Mumbai-Surat AC Ferry Service Planned For Nov Start
In principle approval has been given for a ferry service between Mumbai and Surat and operations are likely to begin in November 2019.
The air-conditioned passenger ferry service, with 20 rooms and with a capacity of 300 passengers, will operate between Hazira port in Surat and Bandra in Mumbai once a week to start with, and its frequency will be increased depending on public response.
The Gujarat government operates a roll on-roll off (Ro-Ro) passenger cum cargo ferry service between Dahej in Surat and Ghogha in Bhavnagar district under a public-private partnership (PPP) mode.
In another development, the release said the state will get a Rs 45 crore early warning dissemination system for early information on cyclones along its 1,600-km coastline.
The system will be built by the Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority under National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project, a joint undertaking of National Disaster Management Authority and World Bank, the government said.
The state has provided Rs 20 crore for its operation and maintenance for the first five years.
Sep 01, 2019
'Namaste Pacific' - Culture Of Countries In Pacific Region Showcased In Delhi
The High Commissions of Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and Fiji jointly organised a cultural event 'Namaste Pacific' in New Delhi to showcase in India the culture of the Pacific countries.
A curated menu including the national drink Kava from Fiji and dishes slow-cooked in an earth oven using heated rocks in a pit oven specially dug for the purpose at the New Zealand High Commission were among the cuisine showcased at the event.
Aaradhna, a multi-award-winning R&B and soul artist from New Zealand, performed with her band. Aaradhna is part Indian and part Samoan and has to her credit four individual albums.
Traditional masks and artefacts from Papua New Guinea and Pacific Green furniture and other products from Fiji were also displayed.
There was also showcase of the International Solar Alliance and Pollinate Energy based in Australia, Nepal and India, and solar lanterns from Barefoot College in Rajasthan.
The event saw the participation of members of the diplomatic community, government officials, business leaders, and cultural personalities.
IRCTC To Restore Service Charges On e-Tickets From 1 September
E-tickets bought through the IRCTC website will be costlier as the railways has decided to restore the service charges from 1 September, 2019.
The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) will levy a service charge of ₹15 on tickets for non-AC classes and ₹30 for AC classes, including first class, according to the order.
The Goods and Services Tax (GST) will be applicable separately.
The service charges were withdrawn three years ago to promote digital payments.
The IRCTC used to levy a service charge of ₹20 on every non-AC e-ticket and ₹40 for every AC ticket.
Aug 31, 2019
In-principle Agreement with Swiggy, Zomato on Delivery
The National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) said that there is an in-principle agreement between the association and the two major online delivery aggregators, Zomato and Swiggy to resolve the issues of the industry including deep discounts.
Zomato which has been at the logger-heads with the association over the Zomato Gold programme in dine-in services, wanted to push through its Gold programme in the delivery services too which NRAI outrightly rejected.
NRAI deliberated eight critical issues pertaining to the online delivery space with two key aggregators, Swiggy and Zomato.
Both of them deduced issues of deep discounting, high and uneven commission charges, data masking and mandatory bundling of services which are crippling the restaurant industry.
Aug 30, 2019
Unique Tribal Eco Tourism Programme To Restart From Sep 2, 2019
The unique tribal eco tourism programme is being conducted in various parts of the Western Ghats in Tamil Nadu.
Reservations can be made for the tour programme, according to Tourism department officials in Mettupalayam, the entrance to the famous Ghat highway to Udhagamandalam, the Queen of the Western Ghats.
The eco tourism programme is being conducted jointly by the tourism and SC/ST Welfare departments.
The trekking tour also includes the excitement of a boat ride in the expansive water bodies including the Pilloor dam. Tourists are also given guided tours to the dense forests of Sathyamangalam as well as the option to take part in a lunch cum music and dance session with the forest tribes of the area.
The tour programme, that had attracted much attention, had been temporarily suspended because of the heavy rains that had lashed the Western Ghats areas in the past few weeks. Now things are under control and the sporadic rains do not possess any problems to tourists according to meteorologists
Aug 28, 2019
Indian Railways Takes First Step Towards 'Private' Trains
Piyush Goyal-led Indian Railways has given IRCTC the go ahead to run its trains on the Delhi-Lucknow and Ahmedabad-Mumbai routes.
The Tejas Express trains on these two routes will be run entirely by IRCTC with a separate fare structure. The move is part of Indian Railways' 100-day plan and a definite step towards eventual introduction of 'private' trains on the network.
IRCTC has been given the freedom to decide the fare structure of the new Tejas Express trains between Delhi-Lucknow and Ahmedabad-Mumbai.
The e-ticketing and catering arm of Indian Railways can also choose not to make applicable the concessions that passengers can avail on railway tickets.
Under the new plan by Indian Railways, IRCTC will be handed over the custody of the two Tejas Express rakes between Delhi-Lucknow and Ahmedabad-Mumbai.
The on-board ticketing and catering staff on the new trains will not be of Indian Railways. Only the loco pilots and guards etc will belong to Indian Railways.
IRCTC will float a tender for on-board services and the staff on train will be of the firm that wins the contract from IRCTC.