The Empowered Institution (EI) in its Fifty-third (53^rd) meeting granted approval to five (5) projects worth Rs. 1369.51 crore. Two (2) Projects granted in-principle approval were from Government of Madhya Pradesh for setting-up of 50,000 MT Modern Food Silos at Indore and Bhopal each. The EI also granted final approval to three projects approving a total Viability Gap Funding (VGF) of Rs. 260.92 crore. These comprised two road sector projects and one in the power transmission sector as follows, ‘Two laning of Guna - Ashok Nagar - Ishagarh (SH 20) road’ in the State of Madhya Pradesh and ‘Four laning of Mohania - Ara Section of NH 30 in the state of Bihar and ‘Development of 400 KV DCDS Sarni (Satpura) - Ashta transmission line project for evacuation of power from 2 X 250 MW extension units at Satpura Thermal Power Station’ in the state of Madhya Pradesh. The aforesaid Fifty-third (53^rd) meeting of the Empowered Institution’s (EI) was held here yesterday under the Chairmanship of Dr Arvind Mayaram, Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance.

Viability Gap Funding supports PPP approvals for road, power transmission and food storage projects to proceed. An empowered approval body authorised five PPP projects: two in principle approvals for 50,000 MT modern food silos at Indore and Bhopal, and three final approvals-two road upgrades and a 400 kV double circuit transmission line-cleared with Viability Gap Funding to enable implementation under PPP procurement and concession arrangements.