NEW DELHI: Three months before Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled a new Parliament building in Afghanistan, he had pushed to release more funds for the project, which had missed several deadlines.

Accordingly, the Foreign Ministry started working to provide an extra Rs 500 crore towards the Afghan Parliament and Salma Dam flagship projects of democracy and development in Afghanistan.

At the Pragati meeting, the PM also approved extra funds for the Salma Dam multipurpose project, despite some objections by the Department of Expenditure. Earlier this week, the Union Cabinet approved the expenditure.

In January 2013, the project cost was revised to Rs 1,457.56 crore, with a completion target of December 2014. The new deadline for the commercial operation has been fixed for June 2016.

The dam was initiated in 2004 at an expenditure of Rs 351.87 crore but could not take off in a big way due to widespread strife in Afghanistan. In June 2010, the cost was revised to Rs 800 crore.