Government Clears 237 Power Projects Worth Rs 10 Lakh Crore Under Pragati In 10 Years

(MENAFN- KNN India) New Delhi, Jan 10 (KNN) The government has approved 237 power sector projects worth over Rs 10 lakh crore under the Pragati (Proactive Governance and Timely Implementation) scheme over the past 10 years, including 43 delayed projects directly monitored by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Pragati Scheme and Prime Minister's Oversight

Launched in March 2015, Pragati is the government's flagship platform for fast-tracking infrastructure projects and schemes under the Prime Minister's direct supervision, reported The Times Of India.

While the Pragati ecosystem operates at multiple levels, officials said 53 power sector projects worth Rs 4.1 lakh crore were identified as delayed and brought under the Prime Minister's review.

Delayed Projects Brought Back on Track

Of the 53 delayed projects, 43 projects worth Rs 3 lakh crore had faced significant delays due to various reasons but have now been commissioned. These included 27 transmission projects, 14 thermal projects, 9 hydro projects and 3 coal mine projects.

In addition, 108 under-construction power projects worth nearly Rs 6 lakh crore are currently being monitored under different layers of the Pragati platform.

Causes of Delays in Power Projects

Power sector projects are often delayed due to a combination of administrative, technical, regulatory and natural factors.

These include land acquisition issues, environmental and forest clearances, rehabilitation and resettlement challenges, fuel linkages, equipment supply delays, contractual disputes, right-of-way permissions, inter-agency coordination between Centre and states, difficult terrain and limited working seasons.

Impact of Pragati Monitoring

Monitoring under Pragati helped minimise inter-departmental delays and significantly improved project execution, officials said. Since March 2015, 50 Prime Minister-level review meetings have been held under the platform.

Several stalled power generation and transmission projects have been commissioned as a result of Pragati's intervention, leading to enhanced power availability, improved grid reliability and better utilisation of national investment, while also preventing cost overruns.

Key Projects Fast-Tracked

Major projects reviewed and fast-tracked under Pragati include the Gadarwara Super Thermal Power Project in Madhya Pradesh, Lara Super Thermal Power Project (Stage-I) in Chhattisgarh, Parbati-II hydropower project in Himachal Pradesh, Pare and Kameng hydropower projects in Arunachal Pradesh, the Tehri pumped storage project in Uttarakhand, and the Khetri–Narela transmission project, among others.

Among the commissioned projects, Power Grid Corporation of India topped the list with 20 projects, followed by NTPC with 14 projects. NHPC, North Eastern Electric Power Corporation, THDC and Sterlite commissioned two projects each.

(KNN Bureau)

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