No foreign-funded power project awaiting approval: Pranab

Replying to queries during Question Hour,he said “In respect of Multilateral Development Institutions,no power project for external assistance from any state,including Himachal Pradesh,is pending with the Finance Ministry.”

Noting that India accepted external assistance from bilateral sources including Japan,he said seven projects in the rolling plan were finalised for funding bi-annually under the Double Track Mechanism of Japan’s Official Development Assistance (ODA).

“Actual funding of these projects would depend on intra-sectoral and inter-sectoral prioritisation and the amount set aside by Japan for ODA to India,” he said.

The seven projects included the Rs 5,665.76-crore project in Andhra Pradesh,Rs 2,021.98-crore Bakreshwar and Rs 546-crore transmission Project from West Bengal,he said.

PC Chacko (Cong),without naming the Lavlin project,asked how the project with Canadian funding in Kerala that ran into a controversy over corruption charges missed the Centre’s notice,Mukherjee said he would be unable to answer the question,as it related to a specific project and the question was of a general nature.