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INDIA SIGNS TWO PROJECTS WITH WORLD BANK
July 27, 2001
India and the World Bank signed two agreements for projects in the Infrastructure and Education sectors here today. The Projects are: Grand Trunk Road Improvement Project and the Rajasthan Second District Primary Education Project. The agreements were signed by Dr. Adarsh Kishore - Additional Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs on behalf of the Government of India; Mr. Edwin Lim Country Director
World Bank on behalf of the World Bank; Mr. Deepak Dasgupta, Chairman - National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) on behalf of NHAI and by Mr. O.P. Bihari Development Commissioner and Principal Secretary, Panchayat Raj Department, Government of Rajasthan on behalf of Government of Rajasthan. Mr. Sumit Bose, Joint Secretary - Ministry of Human Resource Development
Government of India was also present. The total cost of the Grand Trunk Road Improvement Project is estimated at US$ 756.00 million. World Bank
would provide IBRD loan of US$ 589.00 million and the counterpart funding of US$ 167.00 million would be met by Government of India. The objectives of the project are (a) to reduce transport constraints on economic activity; and (b) to improve institutional capabilities to manage road programs
assets and services on a commercial basis. The loan amount will be used for the 4/6 laning of 420 kms of high traffic volume stretches of the National
Highways (GT Road) in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The Project also includes a component for corridor management road safety improvement public-private partnership in road concession and institutional strengthening. The loan has a variable spread and interest rate and a maturity of 20 years. The project is expected to be completed by 30th June 2006. The total cost of the Rajasthan Second District Primary Education Project
is estimated at US$ 87.5 million with World Bank providing IDA credit of SDR 58.5 million (US$ 74.4 million equivalent) and counterpart funding of
US$ 13.1 million by Government of Rajasthan. The objective of the proposed project is to expand the DPEP to 9 additional districts of Rajasthan viz.
Bharatpur, Bundi, Churu, Dausa, Dholpur, Hanumangarh, Jaipur, Karauli and Sawai Madhopur. The proposal for expansion of DPEP is in accordance with the centrally sponsored DPEP projects. The basic goal of the DPEP is to develop and implement in these nine districts a sustainable and cost-effective programme (a) to reduce differences in enrolment dropout and learning achievement among gender and social groups to less than 5 percent (b) to reduce overall primary drop out rates for all students to less than 10 per cent (c) to raise average achievement levels by at least 25% over measured baseline levels by all primary school children (d) to provide access for all children to primary education and (e) to strengthen the capacity of state and district institutions for primary education. The project period of five years will close on 31.12.2006.
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