Cement, Energy and Environment July-Sep 2002

- million to Rs 25 560.5 million pe1 annum . At current prices. royalt, ranges between 15% and 19% as against the ex is tin g 12 .76%. However. the new rates of royalty will not apply to West Bengal which is already charging a cess of around 25% on coal produced in the state which is hi ghe r than even th e revised royalty rates. ( "ourtesv: TERI Nell'.\" ll'ire, 1-1 5 Aug. ()2. N. Fax: .J682/.J.J or ./682145 /~mail: outreach@teri.res. in Web: \l'll'Wieriin.org GASOHOL TO BE l\IANDATORY IN 9 STATES FROM 2003 The 1/indu Business Line, 14 Aug 02 The sale of gasohol would be mandatory in 9 states and four Union Te rritories from I January 2003, accord ing to th e Union Petroleum Minister, Mr Ram Naik. The states where the 2003 -norm wi ll apply arc Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Goa, Gujarat, Kar nataka, Maharashtra, Punjab, Tamil Nadu. :1nd Uttnr Prades h. It will be mnnclatory in the Union Terri tories orChancligarh, Daman and Di u and Nagar Havcli, and Pondicherry. The Minister added that sale of 5-kg LPG cyl inders wou ld be launched on 16 August from Sh iml a. The sma ll-sized cylinder is targeted at people livi ng in the hilly terrains, far-flung areas and the economically weaker sections to enable easier tran sportation s ince the conventional cylinde r is 30 kg. The deposit for a 5-kg cylinder would be Rs 350 per cylinder. Cnurtesy: TERI Nell'.nvire, 1-15 Aug, 02. P I.J. Fox: -1682 f.I.J or .J682 I.J5 Email: outreachl{j)teri.res. in ll'eh: ll'\1'111./eriin. org GOVERNMENT PLANS BE~CIIMARKS FOR POWER llEG ll LATORY PANELS . . The Hindu Business Line. 30 Jul 02 The Centre is planning to spell out some ben chmark s for the electricity regulatory cominissions . These benchmarks would be incorporated in the new tariff poli cy now under preparation. Mr. R V Shahi, the Power Secretary, said that some benchmarks for the regu latory commiss ion had become necessary in view of the differential approach be ing employed by the various commiss ions. It may be menti oned that in the first round of tariffsetting by the comm ission, all the orders have been challenged in the court by the utilities. Courtesy: TERI Neli'S irire. 16-3/ Jul. 02. ?2(). rti.C .J682/.J.j Or .J682/ .J5 Email: ou/reach(ij)teri.res. in lt'eh: 11'11'11'. /eriin. or~ FUEL OIL, NAPHTHA PRICES UP Business Swndard, , 5 Aug 02 Prices of naphtha, fuel oiI and LS I-I S for non-fertilizer use have been revised by the pric in g committee of the four public sector oil marketing compani es. While the price of naphtha has been raised by 1.9%, the price or fuel oil has been increased by 2.44% and tha t of LSI IS by 2.47%. Ex -Mumba i, naphtha prices has gone up from Rs 13 130 per tonne to Rs 13 380 per tonne. while fuel oi l prices have bee n inc reased for Rs 9810 a kilolitre to Rs 10 050 a kil oli tre . LSHS prices have been raised from Rs 10500 to Rs I0760 per tonne. Cowte.1y: TfRI Neli!SII'ire. 1-15 Aug()2, P6.. Fax: ./682/.J.f or -16811 -15 Email: outreachra;teri. res.in Web: 11'11'11'./eriinorx HONCHOS LA\' .\ SWITCIIOVf~R LII"E TO COl\IPETITIVE MARKET IN POWER The Financial Express. 28 .June 2002 A se ri es of ou t-of-t he-box so lu t ion s covering the e nt ire reforms 1-ramework in the power sector. has been offered by the group of corporate honchos headed by Mr Dcepak Parekh. In a s ignifican t recommendation, the committee has ca ll ed fo r a smooth tran s ition towards a competi ti ve power market. with in troduction of open access to wi res and cho ice to the consumers. Cautioni ng against the s ingle-buyer model, the committee has strongly advocated for allowing the DI SCOMS (distr ibution compan ies) to procure power from gencos (generators) of their choice. Citing the cases or reforming states li ke Ori ssa, Andhra Pradesh. Rajas than and Uttar Pradesh. the committee poin ts out that while all these states adopted unbu ndling, they stopped we ll short of introducing a competitive market for powe r suppl y. Instead. they adopted a si ngle-bu ye r-mode l, whe rein th e state transm iss ion compan ies are the mono po ly purchasers of power. CourleSJ' · Teri Ne11'.\"ll'ire, I n-30 June 1n02. P 18-19. Fax: 9/ II ./681/.J.J E-mail: outreac-/ilc/lteri.res. in IVeb: 11'11"11'. leriin. mg BIO-DIESEL I)OLICY TO BE OlJT SOON The Hindus/an Times, 1.J June 1002 The Government is likely to come out wi th a comprehensive policy regard ing biodicse l soon. Min is ter of Stale for Rura l Development, Mr Annasaheb M K Patil. sa id, the selli ng price or biod iesel is expected to be between