The Empowered Committee on mega projects today approved six mega projects worth Rs.993.18 crore in the state.A decision to this effect was taken in the first meeting of the empowered committee chaired by Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal after taking over the SAD-BJP alliance government for second consecutive term here at CMO this morning. Badal directed the Industries department – being the nodal agency to hold monthly meeting of the empowered committee on mega projects in future to cut down the pendency of the cases besides ensuring timely resolution of other issues related to the implementation of the mega projects.Disclosing this here today a spokesperson of the Chief Minister's Office said that it was decided in the meeting to grant first extension of six months to the Letter of Intent/signing of agreement to the concerned minister incharge. Earlier, this extension was granted by the empowered committee on the recommendations of the screening committee. This new step would certainly hasten the process for grant of extension thereby cutting short the procedural delay considerably.The spokesperson further said that the empowered committee also approved four new manufacturing industrial mega projects worth Rs. 580.39 crore besides one each mega project in housing and agro sector with an outlay of Rs.370 crore and Rs.42.79 crore respectively. These projects were likely to generate direct and indirect employment for about 3000 persons.The mega projects approved under manufacturing category included the units of M/s Vallabh Tinplate Pvt. Limited at village Beopror near Shambu (Patiala) worth Rs. 121.95 crore, M/s Nirbhai Textiles Pvt. Ltd. at village Hedon (Ludhiana) worth Rs. 127.44 crore, M/s Satish Estates Pvt. Ltd. & Laghu Udyog Bharti at Phagwara (Kapurthala) worth Rs. 156 crore, M/s Oliver Engineering Pvt. Ltd. at village Sandhrasi (Patiala) worth Rs.175 crore.The empowered committee also approved a mega housing project to be developed by M/s Innovative Housing & Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd. at village Togan and Teera in SAS Nagar under Mullanpur Planning Area of Greater Mohali Area evelopment Authority over an area of 101.18 acre at a cost of Rs.370 crore. In another decision, the empowered committee on mega projects also approved an agro based industrial project to be set up by M/s Malbros International Pvt. Ltd. at village Mansoorwal Kalan in Feorzepur district with an investment of Rs. 42.79 crore. Prominent amongst those present in the meeting included Local Government Minister Bhagat Chunni Lal, Transport Minister Ajit Singh Kohar, Food & Civil Supplies Minister Adesh Partap Singh Kairon, Irrigation Minister Janmeja Singh Sekhon, Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia, Finance Minister Paminder Singh Dhindsa, Tourism & Jail Minister Sarwan Singh Phillaur, Industries & Commerce Minister Anil Joshi, Chief Parliamentary Secretary Industries & Commerce NK Sharma, Chief Secretary Rakesh Singh, Financial Commissioner Revenue NS Kang, Financial Commissioner Development GS Sandhu, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister SK Sandhu, Principal Secretary Industries & Commerce AR Talwar, Principal Secretary Finance & Planning Satish Chandra, Excise & Taxation Commissioner A Venu Parsad, Secretary Food & Supplies DS Grewal, Secretary Power Anirudh Tiwari, Special Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Gaggandip Singh Brar, MD Punjab Agro Ashok Gupta, Director-cum-Secretary Industries SS Bains, Chairman PSPL KD Chaudhary, CA GMADA Sarvjit Singh and CA PUDA AS Miglani.