CCEA approves road projects in Kerala,TN

New Delhi: The Government approved infrastructure projects worth Rs 9,565 crore in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, entailing four-laning of National Highways in both States, and the development of a container terminal at Ennore Port.

An allocation of Rs 7,300-crore for the construction of roads in eight extremist-affected States was also approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) at its meeting here.

The road projects approved include four sub-projects in Kerala for four-laning National Highways and one sub-project in Tamil Nadu.

The projects, involving a cumulative cost of Rs 8,158 crore, will be executed under the PPP (public-private partnership) mode, an official release said.
Of this, Rs 809 crore has been earmarked for four-laning of the Nagapattinam-Thanjavur section of NH 67 in Tamil Nadu. The remaining projects, including the Kannur-Vengalam section on NH 17, fall in Kerala.

Besides, the proposed container terminal at Ennore port would be built on a build-operate-transfer (BOT) basis and the project has been approved by the PPP Appraisal Committee.

“The project envisages construction of a container terminal at Ennore Port at a capital cost of Rs 1,407 crore,” the release said.

The Government also approved a six per cent increase in Dearness Allowance to its over 80 lakh employees and pensioners. The employees and pensioners would get the DA with effect from January 2009 and payable with their salaries starting next month, according to a decision cleared by the CCEA.

The Union Cabinet approved a proposal from the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Ministry of Textiles for implementation of Other Backward Class (OBC) quota reservation in the Institute.