There will be no dilution of MGNREGA, Says Birender Singh

Union Minister for Rural Development Shri Birender Singh has reiterated that there will be no dilution of MGNREGA and the rural job scheme will continue to remain as one of the flagship schemes of the NDA Government. Replying to a Calling Attention Motion in the Rajya Sabha on the reported move of the Government to introduce changes in the MGNREGs by reducing the wage component of the fund allocation and restricting the areas of work, the Minister emphasised that the rural job scheme will remain operational in all the 6,500 Blocks and will not be restricted to 2,500 Blocks as being alleged by some of the members. Shri Birender Singh also made it clear that the wage-material ratio of 60:40 will never be allowed to cross and informed the members that during the last 8 years around Rs. 1,80,000 crores have been paid as wages to the workers, which is around 71% of the total expenditure made till date. Besides, in order to have adequate number of technical assistants on the ground to supervise and ensure the creation of quality assets, the Ministry has allowed the States for payment of remuneration of technical assistants/barefoot engineers from the skilled wage (material) component of the work. Moreover, the wage material ratio for works taken up by agencies other than Gram Panchayats would now be counted at the district level (instead of block level) to facilitate taking up more durable assets. He said, 21 States have formulated their State Convergence Plans in consultation with various line departments in this regard. Allaying the apprehensions of the members regarding budgetary cuts, Shri Birender Singh said, the budget provision under the MGNREGS in 2013-14 was Rs. 33000 crores, while in the current financial year 2014-15 the budget provision is Rs. 34000 crores, so there is no question of any financial pruning as far as the rural job scheme is concerned. He also added that this Act has ensured considerable financial inclusion with around 9.76 crore accounts of MGNREGA workers being in Banks and Post Offices. The Minister said, over the last eight years of its implementation, MGNREGA has achieved significant results. On an average around 5 crore households, which is close to 29% of the total rural households, are provided employment under the scheme every year. Around 54% of MGNREGA workers are women and close to 40% are SCs & STs. Shri Birender Singh said, as per recent Performance Audit conducted by the C&AG, around 90% of the beneficiaries were either casual labourers or small or marginal farmers. It is also an important source of income for families susceptible to distress migration in view of limited work opportunities.   Safe Drinking Water to all Rural Habitations by 2022-Birender Singh. The Government today said that providing safe drinking water facilities to all the rural people of the country is its topmost priority and the mission will be accomplished in the next 8 years. Replying to a question in the Lok Sabha, the Union Minister of Rural Development and Drinking Water and Sanitation Sh Birender Singh said that 17 lakh habitations will be provided with drinking water facilities by 2022. He said, the main goal of the NDA Government is to ensure that every rural Indian will have access to sufficient water for drinking and cooking purposes, besides catering to the demands of the livestock. The Minister said that 78,000 villages in the country face the serious problem of water contamination like fluoride , arsenic and other heavy metals and the priority of the government is to tackle the menace on war footing. A committee of the Secretaries is also looking into this issue and will soon come out with practical and implementable solutions. On the concern raised by a Member from Punjab regarding polluted water leading to cancer, the Minister pointed out that State Governments are free to utilise 67 percent of the budget allocated to tackle such problems of contamination. He also added that 10 percent of budget could also be utilized for any exigency including deficient monsoon. Sh Birender Singh also informed the members that in some of the cases, State Governments don’t come forward to take the funds allocated, besides keeping the unspent balance for long.

Committee on Restructuring of Railways

Ministry of Railways have constituted a committee on 22.09.2014 with a tenure of one year for “Mobilization of resources for major Railway projects and Re-structuring of Railways, Ministry & Railway Board” under the chairmanship of Dr. Bibek Debroy. The terms of reference of the committee are: 1. Re-organising and re-structuring the Board and subsequently the department so that policy making and operations are separated, the department does not work in silos, policy making focuses on long term and medium term planning issues and operations focuses on day to day functioning of the organisation. 2. Promote exchange of officers between the Railways and other departments. 3. Estimate financial needs of the Railways and ensure appropriate frameworks and policies are in place to raise resources, both internally and from outside the Government, to enable Railways to meet the demands of the future. 4. Examine and suggest modalities for implementing the existing Cabinet decisions on setting up a Rail Tariff Authority and give recommendations. The committee has been interacting with a cross section of Railwaymen including Railway Unions and other stakeholders and suitable action on the recommendations can be considered on submission of the report of the committee.

The Ministry of New & Renewable Energy has initiated scheme for setting up of 25 Solar Parks, each with the capacity of 500 MW and above, to be developed in next 5 years in various States. The Ministry has sent scheme for Development of Solar Park to various States along with MOU to all the state Governments against which 12 states have given consent for setting up of Solar Parks. This was stated by Sh. Piyush Goyal, Minister of state for Power, Coal & New and Renewable Energy (Independent Charge) in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today.    States which have sent written request for setting up Solar Power Park/Ultra Mega Solar Power Projects are given below:-   S. No. State Capacity of Solar Park (approximately Land Identified at 1 Gujarat 750 MW Taluka- Vav, Distt.-Banaskantha 2 Madhya Pradesh 750 MW +750 MW Rewa-Distt. 3 Telangana 1000 MW Mehboob Nagar-Distt. 4 Andhra Pradesh 2500 MW Anantpur-Distt, Kadapa and Kurnool 5 Karnataka 1000 MW Mulwar, Bijapur (near Kargi) 6 Uttar Pradesh 600 MW District-Jalaun, Sonbhadra and Allahabad 7 Meghalaya 50 MW University of Science and Technology, 9thMile, near Guwahati, Meghalaya 8 Jammu & Kashmir 7500 MW Leh and Kargil 9 Punjab 1000 MW +1000 MW District-wise land identified 10 Rajasthan i.        Bhadla Phase-II ii.      Bhadla Phase-III iii.    Jaisalmer Park Phase-I iv.     Jaisalmer Park Phase-II 700 MW 1000 MW 1000 MW 1000 MW District - Bhadla and Jaisalmer 11 Tamil Nadu 500 MW Location yet to be identified 12 Odisha 1000 MW Location yet to be identified Total 22,100 MW             The Minister further stated that the estimated cost for development of solar park would be around Rs.0.95 Cr./MW.  Solar Power Plants of various capacities would be set up by Solar Power Developers in the Park.  The developers would be selected through bidding process under Central/State Schemes.  As per tariff determined for the year 2014-15 by Central Electricity Regulatory Commission

Steps to Overcome the Shortcomings in Supply of Power

The Central Government is taking the following steps to overcome the shortcomings in supply of power. (i) Generation capacity addition of 88,537 MW is targeted for the 12th Plan from conventional sources. As against this, 48,026 MW has already been achieved. (ii) Transmission lines of 1,07,440 ckm and 2,82,740 MVA transformation capacity have been targeted for the 12th Plan. As against this, 45,570 ckm of transmission lines and 1,56,354 MVA of transformation capacity has been achieved. (iii) Two new schemes have been approved by the Government, namely Deendayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojna and Integrated Power Development Scheme for strengthening of sub-transmission and distribution networks and for segregation of agricultural feeders. (iv) Government of India has taken initiative to prepare Action Plans for providing 24x7 Power For All (PFA) in partnership with the States. (v) Renovation & Modernization (R&M) of old power plants is planned by the concerned State and Central Power Utilities for improving the Plant Load Factor of power stations. (vi) The gap in coal availability is planned to be met through enhanced coal production and coal imports for increased generation by thermal plants. (vii) Promotion of energy conservation, energy efficiency and demand side management measures. (viii) In order to support financial viability of State Distribution Utilities (Discoms), the Central Government had notified a Financial Restructuring Plan (FRP). (ix) Expeditious resolution of issues relating to environmental and forest clearances. The availability of power both in terms of energy and peak in the country during the current year 2014-15 (up to October, 2014) is 617.7 BU and 1,41,160 MW respectively. This was stated by Sh. Piyush Goyal, Minister of state for Power, Coal & New and Renewable Energy (Independent Charge) in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today. The Minister further stated that the assessment of anticipated shortage of power in the current year 2014-15 has been done and as per the assessment, the anticipated shortage of power in terms of energy and peak during the year would be 5.1% and 2.0% respectively.  Round the Clock Supply of Power Government of India has taken a joint initiative with respective State Governments to provide 24 x 7 power to the non-agricultural consumers while ensuring sufficient supply to agricultural consumers. This initiative aims at ensuring uninterrupted power supply to the existing consumers and providing access to electricity to all un-connected consumers in the next five years. To begin with, state specific documents for Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan have been prepared in consultation with respective State Governments. This was stated by Sh. Piyush Goyal, Minister of state for Power, Coal & New and Renewable Energy (Independent Charge) in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today. The Minister further stated that the following steps have been taken by the Union Government to increase the power generation capacity and to ensure round the clock power supply in the whole country: (i) Government of India has now launched two new schemes viz. Deendayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY) & Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS). The first, aims to provide reliable and adequate power supply to farmers by separation of agriculture and non-agriculture feeders and strengthening of sub-transmission and distribution infrastructure in rural areas, among others. Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana for rural electrification will get subsumed in DDUGJY. The second scheme, Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS), aims to reduce AT &C losses and also to provide quality power by strengthening sub-transmission and distribution network in urban areas. RAPDRP will get subsumed in IPDS. (ii) A capacity addition target of 88,537 MW has been fixed for the 12th Plan period, comprising 72,340 MW from Thermal, 10,897 MW from Hydro and 5,300 MW for Nuclear. The achievement against this target, as on 31.10.2014, is 48,026.3 MW, comprising 46199.9 MW from thermal and 1,826.4 MW from Hydro. (iii) Central Electricity Authority (CEA) is monitoring the progress of construction of power projects through frequent site visits and interaction with the developers and equipment suppliers. In addition, CEA holds review meetings periodically with the developers and other stakeholders to identify issues critical to commissioning of projects and helps in resolving them. (iv) A Power Project Monitoring Panel (PPMP) has been set up by the Ministry of Power for independent monitoring of Thermal and Hydro Generation projects targeted for commissioning during the 12th Plan and beyond along with the associated transmission systems.

Setting Up of 25 Solar Parks

The Ministry of New & Renewable Energy has initiated scheme for setting up of 25 Solar Parks, each with the capacity of 500 MW and above, to be developed in next 5 years in various States. The Ministry has sent scheme for Development of Solar Park to various States along with MOU to all the state Governments against which 12 states have given consent for setting up of Solar Parks. This was stated by Sh. Piyush Goyal, Minister of state for Power, Coal & New and Renewable Energy (Independent Charge) in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today.    States which have sent written request for setting up Solar Power Park/Ultra Mega Solar Power Projects are given below:-   S. No. State Capacity of Solar Park (approximately Land Identified at 1 Gujarat 750 MW Taluka- Vav, Distt.-Banaskantha 2 Madhya Pradesh 750 MW +750 MW Rewa-Distt. 3 Telangana 1000 MW Mehboob Nagar-Distt. 4 Andhra Pradesh 2500 MW Anantpur-Distt, Kadapa and Kurnool 5 Karnataka 1000 MW Mulwar, Bijapur (near Kargi) 6 Uttar Pradesh 600 MW District-Jalaun, Sonbhadra and Allahabad 7 Meghalaya 50 MW University of Science and Technology, 9thMile, near Guwahati, Meghalaya 8 Jammu & Kashmir 7500 MW Leh and Kargil 9 Punjab 1000 MW +1000 MW District-wise land identified 10 Rajasthan i.        Bhadla Phase-II ii.      Bhadla Phase-III iii.    Jaisalmer Park Phase-I iv.     Jaisalmer Park Phase-II 700 MW 1000 MW 1000 MW 1000 MW District - Bhadla and Jaisalmer 11 Tamil Nadu 500 MW Location yet to be identified 12 Odisha 1000 MW Location yet to be identified Total 22,100 MW             The Minister further stated that the estimated cost for development of solar park would be around Rs.0.95 Cr./MW.  Solar Power Plants of various capacities would be set up by Solar Power Developers in the Park.  The developers would be selected through bidding process under Central/State Schemes.  As per tariff determined for the year 2014-15 by Central Electricity Regulatory Commission

Target of Opening of Bank Accounts under PMJDY to 10 Crore by 26th January, 2015;

FM Revises the Target of Opening of Bank Accounts under PMJDY to 10 Crore by 26th January, 2015; Calls for more Active Participation by the Private Sector Banks ; Directs Bankers to take-up Financial Literacy Programmes to Promote Savings and other Financial Services The Union Finance Minister Shri Arun Jaitley revises the target for opening of accounts under Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) from 7.5 crore to10 crore by 26th January, 2015. This will amount to opening of one account for each household in the country. The Finance Minister also asked the officers that Aadhar card numbers may also be seeded with bank accounts as the same will help in directly transferring the subsidies to the bank accounts of the desired sections of the society under Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme. The Finance Minister Shri Jaitley was speaking while Chairing the meeting of the Mission of PMJDY here yesterday. The meeting was also attended among others by Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad, Minister of Communication, Information & Technology, Chaudhary Birender Singh, Minister of Rural Development, Dr.Hasmukh Adhia, Secretary, Department of Financial Services, Shri L.C. Goel, Secretary, Ministry of Rural Development, Shri Rakesh Garg, Secretary, Department of Telecomunications, Shri S.S. Mundra, Deputy Governor, RBI and Shri T.M. Bhasin, Chairman, Indian Bank’s Association. It was informed that 7.64 crore bank accounts have been already opened under PMJDY till 18th November, 2014, out of which Public Sector Banks (PSBs) have opened 6.15 crore accounts, Regional Rural Banks(RRBs) have opened 1.28 crore accounts and private sector banks have opened 0.20 crore accounts. The Finance Minister Shri Jaitley called for more active participation by the private sector banks under PMJDY. In terms of deposits, Rs. 6015 crore has been collected upto 18th November, 2014. However, the growth has moderated after 30th September, 2014. Out of 7.64 core accounts opened till 18th November, 2014, 5.74 crore accounts opened are zero balance accounts. The Finance Minister Shri Jaitley asked the bankers that efforts be made to raise the deposit level in the zero balance accounts through financial literacy program. The Finance Minister also asked the Mission to take-up financial literacy to promote savings and other financial services. The Finance Minister stressed the need to ensure transactions in these zero balance accounts. He asked that dovetailing of various Central and State Schemes in the PMJDY accounts will also help to increase transaction/deposits in these accounts. The Finance Minister Shri Jaitley also asked the bankers to ensure availability and activation of RuPay cards issued under PMJDY. He also directed for setting-up of required number of bank mitras and close monitoring of their services so as to ensure availability of banking services to the people at large. The Finance Minister Shri Jaitley also discussed the possibility of integration of PMJDY with National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) through convergence with Self Help Groups and integration of MGNREGA Scheme with DBT. The Union Finance Minster Shri Arun Jaitley said that opening accounts in ‘sweep mode’ based on the results of the survey (conducted by the end of next month) be expedited so that the target is completed by 26th January, 2015. He said that Zila Parishads, District Administration and DRDA authorities may also be instructed to ensure completion of the targets at their respective district level. He said that the State Governments can use these accounts for benefit transfers under the various schemes. It was informed that the State of Madhya Pradesh has already achieved more than 90% of the target of opening of accounts under PMJDY and is likely to achieve the target of 100% soon.

Auction of Coal Blocks

Hon’ble Supreme Court of India in its judgment dated 25.08.2014 and order dated 24.09.2014 passed in W.P.(Criminal) No.120 of 2012 and other connected matters has declared all allocations of the coal blocks made through Screening Committee and through Government Dispensation route since 1993 as illegal and has cancelled the allocation of 204 coal blocks out of 218 coal blocks (i.e. except, Tasra coal block allocated to Steel Authority of India Ltd. and Pakri Barwadih coal block allocated to National Thermal Power Corporation and 12 coal blocks allocated for Ultra Mega Power Projects). In case of 42 coal blocks (37 producing and 05 likely to come under production), cancellation shall take effect from 31.03.2015. This was stated by Sh. Piyush Goyal, Minister of state for Power, Coal & New and Renewable Energy (Independent Charge) in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today. The Minister further stated that for management and reallocation of cancelled coal blocks, Government has promulgated ‘the Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Ordinance, 2014’ on 21.10.2014 to ensure smooth transfer of rights, title and interest in the mines along with its land and other associated mining infrastructure to the new allottees to be selected through an auction or allotment to government company, as the case may be. In order to provide sufficient coal to small consumers, medium and small enterprises, cottage industries, household consumers and to overcome the acute shortage of the country and augment its production; the Ordinance has amended the Coal Mines (Nationalization) Act, 1973 to insert section 3(A) and the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 to insert section 11(A) through the Ordinance, thereby removing the restriction of end use from the eligibility to undertake coal mining, in the national interest. The auction of coal block is decided to be carried out in e-auction mode. The decision regarding allotment of coal blocks to public sector companies and allocation by auction to private and public sector companies as well as earmarking of blocks for various eligible sectors is made keeping in view the contemporary requirement of the sector at the time of earmarking. The Minister further stated that the Ordinance provides for allocation of coal mines and vesting of the right, title and interest in and over the land and mine infrastructure together with mining leases to successful bidders and allottees by the Nominated Authority with a view to ensure continuity in coal mining operations and production of coal, and for promoting optimum utilization of coal resources consistent with the requirement of the country in national interest. Further, the Government has constituted a Committee for valuation of 42 producing and ready to produce coal mines out of coal blocks cancelled by the Hon’ble Supreme Court in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Ordinance. As per the Ordinance, the proceeds from e-auctioning of coal block is required to be transferred to the respective State Government where the coal block is located after adjustment of preferential payments, if any. The quantity of coal to be produced after allocation of coal blocks and its impact on the import of coal can be assessed once the production from the e-auctioned/allotted coal blocks has commenced, the Minister added.