Infrastructure
28 Feb 2006
1
Telecom
- 250 million connections by December 2007.
- Provision of Rs1,500 crore for Universal Services Obligation (USO) Fund in 2006-07. More than 50 million rural connections to be rolled out in three years.
Power
- Five ultra-mega power projects of 4,000 MW each to be awarded before December 31, 2006.
- Enabling and empowered framework to carry out reforms.
- Empowered committee of CMs and power ministers to be set up.
- Rs597 crore for non-conventional energy resources. Tenth Plan target of 3,075 MW of installed capacity for non-conventional energy sources exceeded by December 31, 2005 with installation of 3,650 MW capacity.
- Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana: 10,000 villages in 2005-06 and 40,000 more villages in 2006-07 to be electrified.
Coal
- Reserves of 20 billion tonnes to be de-blocked for power projects.
- Definition of captive consumption will be amended to allow mining by producers with firm supply contracts with steel, cement and power companies.
- Capacity of Central Mines Planning and Development Institute to drill in order to prove reserves, to be expanded.
Petroleum
- Under NELP VI, 55 blocks (an area of 355,000 sq km) offered.
- Investment of Rs22,000 crore expected in the refinery sector, in the next few years.
Road transport
- Budget support for NHDP enhanced from Rs9,320 crore to Rs9,945 crore in 2006-07.
- Rs4,618-crore accelerated road development programme for the North East. Allocation of Rs550 crore in 2006-07.
- 1,000 km of access-controlled expressways to be developed on the design, build, finance and operate (DBFO) model.
- India Infrastructure Finance Company incorporated. Approval in principle granted for three road projects in Gujarat.
Maritime development
- National Maritime Development Programme (NMDP) approved.
- Work in progress on 101 projects covering inland waterways, shipping and ports, including deepening of channels in Kandla, JNPT and Paradip.
- Plan allocation for Department of Shipping increased by 37 per cent to Rs735 crore.
- New deep draft port in West Bengal: Study to identify a suitable location to be carried out.
- National Institute of Port Management, Chennai, renamed National Maritime Academy, upgraded to central university with regional campuses at Mumbai, Kolkata and Visakhapatnam.
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