Many important decisions in Modi cabinet: New highway between Assam-Meghalaya, increase in FRP of sugarcane

New Delhi| Many important decisions were taken in the cabinet meeting of the Central Government. The government has approved the construction of a new highway between Assam and Meghalaya. This highway will be built from Silchar to Shillong. It is being constructed under the North East Corridor. Apart from this, it has been announced to increase the FRP of sugarcane. The new FRP for sugarcane has been made at Rs 355 per quintal. At the same time, Modi government has also announced to conduct caste census along with the upcoming original census. On Wednesday, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnav informed about this.

The Union Cabinet approved the construction of a 166.80 km long highway from Mawlingkhung in Meghalaya to Panchgram in Assam at a total cost of Rs 22,864 crore. According to an official statement, the 144.80 km long portion of this highway project is located in Meghalaya and the 22 km long portion in Assam. This decision was taken in the meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnav told reporters that the Cabinet has approved the proposal for development, maintenance and management of 166.80 km long four-lane route of National Highway No. 06 from Mawlingkhung (near Shillong) in Meghalaya to Panchgram (near Silchar) in Assam on hybrid annuity mode The total capital cost of this project is Rs 22,864 crore.

The proposed high-speed corridor will improve the service level for traffic running between Guwahati and Silchar. Its development will improve road connectivity to Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur and mainland Barak Valley region of Assam and Guwahati and significantly reduce travel distance and travel time.

According to the statement, this highway will also contribute to increasing the logistics efficiency of the country. The corridor will improve connectivity between Assam and Meghalaya and boost economic growth including development of industries in Meghalaya, as it will pass through the cement and coal production areas of Meghalaya.

This project of the government will be developed under PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan. This expressway will also connect to NH-27, NH-106, NH-206 and NH-37. Through this, inter-city connectivity between big cities like Shillong, Silchar and Guwahati will be strengthened and traffic pressure on the existing NH-06 will also be reduced.

Gift to sugarcane farmers
The government on Wednesday decided to increase the fair and remunerative price (FRP) of sugarcane by 4.41 per cent to Rs 355 per quintal for the upcoming 2025-26 session starting from October. The FRP of sugarcane has been fixed at Rs 340 per quintal for the ongoing 2024-25 session.

The central government decides the FRP, which is the mandatory minimum price. Sugar mills are legally obliged to pay this price to sugarcane farmers for their produce. Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnav told reporters after the CCEA meeting that an FRP of Rs 355 per quintal has been sanctioned if the basic recovery rate i.e. sugar obtained from sugarcane during processing is 10.25 per cent.

If the sugar receipt rate is higher than this, the price will be higher, while if it is lower the price will be lower. In this way, at the rate of 9.5 per cent, farmers will be paid at the rate of Rs 329.05 per quintal. There will be no deduction if the rate of sugar receipt is less than this and a minimum of Rs 329.05 per quintal will be paid to the farmers in any case.
Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) for Sugarcane 2025

Every sugarcane season, the Central Government decides the FRP of sugarcane based on the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP).

• FRP is a standard price, no sugar mill can buy sugarcane from farmers at a price lower than this.
• The actual calculation of FRP is done on the basis of production cost in all major sugarcane producing states.
• The sugar cane KFRP is fixed under the “Sugarcane (Control) Order, 1966” taking into account the following considerations.