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Nitish Kumar stuns Bihar; UDAY cuts power losses; Madhya Pradesh collaborates with MIT on police reform; Jharkhand introduces kindergarten state-wide; and more.

Center–State relations

The central program to cut distribution company debt, the Ujwal Discom Assurance Yojana (UDAY), helped all but four of the 27 participating states and Union Territories reduce operating losses. Average aggregate transmission and commercial losses hit 20 percent, down from 25 percent the year the program started. Karnataka, Kerala, Punjab and Assam saw operating losses increase due to poor collection, high electricity theft, and low operational efficiency. Source: Deccan Herald

Andhra Pradesh

With 2010.9 megawatts (MW) of installed solar power capacity, Andhra Pradesh has the highest solar capacity in India as of June 2017. The state added 1,294 MW of solar capacity in the 2016-17 financial year. India as a whole added around 5,525 MW of capacity in 2016-17, an increase of 66 percent over 2015-16. Source: Times of India

Bihar

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar unexpectedly resigned his position, only to return as chief minister the next day after forming a new coalition with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The move forced Kumar’s previous coalition partner, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), into the opposition. Relations between Kumar and RJD leader Lalu Yadav had foundered over accusations of corruption in Yadav’s family. Kumar inducted three BJP ministers into his cabinet. Source: Economic Times, Economic Times

New Delhi

The Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) has issued a draft regulation requiring discoms to buy 100 percent of the power generated by waste-to-energy plants in the Delhi region. The purchases will count towards the discoms’ Renewable Purchase Obligation. Source: Hindustan Times

Gujarat

Black & Veatch announced it won a contract from Swan Energy to construct part of India’s first Floating Storage and Re-gasification Unit for liquefied natural gas in Gujarat. The unit is expected to go on-stream by early 2020. Source: Economic Times

Haryana

The Haryana government is executing a solar power-based micro irrigation pilot. The $3.8 million project will use solar energy to power drip irrigation systems, reducing water and energy usage. Source: Daily News Analysis

Haryana will provide $116.7 million in loans to its discoms at a concessional rate of interest about 3 percent lower than the market rate. The state has already taken over 75 percent of the original debt of $5.4 billion. Source: Times of India

The Haryana cabinet approved the final rules under the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016. The rules cover all projects not yet completed on May 1, 2017, as well as all future developments. Source: Economic Times

Karnataka

Nothing critical to report this week

Madhya Pradesh

The Madhya Pradesh Police and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collaborate on making the state’s police more responsive to the public. Source: The Hitavada

The Airports Authority of India, Madhya Pradesh, and the center signed an MoU to increase regional connectivity in the State as part of the center’s air connectivity scheme. Source: The Hitavada

Maharashtra

Maharashtra is set to pilot bike lanes in 10 districts of the state. Pune, Nagpur, Amravati, Chandrapur, Kolhapur, Solapur, Nashik, Latur, Aurangabad, and Jalgaon will receive bike lanes as part of the program. Source: Economic Times

Rajasthan

Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje approved a new Agricultural Connection Policy that gives priority in electrical connections to below poverty line farmers. Only farmers who install a pump set rated five stars by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency will be eligible to receive a 20-horsepower connection; standard connections are five horsepower. Source: Hindustan Times

Tamil Nadu

Nothing critical to report this week

Telangana

The Telangana government announced a new innovation and entrepreneurship policy that aims to build on the state’s demographic assets and its base of skilled technology and research professionals. The state hopes to develop 1 million square feet of workspace for start-ups in the next five years, partner with 20 global accelerators/incubators to build facilities, and develop two state-run incubators in less-developed parts of the state. Source: The Hindu

Telangana’s power utilities will supply 24x7 power supply to the agriculture sector across the State beginning February 2018. Last week the state began an experiment with round-the-clock supply in three districts that account for more than a third of the state’s agricultural connections. Source: The Hindu

Uttar Pradesh

The Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation canceled power purchase agreements with six solar power plants with a combined capacity of 80 MW due to the delay in setting up their projects. Source: Financial Express

The Yogi Adityanath government’s crackdown on electricity theft in Uttar Pradesh has led to a 28.5 percent increase in dues collection in the first quarter of current financial year, an official statement said. Source: Economic Times

The National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) formalized a loan agreement for $1 billion to finance construction of a 1,320 MW power project near Allahabad . The project is a joint venture between NTPC and Uttar Pradesh’s generation utility. Source: Economic Times

West Bengal

Nothing critical to report this week

Best of the Rest

Jharkhand

Jharkhand government has decided to introduce kindergarten in 25,000 primary schools in the state. The classes will be available to children between the ages of five and six and will be taught in local languages. Source: NDTV

Punjab

Punjab became the first state in the country to introduce an injection safety program. Supported by the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics and the World Health Organization, Punjab will introduce syringes that can only be used once and will provide hospitals with rapid hepatitis C test kits to screen high risk patients. Source: Times of India