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Big News

Center extends gas pipeline plans to the northeast; Delhi launches India's first common mobility card for public transportation; Tamil Nadu doubles salary of state legislators; West Bengal jumps to the top in implementing ease of doing business reforms; India sets up its first coal to synthetic gas plant in Odisha; Maharashtra empowers local government leaders; and more

Center and state relations

The central government's Urja Ganga gas pipeline will be extended by 466 miles to connect to the northeastern states. Originally, the 1,649 mile-long pipeline extended across Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, and West Bengal and aimed to be functional by 2020. Source: Financial Express

Under the Saubhagya initiative, the central government has launched a mobile phone application to be used by on-the-ground officials to register the documentation required to provide on-the-spot electricity connections to 40 million families. Source: Economic Times

Andhra Pradesh

The Andhra Pradesh government will replace 1.5 million obsolete and low-quality agriculture pump sets with smart and energy-efficient ones, costing the state $943 million. Source: Times of India

Bihar

Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has commissioned a 250 megawatt (MW) thermal power unit at the Barauni Extension project in Begusarai. Source: Money Control

New Delhi

Delhi became the first city in the country to launch a common mobility card for rides on public buses as well as the metro. Source: Economic Times

Gujarat

The Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with a South Korean delegation for cooperation in the automobile, defense, and textiles sectors. Source: Ahmedabad Mirror

Haryana

Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has approved the slum-in-situ policy, which assures rehabilitation for people living in slums on government land in urban areas of the state. Source: Indian Express

Haryana's sex ratio at birth (SRB) has increased from 871 girls per 1000 boys born in 2015 to 914 girls for 1,000 boys in 2017. Source: Economic Times

Karnataka

The Karnataka government is set to start funding technology start-ups from across the country, provided they register within Karnataka under its shops and commercial establishment act. Source: Economic Times In Detail: Karnataka Department of Labour Summary

Madhya Pradesh

The International Finance Corporation is expected to invest $440 million in Rewa Ultra Mega Solar Park in Madhya Pradesh. The investment will be in the form of debt in three companies, Mahindra Renewables, Acme, and Actis, building units in the park. Source: Economic Times

Maharashtra

The Pune Municipal Corporation and Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Limited signed a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Singapore Cooperation Enterprise and Temasek Foundation International for assistance in urban management, and multi-modal transport and integration. Source: Hindustan Times In Detail: Press Release

Mahavitaran, the state power transmission company plans to purchase 1000 MW solar power in 2018 with bids invited at four cents per unit. Source: Economic Times

The Maharashtra government will allow elected leaders of municipal councils and nagar panchayats to grant financial approvals to projects in their respective jurisdiction and will prohibit no-confidence motions against them until leaders they have completed at least half of their term. Source: Hindustan Times

Rajasthan

Nothing critical to report this week

Tamil Nadu

The Tamil Nadu legislative assembly passed a bill to double the monthly salary and allowances of legislators from $865 to $1,650 per month. Source: Scroll.in

Tamil Nadu passed 14 bills during its legislative assembly session, which included: adding tenure extension of special officers of civic bodies, enabling better business facilitation and timelines for various clearances, increasing transparency in the tendering process, creating a shelter fund to build affordable houses for the poor, and allowing direct elections to civic bodies. Source: New Indian Express, New Indian Express

The Rural Electrification Corporation has signed a loan agreement of $1.6 billion with the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (Tangedco) primarily to set up the Udangudi Stage-I, 2x660 MW coal-based supercritical thermal power project in Tuticorin. Source: Hindu Business Line

Telangana

Telangana becomes the first state to initiate asset monetization under the toll-operate-transfer initiative and has appointed transaction advisers to sell the 98-mile-long Nehru Outer Ring Road. Source: Times of India

Azure Power has commissioned a 100 MW solar power plant, which will supply power to NTPC for 25 years at 7 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh). Source: Business Wire In Detail: Press Release

Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh passed its Criminal Law (Composition of Offences and Abatement of Trials) (Amendment) bill, 2017 which seeks to withdraw 20,000 criminal cases deemed politically-motivated. Source: Times of India

The state cabinet has cut value added tax (VAT) on compressed natural gas (CNG) to five cents. Source: Hindustan Times

The Uttar Pradesh New and Renewable Energy Development Agency (UPNEDA) has issued a request for proposal for 1 gigawatt (GW) of grid-connected solar projects. Source: PV Tech In Detail: Request for Proposal document

West Bengal

West Bengal has jumped to the top rank in implementing the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion's Business Reforms Action Plan (BRAP) 2017. Source: Money control In Detail: Implementation Scorecard

Best of the Rest

Chhattisgarh

The Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh is leading a state-level delegation to Australia in order to explore investment opportunities. Source: Business Standard

Odisha

India's first plant to convert coal to synthetic gas will be set up in Odisha under the supervision of GAIL, the central gas transmission utility. Source: News 18