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A parliamentary committee has flagged significant delays in expenditure under the scheme for promotion of coal, lignite gasification, noting zero spending for most of 2025-26 despite a revised allocation of Rs 285 crore, and suggested a time-bound spending framework with quarterly milestone verification. The standing committee on coal, mines and steel was of the view that the scheme's outlay was brought down from Rs 300 crore at Budget Estimates (BE) 2025-26 to Rs 285 crore at Revised Estimates (RE) stage due to milestone-based needs, with no expenditure incurred and even a a single eligible project pending reimbursement formalities. "The committee noted that no expenditure is incurred for most of the financial year, with even a single eligible project awaiting fulfilment of reimbursement formalities," it said. The panel further noted that against a Revised Estimate of Rs 285 crore in 2025-26, the Budget Estimate for 2026-27 was sharply raised to Rs 3,525 crore. The committee, ...
The government will take a consensual view before implementing the CAFE-III rules, which seek to limit average fuel consumption and carbon emissions across the entire model range of an automobile manufacturer, Union Power Minister Manohar Lal said on Sunday. The Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency-III (CAFE-3), introduced by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), is proposed to be effective from April 1, 2027, to March 31, 2032. The government has sought feedback on the draft rule from stakeholders. Automobile makers have mixed views on its implementation framework, with some demanding a relaxed emission mandate for small cars based on weight and affordability. Those opposing the relaxation criteria argue that such a move would lead to a compromise on safety standards and hamper the country's clean energy transition. The draft norms, which were brought for discussions in September 2025, suggested relaxed conditions for small cars with an unladen mass up to 909 kg, engine capacity not