PUBLIC HEALTH & Engineering Minister Rampal Singh informed the State Assembly today that the Narmada Project for Bhopal would be completed by December 31, 2008. In a written reply to local BJP MLA Umashankar Gupta’s query, Singh said the project was sanctioned on February 28, 2005 and the estimated cost of the project is Rs 298 crore (including the expected rise in cost).
Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) will receive 70 per cent of funds for the project as loan and the remaining 30 per cent in the form of grants. For the year 2005-06, Rs 28 crore were allocated for the project in the form of loan and Rs 12 crore as grants.
He further said a time-bound programme had been worked out to implement the project. Land acquisition for the purpose will be carried out between June 2005 and September 2006.
Requisite permission for acquisition of forest land from the Supreme Court will also be acquired in the meantime. And, tenders for various works would be sanctioned by October, 2006.