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SHAKTI Scheme
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on Wednesday approved the revised Scheme for Harnessing and Allocating Koyala Transparently in India (SHAKTI) for allocation of coal to the power sector to help them meet long-term and short-term coal requirement. The approval was given by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a move aimed at simplification of the linkage process. The CCEA "has approved grant of fresh coal linkages to thermal power plants of central sector/state sector/independent power producers (IPPs)," the coal ministry said in a statement. With the introduction of Revised SHAKTI (Scheme for Harnessing and Allocating Koyala Transparently in India) Policy, two windows --- coal linkage to central gencos/states at notified price and coal linkage to all gencos at a premium above notified price -- have been proposed. The ministry further said 'under coal at notified price' segment the existing mechanism for grant of
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said his statement on 'Shakti scheme' was distorted and presented as if the Congress government in the state wanted to withdraw it. Shivakumar's reaction came after Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge subtly pulled him in public for his statement that some women wished to pay for travelling in the buses. "Whatever statement I had made was distorted as if we would stop it (Shakti scheme). I only said some section of people is saying so. There is no question of winding up any guarantee," the Deputy CM told reporters here. According to him, some people voluntarily wish to pay for their travel. "Even though these women are willing to pay, the conductors are afraid of collecting money from them. I said we will discuss it," Shivakumar said. Shakti is one of the five guarantees offering free rides for Karnataka women in non-luxury government buses anywhere in the state. The Deputy CM slammed the opposition parties for making a fu
The free ride in non-luxury state-run buses for women across Karnataka under the 'Shakti' scheme on Monday cost the state exchequer Rs 8.84 crore, according to the transport department. On day one of the launch of the scheme on Sunday, the department incurred an expenditure of Rs 1.40 crore. In just two days, the total expenditure under the scheme -- a key pre-election promise of the Congress -- was Rs 10.24 crore. According to data shared by the department, on Monday Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation incurred an expenditure of Rs 3.58 crore, Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation, which operates city buses, Rs 1.75 crore, the North West Karnataka Road Transport Corporation Rs 2.11 crore and the Kalyana Karnataka Road Transport Corporation Rs 1.40 crore. If one were to take into consideration the Monday figure, the annual expenditure on this scheme may touch between Rs 3,200 crore to Rs 3,400 crore, a transport officer told PTI.