The Tamil Nadu state government released its Information Communication Technology Policy 2018; Karnataka’s 2,400 MW Kudgi project became fully operational; the Kerala tourism department announced a 12-point action plan to revive the state’s tourism sector after devastating floods and a Nipah virus outbreak; Uttar Pradesh announces financial incentives to promote micro, small, and medium enterprises under the government’s flagship One District, One Product scheme; and more.
Center – State relations
Four states — Telangana, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, and Haryana — have expressed interest in buying power under a government scheme that promotes purchases from independent power plants without power purchase agreements (PPAs). Telangana and Bihar have agreed to buy 500 megawatts (MW) and 200 MW, respectively, while Tamil Nadu and Haryana are negotiating purchases of 500 MW and 400 MW respectively. Source: Financial Express In detail: Scheme for Purchases without Power Purchase Agreements
The center approved additional assistance of $30.2 million to Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra following losses both states incurred after droughts and cyclones in 2017. Source: First Post
According to a report by the Fitch group that analyzed the financial and operational metrics of power distribution companies (discoms) in India, discoms in Gujarat, Uttarakhand, and Andhra Pradesh are among the top performers while discoms in Telangana, Haryana, and Hubli in Karnataka are among the lowest performers. Source: Economic Times In detail: Ready Reckoner on Financial Health of 19 Discoms
The Andhra Pradesh state government has reduced the value-added tax on petrol and diesel by 2 cents per liter, incurring a loss in revenue of $155 million. The new rates came into effect on September 11. Source: The Hindu Business Line
The government of Andhra Pradesh launched a mobile platform, e-Rythu (e-farmer in Telugu) which will enable small-scale farmers to market their produce at reasonable prices. Source: Live Mint
The Andhra Pradesh state government has clarified that state discoms have to take all the power wind developers produce and pay for it, irrespective of the capacity utilization factor of the developer’s project, ending a major controversy in the state’s wind energy segment. Source: Economic Times
Nothing critical to report this week.
The Delhi government signed an agreement on the establishment of friendship and cooperation with Seoul Metropolitan Government on 11 areas, including environment, transport, education, solid waste management, infrastructure, and public health. Source: Times of India
President Rhea Suh of the Natural Resources Defense Council announced a partnership with the Gujarat-based Self-Employed Women’s Association to improve the lives of women and their families in the state by supporting thousands of women salt farmers replace their diesel pumps with solar-powered ones. Source: Economic Times
Hindalco Industries Ltd, an Aditya Birla Group company, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Gujarat state government to invest an estimated $485 million to set up the country’s biggest aluminum extrusion and recycling plant in the state. Source: Indian Express
A Sharjah-based oil production company, Gulf Petrochem, has committed to invest close to $498.8 million for setting up a bitumen refinery in Gujarat. Source: Indian Express
The revised tariff in Haryana mandates that consumers using up to 50 kilowatt-hours, or units, of electricity per month will pay 2.7 cents per unit, while those who use up to 200 units of electricity will pay 3 cents per unit instead of 6 cents starting October 1. The revised tariff rates will cost the state government $93.8 million per year, and will benefit 4.15 million domestic consumers in the state. Source: Financial Express In detail: Press Release
The Haryana government signed an MOU with Indian Oil Corporation to establish an ethanol plant in Panipat with an outlay of over $124.7 million and a proposed capacity of 100 kiloliters of ethanol per day. Source: Money Control
Siemens Postal, Parcel & Airport Logistics, and Bangalore International Airport Ltd, which operates the Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru, have signed an MOU to jointly drive the digital transformation of the airport, including the digitalization of existing infrastructure through the use of Internet of Thingsapplications. Source: The Hindu Business Line
The 800 MW third unit of the National Thermal Power Corporation’s Kudgi project commenced commercial production from September 15, making the project fully operational with 2,400 MW. Earlier, the first and second units of 800 MW commenced commercial generation on July 31, 2017 and December 31, 2017 respectively. Source: The Hindu Business Line
Nothing critical to report this week.
The 15th Finance Commission has raised concerns over Maharashtra’s reluctance to devolve greater power as part of its constitutional responsibility to strengthen local governance, and will raise issues of inter-regional disparity, slow pace of decentralization, rigidity in revenue expenditure, and debt sustainability during its two-day visits. Source: The Hindu
The Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) has reduced the power tariff for domestic consumers in South Bombay by 6 to 8 percent, while increasing tariffs by a negligible amount for residents of North Mumbai. MERC has also decided to raise the power rates for domestic as well as agricultural consumers across the state outside of Mumbai. Source: DNA In detail: Tariff Revision of Discoms – BEST, TPC-D, RInfra-D and MSEDCL
Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje announced a 4 percent reduction in value added tax on petrol and diesel, which will reduce their prices by 3.4 cents per liter in the state. Source: Live Mint
The Tamil Nadu state government released its Information Communication Technology Policy 2018 aimed at incentivizing investment, employment, and intellectual capital creation in the state. The policy calls for the establishment of more hubs for information technology (IT) services like software development, product development and IT-enabled services. Source: Economic Times In detail: Information Communication Technology Policy – 2018
Tamil Nadu became the 30th state to sign up for the central government’s Ayushman Bharat Scheme by signing an agreement with the center in association with the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme in the state. Source: The Hindu Business Line
Citing health hazards, the Tamil Nadu government has banned the manufacturing, sale distribution, and use or possession of e-cigarettes under the category of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems. Source: Business Standard
GE Appliances’ FirstBuild signed an agreement with the state of Telangana and T-Works to establish FirstBuild India at T-Works. FirstBuild aims to bring smart products and appliances to market faster through open product innovation that engages India’s growing maker community. Source: The News Minute In detail: Press Release
The Telangana State Innovation Cell is launched Startup India Telangana Yatra in 12 districts of the state from September 15 in an effort to promote innovation and entrepreneurship beyond Hyderabad. Source: Business Standard In detail: Startup India Telangana Yatra
The Uttar Pradesh state government announced financial incentives to promote micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) under the government’s flagship One District, One Product (ODOP) scheme. Under the scheme, the state will provide almost 25 percent subsidy on project cost to new enterprises being set up under ODOP. Source: Business Standard In detail: One District, One Product Policy
Bharat Electronics Limited will build a defense manufacturing facility, kicking off the Uttar Pradesh government’s showcase defense industrial corridor. Source: Economic Times
The Uttar Pradesh state government announced it will invest $21.6 million to revive six distilleries for producing ethanol and organic fertilizer ahead of the sugarcane crushing season. Source: Business Standard
State Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya announced that the state cabinet has approved the establishment of a $959 million pump storage hydroelectric project in Purulia. Source: Indian Express
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee announced that her government would cut the prices of petrol and diesel by 1 cent a liter. She also urged the Union government to reduce the excise duty on fuel prices. Source: The Telegraph
The Bankura and Durgapur municipal corporations in West Bengal have partnered with Netherland-based LynkedWorld to adopt a new platform that provides the blockchain ID verification solution for birth certificates issued in the state. Source: Crypto News
Best of the Rest
Assam
The Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta signed an MOU with the industry department of the state government of Assam to boost the start-up environment in the state government. Source: Devdiscourse
The state government of Assam has launched a new “Northeast Business Processing Outsourcing (BPO) Unit” in Guwahati as the BPO industry is making giant strides in Northeast India. Source: Business Standard
Chhattisgarh
The Comptroller and Auditor General criticized the Chhattisgarh government for “over-budgeted” estimates in 2016-17, saying the government should prepare the budget as per the actual need. The report also said that the finance department should control the rush of expenditure during the closing months of the financial year. Source: Money Control
The Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly passed a supplementary budget of $332.5 million in order to pay farmers a bonus as part of the government’s plans to purchase a quintal of paddy. Source: Business Standard
Himachal Pradesh
The Indian Institute of Technology – Mandi has collaborated with the National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj to conduct a study to identify and delineate practices and process that drive the successful implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act in several districts of Himachal Pradesh. Source: Economic Times
The Himachal Pradesh government succeeded in negotiating an agreement with the Delhi wherein the latter would fund 90 percent of the power component of the Renuka dam project in Sirmaur district. Source: Times of India
Kerala
Following the devastating floods and Nipah virus outbreak in Kerala last month which left the state’s tourism industry in tatters, the Kerala Tourism department has released a 12-point action plan to revive the sector, which includes rebuilding and repairing roads that connect popular tourist destinations and launching aggressive marketing campaigns within the country and abroad. Source: Economic Times
Odisha
The board of the National Thermal Power Corporation has approved an investment of $1.35 billion for a 1,320 MW Stage-III expansion of its Talcher thermal power plant in Odisha. Source: Economic Times
Punjab
The Punjab Cabinet approved the Punjab Custom Milling of Paddy Policy (Kharif 2018-19), aimed at ensuring seamless procurement of paddy from farmers and delivery of rice into the central pool from more than 3,710 mills operating in the state. Source: Dariya News
Sikkim
Indian Oil Corporation announced it will invest $23.5 million in capacity augmentation at its Siliguri storage terminal that supplies fuel to a vast area and important defense establishments such as the Indian Army’s 33 Corps. Source: Economic Times
