NEW DELHI: Coal block auctions and allotments have generated Rs 2,237 crore revenue till May this year, power, coal, renewable energy and mines minister Piyush Goyal said on Monday.
“As on 31 May, the revenue already generated from the allocation of 74 coal mines under the provisions of the Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act, 2015, is Rs 2,237 crore (excluding royalty, cess and taxes), which shall be devolving entirely to the coal bearing state concerned,” Goyal told the RajyaSabha in a written reply.
The government has so far allocated 75 coal mines for specified end use, including 31 through auction and 44 through allotment to public sector units.
The minister said the expected revenue of these mines is estimated at over Rs 3.53 lakh crore during the life of mines.
NEW DELHI: The country can achieve as high as 50 per cent growth in electricity production up to 1.65 trillion units next year, Power Minister PiyushGoyal said today.
“We need to double our power production. Given the infrastructure and generating capacity we have today…we have the ability to double our power production. If tomorrow we need to add 50 per cent power to our system I am ready for that. We are making about 1.1 trillion units of electricity annually now …We can go up to 1.65 next year,” Power, Coal and Mines Minister Goyal said at INFOCOM 2016 here.
The minister termed power shortages cited by the states as “technical” arising out of mismanagement.
“Very often states do’t buy and show shortage…there is a mismatch between availability of power and capacity of states to purchase and distribute to last mile connectivity.,” he said.
he minister said there was surplus production of coal now unlike in the past when two-third of India’s power plants were left with only critical coal stocks.
“We have brought in enough coal into the system. Today in the entire country not one power plant has critical coal stock against 2/3rd of the when I became the Minister… As a nation for 55 days if not a single kilo of coal is produced you will have power,” he said.
The minister said Rs 1.11 lakh crore would be pumped in for technological upgradation of power infrastructure through various schemes for rural and urban India.
He added that the government was trying to ensure 24×7 power supply to each household by 2019, three years ahead of the target. Prime Minister NarendraModi had announced providing power to the last household by 2022.
Goyal said renewable energy has received unprecedented thrust in India and he has handpicked a joint secretary level official from Prime Minister’s office to focus on solar rooftop for which a target to reach 40,000 MW by 2022 has been fixed from a mere 200 MW when he assumed charge fo the Ministry.
About the entire solar energy, he said the government wants to take it to 100,000 MW from a mere 2,400 MW when he assumed office.
He said technology was used in augmenting solar power capacity in the country.
NEW DELHI: India is looking at ramping up nuclear energy production in a big way with renewed thrust on clean energy resources, Union Minister PiyushGoyal today said.
“Prime Minister NarendraModi has given nuclear energy a renewed thrust. We got into nuclear engagement with US in 2008 but from 2008 to 2014 we have seen a hiatus now we are into missile technology regime.The amount of progress done in the last two years is pronounced as we are poised to enter into the nuclear age in a big way,” Power, Coal and Mines Minister Goyal said at Infocom 2016 here.
Goyal said the country is looking at “ramping up its clean energy source significantly” without compromising on safety of people and the government would ensure that power from this source is affordable.
“We will never compromise on safety of our people as we will ensure power is affordable with these two caveats we are very keen to promote nuclear energy in a big way. we are able to get uranium supplies,” the minister said.
He added the country is close to setting a technology framework and is very close to getting into the nuclear suppliers group.
At the same time he said there was need to do away with fear psychosis and cited example that Kerala does not permit any nuclear station while in Jaitapur in Maharashtra there is an agitation going on.
India at present has a nuclear power capacity of about 6,000 MW.
Goyal said the country has significant resources of thorium in the southern coastline of Tamil Nadu but the technology is still not tested and tried.
He expressed hope that the technology would soon be proven so that the indigenous raw material, important for country’s energy security could be utilised fully.
He added that hydro-power is one sector which is also government’s focus area and Finance Minister ArunJaitely has convened a meeting tomorrow to discuss the hydro power sector.
Goyal said four or five ministers besides officials will be present in the meeting.
NEW DELHI: To safeguard country’s power plants from any possible cyber attack, government is trying to evolve a mechanism and has entrusted the task to a retired IPS officer to come out with a framework, Union Minister PiyushGoyal said today.
“I have just engaged an IPS officer who just retired to help us create an architecture against cyber attacks on the power infrastructure,” Power, Coal and Mines Minister Goyal said at Infocom 2016 here.
Terming cyber attacks as “clearly a very serious issue”, the Minister acknowledged that “we do’t have as robust a technological framework or a backbone to protect against the kind of hackers we have today.”
Goyal said that unfortunately the hackers these days are a step ahead and even the most developed nations faced the problems in this regard.
“Today, the situation is that even the most developed Western countries are finding a lot of problems. They have gone to hack I am told even the records of the Pentagon …So clearly at the end of it we all have to worry about that and I am particularly concerned about it …We are looking at what can be done,” he said.
He added that if there is a hacker then somebody is there who can detect the hacker.
The Minister stressed that these kinds of technological challenges will keep coming on and ways have to be evolved to tackle them.
Terming technology as a tool to progress, the Minister said from 20 to 30 years from now things would completely change lives with digital disruption impacting lives in a big way and cited example of companies like Uber and Airbnb who progressed without owning assets.
He said even his ministries have plans to cut travel costs by 50 per cent by holding meetings through video conferencing.
“In my own Ministries, we have a target to cut travel bills by 50 per cent. Video conferencing is more efficient,” the Minister said.
He said Internet of things (IOT) promises digital realm and said a focused approach was needed towards encouraging the IOT.
“We are using cloud technology more and more now. Earlier the fear used to be that if you are putting the data into cloud, there will be compromise on security. People are realising that putting in cloud does not compromise, one can have fireballs…As a nation one should look at more focused Internet usage to able to leverage IOT to impact the various programmes of the government of India,” he said.
He added that technology was used in a big way to prevent collapse of grids and cited example of Hudhud cyclone in Visakhapatnam in 2012 when its progress on ocean was monitored until it came close enough and entire grid was shut down in phases as it progressed.
The Minister added that within three to four days the grid had resumed operations without any catastrophic losses of life due to technology.
NEW DELHI: The government will ensure that coal demand of states, PSUs and small players is fully met before opening the sector for commercial mining by private companies, Union Minister Piyush Goyal said today.
In the first stage, the coal blocks under commercial mining will be given to states and PSUs “then gradually (the government would) go down to the next level.”
“Today I want to make sure that all requirements of the states are fully met first and the small people so that it may not happen that the private miners come and the price of coal gets disturbed,” the Power Minister said.
He said the next round of mines auction would take some more time as the government is still watching the international market pricing.
Last month, the government had said the coal ministry is likely to come out with an approach paper for formulating a detailed policy on commercial coal mining by March.
“Earlier, we were thinking to open up the coal sector for commercial mining for the private sector in the current fiscal. But it is likely that there would be some delays,” Coal Secretary Anil Swarup had said.
He had said the government did not get “too many” responses in the last auction and Coal India has also increased its production to meet the demand.
“So, we will take a look at the market situation before we put up the blocks for commercial mining for private companies,” Swarup had said.
The government plans to put up coal blocks for auction to private players for opening up the coal sector for commercial mining.
NEW DELHI: The government will ensure that coal demand of states, PSUs and small players is fully met before opening the sector for commercial mining by private companies, Union Minister Piyush Goyal said today.
In the first stage, the coal blocks under commercial mining will be given to states and PSUs “then gradually (the government would) go down to the next level.”
“Today I want to make sure that all requirements of the states are fully met first and the small people so that it may not happen that the private miners come and the price of coal gets disturbed,” the Power Minister said.
He said the next round of mines auction would take some more time as the government is still watching the international market pricing.
Last month, the government had said the coal ministry is likely to come out with an approach paper for formulating a detailed policy on commercial coal mining by March.
“Earlier, we were thinking to open up the coal sector for commercial mining for the private sector in the current fiscal. But it is likely that there would be some delays,” Coal Secretary Anil Swarup had said.
He had said the government did not get “too many” responses in the last auction and Coal India has also increased its production to meet the demand.
“So, we will take a look at the market situation before we put up the blocks for commercial mining for private companies,” Swarup had said.
The government plans to put up coal blocks for auction to private players for opening up the coal sector for commercial mining.
NEW DELHI: There is a “possibility of reducing tax rates”, if everyone pays their taxes, Power Minister PiyushGoyal today said.
“If all of us pay our taxes, then there is a possibility of reducing tax rates. It will benefit all of us,” Goyal said addressing an event organised by the BharatiyaJanata Party on completion of its two years at the Centre.
The minister further said: “If the entire society takes a decision (to disclose) regarding black money then there will be a level playing field for all. Few people steal electricity but all consumer bear the burden of high tariff.”
Appealing to the gathering, which mainly included traders, he said: “We have to make an effort once. We would have to take a decision that we want to end this corruption. We should take decision on black money. We have an opportunity till September 30. Nobody will ask you and harass you. We have to eliminate this evil from our country.”
Goyal also stressed that the BJP is serious about black money, adding the party constituted a Special Investigation Team for that in the first meeting of the Cabinet.
On promoting competition in power distribution business, Goyal said: “If there will be no consensus on the issue (Electricity Amendment Bill) then I would make it optional, so that the states which want to do it, should go ahead with it.”
The bill seeks to separate content and carriage business in the power sector, thus enabling consumers to choose service providers.
The minister said: “In order to promote completion in power sector, we have introduced Electricity Amendment Bill. So that we can choose our service provider like we do for telecom services. But power sector employees and some states are opposing it. All BJP rules states support this bill.”
He further said the Parliamentary Standing Committee mainly consisting of Communists and Congress party leaders also have reservations on it.
Supporting Finance Ministry’s disinvestment plan for public sector undertakings, Union Minister Piyush Goyal has said his ministry will not reduce the government’s stake in power sector PSUs below 51 per cent.
“Finance Minister can do whatever (as much disinvestment) he wants to do. We will support him. But we will not go for (reducing government stake) below 51 per cent. That is what we had announced for CoaI India and our other PSUs,” Power, Coal, New and Renewable Energy Minister Goyal told PTI.
Elaborating further he said: “Management and control of the PSUs should remain with the government. Last year divestment in PFC and REC was done. If they want then we are ready for another round.”
The government has set a disinvestment target of Rs 56,500 crore for the fiscal. Of this, Rs 36,000 crore is to come from minority stake sale in PSUs and Rs 20,500 crore from strategic sale. The government has already kick-started the disinvestment programme for the current fiscal with 11.36 per cent stake sale in NHPC, which fetched Rs 2,700 crore. It has lined up as many as 15 PSUs including Coal India, NMDC, MOIL, MMTC, National Fertilisers, NALCO and Bharat Electronics for divestment in 2016-17.
Recently, NitiAayog had submitted two separate lists for dealing with sick units and those PSUs where strategic sale is possible. Under strategic sale, government reduces stake to 49 per cent or below. In common parlance it is known as privatisation.
During 2015-16, the government managed to notch up Rs 25,312 crore through disinvestment, less than half the target of Rs 69,500 crore. It had raised around Rs 24,500 crore in 2014-15 by selling stake in companies, about Rs 16,000 crore in 2013-14 and Rs 23,960 crore in 2012-13. It had raised around Rs 14,000 crore in 2011-12 and over Rs 22,100 crore in 2010-11.
Asked about the impact of increase in coal prices by Coal India, Goyal said: “We are trying to rationalise it. We are not increasing the price of coal. When there will be drastic reduction in price of certain grade of coal (high calorific value) then there will be some increase in some other grades.” He explained this will lead to increase in use of higher calorific value coal and reduce quantities to generate same amount of power which will ultimately reduce freight cost.
“You need to blend the high calorific value coal as its prices have come down. You will require less quantity of coal and save freight. If I will not rationalise coal prices then there will be more imports, which would not be in natio’s interest,” he said.
Source Link :-http://www.dnaindia.com/money/report-will-not-cut-govt-stake-in-power-psus-below-51-piyush-goyal-2225529.
PANAJI: The government has advanced by at least five months the target to electrify all villages, power minister Piyush Goyal said after a two-day meeting of state power ministers.
Goyal said barring areas affected by Maoist insurgency, all unelectrified villages in the country are likely to be electrified by the end of 2016. The government had earlier set the rural electrification target at May 2017.
Earlier, Prime Minister NarendraModi had announced complete electrification of India by May 2018 and said that by December 2018, all Indian citizens will have access to electricity. He had also said that by March 2019, power will be available 24X7 to all, ahead of the earlier target of March 2022.
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