Govt to earmark 2.5 Ghz for Wi-Max
New Delhi: The government is planning to allocate the 2.5 Ghz frequency band for offering broadband services on Wi-Max, a wireless technology service.

This is despite objections raised by GSM-based cellular operators to earmark the frequency band exclusively for third-generation (3G) services.

Officials said the department of telecom was considering allocating 2.5 Ghz as the band for Wi-Max to take advantage of the lower costs that this band would offer. The trend for greater and greater use of wireless for data transmission is evident and even the standard of broadband services at 256 Kbps is becoming inadequate and the increasing data needs would compel 2 Mbps for broadband.

T.V. Ramachandran, director-general, Cellular Operators' Association of India, said that enough bandwidth on the 2.5 Ghz should be left for 3G services as there isn't enough frequency for all operators in the 2.1 Ghz band. He said if the Government does not keep 2.5 Ghz for 3G services, India may lose out on the advantages the service will bring. India has too many operators wanting to offer 3G services and too little spectrum; therefore, it is important to earmark capacity on 2.5 GHz for 3G.
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CPM to relook SEZ policy
New Delhi: The UPA government's policy on Special Economic Zone (SEZ) will come under close scrutiny in the coming days with the CPI(M) preparing a note to discuss it with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Also the Congress is planning to discuss its impact on agriculture at the Congress chief ministers' conclave at Nainital next week.

CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat said, "There has to be a ceiling on the land being allotted for SEZs. You cannot give 10,000 or 25,000 acres of land for an SEZ. Besides, the issue of wholesale tax exemptions has to be re-visited," he said.

CPI(M) Politburo, which met in Kolkata early this week, had decided to build a political consensus to bring changes in the SEZ Act to the effect that there is an increased cap on the use of SEZ land for real estate purposes.

The party wants the government to bring amendments in the Act so that at least 50 per cent of such land is reserved for industrial purposes. It is also opposed to the provision regarding setting up of international financial centres.
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Total of 165 bids received for 55 oil & gas blocks under NELP'
New Delhi: Global energy giants British Gas, British Petroleum, Italy's ENI and Petronas of Malaysia were among companies that bid on Friday for 55 oil and gas blocks in India offered in the sixth round of auction under the New Exploration Licensing Policy (NELP).

BG was the lead bidder in the consortium, that included ONGC and Coal India Ltd, for three deep-sea and one shallow water block and also partnered ONGC in 10 deep-sea, 2 shallow water offshore and 18 onland blocks.

Malaysia's Petronas bid for one shallow water block in prospective Krishna Godavari basin. BP bid for two Mahanadi Basin deep-sea block with ONGC, while ENI was the lead partner in two deep-sea, one shallow offshore and two onland blocks.

RIL has bid for 17 deep-sea blocks each in shallow water and onland. It took state-owned Oil India Ltd as partner in one Mahanadi basin deepsea block.

Cairn Energy of UK made lead bids for seven blocks on its own and was junior partner in five others.
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Rs1,780-cr sanctioned for road repair
New Delhi: The union minister of shipping, road transport and highways, TR Baalu has approved road improvement works in Gujarat, Chattisgarh, West Bengal, Punjab, Haryana and Maharashtra and has sanctioned more than Rs1,780 for the purpose.

While Rs128 crore has been sanctioned for 47 road improvement works in Maharashtra at various highways stretches in different parts of the state, in Gujarat, Rs621.08 lakh has been sanctioned for strengthening 300 km on the Dwarka-Porbandar-Somnath section on NH8. An amount of Rs486.80 lakh has been approved for strengthening of 92 km on NH64 in Punjab on the Patiala-Sangrur-Bhatinda stretch.

In Haryana, Rs320.98 lakh has been set aside for widening and two-laning NH71 from 257 km to 258.5 km. Pavements will also be constructed for the stretch.

Baalu also approved a sum of Rs 217.41 lakh for the work of improvement of riding quality on 800 km of NH31 in West Bengal.
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Rly stations, trains to offer 5-star food
New Delhi: Very soon travelers will be able to avail of five star delectable cuisine- Chinese, Continental, Mexican or Indian - at railway stations or trains. All this will be in tie-up with major five star chains.

Rail Bhawan will soon invite bids for around 10 railway stations — including the four metropolitan cities — from the major five star chains to upgrade the catering department of Railways.

The service would be on a public-private partnership (PPP) model between private hotels and Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) — the Indian Railways' catering and tourism wing. Besides providing quality meals on trains, they will also sell good quality food at the railway stations.

As per the guidelines of the new pantry car investment scheme, private players can buy a stake in operation and maintenance of pantry cars.

Rail Bhavan sources said the services will come with a costlier price tag.
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