Avishek G Dastidar
Articles By Avishek G Dastidar
Three BJP states move to cut new traffic fines, Nitin Gadkari defends law: ‘Meant to save lives’
Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said states were well within their rights to reduce fines but they will have to “bear the consequences”.
Railways starts to feel slowdown; freight movement of coal, cement slip
As of the fiscal ended March 31, 2019, Railways carried 1,223 million tonnes of freight
I-Day speech: PM Modi mentions Vande Bharat Express even as Railways fine-tunes project
As the second semi-high-speed Vande Bharat train is being readied to be launched between Delhi and Katra in Jammu, the process to bring in the next batches of the Train 18 trainsets has gone through a shift.
How a biometrics-based token system is reducing chaos on railway platforms
Issued 3 hours before train leaves, ensures only genuine passengers get on, cuts out ‘reservation’ by touts.
Letter alerts Railways staff on ‘emergency situation’ in Kashmir Valley, officials say ‘no basis’
The Ministry of Railways immediately “revoked” the letter and said the officer “was not authorised to issue such a letter and did not have the approval of the competent authority to do so either”.
Draft rules ready to make microdots must in vehicles
After deliberating over the idea for some time, the NDA government has come out with draft rules to make microdots mandatory in vehicles.
Explained: How Railways run trains when tracks are waterlogged
Running of trains on submerged or water-affected tracks is tricky. That is why every train driver has a manual to refer to during the monsoon, especially on the Mumbai suburban network.
Lok Sabha passes triple talaq law as Opposition blames Govt for bulldozing Bills
The JD (U)’s stand and the clear position of the Opposition will again make it difficult for the BJP to push the Bill through Rajya Sabha.
Uproar in House over Azam Khan’s remark against BJP MP Rama Devi
As BJP MPs demanded that Khan apologise to Devi, Khan and SP leader Akhilesh Yadav, who was defending Khan, did not relent and walked out of the House.
Railway roadmap: Govt to invite private players to run routes
Centre looks at inviting private players to own, operate trains on select routes.
Government introduces Bill to amend RTI Act, opposition protests
Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury challenged the introduction of the Bill but was overruled. The government said the Speaker had the powers to allow introduction of the Bill.
Darjeeling toy train’s heritage tag under threat, UNESCO to send team
As per UNESCO guidelines, Reactive Monitoring teams are sent in when a World Heritage Site is in danger and may require to be removed from the prestigious global list.
Railway tribunal judge sacked in Rs 50-cr fraud claims case
The probe by Justice U U Lalit found R K Mittal, judge of RCT’s Ernakulam bench, guilty of misbehaviour. The case related to award of compensation claims to fictitious beneficiaries when Mittal headed the Patna bench of RCT.
In line with nudge policy, Railways finalising give-it-up option for ticket subsidy
In line with the government’s “nudge policy” to “gently steer people towards desirable behaviour even while preserving their liberty to choose”, as described in the Economic Survey, the “Give It Up” policy in Railways will urge people to forego the subsidy for a better, modern rail system.
For Railways projects, govt turns to PPP model, SPV route
The PPP mode of executing works in Railways has not had the desired results in the past, despite several initiatives.
Piyush Goyal interview: ‘The Budget is for 130 crore Indians… rich or poor, young or old’
Piyush Goyal ruled out privatisation of Railways, but spoke on the possibility of partnerships with private players. On the trade front, he ruled out rising tensions between the US and India.
Budget 2019: States to be funded to lay more roads under Bharatmala Phase 2
The National Highways Development Project (NHDP) — to widen and upgrade existing highways — will be revamped to be developed as a national grid of connectivity.
Union Budget 2019: Railways focus to be on safety, modernisation
To kickstart the government’s ambitious plan of eliminating manned level crossings, around Rs 1,200 crore may be provided from the Central Road and Infrastructure Fund for this fiscal year.
Staffer son undergoes sex change, Railways in fix over family pension
The 32-year-old’s plea is that since she was already “living the life” of a woman before her father passed away, she is eligible for the pension as an unmarried dependent daughter.
Railways on track to get private players on some busy routes up to 500 km
So far, the busy sectors of Delhi-Lucknow and Mumbai-Shirdi have come up as frontrunners in internal considerations in the Railway Board.
