In the fourth press briefing, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced an allocation of Rs 50,000 crore for infrastructure development for coal evacuation, while social infrastructure gets Rs 8,100 crore.
The union minister stated that this investment will be used for the evacuation of enhanced CIL’s target of 1 billion tonne coal production by 2023-2024 plus coal production from private blocks. This Rs 50,000 crore will include Rs 18,000 crore worth of investment in the mechanised transfer of coal (conveyor belts) from mines to railway sidings. "This measure will also help reduce environmental impact, " she added.
In the case of social infrastructure which is mainly a healthcare facility, the government will invest Rs 8,100 crore. This investment will be to boost private sectorinvestment in social Infrastructure through revamped viability gap funding scheme. She added that social infrastructure projects suffer from poor viability. "The government will enhance the quantum of viability gap funding up to 30 per cent each of total project cost as viability gap funding by Centre and State/Statutory Bodies.
