Russian President Vladimir Putin may visit India next year
New Delhi, Nov 19: Russian President Vladimir Putin may visit India next year as part of a laid down structure between the two countries for reciprocal annual visits by their leaders, diplomatic sources said on Tuesday.
The two sides are looking at the possibility of the visit but nothing has been finalised yet, they said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited the Russian President to visit India when the two leaders held summit talks in Moscow in July.
He also visited Kazan in Russia last month to attend the BRICS summit.
Earlier Tuesday, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov in a video interaction with senior Indian Editors in Delhi referred to the strong bilateral relationship between India and Russia, and added Putin's visit is on the cards. He did not give any specific timeline or make a definitive announcement of the visit.
"We are looking forward to the visit. The dates will be mutually worked out soon," Peskov said.
The media interaction was organised by the Russian state-owned Sputnik news agency.
Asked to comment on US President Joe Biden's decision to let Ukraine strike targets inside Russia with US-supplied longer-range missiles, Peskov said Russia's military capabilities are incomparable to those of Ukraine and it's unlikely that any missile will help Ukraine
Peskov's comments came on a day when President Putin signed a revised nuclear doctrine declaring that a conventional attack on Russia by any nation that is supported by a nuclear power will be considered a joint attack on his country.
Putin's endorsement of the new nuclear deterrent policy comes on the 1,000th day after he sent troops into Ukraine on Feb 24, 2022.
"Biden administration stands for war, not for peace."
"The authority in the White House takes a decision to use their weapons against the Russian Federation, and this is a striking example of the new environment surrounding our country," Peskov said. "This makes it necessary for us to ensure that our nuclear conception is updated."
Peskov also highlighted a key aspect of the updated nuclear doctrine.
"Potential enemy must understand inevitability of nuclear response if they try to commit aggression against Russia....If a country attacks us with conventional weapons, but with the help and assistance of a nuclear state, we will treat it as a joint attack against our country, with the relevant consequences."
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Adani Group emerges lowest bidder for Bengaluru’s 16.75-km tunnel road project
Bengaluru: The Adani Group has become the lowest bidder for both packages of the proposed 16.75-km tunnel road project in Bengaluru, according to sources familiar with the bids opened by Bengaluru Smart Infrastructure Ltd (B-SMILE).
According to a report published by Deccan Herald on Monday, the government estimated the entire project to cost Rs 17,698 crore, while the Adani Group has quoted Rs 22,267 crore. The ports-to-power conglomerate’s bid is about 24% higher for the first package and 28% higher for the second than the government’s estimates, a gap that could prompt authorities to seek the state Cabinet’s approval on the tenders’ fate.
M Maheshwar Rao, Chief Commissioner of the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), who is also the Managing Director of B-SMILE, declined to comment.
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In all, four infrastructure companies had participated in the tenders for the project, which has been proposed under the build-operate-transfer (BOT) model, with 40% funding from the government and the remaining investment to be raised by the private concessionaire.
During the technical evaluation, the Adani Group and the Hyderabad-based Vishwa Samudra Engineering Ltd qualified for the financial round.
According to the report, Dilip Buildcon was disqualified due to a clause that bars firms linked to collapsed bridges or tunnels, while Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd (RVNL) was rejected because its joint venture (JV) partner did not meet technical requirements.
With only two companies left in the fray, the Adani Group emerged as the lowest bidder, ahead of Vishwa Samudra.
The tunnel project officially named the North–South underground corridor, is part of the Congress government’s ambitious to ease Bengaluru’s traffic congestion by building two major underground roads (totalling 40 km) along with 13 flyovers and elevated corridors.
The project is the brainchild of Deputy CM D K Shivakumar, who is also the Bengaluru development minister.
The proposal, however, has faced criticism and political opposition, especially from senior BJP leaders, who object to the alignment that requires acquiring six acres of Lalbagh Botanical Garden, a historic green space.
As per the report, Urban mobility experts have also warned that the tunnel corridor may clash with the alignment of Namma Metro’s Phase 3A, possibly affecting the metro expansion.
