Garhwal Post Bureau
New Delhi, 16 Jun: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami met Union Minister of Power, Housing & Urban Affairs, Manohar Lal Khattar, today, and requested special assistance for the development of hydropower projects and housing under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban).
The Chief Minister urged the Union Power Minister to facilitate underground and automated power lines in the Rishikesh-Haridwar region to enhance reliability and aesthetics. He also sought a Viability Gap Funding (VGF) of Rs 4,000 crore for the construction of hydropower projects in the Kumaon and Upper Yamuna regions of the state.
In addition, the Chief Minister sought Rs 3,800 crore in VGF for the development of pumped storage projects in remote and difficult terrain areas of the state, aimed at increasing energy production capacity and fostering local development.
He also appealed for the approval of Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for two critical projects of PTCUL (Power Transmission Corporation of Uttarakhand Ltd) under the Power System Development Fund. The total cost of these projects is Rs 1,007.82 crore, and the Chief Minister requested 100% grant-based funding for their implementation.
Dhami drew the Union Minister’s attention to the practical challenges faced under the current guidelines of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) for constructing residential units for the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS). He noted that, while the state government is successfully operating projects under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, the lump-sum disbursement structure of central grants is disrupting project cash flows. The Chief Minister proposed that the phased funding mechanism currently applicable on government land (i.e., 40:40:20) should also be extended to projects developed on private land.
Additionally, he requested that clear guidelines be issued to banks, NBFCs, and other financial institutions to facilitate easy access to loans for EWS beneficiaries.
The Chief Minister also urged the Union Minister to extend the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) from Modipuram (Meerut) to Haridwar. He stated that such an extension would not only ease traffic congestion in the state but also promote urban development and overall economic growth.
