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CABINET APPROVES `1,600 CRORE HYDRO PROJECT NEAR CHINA and relate to 13 states -- Chhattisgarh, Punjab, Bihar, Madhya
BORDER Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu,
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved Assam, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Arunachal Pradesh.
an investment of `1,600 crore for ‘pre-investment activities’ in Mission Amrit Sarovar was also reviewed in the meeting, the INFRASTRUCTURE
Arunachal Pradesh’s 2,880 MW Dibang multipurpose project. statement said.
The government has approved a `1,600 crore ($3.9 billion) Prime Minister Modi advised the ministries and state governments to
investment for the 2,880-megawatt Dibang project in Arunachal use the PM GatiShakti portal for planning of infrastructure projects.
Pradesh, according to state-run hydropower producer NHPC Ltd. He insisted on expeditious resolution of land acquisition, utility
It is expected that the project will complete in 9 years. The cost of shifting and other issues for timely completion of projects, the
India’s largest hydro project, which includes storage, is estimated statement said. He emphasised on ensuring proper coordination
to be `31,876.39 crore. Hydropower is classified as renewable between central government ministries and state governments.
energy in India, and it is seen as critical in the country’s transition During the interaction, Prime Minister Modi also reviewed Mission
away from coal to manage fluctuations caused by intermittent Amrit Sarovar’ and undertook real time view of Amrit Sarovar sites
solar and wind supplies. Himanshu Thakkar, the coordinator for the through drones in Kishanganj, Bihar and Botad, Gujarat.
non-profit organization South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers, and The prime minister advised all ministries and state governments to
People, warns that the Dibang project, which will occupy an area complete Amrit Sarovar work in mission mode before the onset of
of more than 5,000 hectares of forest land, is also susceptible to monsoon, the statement said. The prime minister emphasised on
comparable hazards. He believes that the company’s estimation block-level monitoring for timely completion of the target of 50,000
of finishing the project within nine years is too optimistic, considering Amrit Sarovars under the scheme, it said, adding the unique idea
possible setbacks due to community protests and geological of Mission Amrit Sarovar’ is working to rejuvenate water bodies all
complications. The Lower Dibang Valley district project will generate across the country, which will help conserve water for the future.
11,223 million units of energy per year. The dam will be the highest Once the mission is completed, the expected increase in water
in India, standing at 278 metres in height. holding capacity is going to be around 50 crore cubic metres, the
estimated carbon sequestration will be about 32,000 tonnes per
4-LANE SECTION FROM PHAGWARA TO RUPNAGAR ON NH-344A year and expected increase in ground water recharge is over 22
BEING EXECUTED AT `1,367 CR million cubic metres. Moreover, the completed Amrit Sarovars are
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari recently said the four-lane wide section evolving as centres of community activity and participation, thus
from Phagwara to Rupnagar on NH-344A is being executed in enhancing the spirit of ‘Jan Bhagidari’, the statement said.
hybrid annuity mode at a cost of `1,367 crore. Under the hybrid Many social activities like Swachchata Rally, Jal Shapath on water
annuity model, the government provides 40 per cent of the project conservation, school children’s activities like rangoli competition,
cost to the developer to begin work and the remaining investment is celebration of religious festivals like Chhath Puja are being
made by the developer. The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways organised on the ‘Amrit Sarovars’ sites.
in a statement said the 4-Lane wide section from Phagwara to
Rupnagar on NH-344A developed by NHAI would give a major UP GOVT BRACING UP TO LAUNCH PROJECTS WORTH OVER `21
boost to the road infra in Punjab. TRILLION BY AUGUST
The section connects major cities Amritsar - Jalandhar - Chandigarh Having netted investment proposals of `33.50 trillion at the Global
and extends mobility to Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Ropar, Investors Summit (GIS), the Uttar Pradesh government is now bracing
and Mohali. The alignment will reduce the travel time between up to launch projects worth more than `21 trillion by August 2023.
Jalandhar and Chandigarh to almost half and provide direct These projects, part of the GIS kitty, numbering over 13,000 pertain
access to Khatkarkalan, which is the ancestral home of Shaheed to different sectors, such as manufacturing, food processing, and
Bhagat Singh, the minister said. micro, small and medium enterprises. According to Chief Minister
Yogi Adityanath, projects worth `21.25 trillion spanning private,
PM MODI REVIEWS 9 INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS WORTH OVER public, and public private partnership (PPP) domains are lined up
`41,500 CR for an early launch. The chief minister has directed officials to host a
Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently reviewed nine key mega ground-breaking ceremony in the next six months to launch
infrastructure projects spread across 13 states having a cumulative the first tranche of GIS projects. The remaining projects would be
cost of more than `41,500 crore. Modi reviewed the projects while launched in the successive rounds of the ceremony.
chairing the meeting of 41st edition of PRAGATI, the ICT-based “During the GIS 2023, we received 13,000 investment proposals
multi-modal platform for Pro-Active Governance and Timely worth `16 trillion. These investors are ready to implement them
Implementation, involving the Centre and state governments. immediately,” the chief minister said.
In the meeting, nine key infrastructure projects were reviewed Additionally, the state had garnered 29 investment proposals worth
-- three projects were from the Ministry of Road Transport and `2.80 trillion from the public sector undertakings (PSUs), who have
Highways, two from the Ministry of Railways and one project each lined them up for an immediate launch. Moreover, the government
was from Ministry of Power, Ministry of Coal, Ministry of Petroleum has signed 99 memorandum of understanding (MoU) worth `2.45
and Natural Gas, and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, a trillion under the PPP mode. Collectively, all these projects worth
statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office said. more than `21 trillion will be accorded priority in a rollout at the
These nine projects have a cumulative cost of over `41,500 crore maiden ground-breaking ceremony of the GIS 2023, a senior

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