(DAILY NEWS INDIA)
1.
CENTRAL ROAD FUND (AMENDMENT) BILL, 2017 INTRODUCED IN LS
i. Government introduced
in the Lok Sabha, Central Road Fund (Amendment) Bill, 2017, a bill providing
for allocation of about Rs 2,000 cr from Central Road Fund for developing
national waterways.
ii. Central Road Fund
(Amendment) Bill, 2017 was moved by Minister of State for Shipping Pon Radhakrishnan
in absence of Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari.
iii. The bill seeks to
amend the Central Road Fund Act, 2000, to allocate 2.5% of the proceeds of CRF
for development and maintenance of NWs and a reduction in the share provided
for development of National Highways.
iv. According to the
objects of the bill, National Waterways provide cost-effective, logistically
efficient and environment-friendly way of transport, whose development as a
supplementary mode would enable diversion of traffic over congested roads and
railways
2.
UNION HOME MINISTER RAJNATH SINGH CHAIRS ST MEETING OF ISLANDS DEVELOPMENT
AGENCY
i. The Union Home
Minister Shri Rajnath Singh chaired the 1st meeting of the newly constituted
Islands Development Agency in New Delhi.
ii. The Union Home
Minister presented the vision for developing India’s maritime economy while
preserving the natural eco-system and addressing the security concerns.
iii. The CEO of NITI
Aayog has made a detailed presentation on the current status. He informed that
Concept Development Plans and Detailed Master Plans are being prepared for
identified islands.
iv. It includes the
following factors people’s participation, principles of sustainability,
eco-system preservation and determination of carrying capacity as the guiding
principles.
v. It was also decided
that Lt. Governor of Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Administrator of
Lakshadweep Islands will be included as members of IDA.
vi. With this meeting,
the efforts for holistic development of Islands of India received a major
boost.