<span style="color: #222222;">Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today held 7th Pre- Budget consultations with stakeholder groups of Infrastructure, Energy and Climate change in New Delhi in connection with the forthcoming Union Budget 2020-21.</span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Issues relating to challenges in the infrastructure sector, framing of trade rules and policies in global context, quality of resilience of infrastructure sector and related finance, railway infrastructure, enhanced focus on adapting renewable energy for economy and environment, climate resilient infrastructure development, promotion of non-fossil fuel based energy and growing role of Circular economy in development imperatives and policies among others were discussed during the meeting.</span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The stakeholders of Infrastructure Sector and experts of energy sector and climate change gave a wide range of suggestions in the meeting including availability of finance for real estate, infrastructure and affordable housing, renewable energy sector to have larger capacity creation, further fine-tuning in IT Act, lower duties and softer lending rates, automotive industry's role in fighting climate change through  support for electric  mobility, scrapping policy for old polluting vehicles and focus on mass transport powered by renewable energy, attention on taxonomy on green economic activities or climate finance, climate compliant investment, more funds for combating Air pollution increasing efficiency of resource use, promoting energy efficiency in SME sector through Government support to cluster based intermediaries and faster phasing out of depreciated coal fired power plants. Further suggestions include push to bio-fertilise, viability gap funding for batteries to encourage renewable energy power storage, expansion of existing Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan KUSUM, promotion of energy efficient appliances including LPG Cooking stoves and bringing technology for improving Railway infrastructure.</span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Along with Ms Sitharaman, Finance Secretary, Secretary Economic Affairs, Revenue Secretary, Secretary Department of Investment and Public Asset Management, Secretary Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Secretary  Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Secretary Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Chief Economic Adviser attended the meeting among others. </span><br />''  <br />