Cabinet approves 3 major power projects

The Union cabinet Thursday approved three major projects for the power sector, the power ministry said in a statement here.

The projects are the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana, Integrated Power Development Scheme and the North Eastern Region Power System Improvement Project.

The North Eastern Region Power System Improvement Project aims to strengthen the intra-state transmission and distribution system at a projected cost of Rs. 5,111 crore, including a capacity-building expenditure of Rs. 89 crore, the statement said.

The scheme is to be implemented with World Bank assistance, it added.

The Integrated Power Development Scheme is designed for urban areas and entails an expenditure of Rs. 32,612 crore.

The earlier scheme, known as the Restructured Accelerated Power Development and Reforms for 12th and 13th Plans will get subsumed in this new scheme, the statement said.

The Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana is targeted at the rural areas. The scheme entails a total investment of Rs. 43,033 crore, while for 2014-15, the government has allocated Rs. 500 crore.

"The programme requires budgetary support of Rs. 33,453 crore from the government over the entire implementation period, the statement said.

The cabinet had earlier approved Rs. 39,275 crore for the scheme, which includes budgetary support of Rs. 35,447 crore under the earlier Rajiv Gandhi Gram Vidyutikaran Yojana. This outlay will be carried forward to the new scheme, in addition to the outlay of Rs. 43,033 crore.