Task force on infra to hold final meet today

New Delhi: This week is set to be action-packed as the high-level task force on infrastructure and the inter-ministerial group (IMG) on Air India disinvestment are scheduled to hold their crucial meetings.

The task force headed by Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) Secretary with CEO (NITI Aayog), Secretary (Expenditure), Secretary of the Administrative Ministries, and Additional Secretary (Investments), DEA as members would hold its final meeting on Monday and decide projects worth nearly Rs 3 lakh crore to be taken up under National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP).

Announcing Rs 102 lakh crore worth of infrastructure projects across various sectors, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had earlier said that projects worth Rs 3 lakh crore would be added shortly.

"Another set of projects would be finalised for taking up under the NIP. This will be the final meeting of the task force," an official said.

During the fiscals 2020 to 2025, these projects the majority of which are in sectors such as energy (24 per cent), roads (19 per cent), urban (16 per cent), and railways (13 per cent) would be executed.

These key sectors account for about 70 per cent of the projected capital expenditure in infrastructure in India.

The IMG on Air India would be chaired by Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) Secretary Tuhin Kanta Pandey to resolve pending issues of airline disinvestment. The meeting is scheduled on January 15.

"Certain internal approvals are required before preliminary information memorandum for expression of interest (EoI) is issued. The IMG would take up pending issues related to sale process," an official said.