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Assam approves seven green power projects, low-cost air tickets

BNE News Desk


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Guwahati: The Assam government has approved the implementation of seven green power initiatives totalling 620 MW in capacity, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

The government additionally took the decision to run inexpensive flight services on paths outside of UDAN.
Sarma tweeted the decisions made at a state cabinet meeting, adding that decisions were also made to streamline the hiring of college professors, pay for property purchase, and hire safai karmacharis (cleaners). He said a joint venture between Assam Power Generation Company Ltd (APGCL) and OIL had received preliminary clearance for the execution of green energy projects totaling 620 MW in capacity.

The projects include:

  1. 70 MW Sonbeel Floating Solar Power Project, 100 MW Tezpur Agrivoltaic Project.
  2. 40 MW Golaghat Floating Solar Power Project and 200 MW Margherita Solar Power Project.
  3. A 50 MW Lower Kopili Agricoltale Project, 60 MW Chandrapur PSP with Solar Power Project and 100 MW Batadrava Agricoltale Project were also approved.
    According to Sarma, the initiatives will be financed in an 80:20 debt-to-equity ratio with no obligation to the state government.
    These projects have the ability to generate 1,465 jobs during the 12-month building phase and 268 positions during the 25-year operation phase.
    The CM asserted that the agrovoltaic initiatives would also help 1,250 farmers and their families, as well as about 125 small producer organizations.
    Additionally, the Cabinet authorized a 70 MW solar power plant in Dhubri's Khudigaon Part-II revenue circle for the selling of electricity to Assam Power Distribution Company Ltd. (APDCL).
    Solar Power Generator will build and operate the planned solar power facility, according to Sarma. He claimed that non-UDAN paths would see the implementation of low-cost flight services, and that Assam Tourism Development Corporation (ATDC) would sign an MOU with FlyBig Airline to that end.
    Such aircraft will initially run on a trial premise for three months on the Dibrugarh-Guwahati and Guwahati-Silchar routes. Services connecting other significant cities will be progressively introduced, he said.
    The state government will provide a viability gap financing through ATDC for the running of such air services, and the carriers will offer seats at market prices that cannot surpass Rs 4,500 even during times of high demand, he added.

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BNE News Desk