Delhi pollution: Strict instructions issued to control dust, remove debris at public places
New Delhi (PTI): Strict instructions were issued for controlling dust and removing debris at public places in a high-level meeting on pollution attended by Delhi Lt Governor V K Saxena and Chief Minister Rekha Gupta at Lok Niwas (formerly Raj Niwas) on Thursday.
The district magistrates (DMs) are being authorised to record the ACRs (annual confidential records) of government employees found negligent, according to the chief minister.
Gupta informed that a separate review committee headed by the chief secretary has been constituted, which will review pollution-control measures on a daily basis and issue orders or advisories thereafter. Compliance with these instructions will be mandatory for all departments.
Clear instructions were issued to all concerned agencies that no negligence of any kind would be tolerated in matters related to pollution control, said a Delhi CMO statement.
All departments were also directed to work in continuous coordination so that pollution can be controlled more effectively and consistently. The meeting was also attended by Delhi Urban Development Minister Ashish Sood, Chief Secretary Rajeev Verma, and senior officials of the departments concerned.
"It was made unequivocally clear that dust in the capital must be controlled under all circumstances. Multi-level efforts are already underway for this. The meeting also highlighted that waste and debris are major contributors to pollution," the statement said.
The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) officials were directed to ensure that vacant land under their ownership in various parts of the capital is completely cleared of waste and debris.
The officials of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) were also instructed to prevent repeated dumping on such sites and conduct an intensive cleanliness drive across Delhi, along with using additional measures to tackle dust.
Chief Minister Gupta said that negligence by any department or official regarding pollution control would not be tolerated.
The DMs have been instructed to personally inspect the cleanliness and pollution control measures being undertaken in their respective areas.
The chief minister emphasised that the government's goal is to find a permanent solution to pollution, so that people do not suffer now or in the future.
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India, US trade team to start three-day talks from Dec 10: Sources
New Delhi (PTI): India and the United States will commence three-day talks on the first phase of their proposed bilateral trade agreement here from December 10, sources said.
The visit is crucial as India and the US are working to finalise the first tranche of the pact.
"The three-day talks will start on December 10. It will conclude on December 12, and it is not a formal round of talks," said one of the sources.
The US team will be led by Deputy United States Trade Representative (USTR) Rick Switzer.
This visit of the US officials marks their second trip since the imposition of a 25 per cent tariff and an additional 25 per cent penalty on Indian goods entering the American market due to the purchase of Russian crude oil.
On September 16, the US officials last visited India.
On September 22, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal also led an official delegation to the US for trade talks. Goyal had also visited Washington in May.
While the USA's chief negotiator for the pact is Assistant US Trade Representative for South and Central Asia Brendan Lynch, the Indian side is led by Joint Secretary in the Department of Commerce Darpan Jain.
The talks are also important as Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal has recently stated that India is hopeful of reaching a framework trade deal with the US this year itself, which should address the tariff issue to the benefit of Indian exporters.
While noting that the Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) will take time, Agrawal has added that India is engaged in protracted negotiations with the US on a framework trade deal that will address the reciprocal tariff challenge faced by Indian exporters.
India and the US are having two parallel negotiations -- one on a framework trade deal to address tariffs and another on a comprehensive trade deal.
In February, leaders of the two countries directed officials to negotiate an agreement.
It was planned to conclude the first tranche of the pact by the fall of 2025. So far, six rounds of negotiations have been held. The agreement aims to more than double bilateral trade to USD 500 billion by 2030, from the current USD 191 billion.
The US remained India's largest trading partner for the fourth consecutive year in 2024-25, with bilateral trade valued at USD 131.84 billion (USD 86.5 billion exports).
The US accounts for about 18 per cent of India's total goods exports, 6.22 per cent of its imports, and 10.73 per cent of its total merchandise trade.
According to exporters, the agreement is important as India's merchandise exports to the US declined for the second consecutive month in October, falling by 8.58 per cent to USD 6.3 billion due to the hefty tariffs imposed by Washington.
