Projects worth Rs 34,647 cr put on fast track

New Delhi: The government has put on the fast track projects worth Rs 34,647 crore in petroleum and natural gas and power sectors by approving a number of them and giving directions for urgent clearances to the rest.

The projects in the power sector are worth Rs 26,700 crore while in the petroleum and natural gas sector the ones cleared are to the tune of Rs 7,947 crore.

These projects, held up for want of various clearances, including environmental nod, have now been put on the fast track by the Cabinet Committee on Investment (CCI) chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, sources said.

The projects cleared in the power sector include the Sagar super thermal power project in West Bengal and Hinduja National Power Corporation Limited project in Visakhapatnam.

About the Sagar power project, the Environment Ministry has been asked to decide the matter regarding environmental and CRZ clearance within two weeks.

With regard to the Hinduja project, the Power Ministry has informed that action for alleged CRZ violations by the project was being taken by the Andhra Pradesh Government.

The Environment Ministry has informed that the alleged violation attracts a penalty of Rs one lakh and the approval can be considered upon filing of the case in court, the sources said.

In this light, the CCI decided that a final decision regarding the CRZ clearance should be taken by the Environment Ministry within one week.

On the Rajwest Pithead Thermal Project in Rajasthan, they said the Environment Ministry has accorded clearance to the Kapurdi lignite mine for 25 per cent capacity enhancement.

The ministries of mines and coal stated that they have no objection to the proposal for approving mine plan.

For the Meenakshi Energy Private Limited project in Andhra Pradesh, the sources said, "The requisite renewal of environment clearance has been accorded by the Environment Ministry."

The petroleum projects cleared by the Cabinet Committee on Investment include IOC's Petroleum, Oil and Lubricants (POL) Tap-off point at Korba in Chhattisgarh.

The project was cleared after requisite environment clearances by the Environment Ministry.

For setting up a new 42-inch pipeline from Chennai to Manali by the Chennai Petrochemicals Corporation Limited, the officials said the Environment Ministry will accord the necessary CRZ clearance in two weeks.

The Environment Ministry has also given requisite environmental clearance to a Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited project for setting up a pipeline between Awa and Salawas in Rajasthan.

An Oil and Natural Gas project in Assam has also been accorded clearance by the Environment Ministry along with a Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation project to set up a liquefied natural gas terminal at Mundra in Gujarat.