NEW DELHI, Nov 24 ? Within 48 hours of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh?s return from Assam, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) today sanctioned Rs 150 crore, which is Centre?s share to the State for critical flood control and anti-erosion projects in Brahma-putra and Barak valleys.
?The CCEA today sanctioned Rs 150 crore as share of the Central Government (90 per cent grant and 10 per cent loan) for taking up critical flood control and anti-erosion schemes in Brahma-putra and Barak valley by the concerned State governments of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, Sikkim, Mizoram, Nagaland, Meghalaya and Manipur during the Tenth Plan period,? an official spokesman here announced.
This would protect the life and properties of the people and installations of national importance from natural calamities like flood and erosion caused by rivers Brahmaputra and Barak in the North Eastern States including Sikkim and North Bengal, he added.
The projects would be executed by the State Government, while monitoring would be done by Brahmaputra Board under Ministry of Water Resources. The short-term flood management schemes are planned to be completed in the Tenth Plan period, he added.
It may be recalled here that the UPA Government proposed to establish a cohesive, autonomous, self-contained entity called the Brahmaputra Valley Authority or the North-East Water Resources Authority to provide effective flood control, generate electricity, provide irrigation facilities and develop infrastructure.
Given managerial and financial autonomy, equipped with top class manpower, and backed by Parliamentary sanction, such a body could be the instrument for transforming the Region, the PMO had said.
Meanwhile, CCEA today further approved the execution of Kameng hydroelectric project (600 MW) in Arunachal Pradesh at an estimated cost of Rs 2496.90 crore including Interest During Construction (IDC) component of Rs 249.09 crore. The Project is to be executed by North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO).
The power generated from the Project would be allocated to the various States of the North-east and supplied according to Power Purchase Agreements. The Project is located in the West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh. The Project is planned as a run-of-river scheme, utilising flows of Biochom and Tenga rivers both tributaries of Kameng River.