Nirmala Sitharaman among 100 most influential in UK power list
London, Jun 25: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is among the 100 most influential women driving the UK-India relationship forward alongside one of Britain's senior-most Cabinet ministers Penny Mordaunt.
The '100 Most Influential in UK-India Relations: Celebrating Women' list was launched by UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid to mark India Day in the Houses of Parliament in London on Monday.
It credited Sitharaman, also the Minister of Corporate Affairs, as one of India's most "powerful women" who plays a "pivotal" role in the bilateral relationship as India's former defence minister and now finance minister.
"Having studied at the London School of Economics (LSE) and worked in the UK in her previous career, Nirmala is familiar with the UK more so than probably all her other colleagues," notes the power list, released by UK-based media house India Inc.
Penny Mordaunt, Britain's Secretary of State for Defence, is the other senior politician in the list who is credited as the first woman to be assigned the role in the UK Cabinet.
"With India emerging as the world's largest importer of defence products, and a significant strategic partner for the UK, Penny plays a crucial role in the UK-India relationship," her citation notes.
Ruchi Ghanashyam, the Indian High Commissioner to the UK, who is herself honoured in the list, welcomed the compilation as a recognition of the "front and centre role" played by women in the bilateral relationship.
"This list highlights the huge potential for the future of the UK and India as they continue to forge on together as two great countries. From business to politics, and art and literacy, women are continuing to pave the way in bringing together this bold partnership through collaboration and relationships," she said.
The women in the list, now in its third year, hold positions of influence in India and the UK across 11 broad sectors including politics, technology and sustainability.
Some of the other prominent names include Indian-origin parliamentarians in the UK like Priti Patel and Baroness Sandy Verma, filmmaker Gurinder Chadha, Indian law firm chiefs Zia Mody and Pallavi S Shroff, Apollo Hospitals' managing director Suneeta Reddy and Nasscom President Debjani Ghosh.
"The women highlighted in this list hold positions of tremendous influence and therefore their inclusion here is as much about the promise they bring, as the success they may have already achieved," said Manoj Ladwa, Founder of India Inc.
The launch of the list also marked the start of UK-India Week in Britain, which will include a series of sessions on trade and investment and closer cooperation between the UK and India through the course of the week.
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Mangaluru: Dakshina Kannada MP Capt Brijesh Chowta has said that the construction of foot overbridges on National Highway 66 has been sanctioned to improve vehicular and pedestrian safety and the work will begin soon near Srinivas College, Mukka, and near Fisheries College, Yekkur.
Capt Chowta, who had written to the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and spoken during a recent meeting with the Ministry on the problems faced by users of the BC Road to Surathkal stretch of the National Highway 66. He had referred to urgency to address the need for maintenance, dangerous points and stormwater drains on the stretch, among other issues, laying further stress on its proximity to the port, its position as a key entry point to Mangaluru city and also the intensity of traffic in the region, reports Deccan Herald.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is learned to have invited tenders worth Rs 26.05 crore to cover 37.472 km from Surathkal to Nanthoor on NH 66, from BC Road to Padil on NH 73 as well as the bypass from Nanthoor Junction to Padil.
The work on the highways includes overlaying of 11.084 km (Surathkal to APMC, Kulur to AJ Hospital, and Nanthoor to Padil), carriageway cleaning, removal of vegetation, road property management and maintenance and road safety improvements (engineering works). Capt Chowta has said that, with improved service roads, infrastructure that supports pedestrians and better connectivity with the New Mangalore Port, the region can boost trade, transport and tourism.
Project Director of NHAI Abdulla Javed Azmi has said that four-laning of the Vamanjoor- Sanoor stretch of the Mangaluru-Solapur NH 169 will be completed by May.
He clarified that the work on the three-km stretch from Kulashekar to Vamanjoor, the Moodbidri bypass and some other stretches had been stalled for various reasons, including court hearing.
In addition, Captain Chowta had written to all concerned officials highlighting the need to address the poor condition of the roads near Mangalore port. New Mangalore Port Road Company Limited (NMPRCL) is learned to have invited tenders for the operation and routine maintenance of prominent stretches of the highway to ensure better connectivity to the New Mangalore Port.
