The Ministry of Surface Transport is initiating action for construction of two expressways in the country. The two expressways are Vadodara-Mumbai Expressway and Kanpur-Agra Expressway. The Vadodra-Mumbai, when constructed will be 400 km long and it will ease the traffic on the existing National Highway number 8. The estimated cost of the highway project at the current price is Rs 4,500 crore. The cost of the land acquisition for the road will be about Rs 400 crore. Pre-feasibility study for the expressway has already been done. The Kanpur-Agra expressway will be as long as 280 km and ease the traffic on the National Highway-2. The estimated cost of the project is Rs 2,800 crore.

"Goverment may lose Rs 500-crore excise revenue from tobacco": Unfavourable tax policies for the tobacco industry would cost the government over Rs 500 crore by way of excise revenue shortfall during the current financial year, says a study. The Association Council (ASCON) of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) says as against the estimated excise revenue of Rs 4,762 crore in 1997-98, government may end up garnering only about Rs 4,200 crore. Discretionary taxation policy favouring growth of cheaper and non-revenue efficient tobacco alternatives like bidis and gutka, will result in revenues falling short of target, study says.

Goa industrial fair: Highlights of Goa's industrial and economic progress, besides various socio-educational parameters are on display at a massive exhibition called the golden jubilee exhibition which was inaugurated by Goa chief minister Pratapsingh Rane at Navelim in South Goa. Rane said Goa had emerged as a on the world tourist map. While the industrial tempo had increased, the concern of the government was to see that the state attracted pollution-free units. He said, mining had contributed to growth.

AAI's plea to employees: Airports Authority of India (AAI) chairman Ranjan Chaterjee has asked its employees to settle issues amicably and not to resort to agitational methods as that would inconvenience passengers and jeopardise air safety. In an internal communication circulated to all employees, he sought their help to sort out matters by discussion and giving reasonable time to the management to look into their demands. Several units within the Airports Authority have been agitating for some time now, demanding better salaries and perks and improvement in service conditions.

Planters' panel to visit Pakistan to explore tea market: A delegation of the United Planters Association of South India (UPASI) would visit Pakistan in February next to explore possibilities of tea exports, in the wake of a slide in Kenyan production. Disclosing this at a press conference, executive director of Tata Tea MH Ashraff said that Pakistan was showing keen interest in buying Indian tea after the crop failed in Kenya, the main exporter of tea to Pakistan. If there is a breakthrough in talks, it will be a big boost for Indian tea exports as Pakistan's requirement is over 120 million kg annually, Ashraff said, while launching a new brand of Tata Tea in Hyderabad.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.