The Centre has reviewed several major infrastructure projects in the northeastern and eastern states—including Nagaland, Jharkhand, Assam, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh—at a high-level meeting chaired by Amardeep Singh Bhatia, Secretary of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).
According to an official statement issued on Thursday, the meeting, which included senior officials from Central ministries, state governments, and project proponents, focused on “expediting issue resolution through enhanced inter-ministerial and state coordination facilitated by the Project Monitoring Group (PMG).”
The review included 18 issues across 11 major projects in Jharkhand, collectively valued at over Rs 34,213 crore. One of the key projects discussed in detail was the Patratu Thermal Power Station Expansion Project Phase I, which aims to install 4,000 MW in total capacity in phases. The first phase includes three supercritical units of 800 MW each, totaling 2,400 MW.
“This brownfield expansion project is being set up on the site of the existing Patratu Thermal Power Station,” the statement said.
The project is being implemented by Patratu Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Limited (PVUNL) under NTPC, with coal sourced from NTPC’s captive blocks and water from the Nalkari Dam.
In Sikkim, the review focused on two issues related to two projects, amounting to Rs 943.04 crore.
In Nagaland, three issues across two key projects worth Rs 544.65 crore were taken up, including the Kohima Bypass Road, being developed by the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL) under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
The Kohima Bypass project, the statement said, “will decongest Kohima city, improve intra- and inter-state connectivity, and promote trade, tourism, and regional integration.” It is expected to significantly boost socio-economic development in the region.
In Assam, a single project with an investment of Rs 6,700 crore was reviewed.
Meanwhile, Arunachal Pradesh featured prominently in the review with seven issues across three projects, including one in the private sector, with a total investment of Rs 33,469 crore. Among them, the 2,880 MW Dibang Hydropower Project being implemented by NHPC under the Ministry of Power, is set to be one of India’s most ambitious hydropower undertakings.
The project will feature “India’s tallest dam and generate 11,223 million units of clean energy annually,” the statement noted. It is scheduled for commissioning by February 2032 and is expected to contribute to flood control, provide 13 per cent free power to the state, and support India’s Net Zero commitments.
Also reviewed was a private sector project by GeoEnpro Petroleum Limited in Arunachal Pradesh, worth Rs 1,000 crore. The DPIIT Secretary urged the state government to “accord high priority to the matter and extend all necessary support to GeoEnpro Petroleum Limited to ensure the timely resolution of the project-related issues.”
He also encouraged states to “adopt proactive measures aimed at promoting Ease of Doing Business (EoDB), thereby enhancing private sector confidence and fostering a conducive investment climate both within the State and across the country.”
Reaffirming the Centre’s commitment, Bhatia directed authorities to “take a proactive approach in addressing pending issues,” and enhance the institutional framework for project monitoring.
(With inputs from IANS)