country visited by millions of domestic and foreign travellers annually.

With such a host of interviews, stories and industry stakeholders’ expertise featuring in this latest issue, we hope it would invite an invaluable feedback of our readers.

INTERVIEWS This section highlights various stakeholders, bureaucrats and policy makers influencing governance in the country.

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CONTENTS October 2017 | Volume 13 | Special Issue

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COVER STORY

Committed to Uphold High Standards of Governance: Gujarat CM

Green and Sustainable Transport for Smart Gujarat GUJARAT TRANSPORT PERSPECTIVE

POLICYMAKER’S PERSPECTIVE

SPECIAL STORY

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Vipul Mitra

Dr Vinod Rao

MAHARASHTRA’S ECONOMY PERSPECTIVE

IDCO PERSPECTIVE

Principal Secretary, Department of Transport Government of Gujarat

Commissioner, Vadodara Municipal Corporation

24 Journey of Baroda to Smart City Vadodara

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

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Dinesh Kumar Jain

Sanjay Singh

Additional Chief Secretary (Finance) Government of Maharashtra

Chairman and Managing Director Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDCO), Odisha

Swatantra Dev Singh Minister of State for Transport (Independent Charge), Government of Uttar Pradesh

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

The State of Gujarat is emerging as a growth engine of India keeping the idea of “Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas�. Gujarat is the investment destination for numerous businesses because of thriving economy, business-friendly policies, industrial infrastructure, and natural resources, says Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani in an exclusive interview with Gopi Krishna Arora of Elets News Network (ENN). Excerpts:

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Committed to Uphold HIGH STANDARDS of Governance: Gujarat CM egov magazine

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You took over as the Gujarat Chief Minister over a year ago, how has been the journey so far?

In the year gone by, my Government has followed Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call of “Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas” and has sincerely taken forward the growth story of Gujarat. I take pride in stating Gujarat under Shri Narendrabhai’s leadership helped India redefine Good Governance and Development Model. Our objective is to continuously work for public welfare.

I am extremely grateful to the people of Gujarat for the faith they have shown in me and the support they have given me in the past year till now.

Today, Gujarat Government is committed to uphold these high standards of governance and committed to serve the people better.

In future, we hope for many more synergies that lead Gujarat to the top.

Largely viewed as a growth story, Gujarat has been a leader specific State, don’t you feel the pressure to perform?

The State of Gujarat is emerging as a growth engine of India keeping the idea of “Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas” (at the centre of its actions). Going back to the history of development in the State of Gujarat, the biggest ever event ‘Vibrant Gujarat Summit’ was started in 2003, under the visionary leadership of the then Chief Minister of Gujarat Shri Narendra Modi, it took Gujarat to the top-most level when it comes to global investments. Gujarat is the investment destination for numerous businesses because of thriving economy, business friendly policies, industrial infrastructure, and natural resources. The State has always been one of the fastest growing States in India, from the development of basic agriculture to industry revolution, from textiles to tourism, from dynamic culture to

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“Substantial investment by Suzuki, Ford, Tata, SAIC Motors, Hero Moto Corp and many more have been instrumental to this growth.”

Gujarat, in fact, has emerged as a pioneer in the field of e-governance initiatives. We have several initiatives operating on the ground, aligned with Mission Mode Projects (MMPs) under National E-Governance Plan as well as various State-sponsored initiatives. For instance, some of the major projects run by the State government include Crime and Criminal Tracking Networks and Systems (CCTNS), eCity, eCourt, eDhara/eJamin, Garvi /CSIS, e-District, eGram Vishwagram etc. Our focus is on innovative technology and innovative use of technology.

information technology. Today, Gujarat is home to global industrialists and young entrepreneurs alike. When it comes to performance, key purpose of our government is earning the faith of people and we have managed to do so by emerging as transparent, decisive, sensitive and progressive.

Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have overtaken Gujarat in Ease of Doing (EoD) Business and recently you said Gujarat will bounce back to No. 1 position nationally. What measures are there in the government pipeline?

In today’s age of science, technology and innovation, effective use of ICT is imperative to meet the ever-growing expectations of citizens and businesses. E-Governance is continuously evolving to provide access, equity and empowerment to masses. Tell us about the major e-governance projects initiated in Gujarat in recent times.

Gujarat has always been among the most preferred destinations for doing business. The Government of Gujarat has recently introduced “The Gujarat Single Window Clearances Act 2017”.

The act provides for a robust application review mechanism at district and State level, with the pendency being reviewed at the highest-level. A dedicated single window agency namely ‘Investor

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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

We have devised a common incentives form in order to simplify the application procedure for industries to avail incentives. We also initiated filing of ‘Consolidated Annual Returns’ under 11 labour laws. All half-yearly and yearly returns are required to be submitted under one consolidated annual return. In the last one year, three commercial courts also became functional having jurisdiction over 27 judicial districts in Gujarat.

manufacturing and industrial sector, the Government has also focused on creating a support ecosystem by encouraging development of MSME. This ecosystem enables forward/ backward linkage and cost competitiveness. It is this ecosystem that makes any investment sustainable and competitive, both in domestic and export markets. With over 20 lakh Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in the State providing employment to over 1.5 crore people, the State continues to focus on providing all handholding measures.

Besides, we have brought several landmark reforms like Comprehensive General Development Control Regulations (GDCR) for entire State, AutoCAD based building plan approvals, provision for selfcertification/ third party certifications for labour and environment laws, which will go a long way in improving the business friendliness in the State.

As a Chief Minister of the most promising State, you have established four pillars of good governance - Transparent Government, Sensitive Government, Decisive Government and Progressive Government, what are the major decisions being taken in this regard?

The Government of Gujarat

The Gujarat Government has taken 475

Facilitation Agency’ has been set up through this act.

realises the potential of the industry and the growth opportunities it brings to the State. How are we planning to make the State best investment destination?

While Gujarat has been successful in attracting big ticket investments in

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principal decisions in the welfare of the people in the past 365 days, based on the four pillars of good governance – Transparent Government, Sensitive Government, Decisive Government and Progressive Government. Our government has carried forward Shri Narendra Modi’s tradition of giving priority to agriculture, industry and

service sector as well as simplification of laws and strengthening civic infrastructural facilities. Looking at the areas of health, education and employment, Gujarat Government has taken various sensitive decisions including opening of more than 150 Jan Aushadhi stores, established new independent (green filed) self-finance colleges, providing monthly assistance of Rs 500 for patients in tribal areas, increased the pension given to widows, implementation of 7th pay commission as well as new amendment to law against cow slaughter.

But just erecting the pillars is not good enough. The Gujarat government has proved it is also committed to respect and follow the principles they depict. We have maintained transparent decisionmaking processes, even while tackling sensitive issues like strengthening laws related to prohibition, ULC regulation act, waiving toll-tax on State Highways, and implementation of PESA Act for tribal empowerment. Other programmes which reaffirm our decisive and progressive approach are implementation of the Shramik Annapurna Yojna, smart tablet distribution to students, creation of Digital classrooms, various schemes for farmers, SAUNI Yojna, Sujalam Sufalam Yojna, Shravan Tirth Yojna, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna, Rooftop Solar Scheme, Seema Darshan programme, Subsidy on onion and potato, securing Heritage city status for Ahmedabad city, completion of Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam project, initiating Seva Setu, Mukhyamantri Sadak Yojana and many more.

How is Gujarat leading in urban transformation towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ambitious Smart Cities Mission?

What are your future plans for the same?

Gujarat has made substantial progress in creating future ready, smart and livable cities. Already six cities of

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Gujarat are chosen to be developed as Smart Cities. These cities are Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, Rajkot, Dahod and Gandhinagar.

The State Government has chalked out a plan on better urban mobility, metered 24 X 7 water supply, green spaces, cycle tracks, development of futuristic commercial complexes, etc, as a part of the smart cities initiative.

What are the major policies through which State Government is promoting Startups and Micro, Small and Medium Entrepreneurs (MSMEs) of Gujarat?

We have been encouraging entrepreneurs and innovators by providing support to startups through funding, mentoring and incubation under various policies and schemes. The State has introduced various schemes and policies including Gujarat Startup / Innovation Scheme under the Industrial Policy 2015, Gujarat Electronics & IT/ ITeS Startup Policy 2016, Student Startup & Innovation Policy 2017 etc.

Additionally, the Government of Gujarat has also created the ‘GVFL Startup Fund’ of Rs 250 crore towards promoting startup ecosystem along with GVFL Ltd. We have also set up the International Centre for Entrepreneurship and Technology or ‘iCreate’ on PPP model as a Centre of Excellence for providing an ecosystem for next-gen entrepreneurs. iCreate offers support of 6 to 24 months to individuals seeking grooming, preparation and incubation support.

Our efforts and initiatives have been recognised by Government of India and Gujarat was awarded the Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration in 2017 for successful implementation of startup India programme.

We are also making extensive policy

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Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani participating in cleanliness drive

“Gujarat Government is committed to uphold high standards of governance and is committed to serving the people better”. interventions to strengthen the MSME sector by providing support in funding, infrastructure, technology, market access and skill development. We have provisions for special assistance for MSMEs under our Industrial Policy 2015, Gujarat Aerospace and Defense Policy and Textile Policy as well.

Any suggestions for the companies seeking to enter Gujarat market for expansion?

The Government of Gujarat has always believed in employing a policy-driven approach towards development, and it is a matter of pride that today we have over 20 State government policies for supporting business needs across

sectors and domains. This policydriven approach has yielded results.

Gujarat is a national leader in over 15 sectors of manufacturing industry such as chemicals and petrochemicals, textiles, automobile and auto components, engineering, pharmaceuticals and so on. The State also has a leadership position in areas such as ports and maritime, renewable energy, tourism and agriculture.

Gujarat is one of India’s most industrialised and urbanised economies, and is a national leader across various sectors of socioeconomic development. Today, with roughly 6% of India’s geographical area and 5% of the country’s population, Gujarat accounts for almost 8% of India’s Gross Domestic Product, 18% of India’s Industrial Output and over 20% of exports.

The State is home to major domestic as well as multinational corporations, and has managed to garner a Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) of $10.5 billion between 2011 and 2017. In fact, in year 2016-17, we have bagged third rank in attracting FDI among Indian States.

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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Swatantra Dev Singh Minister of State for Transport (Independent Charge) Government of Uttar Pradesh

UP Gears Up for Hi-Tech Transport System What are the achievements of Department of Uttar Pradesh under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath?

As stated in the Lok Kalyan Sankalp Patra, we have started government bus services in the villages to bridge the gap between villages and district headquarters. Buses of the Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) are now plying through 4,766 villages. Till now, they were deprived of

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bus connectivity and we are in the process of finalising 533 new routes to run government buses in nearly 7,000 villages. We have not spent any additional money in buying buses etc. for connecting villages with district headquarters through transport.

Moreover, it has happened within existing infrastructure. Villagers in far-flung areas using transport facilities at an affordable cost, is one of the biggest milestones our government has achieved.

Uttar Pradesh’s Yogi Adityanath Government is dedicatedly working to introduce and utilise new-age technology to improve the State transportation system, says Swatantra Dev Singh, Minister of State for Transport (Independent Charge), Government of Uttar Pradesh, in an exclusive Interview with Arpit Gupta of Elets News Network (ENN).

How many bus stations now have the free Wi-Fi facility and Water ATMs? As many as 74 bus stations, spread across 66 district headquarters in the State now have free Wi-Fi facility.

The Wi-Fi services with unlimited infotainment would be available for passengers through an app ‘TG Connect’. Gradually, benefits of free Wi-Fi will be given to passengers travelling in buses.

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Water ATMs have been installed at 10 bus stations including Varanasi, Allahabad, Azamgarh, Moradabad, Rampur and Hardoi in order to provide clean and cold drinking water to passengers. Under Corporate Social Responsibility, we have received proposals to install at 100 Water ATMs to ensure potable water at affordable price in all important bus stations.

Social media accounts of the Transport Department on Facebook and Twitter are quite popular due to instant response, how does it help connect citizens?

Anybody can register his/her transport related complaint through social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter (@ ParivahanUP). The Department is resolving close to 100 complaints daily which it gets from different social media platforms. Acting on the complaints, we are also taking stringent actions against the drivers and conductors if they are found doing driving or speaking on mobile while driving.

Recently, many passengers have received their lost belongings by lodging complaint on social media. And it has become possible because of active presence on social media.

We are also disseminating information and updates related to the Department through hashtag (#Know_UP_Transport) since September 19, 2017.

We have also launched a mobile app ‘Track Your Bus’, which is useful for checking online availability of tickets and tracking real time location. Passengers can also give their feedback through mobile app.

What initiatives have been undertaken by you to stop malpractices in the department?

Our Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is

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committed to make Uttar Pradesh a corruption-free State and we are leaving no stone unturned to realise his dream.

We have developed and implemented the Automated Fuel Management System (AFMS) in 73 depots of the State.

This has strengthened diesel storage and distribution mechanism, and at the same time ended the possibility of diesel theft.

Automatic driving test tracks have been constructed at Kanpur and Bareilly. An initial survey work has begun in all regions to explore feasibility of automatic driving test tracks.

How the digital initiatives have improved overall efficiency of the system and help ensure transparency?

E-challan Uttar Pradesh Transport Department has implemented E-challan and provisions have been made so that e-payment of the fine can be made by the vehicle owner. E challan system has been implemented across the state. This app provides for automatic location logging through GPS. The system will automatically calculate the challan amount based on the type of offence selected by the enforcement officer.

Automatic alerts and notifications will be sent to relevant stakeholders at predefined stages of challan process.

VAHAN 4.0 We have implemented web-enabled ‘VAHAN 4.0’ software – a common, centralised, web-based platform for all RTOs across all states, facilitating availing many vehicle-related services online. As a pilot project this system was started in Barabanki on 12, Jan 2016.

We are planning to have complete Digital RTO offices wherein all applications and payments of fee and taxes will be accepted online. We are also planning to

convert all DL and RC records into e-files by scanning them so that when any applicant visits RTO office, it saves time and energy.

SARATHI 4.0 We have also implemented web-based Saarthi 4.0 driving licence application software. Applicant can submit new LL or new DL application and pay the respective fee online. They can even online book a particular time-slot of their choice for bio-metrics and LL/DL test which is being conducted in the concerned RTO/ARTO offices. Saarthi 4.0 has been implemented in Lucknow and Barabanki and the process is on to implement it across the State by the end of January.

Any special initiatives for women safety and encouraging lady passengers use more UPSRTC busses?

The grant of Rs 83.40 crore has been approved under Nirbhaya Fund from the Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways, Government of India in the backdrop of women empowerment and safety with the following components under MySafeBus and AdiShakti – 50 Ladies Pink Buses, CCTV, Panic Buttons and Controllers on 12,500 buses, 24 Interceptors and Advocacy / Advertisements / Awareness campaign.

On the occasion of Rakshabandhan festival, UPSRTC had provided free journey to as many as 11,16,332 women passengers. Besides, to ensure the safety and security of women, we are going to cover 100 places under CCTV surveillance. For differently-abled passengers we are going to provide wheelchair facility at bus stations like airports. As far as green transport is concerned, we will come up with a policy for electric vehicles and e-Rickshaw soon. Routes are also being finlaised in consultation with different agencies and their officials.

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e l b a n i a t s u S d n a r n o e f Gre ansport t a r Tr uja Gujarat as a State is surging towards a major transformation in the field of transportation by strategically creating and developing an efficient Green urban mobility and public transport system providing multiple transport options to the public, writes Sudheer Goutham of Elets News Network (ENN).

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G t r a m S

T

he Gujarat Government is developing smart, intelligent and eco-friendly transport system with proper strategic planning and execution.

Be it the recently launched India’s first bullet train project connecting Ahmedabad and Mumbai, or the exemplary ‘Janmarg’ – Ahmedabad’s own Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) that commenced operation in 2009 and is getting replicated in other cities of Gujarat like Rajkot and Surat – these projects are designed to transform the travelling experience for a common man.

Gujarat’s first ever Metro rail project, called the Metro-Link Express for Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad (MEGA) project is also picking up speed, and is part of the strategic planning of the State Government to provide efficient, affordable and world-class road transportation to the public.

It is given that the envisaged smart transportation and smart infrastructure would further increase the economic activity in the state.

Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Bullet Train:

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On September 14, 2017, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Premier Shinzo Abe launched India’s first bullet train connecting Ahmedabad and Mumbai.

Modi described the ambitious Rs 1.10-trillion project, which is expected to cut travel time between the two cities from seven hours to less than three, as a “big gift from Japan to India”.

It’s an under-construction high-speed rail line connecting the cities of Gujarat and Maharashtra with India’s financial capital Mumbai.

The 650-km long high-speed rail corridor will be India’s first high-speed rail line. The top speed expected for the corridor is up to 350 km/hr.

“The project is being implemented by the Railway Ministry along with the Governments of Maharashtra and Gujarat. The project will provide a major boost to mobility between Ahmedabad and Mumbai,” says Vipul Mitra, Principal Secretary, Transport, Department of

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“A GPS-based geotagging system has been installed in 108 ambulances across the State to identify “black spots”, to tap places where accidents occur frequently. Then, an audit is conducted on that place and based on it, rectification is done.”

Ports and Transport, Government of Gujarat.

The construction on the corridor began on September 14, 2017, and the train is scheduled for its first run on August 15, 2022. The cost of the ambitious project has now been estimated at Rs 90,000 crores as compared to the earlier estimate of Rs 63,000 crores. It is estimated that by 2023, around 40,000 passengers are expected to avail this service everyday and, therefore it would be a financially viable service.

“With the launch of AhmedabadMumbai bullet train project, the

travelling time from Vadodara-Mumbai will come down to less than two hours.

This means, Vadodara will become an extended suburb of Mumbai, especially when the travelling time becomes less than travelling to one part of Mumbai to its another part. Later, people may prefer to stay in Vadodara and work in Mumbai,” said Vinod Rao, Commissioner, Vadodara Municipal Corporation.

Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad Metro Rail Metro-Link Express for Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad (MEGA) Company Ltd was incorporated by the Government of Gujarat on February 4, 2010, to implement the Metro Rail Project under the Companies Act, 1956.

Till April 2017, over Rs 2,750 crores were already spent in building the Ahmedabad Metro for which the first Detailed Project Report (DPR) was prepared way back in 2005. In 2011, former IAS officer IP Gautam took over the project and around Rs 400 crores were spent on land redevelopment at Sabarmati. A fresh DPR was passed in November 2014.

“MEGA aims to create a state-of-theart Metro rail network not only for Gujarat but also as an example for the whole country,” says IP Gautam, Managing Director, MEGA.

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The construction is in full swing. On priority basis, the work (6.335 km) is being done at the rate of three spans (22-31 m each span) per day and it is scheduled to be made operational by the end of 2017—the remaining portion is expected to be operationalised by the end of 2019.

In view of the environmental consideration, the MEGA project is being developed under the Clean Development Mechanism.

“Delhi Metro Rail Corporation is assisting MEGA in ensuring maximum possible savings in carbon emissions.

We are ensuring that the project will have minimum impact on the Green cover of Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar.

In place of the every tree that is being affected by the construction of the project, 10 new trees are being planted.

Even the heritage structures in the city are being given the due consideration,” adds Gautam.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe

traffic congestion on the roads and usher in a new era in the life of Ahmedabad commuters. Clearly, Gujarat’s twin cities seem all set to acquire MEGA status in the not too distant future.

Green Powered Vehicles The team at MEGA is also focussing on attracting people to the public transportation, which remains a challenge to the officials. Currently, the public transport ridership in the city is relatively low as compared to nearly same sizes cities like Hyderabad and Bengaluru. The patterns of the transport usage in the city is being studied and ascertained through demographic profiling of the people.

“We would work with the other public transport systems like BRTS and AMTS (Ahmedabad Municipal Transport System) and railways for integrating the last mile connectivity for the convenience of people in order to reduce the walkability,” says the Managing Director of MEGA. The Metro Link has been designed with a pattern that will provide the interchange facilities with various modes of transport conveniently.

The project is expected to greatly ease

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CNG Green fuel: Talks are on with various companies specialising in Green fuels. The challenge, however, is the cost. The Green fuel-run buses are 10 times costlier. Also, there is a challenge on recharging the fuel. The Transport Department looks forward to the Government of India’s plan to introduce green vehicles across the country by 2030.

The State Government is in a process to experiment the solar bus service in the State. By next year, these buses will be seen plying on the roads. The Government is also exploring to introduce buses running on other alternative fuels. Recently, transport ministers from 17 different States of the country met in Vadodara for a conference, which was chaired by Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari. Various projects were discussed to develop eco-friendly infrastructure.

ICT in Transport A GPS-based geo-tagging system has been installed in 108 ambulances across the State to identify “black spots”, in order to tap places where accidents occur frequently. Then, an audit is conducted on that place and based on it, rectification is done.

The Department has upgraded its software that decentralises a lot of Regional Transport Offices activities.

Number plate fixation can be done through vehicle dealers, Licensing can be done through the office of ITI located in the taluka. A mobile-based app for users to simplify the RTO process is soon to be launched.

GSRTC buses have been fitted with GPS. A control room has been established to track punctuality of buses and monitor driver’s activities on real-time basis. If the bus is delayed, stopped at unauthorised stops, diverts it to the wrong route, etc, it will have a direct impact on driver’s salary. With the use of this technology 90 per cent punctuality of drivers have been achieved. Also a mobile-based app has been launched for users to track real-time activities of buses they travel.

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GUJARAT TRANSPORT PERSPECTIVE

Gujarat Transport Gearing Up to Go Eco-Friendly

Vipul Mitra

The Government of Gujarat is in the process to experiment Solar Bus service in the State, battery-run buses. By next year, these buses will be seen plying on the roads of the State, says Vipul Mitra, Principal Secretary, Department of Transport, Government of Gujarat, in conversation with Sudheer Goutham of Elets News Network (ENN).

Principal Secretary Department of Transport Government of Gujarat

“The Transport Department, Government of Gujarat, will soon launch a mobilebased app for users to simplify the RTO process.”

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What measures have been undertaken by the Transport Department to bring relief to the lives of citizens?

The Transport Department of Gujarat has implemented new measures, especially on “Road Safety” and making things easier at the RTO level.

Road Safety: The Road Safety Tribunal, Government of Gujarat —a constitutional body (like National Green Tribunal in New Delhi) —has formed a Road Safety Authority with mandate to take steps and give directions to NHAI (National

Highway Authority of India), PWD (Public Works Department), and other local bodies to implement road safety measures. A GPS-based Geo-tagging system has been installed in 108 ambulances across the State to identify black spots, to tap places where accidents occur frequently. For instance, in a place where five accidents have taken place will show-up automatically in a database, which will be identified as a black spot. Then an audit is conducted on that place and based on it, rectification is done.

The Department has made it compulsory

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GUJARAT TRANSPORT PERSPECTIVE

for every commercial vehicle to install speed governor, a device that regulates the speed they are travelling in. This was started three months back, and about 60,000 commercial vehicles have already installed the device. We’ve restricted these vehicles from plying beyond 70 km. It is estimated that 30 per cent of accidents on National Highways happen when cars hit trucks parked on roadside.

We have made it compulsory for every truck to coat “reflective tapes” to enable their visibility at night or in low-light conditions.

Road Safety Awareness: We have deployed 11 vans in four major cities of Gujarat covering schools to raise public awareness about road safety. About 6-lakh students have been sensitised in last one year. Through these new measures, about 16 per cent road accidents have reduced. In the coming years, next 10 to 15 per cent more reduction is expected.

RTO Simplification: The Department has upgraded its software that decentralises a lot of RTO activities. For instance, number plate fixation can be done through vehicle dealers —so that a buyer doesn’t need to visit RTO to do the needful. Similarly, licensing has been decentralised to ITIs. One can visit nearby office of the ITI located in the Taluka —pass the training and other needful criteria —and obtain driving license. We will soon introduce a mobile-based app for users to simplify the RTO process.

Meanwhile, all GSRTC buses have been integrated with GPS. A control room has been established to track punctuality of buses and monitor drivers’ activities on real-time basis. If the bus is delayed, stopped at unauthorised stops, takes a wrong route, etc., will have direct effect on driver’s salary. With the use of this technology, we have brought about 90 per cent punctuality. Also a mobile-based app has been launched for users to track real-time activities of buses travel in.

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What are the new ecofriendly projects taken up by the Transport Department, Government of Gujarart?

The Government of Gujarat is in the process to experiment Solar Bus service in the State, battery-run buses. By next year, these buses will be seen plying on the roads of the State. The Government is also exploring to introduce buses running on other alternative fuels.

Recently, a conference of all Transport Ministers from 17 different states of the country was held in Vadodara. It was chaired by Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari. Various projects were discussed to introduce eco-friendly projects.

Are there any blueprints lined up to introduce new mode of connectivities across the State?

For Urban mobility, metros are being built in Ahmedabad and Surat. An ambitious multi-modal transport hub is being constructed in Surat that is being monitored directly by the PMO (Prime Minister’s Office). Rail, road and city bus service, all will converge with this hub —similar to European countries. Also Volvo bus service connecting other cities within the State, along with other States, will receive a major boost.

Ahmedabad-Mumbai Bullet Train Project: The project is being implemented by the Railway Ministry

along with the Governments of Maharashtra and Gujarat. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe inaugurated the ambitious project, which is expected to take-off in the next five years. The project will provide a major boost in improving mobility and transportation between Ahmedabad and Mumbai.

Metro Rail Project: The number of vehicles in Gujarat is more than two crores, of which 60 per cent are twowheelers. With the launch of metro project, we’re hoping that these twowheelers, or people who have graduated to cars recently, will shift to metros due to its fast movement. However, the challenge is a last-mile connectivity —to reach work, offices, residence after getting off the metro —for this, we’re in the process to tag taxi companies like Uber, Ola. So ultimately, the people will be travelling long distance commuting within the city (20 km to 30 km) through metro and local road commuting through city bus, Uber, Ola taxis, bikes and autos.

CNG Greenfuel: Talks are on with various companies specialising on greenfuels.

The challenge is, however, the cost. The Greenfuel-run buses are 10 times costlier. As a state-run corporation, we cannot afford it. Also there is a challenge on recharging the fuel. We look forward to Government of India’s plan to introduce Green Vehicles across the country by 2030.

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POLICYMAKER’S PERSPECTIVE

NHM Gujarat Tackling Health Challenges through Innovation

Dr Gaurav Dahiya Mission Director National Health Mission Government of Gujarat

“The focus of the Government initiatives is to strengthen peripheral health infrastructure as per rural health statics and recruiting human resource in these areas, along with provision of special incentives including free drugs and diagnostics.”

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The Government is committed to provide accessible, affordable, equality, quality healthcare to people. Active and passive surveillance of communicable and noncommunicable diseases are done on a priority basis in Gujarat to ensure early detection of diseases, says Dr Gaurav Dahiya, Mission Director, National Health Mission, Government of Gujarat, in conversation with Gopi Krishna Arora of Elets News Network (ENN).

What is your strategy to deliver preventive, curative and rehabilitative public health services to the rural as well as urban population?

The Government is committed to provide accessible, affordable, equality, quality healthcare to the people. The National Health Mission is supporting National Health Programmes like TB Control, NVBDCP (Nation Vector Born Disease Control Programme), NPCB (National Programme for Blindness Control), Leprosy, IDSP (Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme), MCH (Maternal and Child health) as a part of Information Education Communication (IEC). Doing monitoring and evaluation of all programmes are also done for urban and rural population.

Your role is to supervise the implementation of all the schemes which generally fall under three broad categories -- maternal and child health, communicable and non-communicable diseases -- in a time bound manner, how do you manage to do this?

The mother and child health programme is monitored through output and outcome indicator.

Capacity building is reducing the disease burden of communicable as well as non-communicable diseases in a big way.

Apart from clean drinking water and sanitation, which other major components impact public health majorly?

Information Education Communication (IEC) to reduce the communicable and non-communicable disease burden and focus on the lifestyle changes and healthy behaviour are part of our activity.

Active and passive surveillance of communicable and non-communicable diseases are done on a priority basis to ensure early detection of diseases and early response.

What are the challenges involved in ensuring equitable access for all citizens to affordable, accountable and appropriate, assured quality health services?

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POLICYMAKER’S PERSPECTIVE

Improvement in health index is the main challenge for NHM and the Government of Gujarat is committed to providing affordable access to health services by strengthening human resource, infrastructure and quality. We have identified high priority talukas and districts, where we give more focused attention.

There are many programmes being run by you such as immunisation, population stabilisation, reducing infant mortality and maternal mortality ratio, where do you utilise the funds most?

All programme are interlinked. So funds are utilised appropriately in each programme. Ultimately, it is reproductive Maternal Neonatal Child Health and Adolescent Basket that matter the most.

What are the major initiatives taken up by the State government to improve healthcare infrastructure, especially in rural areas?

The focus of the Government initiatives is to strengthen peripheral health infrastructure as per rural health statics and recruiting human resource in these areas, along with provision of special incentives including free drugs and diagnostics.

What are the Government’s priorities under the NHM for the coming year?

Malnutrition elimination and noncommunicable disease screening are the main areas of concern for National Health Mission in Gujarat.

Public Private Partnerships (PPP) offer an opportunity to tap the material, human and managerial resources of the private sector for public good,

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Our Goal •

To reduce Maternal Mortality Rate of Gujarat

•

To reduce Infant Mortality Rate of Gujarat

•

To reduce Neonatal Mortality Rate of Gujarat

•

To increase Sex Ratio of Gujarat

•

To reduce anaemia burden in population

•

To reduce disease burden of Communicable Diseases and Non-Communicable Diseases

•

To reduce, control and manage water-borne diseases and vector-borne diseases

what are the challenges and opportunities involved in PPP model for health domain?

In the healthcare delivery sector, the State has a good experience. There is an opportunity to tap well spread private organisations and NGOs in offering services like Emergency services of 108, MMU and MHU. However, reaching the remotest areas for providing healthcare services remains a big challange.

There must be substantial expansion and strengthening of the public sector healthcare system if we are to meet the health needs of rural as well as urban areas, what is your take on this?

We are gradually improving our infrastructure, human resource and health facilitities close to population.

Quality of healthcare services in both the public and private sector is a serious concern, many practitioners in the

private sector are actually not qualified doctors, how do you observe this?

We are taking corrective major actions according to the law.

In India, the percentage of population covered under health insurance is small and also the purchase of medicines is mostly not covered in insurance schemes. In this case, affordability of healthcare becomes a serious concern for the vast majority of the population, how your department plans to tackle this?

Affordability of healthcare services has increased in the State through implementation of MA and MA Vatsalya Yojana that covered Below Poverty Line families having Rs 1.5 lakh annual income. RSBY is also supporting this cause.

Tell us about the health management information system (HMIS) application software and other such IT initiatives taken up to improve healthcare systems?

HMIS software is provided by the Government of India for monitoring and evaluation of health programmes on periodical basis. E-MAMATA is a State innovation for taking care of mother and child services.

Trained and competent human capital is the foundation of an effective health system, what is your opinion on this issue?

The State is committed to develop public health cadre and has already started appointing Additional Director level officials to Taluka Health Officers having degrees like Master in Public Health, Master in Preventive Medicine and Diploma in Public Health, etc.

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SPECIAL STORY

Vadodara is set for a major boost in transport connectivity. The travelers in the city are expected to multiply after the projects included for air, road and rail trasportations run full-fledged, writes Dipen Pradhan of Elets News Nework (ENN).

Journey of Baroda to Smart City Vadodara Sayajirao Gaekwad III King of Vadodara

“VMC has floated a proposal Reinvigoration of Vishwamitri Riverfront Influence Area under the National River Conservation Plan (NRCP). The project aims to solve entire sewage problem of the city.”

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B

aroda may have already defined the idea of a muchfashioned term “Smart City” in the era when Gaekwad dynasty transformed the region into educational, industrial and commercial centre. It was during the period of Gaekwad dynasty, art and architecture flourished and got its tag as “Sanskari Nagar” and “Kala Nagar”, the historians agree. The town-planning prowess of the city during the rule of Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III is a witness to dynasty’s vision to bring a quality in the life of the citizens. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has earmarked a mission for Vadodara, calling for revival through technology to run alongside with such legacies —towards becoming a lighthouse to other aspiring cities.

Vadodara Bus terminal

Vadodara is a Tier-II city, spreadover with an area of 235 sq km having a population of about 20 million. It was selected in the 100 Smart Cities project in September 2016.

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42 ABD and pan city projects have been planned for the city within a tune of Rs 2,009.4 crore. While these projects are aimed at bringing a quality in the life of citizens, enriching Vadodara’s socio-economic environment, improve urban mobility, providing transparent and responsive governance, it further aims for a revolutionary change in the tourism and transport sectors.

The city established on the banks of Vishwamitri River brims with heritage structures. The Vadodara Municipal Corporation has also increased the ABD projects to restore heritage structures that fall under its jurisdiction. In one of its projects ‘Revamping of Heritage Structure’, the restoration of ‘Char Darwaza’ or Four Gates —Champaner, Gandigate, Panigate and Mandvi —have been proposed. Further identifying historical structures that require restoration is at process. According to officials, original materials used for the construction of the gates will be used for restoration, with work order already passed for Panigate and Gandigate. A Mumbai-based firm Savani Construction has been awarded with the restoration task — being done for the first time since its foundation some centuries back.

Meanwhile, a project to ferry tourist in and around the heritage and popular entertainment areas of Vadodara is expected to be launched soon. Its inauguration was previously done by Gujarat’s Chief Minister, Vijaybhai Rupani. The corporation has also put up a 65 metre flag in the city which stands as the tallest flag in the State.

The people in the city are excited for the completion of 182 metre tall monument “Statue of Unity” near Narmada Dam, which may get a tag of “wonders of the world”, nevertheless will be one of the tallest statues in the world. The monument is athe brainchild of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to

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Sursagar Lake in Vadodara

“With the launch of Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train, first in India with 81 percent fund from Japan, the city is set to become an extended suburb of Mumbai.” honour India’s freedom struggle leader Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

According to Vadodara Municipal Corporation Commissioner Dr Vinod Rao, a project for redevelopment and beautification of lakes, ponds and water bodies, built during the time of Maharaja Sayajirao have also been planned. The project is expected to provide a double treat, providing efficient water and assisting on flood management. The project at the moment includes 28 lakes with plans to

redevelop and beautify all the 40 lakes of the city. Similarly, VMC has floated a proposal “Reinvigoration of Vishwamitri Riverfront Influence Area” under the National River Conservation Plan (NRCP). The project aims to solve entire sewage problem of the city. It is at the process of getting approval from the Government of India.

Vadodara, on the other hand, is set for a major boost in transport connectivity.

The travelers in the city are expected to multiply after the projects included for air, road and rail trasportations run full-fledged. With the recently foundation laying of AhmedabadMumbai bullet train, first in India with 81 percent fund from Japan, the city is set to become an extended suburb of Mumbai. Furthermore, the infrastructure development for railway station is proceeding at full speed; the work for Mumbai-Vadodara Express highway project is already complete on city’s side. “All intervention Vadodara Municipal Corporation has undertaken is to prepare the city for a tourism revolution,” Rao said.

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POLICYMAKER’S PERSPECTIVE

Vadodara Expanding the Development Horizon

Dr Vinod Rao

With the launch of Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train project, the travelling time from Vadodara to Mumbai will come down to less than two hours. This means, Vadodara will become an extended suburb of Mumbai, especially when the travelling time is all set to become less than what is required to travel from one part of Mumbai to another, says Dr Vinod Rao, Commissioner, Vadodara Municipal Corporation, in conversation with Dipen Pradhan and Sudheer Goutham of Elets News Network (ENN).

Commissioner Vadodara Municipal Corporation

“The core opportunities of Vadodara include revival of rivers and lakes, and along with it precious lands will be reclaimed for public recreational and other activities.”

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How will Vadodara Smart City implementation serve as an example for other aspiring Smart Cities to follow?

Vadodara Smart City initiatives stand unique for their ‘core strength’ and ‘core opportunity’. The core strength of Vadodara is its unique nature as a Heritage City and the core opportunity includes revival of rivers and lakes.

Heritage structures of the city, built by popular and visionary ruler Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III (1875-1939), are being renovated for the first time such historical structures include Char Darwaza, the Central Mandvi Tower, Sur Sagar Lake etc. Recently, we started

lighting up important heritage structures from 7PM to 10PM. People come out during nights just to see the illuminated city . For such revival, the Municipal Corporation has increased the number of Area Based Development (ABD) projects. The core opportunities of Vadodara include revival of rivers and lakes, and along with it precious lands will be reclaimed for public recreational and other activities.

How does Vadodara Municipal Corporation intend to address basic needs of larger urban population in providing piped water, sanitation and sewage facilities?

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Maharaja Sayajirao had built around 30-35 lakes, ponds and water bodies for efficient water management and flood management in the city. One by one, such environmental heritage of Vadodara is getting renovated —free from encroachments —which will again contribute in the water management and flood management of the city.

Similarly, the Vishwamitri Riverfront Development project under the National River Conservation Plan (NRCP) is in the process of getting approval from the Central Government. This project aims to solve entire sewage problem of the city, and thus will bring an end to the pollution in the river.

How will Vadodara Smart City initiatives encourage tourism in the city and promote Vadodara as the cultural capital of Gujarat?

All intervention undertaken by the Vadodara Municipal Corporation aims to prepare the city for a tourism revolution. Maximum efforts are being made to enhance the transportation through air, rail and road connectivity.

In the coming days, foreign travellers in the city will multiply with the completion of international airport terminal. The infrastructure development for railway station is proceeding at full speed. With the launch of Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train project, the travelling time from Vadodara to Mumbai will come down to less than two hours. This means, Vadodara will become an extended suburb of Mumbai, especially when the travelling time is all set to become less than what is required to travel from one part of Mumbai to another. Later, people may prefer to stay in Vadodara and work in Mumbai. Furthermore, the road connectivity will see a major transformation after Mumbai-Vadodara Express Highway project, having six lanes, runs full-fledged. This will also bring down the travelling time by an

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“All the interventions which Vadodara Municipal Corporation has undertaken is to prepare the city for a tourism revolution.

Maximum efforts are being made on the transportation through air, rail and road connectivity.” hour or two. Plans are also on the cards to trigger growth in the peripheries and maintain balance across the length and breadth of the city. So connectivity of Vadodara with rest of the world is looking forward for a great change.

We have also thought of improving the internal connectivity within the city.

Under an ambitious city bus project, we have decided to add 150 buses to the present fleet of 50-55 buses, which will be further extended to 200-250 buses. It will be the most cost-effective project focused on renewal energy —having installed IT-system, CCTV, Geographic Information System (GIS), LED screens, mobile charging facility, free Wi-Fi, etc.

With minimal viability of funding, as compared to other cities, we are looking to give the best of services.

How is Public Private Partnership (PPP) model being approached in the Smart City initiatives for Vadodara?

We’re looking for PPP projects to invest in physical infrastructure,

environment infrastructure, health and other social sectors including urban housing. For it to become a reality, a fund ‘to the tune of Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,000 crores is required. This kind of investment is possible through participation of corporate sectors, equity partners, technology providers, financers, etc. Our housing projects are gradually moving towards PPP model.

In the coming days, Vadodara Municipal Corporation will be taking proactive initiatives in this direction.

Vadodara would be the first city in the country to have public Wi-Fi through PPP model.

What cyber security measures are being undertaken to ensure the safety of Vadodara citizens?

For Vadodara, our Wi-Fi project includes installing 450 intelligent poles to cover the entire city. For every 300-500 metre area, one Wi-Fi spot is available. The control command centre is one of the major project of Vadodara. With its construction nearing completion, a video wall—a special multi-monitor setup of multiple computers—and data centre will be installed to monitor city’s traffic, security, also handling all GIS surveys, water Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), and the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) of the city. Avalanche Global—a leading ethical hacker—has been awarded the work for cyber security, servers, network and PCs. They have ensured the Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing (VAPT) analysis, proper firewalls, Fiber to the Home, etc, to check cyber security. The PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) is our consultant. Some of our team members are affiliated to our vendors. We are also on the process of hiring a project manager to handle the various projects. Within six months, the IT Department would have a strong team handling all the IT-related solutions for Vadodara.

OCTOBER 2017 / egov.eletsonline.com / egov

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FOCUS: RAJKOT MUNICIPAL CORPORATION

Rajkot Leveraging

Entrepreneurship Culture To Be Inclusive Smart City

Banchhanidhi Pani

Commissioner Rajkot Municipal Corporation

“Moving forward, the Rajkot integrated command and control centre will act as a city operation centre with defined standard operating procedures in case of any natural or man-made calamity.�

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Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMC) will be implementing ICT solutions such as integrated command and control centre, intelligent traffic and integrated transport management system, SCADA for water and sewage, smart waste bins to improve the quality of life in Rajkot, says Banchhanidhi Pani, Commissioner, Rajkot Municipal Corporation, in conversation with Hemangini Kanth Rajput of Elets News Network (ENN).

Illuminated Rani Lakshmibai Circle and Under Bridge at night

Which aspects will make Rajkot Smart City unique in becoming a model for other aspiring cities?

During citizen engagements and various workshops conducted as part of the Rajkot Smart city project, it came to the fore that one of the major strengths of Rajkot is its large industrial base and a culture of entrepreneurship. In Rajkot Smart City proposal, we wanted to leverage this culture and further foster it. As of now, the entrepreneurship in this region is confined to small and medium scale

industries. We will be creating infrastructure not just to support small and medium scale industries but also to foster innovation in the field of information and communication technology. In the proposed greenfield development as part of the Area Based Development (ADB) plan, we have planned an incubation centre, a convention and an exhibition centre.

The aim is to project Rajkot as an innovation hub and a lighthouse for the Saurashtra region. We expect a large number of jobs to be created because of this boost. This is

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something other aspiring cities can also look forward to.

What challenges Rajkot is facing at present and what solutions do you propose to overcome them ?

One of the biggest challenges Rajkot faces today is availability and distribution of water. It also suffers from high Non Revenue Water (NRW) problem. On the availability front, we are now getting water from Narmada River. On the distribution front and to tackle the problem of NRW, we have proposed Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system to monitor the distribution till the household level. To reduce the NRW leak, an identification system and a smart water metering solution will be implemented across the city. This will help us reduce the distribution losses and improve the water availability in the city.

How does Mission plan ensures improvement in basic facilities like transport, municipal waste, electricity, piped water sanitation and sewage for majority of urban population?

We will be implementing various ICT solutions to improve basic facilities in the city. On the transport front, we wanted to completely change the image of public transport and increase the usage by 30-40 per cent in a year. We have come up with a comprehensive solution for this image makeover. Solutions such as passenger information system, digital bus stops, in-bus surveillance, ability to get real-time information about buses on mobile devices are some of the solutions which will help us achieve this goal.

Similarly, for waste management, we will be closely monitoring all the tipper vans and their compliance using GPS-based ICT solution from Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC). On the electricity front, we have already converted old halogen-based lights to LED lights and same will be integrated to

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“In case of natural or man-made calamity, a crisis will be invoked in the ICCC which will help us engage various stakeholders in no time and everyone will be aware of their roles and responsibilities.”

ICCC. The ICCC will act as a centre for city operation and will be helping us improve efficiency and reduce wastage.

Name a few innovative IT solutions Rajkot Smart City Mission proposed to improve the quality of life?

Improving quality of life is one of the core focus areas of Rajkot Smart City Mission. During our Smart City proposal preparation we conducted a study of the present livability index of the city and found out that there are areas of improvement where ICT can help us. ICT solutions such as integrated Command and Control Centre, intelligent traffic and integrated transport management system, SCADA for water and sewer and smart waste bins are some of the innovative solutions we will be implementing to improve quality of life here.

While developing Rajkot Smart City, how can it be ensured that it will become an eco-friendly and citizen friendly city in the decades to come?

There are various projects proposed under the Smart City Mission to ensure eco-friendly Rajkot. Rooftop solars, two

megawatt solar parks, rainwater harvesting at all public places and all buildings, dual plumbing system in all the buildings for reuse of greywater, green building: enforcement of SEE4ALL energy conservation norms are some of the initiatives we will be undertaking in the proposed greenfield area. Similarly to make city more citizen friendly, we want to focus on crime reduction, improve our own operations, hassle free experience while dealing with RMC and, provide space for recreation, etc. CCTV surveillance with 24X7 monitoring of the city will help us in crime reduction.

Similarly, we have planned an enterprise resource planning solution which will help us give our citizen best possible experience while dealing with RMC. To give Rajkotians the much needed “lung space” we have proposed various projects such as rejuvenation of three lakes with amusement park, gram haat and a cultural centre in 22 acres of land, q world class sports arena with indoor and outdoor stadium, a 100 acre racecourse, 30 acre area exclusively for parks and gardens etc.

How is the Smart City aspects being integrated in the present mechanism while dealing with natural challenges especially in the aftermath of floods?

Natural calamities come with their own set of challenges for a city. However, being prepared for such scenario is something which can help us overcome these challenges. Moving forward, the Rajkot integrated command and control centre will act as a city operation centre with defined standard operating procedure in case of any natural or man made calamity. In case of natural/man made calamity, a crisis will be invoked in the ICCC which will help us engage various stakeholders in no time and everyone will be aware of their roles and responsibilities. This way, we will be able to deliver the rescue services much faster and in a better manner.

OCTOBER 2017 / egov.eletsonline.com / egov

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MAHARASHTRA’S ECONOMY PERSPECTIVE

Dinesh Kumar Jain

Additional Chief Secretary (Finance) Government of Maharashtra

“Though the farmers’ loan waiver scheme will put some pressure on our finances, the welfare of farmers is of paramount importance to our Government.”

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The Gateway of India in Mumbai

‘Maharashtra Set To Become $1 Trillion Economy By 2025’ If Mumbai is to retain the tag of the financial capital of India we will need to focus on promoting innovation and technology within the traditional banking, insurance and securities practices’, says Dinesh Kumar Jain, Additional Chief Secretary (Finance), Government of Maharashtra, in an interview with Rakesh Roy of Elets News Network (ENN). Excerpts: With Maharashtra known as a leading State in the country in terms of agriculture and industry, what plans does the Finance Department have to take the State to new heights?

Maharashtra has grown strongly in last couple of years, thanks to the government’s push to agriculture and infrastructure sector. We have already given great impetus to improve the infrastructure, promote ease of doing business, introduced a digital framework for seamless business activities and

called upon global companies to take advantage of the opportunities available in the State. This is reflected in the FDI numbers. The State has attracted more than half of the total (53 per cent) foreign direct investment (FDI) in the country last fiscal. We are also taking up huge capital investments. Apart from the Mumbai Metro project, we have tied up loans for Pune and Nagpur metro projects with contribution from the Central Government. Additionally, we have also tied up loose ends so far as fund availability for Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) project is

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MAHARASHTRA’S ECONOMY PERSPECTIVE

concerned. To increase agriculture productivity, the department has taken a loan for Rs 12,000 crore from NABARD for irrigation projects along with many other agriculture projects like ‘JalyuktShivar’. The push to agri, industry and infra will increase the growth momentum of the State and generate huge employment opportunities.

According to a recent FICCI studies, these initiatives can take help Maharashtra to become a $ 1 trillion economy by 2025.

How do you perceive the State government’s plan to revive the ailing District Cooperative Central (DCC) banks in the State, while the farmers and rural people of the State mainly depend upon these banks for loans and banking services, etc?

The State government is considering a package for infusing funds for the weak DCC banks. In addition, consolidation of Primary Agricultural Societies (PACs) is on the anvil. We are joining hands with the Central Government in computerising operations of PACs in phases.

The State government has waived off farmers’ loans substantially and is planning to give more financial assistance in coming days, how will the incentive affect the State revenue and State’s financial status?

Though the farmers’ loan waiver scheme will put some pressure on our finances, the welfare of the farmers is of paramount importance to our Government. To take care of the pressure on our finances, we already have announced measures to reduce avoidable revenue expenditure which is indirectly saving for the Government across departments. For this, we have streamlined our processes for flow of funds to beneficiaries by making it

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mandatory to transfer funds directly into Aadhaar linked bank accounts of the eligible beneficiaries. Also, for paying some portion of the loan waiver we are forming a society which will take deposits of the excess cash lying with the PSUs/ Authorities/ Local Bodies for which they will be paid an interest. The department is also working towards additional resource mobilisation throughmore effective collection of State excise, Road Tax and other revenue receipts such as Stamp Duty etc. GST collection of Rs 6,100 crore in July 2017 is also a positive signal for the treasury.

We except GST collections to remain strong in the coming months.

What are the future plans of the government for the Banking and Finance sector of Mumbai which is likely to be transformed a lot in the coming days?

Bill Gates recently said “We need banking but we don’t need banks anymore”. Thus, to bring more and more people under the ambit of the financial system, technology will play a major role.

And if we want to retain the tag of the financial capital of India we will need to focus on promoting innovation and technology within the traditional banking, insurance and securities practices. We not only want Mumbai to remain the financial capital of the country, but become a leading global financial hub like London, Hong Kong and Singapore. The Government has already created a committee under the leadership of our Hon’ble Chief Minister which will work towards creating an ecosystem for making the Mumbai Metropolitan Region a global fintech hub.

The MMRDA has already sought from the Centre a finance Special Economic Zone (SEZ) tag for the 50.31 hectares of land at Bandra-Kurla Complex that has been cleared for the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC).

How has the implementation of GST - called one nation, one

market, one tax – transformed the finance sector at large?

Maharashtra is on the top positions among other States in the country when it comes to migration of existing traders and fresh registrations under the Goods and Service Tax (GST) network. Out of the total 9.16 lakh existing taxpaying traders in Maharashtra who had registered themselves under central excise, service tax and value added tax (VAT), over 8 lakh taxpayers have transitioned into the new tax regime.

This tax reform will boost the economy once the near term hiccups are over.

Also huge shift will be seen from unorganised to organised sector. A turn around in the economy and industry will help the banks to reduce NPA and improve credit growth.

What other plans your department has to raise funds for the various development works of the State?

The government is working with various multilateral and bilateral funding agencies like the World Bank, JICA for raising funds for various infrastructure projects like Metro, MTHL, and Mumbai Nagpur expressway. Additionally, we are in the process to setup a separate SPV namely MAHAINFRA for funding of projects in the State. This institute is proposed to act as a single window for aggregating the land held by various departments for securitisation, which are neither in use and nor are expected to be developed by the holding department for next 10 years. The land will be escrowed to the SPV for generation of funds. Securitisation of the land will aid in raising funds through low cost loans/ bonds/ investments from large investors with long term horizons like national or international pension and insurance funds. The Government will also recruit a team subject experts from varied fields for increasing the efficiency of the institution.

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TELANGANA TRANSPORT PERSPECTIVE

Improving Road Network for Better Mobility In order to boost the transport of Telangana, the State government is improving the condition of roads in the State.

With the help of Government of India, Telangana Government is trying for a better network of highways in and around the State, says Sunil Sharma, Principal Secretary, Transport, Roads and Buildings, Government of Telangana in an interview with Harshal Desai of Elets News Network (ENN).

Sunil Sharma

Principal Secretary Transport, Roads and Buildings Government of Telangana

“We have introduced mWallet System which allows you to keep all your important documents in your mobile phone eliminating the need to carry the physical papers.”

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How do you rate the overall transport and road infrastructure within Hyderabad and other parts of Telangana? Please elaborate.

The State of Telangana is striving towards improved network of roads to boost the transport and road infrastructure and hassle free movement of people and goods in the State. The outer ring road facility has made the mobility of vehicles very efficient.

Hyderabad has an excellent road

infrastructure that adds to the city’s attractiveness. What do you think about it?

In Hyderabad city, we have two types of roads, first -- the national highways which are passing through the city, we have six of them. Second, we have roads belonging to the municipal corporation. Both kinds of roads are very well maintained and necessary modifications are done systematically.

Further, “White Topping” is a new technology of providing cement

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concrete overlay on the existing damaged and distressed BT roads.

The city roads are also linked to the outer ring roads through radial roads, which pass through the city. Thus, a good concept has been developed to improve the roads in Hyderabad.

What are your major plans?

How significant has been the Government of India’s role in the overall road development in state?

We are paying attentions to the road infrastructure everywhere in the State.

We want to take up road as the growth engine for the development of the state. A good road infrastructure will surely boost the State economy.

Further, the state government will like to use the money to improve the condition of national highways. Roads, which are not national highways, are also maintained by the State government. We have already initiated the modification wherever necessary and have also started doubling of the single roads.

We want to take up road as the growth engine for the development of the state.

A good road infrastructure will surely boost the state economy.

Please share your views on the Hyderabad – Warangal road connectivity?

As you are already aware Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari has sanctioned 8,000 crore worth projects for development of national highways in Telangana. When the State was formed, Telangana had about 2,500 kilometre of national highways but now the state has around 5,000 kilometre of national highways. We actually converted 2500 of state highways into national highways. the Government of India has helped us by sanctioning the amount for the improvement of national and State highways.

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Warangal’s road development goes hand in hand with Hyderabad. We are glad to update that – to some extent – the work has been completed up to Bhongir. From Warangal to Bhongir, which is under National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), the work has just started.

What are your views on road safety?

Road safety has two components – awareness – where people are required to follow the safety rules and regulations, and engineering – which ensures good condition of roads, spacious U-turns and other technical elements. We are focusing on both the aspects. The department is already

organising different awareness programmes. We have also identified black spots - which need to be modified to ensure better visibility, convenient U-turns and pothole free roads.

We also have directed hospitals to help road accident victims without wasting time in asking irrelevant questions to the victims and people who are accompanying them to hospitals.

Linking parking space and registration of four wheelers is indeed a great idea. Will you please elaborate how it would help solve the parking space problem in the city? How significant will the people’s participation be in the success of this mechanism?

This is a good move towards easing the traffic problems faced by the citizens in the city. Making mandatory provisions for parking facility with the registration of vehicles will bring out free movement of traffic in the state. It also will enhance road discipline and discourage purchase of vehicles without a need.

Please brief us on the innovative measures taken by the transport department in the State?

We have about nine million vehicles, and every day, thousands of vehicles are being added, their registration process is completed and licenses are allotted. In this field, lot of computerization has taken place which made registration process very convenient for the public to obtain any license, get the registration and insurance process. We have also introduced mWallet System which allows you to keep all your important documents in your mobile phone eliminating the need to carry the physical papers. As I mentioned earlier, Transport and Road are the two crucial segment, we are focussing on a lot.

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IDCO PERSPECTIVE

‘IDCO Building New Ecosystem of Industrial Development in Odisha’

Sanjay Singh

Chairman and Managing Director Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDCO), Odisha

“IDCO is committed to create world-class sports infrastructures across the State and the capital city of Bhubaneswar has become the focal point for hosting international sports events.”

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The Odisha Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (IDCO) has been at the forefront of industrial land allotment, creating investor ready infrastructure, investment promotions and developing major infrastructure facilities across various sectors in Odisha, says Sanjay Singh, Chairman and Managing Director, IDCO, Odisha, in conversation with Biswajit Sahoo of Elets News Network (ENN) while sharing various achievements and strategies.

Chairman and MD, IDCO, Sanjay Singh receiving the Khel Protsahan Award from President Ram Nath Kovind

What is the significance of Khel Protsahan Purasakar from President of India for IDCO which has been promoting sports and sports related infrastructure in a very strategic manner for last few years?

IDCO dedicates this award to the people of Odisha. We are committed in our

endeavour to promote sports and grooming sports talents through robust sports infrastructure in the State. We are sure, IDCO’s commitment through Odisha Sports Development and Promotion Company – OSDPC will bring more success in the Sports arena especially hockey in the State. Kalinga Lancers (KL) is an extremely successful team in Hockey India League and has become Champion in HIL-2017. It has

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been successful in promoting the game and talent as well. IDCO is committed to create world class sports infrastructures across the State and the capital city of Bhubaneswar has become the focal point for hosting international sports events.

Odisha has been recognised as a leader in Ease of Doing Business Reforms by DIPP, what is the exact mandate and how IDCO has been achieving it?

IDCO has been established in 1981, under OIIDC Act, 1980 with the mandate to develop, manage and maintain industrial estates and areas. As on date, IDCO has set up 106 Industrial Estates across the State and is in the process of developing new Industrial Estates across various locations of Odisha. Moreover, IDCO is developing various sector specific industrial parks and industrial regions. To meet the growing demands for industrial set up, in a unique move IDCO is creating a Land Bank of one lakh acres. Further, the infrastructure development of the existing Industrial Estates are undertaken by IDCO regularly and completed in a time bound manner.

IDCO is the industrial interface of Odisha. The land bank concept and single window facilitation has been pioneered by IDCO. Please throw some light how IDCO is revamping the land allocation process to big, small and medium enterprises?

The Corporation is designated as the nodal agency for the provisions of land infrastructure with the mandate for identification, procurement and allotment of land for industrial and allied purposes, including creation of associate, social infrastructure. The OIIDC Act & Rule & the OIIFA Act & Rule along with the recommendations of exact extent of land by the IPICOL or District Level Single Window Clearance Authority concern empower IDCO to take up the procurement of land for the industry

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“The land acquisition and land allotment processes have been dealt with very sincerely in a timebound manner addressing the social, industrial and economical factors.” through the process of acquisition of private land and lease of Government land. Subsequently IDCO allots the land to the project authorities for establishment of industries. Till date 64,021 acres of land inclusive of government and acquired private lands have been allotted to the mega projects.

The traditional land acquisition processes have been observed to be leading to endless litigations which hinder timely availability of land to industries. The Government of Odisha decided to establish “Land Bank” of appropriate extent one lakh acre in industrially potential districts or areas in view of future requirements of land for various industries. IDCO has been empowered by the Revenue and Disaster Management Department in Government since November, 2015 for creation of such land bank of government land.

The land acquisition and land allotment processes have been dealt very sincerely in a time-bound manner addressing the social, industrial and economical factors.

The State Government has identified six focus sectors as priority sector for investment and we follow the same principle for land allocation and other ancillary support to these focus sectors.

Odisha has announced to

transform its industrial scenario through special investment zones on focus sectors. What are the priorities for IDCO? What according to you will augment rapid industrial progress?

IDCO has undertaken setting up of National Investment Manufacturing Zone (NIMZ) at Kalinga Nagar area of Jajpur district for the manufacturing sector. A Petroleum, Chemical & Petrochemicals Investment Region (PCPIR) is being set up at Paradeep in Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapara region. Another port based industrial region is planned at Dhamra.

Further, Information Technology and Investment Region (ITIR) is being developed at Bhubaneswar.

You have the privilege of working in diverse profiles and different states apart from your cadre state — Odisha. How do you view these distinct professional experiences?

Working in diverse profiles and different eco-system is very enriching experience.

It shapes one to perform in any kind of situation. The basic principles of administration although remains same.

There may be some changes in priorities.

Though Odisha is competing with its neighbouring States in all spheres of economic development, does it have the potential to leapfrog in the race as a major investment destination?

Odisha being a mineral-rich State, the ready availability of raw materials gives it an edge over other States. Moreover, the State has formulated attractive IPR2015, along with various sector-specific investor-friendly policies with a timebound single window mechanism for approval of investment proposals. Over and above this, the professional and coordinated effort of all departments and strong political and administrative will has enabled Odisha to march ahead of other neighbouring States.

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INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

Building Tomorrow’s Infrastructure Today

K Ramchand

Chief Executive Officer IL&FS and Managing Director, IL&FS Transportation Networks Limited (ITNL)

“The company’s ability in turning infrastructure capacity creation into a commercial viable proposition has aided the company to expand into other areas of transportation subsectors, such as mass rapid transport system, automated car parking etc.”

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With strong core skills across its distinct businesses, the IL&FS group has spread its expertise nationwide in widely varied sectors including roads, water, power, ports, area development and social and environmental infrastructure. IL&FS Transportation Networks Limited (ITNL) is playing a major role in the infrastructure development of the country, says K Ramchand, Chief Executive Officer, IL&FS and Managing Director, IL&FS Transportation Networks Limited (ITNL), in conversation with Arpit Gupta of Elets News Network (ENN).

Give us an overview of IL&FS Transportation Networks Limited (ITNL).

ITNL was formed in the year 2000 as a wholly owned subsidiary of IL&FS, which has been a major player in India’s infrastructure development and financing for the last 25 years.

Transportation infrastructure development was initially taken up in IL&FS and thereafter the transportation-vertical IL&FS

Transportation-was formed wherein the projects undertaken and implemented by IL&FS were domiciled.

ITNL acts as developer, operator and facilitator of surface transportation infrastructure projects from conceptualisation through commissioning to operations and maintenance.

Today, ITNL has evolved as a market leader in transportation sector with more than 14,000 lane km under its

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BOT road assets portfolio comprising a mix of toll and annuity based projects.

The company’s ability in turning infrastructure capacity creation into a commercial viable proposition has aided the company to expand into other areas of transportation subsectors, such as mass rapid transport system, automated car parking etc.

Could you brief us about some of the projcts being undertaken by ITNL? ITNL has 35 projects under its portfolio, of which 30 are road projects with a Pan-India presence in 20 states.

Southeast Asia’s longest road tunnel, 9.28 km Chenani –Nashri Road Tunnel project, with a fully integrated tunnel control system, was developed by ITNL in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. The tunnel has benefitted not only the commuters, but also ecology, community and economy of the area.

ITNL has gradually expanded its EPC footprints with 444 lane km under its portfolio and the company is L1 for the 14 km Zojila tunnel EPC project, Zojila pass is situated at an altitude of 11,578 feet on Srinagar-Kargil-Leh National Highway which remains closed during winters due to heavy snowfall and avalanches cutting off the Leh-Ladakh region from Kashmir. In the urban transportation segment, ITNL has completed India’s first privatelyfinanced and operated metro network, developed in the Public Private Partnership format.

ITNL operates across multiple geographies and has progressively enriched our domain expertise to work on challenging projects across geographies with presence in 19 countries across North America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, South Asia and China with about 34,469 iInternational road portfolio, lane Km under its portfolio.

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“ITNL operates across multiple geographies and has progressively enriched our domain expertise to work on challenging projects with presence in 19 countries.”

How is ITNL benefitting the common man?

At ITNL, we drive need-based community interventions that challenge the status-quo and strive to bring positive change in the lives of people.

We formulate our strategies in consultation with relevant stake holders to touch and transform people’s lives. Our work in the catchment areas have been benefiting about 100,000 people. Our programmes are focused on income enhancement, education, healthcare, sanitation, road safety and rural infrastructure along these highways.

How is ITNL helping in the country’s growth?

What are the key strengths of ITNL? Some of our strengths are: l Strong parentage by virtue of being a part of IL&FS Group l Well diversified portfolio with a mix of toll/user fee and annuity projects l Experienced management team at the helm and strong project implementation skills l Strong financial track record and relationships with leading financial institutions l Integrated and efficient project execution capabilities

At ITNL, we are facilitating a leaping India, in its mobility and connectivity by establishing hundreds of kilometers of roadways and links. All this is done with care and concern for the people in the area of operations, and we make sure that we empower them in every way we can. While India is our primary base, our foot print in the international market is also proportionally growing. A corporate level innovative safety framework is also being incorporated into each project that we undertake. Finally, ITNL is “Building Tomorrow’s Infrastructure Today”.

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INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

Suresh Shah

Chairman eSmart Energy Solutions Private Limited

“We can put security and surveillance cameras to do the traffic monitoring, traffic discipline on the streets, thereby monitoring incidents such as major accidents, crime etc, which could be recorded live.�

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Smart Energy Solutions Through eSmart

eSmart is in advanced stage of discussions with various local governments and bodies in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Punjab and Maharashtra to take up 6 - 8 cities in each State under ESCO model, says Suresh Shah, Chairman, eSmart Energy Solutions Private Limited, in conversation with Arpit Gupta of Elets News Network (ENN).

Give us an overview of eSmart Energy Solutions Ltd. eSmart Energy Solutions Pvt Ltd is concentrating on Energy Service Company (ESCO) activities, security and surveillance. It is also providing IT based LED lighting solutions on the

basis of revenue sharing in Municipal Corporations along with video cameras for security and surveillance to the Election Commission, educational institutions for examination purpose, in city buses, Municipal Corporations, etc. As of now ,we have more than 2,00,000

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Benefits of Fleet Tracking for Transportation

Reduce operating expenses – Investing in a surveillance /tracking system for a good fleet management system will allow you to choose the best and shortest routes for your vehicles. Not to mention, this will help you reduce fuel consumption, unnecessary overtime costs.

Save time – There are occasions when your fleet gets stuck in traffic for several minutes. With a proper fleet management system, your fleet managers will be able to guide the drivers to avoid busy streets in real-time basis.

Reduce downtime – Reducing downtime holds the key to improving the productivity and profitability of a transportation company. A good surveillance /tracking system will help you make informed decisions and schedule trips more efficiently, thus reducing the downtime of your vehicles.

Optimise resources – Fleet surveillance or tracking solutions allow you to monitor vehicles and get detailed insights on fuel usage, driver behaviour, engine idling, etc, in real time. With the data obtained from a fleet management system, you can utilise the resources effectively and identify key money-saving areas.

“ITNL operate across multiple Maximise vehicle utilisation – You can get the most out of your transportation vehicles by using a surveillance tracking system.

Your fleet managers geographies andwill be able to use the data and analysis obtained from the surveillance tracking have progressively software to eliminate vehicle idle time, reduce over-speeding and decrease fuel consumption. enriched our Keep your customers happy – A loyal and happy customer base is paramount for running a successful transportation business.

With the help of surveillance domain expertise to tracking, the fleet will be able to respond to service calls quickly and reach the customers on time. work on challenging Be more predictable – Uncertainty in the transportation business is a strict projects across “NO”. Be more predictable by providing the customers with accurate delivery times, real-time tracking information and other minute details. geographies with Manage field staff and drivers effectively – Surveillance based fleet presence in 19 management systems will help the fleet managers in managing the drivers effectively. They can pull up the data obtained from the surveillance tracking countries. system, analyse it and take corrective actions whenever necessary.

Reduce insurance costs – Insurance companies provide special discounts on vehicles that are equipped with surveillance tracking systems. You can reduce your premium amount by more than 70 per cent.

Optimise financial management – The data will allow you to analyse the routes taken by your drivers. With this data, you will be able to make a comprehensive profit and loss analysis and allocate your budget accordingly.

Superior route planning – With the help of tracking data, you can identify routes that save both time and money. Smart route planning will reduce unproductive work and eliminate unnecessary fuel expenses.

Increase the number of trips – Tracking systems can help you plan better. Your fleet managers will be able to assign tasks whenever they spot an idle vehicle.

That way, you can increase the number of trips per day. More trips translate to more business.

Locate your assets – With fleet management systems, you can locate your lost and stolen vehicles in no time.

Reduce maintenance costs – Nowadays, tracking systems are equipped with advanced telematic features such as vehicle diagnostics, fuel level indicators, engine temperature indicator. You can also monitor key aspects such as engine oil and the overall health of your vehicle. So, you don’t have to spend money by taking your vehicles to a mechanic for routine inspection.

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streetlights installed and working on ESCO model in India.

Give us a brief about some of the ESCO projects eSmart is undertaking. eSmart is in advanced stage of discussions with various local governments and bodies in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Punjab and Maharashtra, to take up 6-8 cities in each State under the ESCO model. Internationally, we have initiated business discussions with Mauritius, Bhutan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, UAE and Qatar, Morocco and Indonesia. We plan to have a combined installation of 3.5 million streetlights by the end of the financial year 2017.

All our lights are remotely controlled and can be turned on or off and through the Internet. Hence, very little manpower is required to operate them. We easily get to know which lights have failed where and can be replaced.

If we are putting Wi-Fi devices in the streetlight, we can make the entire city Wi-Fi by offering this service.

How security cameras can be integrated with the streetlights to increase the security cover of the cities?

In addition to the Wi-Fi, We can put security and surveillance cameras to do the traffic monitoring, traffic discipline on the streets, thereby monitoring incidents such as major accidents, crime etc, which could be recorded live. We have installed such systems in Deesa, Gujarat Two of our projects in Bhubaneshwar and Mohali have received the prestigious lighting award, namely SKOTCH AWARD, for their projects.

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KERALA TOURISM PERSPECTIVE

God’s Own Country Kerala A Hit With Foreign Tourists Kerala Tourism has been following a robust development plan in order to position Kerala as the most sought-after destination globally, says P Bala Kiran, Director, Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala, in conversation with Arpit Gupta of Elets News Network (ENN).

P Bala Kiran

Director Department of Tourism Government of Kerala

“The UK, France, Spain, Germany, Russia, West Asia, China, Japan, North America & Australia are amongst the highpotential international markets for Kerala.”

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How is the tourism growth so far as compare to last year?

Kerala Tourism has been witnessing a perennial growth trajectory over the last five years. Kerala has hosted 10,38,419 foreign tourists and 1,31,72,535 domestic tourists during 2016, with an increase of 6.23 per cent and 5.4 per cent, respectively. In 2016, the total number of tourist arrivals in Kerala stood at 1,42,10,954 with an increase of 5.8 per cent from the last year.

Moreover, state’s international markets including the UK, France and Germany which ave shown considerable growth. the UK, USA, Saudi Arabia, France and

Germany were the top five international markets for foreign tourist arrivals in 2016. Additionally, Kerala has witnessed a 100 per cent growth from domestic markets, including Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Rajasthan and West Bengal, over a period of five years.

How is Kerala promoting itself in international markets?

Owing to the considerable growth in terms of foreign tourist footfall, Kerala Tourism has planned several trade meets and B2B meets across high potential international markets like the UK, France, Spain, Germany, Russia,

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KERALA TOURISM PERSPECTIVE

West Asia, China, Japan, North America and Australia. As part of the ambitious promotional campaign for ongoing financial year 2017-18, Kerala Tourism has planned 24 road-shows and 12 trade fairs with an estimated cost of around Rs 11.5 crore. The Department has chosen the international markets for the trade events post analysing the tourist arrivals over the last five years.

experiences through experiencing village life, the demand for homestays has increased. The Kerala Homestay and Tourism Society has been promoting rural tourism and responsible tourism in Kerala in the last nine years.

With the aim to promote State tourism in new source markets, a detailed marketing plan is being implemented in Oman, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Malaysia and Singapore. After inking an agreement with M/s Silk Air targeting South-East Asia markets, the Department is now eyeing a similar tie-up with M/s Jet Airways & Etihad Airways in order to gain a good foothold in the West Asia market.

Kerala Tourism has been extensively focusing on promoting Northern Kerala, which has immense untapped tourism potential. With the aim to increase the geographical spread of tourist arrivals to

How much investment the Government is planning to make for these initiatives?

The Tourism Department of Kerala aims to increase international tourist arrival by 13 per cent every year. Furthermore, the sole objective is to double the foreign tourist arrivals by 2021.

What are the major initiatives the Kerala Government is taking to promote the state as a preferred tourist destination?

Kerala Tourism has been following a robust development plan in order to position Kerala as the most sought-after tourist destination globally. The Tourism Department has planned to promote adventure tourism as it has huge potential and can substantially contribute to the overall growth of the tourism sector. With the aim to drive growth of adventure tourism, Kerala Tourism has been emphasising on developing action and water-based activities to attract adventure enthusiasts to the state.

The Department has been keen on promoting homestays and rural tourism.

Owing to the changing preference of the travellers for real travelling

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the state, it plans to promote the Malabar region aggressively through a Rs 325 crore project, which includes unexplored destinations such as Kozhikode, Wayanand, Bekal and Kannur.

Aiming to promote river-cruise tourism, the Government of Kerala has envisioned a Rs 300-crore project for nine rivers in Kannur and Kasaragod. In addition, the State Government is planning to develop quite a few adventure parks for adventure enthusiasts. The government has allocated Rs 45 crore for Prasadam project, Central scheme and Rs 120 crore for Green Carpet scheme for Alappuzha, Enranjil, Neyyar and Thenmala.

What plans Kerala Tourism has to position the state as an adventure tourism hub?

Kerala, which called the God’s own country, is blessed with a wide range of natural and scenic beauty, which support diversified adventure activities such as trekking, surfing, wildlife safaris, paragliding and aquatic sports. Kerala offers the thrilling experience of adventure activities to the domestic as well as foreign tourists.

The Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala, is following a robust development plan in order to promote the adventure tourism in the state as it has a huge potential and can substantially contribute to the overall growth of the tourism sector. With the prime focus on developing new possibilities to drive adventure tourism, the Tourism Board is keen on working closely with the Forest Department.

The endeavour of joint efforts with the Forest Department will result in the growth of adventure tourism without harming the environment.

Which are the main source markets internationally for Kerala and what steps are you taking in this segment?

The UK, France, Spain, Germany, Russia, West Asia, China, Japan, North America & Australia are amongst the high-potential international markets for Kerala. Owing to the considerable growth in terms of foreign tourist footfall, Kerala Tourism has planned several trade meets and B2B meets across high potential international markets.Â

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INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE

R K Infratel Ltd: Safe and Smart City Infra Solution Provider Rajendra Sheth

Chairman and Managing Director R K Infratel Ltd

RK Infratel is driven by an experienced management team, well equipped network and industry standard processes, says Rajendra Sheth, Chairman and Managing Director, R K Infratel Ltd in conversation with Elets News Network (ENN).

How has been the journey of R K Infratel while becoming the fastest growing optical fibre company in Gujarat?

We have flat organisational structure where employees may convey their suggestions and problems to top management of the company directly.

Company’s visionary approach and employees’ participation in management’s decisions motivate them to constantly strive for excellence and innovations.

Employees are empowered to have out of box ideas coupled with strong business acumen and for adoption of latest technology. Along with this, the problem solving capabilities among the employees has also helped the company to be one of the fastest developing organisations across the country.

How does the organisational structure of R K Infratel help in company’s progress and employees to showcase their aptitude?

The less churn out ratio of employees at key positions is one of the reasons of organisation’s operational stability and seamless progress. Under the effective leadership, each employee is empowered to participate in decision making for any strategic move beneficial for the organisation. The innovations based on the outcome of the actions and

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implementations are being encouraged and appreciated at the company. The good understating of responsibilities among employees and constant evolution of the work practices and encouragement for adopting latest and best trends have made them expert in their work areas.

Company has a well-structured career path for dedicated employees. Employees are being rewarded, recognised as well as encouraged to participate in national and international symposiums to keep themselves updated with the relevant and latest information leading to the positive approach towards their work.

What is the role of R K Infratel in the Surat Smart City?

RK Infratel has its participation in different projects under Surat Smart City. One of our greatest achievements is “Safe City Project” installed five years ago and since then it is running without any breakage. This project is a benchmark and inspiration for other

smart cities of the country. Our smart projects are not only limited to urban community but for rural area as well.

Contributing to our Prime Minister’s vision of Digital India and as per the declarations by Government of Gujarat, we have sent guidelines to over 200 villages of Gujarat by initiating mass campaign for :Smart Village” concept.

We are also spreading awareness among the rural population and district level authorities about cleanliness, basic health, primary education and defecation-free village which are the basic perquisites for a Smart Village.

Also, we are eying the participation of big corporates to drive their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities around this concept. We are also trying to develop “Smart Tree” project for the villages where devices such as weather sensors will be installed to check the moisture content of the soil, thereby, raising the flag for water harvesting to avoid drying of soil.

What are the company’s plans including revenue targets?

Currently ,we are a Rs 25 crore company and as per the pre-decided target, we are aiming to be at Rs 100 crore in next two years. The next milestone is to become an organisation of Rs 500 crore by 2025 with next-gen approaches in management practices. To achieve these milestones, we are hiring the resources from overseas institutes.

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RNI No - UPENG/2008/25234 / UP/GBD - 71/2015/2017

Transportation Safety Division

Safety starts with visibility As pioneers in the development of retro-reflective sheeting for 75 years, 3M has been at the forefront of road safety innovation. We have opened the door to show the world how science can improve lives. Our road safety and intelligent transportation solutions are part of 60000+ innovations that are improving lives around the world.

Retro-reflective signage

Smart road furniture

3M India Limited

Smart variable messaging signs

Concorde Block, UB City 24, Vittal Mallya Road, Bengaluru - 560001 www.3m.com/in email. rtiwari@mmm.com

Vehicle marking conspicuity tapes