In pre-Budget meet with FM, industry pitches for green push

Noting its crucial role in fighting climate change, the auto sector has urged the government to provide financial support for electric mobility and bring the much-awaited scrapping policy for old polluting vehicles.

In a pre-Budget meeting with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, the sector representatives also suggested greater focus on mass transport powered by renewable energy.

This was seventh pre-Budget meeting of the Finance Minister which saw stakeholder participation from the infrastructure and energy sector.

As per an official Finance Ministry statement, the stakeholders of the infrastructure sector and experts of energy sector gave a wide range of suggestions including, availability of finance for real estate, larger capacity creation in the renewable energy sector and faster phasing out of coal-fired power plants.

"Further suggestions include push to bio-fertilizer, viability gap funding for batteries to encourage renewable energy power storage, expansion of existing Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (KUSUM), promotion of energy efficient appliances including LPG Cooking stoves and bringing technology for improving railway infrastructure," the statement said.

Stakeholders of infrastructure sector and experts of energy sector and climate change included Mahendra Singhi, President, Cement Manufacturers Association (CMA), Naveen Munjal, Managing Director, Hero Electric Vehicles, Manoj Kohli, Executive MD of SB Energy and Rajan S. Mathews, Director General, Cellular Operators Association of India.

Apart from Finance Secretary Rajeev Kumar and Economic Affairs Secretary Atanu Chakraborty, several other senior officials were present during the key meeting ahead of Union Budget, 2020-21.IANS