Govt. to pay for 20 per cent cost of mega development projects under PPP model

October 1st, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Union Cabinet today approved modifications in the existing mega power policy. This would encourage setting up of mega power plants to take advantage of economies of scale and improve their viability.

October 1st, 2009 NEW DELHI - The cabinet Thursday approved amendments in the mega power policy to encourage setting up of new power plants. According to the new norms, the states that control the power distribution network can also buy electricity from mega power plants.

September 8th, 2009 AIZWAL - By generating employment opportunities through infrastructure development projects, the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) has helped people in rural areas of Mizoram. In Vairengte, located about 130 km from Aizawl, the state capital, many villagers are being employed in road construction projects.

August 13th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The government Thursday said it will set up two major water projects in Mumbai and Chennai at a cost of Rs.2,200 crore aimed at finding a permanent solution to the acute water scarcity in these two metros. "Two mega projects have been sanctioned for two major cities.

July 14th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The police commissioners of six states have held discussions with the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) to prepare plans for mega city policing needs, parliament was informed Tuesday. The police commissioners of six states have held discussions with BPR&D to prepare a perspective plan for the sub-scheme of mega city policing under the 'modernisation of state police force scheme' with a view to prioritise mega city policing needs, Minister of State for Home Affairs Mullappally Ramachandran said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.

July 13th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Bidders for infrastructure projects in the shipping sector need to have a minimum net worth that is twice the project cost, the government said Monday. "Since BOT (build, operate and transfer) projects require the concessionaire to make the investment required for the project, it was suggested that threshold be increased to twice the project cost," Shipping Minister G.K.

July 1st, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Government on Wednesday said it would award six shipping projects worth 3,319.14 crore rupees in next 100 days. These would be developed on the public-private-partnership (PPP) mode.

June 22nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Delhi Government on Monday revealed through its budget that it would primarily focus its attention on transport sector, urban development and water and sanitation in the year ahead. The highest share in the budget 2009-10 has been earmarked for transport sector which was given Rs 3,069 crore (about 31 per cent) followed by Urban Development with Rs 1,524 crore (15 per cent) and Water and Sanitation with Rs 1,366 crore (14 per cent).

June 9th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday expressed confidence that the country can achieve eight to nine per cent growth rate in the coming two to three years and the government will be working to achieve it. "I cannot promise that international developments (economic slowdown) will not affect India, but we can still achieve eight-nine per cent growth rate.

May 19th, 2009 GHAZIABAD - Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Rajnath Singh, who won the Ghaziabad Lok Sabha seat in the polls, admitted Tuesday that his dream to bring a mega project to the area may not turn into reality following the defeat of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The BJP chief, who was on a 'thanksgiving' visit to the constituency, told IANS that he was confident of the NDA winning power, and then ensuring projects worth Rs.2,000-2,500 crore (Rs.20-25 billion) to Ghaziabad.

February 22nd, 2009 RAIPUR - The Chhattisgarh government suffered a revenue loss of over Rs.1.85 billion (Rs.185 crore)) during 2007-08 because of 'undue benefits' provided to various companies, a report by India's audit watchdog said. The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India in its report on Chhattisgarh said: 'The state government stood to lose revenue of Rs.185.71 crore due to undue benefits to the allottees such as allotment of land at reduced rates.' The report has widely criticised Chhattisgarh State Industries Development Corp (CSIDC) for its its inadequate monitoring of the implementation of several state-sponsored projects.

February 11th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The government Thursday handed over the letter of intent for the Tilaiya ultra mega power project (UMPP) to Reliance-Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (R-ADAG), being set up at an investment of over Rs.120 billion (Rs.12,000 crore/$2.4 billion). This is the third UMPP awarded to group company Reliance Power, with the other two being at Sasan in Madhya Pradesh and Krishnapatnam in Andhra Pradesh.

January 27th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group was Wednesday awarded its third ultra mega power project, set to come up at Tilaiya in Jharkhand with an investment of over Rs.12,000 crore (Rs.120 billion/$2.4 billion). 'We have been awarded the Tilaiya project.

January 12th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The infrastructure development arm of a leading finance company in the infrastructure space Tuesday announced that it had signed two memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with Gujarat state government to build a thermal and solar power plant. A statement from Infrastructure Development Finance Company Ltd.

December 26th, 2008 CHANDIGARH - A group of ex-servicemen and a farmers association here Saturday demanded a central agency probe into the mega projects initiated by S.F. Rodrigues, the administrator of Chandigarh.