MINING AND INDUSTRIALISATION UPDATE, ORISSA - Vasundhara

Reddy Pratap Chandra Sarangi and BirSipka.Policy for power quotaStatesman News ServiceBHUBANESWAR, August 4: The stategovernment formulated policy guidelines forpower generators covering all those whohave already signed MoUs and those whoare in the pipeline and stipulated availabilityof power as state shares with the quantumbeing linked to coal block and coal linkages.The state cabinet which met here todayaccorded approval to a set of guidelinesrecommended by a task force on powerrelated issues. The task force had dealt withpolicy guidelines for future independentpower producers who have not signedMoUs, review of the power purchaseagreements with power producers who havealready signed MoUs, guidelines for ultramega power projects and for central publicsector undertakings like NTPC. Henceforththe MoUs will have a provision entitling anominated agency authorised by the stategovernment to purchase 14 per cent powerfrom a generator with coal linkage and 12per cent power from those without coallinkage. The power purchased from thegenerator by the state or its authorisedagency will be at variable costs determinedby the OERC. For existing power producers,the same has been fixed at seven and fiveper cent of the generation respectively.However with regards to ultra mega powerprojects, the state will have a right topurchase upto 50 per cent of power from itthrough competitive bidding at the lowestbid price only. The government has also saidthat ultra mega power projects shouldcontributed five per cent of their profit to theperipheral development fund. The MoUsand power purchase agreements signedalready may be modified and the progress ofexisting independent power producers willbe reviewed, it said.Ultra mega power projects will signed MoUwith the state government for support ingetting various clearances and assistance inrehabilitation measures as per state policy.The central sector power generators willhowever follow government of Indiaguidelines on sharing of power and state willget 10 per cent home state share from theplant in addition to the 20 per cent sharethrough Gadgil formula. The Centre will berequired for 15 per cent discretionary powerfrom NTPC Kaniha while agreeing to theproposal of NTPC in Ib Valley project,stated the Cabinet.Govt agencies have to clearsmall industries' dues in timePNS, 1 August, 2008Good news for small scale and mediumscale entrepreneurs. They don't have to runafter Government servants to get theirpending dues cleared by departments andother agencies to which they supplymaterials. "If their money is not clearedwithin the stipulated time period, theGovernment departments will repay themoney with compound interest," said ChiefSecretary Ajit Kumar Tripathy. The interestwill be to the tune of three times the bankinterest. Briefing about the Cabinet'sdecision, Tripathy said in terms of theprovision of the interest on delayed paymentto Small Scale and Ancillary IndustriesUndertaking Act, 1993, the StateGovernment has constituted the IndustriesFacilitation Council. The Council will solvethe dispute between the governmentagencies and the small scale tradersregarding any disputes on payment. It wouldalso be applicable to the PublicUndertakings. While Director of Industriesis the chairman of the Council, CGM StateBank of India or his representatives, JointDirector of Industries and representative ofIndustries Association are its members.Tripathy further said in support of thedemands f the Industries Promotion Officer'sAssociation, the State Government decidedto enhance the promotion quota to Class-II (23