The Government will create railway ticket booking jobs for youths by first barring the private vendors and touts from doing the same, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal told Lok Sabha as he also informed members that vacant lands of railways would be used for setting up solar panels, producing 20,000 MW electricity, leading to zero cost on power for running locomotives.
Replying to a discussion on the demand for grants of the Railway Ministry, the minister spoke about his Ministry's crackdown on touts, including arrests, and asserted that private agents are no longer needed when most people can book tickets on mobiles.
Those who need help can go to "common service centres" which are run by Government, he said.
The touts used to book tickets in large numbers within moments of their availability using certain softwares, he said, adding that his ministry has taken action against them.
Goyal also said that on the suggestion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi , his ministry would use vacant lands available with the railways for generating solar energy. He estimated that this could generate solar power to the tune of 20,000 mw, reducing power expenditure for running trains to almost zero. The Minister said whenever land was needed for other use, it solar panels could be shifted elsewhere.
During question hour, Environment and Forest minister Prakash Javadekar said the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) is meant to ensure that the problem of pollution is addressed at the local level and cities have been asked to prepare plans to deal with the issue.
Replying to a question in Lok Sabha, Javadekar said NCAP envisages drawing city-specific plans.
"Every city has different pollutants and the sources also vary," Javadekar said.
Replying to another question, he said water bodies in the country are polluted because 70 per cent of sewage goes untreated.
"People used to say 'Ganga maile ho gay. Papiyon ke paap dhote dhote'. But this not not true," Javadekar said citing the untreated sewage treatment as a major source of pollution.
Earlier, the Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) was built and operated by different entities which created problems, Javadekar said.
"Now, we have decided that those who built and operate the sewage treatment plants are the same. They will operate the plant for 10 years," he added.
The minister also cited that the examples of water bodies in Bengaluru where sewage water is being let in without being treated and emphasised on preserving water bodies.
To another question, Javadekar said the Centre on Friday said it has permitted fencing around forest areas to ensure safety of people living in adjacent villages from attacks by wild animals. Responding to a question the nvironment Minister said the government is providing financial and technical assistance to state governments for activities like erection of physical barriers around forest areas to avoid man-animal conflict. Responding to a yet another question , Javadekar said over 300 out of 700 industries inspected by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) have been found violating environmental norms and causing pollution in the last four years.
Most of the industries which were found violating environmental norms were steel, cement, power and pharmaceutical.
However, out of the 342 units found non-complying during inspection, 293 are complying as on date, the minister said, adding that directions/ notices issued for the remaining 49 non-complying units are still in force.