Big News

Delhi residents eligible for free healthcare services at private facilities; Maharashtra announces public cloud and startup policies; Uttar Pradesh to allow private sector to choose their distribution company for power purchase; Tripura, Meghalaya, and Nagaland go in to election mode, and more.

Center- State Relations

The center has chosen nine cities in its latest announcement regarding the Smart Cities Mission spread across Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Lakshadweep, and Arunachal Pradesh. Source: Economic Times

Tripura, Meghalaya, and Nagaland, will conduct state legislative assembly elections in late February, the results of which will be counted on March 3. Source: Economic Times In Detail: Press Release

Six additional states have decided to participate in the central government's e-way bill system for inter-state movement of goods. Source: Business Standard In Detail: Government Website of E-Way Bill System

Andhra Pradesh

NITI Aayog and the Andhra Pradesh government signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to co-develop an indicator-based digital monitoring mechanism to track and improve the performance of 115 most aspirational districts in the country. Source: Daily Pioneer

Covalent Fund has signed an agreement with the Andhra Pradesh government to set up a blockchain university in the state. Source: Telangana Today

Bihar

Nothing critical to report this week.

New Delhi

Delhi has approved the "quality healthcare for all" initiative allowing all residents, irrespective of their income, seeking medical care not available at a government hospital to avail free medical support at 67 participating private labs and hospitals covered by the government. Source: India Today

Gujarat

Nothing critical to report this week.

Haryana

Haryana government has decided to revise individual and family pension with effect from January 1, 2016 for all state government employees, who retired or died prior to January 1, 2016.

Source: Business World

Madhya Pradesh

Former chief minister of Gujarat Anandiben Patel has been appointed as the next governor of Madhya Pradesh. Source: The Hindu

Maharashtra

Maharashtra becomes the first state to announce a public cloud data policy, which mandates all government departments to shift their data storage onto the cloud. Source: Economic Times

Maharashtra announced its innovation and startup policy. The policy aims to facilitate the emergence of 10,000 startups over the next five years, and sets a roadmap set up at least 15 incubation centers. Source: Inc 42 In Detail: Maharashtra State Innovation and Start-up Policy-2017

Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) won a $438 million contract for a 660 MW supercritical thermal power project at Maharashtra's Bhusawal Thermal Power Station in Jalgaon. Source: Hindu Business Line In Detail: Press Release

The Maharashtra state cabinet has cleared the proposal to amend the Land Acquisition Act 2013. The government will now provide four times the ready reckoner rate for privately owned land in rural areas acquired for public infrastructure projects. Source: Times of India

Rajasthan

Nothing critical to report this week.

Tamil Nadu

After a week-long protest by public transportation workers, the Tamil Nadu government announced a hike in public and private bus transport fares and is expected to create a separate fund for accident compensation and toll charges. Source: Hindu Business Line

Telangana

A high-level state delegation from Telangana led by IT minister KT Rama Rao signed an agreement with Clean Authority of Tokyo to work on solid waste management, as well as a letter of intent with ISE foods to set up a pilot project for egg production, which will be supported by solar energy. Source: Hindu Business Line

Uttar Pradesh

The Uttar Pradesh government has decided to allow industrial power consumer to choose the power distribution company from which they want to buy power through the open access system. Source: Energy Infra Post

The Uttar Pradesh government announced that it will begin metro services in the three cities- Agra, Kanpur, and Meerut by 2024, at an estimated cost of $6.85 billion. Source: NDTV

The Uttar Pradesh state cabinet approves to allow municipal corporations and boards to only regulate slaughterhouses, and not to operate or open them, including a proposal to move them out of city limits. Source: Indian Express

West Bengal

West Bengal secured investment commitments of over $34.2 million at the Bengal Global Business Summit from January 16-17 this year. Source: Hindu Business Line

Best of the Rest

Assam

The Assam government has announced that it will issue tax reimbursements to industries under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime for a period till December 31, 2022. Source: Assam tribune

Odisha

Odisha launched a pilot implementation of its e-Hospital Management Information System (OeHMIS). The system will allow patients to register online and access their electronic health records through a web portal or mobile application. Source: Times of India

Punjab

The Punjab government has signed an MOU with the Indian Oil Corporation to set up bio-gas and bio-compressed natural gas plants in the state. Source: Money Control