Cabinet gives nod to Rs 4,355-cr highway construction

The government on Thursday cleared highway construction works with a total cost of more than Rs 4,355 crore in several states, including Bihar and Rajasthan. The nod was given for four-laning of Beawar-Pali section and Pali-Pindwara section of national highway (NH) 14 in Rajasthan at an estimated cost of Rs 1,102 crore and Rs 1,326.54 crore, respectively.

The concession period, for which the developer will own and operate the road, will be 21 years for the first project and 19 years for the second one, information and broadcasting minister Ambika Soni said after a meeting of Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure (CCI) meeting.

The government also approved Rs 658.64-crore project for four-laning of Deoli-Kota section of NH 12 in Rajasthan and Rs 605.82-crore project for four-laning of Patna-Bhaktiyarpur stretch of NH 30 in Bihar.

Among other projects that have been approved are Rs 662-crore improvement of Yamunanagar-Saha-Barwala-Panchkula stretch of NH 73 in Haryana, construction of 28 roads in the north east region at a total estimated cost of Rs 6,866 crore

In another decision, the government decided to release Rs 1,540 crore in the next two years for modernisation of Doordarshan and All India Radio through digitalisation. The CCI approved proposals from the broadcasting ministry related to the 11th Plan scheme for digitalisation of transmitters, studio connectivity and network of Doordarshan and AIR.

?This process of digitalisation of both Doordarshan and Akashvani (AIR) will enable the most vulnerable section of our people in the remotest of the remote areas to receive higher quality of AIR and Doordarshan signals,? Soni said. In the 11th Plan, Rs 620 crore has been earmarked for digitalisation of DD, and Rs 920 crore for AIR.

Underlining the need for digitalisation of AIR, Soni said, ?With the proposed FM phase III policy, the FM would provide serious challenge to Akashvani services. Therefore, it is imperative that digitalisation of AIR network should take place as much as possible in the 11th Plan.? In a separate decision, the government allowed Himachal Pradesh to increase its stake in Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam by 0.5% from 25% at present. The decision has been taken to ensure successful disinvestment of the Centre?s stake in SJVNL. The central government had approved sale of 10% of its total shareholding of 75% in October last year. The company is a joint venture between the Centre and Himachal Pradesh.

The government is disinvesting 10% in SJVNL and expects to raise around Rs 1,200 crore. The initial public offer is likely to hit the capital markets in the first half of the current fiscal.