Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman lays foundation stone of 120 MW hydroelectric project in Assam
The hydroelectric project in Assam is being implemented with an ADB loan of $231 million.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday performed the Bhoomi Pujan of the 120MW Lower Kopili Hydro Electric Project of Assam Power Generation Corporation Limited (APGCL) at Longku in Dima Hasao district. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma was also present on the occasion.
In December 2020, the central government signed a $231 million ADB loan to boost electricity generation capacity in Assam by constructing a 120 megawatt (MW) hydroelectric plant, which will increase the availability of electricity for households in Assam.
This run-of-the-river project over the Kopili River will help increase clean electricity supply by 469 gigawatt-hours (GWh) by 2025 and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 360,000 tonnes annually.
Himanta informed that this project is expected to be completed by June 2024. “This will increase the clean power generation capacity of Assam and improve the availability of electricity,” he said.
“The cheap and clean electricity generated through the project will improve the quality of life, boost businesses and increase employment opportunities in the state,” he said.
Thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sitharaman for helping Assam with externally aided projects, Himanta said that out of the total project cost of Rs 2,200 crore, Rs 1,700 crore has been provided by the central government and the project The revenue generated will be fully utilized. The development of Dima Hasao.
He also urged L&T to complete the project strictly on time.
The Union Finance Minister also laid the foundation stone for the improvement and upgradation work of 90 km road from Haflong Tinali to Lower Haflong.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) aided Assam Road Network Improvement Project (ARNIP) aims to enhance road transport in Assam by assisting PWDs to build sustainable and resilient infrastructure.
Under the flagship ‘Assam Mala’ initiative of the Government of Assam, the state highway (SH) and major district road (MDR) network in the state is to be improved with funding from multiple sources. ARNIP aims to improve and upgrade about 313 km of SH and MDR while working towards road safety improvement of 200 km of roads.
The Chief Minister of Assam informed that the state government will spend Rs 900 crore on the construction of roads in Dima Hasao and Rs 250 crore on the construction of Umrongso-Lanka road within nine months.
He also said that peace has returned to the hill districts of Assam as all the terrorist organizations there are engaged in peace talks with the government.
“The tourism potential of Dima Hasao is immense as it is endowed with natural beauty. The improvement in road infrastructure will greatly facilitate the movement of tourists and will result in economic development of the region,” said Himanta Biswa Sarma.
Power Minister Bimal Bora, Chief Executive Member (CEM) of NC Hills Autonomous Council (NCHAC) Debolal Gorlosa and Chief Executive Member (CEM) of Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) Tuliram Ronghang were also present at the event.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by News East India staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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