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Big News

BJP underperforms somewhat but will maintain governments in Maharashtra & Haryana; India moves up 14 places on the World Bank’s ease of doing business ranking; Delhi grants ownership rights to those in unauthorized colonies; Karnataka amends State Solar Policy 2014-21; Telangana Road Transport Corporation continues strike; Assam prohibits parents of more than 2 children from holding government jobs; Odisha signs World Bank climate resilient agriculture loan; Punjab lowers VAT on natural gas.

Center – State relations

India jumped 14 places to the 63rd position on the World Bank’s ease of doing business ranking. Source: First Post In detail: Press Release, World Bank Report - Doing Business 2020

The 11th meeting of the Standing Committee of the Eastern Zonal Council was held at Patna on October 23, 2019. The committee reviewed the progress water sharing at Phulbari dam, two new railway line projects, and land acquisition for development of Bagdogra airport. Source: Orissa Diary In detail: Press Release

Andhra Pradesh

Nothing critical to report this week.

Bihar

In a pre-Diwali gift for nearly 700,000 government employees and pensioners, the Bihar cabinet hiked the dearness allowance component to 17 percent from the existing 12 percent. Source: Hindustan Times

New Delhi

In a move that will benefit 4 million people, the Union Cabinet approved a proposal to grant land ownership rights to people living in unauthorised colonies in Delhi, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said. Source: India Today

Gujarat

Nothing critical to report this week.

Haryana

Manohar Lal Khattar took the oath as the Haryana chief minister for a second term and will lead the BJP-JJP (Jannayak Janata Party) coalition government in the state. Source: News18

Karnataka

The Karnataka State Solar Policy 2014-21 has been amended for the third time and addresses three important points – the size limitation of private solar parks, the performance guarantee for group captive projects, and the project completion time for captive, group captive, and independent power producers for third-party sale. Source: Mercom In detail: Karnataka Solar Policy 2014-2021

Karnataka accepted software industry body Nasscom’s offer to help the government rewrite labor regulation in a way that it aligns with the changing requirements of private businesses, state labor minister S Suresh Kumar said. Source: Economic Times

Madhya Pradesh

The Madhya Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission has published the first amendment of its 2018 regulations for forecasting, scheduling, and deviation settlement mechanism for wind and solar projects, extending the time allowed for wind and solar generators to appoint a common qualified coordinating agency. Source: Mercom

Maharashtra

In Maharashtra, the BJP secured 105 seats with Shiv Sena securing 56 seats, giving the alliance an absolute majority in the Maharashtra assembly. Congress won 44 seats, Nationalist Congress Party won 54. Source: Hindustan Times

Rajasthan

The Rajasthan government has initiated action against the government employees and private firm responsible for the delay of the Kalisindh Thermal Power Project’s first and second units in Jhalawar district, which has led to its cost escalation by $28.2 million. Source: The Hindu

Tamil Nadu

The center has sanctioned $275.7 million to Tamil Nadu for setting up six new medical colleges under a centrally-sponsored scheme, bringing the total number of government-owned medical colleges in the state to 29. Source: Times of India

Telangana

48,000 employees of Telangana Road Transport Corporation have entered day 23 of their indefinite strike. Source: The News Minute

Uttar Pradesh

The 15th Finance Commission met representatives of panchayat bodies, urban local bodies, trade and industry, and political parties to discuss issues such as the requirement for civic amenities, lack of safe drinking water, and property tax as a source of income. Source: Daily Pioneer In detail: Press Release

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath launched an all-encompassing emergency helpline number ‘112’ to access police, fire brigade, ambulance and other services under the Emergency Response Support System. Source: India Today

West Bengal

Nothing critical to report this week.

Best of the Rest

Assam

In an effort to curb population growth, the Assam government has decided that people with more than two children will not be eligible for government jobs after January 1, 2021. Source: Times of India

Himachal Pradesh

The Himachal Pradesh cabinet approved a policy to provide cost-effective Ayush services by upgrading Ayurvedic hospitals and dispensaries across the state. Source: Hindustan times

The Union Civil Aviation Ministry gave in-principle approval for the construction of an international standard airport in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh with the support of the Airport Authority of India. Source: Times Now

Jammu and Kashmir

In the very first Block Development Council elections held in Jammu and Kashmir, voting was recorded at 98 percent. This is the first election since a clampdown was imposed in Kashmir after the central government’s decision on August 5. Source: News 18

Government employees of the new Union territories — Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh — will get salaries and other benefits as per the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission from October 31, the Union Home Ministry said. Source: Kashmir Observer

Kerala

Kerala Startup Mission has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with HDFC Bank to facilitate an array of banking services to start-ups in the state through its smart solution SmartUp. Source: Economic Times

Mizoram

BJP Kerala state president P S Sreedharan Pillai has been appointed as Mizoram governor. Source: Times of India

Odisha

The center, the Odisha government, and the World Bank signed a $165 million loan agreement for implementation of the Odisha integrated irrigation project for climate resilient agriculture. Source: Times of India In detail: World Bank Press Release

Odisha signs MOU with UNICEF for Drink From Tap Mission to provide 24-hour piped drinking water supply. In the first phase, the mission will be launched in 5 areas in Bhubaneswar and 2 areas in Puri. Source: Orissa diary

Punjab

The Punjab government reduced value added tax (VAT) on natural gas from 14.3 percent to 3 percent. With this, Punjab becomes the state with the lowest VAT on natural gas in the northern region and will also incentivize industrial units in the state to switch to environment-friendly natural gas. Source: Economic Times

The Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission has approved the procedure for forecasting, scheduling, and deviation settlement of solar and wind generation, which will go into effect from January 1, 2020. Source: Mercom In detail: PSERC (Forecasting, Scheduling, Deviation Settlement and Related Matters of Solar and Wind Generation Sources) Regulations, 2019

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