States Weekly: October 16, 2024

Newsletter by Akshat Singh

Published October 16, 2024

Big News: Telangana begins a comprehensive household caste survey; Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) issues a notice enforcing a complete ban on firecrackers until 2025; Telangana and Uttarakhand increase additional surcharge on open access energy consumers; Uttar Pradesh officially recognizes information technology (IT) and IT-enabled services (ITES) sector as an "Industry"; and more.

Health 

Nothing critical to report this week.

Climate Change & Energy

Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) issues a notice enforcing a complete ban on the manufacturing, sale, and online distribution of firecrackers, as well as the bursting of firecrackers, until January 1, 2025, within the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi. This comes in light of the upcoming Diwali festival, and the worsening of the city's air quality after Dussehra celebrations. Source: Financial Express; In detail: DPCC Notification

Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) issues an order amending its state regulation on Renewable Purchase Obligations (RPOs) to align with trajectory proposed by the central government. The differences between the obligations in the KERC Procurement of Energy from Renewable Sources (Eighth Amendment) Regulations in 2022, and the central government include calculation of renewable energy sources, fungibility, net consumption calculation for RPO, penalty provisions for non-compliance, and other related factors. Source: Saur Energy; In detail: KERC Order

Telangana Electricity Regulatory Commission (TGERC) issues an order approving an additional surcharge of $0.012/kWh on open access consumers for the Southern and Northern Power Distribution Companies of Telangana for October 2024 to March 2025. Source: Solar Quarter; In detail: Order

Uttarakhand Electricity Regulatory Commission (UERC) issues an order approving an additional surcharge of $0.013/kWh on open access consumers from October 2024 to March 2025. Source: Solar Quarter; In detail: UERC Order

Finance

Nothing critical to report this week.

Industrial Policy & Business Regulations 

Uttar Pradesh issues an order officially recognizing the information technology (IT) and IT-enabled services (ITES) sector as an "Industry". This new status allows IT companies in UP to acquire land at industrial rates from development authorities, aiming to make Noida more competitive for global tech industries. Additionally, new IT/ITES units consuming at least 150 kW of electricity will now benefit from industrial power tariffs. Source: Times of India; In detail: Government Order

Land Acquisition & Labor Regulations 

Assam launches "Mission Basundhara 3.0." aiming to digitise land-related services including registration, and dispute adjudication in the state. Source: Guwahati Plus; In detail: Cabinet Decisions

Infrastructure & Governance

Telangana begins a comprehensive household caste survey in the state aimed at targeted and equitable resource distribution among all communities. With this, Telangana will become the third state to hold such a caste-based headcount after Andhra Pradesh and Bihar. Source: Hindustan Times; In detail: Government Order

Kerala passes the Kerala Repealing and Saving Bill, 2024, meant to repeal redundant amendment acts and instead include them in the parent acts. Source: The Hindu; In detail: Kerala Repealing and Saving Bill, 2024

Manipur announces that people residing in unrecognised villages will no longer be eligible for government schemes, including the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). Source: Business Standard; In detail: Official announcement

Punjab approves the Punjab Custom Milling Policy for Kharif 2024-25, for the conversion of paddy procured by state procurement agencies into custom milled rice and its delivery to the central pool. Source: Times of India; In detail: CMO Twitter

Water & Sanitation

Nothing critical to report this week.

Center - State Relations 

Nothing critical to report this week.

Any Other

Telangana launches the Voluntary Vehicle Fleet Modernisation Programme (VVMP) to promote a voluntary ecosystem to phase out end-of-life vehicles. Under the program, vehicle owners who scrap vehicles more than 15 years old will be eligible for tax concessions on the purchase of new vehicles of the same category. Additionally, the state govt will also waive penalties on quarterly tax and green tax payable on the vehicles. Source: Times of India; In detail: Press note

Programs & Projects