AP Cabinet nod for projects

Hyderabad, Sep 24 (UNI) The Andhra Pradesh Cabinet today approved proposals for augmentation of water supply to Hyderabad from River Godavari at a cost of Rs 3,375 crore and easing traffic congestion in Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam with Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS).

Briefing newspersons after a Cabinet meeting here, Information Minister A Ramanarayana Reddy said the Centre had agreed to provide Rs 1181.25 crore for the project to bring 30 tmc ft of water from River Godavari to Hyderabad through the Pranahita-Chevalla Link to tide over the drinking water problem on a permanent basis.

The State Government would provide Rs 1,232.85 crore, while the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation would raise Rs 960.90 crore from its internal resources, he added.

On the lines of the BRTS implemented in China and Latin American countries, separate lanes on either side of the Central median on roads would be created in Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam exclusively for buses at a cost of Rs 152.84 crore and Rs 452.93 crore respectively, he informed.

Under the Centre's guidelines on JNNURM, the Centre would bear 50 per cent of the expenditure on BRTS, while the State Government would bear 20 per cent. The balance would be raised by local bodies concerned.

The Cabinet also approved the proposal for extension of the utilisation period of the government guarantee by two more years, upto 2009-10, for Rs 216.16 crore to the Andhra Pradesh Southern Power Distribution Company Limited for availing loan of Rs 720.54 crore from the public sector Rural Electricity Corporation and the Power Finance Corporation.

While the REC had sanctioned 20 new schemes to the company for erection of 33/11 KV substations, energisation of agricultural pumpsets and procurement of power transformers, the PFC was processing sanction of loans for high voltage distribution system besides regular schemes, he added.

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