Uttarakhand boosts infra via PPP mode

The hill state of Uttarakhand is poised to boost its infrastructure sector, as the state government has lined up as many as 91 projects under the public-private partnership (PPP) mode, entailing an investment of Rs 5,372 crore.

Out of the 91, 13 projects are under implementation, 37 are under bidding stage and 41 are in the pipeline, as per the latest progress report of the PPP cell. A total of 17 projects had got cancelled due to various reasons, top government officials said on Tuesday, based on the report.

Significantly, only a couple of projects in the health sector have been operational and working well. These comprise the nephrology-dialysis unit at the government Coronation hospital and mobile hospital units, plus the MRI machine at the Government Doon hospital.

ISBT project, which was initiated few years ago here, is now under the final stages of implementation.

The government has lined up 19 projects in the tourism sector with the Mussoorie ropeway project being the main attraction. Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, in his Independence Day speech yesterday, promised to speed up the project that proposed an investment of Rs 500 crore to Rs 700 crore.

In the education sector, the government has taken up development of five schools through BOT (build-operate-transfer) route with an investment of Rs 100 crore.

However, there is still suspense over the proposed Rs 700-crore Hindon Expressway connecting Haridwar with Dehra Dun, as the PWD has not yet decided about implementing it. Similarly, Song dam has also been taken up on the PPP mode with IL&FS being appointed as the transactional adviser. The project will also be built through BOT route with an investment of Rs 500- 600 crore. A total of 15 projects are under different stages of implementation in the energy sector with an investment of Rs 900 crore.