Infrastructure is FM's long-term bet

Budget 2009 has given a fillip to urban infrastructure. At the start of his budget speech, Finance Minister highlighted the government’s aim to increase the infrastructure investment to 9% of the country’s gross domestic product by 2014.

“To stimulate public investment in infrastructure, we had set up the India Infrastructure Finance Company Limited (IIFCL) as a special purpose vehicle for providing long term financial assistance to infrastructure projects. We will ensure that IIFCL is given greater flexibility to aggressively fulfill its mandate,” Mukherjee said. “‘Takeout financing’ is an accepted international practice of releasing long term funds for financing infrastructure projects.  It can be used to effectively address the asset liability mismatch of commercial banks arising out of financing infrastructure projects and also to free up capital for financing new projects. IIFCL would, in consultation with banks, evolve a ‘takeout financing’ scheme which could facilitate incremental lending to the infrastructure sector.”

The finance minister said that he had urged his colleagues in the central and state governments to remove policy, regulatory and institutional bottlenecks for speedy implementation of infrastructure projects.

Here are some key highlights of the FM’s thrust on infrastructure:

Infrastructure Development

- IIFCL to evolve a Takeout financing scheme in consultation with banks to facilitate incremental lending to infrastructure sector.

- IIFCL to refinance 60 per cent of commercial bank loans for PPP projects in critical sectors over the next fifteen to eighteen months. IIFCL and Banks are now in a position to support projects involving total investment of Rs.1,00,000 crore.

Highway and Railways

- Allocation to National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for the National Highway Development Programme (NHDP) increased by 23 per cent over B.E. 2008-09 in B.E. 2009-10 and allocation for Railways increased from Rs.10,800 crore in Interim B.E. 2009-10 to Rs.15,800 crore in B.E. 2009-10.

Urban Infrastructure

- Allocation under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) stepped up by 87 per cent to Rs.12,887 crore in B.E. 2009-10 over B.E. 2008-09.

- Allocation for housing and provision of basic amenities to urban poor enhanced to Rs.3,973 crore in B.E. 2009-10. This includes provision for Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY), a new scheme announced.

Brihan Mumbai Storm Water Drainage Project (BRIMSTOWA)

- Provision for the project BRIMSTOWA initiated in 2007 and funded through Central Assistance to address the problem of flooding in Mumbai, enhanced from Rs.200 crore in Interim B.E. 2009-10 to Rs.500 crore in B.E. 2009-10 to expedite completion of the project.

Bharat Nirman

- Allocation for Bharat Nirman increased by 45 per cent in 2009-10 over B.E. 2008-09. Allocations under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) increased by 59 per cent over B.E. 2008-09 to Rs.12,000 crore in B.E. 2009-10. Under Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana (RGGVY), allocation increased by 27 per cent to Rs.7,000 crore.

- Allocation under Indira Awaas Yojana (IAY) increased by 63 per cent to Rs.8,800 crore in B.E. 2009-10. Allocation of Rs.2,000 crore made for Rural Housing Fund (RHF) in National Housing Bank (NHB) to boost the resource base of NHB for refinance operations in rural housing sector.