Bengal's Smart Meter Drive & Full Village Electrification

25 Aug 2023 CW Team

Aroop Biswas, the state power minister, announced during today's Assembly session that the state power department intends to install 3.5 million smart meters. Responding to a query, he also shared that approximately 7.34 million individuals have been included in the Hashir Alo scheme.

He emphasized that every village in Bengal now has access to electricity, with new connections being granted within a week of application. Minister Pulak Roy, responsible for public health engineering, stated that strict measures will be implemented against those who demand payment for providing water connections in rural areas. This concern was raised in the morning Assembly session.

Several members of the legislative assembly (MLAs) alleged that certain dishonest officials were requesting Rs 10,000 for water connections. Mr. Roy clarified that no fees are levied for water connections and encouraged the MLAs to stay watchful and file official reports against anyone making such demands. He also urged the MLAs to be vigilant against individuals illicitly drawing water, which has led to water shortages in some villages. Mr. Roy reiterated that comprehensive actions have been initiated to ensure a supply of drinking water to every rural household by the year 2024-25.

Infrastructure Transport

01 Jun 2026

MMRDA advances 250 m on Orange Gate–Marine Drive tunnel

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has completed 250 m of underground tunnelling for the Orange Gate–Marine Drive Urban Road Tunnel using India’s largest slurry shield tunnel boring machine (TBM) deployed for an urban road project.The project involves twin tunnels extending over 7 km beneath critical transport corridors, including Central Railway, Western Railway and Metro Line 3. The work requires high-precision engineering to navigate densely developed urban infrastructure.Once completed, the tunnel is expected to reduce travel time between Orange Gate and Marin..

Hindustan Zinc Pays Rs 188.46 Billion in FY26

Hindustan Zinc contributed Rs 188.46 billion to the public exchequer in FY 2025-26, according to its 9th Tax Transparency Report. The contribution, equivalent to 46 per cent of the company’s revenue, included direct and indirect taxes, government royalties, dividends to the Government of India, withholding taxes and other statutory levies.The company’s five-year cumulative contribution to the exchequer stood at Rs 915.72 billion. In FY26, Hindustan Zinc reported revenue of Rs 408.44 billion, EBITDA of Rs 221.62 billion and profit after tax of Rs 138.32 billion. It also achieved its highest..

World of Concrete India 2026 Opens in Mumbai

Informa Markets in India will host the 12th edition of World of Concrete India 2026 from 3–5 June 2026 at the Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai. The specialised B2B exhibition will bring together manufacturers, suppliers, contractors, developers, architects, consultants, infrastructure companies, project leaders and government stakeholders.The event is expected to feature over 350 brands and more than 18,000 trade professionals. It will cover concrete and cement, dry mortar, precast technologies, formwork, construction chemicals, industrial and commercial flooring, scaffolding, safety solutio..