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PM Launches India’s 1st Regional Rapid Transit System Corridor

By LokMarg 20th October 2023

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated the priority section of the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) Corridor at Uttar Pradesh’s Sahibabad RapidX station– a state-of-the-art regional mobility solution aimed to transform regional connectivity in the country through construction of new world class transport infrastructure.

The Prime Minister also flagged off the RapidX train connecting Sahibabad to Duhai depot, marking the launch of RRTS in India. This is India’s first RapidX train which will be known as “Namo Bharat”.

The 17 km priority section of Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS Corridor will connect Sahibabad to Duhai depot with stations at Ghaziabad, Guldhar and Duhai on the way. The foundation stone for Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut corridor was laid by the Prime Minister on March 8, 2019. With the train service operational, the travel time between Sahibabad and Duhai Depot will be 12 minutes, which would usually take around 30-35 minutes by road.

The RRTS project is developed in line with the Prime Minister’s vision to transform regional connectivity in the country through construction of new world class transport infrastructure. The RRTS is a new rail-based, semi-high-speed, high-frequency commuter transit system.

With a design speed of 180 kmph, RRTS is a transformational, regional development initiative, which is designed to provide high-speed trains for intercity commuting every 15 minutes, which can go up to a frequency of every 5 minutes as per requirement.

A total of eight RRTS corridors have been identified to be to be developed in the National Capital Region (NCR), out of which three corridors have been prioritised to be implemented in Phase-I including Delhi – Ghaziabad – Meerut Corridor; Delhi – Gurugram – SNB – Alwar Corridor; and Delhi – Panipat Corridor.

The Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS being developed at a cost of more than Rs 30,000 crore, and will connect Delhi to Meerut in less than an hour of travel time going through the urban centres of Ghaziabad, Muradnagar, and Modinagar. The 82-km Delhi-Meerut section is likely to be completed by 2025.

RRTS, being developed in the country, is a state-of-the-art regional mobility solution, and is comparable to the best in the world. It will provide safe, reliable and modern intercity commuting solutions in the country.

In line with PM GatiShakti National Master Plan, the RRTS network will have extensive multi-modal-integration with Railway stations, Metro stations and Bus services. Such transformative regional mobility solutions will boost economic activity in the region; provide improved access to employment, education and healthcare opportunities; and help in significant reduction of vehicular congestion and air pollution.

This new dedicated, high-speed, high-capacity, commuter service, the RRTS is different from both conventional railways as well as Metros.

It is better than conventional railways as it provides reliable, high-frequency, point-to-point regional travel.

It is different from Metros as it caters to passengers who are looking to travel a comparatively longer distance with fewer stops and at a higher speed.

Offering comfortable seats and air conditioning, the priority section of RRTS is going to uplift travel in Ghaziabad.

Otherwise, the options so far for the commuters were public autorickshaws and buses, or private buses or taxis, amid the hot and humid weather clubbed with traffic.

The Sahibabad RRTS station from where the Prime Minister flagged off India’s first RapidX train is just 4 km away from the Vaishali Metro Station situated on the Blue line of the Delhi Metro. (ANI)

Umesh Pal Case: STF Arrests Atiq’s Brother-In-Law

By LokMarg 2nd April 2023

In a major development in the Umesh Pal murder case, the Special Task Force (STF) arrested gangster Atiq Ahmed’s brother-in-law, Akhlaq from Meerut, informed police sources.

Akhlaq was arrested for allegedly harbouring shooters and helping them escape after the crime.
He is a resident of the Nauchandi area in Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut.

According to police sources, after murdering Umesh Pal, the shooter and Atiq Ahmed’s son, Asad, absconded with the help of Akhlaq.

Further details are awaited in the case.

Mafia don-turned-politician, Atiq Ahmed was convicted by an MP-MLA court on March 28, and sentenced to rigorous life imprisonment in the abduction case of now-deceased Umesh Pal.

It marked the first time that Atiq Ahmed, who has over 100 cases against him over the last 43 years, has been convicted in a case.

Apart from Atiq Ahmed, the court gave life sentences to Dinesh Pasi and Khan Saulat Hanif and also imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 on each of the three convicts.

Seven other accused in the case, including Ashraf, brother of Atiq Ahmed, were acquitted.

Ahmed’s conviction came after Umesh Pal, an advocate and a prime witness in the 2005 murder case of BSP MLA Raju Pal, was shot dead in Prayagraj on February 24 this year.

Atiq is also the main accused in the Umesh Pal murder case. Apart from Umesh Pal, his two security personnel were also shot dead.

Atiq, the former MP and MLA, was brought by Uttar Pradesh Police from Ahmedabad’s Sabarmati Jail to Prayagraj’s Naini jail on Monday after an over 24-hour-long drive. (ANI)

Cow Vaccination Reaches 100% In Seven Districts, 80% In Twenty-Two Districts: UP

By LokMarg 12th October 2022

Intensifying its efforts to curb the spread of the lumpy virus among animals across the state, the Yogi Adityanth-led government in Uttar Pradesh has completed the vaccination of almost 100 percent of cows in seven districts and more than 80 percent in 22 districts of the state.

As per official reports of the UP government, at 97 percent, the lumpy vaccination rate is the highest in Bareilly. It is important to note that Uttar Pradesh reached the milestone of administering 1 crore vaccine doses to prevent lumpy skin disease in just 40 days. Gujarat, which has administered about 63 lakh vaccines in the previous three months, is ranked second. Uttar Pradesh is the first state in the country to administer lumpy vax to 1 crore cows so far.
The state government has taken several steps to stop the transmission of the lumpy virus, including among others issuing necessary instructions to all the districts in this regard. The Panchayati Raj and Urban Development Department have been directed to coordinate in spraying anti-larval medicine in all villages to stop the spread of the lumpy virus amid the recent heavy rains.

Directions have also been issued that Agra, Meerut, Bareilly, Lucknow, Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Prayagraj, and Jhansi districts must distribute Ivermectin Bolus and Iodine Ointment.

Moreover, given excessive rains and possible floods, officials have been asked to provide information about the cows affected and dead because of the lumpy virus to headquarters immediately. Each district has been given a deadline of October 31 to complete the required vaccinations.

Additional Chief Secretary, Livestock, Dr. Rajneesh Dubey informed that as per the instructions of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, 2000 teams were formed in the state to carry out vaccinations and extensive ‘ring’ and ‘belt’ vaccinations were done.

“Cows with lumpy skin disease signs were discovered for the first time in the state during the second week of August. The Animal Husbandry Department immediately stepped up its attention and began extensive monitoring. The government formed Team-9,” he added.

Seven senior nodal officers from Team-9 extensively monitored Bareilly, Moradabad, Meerut, Saharanpur, Agra, and Aligarh divisions. In the state, 1.32 crore doses of the Goat Pox vaccination have been ordered so far.

The vaccination campaign started in western UP, a ring vaccination was launched in the 25 lumpy virus-affected districts of Western Uttar Pradesh.

Later, to contain the spread of disease from Western UP to the central and eastern regions of the state, a 10 km wide and 320 km long belt from Pilibhit to Etawah district was created. Under the area of the belt, 100% vaccination of all the cattle was done.

The second belt was created from district Etawah to Auraiya which was about 155 km long. 100% vaccination of all the cattle was ensured in this area. In addition, the Goat Pox vaccination of cows is being done at a fast pace in the entire state by conducting ring vaccination within a radius of 10 km around all the municipalities and municipal corporations.

The Government ensured that all the cows in shelters and ‘gaushalas’ across the state were vaccinated against the virus. Priority was also given to the vaccination of all the cattle at the inter-state and intra-state borders.

In 31 districts of Western UP, 98 dedicated cow shelter sites were opened in which infected cows were protected separately. The lumpy virus has so far infected 76713 cows in the state, of which 56054 (73%) have recovered while the rest are undergoing treatment and their health is showing steady improvement. (ANI)

Indraprastha Gas Hikes Prices of CNG And Piped Fuel

By LokMarg 8th October 2022

The Indraprastha Gas Limited (IGL) has increased the price of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) by Rs 3 per kg. With this CNG will cost Rs 78.61 per kg with effect from Saturday.

CNG will cost Rs 81.17 per Kg in Noida, Greater Noida, and Ghaziabad. It will cost Rs 86.94 per Kg in Gurugram.

With the latest hike, CNG is now available at Rs 89.07 per kg in Rewari and Rs 87.27 per kg in Karnal and Kaithal in Haryana.

Meanwhile in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar, Meerut and Shamli, it will be available at Rs 85.84 per kg and will cost Rs 88.88 per kg in Ajmer, Pali, and Rajsamand of Rajasthan.

CNG in Kanpur, Hamirpur, and Fatehpur of UP will cost Rs 90.40 per kg.

Gas distributors have been periodically raising prices since October last year when domestic as well as international gas prices started to climb. Earlier in May, it was hiked by Rs 2.

IGL has also hiked the price of Domestic Piped Natural Gas (PNG) in Delhi to Rs 53.59 per standard cubic meter (SCM).

The new price will come into effect from today. For Ghaziabad, Noida, and Greater Noida, the PNG price has hiked to Rs 53.46 per SCM, while in Gurugram, it will cost Rs 51.79 per SCM.

In Karnal and Rewari, it will cost 52.40 per SCM. For, Muzaffarnagar, Meerut and Shamli, it will cost 56.97 per SCM. (ANI)

#PulwamaRevenge – ‘We Hit The Real Enemy’

By LokMarg 1st March 2019

Ajay was the sole bread-earner of our family. He had everything planned out. He used to say that he will raise his bhatiji (niece). He dreamt that she will grow up to be a doctor and that his son would become an army officer. With nothing to lose, my husband and I are now determined to spend our lives to fulfill Ajay’s dream.

‘A Businessman Must Adapt To Survive’

By LokMarg 4th December 2018

Deepak Kumar, owner of the New Public Sound in Meerut (UP) is a smart businessman. He foresaw how Indian weddings would change in the years to come and introduced DJ bands as one of the services to his family business of catering and wedding decor.

My family has been in the business of catering and wedding decor for many decades. So I have seen Indian weddings evolve over the years. It made good business sense to move ahead with the times and keep innovating as per the demands of the clients.

Ten years ago, I discussed the idea of getting equipment for a DJ Band with my father. He was a bit hesitant at first, but then he gave a go-ahead. With an initial investment of about Rs 2-3 lakh, we bought sound boxes, music systems, trolley, etc. And the band was set up. Since then, there has been no looking back.

Unlike the conventional brass band set-up, you do not need much man-power. All you need is a person, who can handle the music system and a few helping hands, who can push the trolley and carry the chandeliers.

These days, marriages are grand and expensive affairs with celebrations lasting for almost 10 days. People want DJs for all the functions, such as engagement parties, mehendi, sangeet, cocktail party, reception etc. Naturally, wedding seasons are the busiest, but we never run out of bookings throughout the year. Our DJ set-up is used at other parties as well. We even play during the Kanvad yatras every year in the months of July and August. Even Muslim families are shedding their conventional barriers and hiring our services for their family functions.

On some days, when we have too many bookings, we have to hire DJ equipment, which is quite common these days.

We might be accused of eating into the businesses of brass bands, but the fact is that though brass bands make less economic sense, they still have a niche clientele. They require a different set of skills and they are still quite sought after by people, who prefer a more traditional wedding procession. These traditional bands require more manpower and a host of other instruments.

As compared to that, our business is quite low maintenance. All we need is a ‘music savvy person, who can handle the music system (the CD player, song reverser, etc.). Nowadays, even a smartphone can do the job of a music system, they just need to be plugged into the sound boxes. Technology is changing and getting cheaper. It makes sense to change with the times. Some of my friends, who are into the conventional brass band business, are now thinking of adding DJ band to their existing set-ups.

A friend of mine had chosen to carry forward his family legacy of brass bands. But he has been suffering losses. After a lot of persuasion, his father has agreed to add DJ services. The investment is not much and if you already have a supportive set-up (in his case the brass band) you need not to worry much.

Other brass band owners have also opted for this. One Raja Band has already started providing a package deal of DJ services along with brass bands. His wedding processions look rather appealing, when his brass band walks along the DJ band. His charges are higher, but at weddings these days, people do not hesitate to pay a little extra.

Diminishing Returns I – 'Off-Key Brass Band'

By LokMarg 11th October 2018

The sounds of tuning the musical instruments – drums, trumpets, clarinets, cymbals – filled the air. Sometimes, the band would break into an impromptu performance. Their happiest moments were when they had mastered a new tune. In the evenings, I would lead the band troupe (this could range from 12-20 players) and walk like the captain of a battalion with my head held high.

There would be another part of the team of about 15-20 daily-wagers who carried rows of chandeliers to keep the path illuminated. The wedding processions would look royal because of us. Our patrons were quick to recognise the talent of the band members. They were showered with cash rewards and praises when they played music on demand.

The musicians were hired on the basis of an annual contract as it was difficult to find musicians during the wedding season. Although they were not paid much, they remained loyal to the brand they worked for. This was probably the best platform for them to showcase their talent. Our schedule used to be jam-packed during the wedding season – with hardly any ‘lean day’.

But this was 12 years ago. Now almost all our days are lean. The wedding season is just around the corner but we hardly have any bookings. We still have a dedicated trained staff who have mastered the drums, trumpets, clarinets and cymbals but they are left with no other option to look for other jobs. Indian weddings have changed. New and cheaper ‘DJ bands’ have eaten into our business. Now, anyone, who has a bit of money can jump into the business with a small one-time investment.

It doesn’t matter whether you have the ear for music or not. You hardly need to know the technicalities. All you need is a trolley that can carry huge speakers, a good music system that can play songs and a collection of music on a laptop.

The DJ just needs some basic knowledge about running a music system. Nowadays, they can even play music through their smart phone and connect it to speakers! My brass band team is now jobless and they do not fit anywhere with this new avatar of celebrations. Once, I thought of including this new trend into my band but the mere thought was horrible. It would have left my talented bunch of musicians without any work, walking like dressed-up puppets along the DJ bands.

Tag: Meerut