Cabinet decisions | Govt vows to strengthen Doordarshan, approves Himachal hydroelectric project. Check details

Union I&B Minister Anurag Thakur addressing a press conference following the Cabinet meeting. (Image: PIB)

The Union Cabinet on January 4 approved the National Green Hydrogen Mission at a cost of Rs 19,744 crore, with the aim of making India a global hub for manufacturing this clean source of energy.

The announcement was made by Union Minister Anurag Thakur while briefing reporters about the Cabinet decisions taken today. He said: “The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved National Green Hydrogen Mission.”

The Cabinet also approved a Rs 2,614 crore investment for the Sunni Dam Hydro Electric project in Himachal Pradesh, modernise and strengthen the infrastructure of Doordarshan and Prasar Bharti and the Broadcast Infrastructure & Network Development (BIND) scheme.

Here’s what each scheme/ plan will entail:

Hydroelectric project:                        

The Cabinet approved Rs 2,614.51 crore investment for the 382 MW Sunni Dam Hydro Electric Project by state-owned SJVN Ltd in Himachal Pradesh. It is expected to generate direct and indirect employment to about 4,000 persons.

"The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the investment for 382 MW Sunni Dam Hydro Electric Project in Himachal Pradesh by SJVN Ltd, for an estimated cost of Rs 2,614.51 crore, including Rs 13.80 crore as budgetary support from Government of India for the cost of enabling infrastructure," an official statement said.

The project cost of Rs 2,614 crore includes hard cost amounting to Rs 2,246.40 crore, Interest During Construction (IDC) and Financing Charges (FC) of Rs 358.96 crore and Rs 9.15 crore, respectively.

BIND

The Cabinet approved the Central Sector ‘Broadcasting Infrastructure and Network Development (BIND)’ Scheme with an outlay of Rs 2,539.61 crore up to 2025-26.

The government has reiterated its commitment to develop, modernise, and strengthen, both Doordarshan and Akashvani (Prasar Bharti) infrastructure and services. The implementation of the scheme will help financially support Prasar Bharti in expansion and upgradation of its broadcasting infrastructure, content development, and civil work.

By strengthening the country's broadcasting network, the government aims to expand its reach in border and strategic areas, and also provide more diverse content to viewers by upgrading the capacity of DTH platform to accommodate more channels.

National Green Hydrogen Mission

The initial outlay for the mission will be Rs 19,744 crore, including an outlay of Rs 17,490 crore for the SIGHT programme, Rs 1,466 crore for pilot projects, Rs 400 crore for R&D, and Rs 388 crore towards other mission components. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) will formulate the scheme guidelines for implementation.

The mission aims to make India a Global Hub for the production, utilisation and export of Green Hydrogen and its derivatives.