<p>Order of the National Green Tribunal in the matter of Association of Fly Ash Products Manufacturers (AFAPM) Vs Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change & Others dated 13/07/2023.</p>
In line with the depressed projections of economic growth, the Planning Commission on Wednesday lowered the target for power capacity addition during the 12th Plan period ending March 2017 to 88,000 Megawatt (Mw) from 100,000 Mw set earlier. Also, state power ministers raised concerns over 55 of the 89 thermal power generating units running on low capacity. Every one per cent increase in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) requires power capacity to grow by 0.9 per cent in India. Power is one of the eight core infrastructure sectors, which have a combined weight of 38 per cent in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP).
NEW DELHI, 17 JULY: State governments should proactively facilitate land procurement for power projects to help meet the capacity-addition target of 88,000 MW over the next five years, Union power minster
New Delhi: The Planning Commission has asked states to hike electricity charges to not only save the ailing power sector but also use the subsidy to fund essential services like drinking water, education
Power minister says hike in electricity bill inevitable due to rise in cost of fuel used for generating Close on the heels of hike in power tariffs in many states, Union Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde today advocated raising electricity tariff in small dozes every six months to spare consumers of one-time sharp hikes. Shinde, the longest serving Power Minister, said hike in electricity bill was inevitable due to rise in cost of fuel used for generating power.
Need of alternate line between capital cities via Rajouri-Poonch stressed JAMMU: In order to meet the electricity requirement during winter months when generation from hydro projects comes down considerably, State Government has demanded one each Thermal and Solar Power Projects from the Union Government besides alternate transmission line between Jammu and Srinagar via twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch for dependable power supply to snow bound areas. The State has also reiterated the demand of Rs 1000 crore equity assistance for the construction of Stage-II of the Baglihar Hydroelectric Project on river Chenab at Chanderkote in Ramban district.
New Delhi Bajaj Hindusthan’s R12,000-crore Lalitpur thermal power project in Uttar Pradesh seems to be in trouble, with the coal ministry making it clear that it is not in a position to commit coal supply to the project under the power ministry’s 12th Plan capacity addition programme. The Shishir Bajaj-led Bajaj Group, a sugar-to-hair oil conglomerate, recently forayed into commercial power generation through its subsidiary Bajaj Hindusthan. The subsidiary is banking on timely completion of the Lalitpur power project to have 5,000 MW operational capacity in place by 2015. Its plan could go haywire, though, if the company fails to secure fuel linkage for the project on time.
The States have agreed to implement price-pooling mechanism of coal, the Coal Minister, Mr Sriprakash Jaiswal, told newspersons. “A major hurdle has been sorted. The Central Electricity Authority (CEA)
The Indian Wind Power Association has sought a common wind energy policy in all States. At its annual general meeting here recently, the association, through a resolution, appealed to the Union Ministry of Power to ensure that all State utilities adopt a uniform policy for wind energy, especially for wheeling and banking charges. The funds for installing new transmission lines and sub-stations should be granted from the Clean Energy Fund. Incentives should be granted for those who go in for taller machines, replacing old turbines.
One-time hike after Prez poll may be followed by deregulation road map Keen to prevent a downgrade of India’s sovereign rating by Standard & Poor’s (S&P), which could trigger an exodus of foreign investors, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has told the Congress party there is no option but to raise diesel prices by at least Rs 5 a litre after the Presidential election. The current diesel subsidy is Rs 9.13 per litre sold.
New Delhi The power ministry has stuck to it its original proposal to levy a total of 21% import duty on power equipment despite changes sought by a host of central ministries seeking higher duty protection for the domestic engineering firms such as Bhel and L&T. In a recent draft Cabinet note, the power ministry has retained the proposal to levy 5% basic customs duty, 12% countervailing duty (after the excise hike announced in the Budget to 12%) and 4% special additional duty on power equipment for all categories of projects bearing non-mega, mega and ultra mega tags. Cumulatively, the duty works out close to 23%, which power ministry feels is adequate disincentive for power producers to go for imported equipment.
