Relief!

01 Jan 2013 CW Staff

The dispute between HS Narula, Chairman, DSC Ltd, and NHAI over the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway project seems to be easing with the state government planning to takeover the project from Delhi Gurgaon Super Connectivity Ltd (DGSCL), a company promoted by the DSC Group. The Delhi-Gurgaon expressway is the first project to earn NHAI a negative grant, also called a premium. Although, the expressway was to complete in 2005, it finally opened in 2008. Also, there was a cost overrun of over 100 per cent in the construction of the highway, from Rs 548 crore to Rs 1,175 crore. As of March 2010, the debt on DGSCL's books stood at Rs 1,262 crore. If the average interest on the debt was 10 per cent, this debt would result in an annual interest outgo of Rs 126.2 crore. Its annual revenue of Rs 135 crore for 2009-10 was barely enough to cover that. Little surprise then, the company reported a loss of Rs 49 crore for the year. Meanwhile, according to credit rating agency ICRA, the company contracted a new debt of Rs 1,600 crore to retire (possibly high-cost) earlier debt and fund other group investments. So, if DGSCL gets Rs 2,000 crore, it can repay this debt and cut its losses.

Infrastructure Energy

17 Nov 2025

NTPC Plans Coal Gas Push And Expands Nuclear Pipeline

State-owned power producer NTPC Ltd is preparing to enter the coal gasification segment, targeting annual output of at least 5–10 million tonnes within the next three to four years, according to a senior company official. The cost of producing synthetic gas is projected at roughly USD 10–12 per million British thermal units. NTPC expects the pricing of its gas to remain competitive with the delivered cost of liquefied natural gas and anticipates no difficulty in securing buyers. The output will either be supplied to the domestic market or used in the company’s own facilities, with NTPC ..

SECL Launches Coal India’s First Paste Filling Project

South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL) has marked a major step towards safer and more sustainable underground mining with the groundbreaking of Coal India’s first Paste Filling Technology project at the Singhali Underground Mine in the DSB Sub-Area of the Korba Area. The initiative, guided by SECL Chairman-cum-Managing Director Shri Harish Duhan, represents a pioneering move towards environmentally responsible underground mining. The Bhoomi Pujan (groundbreaking ceremony) was carried out with enthusiasm in the presence of senior SECL officials and employees. Shri Ramesh Chandra Mohapatra,..

Odisha Plans New Rail Corridors To Boost Logistics

Odisha is strengthening its logistics network as part of its port-led industrialisation strategy and is considering new railway corridors under the public–private partnership model to drive economic growth across the hinterland. Official sources said a new rail corridor has been proposed for the Talcher coalfields at an estimated cost of Rs 48.82 billion, along with the Gopalpur–Rayagada–Jeypore economic corridor, which will include both road and rail connectivity. Additional port-linked rail corridors are also being planned in various regions. A recent high-level meeting chaired by Ch..