ITANAGAR: The cabinet of Arunachal Pradesh agreed to give two hydropower projects SGST reimbursement discounts to help them make more money.
The first meeting of the year of the state cabinet, led by Chief Minister Pema Khandu, was on Wednesday. At that meeting, the 700-mw Tato II Hydroelectric Project on the Siyom River in the Shi Yomi district and the 1,720-mw Kamala HEP on the Kamala River in the Kamle district were both given State GST (SGST) relief. This was announced in a statement on Thursday.
The two projects will be carried out by joint companies between the state government and the two CPSUs.
The state government would have a 26% stake in the joint venture for these projects, which will cost a total of about Rs. 35,000 crore. Once they are up and running, they will bring in about Rs. 470 crore in free power and Rs. 79 crore through the local area development fund every year for the state.
Two projects were brought back to life by the state government by signing Memorandums of Agreement with four CPSUs in 2023. They are two of thirteen big projects that had been put on hold.
The two projects would also create many jobs and opportunities for self-employment through the development of infrastructure and related services. They would also help local communities by improving infrastructure like roads, hospitals, and schools, which would lead to long-term socioeconomic growth.
The projects will improve the skills of local workers, create a group of skilled workers, and boost regional economic activity. This will help the state grow and use Arunachal Pradesh’s huge 58,000 MW hydroelectric generation potential.
The cabinet also agreed to the Arunachal Pradesh policy for bringing back big hydropower projects that were put on hold for special reasons, 2025.
The policy was meant to bring back to life big hydropower projects that had been put on hold but had made good progress at the site. This will help create an environment that encourages growth by restoring projects on time. It will also encourage investments and job creation while making it easier for businesses to operate in the state.
As part of the Aspirational District Program, the cabinet agreed to suggest to the center the idea of building a 100-seat medical college and a 420-bed hospital in Namsai.
This project is set up as a public-private partnership (PPP), and its goal is to improve medical education and healthcare in the area.
A release said that the whole project will cost Rs. 375 crore.
In order to improve administrative efficiency and improve service delivery to citizens, the cabinet also approved the promotion of 20 junior engineer (civil) positions in the hydropower development department to 20 assistant surveyor of works (ASW) and assistant engineer (civil) positions. This will make the department run more smoothly, make sure there are enough people in positions at the divisional and district levels, and help officers who are currently working there move up in their careers. The government also agreed to add 36 new jobs to the land management department. These will include one Group A job, 15 Group B jobs, and 20 Group C jobs. The goal is to make the department more efficient.
The cabinet also approved up to 32 teaching and non-teaching positions for the Government Engineering College at Tezu in Lohit district. These positions will help the college do better in the classroom and in administration, and they will give students new ways to learn and improve their skills.
