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Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan present budgets for FY 2019-20; Karnataka rebel lawmakers request protection from Mumbai police; Uttar Pradesh electricity regulator instructs discoms not to sign any new PPAs for three years; Meghalaya becomes first state amid country-wide crisis to draft water policy; and more.

Center – State relations

Nothing critical to report this week.

Andhra Pradesh

The YS Jagan Mohan Reddy government presented its first budget in the Andhra Pradesh Legislature with a total amount of $33.09 billion for 2019-20. Andhra Pradesh finance minister, Buggana Rajendranath, estimated that the revenue deficit would be $259.3 million and the fiscal deficit $5.1 billion. Source: India Today In detail: Andhra Pradesh Budget 2019-20

Andhra Pradesh has called wind developers for a tariff renegotiation meeting next week even after Minister for Power and Minister of New and Renewable EnergyRK Singh expressed his displeasure regarding moves to reopen or cancel renewable energy contracts. Source: Economic Times

Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited has won an order for setting up a 25 megawatt (MW) floating solar photovoltaic power plant from National Thermal Power Corporation Ltd. Source: Sau Energy In detail: Press Release

Bihar

Nothing critical to report this week.

New Delhi

The Delhi government has decided to “officially” shut down the Rajghat thermal power plant and use its land to develop a 5 MW solar park. Source: Economic Times

Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL) plans to set up 200 more charging stations in the Delhi and National Capital Region area in the next three months to cater to shared mobility services. Source: Live Mint In Detail: Press Release

Gujarat

Nothing critical to report this week.

Haryana

Nothing critical to report this week.

Karnataka

Fourteen Karnataka rebel lawmakers wrote to the Mumbai Police again to seek protection from senior Congress leaders, who they allege pose a threat. On Friday, Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy asserted that there is no threat to his government, while the Supreme Court said no decision would be taken regarding the rebel coalition legislators until Tuesday. Source: NDTV In Detail: Letter to Police

The Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission has extended the validity of the generic tariff it had set for municipal solid waste projects in the state after the commission reviewed a request from the Bangalore Municipal Solid Waste Limited. Source: Mercom In detail: Tariff Extension Order

Madhya Pradesh

Nothing critical to report this week.

Maharashtra

The Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited received approval from the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission for deviations in the standard bidding document for the long-term procurement of 500 MW of wind power. Source: Mercom In detail: Approval Order

Rajasthan

Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot presented the state’s budget for 2019-20 which proposed a $145.7 million fund for farmers’ welfare along with various schemes in the irrigation, renewable energy, and health sectors. Source: India Today In detail: State Budget

Tamil Nadu

Nothing critical to report this week.

Telangana

Nothing critical to report this week.

Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh’s electricity regulator has directed the state electricity distribution companies not to sign any new power purchase agreements with thermal power plants until December 2022. Source: Financial Express In detail: UPERC Order

West Bengal

The West Bengal Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Department entered into a partnership with EESL for a program that will enable energy-efficient water supply across the state. Source: The Week

Best of the Rest

Assam

Assam Gas Company Ltd, Oil India Limited and GAIL Gas Ltd signed a joint venture agreement for laying, building, and operating the city gas distribution networks for supply of piped natural gas to customers and compressed natural gas to vehicles. Source: Times of India

Assam government is set to start an exercise to correct and digitize land records and integrate them with Aadhaar numbers of the land holders. Source: Times of India

Goa

Ten members of the legislative assembly, led by leader of opposition Chandrakant Kavlekar, met the speaker Rajesh Patnekar to give him a letter regarding their intent to join the BJP. Source: India Today

Kerala

The Kerala State Electricity Board announced that it has increased the power tariff by 6.8 percent. However, the revised rates will not be applicable to families that fall below the poverty line, cancer patients, and polio patients. Additionally, people who are permanently disabled due to an accident will be given a reduction in tariff. Source: The News Minute In detail: Tariff Details

Meghalaya

Meghalaya chief minister Conrad K Sangma launched an online platform to facilitate the sale of products by local entrepreneurs. The initiative is to develop the entire entrepreneurial ecosystem in the state, he said at the launch of the website ‘Meghamart’. Source: The Arunachal Times In Detail: Online Platform Website

Amid the country-wide water crisis, Meghalaya became the first state to approve a draft water policy to address water issues, conservation, and protection of water sources in the state. Source: India Today In Detail: Twitter Announcement

Punjab

The Punjab government has allowed industrial parks with minimum area of 25 acres to develop half of the total area for residential and commercial use. Source: Times of India

Sikkim

The center will support the construction of 300-bed hospital in Sikkim at a cost of $52.2 million after a meeting with a delegation from the Sikkim government, Union Minister of State Development of North Eastern Region Jitendra Singh, and others. Source: India Blooms In detail: Press Release