Modi government makes economic revival 'paramount' goal

New Delhi: The new government will soon come out with a National Energy Policy that will focus on balancing   power generation through conventional and non-conventional   sources, said President Pranab Mukherjee. Addressing the first Joint Sitting of the Parliament,  Mukherjee said: "My government will come out with a comprehensive National Energy Policy and focus on development  of energy related infrastructure, human resource and   technology."  

The aim of the government will be to 'substantially augment' electricity generation capacity through a judicious mix of conventional and non-conventional sources, he added. The government will also work towards expanding the  National Solar Mission.  

The mission which was launched on the 11th January, 2010   has a target of deploying 20,000 MW of grid connected solar   power by 2022 and reduce the cost of solar power generation in   the country through long term policy, large scale deployment   goals, aggressive R&D and domestic production of critical raw   materials, components and products.  

Mukherjee further said: "The international civil nuclear   agreements will be operationalised and nuclear power projects   for civilian purposes will be developed. "By the time the nation completes 75 years of   Independence (2022), every family will have a pucca house with   water connection, toilet facilities, 24x7 electricity supply."   The new government also intends to address the important   issue of pollution through the use of cleaner fuels.  

"Cleaner fuels will be promoted to bring down pollution levels in our cities. The government will take up mitigation   works to meet the challenges posed by climate change and will   work with the global community in this regard," said  Mukherjee.  

The government will formulate clear and transparent policies on allocation of critical natural resources such as coal, minerals and spectrum, he added.

The government, Mukherjee said, will endeavour to "create a policy environment which is predictable, transparent and  fair. "It will embark on rationalisation and simplification of the tax regime to make it non-adversarial and conducive to investment, enterprise and growth," he added.   

He said government will move ahead with the rollout of Goods and Services Tax (GST) while addressing the concerns of the states, and undertake more reforms to enhance the ease of    doing business.   

The President further said that Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) will be encouraged in sectors which "help create jobs and assets". In order to create jobs, he said, the government will promote labour-intensive manufacturing and endeavour to expand employment opportunities in tourism and agro-based industries.   

The government will transform employment exchanges into career centres and also strengthen pension and health insurance safety nets for labour force of all categories, in addition to providing them access to modern financial services, Mukherjee said. Giving further details of the government's agenda, he  said effort will be made to increase public and private investment in the farm infrastructure and convert farming into    a profitable venture through scientific practices and    agro-technology. The government "will adopt a national land use policy    which will facilitate scientific identification of non- cultivable land and its strategic development", he added.