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Indian Budget 2007-08- Full Text of Budget Speech

VI. INFRASTRUCTURE


Power

69. Electricity generation has recorded a growth rate of 7.5 per cent in April-December this year. However, as we complete the Tenth Plan, we would have added only 23,163 MW of additional capacity in the five year period including 16,339 MW added in the three years beginning 2004-05. Hence, it is imperative that we take new initiatives.

70. The Ministry of Power has awarded two Ultra Mega Power Projects (UMPP) in Sasan and Mundra. Seven more UMPPs are under process and we are confident that at least two more will be awarded by July, 2007. Other initiatives taken by the Ministry of Power include facilitating setting up of merchant power plants by private developers and private participation in transmission projects.

71. Besides, the Accelerated Power Development and Reforms Project (APDRP) has reduced significantly Aggregate Technical and Commercial (ATC) losses in 213 towns. APDRP is being restructured to cover all district headquarters and towns with a population of more than 50,000. I propose to increase the budgetary support for APDRP from Rs.650 crore in 2006-07 to Rs.800 crore next year.

Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana

72. Having regard to the pace of implementation under the Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana and the annual target, I propose to increase the allocation from Rs.3,000 crore in 2006-07 to Rs.3,983 crore in 2007-08.

Coal

73. Following the announcement last year, 26 coal blocks with reserves of 8,581 million tonnes and four lignite blocks with reserves of 755 million tonnes have been allotted, up to December 2006, to Government companies and approved end users. The definition of specified end use will be enlarged to include underground coal gasification and coal liquefaction.

National Highways

74. Work on the golden quadrilateral is nearly complete and there is considerable progress in the North-South, East-West corridor project which is expected to be completed by 2009. NHDP-III, NHDP-V and NHDP-VI are in advanced stages of planning or implementation. So far, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has given Rs.2,072 crore as viability gap funding but has also received Rs.1,900 crore as negative grant. The private sector investment leveraged under NHDP is Rs.25,366 crore. Under the programme for the North Eastern Region (SARDP-NE), 450 kilometres have been awarded in 2006-07 and the balance will be awarded in 2007-08. I propose to increase the provision for the National Highway Development Programme (NHDP) from Rs.9,945 crore in 2006-07 to Rs.10,667 crore next year.

75. The road-cum-rail bridge at Munger, Bihar, over the Ganga, has been taken up as a national project. Likewise, the road-cum-rail bridge at Bogibeel, Assam, over the Brahmaputra, will be taken up as a national project.

Public Private Partnership and Viability Gap Funding

76. The Public Private Partnership (PPP) model has enabled greater private sector participation in the creation and maintenance of infrastructure. So far, under the viability gap funding scheme, 37 proposals have been received of which 21 proposals have been granted 'in-principle' approval with a total project cost of Rs.9,842 crore and an estimated viability gap funding of Rs.2,521 crore. The pace is slow, and there is a need to adopt a more aggressive approach for preparing a shelf of bankable projects that can be offered for competitive bidding. Apart from the steps already taken for capacity building and engaging consultants, I intend to set up a revolving fund with a corpus of Rs.100 crore to quicken project preparation. The fund will contribute up to 75 per cent of the preparatory expenditure in the form of interest free loan that will be eventually recovered from the successful bidder. Guidelines for operating the fund will be announced in due course.

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