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Showing posts with label DoNER Ministry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label DoNER Ministry. Show all posts

Monday, 20 March 2017

22:10

Several relaxations brought in GP Fund rules

Several relaxations brought in GP Fund rules 

In a major relief for government employees, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions has announced several relaxations in General Provident Fund Rules, with liberalization and simplification, particularly relating to advances and withdrawals by the subscriber/ employee. 

According to the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh, the existing GP Fund (Central Service) Rules came into force way back in 1960 and even though certain amendments have been made from time to time to address the concerns raised, it was felt to be the need of the hour to bring in some more changes for the convenience of the Government employees. The liberalization in the provisions was essentially meant to bring in ease of procedures, especially for activities like house building, education of children etc., thus making the rules more employee-friendly. 

Elaborating further, Dr Jitendra Singh stated that the requirement of documentary proof for withdrawing GP Fund has been done away with. As a result, a simple declaration by the subscriber / employee would suffice henceforth, he added. Similarly, the minimum time limit for sanction and payment of GP Fund withdrawal would not be more than 15 days and in case of an emergency like illness, etc., it could only be 7 days. At the same time, the limit of withdrawal also has been increased following which, now the withdrawal for housing can be up to 90% of the balance at credit and withdrawal for purchase of vehicle / car can be up to 3/4th of the balance at credit. 

Considering the importance of education, the definition of education for the purpose of withdrawal of GP Fund has now been widened to include primary, secondary and higher education covering all streams and institutions. Not only this, GP Fund advance can now also be applied for travel and tourism related activities, he said. 

Dr Jitendra Singh said, the Government expects its employees to work with full dedication, sincerity and diligence, but at the same time, it is also always seriously considering various means and provisions to provide them with a work-friendly environment and socio-economic stability, so that they may put in their best without any unnecessary distraction. 

Source:PIBNEWS
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Tuesday, 6 October 2015

07:44

Uncertainty persists over India-Bangla Rail project as DoNER Ministry yet to allocate Funds

Uncertainty persists over India-Bangla Rail project as DoNER Ministry yet to allocate Funds

Agartala: Five years after the plan for an India-Bangladesh railway network was approved, uncertainty persists over the project as no funds have been allocated yet, authorities said.

“It is not certain when the work for the project would start. No funds have been allocated so far for the Agartala (India)-Akhaura (Bangladesh) railway project,” Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) general manager R.K. Gupta told reporters here on Sunday evening.

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar said: “No funds were also allocated for land acquisition for the railway project. We would start work immediately after the sanction of funds.”

The Rs.575-crore project was finalised in January 2010 when Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina met then Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh during her visit to New Delhi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sheikh Hasina discussed the project again during Modi’s visit to Dhaka on June 6-7 this year.

India announced it would bear the entire cost of the 15-km long railway project. Of the 15 km, five km fall in the Indian territory and the rest 10 km in Bangladesh.

“NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog had decided in a meeting in Delhi on June 18 to put in place the vital railway project between India and Bangladesh by December 2017,” Tripura transport secretary Samarjit Bhowmik told.

Bhowmik, who attended the NITI Aayog meeting, said: “The alignment and other technicalities of laying the track to link Agartala railway station with Bangladesh’s Akhaura railway station have been changed recently. A final report on the new alignment was also submitted for sanction of funds.”

NITI Aayog’s advisor Animesh Singh presided over the meeting in New Delhi, where officials of ministries of railways, development of north-eastern region (DoNER), external affairs and the Tripura government participated.

Bhowmik said that India’s external affairs ministry earlier announced it would provide funds to lay the tracks in the Bangladesh territory.

Tripura Transport Minister Manik Dey also held a meeting with Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu in New Delhi on September 23 and urged him to expedite the issues related to the project.

“The railway minister told me that he would personally talk to the Railway Board and external affairs ministry about the funding of the project,” Dey told IANS on Monday.

The project cost was earlier estimated at Rs.271 crore. In addition, Rs.302 crore was needed to acquire around 97.60 acres of land in India’s Tripura for laying the tracks.

“After the latest alignment of the project, now 72 acres of land would be required. Hence, the funds required would be reduced to Rs.98 crore from Rs.302 crore,” Dey added.

“Earlier, the DoNER ministry committed to provide funds to lay tracks on the Indian side. But recently the DoNER ministry categorically expressed its inability to give funds. Railway ministry was considering providing funds for the Tripura part of the project, but has not yet taken a final decision,” an NFR official said.

State-owned Indian Railway Construction Company (IRCON) is expected to lay the tracks on both sides of the border. The NFR is the nodal agency for the project.

“The railway connectivity between the north-eastern state and Bangladesh would boost socio-economic, trade and business ties between the two countries. After the commissioning of the railway project, Tripura would act as a corridor to the South-East Asian countries,” Dey said.

Dey told IANS: “It would become cost-effective to ferry men and materials between the two countries, and between the mountainous north-east region and other parts of India via Bangladesh once the railway project is completed.”

The 1,650-km distance between Agartala and Kolkata would be reduced to only 515 km once the rail track is constructed through Bangladesh, he added.
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Saturday, 20 June 2015

20:36

Railway ministry to send team for India-Bangla rail project

Railway ministry to send team for India-Bangla rail project

AGARTALA: To push India-Bangla rail extension project, railways ministry would be sending a high level team to expedite the process soon.

The decision of sending the railway ministry team to have a first-hand knowledge about the proposed rail project was taken at a meeting of NITI Aayog held in Delhi on June 18, said transport secretary Samarjit Bhowmik.

NITI Aayog in the meeting decided to implement the railway extension project from Agartala to Gangasagar (Bangladesh) by 2017.

“It was decided that Agartala-Gangasagar (Bangladesh) would be completed by 2017 but it was not clarified when the work for the dream railway extension work will begin,” Bhowmik said.

Bhowmik said of the total 5km proposed railway project in Indian side, altogether 2.5km rail link would be overhead while the remaining part would be laid on the land. This would reduce the estimated expenditure for land acquisition to connect Agartala railway station with Bangladesh’s Gangasagar railway station.

It was estimated that Rs 302 crore would be required to acquire land for the 5km railway track in Indian side.

“Uncertainty over funding the ambitious project was also removed after NITI Aayog clarified that the railway ministry will pump fund to implement the project,” Bhowmik, who was present at the meeting said.

NITI Aayog adviser Manoj Singh presided over the meeting while joint secretaries of ministry of external affairs (MEA), DoNER and top officials from railways ministry remained present there.

Source :UdaipurKiran
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Friday, 19 June 2015

20:47

NITI Aayog issues Green Signal for Agartala-Akhaura Railway line project

NITI Aayog issues Green Signal for Agartala-Akhaura Railway line project

New Delhi: The Ministry of Railway has finally agreed to fund the long-awaited Agartala-Akhaura project to connect Tripura and Bangladesh, said Arunachal Pradesh state Transport Secretary Mr.Samarjit Bhowmik today in a meeting at Guwahati. After the new government came to power, it was decided that the DoNER Ministry will fund the project, he added.

A high level meeting of NITI Aayog was held in New Delhi on June 18 in a bid to break the deadlock on the 15-km Agartala-Akhaura rail project along Tripura on the proposed India-Bangladesh railway project.  NITI Aayog officials presided over the meeting in which, the officials from the Ministries of Railways, Development of North Eastern Region and External Affairs and the Tripura government officials participated.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladesh Premier Sheikh Hasina discussed the project during Modi’s official visit to Dhaka on June 6-7. The Rs.575-crore ($90 million) railway project was finalised in January 2010 during the Bangladesh prime minister’s meeting with then Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi.

The 1,650-km distance between Agartala and Kolkata would be reduced to only 515 km once the rail track is constructed through Bangladesh.

The project cost was earlier estimated at Rs.271 crore. In addition, Rs.302 crore was needed to acquire around 98 acres of land in India for laying the tracks. Work to lay the 15-km railway track to link Tripura capital Agartala with Bangladesh’s southeastern Akhaura city is yet to start although the two countries are very serious about executing the project, a Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) official said.

State-owned Indian Railway Construction Company (IRCON) is expected to lay the tracks on both sides of the border, with five km falling in the Indian territory and the remaining in Bangladesh.

The new railway connectivity between the northeastern state and Bangladesh will boost socio-economic, trade and business ties between the two countries, the transport minister said.

The NFR is the nodal agency for the project, for which alignment of rail line and other technical details were finalised by officials of both India and Bangladesh.
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