New National Auto Policy coming soon: Minister Anant Geete
New Delhi, Sep 5 : A new National Auto Policy is currently being readied which will lay emphasis on reducing vehicular emissions as well as on green mobility, Heavy Industries Minister Anant Geete said on Wednesday.
Also in the offing is the second edition of the Centre's Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric and Hybrid Vehicles (Fame) programme which expires in December, Geete said in his inaugural address at the annual session here of the Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA).
"We are going to come out with a new auto policy which will accomodate the wishes of the entire industry and take their suggestions into account," Geete said.
According to ministry officials here, discussions with various stakeholders have been on for the past six months to frame the new policy, which envisages having a nodal regulatory body for the automobile industry.
The draft policy released earlier had recommended rationalisation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) structure for automobiles by replacing the current classification criteria with a composite criterion based on vehicle length and carbon dioxide emissions.
"Government is also going to come out with a Fame 2 scheme in the future as Fame 1 is coming to an end on December 31," Geete said.
"I am currently not in a position to divulge more details about Fame 2 and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will make more announcements on this at the electric mobility summit here later this week."
Geete complimented ACMA for keeping the Indian industry up-to-date with the latest innovations, and said the body is an integral complement to the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) who are going to hold their annual session here on Thursday.
In his address earlier, Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari said that the country's economy needs to be strengthened by reducing crude oil imports through use of bio-fuels and increasing exports by the automobile industry.
"We are thinking seriously on how we can reduce the 'permit raj' in the field of alternate fuels and electric mobility," he said.
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BJP responsible for Sabarimala women entry verdict, LDF's stand same as 2007 affidavit: Min Vasavan
Kottayam (Kerala) (PTI): Kerala Devaswom Minister V N Vasavan on Saturday blamed the BJP for the 2018 Supreme Court verdict permitting women's entry into Sabarimala and said the LDF government's current stand remains the same as the affidavit filed before the apex court in 2007.
He was responding to reporters' queries regarding the affidavit to be filed by the state government before the nine-member bench of the Supreme Court clarifying its position on the entry of women of menstruating age into the hill shrine.
He said the 2018 verdict came after women lawyers associated with the BJP approached the Supreme Court.
"We had filed an affidavit in 2007 stating that the issue should be decided by experts in ritualistic matters. We are still maintaining that stand," he said.
The Supreme Court has not sought the state government's position on women's entry now, but has asked for clarification on certain constitutional issues, he added.
"We have assigned the Advocate General and constitutional experts in the Supreme Court to give the reply. They will respond accordingly," the minister said.
He added that if the court seeks the state government's stand on the matter, it would be presented, noting that the LDF government had already stated its position in the affidavit filed in 2007.
"The party's (CPI-M) stand is the same as the government's. The government is with the devotees. We have always been with the devotees," he said.
The minister also criticised the opposition, alleging that they repeatedly approach courts on various issues and return with adverse responses.
"They go to court on several matters and come back with adverse responses. Has there been an opposition in Kerala that has faced so many setbacks from courts," he asked.
When asked about the state government’s actions in 2018 following the Supreme Court verdict allowing women of all ages to enter Sabarimala, he said no such interpretation should be made as the government had already clarified its stand in the 2007 affidavit.
"If the Supreme Court gives any verdict, can we say anything against it. The women’s entry was the decision of the apex court of the country," he said.
He said the 2018 verdict came after women lawyers associated with the BJP approached the SC.
"They are now hiding. Actually they were standing for it. But here they are taking a different stand," he said.
He further alleged that attempts to facilitate women's entry in 2018 were made by BJP activists.
"It was BJP's young lawyers who filed the case and received the verdict. They then called it a historic judgement. But after some stage, they changed their position," he claimed.
He said the LDF government's position was that it respects the Supreme Court's verdict.
"But in our affidavit filed in 2007 we clearly stated that the entry of women of menstruating age should be decided by experts in ritualistic matters," he said.
He denied allegations that the state government had taken special interest in facilitating the entry of women of menstruating age into Sabarimala in 2018.
The Supreme Court in 2018 permitted women of menstruating age to enter the Sabarimala temple, following which Kerala witnessed widespread protests.
Currently, the Supreme Court is considering appeals against the earlier verdict.
