(PTI) The government plans to launch a natural gas trading hub by October, creating an Indian gas benchmark which will spark a surge in consumption of the cleaner-burning fuel. Oil regulator PNGRB has sought bids to hire a consultant to help develop a regulatory framework for operationalising the gas trading/exchange hub. “In order to further boost the consumption of natural gas in the country, Government is considering the establishment of a Gas Trading Hub / Exchange (GTHE), where natural gas can be traded, and supplied through a market-based mechanism instead of multiple formula driven prices,” PNGRB said in the tender floated for hiring the consultant. Currently, the…
Author: Aruna Sharma
In the face of stiff International Competitive Bidding (ICB), Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has secured an order for the renovation and modernisation (R&M) of Electrostatic Precipitators (ESP) at Ramagundam Super Thermal Power Station (STPS). Valued at Rs.137 Crore, the turnkey order envisages carrying out R&M of ESPs of three units of 200 MW each at Ramagundam STPS, Stage-I (3×200 MW) of NTPC Limited. These ESPs have been in operation for more than 25 years. Renovation and modernisation of these ESPs will not only facilitate the operation of these units for many more years, but will also enable these units to meet the revised emission norms for suspended particulate…
(ET) Setting up charging stations for electric vehicles does not need a separate licence under the Electricity Act of 2003, the government has said, giving a big boost to ambitious EV plans. The clarification follows confusion over whether during charging of battery for use in electric vehicles, the charging station performs any activity of transmission, distribution or trading of electricity, which would require a license under the Act. “The charging of battery essentially involves utilisation of electrical energy for its conversion to chemical energy, which gets stored in the battery. Thus, charging of the battery of an electric vehicle by a charging…
(ET) The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) may relax some of the stringent norms for treatment of bad loans that it announced in February without diluting their spirit, said two officials aware of the development. The finance ministry has made a case for providing some relief, especially for small and medium enterprises, given that the tighter rules could force defaulters into rapid bankruptcy, which could dent jobs generation, they said. The one-day, non-performing asset (NPA) classification norm may be extended to 30 days and the requirement that a resolution plan has to be approved by all lenders could be lowered to…
(Livemint) Tata Power Renewable Energy Ltd (TPREL) is planning to bid for setting up two solar power projects in Maharashtra totalling 400 megawatts (MW), two people in the know said. The company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Power Co. Ltd, plans to bid for two separate projects of 150MW and 250MW. “TPREL may invest up to Rs2,000 crore in these projects. Bid strategy and other investment and commercial terms are still being worked out,” the first person cited above said on condition of anonymity. TPREL, which builds and operates wind and solar power projects, is Tata Power’s primary investment vehicle…
(LiveMint) JSW Steel Ltd, which is bidding for debt-ridden Essar Steel Ltd in alliance with Numetal Mauritius, may sell some of its stake to a private equity partner if it wins the auction, a top company executive said. rcelorMittal and Numetal were finalists in the Essar Steel bankruptcy auction, but the bankruptcy resolution professional disqualified both bids. The firms moved the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), which allowed a second round of auction, while directing that the bids not be opened until the bench decides on the case. If the resolution plan submitted is approved by the committee of creditors, JSW…
(ET) The Niti Aayog has advocated “fixed tenures” for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies to “sustain the electoral cycle” if simultaneous elections have to be held across the country. In a report, exclusively accessed by ET, the government think tank suggested legislation to fix the term of the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies at five years to avoid midterm elections. The Aayog has cited an Act framed by the UK to underline its point.The UK enacted the Fixed-term Parliaments Act, 2011, mandating completion of a term of Parliament before general elections are held. The development assumes significance since the…
(PTI) The government is expecting a challenge in rolling out the National Health Protection Mission (NHPM) to the urban poor after completing the first round of data cleansing earlier this month. Billed as the world’s largest health assurance scheme, NHPM, dubbed Modicare, aims to provide free health insurance of Rs5 lakh per family to nearly 40% of the population—more than 100 million poor and vulnerable families based on Socio Economic Caste Census (SECC). The health ministry is currently detecting, correcting and deleting inaccurate records from its database for targeted beneficiaries. While contacting rural beneficiaries to inform them about their entitlement for…
(PTI) Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who was re-elected to the Rajya Sabha last month, on Sunday took oath for his new term. Jaitley took oath in Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu’s chamber in Parliament. Beside Jaitley, BJP’s Ananth Kumar, Leader of Opposition in the Upper House Ghulam Nabi Azad and several other senior leaders were present. Jaitley, who was on April 2 appointed the Leader of the House, could not take his oath then due to his ill-health. He was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh. Suffering from kidney related problems, he was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical…
(Hindustan) भारतीय जनता पार्टी (बीजेपी) के केंद्रीय चुनाव समिति ने बिहार और उत्तर प्रदेश में होने वाले विधान परिषद चुनाव को लेकर उम्मीदवारों के नाम की घोषणा कर दी है। बिहार में उप-मुख्यमंत्री सुशील कुमार मोदी, स्वास्थ्य मंत्री मंगल पाण्डेय और पूर्व केंद्रीय मंत्री डॉ. संजय पासवान को कैंडिडेट बनाया गया है। वहीं उत्तर प्रदेश की बात की जाए तो इसमें डॉ महेंद्र सिंह, मोहसिन राजा, डॉ. सरोजनी अग्रवाल, बुक्कल नबाब, यशवंत सिंह, जयवीर सिंह, विद्यासागर सोनकर, विजय बहादुर पाठक, अशोक कटारिया, अशोक धवन का नाम शामिल है। बता दें कि संजय पासवान का चयन इसलिए भी किया गया है क्योंकि उन्हें बिहार…