The Union Cabinet on Wednesday cleared the construction of two hydroelectric projects in Arunachal Pradesh with a combined estimated cost of about Rs 40,000 crore.The 1,200 MW Kalai-II hydroelectric project, to be built on the Lohit river in Anjaw district, will be completed in 78 months at an estimated cost of Rs 14,000 crore, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said. The project is expected to generate 4,852.95 million units of electricity annually.As the first hydro project in the Lohit basin, it is expected to strengthen power supply in the state, help manage peak demand and contribute to balancing the national grid. It will be implemented through a joint venture between THDC India Limited and the Arunachal Pradesh Government.The Centre will provide Rs 599.88 crore as budgetary support for enabling infrastructure, including roads, bridges and transmission lines, along with Rs 750 crore as central financial assistance towards the state’s equity share. The state will also receive 12 per cent free power and an additional 1 per cent for the local area development fund.Okays nutrient-based fertiliser subsidy ratesUnion Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday asserted that the country has adequate stock of fertilisers as the Centre approved nutrient-based subsidy rates worth Rs 41,533.81 crore for phosphatic and potassic fertilisers for the upcoming kharif season. The budgetary requirement for the kharif fertiliser subsidy in 2026 is Rs 4,317 crore higher than the Rs 37,216.15 crore allocated for kharif 2025. It is also roughly Rs 3,582 crore more than the subsidy requirement for the rabi 2025-26 season.The Cabinet also approved an investment of Rs 26,069.50 crore for the 1,720 MW Kamala hydroelectric project across Kamle, Kra Daadi and Kurung Kumey districts. The project, to be completed in 96 months, is expected to generate 6,870 million units annually and provide flood moderation benefits in the Brahmaputra valley.The Kamala project will be implemented through a joint venture between NHPC Limited and the state government. The Centre will extend Rs 4,743.98 crore towards flood moderation and Rs 1,340 crore for enabling infrastructure, in addition to Rs 750 crore as equity support.Other major hydropower projects in the state include Subansiri Lower (2,000 MW) and Dibang Multipurpose (2,880 MW), both under construction, and Etalin (3,097 MW), which is planned.In a separate decision, the Cabinet approved the revision of the HPCL Rajasthan Refinery Limited project cost from Rs 43,129 crore to Rs 79,459 crore, along with an additional equity investment of Rs 8,962 crore by Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited. The project is scheduled for commercial operations from July 1, 2026, and is expected to boost energy security and reduce import dependence in the petrochemical sector.The Cabinet also cleared the second phase of the Jaipur Metro, a 41-km corridor connecting the northern and southern parts of the city. The first phase, a 12-km corridor built in 2015, has faced low ridership. Responding to concerns, Vaishnaw said infrastructure projects were planned with a long-term perspective, factoring in population growth and future demand.