Sweta Goswami writes on politics, urban development, transportation, energy and social welfare. Based in Delhi, she tracks government policies and suggests corrections based on public feedback and on-ground implementation through her reports. She has also covered the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) since its inception.
Articles by Sweta Goswami
India defers six-airbags rule for cars by a year, cites supply chain constraints
A government official said the six-airbags rule will increase their demand to 18-20 million units a year but there wasn’t enough manufacturing capacity in the country
Updated on Sep 29, 2022 05:56 PM IST
Cabinet approves second tranche of PLI scheme to boost manufacturing of solar modules
New Delhi: The Union cabinet on Wednesday approved the second tranche of the Performance Linked incentive (PLI) scheme to boost manufacturing of solar photovoltaic (PV) modules in India, Union minister Anurag Thakur announced in a press briefing
Published on Sep 22, 2022 12:37 AM IST
Delhi bus route revamp to start from Oct 2 on trial basis
The average daily ridership of Delhi’s state-run buses is about 4.2 million -- much higher than that of the Delhi Metro, at around 2.7 million
Published on Sep 21, 2022 12:05 AM IST
Govt to pool wind energy bids to diversify projects
: The central government is working on a plan to pool wind power bids to diversify projects across states that have the scope for it, power minister RK Singh said, adding that his ministry is targeting bids of at least 8 GW per year of wind energy to boost the sector
Published on Sep 20, 2022 12:19 AM IST
Sweta Goswami, New Delhi
HT interview: Wrong to give free power to those not in need, says RK Singh
Union power minister RK Singh speaks about the government’s plans to achieve India’s India’s COP26 promises, possible roadblocks in the journey, the “culture of freebies’’, and reveals that he has told officials to conduct a financial health study on all major states offering electricity subsidies.
Updated on Sep 17, 2022 04:47 AM IST
Sweta Goswami, New Delhi
Planning PLI for grid-level energy storage, says power minister RK Singh
Union power minister RK Singh said the problem I am facing right now is that almost all the battery manufacturers in India are focused on the transport market.
Updated on Sep 15, 2022 08:27 PM IST
Sweta Goswami, New Delhi
Focus on creating infrastructure that is safe, accessible for all: Nitin Gadkari
Gadkari acknowledged the dichotomy between building super-fast roads to bring cities closer in the country and ensuring safety of passengers as well as pedestrians
Updated on Sep 12, 2022 06:07 PM IST
Govt to mandate warning beepers for rear seats: Gadkari
Nitin Gadkari said that the Centre will hire private third-party expert firms to conduct audits of identified and potential black spots in India's highways and expressways — starting with the Ahmedabad-Mumbai highway where ex-Tata Sons chairman Cyrus Mistry was killed in a car accident on Sunday.
Updated on Sep 07, 2022 01:51 AM IST
Sweta Goswami, New Delhi
Cyrus Mistry car crash: Govt to ban seat belt beep alarm stoppers in India
Union minister of road transport and highways (MoRTH) Nitin Gadkari has said that the Centre has decided to ban all kinds of seat belt beep alarm stoppers in the country
Updated on Sep 06, 2022 04:01 PM IST
Govt standardises process to issue international driving permit
The new standardised format of the IDP will be issued by respective state authorities and it will be valid for a period of one year from the date of issue, the ministry of road transport and highways (MoRTH) said.
Published on Aug 29, 2022 11:53 PM IST
Sweta Goswami, New Delhi
CBI bus purchase inquiry won't hit expansion: AAP
The federal agency on Sunday said it registered a preliminary enquiry last year into alleged irregularities in purchase of 1,000 AC buses by the Delhi government in 2020
Updated on Aug 23, 2022 07:02 AM IST
‘All govts consult stakeholders while framing any policy’: Manish Sisodia
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are not interested in plugging corruption, but want to stop Arvind Kejriwal’s growing popularity across the country, Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said.
Published on Aug 22, 2022 06:58 AM IST
Sweta Goswami, Hindustan Times, New Delhi
Day after CBI raids, Manish Sisodia says 2024 polls will be Modi Vs Kejriwal
Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said the CBI raids over the Delhi government’s excise policy were aimed at stopping Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal’s rise in national politics
Updated on Aug 20, 2022 01:37 PM IST
CBI raids Manish Sisodia: Delhi’s liquor sector reform, and where it went wrong
The 2021-22 excise policy was intended to herald a new era for the city’s liquor business by putting an end to cartelisation and black marketing, while also completely overhauling customer experience that was till then marred by dingy stores, a shortage of options in several areas, and a lack of discounts.
Updated on Aug 20, 2022 04:51 AM IST
Centre bars 13 states from power exchange over dues
The restriction came into effect from Thursday evening and delivery of power will be stopped from Friday.
Updated on Aug 19, 2022 12:49 AM IST
Sweta Goswami, New Delhi
‘If not AAP or Centre...’: Sisodia writes to Amit Shah on Rohingyas row
Hardeep Singh Puri in a tweet on Wednesday morning referred to a story by news agency ANI that said 1,100 refugees would be resettled in the flats from their accommodation in tents
Updated on Aug 18, 2022 05:33 PM IST
Confusion, clarification amid row on Rohingya
The Union home ministry contradicted a tweet by Union urban development minister Hardeep Singh Puri who eventually backtracked after having first termed the plan to move the migrants to better facilities a 'landmark decision'.
Updated on Aug 18, 2022 05:33 AM IST
Risha ChitlangiaSweta Goswami, New Delhi
Quality education, healthcare not freebies: Arvind Kejriwal in birthday address
AAP is currently eyeing to fight the BJP in the upcoming assembly elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh towards the end of this year
Updated on Aug 16, 2022 02:00 PM IST
Panel highlights big lapses in electric two-wheelers
Based on the committee report, the transport ministry has approved imposing a hefty monetary penalty on three companies that sold “faulty” electric two-wheelers.
Updated on Aug 13, 2022 05:48 AM IST
Sweta Goswami, New Delhi
Power bill tabled in Lok Sabha, Opposition voices concerns
The proposed the Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2022 seeks to strengthen India’s power distribution sector, which continued to see high technical and commercial losses of around 21% in 2019-20 against a target of 15%.
Updated on Aug 09, 2022 01:44 AM IST
Sweta Goswami, New Delhi
27 states providing power subsidy, MP, Rajasthan and Karnataka top list
Delhi has seen an increase of 85% in its subsidy expenditure between 2018-19 and 2020-21, from ₹1,699 crore in 2018-19 to ₹3,149 crore, the second highest among all provinces, an analysis of three-year data show.
Updated on Aug 08, 2022 05:01 AM IST
Sweta Goswami, New Delhi
Delhi LG Saxena suspends 11 excise officials for ‘lapses’ in city liquor policy
Delhi lieutenant governor VK Saxena on Saturday approved the suspension against 11 officers of the Delhi excise department for “serious lapses” in the implementation of the city’s 2021-22 excise policy, said officials aware of the matter.
Updated on Aug 07, 2022 01:37 AM IST
Manish Sisodia demands CBI probe against former Delhi L-G Anil Baijal
The senior AAP leader, who is also Delhi’s excise and finance minister, said he has written to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe the matter.
Updated on Aug 07, 2022 04:45 AM IST
Sweta Goswami, New Delhi
Delhi excise policy row: Manish Sisodia blames L-G for ‘last-minute U-turn’
Sisodia, who is also the state excise and finance minister, said that he is writing to the Central Bureau of Investigation to probe the matter
Updated on Aug 06, 2022 01:58 PM IST
Delhi govt dusts up bus route rationalisation, aims to provide to remote corners
The Delhi government is working on its much delayed plan to rationalise bus routes in the city so that every passenger is able to board a bus within 15 minutes and within a radius of 500 metres of wherever they are, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Wednesday
Updated on Aug 04, 2022 01:27 AM IST
Sweta Goswami, New Delhi
Myths being spread on GST: FM in Parliament
The minister, during the price rise debate that went on for five hours in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, clarified that no GST is levied when people withdraw cash from banks.
Updated on Aug 03, 2022 01:57 AM IST
Sweta Goswami, New Delhi:
Delhi cabinet note details reasons for temporary withdrawal of excise policy
New Delhi: Loss of excise revenue despite the high sale of liquor, retailers and wholesalers exiting the business, discounts leading to “unhealthy market practices”, and shortage of premium brands, were the key reasons cited by the Delhi government in a cabinet note to withdraw the 2021-22 excise policy and restore the old excise regime for now, according to official documents
Published on Aug 02, 2022 12:03 AM IST
Glass half full: Liquor shortage in Delhi likely despite extension
Despite the Delhi government’s late-evening decision on Saturday to extend the existing 2021-22 excise policy by a month to prevent the Capital scrambling for a bottle from Monday, traders in the city said there are still likely to be widespread gaps in the availability of liquor in the coming days, with vendors and stores unlikely to place fresh bulk orders just to see the month out
Published on Jul 31, 2022 06:56 PM IST
Sweta Goswami, New Delhi
Delhi’s bars, hotels flag concerns over liquor licence uncertainties
New Delhi:Restaurants, hotels and clubs in Delhi on Saturday expressed concerns over the fate of their licenses to serve liquor even as the Delhi government announced late evening that the current excise policy will be extended by a month for a smoother transition, and continuity in the operations of the liquor vends
Updated on Jul 31, 2022 06:55 PM IST
PM targets ‘culture of subsidies’, asks states to clear power dues
Addressing the closing ceremony of ‘Ujjwal Bharat Ujjwal Bhavishya - Power @2047’ programme, the PM wondered that if the common man could pay their electricity dues regularly, why states did not
Updated on Jul 31, 2022 01:15 AM IST
