Hi Friends,

Even as I launch this today ( my 80th Birthday ), I realize that there is yet so much to say and do. There is just no time to look back, no time to wonder,"Will anyone read these pages?"

With regards,
Hemen Parekh
27 June 2013

Now as I approach my 90th birthday ( 27 June 2023 ) , I invite you to visit my Digital Avatar ( www.hemenparekh.ai ) – and continue chatting with me , even when I am no more here physically

Monday, 17 April 2017

RE: LAND ACQUISITION BILL


Dear Shri Aiyar :

I write to you after a long time

I read with interest , your article in yesterday’s Times of India , re Coal based power plant

It is possible that there were some points that you could not cover for want of space

I have mentioned these in my following blog


Warm Regards,

Hemen Parekh

+91 98675 50808



Coal   Story  :  Missing   Points

Writing in Times of India ( 16 April 2017 / Dark Side of solar success ) , Shri Swaminathan A Aiyar makes following :

POINTS :

·         The plant load factor ( PLF ) of coal based power plants was 76 % six years ago , but is now just 58 %

·         At today’s PLF of 58 % , many coal based power plants are in trouble

·         If average PLF falls below 48 % ( as is likely if Solar capacity soars to 40 GW by 2020 ), then many coal based projects will go bust

·         High interest costs ( on borrowed capital ) can kill projects when the PLF falls

·         Around 65 GW of NEW thermal power plants are already in pipeline

·         PLF collapse could bankrupt many projects , hugely burdening lenders.
·         Many banks are already staggering under enormous bad debts and now face the threat of fresh avalanche

·         The notion that solar power has become cheaper than coal-based power is an illusion ( though, hopefully it will become reality if costs keep falling )

·         Power storage based on conventional batteries is very expensive. Hopefully new technologies will cut the cost , but none are in sight yet

·         Solar costs are falling fast, The slower we go, the more solar costs will fall. So speed is not a virtue

India must plan to match total power supply with decelerating demand, and aim for a solar-thermal mix that avoids huge idle capacities


MISSING  POINTS :

·         Coal requires “ auctioning / licensing / mining / washing / transporting / storing “ – all of which are expensive / time-consuming processes .
     Coal prices keep rising whereas sunlight cost remains ZERO for ever !

·         Sunlight gets delivered directly on every roof-top Solar panel , FREE of cost and 300 days in a year !

·         Our 196 GW thermal power plants produced 805.4 million tons of CO2 in 2015.
     Solar Power produces NIL !

·         Particulate matter emanating from Coal-based power plants is causing 6 LAKH premature deaths in India, EACH YEAR !
Solar Panels do NOT produce any particulate matter
·         Thermal power plants consume almost 88 % of the water consumed by ALL industries put together
Solar Panels need VERY LITTLE water , for occasional washing

·         If our current fleet of 200 MILLION petrol / diesel vehicles were to get replaced with Electric Vehicles ( government target is 2030 ), that will require a huge amount of electric power ( for battery charging stations )
If that power comes from Coal-based plants , CO2 emission levels and particulate matters , will get WORSE ! That power has to come from Solar !
·         As far as storing of Solar Power ( generated during the day ) is concerned, TESLA has made tremendous progress with its POWERPACK batteries and even offered the Australian Government to install a 100 MW storage facility , within 100 days !

Read : Not  a  Day  Too  Soon  ( 09 March 2017 )

·         Only 2 days back , Japanese Consortium consisting of Suzuki / Toshiba / Denso announced plans to start manufacture of Li-ion batteries in India by end of this year , at an investment of Rs 1200 crore

    Read : India , the NEW land of the Rising Sun ? ( 01 April 2017 )

·         Solar PV modules are dropping in cost at 22 % per year ( it was 26 % in 2016 )

Read :
Tony Seba stands vindicated ( 16  March  2017 )

How cheap can it get ? ( 14 March 2017 )

      Solar Power at Re 1 per Kwh ? ( 29 Jan 2017 )

      Sun : Our Soul ( 02 Jan 2017 )

      Sun is the Solution  ( 13  Sept  2016  )

     Unlimited Power : and round the clock ? ( 29 July 2016 )

17  April  2017

    


From: Swaminathan Aiyar [mailto:SAiyar@cato.org]
Sent: 08 June 2015 23:51
To: 'Hemen Parekh'
Subject: RE: LAND ACQUISITION BILL

You are on the right track. Farmers should remain owners, and we should have leasing instead of acquisition.
Regards
Swami Aiyar

From: Hemen Parekh [mailto:hcp@recruitguru.com]
Sent: Monday, June 08, 2015 12:51 AM
To: Swaminathan Aiyar
Subject: LAND ACQUISITION BILL

Dear Shri Aiyar :


In yesterday's TOI , I read your article re Land Acquisition Bill

Find below , email I sent to Shri Ahluwalia , on 25 May 2015

I have also sent this suggestion to all MPs / MLAs / Ministers etc , using Online Messaging Service of my web site at ,


You may want to use this service yourself


with regards ,

hemen  parekh



(M) 0 - 98,67,55,08,08

Mumbai

PS :

I enjoy reading your articles on Sunday TOI

---------------------------------------------------------


Shri  S S Ahluwalia

Chairman , Joint Committee

Land Acquisition Bill

--------------------------------------

Dear Shri Ahluwalia


I refer to the Press Notice on this subject , inviting views / suggestions from members of public

For your consideration , I submit my views / suggestions as follows

with regards,

hemen  parekh
Mumbai
(M) 0-98,67,55,08,08

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WHY    PENALIZE     POOR     FARMERS   ?


Why take away " ownership " of their land ?

We know that this ownership is not profitable for the farmers

By continuing to till those lands for a pittance , farmers are obliging the rest of the society

They barely manage to eke out a subsistence-level living , even when rains are good

Rest of the times , they remain perpetually  indebted to " Shahukars "

On an average , 17,000 farmers commit suicide each year , when they fail to repay their debt ( - may be , no more than Rs 20,000/- ! )

Have you ever heard a Businessman or an Industrialist commit suicide , after willfully defaulting to repay bank loans of Rs 20 Crores / 200 Crores ?

No , they go on Swiss Holiday ! ( You guessed right why Swiss ! )

How many " Lakhs*Crores " have banks written off as NPA over the years ?

Is any banker losing his / her sleep ?

No !  Just write-off or ask Government for " Re-Capitalization " !

Why can't we write-off our " Societal Debt " to farmers by paying each farmer-family , a sum of Rs 20,000 / - per month ?

That is less than what we ( thru the Central and the State Governments ) have been paying by way of wages to millions of workers employed by PSUs , for the past 60 years  !

Workers who have NO WORK ( - since there is NO DEMAND for what those PSUs produce ? ) , but still troop in every morning to punch attendance - then play cards on the shop-floor for the rest of the day !

Has any Minister / MP / MLA, bothered to visit these PSUs , incognito ?

How many " Lakhs*Crores " of rupees have the honest tax-payers paid over these years , to protect their " Idle / Non Productive " jobs ?

And , did we not pay another " Lakhs*Crores " to hundreds of erstwhile Rajahs / Maharajahs ( - and their children ) for 50 years , by way of " Saliyana " ( Pension / Annuity ) , for divesting of their Kingdoms ?

Even as they were " legally " permitted to retain all of their ill-gotten wealth ,accumulated over the years by plundering the " Praja " ?

So , why can't we take care of our farmers' families for the next 25 years ?

Why this double standard ?

When a clever professional can be paid " Sweat Equity " in an enterprise for contributing his brain power , why can't we pay similar Equity to farmers , for allowing us to use their lands ?

Central Government is planning to fund ( by way of EQUITY ) ,thousands of " Start-Ups " , and has set aside Rs 10,000 Crores for this purpose

Does Central Government believe , any of these will pay dividend for the next 10 years ?

Of Course , not !

Please , have mercy on the farmers , who continue to display the highest " Work Ethics " of any working group , in this country !


*   Do not take away their " Ownership " of their land

*   Request them to allow Governments ( Central + States ) to become
     " Co - Owners "

*  For allowing such " Co-Ownership " , give them EQUITY in the concerned
    Project ( separate SPV for each project )

*  Give them some immediate " Joining Bonus " in cash ( do not call it " Compensation " )

*  Give them monthly " Rental " for land-lease ( do not call it " Subsidy " )



This is all about , " Sabka Saath , Sabka Vikas "

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


(  My  email  to  Shri Gadkariji  on   23 March 2015  )


Dear Nitin Gadkariji,


Farmers are opposing this bill for the following reasons :

>    Low / Inadequate compensation

>    Once land is sold , not being able to benefit from the appreciation of land value , when the project comes up

>   Private parties bought their land at low price and then sold it ( mostly to private builders ) for a whooping profit


I think there is a simple solution to the concerns expressed by the farmers . Please consider the following :


>     Each project will be tied to a specific SPV , created for that purpose only

>    In the first instance , affected farmers will create a " Cooperative Society

>   Co-operative Society will issue shares to each land-donor farmer , in proportion to the QUANTITY / VALUE of the land donated by him

>   In turn , Co-operative Society will receive shares in the SPV , equal to the value of the land + a cash compensation equal to 4 times the value of the land

>  Farmer's shares of Cooperative Society cannot be sold in open market before 5 years but can be gifted to wife / Children

>  Shares of Cooperative Society in the SPV itself cannot be sold for next 10 years

>  The " Cash-Value Compensation " received by the Co-operative Society ( ie 4 times the land value ),  will be deployed as follows :

   *  To be immediately paid in cash to the farmers............ 2 times

   *  To be deposited in the Jan-Dhan Account of each farmer as FIXED DEPOSIT ( with 10 @ interest ).............2 times


Dear Gadkariji ,


My proposal will ensure :


>     Immediate attractive compensation to farmers

>     Recurring income from FD in Jan Dhan account ( for a sustained livelihood )

>     Continued sense of " Ownership " in the SPV / Project , which will facilitate QUICK implementation without resistance

>     Willing farmers themselves canvassing / convincing " Reluctant " farmers

>     No fear of private parties benefiting by appreciation of land value

>    A sense of " Enlarged Participation " thru Co-operative Society representing them on the Board of Directors of SPV

>    Board Representation enabling farmers to ensure that honest decisions are being taken


PLEASE , GIVE  THIS  SUGGESTION   A  CONSIDERATION 


with regards,

hemen  parekh

Mumbai


( M ) 0 - 98,67,55,08,08


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Gujarat Govt to buy land in joint venture with farmers

(  Source :  Times  of  India  /  07  May  2015  )

-------------------------------------------------------------------------



GANDHINAGAR: Even as the Land Acquisition Bill gives heartburn to the Narendra Modi government for being branded as 'anti-farmer' by opposition parties, the Gujarat government has proposed joint ventures (JV) with farmers under the new industrial policy.

The new Gujarat model encourages farmer groups to give their land to Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) to develop industrial parks under a JV with GIDC.

While the scheme was introduced in a different avatar a few years ago, officials say it would work well at a time when acquiring land for industry has become a sensitive issue.

The move promises to be a solution to contain growing discontent over agriculture land acquisition for industrial purpose.

The 'Financial Assistance to Industrial Park' (FAIP) scheme declared recently under the new industrial policy promotes
JVs with farmers to develop industrial parks ranging from 20 to 100 hectares.

"Farmers will be made equity and profit partners in proportion of their land holding. Under the JV, farmers may continue to be owners of the land but may sacrifice their right in lieu of equity and profit rights in the park," said an official.


Saurabh Patel, state government spokesperson and in-charge minister for industry and mines, said, "It is a win-win model for all.

GIDC faces a lot of issues in acquiring private land.

 The new model will motivate farmers."

 Modalities of the JV will be approved by the State Level Expert Committee.


Industrial parks under FAIP will be provided financial assistance of 25% of eligible fixed capital investment in building and infrastructure facilities up to Rs 30 crore excluding the land cost.

Additional Rs 20 crore assistance will be provided if the park developer (JV also) develop hostel and dormitory facility for workers.
The private developer or JV of farmers and GIDC will get 100% reimbursement of stamp duty paid. Individual units will also get 50% stamp duty waiver.




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