“Don’t comment on border infrastructure development’

September 26th, 2009 LEH - Beijing's "non-adherence" to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) that separates India and China has resulted in different perceptions in the two countries on where the border lies, Minister of State for Defence (Production) M.M. Pallam Raju said here, while adding "there is no need to be afraid of China".

September 25th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Air Marshal NAK Browne, who recently took over as Chief of the Western Air Command said here today that steps are being taken to strengthen the command and improve infrastructure in the next two years. The steps would include the induction of two SU-M 30 squadrons, installation of two Rohini radars to monitor the international border in Punjab and improvement of the infrastructure at the airfields to improve their operational capability.

August 19th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Kumari Selja has called upon experts and stakeholders in the tourism sector to develop world class tourism infrastructure for putting India's tourism industry on the world tourism map. Inaugurating a workshop on the subject here today she said, "We should look at comprehensive development of infrastructure which includes roads, water, sanitation, cleanliness, hygiene, proper lighting, landscape, signages and proper maintenance of tourism destinations and heritage sites." She said tourism and hospitality sectors contributes six per cent of the GDP and certain streamlining is required in infrastructure facilities.

July 30th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Kamal Nath on Thursday said that roads would play an important role in infrastructure development in the next decade. During a seminar at Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FICCI), Kamal Nath said that roads are important as they provide domestic economic stimulus.

July 11th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure (CCI) has been constituted under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh.

July 6th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Infrastructure development continues to be a priority area for the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government with Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee increasing public investment in this sector. "The investment in infrastructure for the growth of economy is critical.

July 3rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee today sought to make the Railways an instrument of holistic socio-economic development of the country with focus on the backward areas and the poor. Presenting the Railway Budget 2009-10, Banerjee said, "An expert committee will be set up to advise the Railway Ministry on innovative financing and implementation of the so called "economically unviable" but socially desired projects.

June 24th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham) Wednesday urged the government to exempt infrastructure projects from excise, value-added tax (VAT) and central sales tax (CST) to make them more cost-effective. "On account of excise, VAT and CST, the capital costs of projects become dearer by over 20-25 percent which puts huge burden on companies commissioning infrastructure projects," said Assocham president Sajjan Jindal.

June 9th, 2009 ITANAGAR - India will deploy additional army troops and build infrastructure, including airstrips, along its international border with China, said Arunachal Pradesh Governor General (retd) J.J. Singh. "To develop India's capability to effectively meet the future security challenges, deployment of more troops along the India-China border is necessary," the former army chief told reporters here Monday.

May 28th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Trinamool Congress, the second largest party in the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA), has got six ministers of state in the new government. Most have been given infrastructure ministry portfolios while party chief Mamata Banerjee is the railways minister.

May 27th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Little is known about China's "actual capability" in the defence sector, Indian Air Force (IAF) chief Air Chief Marshal Fali Homi Major said Wednesday, as he clarified his previous remarks that Beijing was the biggest threat to India. I meant to say that we know very little about the actual capability of the country...

May 25th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Advocating "eternal vigilance", A.K. Antony Monday expressed concern over the security scenario around India and spelt out priority areas in his second term as defence minister -- infrastructure development in northeast and border areas, modernisation of the armed forces and welfare of the troops.

May 25th, 2009 NEW DELHI - A.K. Antony Monday took charge as defence minister for the second time amid increasing security concerns in the country's neighbourhood and cited infrastructure development in the northeast and border areas, modernisation of the armed forces and welfare of the troops as his priority.

February 15th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The corpus of the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) was increased to Rs.140 billion (Rs.14,000 crore) in 2008-09 from Rs.55 billion in 2003-04, acting finance minister Pranab Mukherjee said here Monday. Presenting the interim budget for 2009-10 in the Lok Sabha, Mukherjee said a separate window for rural roads was created under the RIDF with a corpus of Rs.40 billion for each of the last three years.

January 11th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Singapore-based Universal Success Enterprises Ltd (USEL) Monday said it has signed three agreements with the Gujarat government and will invest about Rs.87,000 crore (Rs.870 billion) in various infrastructure projects. USEL, a diversified group in the field of infrastructure development, real estate, energy trading, hospitality and manufacturing, has identified thermal power generation, seaports, and mixed-use industrial and urban development as focus areas in West Bengal, Gujarat and Maharashtra.