Center revises property ownership norms in Delhi
New Delhi: The central government has revised property ownership norms in Delhi to remove discrimination against different categories of purchasers.

Kapil Sibal, Science and Technology Minister said, "Those who held registered sale deeds had to pay more (fees) than power-of-attorney holders to get hold of the property they purchase in their names. The government has now decided to remove this discrimination and bring both categories at par," he said.

Hitherto, power-of-attorney holders had to pay a conversion fee and a surcharge that was 33 percent of the fee. Holders of registered sale deeds had to pay not only this, but the differential between the original and current cost of the property. The appreciation element has also been done away with.

The cabinet also removed the provision under which purchasers had to obtain no-objection certificates from all property owners in a multi-storey building before it could be transferred to their names.
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Govt to set up 13 new dry ports
New Delhi: The government is planning to set up an Inland Port Corporation of India and 13 new dry ports involving an estimated expenditure of Rs 900 crore. The proposal involves setting up eight new dry ports on Indo-Bangladesh border, four on Indo-Nepal border and one at Indo-Pak border and will be introduced into the Cabinet by the middle of next month, said the minister of state for commerce Jairam Ramesh.

He said the ministry of home affairs would take the proposal to the Cabinet and would also be the nodal authority for the Corporation and added that the move would give a big boost to international trade in the region.

The project, likely to be implemented by RITES under public-private partnership, is expected to be completed within three years, he added.
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Cabinet approves Indo-US aviation pact
New Delhi: A major Indo-US agreement that provides for assistance by American civil aviation bodies to their Indian counterparts in modernising airports, aviation infrastructure, technology and procedures, besides training personnel, received approval by the Union Cabinet on Tuesday.

The Memorandum of Agreement provides for assistance by the US Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) in developing and modernising civil aviation infrastructure in managerial, operational and technical areas.

The US agency, under this umbrella accord, would provide assistance in developing, improving and operation of aviation infrastructure, standards, procedures, policies, training and equipment.

Besides training personnel, it would also provide for inspection and calibration of Indian aviation equipment and air navigation facilities and assist in airport certification besides helicopter operations and safety initiative.

Official sources said the agreement, which would create enabling provisions for seeking specific assistance from the FAA, was an essential requirement also for receiving assistance from the US agency.
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Wind power capacity rises 45 per cent in 2005-06
Chennai: Installed wind power capacity grew by 45 per cent during 2005-06 over the previous year, the same level of growth that was recorded in 2004-05, show preliminary figures provided by wind turbine manufacturers. However, turbine manufacturers hope that uniformity and consistency in policy will come about across the country so that capacity addition takes place at a faster pace.

It is estimated that the total installed wind power capacity in the country will be 5,200 MW at the end of March 2006, against 3,595 MW at the end of the previous financial year - an addition of 1,605 MW.

Tamil Nadu has been contributing to a bulk of this capacity addition and accounted for nearly 870 MW during last financial year.
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