The empowered group of ministers, headed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on July 27, is likely to discuss setting priority for usage of the gas that is likely to be available in next five years, two sources privy to the development said.
The EGoM is to consider fixing users for about 50 million cubic meters per day of KG-D6 gas, official sources said. This is in addition to the initial 40 mmscmd output that was previously distributed primarily to urea and power plants.
Even as the freeze on all decisions and notifications for fresh special economic zones continues, the government on Friday gave its nod for authorised operations in 30 notified SEZs, while granting co-developer status to five zones.
Petroleum ministry rejects conclusions of two reports ahead of EGoM.
The Inter-Ministerial Group on restructuring of Delhi and Mumbai airports asked global consultant ABN-AMRO to shortlist the bidders, ten of whom have expressed interest in modernising these airports, by Thursday.
Lamichhane's Rastriya Swatantra Party, which was formed just months ago, won 20 seats in the 275-member House of Representatives and is the third largest party among the ruling alliance.
The Department of Telecommunications is scheduled to auction 3G spectrum starting January 14.
The empowered group of ministers (EGoM) on gas headed by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday decided that gas allocation from RIL's D-6 block will be made to power projects subject to availability and without prejudice to court decisions, according to a government release.
The Empowered Group of Ministers looking into the Dabhol power project fiasco is likely to meet on Friday to discuss ways to restart the plant that has been lying idle for over three years.
A key meeting of senior United Progressive Alliance government ministers and political parties, including the Congress and its Left allies, failed to secure a political consensus on the showpiece Special Economic Zones initiative.
Government sources on Thursday confirmed that the EGoM would meet on August 27. The EGoM, headed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, is likely to discuss various issues, including the amount of 3G spectrum to be auctioned, annual spectrum charges, the number of operators in each telecom circle and the reserve price for 3G and broadband wireless services, sources said.
The meeting of the empowered Group of Ministers on Dabhol Power, scheduled for October 8 to discuss ways and means of reviving the troubled 2,184 MW power project in Maharashtra, has been postponed.
In a relief to telecom operators, the Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) is believed to have suggested setting a 20 per cent lower base or bid start price at Rs 14,111-15,111 crore for the proposed spectrum auction.
The government expects to raise up to Rs 12,000-15,000 crore (Rs 120-150 billion) through Coal India IPO, billed as the country's largest ever.
The vacation of additional 2G and 3G spectrum may generate additional revenue of about Rs 80,000 crore (Rs 800 billion) on the basis of prices according to spectrum auctioned last year, DoT said in a note for the empowered group of ministers.
Instead of the original plan of auctioning four 3G licences per circle, bundled with 5 MHzs of spectrum per licence, the schedule will depend on spectrum availability in each circle.
The empowered group of ministers on Friday deferred a decision on the appointment of a financial consultant for privatisation and modernisation of Delhi and Mumbai airports.
New Delhi The government has decided not to sell the Dabhol power plant, which has been struggling thanks to huge debts it owes to the contractors.
Government has approved follow-on public offer of Power Finance Corporation worth Rs. 5,732 crore.
With the government making a distinction between the privately-run Reliance Natural Resources Ltd and the government-run NTPC Ltd in relation with the gas dispute with Reliance Industries Ltd, the ministry of power is likely to take up NTPC's case with the Empowered Group of Ministers.
The government will not stop companies from filing fresh applications seeking permission to set up special economic zones. However, it will not process any fresh applications until it clears the backlog of over 360 pending proposals.
National estimates of the percentage of the population falling below the poverty line are based on surveys of sub-groups, with the results weighted by the number of people in each group.
The government is likely to set up a Group of Ministers (GOM) to take a final decision on divesting stake in the telecommunications company, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd.
The empowered group of ministers on fuel pricing is to meet this week to take a view on the price of diesel.
Fresh notifications and approvals for setting up Special Economic Zones are being put on hold till an Empowered Group of Ministers looking into the matter takes a final view, Rajya Sabha was informed on Wednesday.
The empowered group of ministers, headed by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, had imposed a 5000 hectare ceiling on SEZs last year following widespread protests over land acquisition. The meeting of the eGoM, scheduled for February 4 to review the land ceiling was cancelled.
The central leadership of the CPI(M) and chief ministers of the Left-ruled states of Kerala and West Bengal have discordant views on the question of a cap on the number of Special Economic Zones
In another instance, a foreign partner of a notified SEZ had already procured equipment abroad for setting up the units but could not send them to India as all proposals were put on hold.
eGOM is likely to reconsider the 5000 hectre SEZ land ceiling limit in the coming month.
The meeting of the empowered group of ministers on special economic zones could not reach any firm view on on Monday while the government will take the rehabilitation policy to the Cabinet next month.
The EGoM has fixed priority for the 25 million standard cubic metes per day of gas Reliance plans to start pumping from September this year and 40 mmscmd from March 2009. It has asked the company to first supply gas from KG-D6 field, the first major field of NELP to go on production, to existing gas-based urea plants, which are now getting fuel below their full requirement.
"The letter approving a price of $4.20 per million British thermal unit (mBtu) for first five years of production from KG-D6 was issued by the Petroleum Ministry on Thursday," a source familiar with the development said.
The Centre has turned down the proposal of the empowered group of state finance ministers to keep alcohol out of goods and services tax.
The government has decided to scrap a plan to purchase wheat through a series of small domestic tenders in different parts of the country, fearing that private traders may corner most orders.
The eGoM, headed by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, is likely to take up issues including demand from developers to revise the 5,000 hectare land ceiling for one SEZ.
The government told the Bombay high court on Friday that the empowered group of ministers decided that Mukesh Ambani-led RIL will start supplying gas from the KG basin to Anil Ambani's Dadri power project and other upcoming power plants once it is ready to begin operations.
The calculations done on June 25 were mostly based on the average international price in the first fortnight of June.
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