NHAI to Develop Guwahati Ring Road on BOT (Toll) Mode at a total Cost of Rs 5,729 Crore Signs Concession Agreement with M/s Dinesh Chandra R Agrawal Infracon Pvt. Ltd. for Implementation
Posted On: 03 APR 2025 3:38PM by PIB Delhi
Contributing towards the development of the North-East region of the country, NHAI has signed concession agreement with M/s Dineshchandra R Agrawal Infracon Pvt. Ltd in presence of NHAI Chairman, Shri Santosh Kumar Yadav and senior officials of NHAI. The 121 km long Guwahati Ring Road shall be developed at a total cost of Rs. 5,729 Crore on Build Operate Toll (BOT) Mode with zero grant. The concession period of the contract is 30 years, including construction period of four years. Providing impetus to the project, the State Government of Assam will bear 50% of land cost, provide exemption from royalty on aggregates and state portion of GST contributing about Rs. 1,270 crore. Thus, the gross project cost is about Rs. 7,000 crore.
The Guwahati Ring Road project will have three sections which include 56 km long 4-lane Access-Controlled Northern Guwahati Bypass, widening of the existing 8 km bypass on NH 27 from four lanes to six lanes, and improvement of existing 58 km long bypass on NH 27. Notably, a 3 km long major bridge over river Brahmaputra will be also constructed as a part of the project.
The Guwahati Ring Road will provide seamless connectivity to long-distance traffic plying on the East-West Corridor of NH-27, which is the gateway to North-East Region of the country. The development of the Ring Road will help to decongest Guwahati City and neighboring North- Eastern states by bypassing major traffic coming from West Bengal/Bihar to Silchar, Nagaland and Tripura. The project will also provide seamless connectivity to major towns in the region including Siliguri, Silchar, Shillong, Jorhat, Tezpur, Jogigopha, and Barpeta.
Upgradation of Existing NH
Proposed Greenfiedl Bypass
The Government of India has been encouraging Public Private Partnership for Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) projects. To encourage adoption of projects on BOT mode, various modifications in the Modal Concession Agreement (MCA) of BOT(Toll) and provisional BOT(Toll) have been affected in recent past. This is the first contract signed on the basis of modified Modal Concession Agreement which will pave way for more such contracts.
As a part of Government of India’s ‘Vision 2047’, a large number of high-speed corridors are envisaged to be developed. Robust Public Private Partnership in development of road sector will play a pivotal role in realizing this vision and will greatly contribute towards the development as well as Operations and Maintenance of the world class National Highway Network in the country.
Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) was launched in May, 2016 with an objective to provide deposit free LPG connection to adult women from poor households across the country. The target to release 8 crore connections under PMUY was achieved in September 2019. To cover the remaining poor households, Ujjwala 2.0 was launched in August 2021 with a target to release 1 crore additional PMUY connections, which was achieved in January 2022. Subsequently, the Government decided to release 60 lakh more LPG connections under Ujjwala 2.0 and the target of 1.60 crore Ujjwala 2.0 connections was also achieved during December 2022. Further, Government approved release of additional 75 lakh connections under PMUY Scheme for the period FY 2023-24 to 2025-26 which has already been achieved during July 2024.
As on 01.03.2025, the total number of active domestic LPG consumers in India stands at 32.94 crore, including 10.33 crore beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY).
Details of increase in domestic LPG consumers during the last three financial years are as below:
Particulars (As on 1st of April)
UNIT
2022
2023
2024
01.01.25
LPG Active Domestic Customers
(Lakh)
3053
3140
3242
3289
Growth
5.5%
2.9%
3.2%
2.8%
PMUY Beneficiaries
(Lakh)
899.0
958.6
1032.7
1033.4
Growth
12.3%
6.6%
7.7%
3.2%
Note: Growth rates as on 1st April of any year are w.r.t. figures as on 1st April of previous year.
Source: PPAC
In order to improve access to LPG across the country, various steps have been taken inter alia, including organizing campaigns for improving awareness about PMUY, organizing melas/camps to enroll and distribute connections, promotion through Out of Home (OOH) hoardings, radio jingles, Information, Education and Communication (IEC) Vans etc., spreading awareness about advantages of using LPG over other conventional fuels and safe usage of LPG through LPG Panchayats, enrolment/awareness camps under Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra, facilitation of consumers and their families for Aadhar enrolment and opening of bank accounts for getting PMUY connections, simplification of process of getting LPG connection, online application for PMUY connection at www.pmuy.gov.in, nearest LPG distributors, Common Service Centres (CSC) etc., option of 5 Kg Double Bottle Connection (DBC), swap option from 14.2 Kg to 5 Kg, provision for Migrant Families to avail new connection on Self-Declaration instead of Proof of Address and Ration Card.
Further, OMCs are continuously commissioning new LPG Distributorships, especially in rural areas. Since the launch of PMUY scheme, OMCs have commissioned 7959 Distributorships (commissioned during 01.04.2016 to 31.12.2024) across the country, out of which 93% i.e. 7373 [Rurban- 1024, Gramin- 4974, Durgam Kshetriya Vitraks and Rajiv Gandhi Gramin LPG Vitrak (DKV+RGGLV) – 1375] are catering to rural areas. As a result of these efforts, LPG coverage in the country has improved from 62% in April 2016 to near saturation now.
India imports about 60% of the domestic LPG consumed. Price of LPG in the country is linked to its price in the international market. While the average Saudi CP (international benchmark for LPG pricing) rose by 63% (from US$ 385/MT in July 2023 to US$ 629/MT in February 2025), the effective price for Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) consumers for domestic LPG was reduced by 44% (from Rs. 903 in August 2023 to Rs. 503 in February 2025).
The retail selling price of a 14.2 Kg domestic LPG cylinder is currently Rs. 803 in Delhi. After a targeted subsidy of Rs. 300/cylinder to PMUY consumers, Government of India is providing 14.2 Kg LPG cylinders at an effective price of Rs.503 per cylinder (in Delhi). This is available to more than 10.33 crore Ujjwala beneficiaries, across the country including Rajasthan. Details of effective cost of domestic LPG cylinder to non-PMUY consumers and PMUY beneficiaries in Delhi, as on 01st March for last three years is as below :
(Rs./14.2 kg. domestic LPG refill.)
01.03.2023
01.03.2024
01.03.2025
Non-PMUY consumers
1103
903
803
PMUY beneficiaries
903
603
503
Source: Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell (PPAC)
Globally, PMUY is the biggest program of its kind that provides Domestic LPG to more than 10.33 crore poor households at an effective price of just about Rs. 35/Kg. Further, the effective price of domestic LPG cylinder in neighbouring countries as on 01.01.2025 is as below:
Country
Domestic LPG (Rs./14.2 kg.cyl.)#
India
503.00*
Pakistan
1094.83
Sri Lanka
1231.53
Nepal
1206.65
Source: Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell (PPAC)
*Effective cost to PMUY beneficiaries in Delhi, effective price is Rs. 803 for non-PMUY consumers
As a result of various steps taken by Government to improve access and affordability of domestic LPG for PMUY consumers, per capita consumption of PMUY beneficiaries (in terms of no. of 14.2 kg LPG cylinders taken per year) has increased from 3.01 (FY 2019-20) to 3.68 (FY 2021-22), 3.95 in FY 2023-24, and 4.43 in FY 2024-25.
Various independent studies and reports have shown that PMUY scheme has had a significant positive impact on the lives of rural households, especially women and families in rural and remote areas. Some key benefits are briefly explained below:
(i) PMUY had resulted in a shift from traditional cooking methods that involve burning solid fuels like wood, dung and crop residues. The use of cleaner fuel lowers indoor air pollution, leading to improved respiratory health, particularly among women and children who are traditionally more exposed to household smoke.
(ii) Households in rural areas, especially those in remote locations, often spend a significant portion of their time and energy in collecting traditional cooking fuels. LPG has reduced drudgery and the time spent on cooking by women of poor households. The free time, thus, available with them can be utilized in multiple spheres for enhanced economic productivity.
(iii) Transition from biomass and traditional fuels to LPG reduces the dependency on wood and other biomass for cooking purposes, leading to a decrease in deforestation and environmental degradation. This benefits not only the households but also contributes to broader environmental conservation efforts.
(iv) With improved cooking facilities, there is a potential positive impact on nutrition. Families may find it easier to cook a variety of nutritious meals, contributing to better overall health.
This information was given by THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PETROLEUM AND NATURAL GAS SHRI SURESH GOPI, in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
MD reminds high-speed craft passengers to fasten seat belts The MD has set up a large backdrop of a beautiful Hong Kong scene and installed genuine cabin seats at the waiting lounge of the Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Terminal in Sheung Wan for passengers to try out fastened seat belts as if they are on board a high-speed craft and take photos. MD officers will also distribute promotional leaflets and souvenirs to passengers in the waiting lounge, and remind them to fasten their seat belts duly to ensure a safe sea journey.
A spokesperson for the MD said that the slogan of the campaign, “Have a Safe and Happy Journey with Your Seat Belt Fastened”, aims to remind passengers on high-speed craft plying between Hong Kong and Macau to pay attention to the master’s announcement during the voyage. When the master gives such an instruction, passengers should fasten their seat belts to ensure a safe journey.
The MD will continue to distribute promotional leaflets at waiting lounges and display publicity materials such as posters at eye-catching spots in the two cross-boundary ferry terminals. Moreover, the MD will also disseminate relevant messages through different channels to enhance passenger awareness of fastening seat belts on high-speed craft plying between the two places. Issued at HKT 17:35
The Ministry of Tourism under its voluntary scheme of Classification classifies hotels under the star rating system as per the extant Guidelines issued by the Ministry of Tourism. Under this system, hotels are given a rating, from One Star to Three Star, Four and Five Star with or without alcohol and Five Star Deluxe through NIDHI+ portal (https://nidhi.tourism.gov.in). The Classification exercise is undertaken by a committee, namely the HRACC (Hotel & Restaurant Approval & Classification Committee), having members from the Ministry, industry associations, hotel management institutes and State Government/UT Administration.
The number of Five Star hotels state-wise classified by the Ministry of Tourism 2019 onwards is placed at ANNEXURE-I
The number of Three Star hotels state-wise classified by the Ministry of Tourism 2019 onwards and the number of Four-Star hotels state-wise classified by the Ministry of Tourism 2019 onwards are placed at ANNEXURE-II and ANNEXURE-III respectively.
This information was given by Union Minister for Tourism and Culture Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.
***
ANNEXURE-I
State-Wise Details of 5 Star Hotels Classified 2019 Onwards
S. No.
STATE/UT
COUNT
1.
Andaman and Nicobar Islands
2
2.
Andhra Pradesh
22
3.
Arunachal Pradesh
0
4.
Assam
5
5.
Bihar
5
6.
Chandigarh
2
7.
Chhattisgarh
6
8.
Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu
2
9.
Delhi
54
10.
Goa
70
11.
Gujarat
76
12.
Haryana
28
13.
Himachal Pradesh
6
14.
Jammu and Kashmir
1
15.
Jharkhand
2
16.
Karnataka
66
17.
Kerala
94
18.
Ladakh
3
19.
Lakshadweep
0
20.
Madhya Pradesh
24
21.
Maharashtra
86
22.
Manipur
0
23.
Meghalaya
1
24.
Mizoram
0
25.
Nagaland
0
26.
Odisha
8
27.
Puducherry (Pondicherry)
2
28.
Punjab
15
29.
Rajasthan
37
30.
Sikkim
2
31.
Tamil Nadu
43
32.
Telangana
23
33.
Tripura
2
34.
Uttar Pradesh
32
35.
Uttarakhand
10
36.
West Bengal
32
Note: Data is provisional as some hotels are under the process of reclassification.
ANNEXURE-II
State-Wise Details of 3 Star Hotels Classified 2019 Onwards
S. No.
STATE/UT
COUNT
1.
Andaman and Nicobar Islands
0
2.
Andhra Pradesh
36
3.
Arunachal Pradesh
2
4.
Assam
18
5.
Bihar
4
6.
Chandigarh
0
7.
Chhattisgarh
31
8.
Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu
0
9.
Delhi
5
10.
Goa
4
11.
Gujarat
120
12.
Haryana
11
13.
Himachal Pradesh
1
14.
Jammu and Kashmir
0
15.
Jharkhand
0
16.
Karnataka
11
17.
Kerala
607
18.
Ladakh
0
19.
Lakshadweep
0
20.
Madhya Pradesh
6
21.
Maharashtra
69
22.
Manipur
0
23.
Meghalaya
0
24.
Mizoram
1
25.
Nagaland
0
26.
Odisha
11
27.
Puducherry (Pondicherry)
0
28.
Punjab
4
29.
Rajasthan
9
30.
Sikkim
0
31.
Tamil Nadu
7
32.
Telangana
9
33.
Tripura
0
34.
Uttar Pradesh
2
35.
Uttarakhand
2
36.
West Bengal
36
Note: Data is provisional as some hotels are under the process of reclassification.
ANNEXURE-III
State-Wise Details of 4 Star Hotels Classified 2019 Onwards
S. No.
STATE/UT
COUNT
1.
Andaman and Nicobar Islands
0
2.
Andhra Pradesh
14
3.
Arunachal Pradesh
0
4.
Assam
2
5.
Bihar
1
6.
Chandigarh
0
7.
Chhattisgarh
22
8.
Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu
1
9.
Delhi
23
10.
Goa
10
11.
Gujarat
61
12.
Haryana
9
13.
Himachal Pradesh
0
14.
Jammu and Kashmir
0
15.
Jharkhand
2
16.
Karnataka
23
17.
Kerala
420
18.
Ladakh
0
19.
Lakshadweep
0
20.
Madhya Pradesh
2
21.
Maharashtra
36
22.
Manipur
1
23.
Meghalaya
2
24.
Mizoram
0
25.
Nagaland
0
26.
Odisha
5
27.
Puducherry (Pondicherry)
0
28.
Punjab
5
29.
Rajasthan
2
30.
Sikkim
0
31.
Tamil Nadu
19
32.
Telangana
11
33.
Tripura
0
34.
Uttar Pradesh
7
35.
Uttarakhand
2
36.
West Bengal
25
Note: Data is provisional as some hotels are under the process of reclassification.
The Government of India has approved the initiative to develop tribal homestays under Swadesh Darshan Scheme of the Ministry of Tourism as part of ‘Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Unnat Gram Abhiyan”. The said intervention includes development of 1000 homestays with support of upto Rs.5.00 Lakh per unit for new construction, up to Rs.3.00 Lakh for renovation and Rs.5.00 Lakh for village community requirements.
Ministry of Tourism has no specific scheme for Tribal Entrepreneurs. However, Ministry extends financial support to State Governments and Union Territories for development of tourism under its schemes of ‘Swadesh Darshan’ and ‘National Mission on Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive (PRASHAD)’ for Tourism Infrastructure Development. Tribal-circuit was identified as one of the themes for development under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme and the details of the projects sanctioned under Tribal Circuit of Swadesh Darshan is at Annexure-I.
Ministry has revamped Swadesh Darshan Scheme as Swadesh Darshan 2.0 (SD2.0) with the objective to develop sustainable and responsible destinations following a destination centric approach and has sanctioned 34 projects for Rs.791.25 Crore, including tribal experience. The details of projects sanctioned under SD2.0 scheme is at Annexure-II.
The responsibility of obtaining land for undertaking projects in Swadesh Darshan and PRASHAD schemes is that of the concerned State Governments/UT Administrations.
This information was given by Union Minister for Tourism and Culture Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.
***
ANNEXURE-I
List of Projects Sanctioned Under the Tribal Circuit Theme of Swadesh Darshan Scheme
S.
No.
State/UT
Circuit / Sanction Year
Name of the Project
Amount Sanctioned
(in ₹ Crore)
1.
Chhattisgarh
Tribal Circuit
2015-16
Development of Jashpur- Kunkuri- Mainpat- Kamleshpur -Maheshpur -Kurdar – Sarodhadadar- Gangrel- Kondagaon– Nathiyanawagaon- Jagdalpur- Chitrakoot- Tirthgarh
96.10
2.
Nagaland
Tribal Circuit
2015-16
Development of Tribal Circuit Peren- Kohima- Wokha
97.36
3.
Nagaland
Tribal Circuit 2016-17
Development of Mokokchung-Tuensang- Mon
98.14
4.
Telangana
Tribal Circuit
2016-17
Development of Mulugu- Laknavaram- Medavaram- Tadvai- Damaravi- Mallur- Bogatha Waterfalls
79.87
ANNEXURE-II
List of Projects Sanctioned Under Swadesh Darshan 2.0 Scheme
A total of 365 HIV infection cases were reported last year, the ninth consecutive year of declines since 2015, the Centre for Health Protection announced today.
Despite the continuing drop in the number of HIV infection cases, the centre said the proportion of late presenters among newly reported cases has reached as high as 40% to 50% in recent years, and advised the public to use condoms consistently and properly to reduce the risk of infection.
Of last year’s HIV cases, 297 were reported in males and 68 in females.
A total of 216 cases involved homosexual or bisexual contact, 96 were via heterosexual contact, and the transmission route of the remaining cases was not reported.
The cumulative total of infection cases is 12,403 since 1984.
Since 1985, a cumulative total of 2,557 confirmed AIDS cases have been reported in Hong Kong.
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government today announced the donation of over 20 tonnes of relief supplies to Myanmar in response to the recent earthquake.
Chief Secretary Chan Kwok-ki attended a ceremony at Hong Kong International Airport, with the supplies being handed over to the Consul-General of Myanmar in Hong Kong.
The assistance items, which include including food, drinking water, medical kits and temporary accommodation materials, are being delivered immediately to the disaster-stricken areas.
Mr Chan said the Hong Kong SAR Government fully supports disaster relief efforts in Myanmar, adding that he sincerely hopes people there can resume a normal life as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, the Disaster Relief Fund mechanism has been activated and approval given in principle for grants totalling about $30 million to seven relief organisations with extensive experience in implementing disaster relief projects.
The Health Bureau announced today that users can now view radiology reports saved into their eHealth accounts by the Hospital Authority, the Department of Health and private healthcare providers (HCPs) through the eHealth app.
In general, users can view the reports through the “Investigations” function on the app 14 days after the reports are released. The app’s information centre will also issue notifications.
The bureau stressed that the new function allows citizens to access their own radiology reports anytime, eliminating the inconvenience of storing paper reports and saving costs on redundant tests. This also facilitates authorised HCPs in conducting analysis and comparison, thereby providing a seamless and personalised care journey for citizens.
To enable the building of comprehensive electronic health records, the bureau advised patients that when selecting private HCPs for examinations they should first enquire as to whether the HCPs can store examination records into their personal eHealth accounts.
Currently, all public HCPs, and over 115 private HCPs, involving more than 550 service locations in total, are technically ready. If patients have given “sharing consent” to private HCPs, their radiology reports can then be kept in their eHealth accounts for access by themselves and by authorised healthcare professionals.
As of the end of February, 40 private HCPs have deposited radiology reports into the eHealth accounts of over 3.1 million citizens after obtaining their authorisation.
The Transport Department announced today that the application periods for both new and renewal applicants under the Northbound Travel for Hong Kong Vehicles scheme will be extended to 13 calendar days from April 14.
The current designated application period for balloted new applicants is three calendar days, while that for renewal applicants is six calendar days.
The department said the enhancement will allow sufficient time for applicants to prepare the necessary application documents.
The eligibility, procedures and balloting of applications under the scheme will remain unchanged.
Avis aux artistes calédoniens évoluant dans les domaines de la littérature, des arts visuels, des technologies créatives et des industries du cinéma ! Quatre programmes de résidences artistiques sont ouverts pour 2026 par la Villa Antipode, un réseau de résidences d’artistes basé en Nouvelle-Zélande et destiné à favoriser la coopération culturelle entre la France et la Nouvelle-Zélande.
Villa Antipode a été créé en 2024 par l’Ambassade de France en Nouvelle-Zélande, grâce à l’aide de l’Institut Français à travers le programme « La Fabrique des résidences » et le soutien de l’Alliance Française de Palmerston North.
Les résidences
Randell Cottage : résidence d’écrivains qui accueille, durant une période maximale de 5 mois, des auteurs et autrices de nationalité française qui ont déjà publié deux ouvrages et qui disposent d’une bonne maitrise de l’anglais.
Te Whare Hēra : résidence pour les arts visuels basée à Wellington. Fruit d’une collaboration avec l’école d’art de l’université Massey, la résidence permet d’accueillir des artistes visuels durant 3 à 5 mois dans des conditions privilégiées.
Te Ataata : résidence dédiée aux technologies créatives qui invite un chercheur français, spécialiste des nouvelles technologies, pour une résidence de 6 à 8 semaines, au sein d’Auckland University of Technology (AUT), où le design est reconnu comme une discipline centrale à l’avancement de l’apprentissage et de la recherche transdisciplinaire.
Période de résidence entre mi-juillet et début septembre 2026.
Cinematic Arts Miramar – CAM: résidence d’environ 5 semaines qui accueille des artistes et designers spécialisés dans les industries du cinéma et du jeu vidéo. Le lauréat aura l’opportunité de travailler en étroite collaboration avec l’Université Victoria de Wellington/Te Herenga Waka – Miramar Creative Centre.