Most political parties and media have passionately supported the Supreme Court ruling in the 2G spectrum case, that the government should auction natural resources and not allot them or allow unregulated extraction (as in iron ore mining). The Comptroller and Auditor General has fuelled this public passion by estimating huge losses to the exchequer through failure to auction natural resources like spectrum and coal.

BHUBANESWAR: Union Minister for New and Renewal Energy Farooq Abdullah on Wednesday said the Centre would provide financial assistance to states for grid connectivity to renewable energy sources. Inaugurating a solar power plant and a hi-tech horticulture and floriculture farm at Tangi, about 30 km from here, Farooq said several renewable energy projects could not be commissioned for lack of support from states.

State Congress has claimed that 1,068 villages of the Shajapur district of the State would be illuminated with the electricity on the initiative taken by the Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi. Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee president and MP Kantilal Bhuria in a statement here on Sunday said that a sum of Rs 52.31 crores has been sanctioned for the same, over 38000 BPL families would be benefited by the electrification.

MUMBAI: The mercury dipped to record lows on several days this winter, but contrary to expectations, power consumption in the state didn't register a simultaneous fall. Rather, demand in Maharashtra increased by 1193 MW in seven months since the peak of summer. The state consumed 18145 MW of power in December 2011, much more than the 16952 MW in the peak summer month of May 2011. This increase, besides being an indication of growing prosperity, is a warning sign for the critical four months of summer that lie ahead.

Fatehabad: The six-month-old standoff between farmers and the power utilities over the setting up of a 220-KV power substation at Samain village in Fatehabad ended today with both sides signing a “truce” document. After officials of the power utilities conceded some major demands, the farmers agreed to end their opposition to the substation.

Jatakheda, a small village in Sehore district of Madhya Pradesh is different from other villages of the State, as it has the distinction of being the first village to have its very own wind energy power unit. Jatakheda sarpanch Devji Mewara while talking to VivaCity said, “Having lived in darkness all along since Independence as the village never had regular electricity supply in the village, we immediately agreed to the proposal of Manthan, a volunteer organisation to implement a wind energy project for the village.”