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September 8, 2010India’s Powerful Central Planning Commission has decided to give $500 million from next year to Indian States making the most Progress in Going Green.The Agency has decided that the States will be evaluated on a number of Green Parameters from next year and a performance bonus in terms of additional Central Funds will be given to those states.The Plan makes a lot of sense as it incentivizes the States to put up a more Environment Friendly Performance.Based on the current criterea,North India Hilly States like Himachal Pradesh,Uttarakhand,Sikkim etc rank the highest in their climate friendliness.
The reasoning that the Greenest States will be less developed industrially and should be compensated for that.It remains to be seen what details are given out to evaluate the States.It will serve as a useful Climate Scorecard which can be used as a framework in the future for further subsidies and incentives.India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change has set ambitious targets to mitigate Climate Change and this measure will help in achieving those targets.
From next year, bonus for green states – TOI
Beginning next financial year, the Planning Commission will include performance on environmental concerns as one of the criteria for determining Central assistance to states. In what takes green concerns several rungs higher in the ladder of governance priorities, around Rs 1,900 crore will be disbursed to states in 2010-11 based on environmental performance.The Plan panel, in consultation with the Union environment and forests ministry, has prepared the blueprint for the disbursal of funds. The panel is also ready with an index for measuring the “green” performance of each state and ranking them.