Andhra Pradesh announces a new electric mobility policy; Haryana approves a new Pharmaceutical Policy 2019 and a new Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises Policy 2019; Tamil Nadu releases a new Solar Energy Policy, 2019; NTPC issues notices to Telangana, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh, announcing it will regulate power supply due to non-payment of outstanding dues for more than two months; Punjab’s cabinet sends the Punjab One-Time Voluntary Disclosure and Settlement of Violations of the Buildings Bill 2019 to the state’s legislative assembly; Gujarat announces amendments to the Bombay Shops and Establishments Act of 1948; and more.
Center – State relations
The Union Cabinet approved a proposal by the Ministry of Power to allocate 85 percent of electricity generated from central power projects in Telangana and Jharkhand to the home states. Source: Swarajyamag In detail: Press Release
The National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC) issued notices to the state governments of Telangana, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh that it would be “regulating power supply” to those states due to non-payment of outstanding dues for more than two months. The three states owe a total of $686.3 million to NTPC. Source: Business Standard
With assembly elections expected in April-May, the Andhra Pradesh government presented a vote-on-account budget (an estimated expenditure for the months before elections). Despite the announcement of new schemes and increased allocations to existing social sector programs, the government projected a revenue surplus of $294.6 million, which is the first budget surplus since the bifurcation of the state in 2014. Source: Business Standard In detail: Budget 2019-20
The government of Andhra Pradesh announced a new electric mobility policy at the Andhra Pradesh Energy Innovation Summit 2019. The new policy aims to attract investments of over $4.2 billion and generate close to 60,000 jobs. The government announced its intent to make its planned capital, Amaravati, into an electric vehicle-only city. Source: NDTV In detail: Andhra Pradesh Electric Mobility Policy, and Amendment to Electric Mobility Policy
Nothing critical to report this week.
Nothing critical to report this week.
The Gujarat government announced amendments to the Shops and Establishments Act, allowing 24-hour retailing and shops and restaurants to remain open at night, subject to police clearance. The decision is aimed at generating employment in the retail segment. Source: The Hindu Business Line In detail: The Bombay Shops and Establishments Act, 1948
The Haryana government approved the Haryana Pharmaceutical Policy 2019, which aims to establish a state-of-the-art pharma park at Karnal. The new policy intends to develop Haryana into a hub for pharmaceutical manufacturing by facilitating and creating a holistic industry and academia ecosystem. The government also approved the Haryana Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises Policy 2019. Source: The Hindu In detail: Haryana Pharmaceutical Policy Press Release, Haryana MSME Policy Press Release
The Haryana Power Purchase Center released a tender to purchase 120 megawatts (MW) per month of short term non-solar renewable power between April 1 and October 1, 2019. Technical bids for this tender will open February 7, 2019 and an earnest money deposit of $417.69 per MW per month is required. Source: Mercom
Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy presented his government’s maiden budget, announcing new programs in the agriculture and irrigation sector. The budget also outlined the expected gross state domestic product growth at 9.6 percent in 2019-2020, down from 10.4 percent due to ongoing droughts in the state. Source: Business Today In detail: Budget Highlights
The Madhya Pradesh government announced the “Yuva Swabhiman Yojana” scheme, promising to provide unemployed urban youths with 100 days of employment and a stipend of Rs 13,000. The state government also announced `Indira Grah Jyoti Yojana’ to provide 100 kilowatt-hours, or units, of power to all households at a cost of $1.40. Source: Financial Express
Nothing critical to report this week.
The Rajasthan Electricity Regulatory Commission has issued a notice inviting suggestions from interested parties before finalizing the third amendment to its Renewable Energy Certificate and Renewable Purchase Obligation Compliance Framework Regulations, 2019. Source: Mercom In detail: Draft RERC (Renewable Energy Certificate and Renewable Purchase Obligation Compliance Framework ) (Third Amendment) Regulations, 2019
The Tamil Nadu government presented the state budget for financial year 2019-20. The government decided to announce no new taxes despite a revenue deficit of $2 billion. Source: NDTV In detail: Press Release (in Tamil)
The Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission has proposed a feed-in tariff for solar photovoltaic (PV) procurement in its latest consultative paper. The tariff will apply to procurement from all solar PV projects of capacity 1 MW and above. The paper is open for comments until March 1, 2019. Source: Mercom In detail: Consultative Paper
The Tamil Nadu government unveiled a new Solar Energy Policy, 2019. The policy set a target of generating 9,000 MW of solar power for the state by 2022. Source: Money Control In detail: Tamil Nadu solar energy policy 2019
Telangana State Southern Power Distribution Company Limited announced a plan to convert domestic consumers with postpaid meters to shift to prepaid meters by offering those consumers discounts. Source: Siasat
U.S. telecommunications company Verizon partnered with the Department of Information Technology within the Telangana government as well as the Hyderabad Security Cluster to participate in public research project titled the “Data Breach Investigations Report.” Source: Telangana Today
The Uttar Pradesh government presented a $67.2 billion budget for 2019-20, and announced new programs such as the “Kanya Sumangala Yojana” to raise health and educational standard of girls, as well as a program to conserve bovine cattle in the state. Source: The Hindu In detail: Uttar Pradesh Budget portal
The West Bengal government announced the state received investment proposals worth $39.8 billion at the fifth edition of West Bengal Global Business Summit. Source: Indian Express
In the budget presentation, the West Bengal government announced a program to offer annual financial assistance of $1,403 for each of the 50,000 unemployed youth in the state. Source: Business Standard In detail: West Bengal Budget 2019-2020
Best of the Rest
Assam
Assam finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma presented the 2019-2020 Budget, which included a $167.4 million deficit. The budget also introduced several new subsidy programs, including offering rice at $0.014 per kilogram for the poor, 10 grams of gold to brides who get married in the state, waivers of hotel fees for students, and scholarships for girls from minority communities for higher education. Source: Business Standard In detail: Budget 2019-20
Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel presented his government’s maiden budget for the financial year 2019-2020. As part of the budget, the government allocated just over $700 million for a farm loan waiver. Source: All India Radio In detail: Chhattisgarh Budget 2019-20
Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel announced that the government will reduce electricity bills by 50 percent for all domestic consumers for consumption up to 400 units. Source: Energy Infra Post
Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh chief minister Jai Ram Thakur presented a $6.2 billion state budget for the financial year 2019-20. The government announced that no new taxes would be proposed, despite a revenue deficit of $328.7 million. Source: Money Control In detail: Himachal Pradesh Budget 2019-20
The Himachal Pradesh government will reserve 10 percent of government jobs and seats at universities for economically weaker sections of the general category. Source: Telangana Today
The center announced it has approved $24.2 million for the construction of 58 national highway projects in Himachal Pradesh. Source: All India Radio
The National Hydroelectric Power Corporation issued a tender for 1,082.16 kilowatts of rooftop and small solar power projects at various power stations in Himachal Pradesh. The successful bidder will get nine months to commission the project and will be required to provide operation and maintenance services for five years. Source: Mercom
Jharkhand
The Jharkhand legislative assembly passed a bill to establish a state commission to oversee the wellbeing of Scheduled Tribes. Source: Times of India
The Jharkhand Renewable Energy Development Agency issued a tender for an engineering procurement construction firm to set up a 2 MW canal top solar project in Ranchi. Source: Mercom In detail: Tender details
Jammu and Kashmir
The president of India approved the establishment of a 14 MW grid-connected solar PV projects with aggregate battery storage capacity of 42 MW-hour for Jammu & Kashmir under the Prime Minister Development Package-2015. The projects would be set up during between 2019 and 2021 at a fixed tariff of $0.02 per unit. Source: PV Magazine
Odisha
Odisha finance minister Sashi Bhusan Behera presented a vote-on-account budget worth $7.98 billion for the first four months of the 2019-20 fiscal, and also tabled an interim budget of $18.6 billion for the full year of 2019-20 in the Odisha assembly. Source: Odisha TV In detail: Odisha Budget 2019-20
Punjab
The Punjab Council of Ministers approved the Punjab One-Time Voluntary Disclosure and Settlement of Violations of the Buildings Bill-2019. The bill is aimed at ensuring that the unauthorized buildings that have been constructed are aligned to the parking, and fire and safety standards across the state since it is not feasible to demolish them. Source: Punjab News Express In detail: Press Release
The Punjab government announced a 6 percent dearness allowance for its nearly 325,000 government employees and 300,000 pensioners from February 1. This would put an additional annual burden of $101 million on the cash-strapped state exchequer. Source: Times of India In detail: Press Release
Uttarakhand
The Uttarakhand government enforced the “Uttarkhand Lok Seva Adhyadesh, 2019″ in order to reserve 10 percent of government jobs and seats at universities for the economically weak sections of the general category. Source: Financial Express
