A road stretch in Shimla's Bhattakufar area caved in recently, reportedly linked to ongoing tunnel construction for the Kaithlighat-Dhalli four-lane project. A schoolgirl fell into the pit and was rescued, and a Himachal Road Transport Corporation bus was stuck at the spot. The district administration stopped construction, sought detailed reports from senior officials and raised concerns with the State Disaster Management Authority. Residents had earlier complained about cracks in their homes. The administration plans to involve the Survey of India, while police have registered a negligence case against the project contractor.Read more

Telangana has introduced the Hyderabad Industrial Lands Transformation Policy (HILTP) 2025, allowing 9,292 acres of ageing or underused industrial land within and around the Outer Ring Road to be converted into multi-use zones. These areas can now be redeveloped for housing, offices, hospitals, schools and IT parks. Applicants must pay a one-time Development Impact Fee, set at 30% of SRO value for plots on roads under 80 ft and 50% for those on wider roads. Approvals will be processed swiftly through the TG-iPASS portal, with decisions expected within two weeks. A quarter of the collected fees will be used to upgrade local infrastructure, while the rest will help develop new industrial parks outside the ORR.Read more

The Karnataka High Court has upheld the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) attachment of Flat 7A in Kingfisher Towers, Bengaluru, finding that the property legally remains with United Breweries Holdings Ltd (UBHL) and not with the purchaser. The court rejected the claim that an unregistered agreement to sell conferred title, ruling that ownership had not passed without a registered sale deed. It agreed with the ED that the flat could be treated as 'proceeds of crime' under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), reinforcing the agency's long-running asset-recovery effort in the Vijay Mallya case.Read more

During pre-Budget discussions, tourism and hospitality representatives urged the government to streamline licensing through a single-window system, grant industry status uniformly across states, and clarify GST norms for hotels under INR 7,500. They highlighted challenges caused by fragmented regulations, which limit access to finance and incentives. The industry also proposed forming an independent National Tourism Board with private-sector involvement to guide long-term strategic growth and promotion. These measures aim to enhance foreign tourist arrivals and strengthen the sector's overall development.Read more

MHADA has submitted a detailed proposal to the state government to boost affordable rental housing across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. The plan, presented by MHADA CEO Sanjeev Jaiswal, recommends cost-reducing incentives such as 0.5 additional FSI in Mumbai city and 0.3 in the rest of MMR, along with a 50% share of development charges for societies to use as a corpus fund. Key tax benefits include full property-tax waiver for five years, reduced tax for the next five, INR 500 stamp duty, and complete state GST waiver. The proposal also suggests low-interest financing and income-tax exemptions. MHADA estimates the framework could enable over 50,000 rental units by 2030.Read more

The Delhi government is preparing to restructure the Shahjahanabad Redevelopment Corporation (SRDC) to improve the condition of the Walled City and restore its historic identity. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta reviewed current issues in Old Delhi and directed officials to speed up civic upgrades, including the addition of women's toilets in Chandni Chowk. She plans to bring heritage experts into the SRDC to guide conservation-focused work. Senior officials and local representatives agreed that redevelopment has been delayed for years due to inactive systems and overlapping jurisdiction among agencies.Read more

The board of Rourkela Smart City Ltd (RSCL) held its 31st meeting to evaluate progress on its major projects and plan future work. Key officials reviewed the status of Integrated Command and Control Centre, urging executing agencies to quicken work. The board expressed satisfaction over construction under rOURkela One project, including the city command centre and Tribal Museum, Rourkela. They also discussed soft components for the museum, a large recreation park, and heritage development around Vedvyas heritage site, while stressing timely completion and quality deliverables.Read more

A three-member investigation panel led by the Joint Inspector General of Registration has raised serious red flags over a roughly INR 300-crore land deal in Pune's Mundhwa area. The 40-acre parcel, officially government land, was sold to Amadea Enterprises LLP, where Parth Pawar is a partner. The report indicts a suspended sub-registrar and two associates, but clears Parth Pawar because his name does not appear on transaction records. Among its recommendations are stricter checks on stamp duty waivers and tighter documentation requirements.Read more

Industry leaders have urged the West Bengal government to implement incentive-based policies for suburbanisation and urban redevelopment, pointing to effective measures in states like Maharashtra, Telangana, and Karnataka. Proposals include higher FSI, slum rehabilitation, affordable housing incentives, and senior citizen-focused developments. Kolkata's mayor highlighted the city's high population density and the need for eco-friendly road expansion, improved flyover connectivity, and better drainage and waste management. Both business and government representatives stressed collaborative efforts to ensure sustainable urban growth and infrastructure development that benefits residents and supports economic activity.Read more

Odisha is moving forward with the expansion of the Rourkela Steel Plant, with the state government forming a high-level committee to address land acquisition challenges affecting around 300 families. SAIL plans to double the plant's capacity from 4.5 MTPA with an investment of over INR 30,000 crore, alongside a INR 9,000 crore modernization effort. Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy emphasized state support, rehabilitation measures, and strengthening raw material security, while discussions also focused on establishing a Rourkela Airport to support regional development and future steel growth.Read more