Dehradun: CM Pushkar Singh Dhami met Union Energy and Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal Khattar. During this, CM Dhami requested the Union Minister for the development of hydro-electric projects and special assistance under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban).
Chief Minister Dhami also requested the Union Energy 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 hydropower 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. Along with this, local development can also be promoted. Apart from this, the Chief Minister also requested to approve the DPR of two important projects of Pitkul under the Power System Development Fund. Along with this, CM Dhami also told the Union Minister 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 the construction of residential units for the weaker income group under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban). He said that the state government is successfully running projects under the private partnership model, but the cash flow of the projects is being affected due to the system of lump sum central grant. 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 asked 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.
