New Delhi: Japan on March 28 agreed to extend Rs 4,417 crore as soft loans for seven projects in the country including Delhi Metro, Yamuna Action Plan, Simhadri and Bakreswar thermal power stations.

The other projects that would get the Japanese Official Development Assistance loans totalling 1,11,239 million Yen are Ajanta-Ellora Conservation and Tourism Development Project (phase-II), Punjab Afforestation Project (II) and Rajasthan Forestry and Biodiversity Project.

The agreement of the first loan from Japan after lifting of the economic sanctions imposed on India after it conducted nuclear tests in May 1998, was signed by Japanese Ambassador Akira Hayashi and Additional Secretary in Finance Ministry Adarsh Kishore on March 28.

According to the loan package, Japan would provide 34,012 million Yen for Delhi's mass rapid transport system whose 8.3 km stretch Shahdara-Tis Hazari was inaugurated by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on December 24 last year.

Japan would also extend 13,333 million Yen for the second phase of Yamuna Action Plan project covering Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

Bakreswar thermal power station would get 36,771 million Yen for construction of 420 MW coal-based power plant being executed by West Bengal Power Development Corporation.

National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC)'s Simhadri thermal power plant would get 5,684 million Yen for construction of 1,000 MW coal-based capacity in Andhra Pradesh.

Japan would also extend Official Development Assistance (ODA) loans worth 5,054 million Yen to Punjab for its afforestation project, 9,054 million Yen to Rajasthan's forestry and biodiversity project and 7,331million Yen to Ajanta-Ellora conservation.

PTI