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Standard Maintenance Manual for National Highways
To ensure uniformity in the approach to carry out maintenance of the 4-laned/ 6-laned National Highways implemented through EPC (Engineering Procurement Contracts) and O&M contracts, the National Highways Authority of India would come up with a Standard Maintenance Manual. An announcement to this effect was done by Shri Kamal Nath, Minister for Road Transport & Highways in the capital last week. The manual will not only ensure cost optimization but also generate satisfaction among the road users due to timely and visible maintenance operations.
The Consultant appointed by NHAI for this purpose has already submitted the draft manual comprising three parts -Maintenance Manual Part I , II and III- to NHAI for scrutiny and feedback. The final document will be published before 31st December, 2009. The Manual basically lays down the Operation and Maintenance Methodology to carry out various maintenance activities. Besides this, it also provides for Standard bidding document along with BoQ, Item rate analysis, specifications, drawings, performance standards for Short term Operation and Maintenance including monitoring mechanism for item based contracts and for Performance based contracts.
A standard manual has been necessitated as the highways constitute the largest infrastructure domain in
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Election Commission of
General Election to Legislative Assembly of Jharkhand, 2009 – Schedule –change- regarding.
The Governor of the State of Jharkhand had, by his Notification No. 571, dated 31st October, 2009 issued under sub-section (2) of section 15 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 and published in the Official Gazette of State of Jharkhand on the said date, been pleased to call upon, the 30 Assembly Constituencies, including four Assembly Constituencies in the District of Dumka in that State, namely 7-Sikaripara (S.T.), 10-Dumka (S.T) 11-Jama (S.T.) and 12-Jarmundi to elect members in accordance with the provisions of the said Act and the rules made there under and accordingly the process of filing of nomination was started from that date .Today ,the Election Commission received inputs that the Returning Officers of these four Assembly Constituencies have inadvertently supplied wrong version, in Hindi, of prescribed form of nomination papers (i.e., Form 2 B appended to the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961) omitting therefrom Part III-A, to the intending candidates, though, the English version of the said prescribed form of the nomination papers has been correctly supplied. This inadvertent error on the part of the Returning Officers of the said four Assembly Constituencies has misled the candidates who filed their nomination papers in Hindi and they have submitted their incomplete nomination papers in the wrong Hindi version of the prescribed Form 2 B. The above inadvertent error on the part of the Returning Officers has come to light at the time of scrutiny of nomination papers today, the 9th November, 2009.
Under the law, the filing of the incomplete nomination papers in wrong Hindi version is a defect of substantial character rendering the nomination papers of the candidates concerned liable to rejection under clause (b) of sub-section (2) of section 36 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. The Commission is satisfied that the candidates of aforesaid constituencies who filed their nomination papers in Hindi cannot be penalized for a lapse committed on the part of the Returning Officers. The Commission is further satisfied that the continuance of the election process in the aforesaid four Assembly Constituencies shall be an exercise in futility inasmuch as the election of the returned candidates will be liable to be declared void, if the nomination papers of the aforesaid candidates are rejected by the +Retuning Officers for error on their own part and therefore, has decided that the election process in the aforesaid four Assembly Constituencies has to be rescinded.
Thus, the Election Commission of India, in exercise of its inherent powers of superintendence, direction and control of elections to Parliament and State Legislatures and all other powers enabling it in this behalf, has recommended to the Governor of the State of Jharkhand that he may be pleased to rescind his above mentioned Notification No. 571, dated 31st October 2009, in so far as it relates to the elections from the aforementioned four Assembly Constituencies, namely, 7-Sikaripara (S.T.), 10-Dumka (S.T) 11-Jama (S.T.) and 12-Jarmundi .Elections in these four assembly constituencies will be held along with the third phase of Elections in Jharkhand. As such, the Schedule for election for these constituencies shall be as given below---.
| Date of issue of notification | 13-11-2009 (Friday) |
| Last date of filing nominations | 20-11-2009 (Friday) |
| Date of scrutiny of nominations | 21-11-2009 (Saturday) |
| Last date of withdrawal of candidatures | 23-11-2009 (Monday) |
| Date of poll, if necessary | 8-12-2009 (Tuesday) |
| Date before which election shall be completed | 31-12-2009 (Thursday) |
The elections in the remaining 26 Assembly Constituencies called upon by the aforesaid Notification dated 31st October 2009 shall proceed as notified.
Actions have also been initiated against the concerned Returning Officers and DEO-cum Dy. Commissioner, Dumka.
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Integrated Low Cost Sanitation (ILCS) Scheme
The "Integrated Low Cost Sanitation" Scheme aims at conversion of individual dry latrine into pour flush latrine thereby liberating manual scavengers from the age old, obnoxious practice of manually carrying night soil.
ILCS scheme was initially started in 1980-81 through the Ministry of Home Affairs and later through Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment. The scheme was transferred in 1989-90 to Ministry of Urban Development & Poverty Alleviation and from 2003-2004 onwards to Ministry of UEPA/HUPA. The scheme has helped in constructing/converting over 28 lakh latrines to liberate over 60000 scavengers so far. While implementing the ILCS scheme, it was observed that the scheme did not perform well due to various reasons. To make the scheme more attractive and implementable the Guidelines have been revised w.e.f. 17th January, 2008.
The main objective of the Scheme is to convert low cost sanitation units through sanitary two pit pour flush latrines with superstructures and appropriate variations to suit local conditions (area specific latrines), but 25% of the funds of the scheme are also made available for construction of new latrines where EWS households have no latrines. Under the Scheme, central subsidy is 75%, State Subsidy 15% and beneficiary share is 10%. The upper ceiling cost is Rs.10,000/- for the complete unit. For the States falling in the category of difficult and hilly areas, 25% extra cost is provided. 2009-10 is aimed to be the last year of the scheme.
According to Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Minister Kumari Selja, within the last one year, States of Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Nagaland and
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Sushilkumar Shinde visits NTPC's Tapovan Project
Union Minister of Power Shri Sushilkumar Shinde took detailed review of 520 MW NTPC's Tapovan Vishnugad Hydro Power Project situated in Joshimath Uttarakhand and saw the functioning of the Double Shield Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) deployed at the project and visited the power house site on 9.11.2009. Shri Shinde inaugurated the work for power house pressure shaft at the site. Expressing his satisfaction over progress of the project Shri Shinde hoped that the project will start generating by 2012. He even visited the control room set up to monitor the Double Shield Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) with precast concrete segmental lining, state of the art technology to mitigate the challenge of difficult terrain, adverse Himalayan geological conditions and social constraints. Shri R.S. Sharma, CMD, NTPC was also present with the team from Tapovan Vishnugad on the occasion at the site.
Under construction Tapovan Vishnugad Run of River (ROR) river scheme over Dhauliganga in Uttarakhand. The project is designed for annual generation energy of 2558.36 GWH and the beneficiaries of the project shall be Uttarakhand and states of northern region and Union territories.
PRA/SKK/spandey
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