Rs 22,000 Cr Outlay For Power, Renewable Energy Sector In FY21: FM

In her second Budget presentation, the finance minister said the Centre has proposed that discoms should replace conventional meters with smart pre-paid meters and give option to consumers to choose electricity suppliers

Photo: PTI

New Delhi: The Centre has proposed an outlay of Rs 22,000 crore for power and renewable energy sector for 2020-21, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Saturday. In her second Budget presentation, the finance minister said the Centre has proposed that discoms should replace conventional meters with smart pre-paid meters and give option to consumers to choose electricity suppliers. State governments need to replace conventional electricity meters with pre-paid smart meters in three years, she said. The finance minster also said natural gas pipeline grid will be expanded to 27,000 km from over 16,000 km now and further reforms for transparent price discovery for natural gas will be undertaken. The government has allocated Rs 1.23 lakh crore for rural development and Panchayati raj while Rs 1.6 lakh crore was earmarked for agriculture and allied activities, she added. The government also plans to expand coverage of artificial insemination to 70 per cent from 30 per cent to increase livestock productivity, she said adding fish production would be raised to 200 lakh tonne by 2022.