House panel approves provision in mining bill requiring a miner to disburse an amount equal to the royalty earned by the govt

AParliamentary panel that examined the proposed new Mining Bill has recommended that coal and lignite miners too be asked to share an amount equivalent to the royalty they pay to the government with the project affected people as against the proposed 26% of profit they make.
A clause in the new Bill had proposed that miners of major minerals like iron ore and bauxite contribute an amount equal to royalty towards a “district mineral foundation (DMF)”, and coal and lignite mines part with 26% of profits towards compensating the project affected. The industry is opposed to this proposal, saying that this would, in effect, take mining tax in the country to 69-70%, the highest in the world.

Environment ministry does not evaluate cumulative environmental impact of multiple dams in a region. Funded by the project proponent, the EIA report of a project too downplays the environmental costs, reports M Rajshekhar

Housed in the ministry of environment and forests is a quasi-independent body whose job is to scrutinise every hydel-power project for environmental damage. In its six years, the hydel environmental assessment committee (EAC) has evaluated 262 hydropower plants and irrigation projects, according to a February 2013 study by the South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People, a Delhi-based antidam organisation; it hasn’t rejected a single one.

With the clock ticking, the tribal affairs ministry has set the ball rolling for village assemblies or gram sabhas to decide on allowing Vedanta to source bauxite from the Niyamgiri hills, consider

The drastic fall in private investment in road and highway projects has prompted Parliament’s standing committee on transport to suggest a review of the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model – touted by many senior government officials as the only way to bring in money and developing infrastructure in India.

In 2012-13, only 9 projects offered by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) got bids whereas as many as 13 projects saw no takers.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on transportation, tourism and culture in its report on the demand for grants by the road ministry said that with private capital gravitating towards only profitable projects, unprofitable projects getting no bids must be developed using budgetary support instead.

The practice is passing bills after discussion. Let’s see what can be worked out: Sandeep Dikshit

The government on Thursday tabled the food guarantee bill in the Lok Sabha, amid ruckus created by the Opposition which has prevented the functioning of Parliament demanding the resignation of the prime minister. Food minister KV Thomas, who piloted the bill, and other government leaders conceded the passage of the bill would be difficult in the face of the logjam, but there was expectation in Congress that it could give the party a talking point.

But co claims it gave up equity in state-owned holding firm for hydel projects on its own

Arunachal Pradesh, the epicentre of hydel power in India, has decided to reverse its contentious decision in 2009 to give 49% equity in its hydro-power corporation to the Naveen Jindal Group. The decision, taken last month, came after a backlash from government departments and other companies having hydel projects in the state against the joint venture, which was a departure from precedent as it effectively gave the Naveen Jindal Group a stake in every upcoming hydel project in Arunachal.

In February 2011, the Australian government established an independent body, the Climate Commission, to provide unbiased scientific information to the public about climate change.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed a Bombay High Court order directing Goa government to file FIRs against all miners named in the Justice M B Shah Commission report for alleged violation of lease conditions.

Without the stay, the state would have been forced to take action against top politicians such as Pratapsing Rane, Digambar Kamat and Ravi Naik’s son Roy besides several top miners and officials in the state.

Works taken up as part of NREGA scheme were found to help maintain ground water levels, aiding crop productivity

The UPA government’s flagship employment guarantee programme can play an important role in conserving natural resources and sustaining water supply and food production, according to a study. Conceived to provide livelihood security for the rural poor, the scheme can also help reduce and counter the impact of climate change in villages, according to the study, “Environmental Benefits and Vulnerability Reduction through Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme” by IISc, Bangalore in collaboration with the rural development ministry and the German international co-operation agency, GIZ.

Ten solar power producers, including Jackson Ltd, Vikram Solar, Symphony Vyapar Pvt Ltd and Lexicon Vanijya Pvt Ltd have written to the ministry of new and renewable energy (MNRE) saying imposition of anti-dumping duty on solar imports will severely affect the fledgling Indian solar industry.

Producers and equipment manufacturers have been at loggerheads since the latter filed an anti-dumping case against China, the US, Taiwan and Malaysia last year for imported solar panels. Producers have called a halt to such measures till phase two of the national solar mission begins and new projects are commissioned.