♦ The Union Government and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have signed loan agreements worth more than $800 million for major development projects in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, along with a $1 million technical assistance grant for a fisheries and wetlands project in Assam. The agreements were formalised under the guidance of the Department of Economic Affairs, with Saurabh Singh,

♦ Deputy Secretary, signing on behalf of the Government of India, and Mio Oka, Country Director of ADB’s India Resident Mission, signing for the Bank.

♦ The largest component of the financing is the $500 million loan for the Maharashtra Power Distribution Enhancement Programme aimed at agricultural solarization. 

♦ For Madhya Pradesh, ADB has extended a Japanese Yen-denominated loan of ¥27.14 billion (about $190.6 million) for the Indore Metro Rail Project. 

♦ In Gujarat, a $109.97 million loan was signed for the Skills Development Programme. 

♦ The centre and ADB also signed a $1 million technical assistance grant to support the upcoming Sustainable Wetland and Integrated Fisheries Transformation (SWIFT) Project in Assam.