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Big News

Jharkhand election results show JMM-Congress has unseated BJP; AIIB loaning $210 million for irrigation & solar projects in West Bengal & Rajasthan; Modi government climbs down from plan to adopt a National Register for Citizens; ADB signs $490 million loan deal with Madhya Pradesh for roads; Maharashtra’s new government in give-away mode; Rajasthan launches new solar, wind, industry policies; Uttar Pradesh releases new Open Access regulations; Arunachal Pradesh cabinet approves new Industrial & Investment Policy 2019; Meghalaya cabinet approves a new Environment Protection & Restoration Fund (MEPRF); and more.

Center – State relations

The Beijing-based Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) announced a total loan of $210 million for irrigation and solar energy projects in West Bengal and Rajasthan, respectively.Source: Business Standard In detail: Press Release

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the government of India on December 16, 2019, signed a $250 million loan to Energy Efficiency Services Limited to expand energy efficiency investments in India that will benefit agricultural, residential, and institutional consumers.Source: Business Standard In detail: Press Release

As protests against the new citizenship law swelled nationwide and following a pushback from state governments and its allies, the first voices from the government and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were heard climbing down on the plan for a pan-India National Register for Citizens (NRC). Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar said the NRC would not be implemented in Bihar. Source: Indian Express

After West Bengal and Kerala, the Rajasthan government now has refused to work on compiling the National Population Register (NPR), mandated by the central government to record “basic information” on citizens. Source: Times of India

Andhra Pradesh

The Andhra Pradesh government signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the National Mineral Development Corporation for supply of iron ore to the proposed integrated steel plant in Kadapa district. Source: Money Control; AP State Portal

Bihar

Nothing critical to report this week.

New Delhi

The Delhi Jal Board signed a water-sharing MOU with the government of Himachal Pradesh to get more water for the city. Source: Indian Express

The Delhi government decided to raise the circle rates of agricultural land in national capital and it will now range between $316,002 to $702,227 per acre. Source: Economic Times

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal launched the much awaited free WiFi hotspot scheme, while parts of the city faced an internet shutdown. Source: Live Mint

The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) has issued a tender for the commissioning of Battery Energy Storage Systems on a turnkey basis under the UI-ASSIST initiative with the BSES Rajdhani (BRPL) in Delhi. Source: Sau Energy

Gujarat

The National Stock Exchange (NSE) said it has entered into a pact with the Gujarat government to work jointly for the promotion and development of Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the state. Source: Economic Times; NSE Press Release

Haryana

Nothing critical to report this week.

Karnataka

Nothing critical to report this week.

Madhya Pradesh

ADB and the government of India signed a $490 million loan for a public-private partnership project to upgrade about 1,000 miles of state highways and major district roads from single-lane to two-lane widths in the state of Madhya Pradesh. Source: Business Standard In detail: Press Release

Maharashtra

The state government has started disbursing power subsidy of up to $0.05 per unit, or kilowatt-hour, to power looms, spinning mills, and garment units in the state.Source: Business Standard

The state legislature passed the Maharashtra Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2019, to do away with the existing system of electing four corporators from every ward. Source: Indian Express

The Maharashtra government announced a loan waiver of up to $2,809 for farmers, with a cut off date of September 30, 2019. Source: India Today

Rajasthan

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot launched the new Industrial Development Policy-2019, Solar Energy Policy-2019, Wind and Hybrid Energy Policy-2019, Rajasthan Investment Promotion Scheme-2019 and Chief Minister’s Small-Scale Industries Promotion Scheme-2019.Source: Economic Times In detail: Press Release (Hindi)

Chief Minister Gehlot also launched a $140.5 million fund for empowering the state’s women. The “Priydarshini Indira Mahila Shakti Nidhi” fund will be used to empower women through various schemes of the state government, including granting loans of up to $140,561 to women self-help groups. Source: India Today; Bureau of Investment Promotion Rajasthan

Tamil Nadu

Nothing critical to report this week.

Telangana

WE Hub, India’s first state led incubator to foster and promote women entrepreneurship to start-up, scale-up and accelerate with global market access, today announced its partnership with Start-up India, DPIIT. Source: Business World

Uttar Pradesh

The Uttar Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission has come up with open access regulations, termed as the Uttar Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission (terms and conditions for open access) Regulations, 2019. As per the regulations, long-term open access customers will have the highest priority, followed by the medium-term open access customers and then short-term open access customers. Source: Mercom In detail: Open Access Regulations 2019

West Bengal

The Mamata Banerjee government clarified that the update of the NPR had been put on hold for the time being (not called off for good), because of the protests over the amended citizenship law and the NRC. Source: The Telegraph

Best of the Rest

Arunachal Pradesh

The Arunachal Pradesh cabinet approved the Arunachal Pradesh State Industrial and Investment Policy 2019. The policy is aimed at leveraging the huge potential for industrial growth in the state, along with providing employment opportunities to local youths through incentives in a range of thrust industries. Source: The Telegraph

Assam

The BJP-led Assam government on Saturday has decided to adopt several important schemes, and measures by aiming to protect the Assamese language, and the land rights of indigenous people. Source: India Today

Chhattisgarh

The Chhattisgarh State Electricity Regulatory Commission (CSERC) has specified the terms and conditions of tariffs for renewable energy sources for the sale of power to distribution licensees. Source: Mercom In detail: CSERC Regulations

Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel said that if the NRC is implemented, over half the population in the state will not be able to prove their citizenship as they neither have land nor land records. Source: India Today

Jharkhand

Jharkhand Assembly election result: The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)-Indian National Congress (INC) alliance wins with JMM winning 30 seats; BJP with 25 seats; INC with 16 seats; and others with ten seats out of the total 81 seats in the state legislature. Source: The Hindu Business Line

Jammu and Kashmir

The Jammu and Kashmir administration signed an MOU with the United Nations Development Programme India to strengthen immunization supply chain system in the union territory, according to an official spokesperson.Source: Outlook India

Kerala

Central Government has given in-principle approval to the $9.3 billion Kerala semi-high speed rail project (Thiruvananthapuram-Kasaragod semi-high speed rail corridor) announced Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Dec 17, 2019. Source: Metro Rail News

Meghalaya

The Meghalaya cabinet approved the guidelines of the Meghalaya Environment Protection & Restoration Fund for the implementation and utilization of funds in coal mining-affected areas. Source: North East Now; Meghalaya Government

Odisha

The Odisha cabinet approved the Agriculture Policy 2020 that aims to ensure agricultural growth, and to increase farmers’ income with the help of an eight-point strategy called SAMRIDHI. and strengthening institutions. Source: Times of India; Odisha Cabinet

Tata Power claimed to have emerged as the successful bidder to own the licence for distribution and retail supply of electricity in Odisha’s five circles. Source: Live Mint

Punjab

In a major relief to the state’s industrial sector, Punjab Industries Department has given a one-time special opportunity to the state’s industrial units to migrate to the new Industrial and Business Development Policy, 2017. Source: Daily Pioneer

Tripura

Tripura is all set to get its first Special Economic Zone (SEZ) as the Ministry of Commerce and Industry has issued a notification for the same on December 16, 2019. Tripura’s first SEZ will be established at Jalefa, Sabroom, South Tripura District. Source: Jagran Josh In detail: Press Release