Morning Brief: Centre Clears 1 Billion Project For Second Airport In Delhi-NCR; Remittances Grow 10 Per Cent; Two World-Class Railway Stations By 2019

Good morning, dear reader! Here’s your morning news and views brief for today.

Centre Clears 1 Billion Project For Second Airport In Delhi-NCR

The Ministry of Civil Aviation has cleared a project worth $1 billion for an airport on the outskirts of Uttar Pradesh’s Greater Noida. This will be the second civilian airport in the National Capital Region. According to Civil Aviation Secretary Rajiv Nayan Choubey, the project now has a site clearance and an in-principle approval and should be up and running in three years. According to reports, the government is likely to invite bids for the new airport in August, and the winner is likely to be selected by the end of the year. Therefore, the airport could host flights by 2021 or 2022. It will be constructed on over 4,000 acres of land. Of this, 2,500 acres will be used for the first phase to cater to 12 million passengers annually. While land accusation would cost Rs 4,000 crore, another Rs 3,500 crore will be required for construction. With domestic passenger traffic growing at 15 to 20 per cent, the new airport will help reduce the burden on the Indira Gandhi International Airport.

Remittances To India Rebound, Grow 10 Per Cent To $69 Billion

Remittances to India rose nearly 10 per cent in 2017 to reach $69 billion after declining 8.9 per cent in 2016 to $62.7 billion, data released by the World Bank shows. With this increase, India retained the top spot as the largest recipient of remittances. India was followed by China ($64 billion), the Philippines ($33 billion), Mexico ($31 billion), Nigeria ($22 billion), and Egypt ($20 billion). As economic conditions in advance economies such as Japan, the United States and the European Union improve, remittances to India are likely to continue increasing. Rising oil prices are expected to increase remittances from Gulf countries.

India To Get Two World-Class Railway Stations By 2019

Country’s first world-class railway stations will be ready by the beginning of next year. While Bhopal’s Habibganj Railway Station will be ready by December 2018 - six months ahead of schedule, the Gandhinagar Railway Station in Gujarat will be thrown open for public in January 2019. The Indian Railways, which is working on a mission to redevelop about 800 stations across the country with modern facilities - is attempting to complete work on three of these in the next one and a half years. Indian Railway Stations Development Corporation, a joint venture between IRCON International and Rail Land Development Authority, is responsible for these projects. Habibganj railway station will become the first in the country to be redeveloped under the Public-Private Partnership model. The Habibganj station project is expected to cost Rs 450 crore, of which Rs 100 crore would be spent on station redevelopment and Rs 350 crore on commercial development.

Somebody Trying To Kill Me In Prison: Indrani Mukerjea Tells CBI Court

Indrani Mukerjea, the prime accused in the Sheena Bora murder case and a witness in the Karti Chidambaram bribery case, has told a Special Central Bureau of Investigation court that she fears for her life and that somebody is trying to kill her. Indrani is scheduled to give her statement before the jail authorities today. This development comes after Indrani, currently lodged in Mumbai's Byculla prison, admitted before the Enforcement Directorate that she had made a deal with Karti Chidambaram for clearance of foreign investment worth Rs 305 crore from then Finance Minister P Chidambaram and arranged bribe payments to his firms - Chess Management Services and Advantage Strategic Consulting.

BJP Denies Ticket To Yeddyurappa’s Son, Aide

Sending out a strong message against dynasty politics, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has denied a ticket to state party chief BS Yeddyurappa’s son BY Vijendra, and his close aide and sitting Udupi-Chikkamagalur MP Shobha Karandlaje. Yeddyurappa has announced that Vijendra will not be contesting from Varuna. According to reports, the party may field former Indian Police Service officer Revanna Siddaiah, a Lingayt strongman from Varuna, who joined the BJP recently. Siddaiah reportedly has the backing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. Varuna, a rural area, has Chief Minister Siddaramaiah as its current legislator. Siddaramaiah has moved from Varuna to run for office from two constituencies - Chamundeshwari and Badami. The Congress is fielding Siddaramaiah’s son Dr Yathindra from Varuna.

Government Open To Permanent Commission Of Women In Army

The Modi government has told the Supreme Court that it is considering permanent commission for women in the Indian Army, bringing to an end an eight-year-old battle in the top court. Additional solicitor general Maninder Singh told a bench led by Justice N V Ramana that Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has held meetings with the chiefs of the Army, Navy and the Air Force on the issue. The apex court asked the government why it was not granting permanent commission to women army officers in combat roles and told it to file an affidavit. Former defence minister Manohar Parrikar told Parliament in 2015 that the armed forces had given permanent commission to 340 women officers in different roles.

Van Plows Into Crowd In Canada, Police Says Not An Accident

At least ten people were killed and 15 injured after a van plowed into pedestrians along a sidewalk in Toronto late night on Monday. The driver, identified as Alek Minassian, has been taken into custody. He was not armed at the time of arrest. Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders said he did not think it was an accident. He refused to rule out that the incident was an act of terrorism. Witnesses said the driver appeared to be moving deliberately through the crowd at more than 50 kilometres per hour.

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