-The Times of India CHENNAI: The Centre's recent decision to disclose information related to public-private partnerships (PPP) to RTI applicants may throw a spanner in the works of several infrastructure projects. While RTI activists have hailed the move saying it would usher in greater accountability, private players are cold to the idea as they apprehend the use of RTI to create opposition to projects. Industrial sources said most private firms are not...

-The Times of India In a significant move towards transparency, the government on Tuesday said all public authorities should proactively disclose information related to public private partnerships (PPP) projects on their websites. Though the disclosure will be voluntary, this marks a shift from the Centre's stand for the last two years when it stonewalled Central Information Commission (CIC)'s recommendation seeking disclosure of PPP projects and will herald greater transparency. Guidelines issued by the...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: Traffic challans will very soon be paid online across the country and will not constitute a court case. The government has written to all states to make online payment of traffic challans mandatory and the ministry of road transport and Highways is likely to issue a directive to take challan cases out of the domain of courts. After the intervention of the Prime Minister's Office, the...

-PTI The government today approved road projects worth Rs 4,620 crore in Assam and Madhya Pradesh for the widening of National Highways. All the four projects, including three in Assam for widening of stretches of National Highways 37 under Special Accelerated Road Development Programme in North Eastern Region (SARDP-NE) at a cost of Rs 1,933 crore, were approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA). "The CCEA has given its approval for...

-The Telegraph The National Highways Authority of India has accused the Planning Commission of "inconsistencies in stand", saying they are creating confusion and delaying decisions on its projects. NHAI chairperson R.P. Singh has quoted instances - in a letter to commission member B.K. Chaturvedi - where the Planning Commission had taken a diametrically opposite stand from its earlier position that investors should be allowed to exit from finished projects rather than wait...