Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Union government on Friday discussed five important subjects and approved projects in the railways, housing, andSC/ST reservation, among others, informed Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister for Railways, Information & Broadcasting, Electronics & Information Technology at a Cabinet meeting.
The union minister stated that the total estimated cost of the projects is Rs 24,657 crore.
“The Cabinet, under PM Modi‘s leadership, has taken some historic decisions today. In the Budget 2024, the PM revealed about his ‘Purvodaya plan’ for the development of the eastern states, and the decisions taken by the Cabinet today show that the government is committed to the development of Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Northeast and Andhra Pradesh. The Cabinet has approved eight railway projects for development of tribal regions. Out of these eight projects, three are for western and southern parts of Odisha,” he said.
Here are the highlights of the Cabinet meeting:
- Eight new line projects across Indian Railways were approved to provide connectivity and facilitate ease of travelling, minimize logistics cost, reduce oil imports and lower CO2 emissions, with a focus on the northeast. The projects will cover 14 districts – Maharashtra, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Telangana, and West Bengal.
- Eight important National High-Speed Road Corridor Projects of length 936 km at a total cost of Rs. 50,655 crore were approved to improve logistics efficiency, reduce congestion and enhance connectivity across the nation.
- Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban 2.0 Scheme which would investment of Rs.10 lakh crore and government subsidy of 2.30 lakh crore under PMAY-U 2.0 was approved.
- Clean Plant Programme under Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture was approved, which is expected to revolutionize horticulture sector in the country. An investment of Rs 1,765.67 crore will be made in the project.
- Approved amendment in Pradhan Mantri JI-VAN Yojana for providing financial support to Advanced Biofuel Projects using lignocellulosic biomass and other renewable feedstock. The modified scheme also features an extension of timeline of implementation to five years, and is expected to contribute to India’s energy security and self-reliance.
- SC/ST reservation issue: The Cabinet discussed the matter and Vaishnaw said that there are no concepts of creamy layer in Ambedkar principles.
