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March 27, 2025

PARLIAMENT QUESTION: POKHRAN-FALSUND-BALOTRA-SIWANA LIFT PROJECT IN RAJASTHAN

Source: Government of India

Posted On: 27 MAR 2025 3:02PM by PIB Delhi

As reported by the state government of Rajasthan, there are 25 feeders sanctioned to feed 110 clusters under Pokhran-Falsund-Balotra-Siwana (PFBS) lift project in Rajasthan. The feeder-wise number of covered villages and details of water demand (in MLD) required along with the actual demand of water being supplied under the project are at below.

As reported by state government of Rajasthan, 563 villages are proposed to be benefitted through 110 clusters. The 39 clusters for 80 villages are remaining to be commissioned for which work of package is under progress. The cluster-wise water quantities being supplied in 71 commissioned clusters are at below.

The state government of Rajasthan has informed that PFBS project was designed for 30 years. At present, 5 packages out of total 7 packages have been completed. From the remaining 2 packages, one package is in commissioning stage and the other package is targeted to be completed by September, 2025.

The state government of Rajasthan has informed that the design period of the project was for year 2038, which has been further shifted due to revised water supply norms of surface water at the rate of 55 lpcd against earlier rate of 70 lpcd for rural water supply. The further proposal to meet the actual need shall be framed as per the requirements.

The state government of Rajasthan has reported that the leakages have occurred in trunk line due to surge and air entrapment in pipeline. Further, the corrosive nature of soil is also a factor for weakening of the joints of MS pipeline. All necessary actions against defaulter contractors such as penalty and execution on the risk & cost of contractors are taken up as per terms and conditions of agreement.

Feeder-wise water demand and supply status of Pokhran-Falsund-Balotra-Siwana Lift Project

Sr. No.	OFFTAKES	Design Water Demand for year 2023 (in KLD)	Water being supplied presently year 2025 (in KLD)
1	Offtake Ajasar	1549	2048
2	Offtake Biliya	6661	7572
	Grand Total 3b	8210	9620
3	Offtake Ujla	1236	1595
4	Offtake Madwa	1800	2005
5	Offtake Bhaniyana	4002	4110
6	Offtake Bhikodai	2156	2355
7	Offtake Swami Ji Ki Dhani	584	614
8	Offtake Falsoond	2634	2743
	Grand Total 3a	16721	17742
9	Offtake Bandhewa	4818	4818
10	Offtake Hire Ki Dhani	7981	7981
11	Offtake Gira	1142	1142
12	Offtake Santra Bhakri	3057	3057
	Grand Total 4a	16998	16998
13	Offtake Borawas-Kher Fanta	1163	655
14	Offtake Jasol	2651	2651
15	Offtake Jasol Fanta	21434	16489
16	Offtake Kuseep Fanta	2148	170
17	Offtake Siwana	8415	0
18	Offtake Variya Varecha	2536	600
19	Offtake Sinli	760	300
20	Offtake Kitpala	180	150
21	Offtake Kaloori	276	200
22	Offtake Dakhan	889	300
23	Offtake Mithora	6498	0
24	Offtake Bhookha Bs	637	500
25	Offtake Sindari	4124	1750
	Grand Total 4B	51711	23765
	PFBS Total Demands for year 2023 (in KLD)	93640	68125

Village-wise details of water demand (in KLD) required and actual demand of water supplied

S. No.	Sr.no. of feeders	OFFTAKES	CLUSTER SR	VILLAGE NAME	Design Water Demand (@55LPCD) for year 2023 (in KLD)		Water being supplied presently year 2025 (in KLD)
1			AJASAR	AJASAR VILLAGE	142		157
2				TOTA	58		64
3				DIDHU	141		156
4				ASKANDRA	200		220
5				CHANDSAR	34		38
6				NAWATALA	62		56
7				NAYA NAWATALA	56		51
8				BARDANA	56		62
10			LOHARKI	LOHARKI	228		670
11				RATHODA	72		71
12				SADA	100		104
13				CHAYAN-1	155		152
14				CHAYAN-2	245		247
	1	Offtake Ajasar Total demands				1549		2048
16			KHELANA	KHELANA	75		83
17				PRATAPPURA-2	37		40
18				BHINAJPURA	46		49
19				RAMPURIA	14		15
21			MALUSAR	MALUSAR	19		20
22				BHALA BASTI	40		44
23				RAJGARH	110		121
24				SABALPURA	49		54
25				BONADA	120		132
27			AMARASAR	AMARASAR	84		92
28				S.S.KD	33		36
29				BEITEENA	116		126
31			SADRASAR	SADRASAR	57		61
32			SADRASAR	KHURA	119		129
34			RAMPURA	RAMPURA	69		76
35				NAI GUDDI	60		66
36				CHOWK	59		65
37				PRATAPPURA	48		59
39			SANKARA	SANKARA	438		496
40				KHETASAR	170		187
41				MADHOPURA	92		99
42				NAYA SANAWARA	68		73
43				SANAWARA	206		225
45			LOONA KHURD	LOONA KHURD	71		73
46				LOONA KALAN	70		77
47				ACHALPURA	129		136
48				MOTISAR	63		67
49				GUNDALA	100		110
51			RAMDEVRA	RAMDEVRA	686		987
52				MAWA	54		59
53				VEERAM DEORA	70		77
54				DOODHIYA	55		61
56			GOMAT	GOMAT	453		498
58			EKA	EKA	118		128
59				DEEDANIYA	167		305
60				PUROHITSAR	65		18
61				SATASAR	39		0
62				SARNAYATHA	36		38
63				SUJASAR	82		93
64				GALAR	2		2
66			CHACHA	CHACHA	136		147
67				ODHANIYA	188		207
68				KHETOLAI	210		231
70			DHOLIYA	DHOLIYA	238		269
71				LATHI	349		384
72				BHADARIYA	158		174
74			MKD	MKD	73		81
75				CHANDANI	109		118
76				RATAN KI BASTI	27		28
77				LOTHA	16		18
79			BILIYA	BILLIYA	39		49
80				KELAWA	178		198
81				SUGANPURA	35		38
82				THAT	118		121
83				NANAYA	121		129
84				MORDARDI	122		132
85				PABUPADIYA	78		86
86				POKRAN ROOLER	77		85
	2	Offtake Biliya Total demands				6661		7572
		GRAND TOTAL 3B				8210		9620
			Coverage under SPR package-3A
Sr. No.		OFFTAKES	CLUSTER SR	VILLAGE NAME	Design Water Demand (@55LPCD) for year 2023 (in KLD)		Water being supplied presently year 2025 (in KLD)
1			Ujla	Ujla	227		316
2				Nathoosar @ Barli Charnan	208		263
3				Barlimanda	84		125
4				Jhalariya	194		253
5				Narsinghpura	39		55
6			Lawan	Dhoorsar	63		75
7				Lawan	57		71
8				Morani	57		79
9				Rayad	233		262
10				Kerawa	74		96
	3	Offtake Ujla Total demands				1236		1595
11			Madwa	Madwa	101		130
12				Teliwara	158		174
13				Kanasar	249		276
14				Devalpura	698		728
15			Barath Ka Gaon	Barath Ka Gaon	55		65
16				Bhankhri	72		86
17				Indranagar	70		82
18				Merwa	120		137
19				Uchpadra	171		188
20				Baloosingh KD	66		79
21				Raipalon KD	40		60
	4	Offtake Madwa Total demands				1800		2005
22			Rai singh pura	Bhaniyana	37		37
23				Raisinghpura	83		83
24				Panasar	3		90
25				Meghrisar	461		461
26				Shakti Fauzdasar	139		139
27			Doongre Ki Dhani	Doongre KD	191		191
28				Kheenwsar	214		214
29				Khejarli	243		243
30				Chainpura	356		356
31				Prahladsar	34		34
32				Chitrori	74		74
33			Ratariya	Ratariya	111		111
34				Padrora	27		27
35				Sakariya	16		16
36				Jhabra	39		39
37				Bagthal	146		146
38				Garhi Champawat	72		72
39			Dodhiya	Doodhiya	120		120
40				Dalpatpura	124		124
41				Jaswantpura	124		124
42				Jhalora Pokaran	79		79
43				Nai Rajmathai	79		79
44				Hayatpura	70		70
45			Sardar Singh KD	Sardarsingh KD	61		61
46				Doodhli KD	48		48
47				Bhagwatipura	60		60
48				Phusasar	446		456
49			JP-Jaimalam	Pratapgarh	173		173
50				Guddi	94		94
51				Ranjeetpura	69		69
52				Jaimalan	209		220
	5	Offtake Bhaniyana Total demands				4002		4110
53			Bhikodai	Bhekhorai Jooni	72		76
54				Balar	71		75
55				Roopsar	132		142
56				Khanpura	64		74
57				Barsani	102		111
58				Bhanu Nagar	77		81
59				Maulana Azadnagar	38		48
60				Goraliya	47		61
61			Dantal	Bhurasar	14		19
62				Jhalora Bhatiyan	19		24
63				Jeeyasar	41		46
64				Dantal	113		128
65				Gadeli Kuwan	50		53
66				Sanga Bera	123		126
67				Khetasar	85		87
68			Rajmathai	Rajmathai	33		35
69				Longasar	118		121
70				Hariyasar	58		58
71				Dhaulasar	121		125
72				Masooriya	90		110
73			Bandhewa	Bandhewa	160		163
74				Mekuba	94		106
75				Karni Nagar	48		53
76				Deopalpura	209		239
77				Khomthal	69		78
78			Kesula Pana	Kesula Ka Pana	60		63
79			Kesula Pana	Bheekhorai Nai	48		53
	6	Offtake Bhikodai Total demands				2156		2355
80			Swami Ji Ki Dhani	Swamiji KD	70		74
81				Phoolasar	124		131
82				Karada	124		132
83				Kajoi	120		126
84				Jetpura	146		151
	7	Offtake Swami Ji Ki Dhani Total demands				584		614
85			Falsoond	Falsoond	39		41
86				Jeevrajgarh	84		87
87				Fajlooni Murid	208		211
88				Chanuni Meghasar	227		234
89			Manasar	Manasar	115		117
90				Parasar	3		45
91				Rawatpura	306		311
92				Netasar	40		42
93			Bhurjgarh	Shyampura	66		69
94				Khumansar	75		79
95				Abasar	107		108
96				Bhurajgarh	171		173
97				Tanasar	79		83
98				Parbatsar	79		82
99				Matoorasar	461		464
100				Jethnagar	139		142
101				Prabhupura	191		194
102			Sohanpura	Sohanpura	74		77
103				Prahaladnagar	111		116
104				Peerasar	27		29
105				Padampura	16		19
106				Motipura	16		20
	8	Offtake Falsoond Total demands				2634		2743
			Pokaran urban demands		4310		4320
		GRAND TOTAL 3A				16721		17742
			Coverage under SPR package-4A
Sr. No.		OFFTAKES	CLUSTER SR	VILLAGE NAME	Design Water Demand (@55LPCD) for year 2023 (in KLD)		Water being supplied presently year 2025 (in KLD)
1			Undoo	Undoo	140		140
2				Prahladpura	92		92
3				Moodhnon Ki Dhani	71		71
4				Hanumanpura	88		88
5				Dhanani Meghwalon Ki Dhani	119		119
6				Pannawas	76		76
7			Rajbera	Rajbera	146		146
8			Rajbera	Dheerji Ki Dhani	123		123
9			Kesumbala Bhatiyan	Kasoombala Bhatiyan	85		85
10				Joraniyo Ki Dhani	73		73
11				Kasoombala Phanta	44		44
12				Kasoom Bala Charnan	21		21
13				Sujoniyon Ki Dhani	84		84
14				Herajoniyon Ki Dhani	120		120
15				Kasoom Bala Sardar Singh	30		30
16				Kasoombala Harchand	114		114
17				Kasoom Bala Mahechan	52		52
18				Madon Ki Dhani	178		178
19			Rateu	Rateu	105		105
20				Phatoombiya Nadi	58		58
21				Saiyon Ki Dhani	82		82
22				Dheeraniyon Ki Dhani	49		49
23				Daloniyon Ki Dhani	70		70
24				Patalinadi	80		80
25			Sahar	Sahar	103		103
26				Chauraliya	75		75
27				Indroniyon Ka Tala	90		90
28				Gogaji Ka Mandir	63		63
29				Deeponiyon Ki Dhani	71		71
30				Ugroniyon Ki Dhani	49		49
31				Doongroniyon Ki Dhani	74		74
32			Kheenpar	Kheenpar	109		109
33				Ramsariya	84		84
34				Ridhusar	59		59
35				Janduo Ki Dhani	89		89
36			Maylon Ki Dhani	Maylon Ki Dhani	76		76
37			Maylon Ki Dhani	Thaleson Ki Dhani	48		48
38			Kerli Nadi	Kerli Nadi	82		82
39				Pooniyon Ka Tala	59		59
40				Kuknon Ki Dhani	54		54
41				Nimboniyon Ki Dhani	66		66
42			Kanor	Kanor	67		67
43				Nagona Tala	69		69
44				Megwalon Ki Basti	78		78
45				Kharthoniyon Ka Tala	81		81
46				Mobtaniyon Ka Tala	61		61
47				Godaron Ki Dhani	50		50
48				Cheelanadi	60		60
49			Panawara Dhora (GSR)	Saiyon Ki Dhani	45		45
50				Mandrooponiyon Ki Dhani	61		61
51				Panawara	75		75
52				Meethiyasara	96		96
53				Bandi Dhora	65		65
54			Akdara	Akdara	116		116
55				Hemji Ka Pana	56		56
56				Hudon Ki Dhani Akdara	65		65
57				Thakanon Ki Dhani	40		40
58				Gulji Ka Pana	68		68
59				Ladhaniyon Ki Dhani	69		69
60				Khotho Ki Dhani (Bhadasar)	88		88
61				Sauon Ki Dhani	51		51
62				Bhadasar	47		47
63				Soojaniya Nadiya	59		59
	9	OFFTAKE BANDHEWA Total demands				4818		4818
64			SawauMoolrajDhora (GSR)	Sawau Moolraj	100		100
65				Charnet	40		40
66				Siyagon Ki Dhani	66		66
67				Dhetasar	59		59
68				Ramderiya	66		66
69			Sawau Padamsingh	Sawau Padamsingh	146		146
70				Beri Nadi	63		63
71				Amarji Ki Dhani	55		55
72				Peethoniyon Ki Dhani	69		69
73				Udramaniyon Ki Dhani	95		95
74				Khumaniyon Ki Dhani	58		58
75				Shyampura	127		127
76				Bhomoniyon Ki Dhani	54		54
77				Suntala	38		38
78			Jajawa	Jajawa	61		61
79				Sardarpura	66		66
80				Devpura @ Gogasar	43		43
81				Fateh Nagar	51		51
82				Aklabya Nagar	30		30
83				Bhim Gaon	54		54
84				Jajawa Iejee	66		66
85				Panawaspur	55		55
86				Rajpura	41		41
87			Jakhara	Jakhara	188		188
88				Danpura	136		136
89				Godaron Ki Basti	90		90
90			Hire Ki Dhani Dhora	Hira Ki Dhani	163		163
91				Khothon Ki Dhani	93		93
92				Hadaniyon Ki Dhani	44		44
93				Chak Neemba Ki Dhani	26		26
94				Pancha Ki Dhani	154		154
95				Neemba Ki Dhani	60		60
96				Sutharon Ki Dhani	27		27
97				Legon Ki Dhani	91		91
98				KhokharWest	162		162
99				Sauon Ka Bas(Roopasar)	37		37
100				Siyolo Ki Dhani	36		36
101			Khokhar	Khokhar	105		105
102				Khokhar South	76		76
103				Berangpura	40		40
104				Dhandhupura	59		59
105				Mahingpura	68		68
106				Baghthal	84		84
107			Khokhar East	Khokhar East	238		238
108			Khokhar East	Kankolgarh	75		75
109			KhardaDhora	Kharda Bharat Singh	152		152
110				Hanumanpura	36		36
111				Kharda Charnan	87		87
112				Malasar	58		58
113				Simar Khiya	95		95
114				Karaliya	147		147
115			Pareu	Pareu	150		150
116				Jasnathpura	51		51
117				Peeroni Saiyon Ki Dhani	69		69
118				Pooniyon Ki Beri	56		56
119				Beniwalon Ki Dhani	51		51
120				Jagram Ki Dhani	63		63
121				Jasoron Ki Beri	93		93
122				Mahadeo Ka Mandir	98		98
123			Lapundara Dhora	Lapundara Barthan	100		100
124				Dolinadi	52		52
125				Lapundara Malbechhan (Chauhan)	101		101
126				Malwa Patawatan (Jageer)	57		57
127				Darjiyon Ki Beri	85		85
128			Kumpaliya	Kumpaliya	75		75
129				Doongra Nada	57		57
130				Jhiponiyon Ki Dhani	65		65
131				Jonguon Ki Dhani	77		77
132				Chimoniyon Ki Dhani	94		94
133				Godaron Ki Dhani	50		50
134			Kalewa Dhora	Kalewa	88		88
135				Ganganiyon Ki Dhani	71		71
136				Wagtaniyon Ki Dhani	45		45
137				Kanwarli	116		116
138				Kyar Charnan	66		66
139				Goliya Vida	32		32
140				Sajiyali Roopji(Kanthwara)	18		18
141				Meethi Beri	114		114
142			Patiyal Dhora	Patiyal	13		13
143				Hanumanpura	45		45
144				Sajiyali Roopji(Rajaberi)	50		50
145				Sajiyali Moolraj-Ii	56		56
146				Sonkaro Ki Beri	68		68
147				Akarli Sutharon Ki Dhani	72		72
148				Mahadeo Nagar	26		26
149				Akarli Dhansingh	68		68
150				Akarli Bakshiram	77		77
151			Sajiyali-MoolrajDhora	Sajiyali Padamsingh-I	139		139
152				Sajiyali Moolraj(Kyar)	94		94
153				Sajiyali Roopji(Kanthwara)	18		18
154			Champa Beri Dhora	Champa Beri	62		62
155				Bagiya Charnan	5		5
156				Chandiyon Ki Dhani	76		76
157			Kokudai	Koduka	91		91
158				Reenchholi	176		176
159				Karnisar	47		47
160				Mediwasan	39		39
161				Ikadani	87		87
162			Rajpura	Rajpura	41		41
163			Rewara Jetmalan	Rewara Jetmalan	112		112
164				Rewara Barthan	17		17
165				Kanawas	4		4
166				Rewara Maiya	60		60
167				Rewara Sodha	39		39
168				Rewara Nayapura	73		73
169				Rewara Sandaycha	11		11
170				Rewara Asiyan	20		20
171				Newai	91		91
172				Maliyon Ki Dhani	80		80
	10	OFFTAKE HIRE KI DHANI Total demands				7981		7981
173			Sohara Dhora	Sohara	108		108
174				Deluon Ki Dhani	42		42
175				Megwalon Ki Dhani	136		136
176				Manpura Kharda	100		100
177				Legonki Dhani	23		23
178				Sisodiyon Ka Pana	88		88
179				Maldetha	59		59
180				Rampura Kharda	93		93
181			Gira	Gira	76		76
182				Shivpura	74		74
183				Gogasar	50		50
184				Chak Utarni	20		20
185			LapundraTarliDhora	Lapundara Tarli	67		67
186				Sutharon Ki Dhani	66		66
187				Ambed Nagar	53		53
188				Holani	57		57
189				Legon Ki Dhani	30		30
	11	OFFTAKE GIRA Total demands				1142		1142
190			SantraBhakhri	Utarani	70		70
191				Pawoondari	87		87
192				Chainpura	51		51
193				Bhilon Ki Basti	43		43
194				Santara	138		138
195				Radiya Talar	93		93
196				Dholu	73		73
197				Jhoond	37		37
198				Kerala	39		39
199				Jhoond South	55		55
200			Chiriya	Chiriya	103		103
201				Kerala	71		71
202				Lopali	53		53
203				Sakari	60		60
204				Chak Santara	75		75
205			Khattoo	Khattoo	316		316
206			Khattoo	Bheemarlai Station	109		109
207			Kharpar	Pabolai	38		38
208				Keraliya	28		28
209				Jhalamaliya	59		59
210				Kharapar	45		45
211				Panadeora	23		23
212			Cheebi Dhora	SrawanNadi	49		49
213				Cheebi	52		52
214				Malwa Utrad	38		38
215				Malwa Goyalan	51		51
216				Rajberi Malwa	38		38
217				Malwa Charnan	50		50
218				Loreti	29		29
219				Googri	63		63
220			DoodhwaDhora	Doodhwa	91		91
221				Doodhwa Malinath	50		50
222				Barla	55		55
223				Lachhar	54		54
224				Roopadevi	101		101
225				Nimbli	51		51
226				Doodhwa Der	70		70
227			Gol station	Gol Station	94		94
228				Gol Soda	58		58
229				Mekarna	56		56
230				Bheemarlai	82		82
231				Bajawas	75		75
232				Khar Ki Dhani	51		51
233			Bagundi	Bagundi	106		106
234			Bagundi	Sodhon Ki Dhani	27		27
	12	OFFTAKE SANTRA BHAKRI Total demands				3057		3057
		GRAND TOTAL 4A				16998		16998

			Coverage under SPR package-4B (Work in Progress)
Sr. No.		OFFTAKES	CLUSTER SR	VILLAGE NAME	Design Water Demand (@55LPCD) for year 2023 (in KLD)		Water being supplied presently year 2025 (in KLD)
1			Borawas	41.1_Borawas	123		125
2			Borawas	41.2_ThanMalinath	10
3			Kher	42.1_Kher	150		130
4				42.3_Kalawa	91
5				42.4_Sambhra	94
6			Tilwara	43.1_Tilwara	165		400
7				43.3_Bamseen	26
8				43.4_Mandawas	4
				43.5TilwaraAnimalFairFloatngPop	500
	13	Total demandsOFFTAKE BORAWAS-KHER FANTA				1163		655
9			Jasol	44.1_Jasol	1474		2651
				44.2_Jasol_Industries	675
10				44.3_Temawas	2
				44.4_JasolMata-FloatingPop	500
	14	OFFTAKE JASOL Total demands				2651		2651

“			“Balotra Demands	Bal-1.1=SR-45.1-BW_Campusinlet	2216		14296
				Bal-1.2=Balotra_OtherAgencies	725
				Bal-1.4=SR-45.3-BW_Gandhipura	782
				Bal-1.5=SR-45.2-BW_CityPark	1291
				Bal-1.6=Balotra_industries	2100
				Bal-1.8=SR-45.3-BE_Campus	965
				Bal-1.9=SR-45.7-BE_Ranuja	1750
				Bal-1.11=SR-45.5-BE_KrishiMandi	1826
				Bal-1.12=SR-45.6-BE_NewBusSt	2741
11			Jerla	46.1_Jerla	78		325
12			Jerla	46.2_BalotraRural	2		325
			Pachpadra Demands	47.1_Pachpadra	1007		0
				47.2_Chirdani	4
				47.3_Mandapura	243
13			Gopri	48.1_Gopri	82		0
14				48.2_Bedarlai	43
15				48.3_GodaroKD_Gopri	55
16			Bhandiyawas	49.1_Bhandiyawas	265
17			Asotra	50.1_Asotra	798		350
			Asotra	50.2_BrahmDhamFloatingPop	200		350
18			Bithooja	51.1_Bithooja	510		218
19			Bithooja	51.2_Hotloo	50		218
20			Moongra	52.1_Moongra	383		0
21			Moongra	52.2_Ramseen	148		0
22			Janiyana	53.1_Janiyana	130		150
23				53.2_BhindaKua	73
25				53.4_GharoiNadi	105
26				53.5_MooljiKD	61
27			Sarana	54.1_Sarana	431		300
28			Kanana	55.1_Kanana	624		0
29			Kitnod	56.1_Kitnod	498		100
30			Kumpawas	57.1_Kumpawas	121		0
31			Manjiwala	58.1_Manjiwala	517		400
32			Asara	59.1_Asara	710		350
	15	OFFTAKE JASOL FANTA Total demands				21434		16489
33			Thapan	63.1_Thapan	337		0
34			Moothli	64.1_Moothli	242		0
35			Moothli	64.2_PadariKhurd	71		0
36			Indrana	65.1_Indrana	728		0
37			Kuseep	66.1_Kuseep	561		170
38				66.2_KheraKhindawara	39
40				66.4_NaiKhakharlai	31
41				66.5_Khakharlai	139
	16	OFFTAKE KUSEEP FANTA Total demands				2148		170
42			Siwana	67.1_Siwana	2511		0
				67.2_SiwanaOtherAgencies	285
43				67.4_PadardiKalan	121
44				67.5_Harmalpur	108
45			Meli	68.1_Meli	294		0
46			Meli	68.2_BhatiKhera	71		0
47			Deora	69.1_Deora	213		0
48			Deora	69.2_Durgapura	32		0
49			Dewandi	70.1_Dewandi	86		0
50				70.3_Bijaliya	95
51				70.4_Arjiyana	176
52				70.5_Dantala	19
53			Mawri	71.1_Mawri	176		0
54			Mawri	71.2_Khetasar	41		0
55			Nimbeshwar	72.1_Nimbeshwar	77		0
56			Maylawas	73.1_Maylawas	592		0
57				73.3_Loodrara	169
58				73.4_Baloo	65
59			Mokalsar	74.1_Mokalsar	822		0
60			Ramniya	75.1_Ramniya	402		0
61			Kathari	76.1_Kathari	367		0
62				76.3_Darbala	89
63				76.4_KumahroonKD	66
64			Bhagwa	77.1_Bhagwa	297		0
65			Bhagwa	77.2_Telwara	131		0
66			Goliya	81.1_Goliya	65		0
67				81.2_Goongrot	213
68				81.3_Peeploon	174
69			Gura	82.1_Gura	269		0
70				82.2_Nal	281
71			ThanmataHinglaj	84.1_ThanmataHinglaj	108		0
	17	OFFTAKE SIWANA Total demands				8415		0
72			Tapra	60.1_Tapra	429		400
73			Tapra	60.2_Panotrinadi	177		400
74			Budiwara	61.1_Budiwara	350		0
75			Jagsa	62.1_Jagsa	409		0
76			VariyaVarecha	85.1_VariyaVarecha	72		200
77				85.3_VariyaTagji	78
78				85.5_VariyaBhagji	73
79				85.7_BhakhriKhera	31
80			Mewanagar	86.1_Mewanagar	401		0
				86.2_NakoraJainTemple	500
81				86.3_Shobhawas	16
	18	OFFTAKE VARIYA VARECHA Total demands				2536		600
82			Simaliya	87.1_Simaliya	123		300
83				87.3_SinliChauseera	139
84				87.5_SinliJageer	170
85				87.6_Kalwari	92
86			BhanaMagra	88.1_BhanaMagra	98		0
87				88.2_GirliCharnan	39
88				88.3_Aamjhar	46
89				88.4_Rikarlai	53
	19	OFFTAKE SINLI Total demands				760		300
90			Kitpala	89.1_Kitpala	180		150
	20	OFFTAKE KITPALA Total demands				180		150
91			Kaloori	90.1_Kaloori	276		200
	21	OFFTAKE KALOORI Total demands				276		200
92			Dakhan	101.1_Dakhan	368		300
93				101.3_Dand	42
94				101.4_Bamni	204
95				101.5_Uchiya	125
96				101.6_ChodhariyonKD	150
	22	OFFTAKE DAKHAN Total demands				889		300
97			Dheeran	78.1_Dheeran	280		0
98			Dheeran	78.2_Mangli	126		0
99			Hemawas	79.1_Hemawas	98		0
100				79.3_Jinpur	97
101				79.4_Sela	114
102				79.5_Mubari	36
103			Kundal	80.1_Kundal	296		0
104				80.2_Berinari	168
105				80.3_SiriyadeviNager	117
106			Siner	83.1_Siner	368		0
107			Siner	83.2_Baliyana	147		0
108			Mithora	102.1_Mithora	658		0
109			Dhanwa	103.1_Dhanwa	246		0
110			Dhanwa	103.2_GoliyaMaheechan	142		0
111			BhaogiriKM	104.1_BhaogiriKM	121		0
112				104.2_JoonaMeethaKhera	154		0
113			Dharna	105.1_Dharna	373		0
114			Dharna	105.2_DevPura	208
115			Padroo	106.1_Padroo	997		0
116			Bhata	107.1_Bhata	311		0
117			Bhata	107.2_DhooriyaMotisingh	180		0
118			Paun	108.1_Paun	223		0
119			Itwaya	109.1_Itwaya	586		0
120			Kankhi	110.1_Kankhi	194		0
121				110.2_RelonKD	135
122				110.3_PariharonKD	123
	23	OFFTAKE MITHORA Total demands				6498		0
123			BhookaBS	91.1_BhookaBS	500		500
124				91.2_Ghanchida	137
	24	OFFTAKE BHOOKHA BS Total demands				637		500
125			Karna	92.1_Karna	85		250
126				92.3_Champabhakhri	94
127				92.5_Manawas	33
128				92.6_BhookaThanSingh	112
129			Dandali	93.1_Dandali	166		0
130				93.10_BaoriKhurd	52
131				93.13_Jharokha	7
132				93.14_GirliKitpal	75
133				93.2_Gangli	3
134				93.5_SareliKD	89
135				93.6_Raneri	88
136				93.9_SeoronKD	48
137			SindariCharnan	94.1_SindariCharnan	489		1500
138				94.2_SindariChauseera	565		1500
139			Nakora	95.1=Nakora	205		0
140			Nakora	95.2=Lohira	123		0
141			Kamthai	96.1_Kamthai	118		0
142				96.2_EvadiChauseera	12
143				96.4_EvadiBhimji	109
144				96.5_EvadiManji	71
145				96.6_Sindari@Ber	47
146			Takooberi	97.1_Takooberi	189		0
147				97.3_Bilasar	57
148				97.4_DhanneKD	262
149			KharaMahechan	98.1_KharaMahechan	350		0
150			ChandonKD	99.1_ChandonKD	433		0
151			Galanadi	100.1_Galanadi	136		0
152				100.2_AriniyaliMahechan	106
	25	OFFTAKE SINDARI Total demands				4124		1750
		Grand Total 4B (Work in Progress)				51711		23765
		PFBS Total Demands for year 2023 (in KLD)				93640		681

This information was provided by THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI SHRI V. SOMANNA in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.

***********

DHANYA SANAL K

DIRECTOR

(Lok Sabha US Q4399)

(Release ID: 2115697) Visitor Counter : 77

March 27, 2025

PARLIAMENT QUESTION: IMPACT OF JAL JEEVAN MISSION-HAR GHAR NAL

Source: Government of India

Ministry of Jal Shakti

PARLIAMENT QUESTION: IMPACT OF JAL JEEVAN MISSION-HAR GHAR NAL

Posted On: 27 MAR 2025 3:00PM by PIB Delhi

Since August 2019, Government of India, in partnership with States, is implementing Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) – Har Ghar Jal to make provision of tap water supply to every rural household in the country.

Water is a state subject. The responsibility of planning, approval, implementation, operation, and maintenance (O&M) of drinking water supply schemes lies with State/UT Governments. The Government of India supports the States by providing technical and financial assistance.

Further, under JJM, this department regularly conducts ‘Functionality Assessment of tap connections’ through an independent 3rd party agency. Under the assessment exercise, the functionality of tap connection is assessed on three parameters i.e. quantity (55 lpcd or more), quality and regularity i.e. water supply for all 12 months in a year or on daily basis. All these parameters are taken to define the functionality of the HH tap water connections, as per specified criteria. As per findings of the last such assessment conducted in 2022, nationally, a total of 3.01 Lakhs households (HHs) from 13,303 villages across the country were randomly covered.

Out of these HHs, tap connections were found working in 86% HHs out of which, 85% HHs were being supplied with drinking water in adequate quantity, 87% of HHs were supplied water of prescribed quality and 80% HHs were found receiving full regular water supply. The assessment finds that 62 percent of the HHs receive fully functional tap water connections within the premises. Report of the assessment is available in public domain and can be accessed at:

https://jaljeevanmission.gov.in/sites/default/files/2022-10/national_report_of_functionality_assessment_2022.pdf

The reports of the functionality assessment survey are shared with States/ UTs for taking corrective measures as early as possible.

Government of India, in partnership with States/UTs including Maharashtra is implementing Jal Jeevan Mission, since August, 2019, to make provision of tap water supply to every rural household in the country. The district-wise number of households including those in Nagpur district, getting tap water supply in their homes under JJM since its inception in Maharashtra is at below.

Drinking water is a state subject and the power to plan, approve and implement drinking water supply schemes/projects is vested in the State Government. As per the operational guidelines of JJM, the State Water and Sanitation Mission (SWSM) and District Water and Sanitation Mission (DWSM) is responsible for the overall implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission at the state and district level respectively.

Under Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation provides financial, policy guidance and technical assistance to the States and Union Territories for implementing their drinking water supply schemes.

Significant progress has been made in the country since the launch of Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), towards enhancing access to tap water to rural households. At the start of Jal Jeevan Mission in August 2019, only 3.23 Crore (~17%) rural households were reported to have tap water connections. So far, as reported by States/ UTs as on 24.03.2025, around 12.31 Crore additional rural households have been provided with tap water connections under JJM. Thus, as on 24.03.2025, out of 19.36 Crore rural households in the country, more than 15.54 Crore (80.26%) households are reported to have tap water supply in their homes.

S.No.	District	Total Rural household	Rural HHs with tap water supply as on 15.8.2019		Rural HHs with tap water connection as on date
			No.	%	No.	%
1	Ahmednagar	7,99,754	97,417	12.18	7,15,526	89.47
2	Akola	2,48,458	62,828	25.29	2,18,436	87.92
3	Amravati	4,33,499	2,14,499	49.48	4,27,403	98.59
4	Beed	4,72,732	82,249	17.40	3,64,226	77.05
5	Bhandara	2,56,684	82,426	32.11	2,23,307	87.00
7	Buldhana	4,48,293	1,93,121	43.08	4,23,639	94.50
8	Chandrapur	3,95,251	94,069	23.80	3,57,439	90.43
9	Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar	4,88,084	2,06,238	42.25	4,19,919	86.03
10	Dharashiv	2,88,559	1,17,555	40.74	2,51,918	87.30
11	Dhule	3,04,035	1,93,790	63.74	3,02,780	99.59
12	Gadchiroli	2,42,119	21,384	8.83	2,22,641	91.96
13	Gondia	3,07,730	62,859	20.43	2,50,705	81.47
14	Hingoli	2,14,938	37,291	17.35	1,77,731	82.69
15	Jalgaon	6,90,913	3,97,945	57.60	6,90,774	99.98
16	Jalna	3,00,063	1,68,567	56.18	2,99,846	99.93
17	Kolhapur	6,84,162	3,07,469	44.94	6,80,979	99.53
19	Latur	3,74,582	1,65,992	44.31	3,66,027	97.72
20	Nagpur	3,76,864	1,36,511	36.22	3,67,142	97.42
21	Nanded	5,36,765	92,718	17.27	4,82,403	89.87
22	Nandurbar	3,62,721	52,665	14.52	2,15,549	59.43
23	Nashik	7,18,369	1,71,350	23.85	6,66,620	92.80
24	Palghar	4,52,043	41,349	9.15	3,14,887	69.66
25	Parbhani	2,99,744	80,635	26.90	2,54,240	84.82
26	Pune	8,95,107	3,42,698	38.29	7,62,127	85.14
27	Raigad	5,48,620	2,70,053	49.22	4,90,792	89.46
28	Ratnagiri	4,48,354	1,46,474	32.67	3,86,080	86.11
29	Sangli	4,59,048	1,41,401	30.80	4,03,570	87.91
30	Satara	6,18,518	2,87,355	46.46	5,70,265	92.20
31	Sindhudurg	1,93,373	69,991	36.19	1,60,412	82.95
32	Solapur	5,77,245	2,15,657	37.36	5,76,668	99.90
33	Thane	2,61,271	66,075	25.29	1,91,131	73.15
34	Wardha	2,38,877	1,08,263	45.32	2,34,838	98.31
35	Washim	2,20,115	50,012	22.72	1,97,201	89.59
36	Yavatmal	5,22,884	64,926	12.42	4,13,707	79.12
	Total	1,46,79,774	48,43,832	33.00	1,30,80,928	89.11

Source: JJM – IMIS

This information was provided by THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI SHRI V. SOMANNA in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.

*******

DHANYA SANAL K

DIRECTOR

(Lok Sabha US Q4465)

(Release ID: 2115692)

March 27, 2025

State governments to ensure that there is no purchase below MSP: Union Agriculture Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan

Source: Government of India

State governments to ensure that there is no purchase below MSP: Union Agriculture Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan

Procurement of produces continues at MSP through NAFED and NCCF in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Telangana: Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan

Government of India is committed to purchase 100% tur from farmers through central nodal agencies: Shri Chouhan

PM-Asha Scheme extended till 2025-26: Union Agriculture Minister Shri Shivraj Singh

Posted On: 27 MAR 2025 3:00PM by PIB Delhi

Union Agriculture Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that the Modi government is a farmer-friendly government.Under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the Central Government is continuously working with full commitment for the betterment of farmers. In this direction, the work of purchasing the produce from the farmers at the minimum support price is also being done.

Shri Chouhan said that self-sufficiency in pulses is our resolve and, in this context, the purchase of tur is being done in the major tur producing states, which has gained momentum. In order to increase domestic production of pulses, encourage farmers and reduce dependence on imports, the Government has approved procurement of tur, urad and lentil under Price Support Scheme (PSS) at 100% of State production for the procurement year 2024-25.

He informed that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Government has also announced in Budget 2025 that 100% of the state’s production of Tur (Arhar), Urad and Masoor will be procured for the next four years till 2028-29 to achieve self-sufficiency in pulses in the country. The procurement of Tur (Arhar) has been approved in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh under the Price Support Scheme during the Kharif 2024-25 season. Along with this, in the interest of farmers, Karnataka has also approved extending the procurement period from 90 days by 30 days to May 1.

Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan informed that procurement is continuing at MSP through NAFED and NCCF in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Telangana and till 25 March 2025, a total of 2.46 lakh metric tonnes of Tur (Arhar) has been procured in these states, benefiting 1,71,569 farmers of these states. He said that the price of tur in Uttar Pradesh is currently running above MSP.

Union Agriculture Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan informed that Government of India is committed to procure 100% Tur from farmers through Central Nodal Agencies. Similarly, procurement of gram, mustard and lentil has been approved during RMS 2025.PM-Asha Yojana has been extended till 2025-26. Under this, purchase of pulses and oilseeds from farmers at MSP will continue. The total approved quantity of gram for RMS 2025 is 27.99 lakh metric tonnes and mustard is 28.28 lakh metric tonnes. The major states include Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. The total approved quantity of lentil is 9.40 lakh metric tonnes Procurement of copra (milling and ball) has also been approved in Tamil Nadu. The government has ensured farmers use NAFED and NCCF portals to simplify registration and process. Shri Chouhan said that on behalf of the Central Government, I appeal to all the state governments to ensure that there is no purchase below MSP. Our aim is to benefit the farmers and we will leave no stone unturned to fulfil this noble objective.

*****

MG/RN/KSR

(Release ID: 2115693) Visitor Counter : 179

Read this release in: Hindi

March 27, 2025

PARLIAMENT QUESTION: STATUS OF HAR GHAR NAL SE JAL SCHEME UNDER JJM

Source: Government of India

Ministry of Jal Shakti

PARLIAMENT QUESTION: STATUS OF HAR GHAR NAL SE JAL SCHEME UNDER JJM

Posted On: 27 MAR 2025 2:59PM by PIB Delhi

Since August 2019, Government of India in partnership with States is implementing Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) – Har Ghar Jal to make provision of potable water to every rural household of the country, including those in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Dadra and Nagar Haveli, through functional tap water connection.

At the start the Mission, only 3.23 Crore (16.7%) rural households were reported to have tap water connections. So far, as reported by States/ UTs as on 23.03.2025, under Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) – Har Ghar Jal around 12.31 Crore additional rural households have been provided with tap water connections. Thus, as on 23.03.2025, out of 19.36 Crore rural households in the country, more than 15.54 Crore (80.26%) households are reported to have tap water supply in their homes and works for the remaining 3.82 Crore households are at various stages of completion as per saturation plan of the respective State/ UT.

So far, 11 States/ UTs viz. Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Punjab and Telangana, A&N Islands, Dadra Nagar Haveli & Daman Diu and Puducherry had reported that they had provided tap water connection to all rural households in the respective State/ UT. State/ UT-wise details of tap water connections as on 23.03.2025 are below. Further, the State/ UT-wise status of tap water connection provided under the Mission in rural areas is in public domain and available on JJM dashboard at:

https://ejalshakti.gov.in/jjmreport/JJMIndia.aspx

Water being a State subject, District-wise fund allocations under JJM, and details thereof are not made and maintained by this Department. However, year-wise details of Central fund allocated, fund drawn and fund utilization reported by the State of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra is as under:

(Amount in Rs. Crore)

Madhya Pradesh	Central					Expenditure under State share
Year	Opening Balance	Fund allocated	Fund drawn	Available Fund	Reported utilization	Expenditure under State share
2019-20	1.26	571.60	571.60	572.86	326.65	288.75
2020-21	246.21	1,280.13	960.09	1,206.30	1,014.70	876.84
2021-22	191.61	5,116.79	3,837.59	4,029.20	2,262.78	2,479.33
2022-23	1,766.42	5,641.02	2,820.51	4,586.93	3,526.87	3,516.37
2023-24	1,060.06	10,297.86	5,419.90	6,479.96	6,388.57	6,390.54
2024-25*	91.39	4,044.70	2,622.35	2,713.74	2,655.35	5,122.97
Total		26,952.10	16,232.04		16,174.92	18,674.80

Maharashtra	Central					Expenditure under State share
Year	Opening Balance	Fund allocated	Fund drawn	Available Fund	Reported utilization	Expenditure under State share
2019-20	248.12	847.97	345.28	593.40	308.04	431.79
2020-21	285.35	1,828.92	457.23	742.58	473.59	324.56
2021-22	268.99	7,064.41	1,666.64	1,935.63	377.98	477.98
2022-23	1,557.65	7,831.25	3,915.62	5,473.27	3,109.53	2,972.21
2023-24	2,363.74	21,465.88	7,444.26	9,808.00	8,208.53	8,371.34
2024-25*	1,599.47	5,352.93	1,605.88	3,205.35	2,089.20	2,644.40
Total		44,391.36	15,434.91		14,566.87	15,222.28

* As on 23.03.2025 ND: Not Drawn Source: JJM-IMIS

Dadra Nagar Haveli & Daman Diu has not drawn any central fund under Jal Jeevan Mission.

JJM: State/ UT-wise status of tap water connections in rural households as on 23.03.2025

(Number in lakhs)

S. No.	State/ UT	Total rural HHs	Rural HHs with tap water supply as on 15.8.2019		Rural HHs given tap water connections since 15.8.2019		Rural HHs with tap water connection as on date
S. No.	State/ UT	Total rural HHs	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
1.	A & N Islands	0.62	0.29	46.02	0.33	53.98	0.62	100.00
2.	Arunachal Pr.	2.29	0.23	9.97	2.06	90.03	2.29	100.00
3.	DNH & DD	0.85	0.00	0.00	0.85	100.00	0.85	100.00
4.	Goa	2.64	1.99	75.44	0.65	24.56	2.64	100.00
5.	Gujarat	91.18	65.16	71.46	26.02	28.54	91.18	100.00
6.	Haryana	30.41	17.66	58.08	12.75	41.92	30.41	100.00
7.	Himachal Pr.	17.09	7.63	44.64	9.46	55.36	17.09	100.00
8.	Mizoram	1.33	0.09	6.91	1.24	93.09	1.33	100.00
9.	Puducherry	1.15	0.94	81.33	0.21	18.67	1.15	100.00
10.	Punjab	34.27	16.79	48.98	17.48	51.02	34.27	100.00
11.	Telangana	53.98	15.68	29.05	38.30	70.95	53.98	100.00
12.	Uttarakhand	14.50	1.30	8.99	12.82	88.43	14.13	97.42
13.	Ladakh	0.41	0.01	3.48	0.38	93.23	0.39	96.71
14.	Bihar	167.55	3.16	1.89	157.19	93.82	160.36	95.71
15.	Nagaland	3.64	0.14	3.82	3.24	88.95	3.37	92.76
16.	Lakshadweep	0.13		0.00	0.12	91.41	0.12	91.41
17.	Sikkim	1.33	0.70	52.96	0.51	38.14	1.21	91.10
18.	Maharashtra	146.80	48.44	33.00	82.37	56.11	130.81	89.11
19.	Uttar Pr.	267.22	5.16	1.93	232.03	86.83	237.19	88.76
20.	Tamil Nadu	125.28	21.76	17.37	89.23	71.23	110.99	88.60
21.	Tripura	7.51	0.25	3.26	6.17	82.22	6.42	85.48
22.	Karnataka	101.31	24.51	24.19	60.59	59.81	85.11	84.00
23.	Meghalaya	6.51	0.05	0.70	5.30	81.37	5.34	82.07
24.	Assam	72.25	1.11	1.54	57.75	79.93	58.86	81.47
25.	J & K	19.22	5.75	29.94	9.85	51.24	15.60	81.19
26.	Chhattisgarh	50.01	3.20	6.39	37.18	74.33	40.37	80.72
27.	Manipur	4.52	0.26	5.74	3.34	73.85	3.59	79.59
28.	Odisha	88.69	3.11	3.50	64.82	73.09	67.93	76.59
29.	Andhra Pr.	95.53	30.74	32.18	39.77	41.63	70.52	73.81
30.	Madhya Pr.	111.79	13.53	12.10	62.98	56.34	76.52	68.44
31.	Rajasthan	107.75	11.74	10.90	48.55	45.06	60.29	55.95
32.	West Bengal	175.56	2.15	1.22	94.55	53.85	96.69	55.07
33.	Jharkhand	62.55	3.45	5.52	30.84	49.30	34.29	54.81
34.	Kerala	70.77	16.64	23.51	21.88	30.92	38.53	54.44
	Total	19,36.65	3,23.63	16.71	12,30.81	63.55	15,54.45	80.26

Source: JJM – IMIS HH: Households

This information was provided by THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI SHRI V. SOMANNA in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.

*****

DHANYA SANAL K

DIRECTOR

(Lok Sabha US Q4574)

(Release ID: 2115690)

March 27, 2025

Un guichet unique pour faciliter la reconstruction des entreprises

Source: Gouvernement de la Nouvelle-Caledonie

Christopher Gygès, membre du gouvernement chargé de l’économie, du travail et de l’emploi, a présenté jeudi 27 mars, aux côtés des partenaires du dispositif, le nouveau guichet unique inter-collectivités dédié aux entreprises touchées par la crise de mai 2024.

Les événements de mai 2024 ont profondément affecté l’économie calédonienne, entraînant la destruction de nombreuses entreprises et la perte de milliers d’emplois.

Aujourd’hui, les chefs d’entreprise impactées doivent faire face à un choix déterminant : reconstruire leur outil de production ou cesser définitivement leur activité. La complexité et la multiplicité des démarches administratives auprès des différentes collectivités constituent un frein majeur à la volonté de reconstruction.

Un accompagnement rapide, simple et efficace

Il est donc apparu essentiel de mettre en place des solutions facilitant la reprise d’activité des entreprises sinistrées afin de leur apporter un soutien concret et les encourager à aller de l’avant. C’est dans cet esprit que le gouvernement, en partenariat avec la chambre de commerce et d’industrie de Nouvelle-Calédonie (CCI-NC), ont décidé de créer un guichet unique inter-collectivités dédié aux entreprises impactées.

« Il est important de montrer aux entrepreneurs qui ont vu leurs entreprises détruites que toutes les collectivités et l’État sont à leurs côtés, a indiqué Christopher Gygès. Nous voulons travailler avec eux et leur simplifier la vie et leur permettre de relancer leur activité, créer de nouveau de l’emploi et ainsi relancer la consommation et l’économie calédonienne ».

Cet outil aura pour mission d’offrir un accompagnement rapide, simplifié et efficace, en centralisant les démarches administratives et en assurant la coordination optimale entre les différentes entités concernées.

Ce guichet sera animé par la CCI-NC, avec la désignation d’un référent « reconstruction » dans chaque collectivité afin d’assurer une prise en charge réactive et adaptée aux besoins des entreprises.

« Une entreprise n’a pas forcément le temps ni la connaissance des démarches administratives à faire dans le cadre d’une reconstruction, a précisé le président de la CCI David Guyenne. Notre rôle est de porter les dossiers et d’obtenir les autorisations administratives pour les aider, avec un point d’entrée unique pour les entrepreneurs ».

« Ce dispositif concerne les entreprises qui ont été incendiées, mais nous espérons prochainement que ce type de guichet unique soit créé pour un accompagnement plus généralisé des entrepreneurs calédoniens dans leurs démarches administratives du quotidien », a ajouté Christopher Gygès.

March 26, 2025

Taipower signs geothermal MOU, forming an international team for geothermal development

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

October 1, 2024 – One year ago, Taipower inaugurated the Renze Geothermal Power Plant in Yilan, which generates nearly 4.7 GWh of green electricity annually. Now, Taipower is partnering with Taiwan Cogeneration Corporation, international geothermal developer Baseload Power Taiwan, and geothermal technology service provider GreenFire Energy to establish a geothermal team. This collaboration aims to jointly develop the geothermal resources in the Datun Mountain region of northern Taiwan. Geothermal energy is unaffected by weather conditions, capable of providing stable power generation 24 hours a day, and has high operational efficiency. Taiwan’s location in the Pacific Ring of Fire offers abundant geothermal potential; therefore, Taipower plans to continue collaborating with various sectors to accelerate the development of geothermal energy in Taiwan.

This afternoon, Taipower held the signing ceremony for the Datun Mountain Geothermal Collaboration Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The joint signing was attended by Taipower Chairman Tseng Wen-Sheng, Taiwan Cogeneration Corporation Chairman Huang Shun-I, Baseload Capital Chairman Magnus Brandberg, representatives from GreenFire Energy, and other distinguished members of the international geothermal team.

The initial stages of geothermal development involve uncertainties in resource availability, as well as relatively high exploration costs and technical barriers. Collaboration helps split the upfront costs and introduces foreign exploration expertise and innovative technologies.

This geothermal exploration integrates the expertise and experience of renowned domestic and international companies in the geothermal and energy sectors. Baseload Power operates geothermal power plants in the United States, Japan, and Iceland and is currently conducting exploration and development in Taiwan’s Hualien and Nantou counties; GreenFire Energy brings innovative Advanced Geothermal Systems (AGS) technology to the project; and Taiwan Cogeneration Corporation previously participated in the development of the Qingshui Geothermal Plant in Yilan.

Magnus Brandberg, Chairman of Baseload Capital, stated that as Taiwan’s first international geothermal developer, the company is committed to providing clean, round-the-clock energy while connecting local and global strategic partners to promote the development of Taiwan’s geothermal industry. This collaboration between public and private sectors aims to expand Taiwan’s geothermal potential, accelerate the deployment of geothermal energy, support local energy self-sufficiency, and contribute to achieving the 2050 net-zero goal.

A Taipower representative explained that, according to estimates from the Geological Survey and Mining Management Agency of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the geothermal potential of the Datun Volcano Group accounts for approximately 20% of Taiwan’s total geothermal resources. Relatively comprehensive regional geothermal geological exploration data for the area also exists. Therefore, the Datun Mountain region has been designated as the primary focus of Phase I of this collaboration. Following today’s MOU signing, the project will formally commence with analysis of existing geological data, 3G (geology, geochemistry, and geophysics) exploration, establishment of conceptual models; and identification of drilling targets. Subsequent phases will involve drilling execution and testing. The project will also prioritize the adoption of AGS technology that enables heat extraction without water extraction.

The Renze Geothermal Plant, which began operations in October of last year, has an installed capacity of 0.84 MW (megawatts) and generates approximately 4.7 GWh of renewable energy annually, equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of nearly 1,200 households. This collaboration with domestic and international geothermal experts represents the early exploration phase of geothermal development. Based on the exploration results, further assessments will be conducted for plant development and construction. The goal is to continue expanding the developmental scale and efficiency of geothermal potential, and position geothermal energy as a key strategic support for Taiwan’s energy transition and progress toward net-zero carbon emissions.

Spokesperson: Vice President Tsai Chih-Meng
Phone: (02) 2366-6271; 0958-749-333
E-mail: u910707@taipower.com.tw
Contact Person: Director of Renewable Energy Department Tsai Ying-Sheng
Phone: (02) 2366-8650; 0988-980-032
E-mail: u746723@taipower.com.tw

March 26, 2025

WSD-registered consumer convicted of failing to provide relevant information or documents for suspected case of overcharging for water

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

The Water Supplies Department (WSD) announced that a WSD-registered consumer of a subdivided flat in To Kwa Wan, Kowloon, was convicted today (March 26) of failing to comply with the Water Authority’s request to provide relevant information or documents for a suspected case of overcharging for water, in contravention of regulation 47A of the Waterworks Regulations. The consumer pleaded guilty to the offence at the Kowloon City Magistrates’ Courts.

A spokesman for the WSD said that the Waterworks (Amendment) Ordinance (amended WWO) 2024 has strengthened the power of the Water Authority in evidence collection and information disclosure during the investigation of suspected cases of overcharging for water. The Water Authority can request the landlords, their agents, etc, to provide the tenancy agreement, receipt or payment record for charges for water. Failure to comply with such a request can be an offence and the offender is liable on conviction to a maximum fine of $10,000 and a further fine of up to $1,000 for each day the offence continues. It is anticipated that there will be more prosecution cases. The maximum penalty for overcharging tenants of subdivided units (SDUs) for water has been raised to $25,000 to deter this illegal act. Moreover, providing false or misleading information to the Water Authority is also an offence with a maximum penalty of a $25,000 fine and six months’ imprisonment.

The WSD spokesman strongly appealed to landlords to apply for the installation of separate water meters for their SDUs, which can greatly reduce the risk of contravening the amended WWO. The WSD encourages the public to report any illegal act of overcharging SDU tenants for water for follow up and investigation by the department. The public can call the WSD Hotline 3468 4963 or WhatsApp 5665 5517 to apply for the installation of separate water meters for SDUs. The WhatsApp hotline also handles matters relating to water overcharging in SDUs. Alternatively, the public can call the WSD Customer Enquiry Hotline 2824 5000 to report water overcharge cases. After calling the hotline and choosing a language, they can press “7” for reporting to staff directly.

March 26, 2025

LCQ18: Kai Tak Development Area

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Following is a question by Dr the Hon Starry Lee and a written reply by the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law, in the Legislative Council today (March 26):

Question:

There are views that the Kai Tak Sports Park (KTSP), being the most-recently completed key facility in the Kai Tak Development Area, is developed on a world class scale with multi-functional positioning. The community hopes that the authorities will make use of the KTSP as a starting point to drive development of the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal (KTCT), the “Youth Post” hostel and even the entire Kai Tak area, and transform Kai Tak into a hub featuring diversification and integrated development of sports, culture, tourism and youth, by consolidating resources and facilitating cross-domain collaboration. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the specific plans in place to drive the co-ordinated development of the KTCT, the “Youth Post” hostel and the entire Kai Tak area centring around the KTSP, such as the specific measures in terms of policy formulation, resource allocation and cross-departmental collaboration;

(2) of the plans in place to improve the external ancillary transport facilities for the “Youth Post” hostel and the KTCT, so as to strengthen the connectivity of the two facilities with the KTSP, and facilitate the cross-district movement of tourists and members of the public;

(3) of the measures in place to promote business collaborations of the KTSP with the KTCT and the “Youth Post” hostel, so as to attract cross-location spending from tourists and members of the public, and foster the overall economic benefits to be brought to the Kai Tak area;

(4) of the plans in place to make use of technology to consolidate resources of the KTSP, the KTCT and the “Youth Post” hostel, so as to offer seamless guided tours and proposed itineraries to enhance the overall experience of tourists and members of the public, and to provide consolidated information on the activities to be held at the KTSP, thereby promoting cross-facility interactions; and

(5) of the strategies in place to build a distinctive cultural brand of Kai Tak, with the KTSP as the core, integrating the tourism flows of the KTCT and the creative energy of the “Youth Post” hostel, so as to enhance the cultural uniqueness and the international appeal of the district?

Reply:

President,

The Kai Tak Development Area, spanning a total planning area of over 320 hectares, features a mix of community, housing, business, tourism and infrastructural uses. The Kai Tak Sports Park (KTSP), the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal (KTCT) and “Youth Post” hostel are all situated in the area. The KTSP is the largest sports infrastructure project in Hong Kong’s history, which boosts sports development and injects impetus into related industries such as recreation, entertainment and tourism, and mega-event economy. The KTCT is an infrastructure built for berthing large cruise ships, bringing cruise passengers to Hong Kong from around the world. To expand spaces and network for youths, the Chief Executive’s 2024 Policy Address announced that the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau (HYAB) will convert the Kai Tak Community Isolation Facility into a youth development facility, which includes setting up a “Youth Post” hostel and creating spaces for youth cultural, arts and sports exchanges, with a view to promoting mutual exchange among Mainland, overseas and local young people, and creating spaces to stimulate creativity.

In consultation with the Development Bureau (DEVB), the HYAB and the Transport and Logistics Bureau (TLB), the consolidated reply to the question raised by the Dr Hon Starry Lee is as follows:

(1) and (3) In preparing the work plans for the KTSP and the KTCT, the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau (CSTB) will consider how the two major infrastructures could complement each other, with a view to creating synergies by fully leveraging the respective facilities.

The KTSP provides Hong Kong with diversified as well as the largest and stateâ€‘of-the-art venues for hosting various sports and entertainment events and offers a one-stop sports, leisure, catering and shopping experience for citizens and tourists. With its official commissioning on March 1, the KTSP will become a new hub for hosting major sports and entertainment events, creating favourable conditions for further promoting the mega-event economy. The KTSP will attract tourists to spend in Hong Kong by hosting various large-scale sports, culture or entertainment events, and provide cruise passengers with more options for onshore activities. Hotels in the vicinity of the KTSP will also offer an additional choice of accommodation for travellers (including cruise passengers before or after their voyages). The CSTB, in collaboration with the cruise industry through the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB), has also developed a new shore excursion itinerary in Kowloon East covering the KTSP, the “Live out the Cinematic Charm of Hong Kong” Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In Exhibition being held at AIRSIDE shopping mall in Kai Tak, Kowloon Walled City Park, Chi Lin Nunnery and Nan Lian Garden, offering tourists with a greater variety of shore excursions.

On the other hand, the CSTB will further use the KTCT for other commercial purposes, such as conventions, exhibitions and activities. In particular, we hope to utilise spaces within the terminal during non-peak season when fewer cruise ships are at berth, with a view to elevating the function of the KTCT as a cruise terminal for all. Specifically and amongst others, through the HKTB, the terminal has been selected as the venue of the prestigious global cocktail award ceremony “The World’s 50 Best Bars” scheduled to be held in October this year.

In respect of “Youth Post” hostel, the HYAB issued a tender document on December 20, 2024, to select, through open tender, a suitable organisation for operating the youth facility under a short-term tenancy. The HYAB is assessing the tenders received, including proposals from applicant organisations on how they will set up and operate the youth facility. The HYAB expects that the assessment and award of tender will be completed in the first half of 2025, and the concerned facility will progressively begin its operation within 2025. The HYAB has required the applicant organisations to submit, in their tenders, proposals on how to operate and utilise “Youth Post” hostel. Upon the award of tender, the HYAB will further discuss with the awarded tenderer on ways to better utilise “Youth Post” hostel and other relevant facilitation and publicity measures, including collaboration arrangements between the awarded tenderer and relevant government departments and/or organisations, with a view to promoting mutual exchange among Mainland, overseas and local young people as well as youth development. The CSTB is also in close communication with the HYAB regarding the collaboration between “Youth Post” hostel and the KTCT. After the tender is awarded, we will further connect the awarded tenderer of “Youth Post” hostel with the respective operators of the KTCT and the KTSP fully commissioned recently to explore further opportunities.

In addition to the KTSP, there are a few large retail facilities within the Kai Tak Development Area near Kai Tak MTR Station. A harbourfront promenade will also be constructed connecting the KTSP and the KTCT, not only providing a panoramic view of Victoria Harbour, but also clusters of retail and dining outlets. The CSTB will channel operators of the concerned facilities to explore ways to provide greater convenience and enhanced experience to cruise visitors, boost business opportunities of the KTCT, and attract citizens and tourists to the area. Seizing the opportunities brought by the gradual intake of nearby residential developments, the CSTB will invite expression of interest for the whole ancillary commercial area and rooftop park of the KTCT to revitalise the spaces in the KTCT. Interested vendors and organisations are welcome to submit feasible proposals including but not limited to conventional retail business.

(2) Currently, there are four franchised bus routes and one green minibus route servicing the KTCT, connecting Kai Tak MTR Station, a number of MTR stations in the vicinity, the West Kowloon High Speed Rail Station, as well as the Yau Tsim Mong area. The franchised bus services concerned also connect the KTCT with the KTSP, facilitating intra-district travel by tourists and citizens. “Youth Post” hostel under planning is adjacent to the KTCT. The Government will build a pedestrian crossing between the two facilities to facilitate the use of relevant public transport services by residents and visitors of “Youth Post” hostel.

The Transport Department has already planned to introduce two new franchised bus routes servicing the KTCT, i.e. Citybus Route 20X and Route 22S, providing express services to Hung Hom and Tsim Sha Tsui direct and connecting services to and from the Kai Tak MTR Station respectively. They will come into service at an appropriate juncture subject to the progress of development and population intake of the Kai Tak Runway Area. The Government will continue to closely monitor the development progress of various projects in the Kai Tak Development Area and plan appropriate public transport services to meet the travelling needs of the public and tourists.

Moreover, the TLB is implementing the Smart and Green Mass Transit System in Kai Tak (the Project) in full swing for connecting the Kai Tak former runway area to the Kai Tak MTR Station, thereby strengthening connectivity of the residential and commercial developments, tourism, culture and recreation, sports and community facilities within the area, as well as the connection with the railway network. The Project proposes to have stations at the KTCT (adjacent to “Youth Post” hostel), Kai Tak Sky Garden, the proposed Kai Tak Metro Park, the KTSP and Kai Tak Station Square, etc, enabling the citizens and tourists to access various parts and facilities along the Kai Tak former runway area. The TLB targets to invite tender for the Project in the second half of 2025 for awarding the contract in 2026.

(4) As one of the four strategies set out in the Development Blueprint for Hong Kong’s Tourism Industry 2.0, the Government will strengthen the promotion of smart tourism through the use of information technology, such as electronic platforms, big data and artificial intelligence (AI), to further enhance the smart level of tourism services. More smart elements will also be added to tourist attractions to provide tourists with a more convenient, efficient and user-friendly travel experience. On integration of tourism resources, the HKTB will enhance the one-stop travel information platform, Discover Hong Kong, to provide tourists with more comprehensive, reliable, and up-to-date travel information, including attractions, dining, activities and merchant offers. The aim is to offer tourists a seamless digital experience throughout their journey from itinerary planning, visiting Hong Kong to returning to their place of residence. The HKTB will also develop a Live Travel Map on Discover Hong Kong. Tourists can access the website using a mobile device or desktop computer, and obtain real-time travel information and recommendations covering different parts of Hong Kong (including the vicinity of Kai Tak) by entering keywords or selecting the relevant categories of information. In addition, the HKTB will kick start preliminary development of the Smart Itinerary Planner. The first phase will include integration of travel information, development of a back-end system, and training of an AI model to verify the accuracy of its answers. In the long run, a customised itinerary planning tool based on age, interests and travel purposes will be developed to provide personalised itinerary suggestions.

On the other hand, the operator of the KTSP will provide visitors with one-stop services through its mobile app, including promotion information on leisure and catering options as well as various events. The CSTB will continue to work closely with the operator, relevant departments and the HKTB, with a view to further enhancing visitors’ experience.

(5) The DEVB has adopted a series of visual identity elements to represent the Kai Tak Development Area, effectively conveying the design concept of the entire development. These elements include the slogan, logo, typography, colour scheme, and barcode pattern associated with the “Current of Vitality” theme. They are applied to construction site hoardings and integrated into the architectural designs of various projects to establish a clear connection with the Kai Tak Development Plan.

These visual identity features have been implemented across various projects, such as the Kai Tak Fire Station at Cheung Yip Street, the sewage pumping station at Prince Edward Road East, as well as various public street facilities and recreational amenities, including rain shelters, roadside benches, trash bins, bicycle racks, and information poster stands.

The DEVB has also established a set of design guidelines to ensure that relevant development projects can incorporate these elements into public facilities during the detailed design phase. This gradually brings the “Current of Vitality” design concept to life across the Kai Tak Development Area, creating a unified connection throughout the area. The goal is for residents or visitors to immediately sense this visual connection and develop a sense of belonging as soon as they enter Kai Tak. This aims to make the Kai Tak Development Area and its surroundings a visually cohesive space that embodies a consistent brand identity.

March 26, 2025

LCQ14: Introduction of cutting-edge technological medical devices

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Following is a question by the Hon Paul Tse and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, in the Legislative Council today (March 26):

Question:

It has been reported that a businessman has earlier on donated two non-‍invasive, no-radiation histotripsy medical devices specifically designed for liver cancer treatment (the Device) to two teaching hospitals. However, it is suspected that the Device has been left idle and failed to benefit patients as the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has all along failed to include it in the scope of services available to members of the public. The Device has ended up being transferred to private hospitals, and only private hospitals can use it to treat liver cancer patients. There are views pointing out that the incident has deprived grass-roots patients of the opportunity to use cutting-edge technologies for low-cost cancer treatment in an efficient manner. A ‍Member of this Council has explicitly indicated that the situation has led to unfavourable perception among patients. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the respective numbers of new cases of liver cancer diagnosed and deaths from liver cancer in Hong Kong in each of the past three years;

(2) whether private hospitals are required to register with or report to the Government in respect of the introduction of cutting-edge technological medical devices and techniques; of the Government’s regulatory measures and system for the introduction or use of new technological medical devices by private hospitals, so as to ensure patient safety;

(3) as the private hospitals that have obtained the Device have already offered pricing packages for the use of the Device with coverage provided by insurance companies, and the Hospital Authority (HA) has pointed out that the Device is still at the clinical research/trial stage and is not yet qualified for use in clinical services, whether the Government has assessed if the aforesaid practice of the private hospitals is safe and whether it is contradictory to the public healthcare policy; and

(4) as a former Director of HA has pointed out in a newspaper that the length of time taken by HA to introduce a new technology depends on its complexity, and that six months’ time is a bit short in the case of histotripsy, which is a cutting-edge technology, whether the Government will review if the time taken to introduce new technological medical devices is too long; whether it has policies to shorten the time for introducing new technological medical devices, so as to develop a high-end healthcare service economy (especially in the light of the huge demand from a large number of Mainlanders who intend to come to Hong Kong for the use of new technologies in liver cancer treatment), and encourage more capable members of the community to invest in introducing and donate more cutting-edge technological medical devices, thereby benefiting patients (especially grass-‍roots patients); if it has, of the details; if not, whether a study can be conducted expeditiously?

Reply:

President,

The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is committed to complementing technological innovation with institutional innovation. Through a series of measures such as the setting up of the Hong Kong Centre for Medical Products Regulation for the purpose of implementing the “primary evaluation” and the establishment of the Greater Bay Area Clinical Trial Collaboration Platform, the Government has been enhancing Hong Kong’s drug and medical device approval and clinical trial capabilities on all fronts, facilitating the translation of biomedical research results into clinical applications, expediting patients’ access to advanced diagnostic and treatment services, and fostering new quality productive forces in biomedical technology, thereby promoting Hong Kong’s development into an international health and medical innovation hub.

However, innovative medical products must be scientifically proven, including via clinical trials, with the support of reliable data to ascertain their safety and efficacy, and also compared with known standards before they may be approved for registration or made available for clinical application by healthcare professionals like medical practitioners. Clinical trials should be distinguished from clinical services – the former should not be arbitrarily marketed as clinical services before reaching their primary endpoints with analysed results. Currently, Hong Kong has implemented the Medical Device Administrative Control System, and the use of medical devices is subject to the clinical decisions of healthcare professionals like medical practitioners. The Health Bureau is expediting the study on legislating for the statutory regulation of medical devices for approval and registration purposes. Citizens who need to seek medical services due to illnesses should consult professionals including medical practitioners, and should not be influenced by other online advertisements or publicity through endorsements.

Multiple effective treatment methods for liver cancer are now available, including surgical local liver resection, minimally invasive local treatment (such as radiofrequency ablation, microwave ablation, stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT in short)), interventional therapy, anti-cancer drugs (such as chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy), or a combination of the above therapies, while some liver cancer patients may also need and are suitable for liver transplantation. All these therapies are available in the public healthcare system. Medical teams of the Hospital Authority (HA) will provide appropriate treatment options according to individual patients’ actual clinical conditions (such as cancer pathological classification and staging, tumour size and location, presence of extrahepatic metastasis, liver function grading, and the patient’s physical condition etc.).

As for the histotripsy medical device in question, it is a new technology in minimally invasive local treatment which is now undergoing clinical trials for local treatment of liver cancer. Its scope of application under research is limited to early primary small liver cancer (such as hepatocellular carcinoma, cholangiocarcinoma, neuroendocrine tumours) and locally treatable metastatic liver tumours. Not all liver cancer patients are suitable for this new therapy. Moreover, the US Food and Drug Administration’s approval for this device as a new option for liver-directed therapy was based on animal model experiments as well as clinical trial data with postoperative complications and short-term (30-day) tumour ablation rate as primary endpoints to support the safety and efficacy of this therapy. The clinical trials have neither provided data on long-term local tumour recurrence/metastasis rates and patient survival rates, nor compared the therapy with existing standard minimally invasive local treatments. In this connection, this new therapy can be regarded as another new technological option for liver-directed minimally invasive local treatment at this very stage, yet its comparability or even superiority requires further clinical evidence. Attending medical practitioners have the responsibility to provide patients with recommendations on various appropriate treatment options including their benefits and risks in view of the best interests of the patients, especially when other existing standard treatment options that have been scientifically proven to be safe and effective are suitable for the patients’ conditions. Inappropriate use of new technologies that have not yet been proven to be more effective may result in patients missing the opportunity for adopting existing standard treatment options.

The HA will be considering the safety and efficacy of the relevant device for the Asian population (especially for Hong Kong patients) subject to the evaluation of data to be obtained from clinical trials. The comparability and superiority of this new therapy in clinical use vis-à-vis existing standard treatment options still need to be ascertained through more clinical trials. Furthermore, the cost of consumables under this therapy is higher than that of existing standard minimally invasive local treatments (such as radiofrequency ablation). At this stage, there is no plan for the HA to introduce this therapy into its clinical service. The HA wishes to emphasise that this therapy is not the only option available to liver cancer patients, and thus there is no issue of public hospital patients “missing out treatment opportunities”. As for private hospitals which have introduced this device for research or services, the attending medical practitioners will need to make clinical decisions based on their professional judgment on whether or not to use this new technology as the most appropriate treatment for patients.

In response to the various parts of the question raised by the Hon Paul Tse, our reply in consultation with the Department of Health (DH) and the HA is as follows –

(1) Based on the available data from the DH and the Hong Kong Cancer Registry of the HA, the number of new cases and registered deaths for liver cancer in the past three years are tabulated below –

Year	Number of New Cases	Number of Registered Deaths
2020	1 735	1 530
2021	1 771	1 447
2022	1 612	1 412

(2) and (3) Whether in public or private hospitals, clinical trials carry a certain degree of risk to the participants and should be conducted by registered healthcare professionals after informing the participants of the associated risks and obtaining their explicit informed consent. At present, even though there is no statutory provision prohibiting healthcare professionals from using new medical devices on patients, healthcare professionals have the professional responsibility to act in the best interests of patients when providing treatment, and ensure that all clinical trials are conducted with the explicit informed consent of patients.

At present, private hospitals must comply with a series of requirements including those under the Private Healthcare Facilities Ordinance (Cap. 633) (the Ordinance) and the Code of Practice for Private Hospitals (the Code of Practice) when conducting clinical research (including clinical trials).

Pursuant to the Ordinance, the licensee of a private hospital must appoint a chief medical executive to take charge of the day-to-day administration of the facility, as well as establish and keep in operation a Medical Advisory Committee (MAC); on the other hand, the Code of Practice stipulates that the MAC provides advice to the licensee on whether to permit the introduction of new clinical techniques. Apart from the latest medical evidence on the safety and efficacy of the clinical technique concerned, factors including the equipment required as well as training and clinical experience of healthcare and other supporting clinical staff must also be considered. Both the licensee and the chief medical executive of a private hospital have the responsibility to ensure that the advice of the MAC is properly implemented.

The Code of Practice also stipulates that equipment (including medical devices) used in private hospitals should be appropriately procured and properly installed, operated, maintained and calibrated in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations. Staff using the medical devices should receive training on the safe and proper use of the relevant devices. For conducting clinical research, private hospitals are required to establish relevant policies, set up ethics committees for monitoring, and comply with the requirements of the Code of Professional Conduct for the Guidance of Registered Medical Practitioners issued by the Medical Council of Hong Kong regarding clinical research and other applicable laws.

Compliance with the Ordinance and the Code of Practice is a condition for issuance and renewal of licence for private hospitals. Private hospitals that fail to comply with the relevant requirements may face regulatory actions.

(4) The HA has established robust mechanisms for evaluating and deciding on the introduction of new drugs, devices and other innovative treatments for public healthcare services. The safety of the treatment methods, whether there is sufficient evidence supporting their therapeutic effectiveness, the cost-effectiveness of such introduction, as well as comprehensive comparisons with existing treatment services have to be considered. When making consideration according to these mechanisms, the HA must ensure fairness and objectivity as well as prudent use of public resources. Also, the consideration process will not and should not be influenced by whether the treatment method is provided or sponsored by individual pharmaceutical or device manufacturers.

The HA will closely monitor medical technology developments, with experts regularly studying and reviewing treatment options for patients and the latest developments in clinical and scientific evidence of related technologies, while considering healthcare professionals’ opinions and overseas developments to plan for the introduction of medical technologies. Meanwhile, the availability of relevant expertise, manpower and facilities, as well as complementarity with government policy directions, will also be taken into account. The application in the public healthcare system of new drugs and medical devices, and methods for treatment that are still in the clinical trial phase without sufficient clinical data should be handled in a very careful and prudent manner.

March 26, 2025

Online auction of vehicle registration marks to be held from April 10 to 14

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

   The Transport Department (TD) today (March 26) said that the next online auction of vehicle registration marks (VRMs) will be held from noon on April 10 (Thursday) to noon on April 14 (Monday) through the auction platform E-Auction (e-auction.td.gov.hk). Interested bidders can participate in the online auction only after they have successfully registered as E-Auction users.

     A spokesman for the TD said, “A total of 100 Ordinary VRMs will be available at this online public auction. The list of VRMs (see Annex) has been uploaded to the E-Auction website. Applicants who have paid a $1,000 deposit to reserve the Ordinary VRM for auction should also register as an E-Auction user in advance in order to participate in the online bidding, including placing the first bid at the opening price of $1,000. Otherwise, the VRMs reserved by them may be bid on by other interested bidders at or above the opening price. Auctions for VRMs with “HK” or “XX” as a prefix, special VRMs and personalised VRMs will continue to be carried out through physical auctions by bidding paddles, and their announcement arrangements remain unchanged.”

     Members of the public participating in the online bidding should take note of the following important points:

(1) Bidders should register in advance as an E-Auction user by “iAM Smart+” equipped with the digital signing function; or by using a valid digital certificate and an email address upon completion of identity verification. Registered “iAM Smart” users should provide their Hong Kong identity card number, while non-Hong Kong residents who are not “iAM Smart” users should provide the number of their passport or other identification documents when registering as E-Auction users.

(2) Bidders are required to provide a digital signature to confirm the submission and amount of the bid by using “iAM Smart+” or a valid digital certificate at the time of the first bid of each online bidding session (including setting automatic bids before the auction begins) to comply with the requirements of the Electronic Transactions Ordinance.

(3) If a bid is made in respect of a VRM within the last 10 minutes before the end of the auction, the auction end time for that particular VRM will be automatically extended by another 10 minutes, up to a maximum of 24 hours.

(4) Successful bidders must follow the instructions in the notification email issued by the TD to log in to the E-Auction within 48 hours from the issuance of email and complete the follow-up procedures, including:

completing the Purchaser Information for the issuance of the Memorandum of Sale of Registration Mark (Memorandum of Sale); and
making the auction payment online by credit card, Faster Payment System (FPS) or Payment by Phone Service (PPS). Cheque or cash payment is not accepted in the E-Auction.

(5) A VRM can only be assigned to a motor vehicle registered in the name of the purchaser. Relevant information on the Certificate of Incorporation must be provided by the successful bidder in the Purchaser Information of the Memorandum of Sale if the VRM purchased is to be registered under the name of a body corporate.

(6) Successful bidders will receive a notification email around seven working days after payment has been confirmed and can download the Memorandum of Sale from the E-Auction. The purchaser must apply for the VRM to be assigned to a motor vehicle registered in the name of the purchaser within 12 months from the date of issue of the Memorandum of Sale. If the purchaser fails to do so within the 12-month period, in accordance with the statutory provision, the allocation of the VRM will be cancelled and a new allocation will be arranged by the TD without prior notice to the purchaser.

The TD has informed all applicants who have reserved the Ordinary VRMs for this round of auction of the E-Auction arrangements in detail by post. Members of the public may refer to the E-Auction website or watch the tutorial videos for more information. Please call the E-Auction hotline (3583 3980) or email (e-auction-enquiry@td.gov.hk) for enquiries.