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NASSCOM launches the Centre of Excellence for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence in Bengaluru; West Bengal plans to provide free LPG connections to 500,000 families across 7,364 villages by August 15; Andhra Pradesh concludes an auction to build three 250 MW solar power projects in Kadapa; Madhya Pradesh's 750 MW solar power plant in Rewa begins operations; and more

Center – State relations

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) announced an investment of $10 million of equity in DCDC Healthcare Services Private Limited (DCDCPL), a company providing dialysis and ancillary services to end-stage renal disease, to establish critical healthcare infrastructure in India and Sri Lanka. Source: Devdiscourse In detail: Press Release

Rajasthan and Odisha have expressed their inability to comply with the center's Renewable Purchase Obligations at a meeting of the State Power Ministers. While Rajasthan asked for greater flexibility, Odisha asked for more time to achieve compliance. Source: The Hindu Business Line

Andhra Pradesh

UK companies Sprng Energy and Ayana Renewable Power, as well as Softbank's SB Energy, won tenders of 250 megawatts (MW) each to build solar power projects in Kadapa, Andhra Pradesh. Source: Financial Express In Detail : Tender

Tata Power Renewable Energy Ltd (TPREL) commissioned 100 MW (50 MW x 2) of solar capacity at Anthapuramu Solar Park, Andhra Pradesh. Source: Economic Times In Detail: Press Release

A delegation from UNESCO entered into an agreement with the Andhra Pradesh Economic Development Board for the establishment of a design university for gaming as part of a gaming digital learning hub in Visakhapatnam, and has asked Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu to allocate 100 acres of land for the project. Source: India Times

Bihar

The Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) has started distribution of energy-efficient Ujala (Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All) ceiling fans by North Bihar Power Distribution Company Limited, South Bihar Power Distribution Company Limited, and Patna Electric Supply Undertaking. Source: Times of India

New Delhi

Delhi's power distribution company (discom) Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited will start an ambitious project to install smart meters covering all its 1.6 million consumers in the national capital from this month as well as launch a mobile app for consumers to access real time energy consumption. Source: Financial Express

The Delhi cabinet approved a proposal to outsource around 100 public services, such as driving licenses and caste certificates, to a private company. Source: Financial Express

A five-judge Supreme Court bench unanimously ruled in favor of Arvind Kejriwal in the ongoing dispute between the lieutenant governor of Delhi and the council of ministers in Delhi, ruling that all decisions of the government must be conveyed to the lieutenant governor, but his concurrence is not needed in all matters. Source: BloombergQuint

Gujarat

During his visit to Israel, Chief Minister Vijay Rupani signed 16 Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with Israel in multiple areas including agriculture, water management, start-up innovation, and smart cities. He also held series of meetings with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his agricultural minister Uri Yehuda Ariel on issues like agro-farming, desalination plants, and other technologies during his six-day visit. Source: Daily Pioneer

The Gujarat state government launched PNG Sahay Yojana, a supplementary scheme to the center's Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, which would allow families below the poverty line to receive piped natural gas (PNG) from city gas distribution companies in the state. Source: The Hindu Business Line

For the sixth year in a row, the discoms of Gujarat topped the annual ranking undertaken by the Union Ministry of Power, which lauded their continuous improvement in reducing aggregate technical and commercial losses, and their healthy bill collection. Source: Business Standard In detail: State Distribution Utilities Sixth Annual Integrated Rating

Haryana

Nothing critical to report this week.

Karnataka

The National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) has launched the Centre of Excellence for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (CoE – DSAI) in collaboration with the government of Karnataka, in Bengaluru. Source: Economic Times In Detail: Press Release

Karnataka's chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy presented the Congress-JD(S) coalition government's maiden budget, announcing farm loan waiver worth $4.9 billion. The budget also increased the tax rate on petrol from 30 percent to 32 percent and the tax rate on diesel from 1 percent to 21 percent, hiking both prices by 1 cent a liter. Source: The Hindu In Detail: Budget

The Chemicals and Fertilizers Ministry announced the establishment of a state-of-the-art e-waste recycling unit in Bengaluru. Source: Economic Times

Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh's Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd announced that the 750 MW Rewa Solar Power Project started operations. Seventy-six percent of the power produced from the Rewa power plant will be sold to distribution companies in Madhya Pradesh, while the remaining 24 percent will be sold to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC). Source: Economic Times

The state government of Madhya Pradesh announced two new programs: Saral Bijli Bill Scheme (SBBS) and Mukhyamantri Bakaya Bijli Bill Mafi Scheme (MBBBMS) are part of Mukhymantri Jan Kalyan (Sambal) Yojana. The SBBS would provide unorganized labor with electricity at a flat rate of $2.91 per month. The MBBBMS would waive electricity dues and surcharges till June for unorganized laborers and consumers below the poverty line. Source: Indian Express In Detail (Hindi): Saral Bijalee Bill Scheme and Mukhyamantri Bakaya Bill Mafi Scheme

Maharashtra

The NITI Aayog has launched a community-based assessment program in the districts of Washim, Gadchiroli, Osmanabad, and Nandurbar in Maharashtra under its transformation of aspirational district program, conducting a door-to-door survey of families to gather information about non-communicable diseases and other ailments. Source: Financial Express

Rajasthan

The World Bank has approved a $250 million development policy loan to Rajasthan to improve the state's electricity distribution sector under the '24×7 Power for All' program.

Source: Mercom In Detail: Press Release

Public sector power distribution companies in Rajasthan announced the expedited release of agricultural power connections after reducing transmission and distribution losses and increased revenue earnings. State discoms' chairperson Shreemat Pandey said the company would ensure uninterrupted power supply during the monsoon season. Source: The Hindu

Tamil Nadu

The Tamil Nadu government introduced a bill to establish a Lokayuta, or a state-level anti-corruption ombudsman one day ahead of the Supreme Court's deadline of July 10. Source: Economic Times

The Tamil Nadu assembly adopted the Tamil Nadu Private Schools (Regulation) Bill, 2018, which is aimed at ensuring assurance of quality education, collection of fair fees, and proper conduct of examinations.

Source: Financial Express

Telangana

The Telangana government signed an MOU with Singapore-based engineering & consulting firm Surbana Jurong to prepare a roadmap for Genome Valley 2.0, a vision to upgrade the cluster into a world-class knowledge-led integrated corridor in a self-sufficient life sciences ecosystem. Source: The Hindu Business Line

The Telangana government has decided to set up four regional-level Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises Facilitation Councils (MSMEFC) at Rangareddy, Medchal-Malkajgiri, Warangal Urban, and Karimnagar in an attempt to reduce the burden of the existing state-level MSMEFC, which is overburdened with a large number of cases and a slow redressal mechanism. Source: Knn India

Uttar Pradesh

The Uttar Pradesh cabinet approved the state's UP Defence, Aerospace Unit and Employment Promotion Policy, 2018. Source: Economic Times In detail: Uttar Pradesh Defence and Aerospace Manufacturing Policy 2018

A report from the Centre for Environment and Energy Development (CEED) titled "Uttar Pradesh: Uncovering Solar Rooftop Potential in Urban Cities," stated that six Uttar Pradesh cities alone can generate 11.4 gigawatts of solar energy using 11 percent of their built-up area, and generate 300,000 jobs in the state. Source: Business Standard In detail: Uttar Pradesh: Uncovering Solar Rooftop Potential in Urban Cities

West Bengal

The West Bengal government has decided to not chase the ambitious target on renewable energy set by the center to generate 5,336 MW of solar power by 2022. According to S.P. Gon Chaudhuri, former director of West Bengal Green Energy Development Corporation, the state's currently installed capacity of 70-80 MW of solar power would be ramped up to around 200MW in a year, but would need private participation to meet its target for 2022. Source: Live Mint

The West Bengal Electricity Regulatory Commission has turned down requests from the state-run distributor and the Calcutta Electric Supply Corporation (CESC) to increase the 2017-18 tariff. The West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd had sought an 8.15 percent increase while CESC had asked for a 14.91 percent increase. Source: The Telegraph

The National Bank For Agriculture And Rural Development announced it has sanctioned $106.8 million in the first quarter of the current fiscal year under the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund for West Bengal for the execution of 86 projects, including six solar power, one medium irrigation, five minor irrigation, and 12 flood protection projects. Source: Economic Times

The government set an ambitious target of providing free liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) connections to 500,000 families across 7,364 villages in West Bengal by August 15.

Source: Financial Express

Best of the Rest

Chhattisgarh

Tata Projects Limited said its 'Smart Cities Business Unit' has been awarded Bharat Net project worth $444 million in Chhattisgarh. The project involves laying an optical fibre network that follows ring architecture with Internet Protocol – Multi Protocol Label Switching (IP-MPLS) technology. Source: Financial Express In Detail: Press Release

A no-trust motion moved by the Congress Party against the Raman Singh-led BJP government in Chhattisgarh was defeated by a voice vote in the Assembly. Source: First Post

Himachal Pradesh

The Himachal Pradesh government announced a subsidy of 10 percent or $58 per kilowatt, whichever is less, to all domestic consumers, institutions and those in the social sectors for installation of solar power plants at the rooftop of their buildings. Source: Economic Times

Kerala

The Kakkayam Small Hydroelectric Project, which was completed at a cost of $44 million after a five-year delay, will be commissioned on July 16. Source: The Hindu

Mizoram

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has finalised a new agreement between the centre, Mizoram government, Tripura government, and the Mizoram Bru Displaced People's Forum (MBDPF) to repatriate the Bru community members from Tripura to their home state of Mizoram in the next couple of months. Source: Business Standard

Nagaland

The Nagaland cabinet has approved the Nagaland Water Policy, 2016. Source: North East Now I n Detail: Nagaland State Water Policy, 2016

Odisha

The state government of Odisha, in order to avert a situation of power surplus in 2020, requests the reallocation of power generated by NTPC in neighbouring states and cancels PPAs signed between Maharatna Power Producer and Gridco, the state-owned bulk power trader. Source: Business Standard

In the run-up to the second edition of its Make in Odisha conclave, the state government has decided to run a unique campaign for branding the state titled "IamOdisha," which aims to showcase the state's strengths, such as high economic growth, strides made in infrastructure, skill development, and an emerging culture of entrepreneurship. Source: Business Standard

Puducherry

Nothing critical to report this week.

Punjab

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has agreed, in-principle, to provide a $813 million loan at a nominal interest rate to Punjab for various urban development projects. Source: Money Control

The Punjab government has continued to default on power subsidy payments to the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL), despite informing the power regulator that it will pay this in advance. For the first quarter of this fiscal, against the required amount of $498 million, the PSPCL has received only $196.3 million (around 40%). Source: Hindustan times

Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) has improved its ranking in the sixth integrated rating for state power distribution companies issued by the Union Ministry of Power. Punjab has been placed at the 11th position, up two slots from 13th position in 2016. Source: Time of India In detail: State Distribution Utilities Sixth Annual Integrated Rating

Tripura

Tripura chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb inaugurated an e-gazette notification website in a bid to digitize government services for higher accountability. Source: The Telegraph In Detail: Tripura E-gazette Notification Website