Delhi to give incentives to eateries using environment-friendly fuel

In order to deal with air pollution in the city, the Delhi Cabinet on Tuesday approved a proposal to provide financial incentives to industries and eateries using environment-friendly fuels.

The proposal of the Environment Department also includes 50 per cent subsidy of the cost or maximum subsidy of Rs 5,000 per tandoor, whichever is less, to the eateries for replacing or conversion of their coal-based tandoors with electricity or gas-based tandoors with effect from April 1.

"To fight against pollution, the Delhi Cabinet today (Tuesday) approved: Subsidy for use of electric or gas tandoors in place of coal tandoor and also incentives to industries for switching to PNG," Delhi Environment Minister Imran Hussain said in a tweet.

It also includes up to Rs one lakh subsidy for industries which switch to Piped Natural Gas (PNG).

"Grant of Rs 50,000 to small industries and Rs one lakh to large industries to be provided as per the definition of Indraprastha Gas Limited (IGL), in Approved Industrial Areas in Delhi and Redevelopment Industrial Areas for switching over to PNG," said a statement from the government.

"The new restaurants, eating houses, banquet halls, hotels which have come up or will come up on or after April 1 and provides or installs electricity or gas-based tandoors, shall also be eligible for getting the said subsidy," it said.

For the overall implementation and monitoring of the scheme, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) will be the authorised agency, it said.

The DPCC will finalise the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), application form and format of inspection and verification report for processing the case for grant of subsidy.

The national capital region had faced severe air pollution particularly with respect to higher particulate matter concentration in the ambient air.

The scheme is also part of the Green Budget 2018-19.

Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Manish Sisodia during his budget speech had said: "We will offer a subsidy of up to Rs 5,000 per tandoor to restaurants to replace coal tandoors with electricity or gas-based tandoors."

--IANS

nks/qd/sed