The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) has started the process to provide loans to the government agencies for the development of hydropower projects in Uttarakhand.
Announcing this, Nabard CGM Prasanta Das said the the bank this year sanctioned a loan of Rs 61.61 crore to the state-run Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (UJVNL) to develop four mini-hydropower projects. These projects are situated in Uttarkashi, Haridwar, Pithoragarh and Chamoli districts.
“We have made a good beginning to sanction loans for hydropower projects. We are looking forward to sanctioning more such loans for this sector in Uttarakhand,” said Das. This is being done under the Centre’s decision to create rural infrastructure development fund (RIDF). “I am also happy to announce that our bank lent Rs 200.54 crore to the state government under the RIDF as against the target of Rs 150 crore earmarked for 2009-10,” he said.
Similarly, total projects amounting to Rs 426.18 crore were sanctioned by Nabard during the year. Some of the important sectors under which the projects have been sanctioned include rural roads (250 projects), minor irrigation (128 projects), rural bridges (53 projects) and mini hydropower projects (4 projects).
So far, cumulatively, Nabard has sanctioned Rs 1,191.43 crore and disbursed Rs 850.40 crore under the RIDF in the state.
A total road length of 3,274 km has been created so far, 787 metres of bridge length has been constructed connecting 3,357 villages in the state.
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Significantly, this has resulted in reduction of 480 km of distance in remote areas.
Under the Centre’s sponsored scheme, 14 new rural godowns were sanctioned and subsidy of Rs 93.364 lakh was disbursed in 21 cases.