Central village electrification project to be reviewed

September 25th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Solar energy-powered electrical lighting systems came online Friday in about 3,900 households in 27 remote villages of Gurez tehsil in Jammu and Kashmir, as part of the government's Remote Village Electrification (RVE) Programme. Dedicating the project to about 30,000 people living in these villages, New and Renewable Energy Minister Farooq Abdullah said projects have been sanctioned for extending basic lighting facility to 145 of the 284 un-electrified villages and 28 hamlets in the state.

September 17th, 2009 CHANDIGARH/NEW DELHI - A joint venture company, Chandigarh International Airport Private Limited, has been formed between the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and governments of Punjab and Haryana for the execution of a multi-million project for an international airport at Chandigarh. The JV agreement was signed between the three parties in New Delhi Thursday.

August 27th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure today approved the continuation of Remote Village Electrification Programme of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy during the remaining period of the 11th Plan. The Programme aims to provide renewable energy based lighting/basic electricity facilities with 90 per cent Central Financial Assistance to those unelectrified villages and hamlets which are not going to be covered under RGGVY due to infeasibility of grid extension.

July 24th, 2009 KALIJHORA - Demanding separate state for gurkhas, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM), called a halt to project work of the National Hydroelectric power Corporation (NHPC) at Kalijhora in West Bengal's Darjeeling District. "We have called for this strike because this project is a central government project in Bengal.

June 19th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) Friday gave go-ahead to the 100-MW Tripura gas-based power project, to be developed by the state-run North Eastern Electric Power Corp (Neepco). The estimated cost of the project is Rs.421.01 crore.

June 14th, 2009 BODOMONJARI -A self help group is training tribals in Orissa's Koraput District to build and operate a power plant. Residents of Bodomonjari village in the district have been used to living in darkness, but now thanks to the help and support of a self-help group called 'All India Backward Class Village Development Organisation', light is being brought into their lives through an indigenously created hydro-electric power plant.

June 13th, 2009 Koraput (Orissa), June 13 (ANI): A self-help group is training the tribes in Orissa to construct and operate electricity plant. The villagers of Bodomonjari in Koraput district have long lived in darkness, but now they have built up a hydroelectric power station with the support of a self-help group called 'All India Backward class village development organisation.' They even have taken the management of the project into their hands.

June 13th, 2009 BODOMONJARI - Tribals in Orissa's Koraput district have set up a hydroelectric power station with the help of a self-help group-All India Backward Class Village Development organization here. "Initially the project was started under the guidance of the organisation but now villagers with their hard work know how to manage the electricity plant.

June 4th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The government plans to add at least 13,000 mega watt of electricity generating capacity each year that will include more village and rural electrification, President Pratibha Patil told the joint session of parliament Thursday. Stating that an integrated energy policy will guide "coordinated action for energy", Patil said: "Effort would be to see that at least 13,000 MW of generating capacity is added each year through a mix of sources - coal, hydel, nuclear and renewables." She noted that efficiency would be enhanced in the power sector through "time-bound measures including operationalising the provision of open access".

May 1st, 2009 DHANBAD - Villagers in Dhanbad have been immensely benefited by the Central Government sponsored rural electrification scheme. The Central Government launched the project named Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana.

April 10th, 2009 DEHRADUN - Residents of Chamasari village, 26 kilometers from Dehradun, lamented that the village lacks basic amenities and no political representative has visited them. Chamasari village, which has a population of a few hundred, is devoid of basic facilities like roads, schools, a hospital and there is no electricity in the village for past 23 years.

March 15th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Bajaj Auto Ltd Saturday said its small car, being developed in partnership with Renault SA and Nissan Motor, will be rolled out in 2011 as per schedule. Bajaj managing director Rajiv Bajaj said: 'The project remains largely on schedule, though in the course of development some specifications have been reviewed, leading to adjustments in the overall schedule.' It had been reported in a section of the media that the ultra low-cost (ULC) project would be delayed by more than a year as Rajiv Bajaj was not happy with the work done so far, and he demanded major modification in the design.

February 11th, 2009 HIMMATNAGAR - The Congress-led central and Maharashtra governments are creating hurdles for raising the height of the Sardar Sarovar dam to 138 metres, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi said here Thursday. 'The central government and the Congress-led Maharashtra government are halting the installation of gates of the Dam and restricting work to attain a height of 138 metres.

January 28th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The government has approved the Rs.146-billion (Rs.14,600-crore) Chennai Metro Rail project, it said here Thursday. The project will be executed by Chennai Metro Rail Ltd, a joint venture with equal equity participation from the central and state governments, which has been set up on the lines of the Delhi Metro Rail Corp (DMRC).

January 12th, 2009 AHMEDABAD - Astonfield Renewable Resources Ltd (ARRL) will execute a mega 200 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) project across Gujarat. The venture is touted as the largest renewable energy project in India.