….from different countries representing Consulates, High Commissions in India, distinguished ladies and gentlemen. I think when we are celebrating freedom; it also means there is a freedom to have wine and cheese even when we are speaking. So, I don’t think we need to disturb the ambience of the room with very long, drawn-out speeches. But I did want to make a strong mention about the rich cultural and traditional ties, our shared passion for freedom, our shared passion for equality that both India and South Africa share. And it’s indeed a privilege for me to be amongst all of you here today, to speak the voice of all Indians who believe that this partnership between South Africa and India is a sustaining partnership, is a partnership that the people of both countries cherish. It is a partnership of shared tradition and shared interests of a better future for the people of both countries.

I am delighted that the leadership in South Africa has continued on the noble mission that Mr Tambo has left behind for us. I pay my respects to him. We all remember him on this auspicious day when we are celebrating South Africa’s freedom. We also recognize that the values that Mr Tambo stood for – passion, patriotism, integrity, and all of this coupled with humility is something that I think all of us in public life would love to assimilate, would love to absorb, would love to follow.

Of course, in some sense, South Africa also gave us the first baby steps to our freedom struggle. Mahatma Gandhi came to India from South Africa over a century ago. He brought with him the passion. He brought with him, also humility. He brought with him high levels of integrity. And he brought with him that zeal, that drive, which encouraged all of India to rise in one voice, which earned us our freedom in 1947.

So, in that sense, India does share a very very rich history and also is grateful for all the learning that Mahatma Gandhi brought back from South Africa – Good or bad – those learning helped him shape his mind, shape his agenda for India’s freedom. And even today, India continues to evolve. India continues to bring true freedom to large sections of society, which have been discriminated in India for several centuries just as there was discrimination in South Africa.

In fact, Nelson Mandela had spoken some golden words, which I personally believe helped me define my own working, my own life. Nelson Mandela had said, ‘the time for the healing of the wounds has come’, in his inaugural address 23 years ago. And I believe that that healing is something that the whole world continues to work on, that healing is not over across the world. And we will all have to work together to make sure that every section of the world gets the same sense of equality that Nelson Mandela stood for, that Mahatma Gandhi stood for.

In fact, Nelson Mandela was also honoured apart from the Nobel Peace Prize with the Bharat Ratna, one of the rare foreign individuals who has been conferred with the Bharat Ratna, and I believe a most deserving Bharat Ratna. He, in fact, looked up to Mahatma Gandhi as a political mentor, as an idol. And, for us back home in India, we are proud of the fact that India was one of the first countries in 1946 to stand with the South African people, to stand for their rights, to stand for freedom in South Africa. We severed ties with the then government. We, in fact, severed not only trade relations, but we subsequently imposed a diplomatic ban, commercial ban, cultural and sports embargo and led the world’s efforts to help South Africa emerge out of the shadow of the past into the era of freedom, into the era where every man could hold his head high in the spirit of true freedom.

In fact, Mahatma Gandhiji had acknowledged South African freedom struggle, and I quote his words, ‘a small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history.’ And I believe even today, the world is experiencing a lot of change. The world is experiencing big things happening, often led by a small body of individuals. And in that, the BRICS movement, where both South Africa and India play an important role, is certainly defining and shaping the future of the world.

In fact, one of the comments that Nelson Mandela had made where he said, ‘it always seems impossible until it’s done.’ And at one point of time, for all of India, freedom seemed impossible. At one point of time, for all of South Africa, freedom seemed impossible. It is these encouraging words of our leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela who led from the front. Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in prison. Mahatma Gandhi spent a large part of his life in prison and gave up his life for this country, and for the unity and integrity of this country.

So I do believe we are both countries blessed with a rich past, with a rich tradition and with a leadership, which has shown the world the path to peace, the path to freedom, the path of equality of all citizens of their countries, and in some sense, the path to development and progress.

I wish you all the very best and I do hope the people of both countries will continue to work together for peace and prosperity in our two respective nations and in the world. And I do hope in the years to come, each person who has come here, each person who believes in the Indo-South African partnership will work to strengthen that and will work for a brighter and better future for the people of both countries. My best wishes to you, and please do convey to your leadership and your people back home the respects and the good wishes of the leadership in India and of the people of India.

Thank you very much.

Industry body Indian Wind Turbine Manufacturers Association (IWTMA) today said the wind power generation capacity in the country has crossed 32 GW mark.

However, according to the Central Electricity Authoritys (CEA) monthly report for March 2017, the installed wind power generation capacity is around 28.7 GW, lower than the ITWMA estimates.

Indias installed wind power generation capacity has crossed 32 GW so far and there should be at least 6 GW of capacity addition every year to meet the target of having 60 GW by 2022, IWTMA Chairman Sarvesh Kumar said on the sidelines of Windergy India 2017 conference here.

Elaborating further, he said the latest data indicate that countrys wind power generation capacity is over 32 GW after addition of 5.4 GW in last fiscal.

On the veracity of the data, he replied that the latest estimates indicate that country has the installed wind power generation capacity of 32 GW.

About the expected capacity addition this fiscal, he said,”We are going to do 6 GW in 2017-18. It is based on certain fundamental as the government alone will auction 4 GW of capacities during this fiscal”.

“Apart from government auctions, there would be addition of wind power capacities by the industry and institutions,” he added.

The government has decided to go through the bidding route as the first ever auction of wind power projects in February 2017, where power tariffs dropped to all-time low of Rs 3.46 per unit. Wind power capacity of 1 GW was auctioned by the Solar Energy Corporation of India in February.

Globally, India is at the fourth position after China, the US and Germany, in terms of wind capacity installation.

Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) in its Global Wind Report presented a strong outlook for wind power across the globe in 2017.

“India set a new record in 2016, and 2017 is likely to be another strong year, but after that things will probably slow a bit as the industry and markets adapt to tendering system which is now being introduced and then pick up again,” GWEC had said in its 2016 report.

It said, “Overall, we expect that Asian market to add 154 GW in next five years, for a total of 357 GW by the end of 2021”.

The council has projected 8.8 per cent growth in wind power installations to 546.1 GW in 2017 from 486.8 GW in 2016 across the globe.

Source: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/indias-wind-power-capacity-crosses-32-gw-mark-says-iwtma/1/938054.html

Union power minister Piyush Goyal said here on Tuesday that cities with low line-loss will start getting 24-hour power supply on priority basis. Talking to reporters while inspecting progress in Integrated Power Development Schemes and Clean India Campaign here on Tuesday, Goyal said there is a line loss of 40% to 45% in UP and power pilferage is the major reason for it. The Centre and the state government have intensified efforts to put a check on line loss. Places with low line-losses would start getting round-the-clock uninterrupted power supply. Goyal urged people to give information about power pilferage and other complaints on toll free number 1912.

Earlier, Goyal visited the localities where the work of laying underground cables under IPDS was in progress. The minister sought reason from the district administration and Varanasi Municipal Corporation for delay caused in repairing of roads after completion of cable lying task. He said that the Union government has fixed December 2017 as the deadline for the completion of IPDS to make the holy city free from overhead cables.

Later, he reached the ghats to review the progress in riverfront development and sanitation work under Clean India Campaign. Regarding cleaning of Ganga under Namami Gange project, he alleged that non-BJP governments in past left this project lingering. The scene has changed now and the progress in the projects is taking place with accelerated pace. Union water resource minister Uma Bharati and chief minister Aditya Nath Yogi have held a meeting in Lucknow recently to discuss the projects only.

He said that three companies are contributing in solid waste lifting. He claimed that work on four-lane Varanasi-Sultanpur, Varanasi-Azamgarh, Varanasi-Ghazipur and six-lane Varanasi-Aurangabad highways have been intensified with the completion of the process of land acquisition.
The minister also held a review meeting with officials.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/varanasi/cities-with-low-line-loss-to-get-uninterrupted-power-goyal/articleshow/58369140.cms?utm_source=toimobile&utm_medium=Twitter&utm_campaign=referral&from=mdr

सरकारी पावर कंपनियां अब अपनी कोल सप्लाई की अदला-बदली कर उन्हें अधिक एफिशिअंट पावर प्लांट्स में भेज सकेंगी। कोल इंडिया (CIL) ने कोल की आसानी से सप्लाई के लिए पिछले सप्ताह केंद्र और राज्यों की पावर जेनरेशन कंपनियों के साथ अग्रीमेंट साइन किए हैं। इससे पावर जेनरेशन की कॉस्ट कम करने में मदद मिलेगी।

इस कदम से एनटीपीसी जैसी केंद्र और राज्यों की पावर जेनरेशन कंपनियों के प्लांट्स को कोल लिंकेज मिल सकेगी। अगर किसी कंपनी के पास देश भर में कई प्लांट हैं और प्रत्येक प्लांट के लिए अलग फ्यूल सप्लाई अग्रीमेंट (एफएसए) है, तो इन सभी लिंकेज को एक एफएसए माना जाएगा।

कंपनियों के पास कोल के बेहतर इस्तेमाल के बारे में फैसला करने का विकल्प होगा। इससे कॉस्ट कम करने के लिए अधिक एफिशिअंट प्लांट्स को अधिक कैपेसिटी पर चलाया जा सकेगा।

कोल इंडिया के एक अधिकारी ने बताया, ’13 अप्रैल तक केंद्र और राज्यों की पावर जेनरेशन कंपनियों के साथ 40.2 करोड़ टन की कॉन्ट्रैक्ट वाली कुल सप्लाई में से 36.8 करोड़ टन के लिए सप्लिमेंटरी अग्रीमेंट साइन किए गए हैं।’ बाकी के अग्रीमेंट अगले कुछ दिनों में साइन किए जा सकते हैं।

केंद्रीय कैबिनेट ने पिछले वर्ष मई में सरकारी पावर जेनरेशन कंपनियों के लिए देश में प्रोड्यूस होने वाले कोल के बेहतर इस्तेमाल के प्रपोजल को अनुमति दी थी। सरकार ने कहा है कि कोल क्वॉलिटी में सुधार होने और सप्लाई चेन की एफिशिएंसी बढ़ने से एनटीपीसी के पावर प्लांट्स की पावर जेनरेशन कॉस्ट घटी है।
पिछले तीन वर्षों में कोल प्राइसेज, सेंट्रल सेस और रेलवे फ्रेट में बढ़ोतरी होने के बावजूद पावर जेनरेशन कॉस्ट में कमी आई है।

डेटा से पता चलता है कि पावर जेनरेशन के लिए कोल की कॉस्ट 2016-17 में 39 पैसे घटकर 2 रुपये से कम प्रति यूनिट की रही।

2014-15 में एनटीपीसी के पावर प्रॉडक्शन की कुल कॉस्ट 2.01 रुपये प्रति यूनिट की थी, जो 2016-17 में घटकर 1.94 रुपये पर आ गई।

अधिकारियों ने बताया कि वास्तविक कटौती 6.4 पैसे प्रति यूनिट की है, लेकिन बढ़े और सेस और चार्जेज को जोड़कर देखने पर पावर प्रॉडक्शन की कॉस्ट में कुल कमी 39.5 पैसे की है।

The Madhya Pradesh government would soon provide nearly 18,500 solar-powered water pumps to farmers in the state at subsidised rates.

“We are going to make available solar borewell and surface pumps fitted with remote monitoring system to the farmers under the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Solar Pump Scheme shortly,” New and Renewable Energy Department Principal Secretary Manu Srivastava told PTI.

“The rates of solar pumps already arrived at after the bidding are the lowest in the country. The performance of each pump can be monitored on a real-time basis from anywhere in the world,” he said.

MP Urja Vikas Nigam (MPUVN) would be the nodal agency to make available the solar pumps to the farmers, he said.

“We have already picked up the firms (through bidding) which are going to supply solar power to the state. The rates are much below the benchmark prices of Government of India,” Srivastava, who is also the managing director of MPUVN, said.

“The rates of the direct current pumps are the lowest in the country. These pumps will have a five-year maintenance provided under a contract,” he said.

“There is also a provision of comprehensive insurance of the complete pump system for five years,” he said.

“It is for the first time that any state government has embarked on such a huge programme of supply of solar pumps to farmers,” Srivastava claimed.

He said that earlier Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan governments had provided 11,000 and 10,000 solar pumps respectively to farmers at subsidised rates.

“The sale of green energy pumps in such a huge number is going to save crores of rupees of the MP government annually,” said Rajendra Kothari, the former director of PHD Chamber of Industries and Commerce (MP and Chhattisgarh).

A senior official of the state energy department said in the last fiscal, the MP government provided power subsidy of Rs 70 billion (Rs 7,000 crore) to farmers for use of the water pumps.

The sale of solar pumps is going to rev up the agricultural productivity of the state, he said.

MP has the highest agricultural growth rate of over 20 per cent since last couple of years, the official said.

The use of solar pumps will increase the cultivable land area, reduce dependence on diesel pumps and make multi-cropping possible, he said.

This would also help in doubling the income of farmers and provide sustainable livelihood on a long-term basis, he said.

“The use of solar pumps is bound to reduce carbon foot-print. These pumps, driven by green energy, are bound to come as a boon for the marginalised farmers of tribal dominated districts like Mandla, Dindori, Chhindwara, Seoni, Balaghat, Alirajpur, Jhabua,” he said.

The sale of these pumps is likely to reduce the distribution losses of the cash-strapped MP Power Management Company (MPPMC) Limited and power distribution companies (discoms), a senior power official said.

The revenue losses of the discoms are high due to non-payment of electricity dues in Bhind, Morena, Sheopur, Shivpuri and Gwalior districts, he added.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/mp-govt-to-provide-subsidised-solar-water-pumps-to-farmers/articleshow/58325475.cms