Dr Manipadma Datta | The TrickyScribe: Interim budget FY19-20 has a special distinction as it is the last one by the present government. That the governments in Indian have a fixed five-year term notwithstanding, this is the sixth consecutive one in the queue.

If one asks so as to who the chief beneficiaries are, the answer is obvious-the Indian middle class, and the urban group if pointed out more precisely! People already in gainful employment are likely to benefited most with quite a decent jump in their disposable income with lesser tax burden. So, the consumer goods producers and service providers would equally be happy. So, much talked about poor Bharat would further keep lagging smarter India!

Naturally, some political compulsions seem unavoidable. This time the budget, however, looks a bit overloaded. Too many sops, too little perspective! There is some good news too! Let us first highlight some of the positive things the Budget has accommodated. Tax collection has increased, both in the direct and GST segments! Customs duty abolition for capital goods is another bold step.

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PM Narendra Damodardas Modi claimed that the Budget will empower the poor, give a boost to the farmer and an impetus to economic growth. The PM added that 12 crore farmers and their families, 3 crores middle class taxpayers will be directly benefitted. That apart, farmers with landholding size below 5 acres will also be helped by PM Kisan Nidhi. PM Shram Yogi Man Dhan Yojana aims at safeguarding unorganised sector’s interests.

For farmers, whatever has been thought of is certainly far less than what is needed, given the magnitude of the population in India. The relief proposed would benefit certainly a section of farmers. But, what is there for the landless and marginal agricultural workers? This is undoubtedly one more area our government has chosen to ignore! What was expected, particularly in the context of farmers’ plight all over the country with the increasing rate of suicides and continued decline in the price of farm produce, this Budget would at least declare some quick measures. The expectations got belied!

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Proposal for making tax assessment online would certainly enhance more transparency in the system. Expanding food security and schemes like PM Shram Yogi Man Dhan Yojana could help the underprivileged section. Given our poor record of implementation over decades, we, however, are destined to wait!

Climate and sustainability seem to be next losers. Environment perhaps got defeated to development! With increasing GDP consistently for years, it could be the best time for us to go greener! Unfortunately, that has not happened! Keeping GST formalities for the small entrepreneurs requiring submission of returns once in every quarter would certainly increase the motivation of small traders resulting in more tax collection and compliance.

A budget should create more hopes for the posterity, the Generation X. Where is the new scope for our youth? Particularly when the unemployment rate in the country is reported to have risen to an alarmingly high level, highest in last forty-five years! Let’s hope, all the good things proposed would continue and corrections would be attempted by the next government!

(The author is a Professor of Business and Sustainability at TERI School of Advanced Studies, Delhi)

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The TrickyScribe: Aftermath of a natural gas disaster can be unbelievably grim—sky-high sheets of flame, massive structures gone in seconds. World got to see the devastating signature of a gas blast in Mexico wherein the death toll mounted as the number of people who died from a gasoline pipeline explosion in central Mexico last week has risen to 94.

The explosion took place as about 800 people in Tlahuelilpan district of Hidalgo state were collecting gasoline that was gushing out from a pipeline leak near a major refinery. Central Mexico was hit hard by gasoline crunch after President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador launched a crackdown on fuel theft almost a month back, ordering pipelines closed in an effort to stamp out criminal activity.

Similar disasters occur in different ways with varying levels of damage, right from shattered window glass to a screaming flame-jet that carbonizes rows of houses. This needs to be tested with a pinch of salt by the developing economies that are plunging in massive wealth in the construction of such pipelines.

India to spend Rs 70,000 crore for gas pipeline network

Indian government is all set to spend Rs 70,000 crore to spread gas pipelines across the country and is working out plans to expand gas network to Myanmar through Bangladesh as the central government is promoting gas based economy which needs a massive network of pipelines for transportation of natural gas to various corners of the country.

“In the first phase Rs 70,000 crore will be invested to spread gas pipeline network across the country,” Indian petroleum minister, Dharmendra Pradhan said while addressing the 19th National Conference on Corrosion Control that aims at analysing various industrial corrosion problems and provide a platform for interaction among industrialists, scientists, engineers and professionals. Pradhan said India is also planning to expand gas pipeline network to Myanmar through Bangladesh.

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“Under this programme, pipelines are proposed to be constructed between Dhamra to Bangladesh and Siliguri to Bangladesh to export LNG gas according to the requirement of the neighbouring nation,” he said. South Eastern Region Pipelines (SERPL) is presently operating cross-country pipelines network of crude oil and refined products as well as LPG of 1570 kms length with 19.35 MMTPA capacity. Under this region, India Oil is having the biggest and largest crude oil handling facility at Paradip, which is feeding four most important refineries – Paradip, Haladia, Barauni and Bangaigaon.

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As future expansion plans under SERPL, laying works of 1212 km Paradip-Hyderabad pipeline with capacity of 4.5 MMTPA is in progress. Moreover, preconstruction works for 360 km long Paradip-Dhamra-Haladia LNG pipeline and 345 km long Paradip-Somanathpur-Haladia pipeline are also under progress, said the Petroleum Minister.

Fundamental flaw with pipelines

Natural gas is conveyed over the land in pipes of different diameters and pressures. The problem begins when a pipe develops a leak or rupture due to aging infrastructure or construction work. In Lavezzo’s experience responding to calls last year, the two causes broke down to about 50/50.

Not exactly, but many major cities across the globe sit atop huge networks of antiquated, fragile, and hard-to-work-on gas lines. Researchers recently detected an incredible 5,900 natural-gas leaks under Washington, D.C.

Old Infrastructure

Most troublesome sort of the pipes are made from cast iron and can predate World War II. The root of the problem is the cast-iron and wrought-iron pipe that gas companies used to build their distribution networks in many parts of the nation back in the early to mid-20th century. While strong, the iron pipes are vulnerable to corrosion, and their rigidity makes them susceptible to stresses, including pounding from construction and vehicle traffic above.

The task of replacing the aging gas pipes can seem like excavating the root system of a Giant Redwood with tweezers and a scalpel. That’s a drop in the bucket toward solving the national problem. There will always be construction workers who don’t know about underground pipes and dig into them (or know about them, and still manage to dig into the dang things).

Dicey Situation

A cigarette ember tossed into a sewer could trigger an explosion, or exposed wires in a telecommunications manhole. In a residence, it could be a frayed electrical cord, glitchy outlet, broken light bulb, poorly wired light switch, or any kind of motor with brushes in it. “Arsonists are the best for finding these things for you, if experts are to be believed.

Response Time

Firefighters can respond only to shuffle around for an hour for a minor-or-nothing incident in the majority of calls for gas leaks. Utilities venting gas during tests provoke scads of false alarms in certain cases; in others, a utility can shut down a minor leak by simply turning a valve.

Pungent Smell

The putrid scent of mercaptan, a chemical added to natural gas and propane making it detectable, is one warning sign. If a leak is substantial enough, you might actually see the gas before it lights.

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The TrickyScribe: National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) issued a tender inviting bid for the development of 15 MW Floating Solar PV project at its Koldam Hydroelectric Power Plant (HEPP). Eligible bidders will be involved in a Single Stage Two Envelope bidding process under International Competitive Bidding (ICB) followed by Reverse Auction.

SCOPE OF WORK

Brief scope of work will include the Design, engineering, manufacturing, supply, packing and forwarding, transportation, unloading storage, installation, testing and commissioning of Solar Photo Voltaic Plant based on open category PV modules and cells.

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Supply of floaters, installation, anchoring, fixing floaters for SPV panels, pathways corresponding to 19.5 MW system and installation of the SCADA system for remote monitoring and control of inverters with all hardware and software will also be included.

Additionally, the successful bidder will be responsible for the successful operation and maintenance (O&M) of the SPV Plant along with electrical equipment, consumables and spare parts for a period of 3 years from the date of successful completion of the trial run.

LAST DATE

Last date of bid submission is February 25, 2019, and the techno-commercial bids will open on the following day i.e. February 26, 2019. Pre-bid meet up has been scheduled for February 11, 2019, to address the concerns raised by prospective bidders. Bidders are directed to submit a bid security amount of Rs 10 lakh.

ELEGIBILITY

To be eligible as a bidder, the  bidder  should  have  designed,  supplied,  erected or supervised  erection  and commissioned or supervised commissioning of Solar Photo Voltaic (SPV) based grid-connected power plant(s) of cumulative installed capacity of 12 MW or higher, out of  which  at  least  one  plant  should  have  been of  10  MW  or  higher  capacity. Also, the average annual turnover of the bidder should not be less than Rs 56.3 crore during the preceding three financial years as on date of techno-commercial bid opening.

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Find the copy of tender here!

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