Govt to push clearance for infrastructure projects worth Rs. 1 lakh crore
On July 19th, the PMO convened a high level meeting and asked the infrastructure ministries to expedite the clearance for Rs. 1 lakh crore worth projects in the road, aviation, railways and power sector, with the aim of accelerating infrastructure development. The steering committee was headed by the Prime Minister’s principal secretary, Pulok Chatterji. The meeting was attended by the Railway Board Chairman and other secretaries in departments and ministeries of Road, Transport and Highways, Civil Aviation, Shipping, Finance and Economic Affairs and Power.
The projects include some new projects as well as some projects already in pipeline. Some of the major projects include the Mumbai Elevated Rail Corridor, a 534-km Sonnagar-Dankuni section of the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor, two airports, and power and transmission project. Together, these projects are worth more than Rs. 40,000 crores. The shipping ministry was directed to award a major port at Sagar in West Bengal over the next few months with an investment of Rs. 7,820 crores.
The group also decided to expedite the work on two locomotive projects. The first project involves construction of an electric locomotive factory worth Rs. 1,300 crores at Madhepura while the second project involves construction of a diesel locomotive factory worth Rs. 2,050 crores at Marhowra. Both are in the state of Bihar.
The high level meeting discussed accelerating the work on the 135-km Eastern Peripheral Expressway which is India’s first national expressway. This expressway will connect Sonipat (Kundli), Ghaziabad and Palwal in the NCR, and will bypass Delhi on the eastern side. This expressway is intended to prove as a catalyst in both commercial and residential development along the 135-km express corridor, majorly in Uttar Pradesh. Clearing off some pending railway projects worth Rs. 2 lakh crores was another agenda for discussion.
An empowered group of ministers (EGoM) headed by the defence minister AK Antony decided to continue providing fertilizer plants top priority in natural gas supply. The group also debated a proposal for providing equal status for both power and fertilizer sectors in natural gas allocation. The group decided to meet again on Thursday (July 25) to discuss making natural gas available to power plants from sources other than Reliance Industries. The meeting may also finalize fresh bidding norms for ultra-mega power projects.
The coal ministry decided to slap show-cause notices on 27 coal block allottees for delaying production. It also decided to seek explanation from another 21 mine-holders for delaying the development of mines.
