JK hydel projects likely to be over by year-end: UPA report

Four hydel projects in Jammu and Kashmir, expected to generate 449 Mw of electricity, are likely to be completed by the end of this year, the government said today.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had announced 11 hydel projects in the state under the Prime Minister's Reconstruction Programme.

"Out of these, three projects namely Uri-I (480 Mw), Salal-I and II (690 Mw) and Dulhasti (390 Mw) have already been completed and commissioned.

"A further four projects namely, Sewa-II HEP (120 Mw), Nimoo Bazgo HEP (45 Mw), Chutak HEP (44 Mw) and Uri-II (240 Mw) are likely to be completed within 2010," the Report to the People-2009-10 by the UPA government today said.

Released by the Prime Minister, it said Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana (RGGVY) for five districts namely Baramulla, Pulwama, Rajouri, Poonch and Doda have been sanctioned by the Rural Electrification Corporation on November 27 2009. With this, RGGVY schemes for the entire state have been sanctioned, the report said.

It added that in the Kashmir valley, five pairs of short distance service Diesel Multiple Units (DMU) trains have been operationalised between Budgam and Qazigund, Qazigund and Baramula and Baramula and Budgam.

With regard to the North-East, the report said a regional coordination mechanism, covering all the Northeastern states, for gathering, analysing and disseminating intelligence has been set up at Shillong and has been operationalised with effect from February 23 2010.

"The UPA government has been paying special attention to the development of national highways in the North-East region and 10 per cent of the total allocation is earmarked for that region. So far, about 596 km length has been completed during 2009-10. Development of roads and highways in Arunachal Pradesh involves about 2,319 km of roads. Bids have already been received for four projects with a total length of 776 km, to be awarded shortly. The trans-Arunachal Highway forms an important part of this initiative," the report said.