Cabinet approves PLI scheme worth about Rs 2 lakh crore: Finance Minister
New Delhi: The government on Wednesday approved a Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for ten key sectors, including telecom, automobiles, and pharmaceuticals, taking the total outlay for such incentives to nearly Rs 2 lakh crore over a five-year period.
The scheme will help encourage domestic manufacturing, reduce imports, and generate employment as the government works to bolster economic growth. The financial outlay for the new scheme will be Rs 1,45,980 crore.
The five-year PLI scheme, which aims at making Indian manufacturers' competitive globally, was approved by the Union Cabinet, Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar told reporters here.
Elaborating on the decision, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the PLI scheme will provide great incentives for manufacturers and help the country move towards the objective of 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' (Self-Reliant India).
The Cabinet also decided to extend the viability gap funding scheme to the social infrastructure sectors. The scheme is currently available only for projects concerning economic infrastructure.
"The Cabinet has taken two very important decisions... both of which, if you ask me at a time like this, is going to give a right impetus to the economy, because we are looking at Aatmanirbharta," Sitharaman said, adding that they will help in making India part of the global value chain.
The PLI scheme, she said, will also provide encouragement to the critical sunrise sectors by ensuring necessary support from the government in addition to creating jobs and linking India to the global value chain.
The 10 sectors that will be entitled to get the incentives include Advance Chemistry Cell (ACC) battery. It is entitled to get Rs 18,100 crore. Other sectors are electronics and technology products (Rs 5,000 crore); automobiles and auto components (Rs 57,042 crore); pharmaceuticals and drugs (Rs 15,000 crore); telecom and networking products (Rs 12,195 crore); textiles products (Rs 10,683 crore); food products (Rs 10,900 crore); high efficiency solar PV modules (Rs 4,500 crore); white goods (Rs 6,238 crore) and speciality steel (Rs 6,322 crore).
"Over the next five years, this is today estimated, that the new PLIs that we are bringing in for these 10 identified sectors will involve an expenditure of about Rs 2 lakh crore. So this is something which we are very happy to announce that the Cabinet has given clearance for this...," Sitharaman said.
An official release said the approved financial outlay over the five-year period for these 10 sectors will be Rs 1,45,980 crore. Under another PLI scheme, an outlay of Rs 51,311 crore has already been approved.
"We are yet again proving that the policy that we are taking up even in PLI through which we want manufacturers to come to India is clearly to say we want to build on our strength but yet link with the global value chains.
"... so this PLI is also aimed at getting investments into the country. The government is giving financial support that these financial incentives will make it attractive to produce in India and selection of sectors have been based on that," Sitharaman said.
An official release said the scheme across these 10 sectors will make Indian manufacturers globally competitive, attract investment in the areas of core competency and cutting-edge technology, ensure efficiencies, create economies of scale, enhance exports and make India an integral part of the global supply chain.
The PLI scheme will be implemented by the concerned ministries/ departments. The final proposals of PLI for individual sectors will be appraised by the Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC) and approved by the Cabinet.
Savings, if any, from one PLI scheme of an approved sector can be utilized to fund that of another approved sector by the Empowered Group of Secretaries. Any new sector for PLI will require fresh approval of the Cabinet.
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MP HC sets up judicial commission to probe water contamination in Indore
Indore (PTI): The Indore bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court on Tuesday set up a commission of inquiry comprising a former HC judge to probe the issue of water contamination in city's Bhagirathpura, saying the matter requires probe by an independent, credible authority and "urgent judicial scrutiny".
It also directed the commission to submit an interim report after four weeks from the date of commencement of proceedings.
A division bench of Justices Vijay Kumar Shukla and Alok Awasthi constituted the commission while hearing several public interest litigations (PILs) filed simultaneously regarding the deaths of several people in Bhagirathpura due to the consumption of contaminated water.
The HC reserved the order after hearing all the parties during the day, and released it late at night.
The state government on Tuesday told the HC that the deaths of 16 people in Indore's Bhagirathpura area was possibly linked to a month-long outbreak of vomiting and diarrhoea caused by contaminated drinking water.
The government presented an audit report of 23 deaths from the current gastroenteritis epidemic in Bhagirathpura before the bench, suggesting that 16 of these fatalities may have been linked to the outbreak of vomiting and diarrhoea caused by contaminated drinking water.
The report, prepared by a committee of five experts from the city's Government Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College, stated that the deaths of four people in Bhagirathpura were unrelated to the outbreak, while no conclusion could be reached regarding the cause of death of three other people in the area.
During the hearing, the high court sought to know from the state government the scientific basis behind its report.
The division bench also expressed surprise at the state government's use of the term "verbal autopsy" in relation to the report, sarcastically stating that it had heard the term for the first time.
The HC expressed concern over the Bhagirathpura case, stating that the situation was "alarming," and noted that cases of people falling ill due to contaminated drinking water have also been reported in Mhow, near Indore.
In its order, the HC said the serious issue concerning contamination of the drinking water supply in Bhagirathpura area allegedly resulted in widespread health hazards to residents, including children and elderly persons.
According to the petitioners and media reports, death toll is about 30 till today, but the report depicts only 16 without any basis or record, it said.
It is averred that sewage mixing, leakage in the pipeline, and failure of civic authorities to maintain potable water standards have led to the outbreak of water-borne diseases. Photographs, medical reports, and complaints submitted to the authorities prima facie indicate a matter requiring urgent judicial scrutiny, the HC said.
"Considering the gravity of the allegation and affecting the right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution of India and the need for an independent fact-finding exercise, the Court is of the opinion that the matter requires investigation by an independent, credible authority," it said.
"Accordingly, we appoint Justice Sushil Kumar Gupta, former judge of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, a one-man commission of inquiry into the issues relating to water contamination in Bhagirathpura, Indore, and its impact on other areas of the city," the HC added.
As per the order, the commission shall inquire into and submit a report on the cause of contamination -- whether the drinking water supplied to Bhagirathpura was contaminated; and the source and nature of contamination (sewage ingress, industrial discharge, pipeline damage etc).
The panel will also probe the number of actual deaths of affected residents on account of contaminated water; find out the nature of disease reported and adequacy of medical response and preventive measures; suggest immediate steps required to ensure safe drinking water as well as long-term infrastructural and monitoring reforms.
It will also identify and fix responsibility upon the officers and officials found prima facie responsible for the Bhagirathpura water contamination incident, and suggest guidelines for compensation to affected residents, particularly vulnerable sections.
The commission shall have powers of a civil court for the purpose of summoning officials and witnesses; calling up records from the government department, hospitals, laboratories and civic bodies; ordering water quality testing through accredited laboratories; conducting spot inspections.
All state authorities involving district administration, Indore Municipal Corporation, public health engineering department and Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board shall extend full co-operation and provide records as sought by the commission, it said.
The state government shall provide office space, staff, and logistical support to the commission, it said.
During the hearing in the day, the state government also presented a status report to the court in this matter.
According to reports, a total of 454 patients were admitted to local hospitals during the vomiting and diarrhea outbreak, of whom 441 have been discharged after treatment, and 11 are currently hospitalised.
According to officials, due to a leak in the municipal drinking water pipeline in Bhagirathpura, sewage from a toilet was also mixed in the water.
