writingonblog uncensored: Chief secy asks Housing Department to prepare land...

writingonblog uncensored: Chief secy asks Housing Department to prepare land...: Chennai: With only five per cent area coming under planned development despite the State being among the most urbanised in the country, the...

Chief secy asks Housing Department to prepare land use plans for entire State

Chennai:

With only five per cent area coming under planned development despite
the State being among the most urbanised in the country, the top
authorities in Tamil Nadu have turned their attention to the menace of
unplanned growth that is a sure recipe for urban development disaster.

Sources told Express that Chief Secretary Girija Vaidyanathan has
asked the housing department to prepare land use plans for the entire
state in an effort to curb the rampant unapproved layouts that are
sprouting across the State.

During a recent meeting to discuss draft scheme for regularisation of
unapproved plots and layouts in Tamil Nadu, the top bureaucrat
directed the housing department to prepare a not just a detailed note
on developing land use plans for the whole State, but also sought a
timeframe to complete the task.

Currently, only a meagre 5 per cent area in the State has a master
plan, while the growth is unplanned and thus haphazard in the rest 95
per cent area. Realising this, Chief Secretary Vaidyanathan suggested
the need for process of obtaining approvals in both plan and non-plan
areas, and an interim arrangement for uncovered areas.

The official has also asked the housing department to collect
information on the proportion of plan and non-plan areas in Andhra
Pradesh and Telangana, and the approval process they follow in respect
of layout and building proposals in the planned and non-plan areas,
along with programme to prepare land use plans.

The meeting also discussed the anomalies in the Second Masterplan for
Chennai wherein the low lying areas have been classified as private
water bodies. Sources said the chief secretary has sought the removal
of provision of private water bodies (low lying areas), as it would
mean that water bodies are regularised.

Sources said the fault lies with the Masterplan division which failed
to check whether the water bodies were indeed there at the site. The
division merely resorted to using Remote Sensing data, without
clarifying it with the concerned village administrative officer. As a
result, these areas are identified as private water bodies.

The CMDA planners have forgotten the water bodies identified during
the First Masterplan, which vanished under the Second Masterplan,
alleged officials.



Fact-file:

1. The area covered under Directorate of Town and Country Planning
(DTCP) is 1.28 lakh square kilometres.

2. The area covered under master plan is only 6,950 sq km

3. The non-plan area is 1.21 lakh sq km, or 95 per cent of the DTCP area

4. The first phase of preparing GIS based masterplan for seven
planning area has started with land use map being prepared by
Bharatidasan University

ED quiz Shekar Reddy aide Srinivasulu at Puzhal prison

Chennai:

Enforcement Directorate on Friday quizzed K Srinivasulu, one of the aides of industrialist and sand mining baron Shekar Reddy over the seizure of newly-released currency worth Rs 34 crore by the Income Tax department.

Srinivasulu was quizzed after Principal Sessions Court, Chennai, granted permission to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to interrogate Reddy and four of his associates inside the Puzhal Central Prison for five days.

“Today we interrogated Srinivasulu. The investigation focussed on the seizure of demonetised currency as well as the properties procured by him. He is also very close to Reddy,” said ED sources.

Srivasulu along with Reddy, Dindigul Rathinam, Muthupettai Ramachandran and auditor Prem Kumar is also booked by enforcement directorate under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

It is learnt that Enforcement Directorate plans to quiz Shekar Reddy on either Monday or Tuesday.

South African woman concealed cocaine worth Rs 5 crore in stomach

Chennai:

A South African woman’s bid to conceal 1.075 kg of cocaine, worth Rs 5 crore in international market, by converting it into capsules and swallowing it failed before the prying eyes of Narcotic Control Bureau officials in the Chennai International Airport here.

The woman Princess Ntombifuthi Msomi, who is claimed to have links with South American cocaine cartel, swallowed 82 capsules where in cocaine was concealed. It is one of the modus operandi performed by international drug carriers who can conceal the drugs in capsules in their stomach for nearly 48 hours, said NCB.

  

The cocaine seized from Msomi, who was travelling from Sao Paulo to Chennai via Abu Dhabi on a tourist visa, is believed to be of pure form and is likely to have been sourced from the production belt of South America.

Further investigations are on to ascertain her links in city, NCB sources said.

writingonblog uncensored: Banks in TN asked to provide info on cash deposits...

writingonblog uncensored: Banks in TN asked to provide info on cash deposits...: Chennai: Any deposits above Rs  2.5 lakh in your savings bank  account and Rs 12.5 lakh in  your current account in  cooperative bank...

Banks in TN asked to provide info on cash deposits during demonetisation to Income Tax by Jan 31

Chennai:

Any deposits above Rs 2.5 lakh in your savings bank account and Rs 12.5 lakh in your current account in cooperative banks or post offices after demonetisation would be brought under the scanner of income tax.

Income Tax department has asked the banks especially Cooperative Banks and Post offices to furnish statement of financial transaction (SFT) pertaining to cash deposits from November 8 to December 30 by January 31, 2017 in a major drive against black money transactions during the period.

“If the banks fail to comply, then action would be taken against bank officials. They could even face jail for a period of six months,” warned R V Reddy, director of income tax (Intelligence and Criminal Investigation).

“Usually, banks file annual information returns (AIR) on October and May every year. But now we have sought statement of financial transaction from November 8 to December 30,” said Reddy.

Interestingly, the focus is primarily on cash deposits in cooperative banks and post offices. It is learnt that the deposits have gone up phenomenally (more than three times) in these banks once demonetisation of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currencies was announced.

There are total of 330 cooperative banks in the state and deposits here are unaccounted for. Now under the scheme, it will be mandatory for the cooperative banks to furnish the details of depositors to Director General Income Tax (systems) which would be accessed by the Intelligence and criminal investigation department of Income Tax.

All the deposits will have to be accounted for and the PAN number of each depositor is mandatory.  “We will verify the Pan details as well as the deposits once it is put in our server and if we find any mismatch, then the depositor who is trying to evade tax will be penalised,” said Reddy.

“We will be having the details of the data of depositors during the first week of February,” said Reddy. Last year, action was initiated against 100 banks for failing to file the AIR.

To a query on the quantity of black money in the state, he said it is difficult to quantify it.

writingonblog uncensored: Chennai to tap 50MLD water from Paravanur River

writingonblog uncensored: Chennai to tap 50MLD water from Paravanur River: Chennai: Chennai may have to depend on  tankers, agriculture wells,  desalination plants and  ground water from Thiruvallur,  Neyveli ...

Chennai to tap 50MLD water from Paravanur River

Chennai:

Chennai may have to depend on tankers, agriculture wells, desalination plants and ground water from Thiruvallur, Neyveli and Kancheepuram districts if the all the four reservoirs supplying water to the city dry up, according to the contingency plan.

During a review of drinking water situation in the state by Tamil Nadu Municipal Administration Minister S P Velumani here on Tuesday along with MAWS secretary Phanindra Reddy and Metro Water managing director Arun Roy, it was decided to tap 50 MLD of water from Paravanur River in Cuddalore. 

Sources said that the government has decided to take up works worth Rs 61 crore to quench the thirst of the city during summer.

Plans are also on to dig 55 borewells in Neyveli which will supply a total of 30MLD of water to the city. Similarly, 100 MLD of water would be extracted from 300 agriculture wells in Thiruvallur district.

Water will also be transported by lorries making 500 trips from Kancheepuram district. A total of 10MLD of water will be tapped from Pallur, Mamandur abd Karungizhi in Kancheepuram district, said Metro Water spokesman.

Metro water also has hired additional 100 tankers for supplying water in Chennai city. Even the trips made by tankers have been increased from 4,200 to 6,500 trips. 

The dead storage worth 409 million cubic feet of water would be pumped out from Red Hills and Cholavaram for supplying water to the city.

Meanwhile, the minister has ordered that special attention should be paid to Thoothkudi and Madurai districts which is facing acute water crisis.

writingonblog uncensored: DRI seize 3kg of gold from bus passenger in Chenna...

writingonblog uncensored: DRI seize 3kg of gold from bus passenger in Chenna...: Chennai: Organised smuggling of gold alongside Indo-Sri Lanka border through Tamil Nadu coast was brought to light by Directorate of Reven...

DRI seize 3kg of gold from bus passenger in Chennai

Chennai:
Organised smuggling of gold alongside Indo-Sri Lanka border through Tamil Nadu coast was brought to light by Directorate of Revenue Intelligence officials when they 3kg of gold worth Rs 91.98 lakh from a bus passenger at Pallavaram bus stand.

The two 24-carat gold bars concealed in a bag were seized from the passenger Mohammed Ali Jinnah on Monday based on inputs gathered from the surveillance.

During interrogation, it was found Jinnah had acted as courier for bringing smuggled gold bars for a monetary consideration. “We are also ascertaining the gamut of organised smuggling of gold alongside the Indo-Sri Lanka border as Jinnah has stated that previously also he had acted as courier for bringing such gold bars,” DRI added.

TN likely to notify TN Real Estate Act during assembly session

Chennai:

Tamil Nadu Real estate (Regulation and Development) Act is likely to be passed during the assembly session, according to sources.

Sources said that the Tamil Nadu Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Rules are ready and is likely to be notified either this month or the next during the assembly session.

The rules have been pending notification since November as the state was in mourning due to the death of former chief minister J Jayalalithaa as well as Cyclone Vardah which struck Chennai’s coast last month.

Sources said that the bill is almost ready and would  bring in remarkable changes in the functioning of realty sector in the state.

Interestingly, buyers and promoters have been waiting for the rules to be notified. The rules makes it mandatory for registration of any real estate project by developers.  

The Act also will bring the real estate agent under the ambit of income tax by registering them. Not only that it will result in setting up of a Real Estate regulatory Authority as well as setting up of a Appellate Tribunal.

It also stipulates that the builder shall not keep 10 per cent of the booked value of property. The Act also prescribes that the buyer shall get full refund at any time if the builder has not followed the schedule.

The rate of interest payable by the promoter to the buyer over delayed possession shall be based on repo rate of Reserve Bank of India plus two per cent.

The act also stipulates that the development plan should include fire-fighting facilities, drinking watr facilities, emergency evacuation services and use of renewable energy.

The developer has also been mandated to list number of types of apartments or plots in the website. It should also highlight the status of project, construction of building with photos, status of approvals. 

Interestingly, the move by the state comes in the wake of states and union territories need to ensure implementation of the Act from May this year as proposed in the Act.

Factfile:

1. A Real Estate Regulatory authority to be formed

2. The authority will have website which will provide profile of promoters and his track record

3. It also sets up a appellate tribunal

4. It makes the developer accountable for delay in the project

5. It makes it mandatory for registration of every project.

6. It also brings realty sector under the ambit of Income Tax

writingonblog uncensored: Chennai traffic paralysed as youth take over roads...

writingonblog uncensored: Chennai traffic paralysed as youth take over roads...: Chennai:: Chennai commuters were in for a surprise on Monday when the Jallikattu protest spilled over to the streets with roads getting cho...

Chennai traffic paralysed as youth take over roads

Chennai::

Chennai commuters were in for a surprise on Monday when the Jallikattu protest spilled over to the streets with roads getting choked as protesters squatted on the roads for hours blocking traffic and bringing Chennai to a standstill.



After police launched early morning crackdown against the protesters in Marina, angry youth, who were denied entrance to Marina, blocked traffic in arterial roads on a busy Monday morning paralysing the city till evening.



It all started around 11am as Poonamallee stretch after Sangam theatre was blocked by students who sat on road forcing people to take alternate stretch towards Kellys to reach Egmore.



But that too was blocked as women and students sat there in protest. It was a total control by mob as traffic policemen posted there watched helplessly.



In the midst of road, there were sermons and speeches. This time it was not about Jallikattu, it was about demonetisation, corruption and other issues as a small crowd gathered much to the discomfort of motorists who could do nothing but to wait in the hot sun.



As these mob held Chennai to ransom, the plight of people wanting to catch train and school children wanting to go home was ignored. Way was cleared for a mortuary van by youth who forced the vehicles to make way by wielding sticks near Purusaiwalkam.



They ignored the plight of people including construction workers -- Dhukiram and Rajkishore Prasad from Bihar who wanted to reach station to catch a train to Hyderabad as they have to join duty at Shamsabad Airport. “With luggage, we started in the morning to catch a bus at Koyambedu, when they said the bus is available only at 7pm, we started towards Chennai Central station to catch a train. We took a auto but he abandoned us here. We don’t know how to go to the station,” he said.



Similarly, school children were also caught in the traffic snarl as schools closed early following violence being reported in the city. Children from Montessori school were also not spared.



“I have to take them to a house near Central. It is too hot and I don’t know when the protesters would yield,” said the driver of the auto, in which three little girls, unaware of the volatile situation, were travelling.



Traffic was affected in Ashok Nagar, Ekattuthangal and Saidapet also. In Kathipara flyover, passengers abandoned their buses and took to Metro and suburban train as traffic failed to move.

The Koyambedu bus terminus for Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) buses remained empty as there were no buses for several hours.Pensioner Subramanium said that he wanted to go to Velachery from Perambur but since the MRTS was closed, he wanted to give a try at Koyambedu bus terminus. “My effort failed. Now this is the first time, I am travelling at Metro,” he said.

A protester tried to justify the cause. “We wanted a couple of hours more. The police refused. Now we will block the roads. Let us see how the people in secretariat return back,” he said.

However, the traffic was later cleared by evening but then the anger was more on protesters.

writingonblog uncensored: IIT-Madras to prepare action plan for implementati...

writingonblog uncensored: IIT-Madras to prepare action plan for implementati...: Chennai: Glass Fibre Reinforced Gypsum  Wall Panel (GFRG) Technology  developed by  Indian Institute of  Technology, Madras, has got a  ...

IIT-Madras to prepare action plan for implementation of gypsum technology for mass housing

Chennai:

Glass Fibre Reinforced Gypsum Wall Panel (GFRG)

Technology developed by Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, has got a green signal from the high-powered committee under Union Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Ministry to use it in mass scale under Housing for All scheme.

This comes after a report submitted by a committee on the GFRG technology, a cost effective alternative to conventional material which would help build structures fast and cost efficient, was discussed during a high-level meeting held in New Delhi on December 27.

IIT Madras has been asked to prepare an action plan in consultation with other stakeholders on financial implications and responsibilities of stakeholders on implementing the technology, which will help reduce construction cost by 15 per cent when compared to conventional technology. 

IIT-Madras will be preparing short-term plans (two years), mid-term plans (five years) and long term plans (10 years) on the implementation of technology which uses less built-up area unlike the conventional technology which relies on huge beams.

Meanwhile, the committee has agreed to set up calciner plants in Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu, Kochi in Kerala, Bharuch and Vadodara in Gujarat and Paradip in Odisha considering the availability of phospo-gypsum in the country at different locations.

The committee suggested that being a by-product of fertilizer industry, gypsum is dependent raw material and its availability needs to be mapped with the current locations of fertilizer plans from where it could be easily made available keeping transportation radius in mind.

However, the technology which reduces use of cement, sand, steel and water; and concentrates on recycling of industrial waste gypsum has been opposed by northern states which highlighted the huge cost of transportation involved as it is far away from the place where the panels would be manufactured.

This has resulted in the committee suggesting the need for a Technology Atlas where in emerging building technologies can be mapped with the geo-climatic and vulnerable zones so that it can be used for mass housing by states.

Sources said the technology’s reliability was proved as the houses built by Building Materials and Technology Promotion Council (BMTPC) under a pilot project in Nellore withstood Cyclone Vardah.

Currently, the country has 64 million tonnes of gypsum at 10 different locations in the coastal regions.

Factfile:

1. Technology Atlas of building technologies suggested to map other emerging technologies while taking into consideration geo-climatic and vulnerable zones

2. Need for a curriculum for professionals and training programmes organised at state level to increase awareness and understanding of technology

3. Training of labourers and masons on the usage of technology

4. Plans to construct government buildings and Aanganwadis using the technology

Record consumption of mobile data by Jallikattu protesters

Chennai:

The protests against ban on Jallikattu resulted in a record consumption of data in the 3km Marina stretch on Thursday, according to mobile operators.

The state owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited, which has 11 towers in the stretch and is way ahead of its competitors in the stretch dotted by government agencies, said that the consumption of data more than doubled putting pressure on the voice services.

“Usually the average consumption of data on any given day is 7 Gigabyte (GB) but during the protest it has more than doubled,” said DM Bhaskar, General Manager Mobile (Planning and Operations), told Express.

It is learnt that a total of 15.3GB of data of BSNL was consumed on Thursday which is a record in itself. Interestingly, the data capacity of BSNL is 18 GB and Bhaskar hopes that it could easily be surpassed on Friday.

“The data is measured only in the evening. If it surpasses the limit on Friday then we have to limit voice services and give the space to mobile data services,” he added.

Bhaskar said that it is a tradeoff between data and voice services. “Usually, we provide 50pc data and 50 per cent voice. Since there is a huge demand for data, we will cut down the voice,” he added.

Meanwhile, private operators remained secretive about data consumption during the Jallikattu protest. Sources in Vodafone said that it rose substantially during the three days of protest but refused to part with any break-up.  Airtel spokesman Swamithan Subramanian refused to part with any information.

writingonblog uncensored: BSNL partners with SBI to launch mobile wallet in...

writingonblog uncensored: BSNL partners with SBI to launch mobile wallet in...: Chennai:   In a bid to boost cashless  transactions in the city and state, Bharat Sanchar Nigam  Limited has partnered with  State Bank of...

BSNL partners with SBI to launch mobile wallet in TN

Chennai: 

In a bid to boost cashless transactions in the city andstate, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited has partnered with State Bank of India to launch mObiCash, a mobile wallet (mWallet) service for cashless transaction.

Addressing reporters here on Thursday, S M Kalavathi, chief general manager of Chennai Telephones said customers in both Tamil Nadu and Chennai circles will be able to pay telephone bills through the mobile wallet.

“It will soon be extended to services such as payment of electricity and water bills,” she said.

mObiCash is the only app which provides cash-in and cash-out facility not available in other mobile wallets in the market.

Interestingly, it is also the only app which works in both basic and smartphones. It will also cater to the rural masses of Tamil Nadu, she said.

Both SBI and BSNL would launch an awareness about the App in the state, said 

Indu Shekar, General Manger, Network 1, State Bank of India.

Commercial establishments, transport services hit

CHENNAI:

Commercial establishments and educational institutions were closed and almost 70 to 80pc public transport, trucks and autos stayed away from roads as traders, truckers and transport unions joined the protest against the ban on Jallikattu.



Tamil Nadu Vanigar Sangam Perammaippu (TNVSP) announced that traders would down shutters to show their solidarity with the protest by the youth. He said all retail shops will remain shut.



Similarly, four lakh trucks in the state as well as

public transport was affected after several transport unions joined the protest.



State lorry Owners Federation, Tamil Nadu, said that four lakh lorries stayed off the road from 6am to 6pm to show their solidarity with the protesters.



Transport Employee Union of State Transport Corporations including LPF, CITU, AITUC have declared that they would go on a strike although the AIADMK Union have not lent their support and is expected that bus operations would partially be affected.



Arumugam Nainar, secretary, Tamil Nadu State Transport Employees Federation said that auto rickshaws, taxis and vans stayed away from the roads.



Meanwhile, milk supply in the city was normal.



Koyambedu Vegetable Wholesale Merchants Association President S Chandran said that the notice to go on strike was given on a short notice as such the markets remained open.



Meanwhile, opposition DMK launched rail roko protest disrupting rail services.

Railways, slum clearance board dispute over encroachments on rail tracks

Chennai:

The removal of encroachments along the

railway tracks between Old Washermenpet and Vyasarpadi Jeeva stations has been delayed with Southern Railways and Slum Clearance Board caught in a dispute over the number families that have encroached the railway tracks.

While Southern Railways claim that there are 341 families that have encroached the railway tracks in the stretch, the state slum clearance board puts the number of families encroaching the rail racks to 1,017 families.

This comes after Slum Clearance Board submitted a proposal to Southern Railways seeking financial assistance for rehabilitation and resettlement of slum dwellers.

The state government is planning to construct

tenements for the slum dwellers near Old Washermenpet and Vyasarpadi railway lines as the existing vacant tenements in Perumbakkam have been earmarked for other resettlement projects.

It is learnt that the slum clearance board has worked out a cost of Rs 1.5 lakh per tenement to resettle the encroachers. 

National Green tribunal, which has asked the state government and other stakeholders to submit a report on a action plan to remove encroachments and eradicate open defecation on the railway tracks between Old Washermenpet and Vyasarpadi Jeeva station, now has sought a report on the total number of families encroaching the railway tracks by January 19.

Sources said that National Green tribunal has asked the Southern Railway and Slum Clearance board to hold a meeting and finalise the exact number of encroachers on railway land.

The slum clearance board has been asked to make available all data to deputy general manager Southern Railway to enumerate the number of encroachments.

Since Rehabilitation and Resettlement policy is formulated by the Union government and railways is the land owning department, the

whole process is to be done in tandem with Centre and state agencies

writingonblog uncensored: TN identifying land for creating tracks for suburb...

writingonblog uncensored: TN identifying land for creating tracks for suburb...: Chennai: Tamil Nadu is identifying land to create separate rail tracks for suburban services in Chennai and its adjoining districts if the ...

TN identifying land for creating tracks for suburban services

Chennai:

Tamil Nadu is identifying land to create separate rail tracks for suburban services in Chennai and its adjoining districts if the new draft policy guidelines of Indian Railways gets the nod.



Transport department secretary Chandrakant Kamble told Express that land is being identified but since it is a policy matter he refused to comment on it.



Indian Railways has urged that state government should take up independent rail-based suburban projects under Metro acts in line with National Urban transport Policy. It feels that running suburban services on existing tracks adversely affects the capacity of freight trains and long distance trains as such exclusive tracks for suburban services have to be considered.



This comes after Indian railways sought comments from the state on the new draft policy mailed on December 6. Since the state failed to provide a concrete reply, Indian Railways has extended the deadline and has asked the state to give suggestions before January 24, 2017.



Railways said that since it is feeling the pressure on the rail network due to long distance and freight trains, the idea is to create integrated suburban systems by launching new investment framework in participation with the state governments and to ensure cost neutrality on operations.



Indian Railways has mooted the idea of special purpose vehicle with equal equity participation from state government and Indian Railways.



The hitch is that the state government has to bear complete cost of land acquisition, leasing of railway land and resettlement and rehabilitation by either providing interest free subordinate debt to the Special Purpose Vehicle or from its sources.



It is this provision that is proving to be a sticking point between the two parties.



“The state government is not inclined to give the land free of cost. We are in touch with them and remain hopeful the issue will be sorted out soon,” said Vashista Johri, General Manager, Southern Railways

writingonblog uncensored: Price of fuel may rise after TN complies with BSI...

writingonblog uncensored: Price of fuel may rise after TN complies with BSI...: Chennai: Price of fuel in the state  will go up from April this  year as oil companies would  be producing Bharat Stage (BS)  IV compli...

writingonblog uncensored: Price of fuel may rise after TN complies with BSI...

writingonblog uncensored: Price of fuel may rise after TN complies with BSI...: Chennai: Price of fuel in the state  will go up from April this  year as oil companies would  be producing Bharat Stage (BS)  IV compli...

Price of fuel may rise after TN complies with BSIV norms

Chennai:

Price of fuel in the state will go up from April this year as oil companies would be producing Bharat Stage (BS) IV compliant fuels which will have low sulphur level at 50 ppm. 

UV Manur, executive director of Indian Oil corporation, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry told Express on the sidelines of Sakshan 17 -- Oil and Gas Conservation Mass Awareness Campaign inaugurated by state Transport secetary Chandrakant B Kamble, that the prices of fuel will be go up in the state once the oil retail outlets become BSIV compliant.

Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh are the ones who have yet to comply with BSIV norms. Entire country will adhere to BSIV norms by April 2017.

Mannur said that the price of BSIV fuel would rise keeping in mind the international scenario as well as the value of Indian currency in the international market.

Under BS IV norms, petrol and diesel will have sulphur content of 50 parts per million (PPM). Under BS-III norms, petrol and diesel have sulphur content of 150 ppm and 350 ppm, respectively.

The reduced sulphur content will greatly lower air pollution levels caused by auto emissions. 

Bharat Stage emission standards, introduced in 2000, are emission standards that have been set up the Central government to regulate the output of air pollutants from internal combustion engine equipment, including motor vehicles. .

The Bharat Stage norms are based on European regulations. 

Meanwhile, in a bid to conserve fuel, majority of which is imported, there is plan to observe Bi-cycle Day throughout the country from January 21. 

As per data available, India produced just 36.9 million tonnes of crude in 2015-16 lower than 37.5MMT in the previous year.

Kamble highlighted the rise of private vehicles when compared to public vehicles. He said the government is looking at various instruments so that private vehicles which is 60 per cent on state roads dwindles and people use public transport more.

BOX:

PCRA to train 20,000 drivers to conserve fuel

Chennai:

In a bid to conserve fuel, Petroleum Conservation Research Agency (PCRA) will be providing training to more than 20,000 drivers of state transport units in Tamil nadu, according to A Janakiram, chief regional coordinator, southern region, PCRA.

Speaking during the launch of Saksham 2017, Janakiram said that the driving test is to help assess the driving skills besides provide them the techniques where in they will conserve fuel.

“We have trained 7,000 drivers of state transport units and their output in conserving fuel has improved,” he said.

Factfile:

1. TN will comply with Bharat Stage IV fuel norms from April 1.

2. Under BS IV norms, petrol and diesel will have sulphur content of 50 parts per million (PPM). 

3. Under BS-III norms, petrol and diesel had sulphur content of 150 ppm and 350 ppm, respectively

4. Bharat Stage emission standards, introduced in 2000, are emission standards that have been set up by the Central government to regulate the output of air pollutants from internal combustion engine equipment, including motor vehicles. 

5. The BS-IV complaint vehicles release less pollutants -- Carbon Mono-oxide Hydrocarbon Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx) and Sulphur

6. As per notification, all newly manufactured four-wheeled vehicle that are complaint with the BS-IV standards will be allowed to registered and move on roads.