Govt plans to complete Metro project by 2021

In February 2010,a special purpose vehicle (SPV) — Metro-Link Express for Gandhinagar & Ahmedabad (MEGA) Company Ltd — was incorporated by the government to implement the project.

In the 2013-14 state budget,the government has made a provision of Rs 550 crore for the implementation of the 76-km long project. A provision of about Rs 500 crore was made in the last budget.

The project,planned to initially link the cities of Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar,will be implemented in phases.

Govt admits ‘serious’ water crisis in Rajkot,increases supply

The state government has admitted that there is a “serious” problem of drinking water in Rajkot city as on December 31,last year. In a written reply to a question by Congress MLA Indranil Rajguru,the Urban Development Department has stated the government has already increased the quantum of Narmada water being supplied through pipelines to the city from 110 to 150 MLD (million litres per day).

About 1,200 hand-pumps are already made operational by the municipal corporation,while deeper bore-wells are being dug near water bodies to gain access to more water,the reply further stated.

In a written reply to another question on drinking water supply to Jamnagar city,by Congress MLA Dharmendrasinh Jadeja,the Urban Development Department stated,“The city daily needs 91 MLD of water and 77 MLD is being given as on December 31 last year on a regular basis.”

Water in Ranjit Sagar and other dams and water bodies,that supply water to Jamnagar city,have dried up. Currently,water derived from alternate sources like Narmada pipeline,Aji dam-3 and new bore-wells is being supplied to the city.

475 hectares of land allocated to Ford,Maruti suzuki

Gandhinagar: The state government has allocated a total of 475 hectares of land for car manufacturing projects of Ford Motors and Maruti Suzuki between 2011 and 2012. Over 170 hectares of land was allocated to Ford at Northcotepura in Sanand at the rate of Rs 1,110 per square metre during 2011.

In 2012,two parcels of land — 259 hectares and 30 hectares — were allocated to Maruti at Hansalpur and Udhrojpura villages of Ahmedabad district. These land parcels belonging to the government were given at the rate of Rs 673 and Rs 385 per square metre at Hansalpur and Udhrojpura respectively,the government informed the Assembly in a written reply to a question by Congress MLA Tejashree Patel.