GUWAHATI, May 24 � The Union Department of Expenditure has cleared the South Guwahati (that is, � Guwahati city) sewerage project worth an estimated cost of Rs 1,178 crore. Official sources here said that by this time Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has agreed in principle to sanction an assistance of around Rs 1,000 crore for the project. Only the formal signing of the loan agreement with JICA is awaited towards obtaining the assistance, sources said.
The State Government will have to bear ten per cent of the estimated cost along with the cost of land acquisition etc to implement the project, said the sources.
Meanwhile, the Union Government has asked for certain clarifications from the State Government on the detailed project report (DPR) of the Guwahati stormwater drainage system the latter had submitted for fund under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewable Mission (JNNURM) Phase-II beginning from the 2014-15 Financial Year.
The State had sought an assistance of Rs 750 crore for the implementation of the project. Its proposal for the purpose was submitted to the Union Government in August 2013.
The Union Government's observations include queries on the size of the city population, description of its zones, river diversion etc.
The State Government has initiated the process to appoint a consultant from amongst the empanelled consultants of the Union Ministry of Urban Development to take care of these observations, sources said.
By this time, it is learnt that the issues concerning the delineation of the Guwahati Metropolitan Region are presented before the various Government departments last month and the draft in this respect would be finalised once the feedbacks from the departments are received, sources said.
