Gujarat Chief Minister Shri Narendra Modi has sought Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh's intervention for 'Revised Investment Clearance of the Rs.39,240.45-crore (at 2008-09 prices) Sardar Sarovar Project (SSP), as approved by the Technical Advisory Committee of the Union Ministry of Water Resources on March 11, 2010.
In a letter personally handed over to Dr Singh in New Delhi yesterday evening, Shri Modi said the clearance was necessary to avail financial assistance under Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Projects Scheme (AIBP) and Centrally-sponsored Area Development Programme for early completion of the project.
Shri Modi recalled that the Planning Commission had accorded investment clearance to the project estimated to be Rs.6,406-crore at 1986-87 prices. He said the project had already achieved many milestones after crossing many legal and other hurdles, after it was taken up under AIBP since 2000.
'We have completed 459 km long the Narmada Main Canal up to Rajasthan on March 29, 2008 itself, quenching the thirst of people in the Barmer and Jalore districts in Rajasthan, besides 25-million people in Gujarat. We have also introduced good EPC contractors, external third party inspection agencies, field level water-users associations, and are confident of completing the remaining task well within the time stipulated.'
'The matter is now pending before the Planning Commission and we are waiting for early clearance as per revised estimates for early completion of the project,' he said.
