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Big News: Punjab approves its draft Punjab Electric Vehicle Policy 2022 and its Punjab Food Grains Labour Policy 2022; Arunachal Pradesh approves the Arunachal Pradesh Tenancy Bill 2022; Delhi releases its Charging/Swapping Infrastructure Action Plan 2022-25; Himachal Pradesh expands electricity subsidies ahead of the fall election; and more.

Industrial Policy & Business Regulations

Andhra Pradesh announces reintroduction of slab system in the granite industry and reduction of electricity charges for polishing units to boost the industry.

Source: UNI; In detail: CM’s Twitter; Press Release (In Telegu)

Haryana announces a one-time settlement scheme for arrears under the Passenger and Goods Tax with an aim to recover the outstanding arrears amounting to more than $250 million due till March 31, 2017.

Source: Hindustan Times; In detail: Press release

Rajasthan approves its Rajasthan Handicrafts Policy 2022. The policy will help in uplifting the handicraft artisans by empowering them through new employment opportunities.

Source: The Print; In detail: Cabinet Decisions

Tamil Nadu launches its Tamil Nadu Footwear and Leather Products Policy 2022 to boost leather as well as non-leather footwear industry in the state.

Source: Mint; In Detail: Footwear and Leather Policy 2022

Tamil Nadu launches the ‘Tamil Nadu Credit Guarantee Scheme’ (TNCGS) to provide financial aid to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). The scheme will reduce the need for collateral to get loans for the sector.

Source: Financial Express; In detail: Press release (In Tamil); TNCGS Scheme details

Tamil Nadu launches ‘Tamil Nadu Trade Receivables Discounting System’ (TNTReDS), to get all Tamil Nadu PSUs, statutory boards, corporations and apex cooperatives together on the bill discounting platform.

Source: Financial Express; In detail: Guidelines for TNTReDS

Uttar Pradesh amends its Uttar Pradesh Defence and Aerospace Unit and Employment Promotion Policy 2018. The amendment aims to make the existing policy more flexible and lucrative, providing higher incentives to investors setting up their units in the defence and aerospace manufacturing sector in the state.

Source: Hindustan Times; In detail: UP Govt Twitter; Uttar Pradesh Defence and Aerospace Unit and Employment Promotion Policy-2018

Puducherry presents a $1.3 billion tax-free budget for the fiscal year 2022-23. The budget includes provisions for freedom fighters and students in government and aided schools in the union territory.

Source: Indian Express; In Detail: CM’s Budget Speech

Punjab approves its Punjab Food Grains Labour Policy 2022 and its revised Punjab Food Grains Transportation Policy 2022. The policies aim to ensure wider competitive participation, increased transparency, and reduction in frivolous litigation.

Source: Indian Express ; In detail: CMO Twitter

Sikkim approves its Sikkim Appropriation Bill 2022, for the first supplementary demands for grants. The bill provides for the appropriation from and out of the Consolidated Fund of the State of Sikkim of the money required to meet the expenditure charged in the same, for the remaining part of the financial year 2022-23.

Source: The Print; In detail: Press release

Land Acquisition & Labor Regulations

Arunachal Pradesh approves its Arunachal Pradesh Tenancy Bill 2022 which aims to create a vibrant, sustainable and inclusive rental housing market in the State.

Source: Arunachal24; In detail: CM Twitter

Infrastructure & Governance

Haryana announces construction of new roads in urban areas according to 50-50 percent share, where 50 percent of the money will be given by the state government and 50 percent will have to be spent by the urban local body.

Source: Daily India.net; In Detail: Press Release

Rajasthan approves setting up of “Rajasthan Social and Performance Audit Authority’. It aims to ensure transparency, public participation, public satisfaction, and quality along with accountability in public welfare schemes of the state.

Source: The Print; In detail: Cabinet Decisions

Climate Change

Punjab approves its draft Punjab Electric Vehicle Policy 2022, which proposes waiving off registration fee and road tax for buying electric vehicles.

Source: Indian Express; In detail: CMO Twitter

Oil & Gas

Nothing Critical to report this week

Water & Sanitation

Himachal Pradesh receives a loan of $96.3 million from Asian Development Bank (ADB) to provide safe drinking water and improve water supply and sanitation services.

Source: Business Standard; In Detail: Press Release; ADB press release

Power & Renewable Energy

Bihar Electricity Regulatory Commission (BERC) issues draft Renewable Purchase Obligation, its compliance and REC Framework Implementation (4th Amendment) Regulation 2022. It proposes to specify separate wind renewable purchase obligation (RPO), hydropower purchase obligation (HPO), and other RPO within the overall RPO target.

Source: Mercom; In detail: Draft regulation

Delhi releases its Charging/Swapping Infrastructure Action Plan 2022-25 for electric vehicles (EV) on completion of two years of its EV policy. It provides incentives for battery swapping facility operators and one public charging point for 15 EVs by 2024 that was launched in 2020.

Source: Economic Times; In Detail: Charging/Swapping Infrastructure Action Plan 2022-25

Haryana announces its Electricity Surcharge Waiver Scheme 2022 under which defaulting power consumers can pay the amount in three instalments along with the respective months’ bills, but will get an additional discount of five per cent if they pay the principal amount in one go.

Source: The Print; In Detail: Press Release;

Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) issues its draft Green Energy Open Access Regulations 2022 according to which, the open access consumers will be classified into long-term, medium-term, and short-term open access consumers.

Source: Mercom; In Detail: Green Energy Open Access Regulations, 2022

Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) issues its draft KERC (Forecasting Scheduling Deviation settlement and related matters for Wind and Solar Generation sources) First Amendment Regulations 2022. The draft is open for public feedback for a period of 30 days.

Source: Mercom; In Detail: Draft regulations

Himachal Pradesh launches 125 units of free electricity scheme for consumers that will benefit over 1.4 million electricity consumers.

Source: Prameyanews; In detail: Press release

Punjab approves an action plan of $3 billion to improve the quality and reliability of power supply to the consumers. The reform-based and result-linked ‘Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme’ (RDSS) aims to improve the operational efficiencies and financial sustainability of the distribution companies through a robust and sustainable distribution network.

Source: Hindustan Times; In detail: Govt of Punjab Twitter; Scheme Details

Health

National Health Authority (NHA) issues hardware guidelines to provide basic framework to States/UTs for healthcare institutions. The framework includes planning, assessment, and procurement of IT hardware to operate applications compliant with Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM).

Source: Economic Times; In Detail: Press Release; Guidelines

Karnataka releases ‘Advancing People’s Health in Karnataka: Vision for Progress’, a roadmap for healthcare for the next 25 years. The vision document strives to have the best health management in Asia in the next five years.

Source: New Indian Express; In detail: CM Speech (Video); Karnataka Health Minister Twitter

Any Other

Rajasthan unveils ‘Mahila Nidhi’ scheme for social and economic progress of women on Women’s Equality Day. The scheme aims to help women sustain their livelihoods as well as start some small business ventures for their economic betterment.

Source: Times Now; In detail: Press Release

Center – State Relations

Nothing critical to report this week

Update Section

16th August

Assam approves its Assam Logistics and Warehousing Policy 2022. The policy aims to turn the state into a logistics hub through a dedicated logistics division headed by a secretary-rank officer. Some of the other features include proposal evaluation and incentive disbursement through Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) portal.

Source: The Print; In detail: Policy Details