Cabinet likely to take a call on leasing out Pragati Maidan land for 5-star hotel

New Delhi: Union cabinet under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is meeting on Wednesday evening to discuss a slew of issues. After the cabinet meeting, the meeting of council of ministers is also scheduled to be held to evaluate the development of central government schemes.

Sources informed One India that the cabinet was likely to discuss proposals on changes to be made in the North East Council. The North-Eastern Council (Amendment) Bill 2015 was introduced in Rajya Sabha on March 11, 2013 by the then Union minister of state for Development of North-Eastern Region Paban Singh Ghatowar. The bill seeks to amend the North-Eastern Council Act 1971. This act sets up the North-Eastern Council to ensure balanced and coordinated development among the north-eastern states.

The cabinet is also likely to discuss on the proposal of providing land on lease to private companies for 99 years. The issue of allowing 3,7 acre of land in Pragati Maidan to built a five-star hotel is also in the agenda of the cabinet to be discussed. Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project is also planned to be discussed in the meeting. The cabinet may give its assent to a bill related to it.

The government has taken up the Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP) with the financial assistance of the World Bank for the repair and rehabilitation of initially about 225 dam projects across the seven states of India, namely Jharkhand (DVC), Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, and Uttarakhand (UJVNL). The number of dams has been finally revised to 198. The total project cost is Rs.2100 Crore.

The objectives of the DRIP are to improve the safety and operational performance of selected existing dams and associated appurtenances in a sustainable manner, and to strengthen the dam safety institutional setup of participating States and Implementing Agencies.