In a bid to give a much needed boost to distribution reforms, the power ministry has launched an ambitious action plan.

It will revise Case I and Case II standard bid documents (SBDs), introduce a rating methodology of utilities to enable them get loans, provide a reform-linked interest subsidy to utilities and promote distribution franchises to reduce aggregate transmission and commercial (AT&C) losses.

MUMBAI: The state government is discussing plans to earn revenue by implementing Transport Oriented Development (TOD). Two areas identified for the implementation are the Virar-Alibaug multimodal corridor and growth centres in the Bhiwandi-Kalyan region. The revenue earned from TOD would be spent on developing infrastructure in the region, including development of growth centres, which will enable people to stay near their workplace.

It aims zero power cuts, reduction in technical losses & easy distribution tariffs.

The government is planning to replicate the PPP (public-private-partnership) model in the electricity distribution sector, after having successfully implemented it in works related to roads, flyovers, airports and ports. Planning Commission member B K Chaturvedi is heading a sub-group to proceed with the proposal that aims to ensure zero power cuts, reduce aggregate technical and distribution losses and make distribution tariffs affordable.

Sixteen interested companies attended pre-bid meeting on Thursday for Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority’s (MMRDA) project to build an electronic waste processing plant at Bhiwandi. The MMRDA also extended the last date for the submission of bids by a month, from the earlier December 28 deadline, on the request of the participating companies.

Mumbai is India's most populated city with over 1.84 crore (18.4 million) people, followed closely by Delhi with 1.63 crore (16.3 million) and Kolkata with 1.41 crore (14.1 million), making these India's 'mega-cities', according to the preliminary Census 2011 results.

While the 29th meeting of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) cleared road projects worth Rs1,100 crore on Thursday,the proposal to construct the city’s first vehicular underpass near Kalanagar junction in Bandra was sent back for further study.

The authority has decided to construct as many as five flyovers — two in Kalyan at Rajnoli junction and Mankoli junction, one in Bhiwandi at Vanjarpatti and two in Thane at Mumbra junction and Shil Phata.

While Uttar Pradesh has not reported a single case of polio in the past 15 months, Malegaon in Maharashtra has emerged as the new area of concern in the fight against the crippling disease.

Incidentally, like in UP some years back, the spurt in Maharashtra also seems to be linked to rumours that the polio drop can lead to impotency.

Enthused by the emergence of the NCR sub-region of Bhiwadi- Neemrana-Alwar as a major automobile manufacturing hub in the country, the Rajasthan Government is considering a special package to the sector.

With an area close to 19,000 hectares in 78 villages in Kalyan and Bhiwandi under its control, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) is sitting on a potential goldmine.

However, the authority

Pradeep Pandey MUMBAI