Cabinet: More than Rs 1.01 lakh crore schemes related to farmers approved; 78 days bonus to rail workers
New Delhi| The central government has allocated thousands of crores of rupees for several projects related to farmers and infrastructure development. These schemes were approved in the Union Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Union Minister Vaishnav said that the government has approved PM Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana and Krishi Unnati Yojana. A provision of Rs 1 lakh 1321 crore will be made for these schemes. Apart from this, Chennai Metro Phase-2 project worth more than Rs 63 thousand crore has also been approved. He said that the government has taken many important decisions with the aim of increasing the income of farmers.
Vaishnav said that in a way, almost every point related to farmers’ income has been covered under the Rs 1,01, 321 crore programme. He said that this is a very big program which has many components. All the components have been approved by the Cabinet as separate schemes. According to Ashwini Vaishnav, ‘If any state brings a detailed project report (DPR) related to any one scheme, it will be approved under this scheme.’
The Cabinet has also approved the second phase of Chennai Metro. It will cost Rs 63,246 crore. The total length of the second phase will be 119 kilometres. There will also be a total of 120 stations. The central and Tamil Nadu government will have 50-50 per cent stake in the project. It will be constructed by Chennai Metro Rail Limited. Chennai is estimated to have a population of 1.26 crore in 2026 and 1.80 crore in 2048.
Ashwini Vaishnav said that the biggest decision in the cabinet meeting is to increase the income of farmers and ensure food security for the middle class people. For this, ‘PM Rashtra Krishi Vikas Yojana’ (PM Rashtra Krishi Vikas Yojana) and ‘Krishonti Yojana’ (Krishonnati Yojana) have been approved. Ashwini Vaishnav said that the Cabinet has approved the proposal to rationalize all Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) run under the Agriculture Ministry into two comprehensive schemes. PM-RKVY will promote sustainable agriculture while KY will help achieve the goal of food security and agricultural self-reliance.
He explained that there are 9 different schemes under the two schemes. All components will leverage technology to ensure efficient and effective implementation of various components. Both these schemes are implemented by the states. Of the total proposed expenditure of Rs 1,01,321.61 crore, the estimated expenditure of the central portion of the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare is Rs 69,088.98 crore. Also, the states’ share in it is Rs 32,232.63 crore. This includes Rs 57,074.72 crore for Krishi Vikas Yojana and Rs 44,246.89 crore for Krishonnati Yojana.
The Union Cabinet has also approved the proposal to give bonus equal to 78 days to lakhs of railway employees. In an important cabinet meeting on Thursday chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi just before the festive season, approved Productivity Linked Bonus (PLB) for 78 days to railway employees for excellent performance. This will benefit 11,72,240 railway employees. Rs 2028.57 crore will be spent on this. The maximum amount payable to eligible railway employees is Rs 17,951 for 78 days. This amount will be paid to various categories of railway employees like track maintainer, loco pilot, train manager (guard), station master, supervisor, technician, technician helper, pointsman, ministerial staff and other Group C employees. PLB is paid to eligible railway employees every year before Durga Puja/Dussehra holidays. Railways performed very well in the years 2023-2024. Railways loaded a record cargo of 1588 million tonnes and carried around 670 crore passengers.
The Cabinet has also approved National Mission Oilseeds on edible oil worth Rs 10,103 crore. This is one of the nine schemes under Krishonnati Yojana. The plan aims to increase the production of edible oils from 12.7 million tonnes to 20 million tonnes by 2031. The aim of this mission is to make India self-reliant in oilseed production in seven years. Mission Sathi will launch the portal through which states will be able to coordinate with stakeholders for timely availability of quality seeds
The Cabinet has approved the signing of Letter of Intent so that India can join the Center for Energy Efficiency. It is a global platform dedicated to promoting energy efficiency and cooperation around the world. The move strengthens India’s commitment to sustainable development and is in line with its efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This decision will help India to access the shared strategic energy practices and innovative solutions of the elite Group of 16 countries.
