The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved viability gap funding (VGF)/partial capital grant of 40 per cent (Rs. 51.76 billion) of the estimated capital cost of Rs 129.4 billion to GAIL (India) Limited for the development of the Jagdishpur-Haldia gas pipeline project on September 21, 2016. Further, the CCEA has also approved the simultaneous development of city gas distribution networks in a number of cities – Varanasi, Patna, Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Bhubaneswar, Kolkata, Cuttack, etc. – along the route of the pipeline. These distribution networks will be developed by GAIL in collaboration with the respective state governments.