BMC toughens process for nod to road works

07 Jan 2013 CW Staff

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), after being slammed by the Comptroller Auditor General (CAG) for allowing cost variations in road projects without following mandatory procedure, has decided to alter its permission-granting procedures for road works without taking any direct step toward tackling the larger issue of cost escalations.

BMC's Additional Municipal Commissioner Aseem Gupta said that cost variations are a systemic problem. The CAG report has considered the variations in the usage of savings from an approved contract amount for another road work, he said at the standing committee meeting on January 4.

The CAG had inspected road works between December 2009 and October 2011 in the city, and the Sena-BJP ruled BMC was severely criticised for the poor state of the city’s roads. The increase in cost from the initially-agreed amount, called variation, was 62 per cent for cement-concrete roads and 57 per cent for asphalt roads, the CAG report said.

Infrastructure Transport

17 Oct 2025

Sonowal Unveils Eight Projects at NMPA’s Golden Jubilee

Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, inaugurated the Curtain Raiser Ceremony of the Golden Jubilee Celebrations of the New Mangalore Port Authority (NMPA) at Bharat Mandapam. To commemorate the milestone, he unveiled eight major maritime infrastructure projects designed to strengthen India’s port network, enhance logistics performance, and promote sustainability. These include a modern cruise terminal, new covered storage facilities, a 150-bed multi-speciality hospital, expanded truck terminals, and improved port access infrastructure aimed at enhancing..

India To Boost US LPG Imports, Cut Middle East Reliance

India is planning to reduce imports of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) from the Middle East as state-owned refiners prepare to ramp up purchases from the United States, according to sources familiar with the matter. The move aligns with New Delhi’s efforts to expand energy cooperation and secure a broader trade deal with Washington. State refiners have already notified their traditional LPG suppliers in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Qatar of the potential reduction in imports. Although the exact size of the supply cut was not disclosed, earlier reports suggested that Indi..

UK Sanctions Nayara Energy in Crackdown on Russian Oil

The United Kingdom has announced fresh sanctions on 90 entities, including Indian refiner Nayara Energy Limited, in its latest bid to curb Russian oil revenues and weaken President Vladimir Putin’s war funding. The sanctions, unveiled jointly by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and the UK Treasury, aim to disrupt networks supporting Moscow’s crude exports amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. According to the FCDO, the new restrictions are intended to “strike at the heart of Putin’s war funding” by targeting firms and assets that enable Russia’s energy trade. “..