Uttarakhand Chief Minister Shri Pushkar Singh Dhami met Union Minister of Power and Housing and Urban Affairs Shri Manohar Lal Khattar and requested for special assistance under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) and development of hydro-electric proj

Mahesh Dhoundiyal - Delhi

The Chief Minister requested the Union Power Minister to underground and automate the power lines in Rishikesh-Haridwar area. Also, requested for a viability gap fund of Rs 4000 crore for the construction of hydroelectric projects in Kumaon and Upper Yamuna region of the state.

The Chief Minister also requested a viability gap fund of Rs 3800 crore for the development of pump storage projects in remote and difficult terrain of the state, so that energy generation capacity can be increased in these areas and local development can also be promoted.

Apart from this, the Chief Minister requested for approval of DPR of two important projects of Pitkul under Power System Development Fund and also requested to approve both these projects with 100 percent grant. The cost of these projects is Rs. 1007.82 crore.

The Chief Minister drew the attention of the Union Minister to the practical challenges of the current guidelines regarding construction of residential units for the weaker income group under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban). He informed that the State Government is successfully running projects under the private partnership model, but the system of lump sum central grant is affecting the cash flow of the projects. The Chief Minister requested that the phased assistance system (like 40:40:20) applicable on government land should also be implemented in private land based projects.

The Chief Minister requested that clear guidelines be given to banks, NBFCs and other financial institutions in this regard so that the beneficiaries of EWS category can easily get loan facility.

The Chief Minister requested the Union Minister to extend the RRTS (Regional Rapid Transit System) beyond Modipuram Meerut Marg to Haridwar. This will not only solve the traffic problem in the state, but will also promote urbanization and overall economic development.