The Tehri Dam Hydro Electric Power project of 1,000 MW in Uttar Pradesh and the Loktak Hydro Power Project of 90 MW in Manipur are two of the 40 state-funded projects whose cost has soared because of delays.

"The Tehri project is now anticipated to cost nearly Rs.66.73 billion ($1.55 billion) and expected to be commissioned by March this year. Over Rs.62.71 billion ($1.45 billion) expenditure has already been incurred by September this year on the project," the ministry of statistics and programme implementation said in a statement Tuesday.

"The cost over-run and time-delay in case of Tehri is estimated at almost Rs.37.10 billion ($862 million) and 72 months," the statement said.

Of the 50 central government-funded power projects costing Rs.1 billion ($23.25 million) or more being undertaken to help meet India's target of doubling power generation capacity to 200,000 MW by 2012 and improving transmission infrastructure, 40 are due for commissioning during the 2002-07 period.

The projects include 29 power transmission projects, 10 thermal stations and 11 hydroelectric power projects.

Of these, the 500 MW unit of the Ramagundam Superthermal Power Project has already been commissioned 11 months ahead of the scheduled target of August this year.