Cabinet approves rolling out Private FM Radio to 234 uncovered new cities / towns
Move likely to boost local content in mother tongue and create new employment opportunities
New areas covered include many Aspirational, LWE affected and border areas
The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved the proposal for conduct of 3rd batch of ascending e-auctions for 730 channels in 234 new cities with estimated reserve price of Rs.784.87 crore under Private FM Radio Phase Ill Policy.
State-wise list of the cities / towns and the number of Private FM channels approved for fresh auctions is enclosed as Annexure.
The Cabinet also approved the proposal to charge Annual License Fee (ALF) of FM channel as 4% of Gross Revenue excluding Goods and Services Tax (GST). This will be applicable for 234 new cities / towns.
The Private FM Radio rollout in 234 new cities / towns will fulfil the unmet demand for FM radio in these cities / towns, which still remain uncovered by Private FM radio broadcasting and bring new / local content in mother tongue.
It will lead to creation of new employment opportunities, boost to local dialect and culture and ‘vocal for local’ initiatives.
Many of the approved cities / towns are in Aspirational districts and LWE affected areas. Setting up of Private FM Radio in these areas will further strengthen Government outreach in these areas.
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Cabinet approves Central Financial Assistance towards Equity Participation by the State Governments of the North Eastern Region for development of Hydro Electric Projects in the North Eastern Region
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the proposal of the Ministry of Power for providing Central Financial Assistance (CFA) to the State Governments of NER towards their equity participation for development of Hydro Electric Projects in the North Eastern Region (NER) through Joint Venture (JV) Collaboration between State entities and Central Public Sector Undertakings.
This scheme has an outlay of Rs. 4136 crore to be implemented from FY 2024-25 to FY 2031-32. A cumulative hydro capacity of about 15000 MW would be supported under the scheme. The scheme would be funded through 10% Gross Budgetary Support (GBS) for North Eastern Region from the total outlay of the Ministry of Power.
The Scheme formulated by the Ministry of Power provides for formation of a Joint Venture (JV) Company for all the projects of a Central PSU with the State Govt.
The grant towards equity portion of the State Government of NER would be capped at 24% of the total project equity subject to a maximum of Rs.750 crore per project. The cap of Rs.750 crore for each project would be revisited, if required, on a case-to-case basis. The ratio of equity of the CPSU and the State Government in the JV would be maintained at the time of disbursing of the grant.
Central Financial Assistance would be limited to only viable Hydro Electric Projects. States would be required to waive / stagger free power and / or reimburse SGST to make the project viable.
With the introduction of this scheme, participation of the State Governments in the hydro development shall be encouraged and risk and responsibilities shall be shared in a more equitable manner. The issues such as land acquisition, rehabilitation & resettlement and local law & order issues would be reduced with State Governments becoming stakeholders. This would avoid time and cost over-run of the projects.
This scheme shall play a significant role in harnessing the hydro power potential of North East. It would bring huge investment in the North Eastern Region and would provide large number of direct employment to the local people along with indirect employment / entrepreneurial opportunities through transportation, tourism, small-scale business. Development of hydroelectric projects shall also contribute towards realization of India’s Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) of establishing 500 GW renewable energy capacity by 2030 and would help integration of RE sources in the grid thus enhancing flexibility, security and reliability of the national grid.
The Government of India has been taking several policy initiatives to address the issues impeding Hydro Power development. To promote the hydro power sector and to make it more viable, the Cabinet, on 7th March, 2019, approved measures, viz., declaring large hydro power projects as Renewable Energy sources, Hydro Power Purchase Obligations (HPOs), tariff rationalization measures through escalating tariff, budgetary support for flood moderation in storage HEP and budgetary support for the cost of enabling infrastructure, i.e., construction of roads and bridges.
Cabinet accords approval for progressive expansion of Central Sector Scheme of ‘Agriculture Infrastructure Fund’
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today approved the progressive expansion in Central Sector Scheme of financing facility under ‘Agriculture Infrastructure Fund’ to make it more attractive, impactful and inclusive.
In a significant move to enhance and strengthen the agricultural infrastructure in the country and support the farming community, the Government has announced a series of measures to expand the scope of Agricultural Infrastructure Fund (AIF) scheme. These initiatives aim at expanding the scope of eligible projects and integrate additional supportive measures to foster a robust agricultural infrastructure ecosystem.
Viable Farming Assets: To allow all eligible beneficiaries of scheme for creation of infrastructure covered under ‘viable projects for building community farming assets’. This move is expected to facilitate the development of viable projects that will enhance community farming capabilities, thereby improving productivity and sustainability in the sector.
Integrated Processing projects: To include integrated primary secondary processing projects in list of eligible activities under AIF. However standalone secondary projects would not be eligible and would be covered under MoFPI schemes.
PM KUSUM Component-A: To allow convergence of Component-A of PM-KUSUM with AIF for farmer/group of farmers/ Farmer Producer Organizations/ Cooperatives/ Panchayats. The alignment of these initiatives aims to promote sustainable clean energy solutions alongside the development of agricultural infrastructure.
NABSanrakshan: In addition to CGTMSE, it is proposed to extend AIF credit guarantee coverage of FPOs through the NABSanrakshan Trustee Company Pvt. Ltd. also. This expansion of credit guarantee options is intended to enhance the financial security and creditworthiness of FPOs, thereby encouraging more investments in agricultural infrastructure projects.
Since its launch by the Prime Minister in 2020, AIF has been instrumental in supporting creation of 6623 warehouses, 688 cold stores and 21 silos projects, resulting in additional storage capacity of about 500 LMT in the country. This includes 465 LMT of dry storage and 35 LMT of cold storage capacity. With this additional storage capacity 18.6 LMT of food grains and 3.44 LMT of horticulture produce can be saved annually. Rs. 47,575 Crore has been sanctioned for 74,508 projects under AIF till date. These sanctioned projects have mobilized an investment of Rs 78,596 Crore in agriculture sector, out of which Rs.78,433 Crore has been mobilised from private entities. In addition, infrastructure projects sanctioned under AIF have helped in generating more than 8.19 Lakh rural employment opportunities in the agriculture sector.
The expansion in the scope of AIF scheme is poised to further drive the growth, improve productivity, enhance farm incomes and contribute to the overall sustainability of agriculture in the country. These measures also underscore the Government’s commitment to strengthening the agricultural sector through holistic development of farm infrastructure in the country.
Cabinet approves two new lines and one multi-tracking project across Indian Railways: To provide connectivity, facilitate ease of travelling, minimize logistics cost, reduce oil imports and lower CO2 emissions
The total estimated cost of the projects is Rs 6,456 crore(approx.) and will be completed upto 2028-29
The projects will also generate direct employment for about 114 (One Hundred and Fourteen) lakh man-days during construction
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved 3 (Three) projects of Ministry of Railways with total estimated cost of Rs. 6,456 Crore (approx.).
The approved projects will improve logistical efficiency by connecting the unconnected areas, increase the existing line capacity and enhancing transportation networks, resulting in streamlined supply chains and accelerated economic growth.
The new line proposals will provide direct connectivity and improve mobility, providing enhanced efficiency and service reliability for Indian Railways. The multi-tracking proposal will ease operations and reduce congestion, providing the much-required infrastructural development on the busiest sections across Indian Railways. The projects are in line with Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modiji’s Vision of a New India which will make people of the region “Atmanirbhar” by way of comprehensive development in the area which will enhance their employment/ self-employment opportunities.
The projects are result of PM-Gati Shakti National Master Plan for multi-modal connectivity which have been possible through integrated planning and will provide seamless connectivity for movement of people, goods and services.
The 3 (Three) projects covering 7 Districts in 4 States i.e., Odisha, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Chhattisgarh will increase the existing network of Indian Railways by about 300 Kms.
With these projects 14 New Stations will be constructed, providing enhancing connectivity to 2 (Two) Aspirational Districts (Nuapada and East Singhbum). New Line projects will provide connectivity to approx. 1,300 villages and about 11 Lakh population. Multi-tracking project will enhance connectivity to approx. 1,300 villages and about 19 lakh population.
These are essential routes for transportation of commodities such as agriculture products, fertilizer, coal, iron ore, steel, cement, limestone etc. The capacity augmentation works will result in additional freight traffic of magnitude 45 MTPA (Million Tonnes Per Annum). The Railways being environment friendly and energy efficient mode of transportation, will help both in achieving climate goals and minimizing logistics cost of the country, reduce oil import (10 Crore Litres) and lower CO2 emissions (240 Crore Kg) which is equivalent to plantation of 9.7 Crore trees.
Cabinet approves 12 Industrial nodes/cities under National Industrial Corridor Development Programme
India will soon wear a grand necklace of Industrial Smart Cities on the backbone of Golden Quadrilateral
Government greenlights 12 projects worth Rs. 28,602 crore to revolutionize India’s industrial landscape
World-class greenfield industrial smart cities to be built ahead of demand with ‘plug-n-play’ and ‘walk-to-work’ concepts
Robust, sustainable infrastructure to drive investments and spur balanced regional development
Aligning with the vision of Viksit Bharat, these projects will cement India’s role in Global Value Chains with ready-to-allot land for investors
India will soon wear a grand necklace of Industrial Smart Cities as in a landmark decision today, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved 12 new project proposals under the National Industrial Corridor Development Programme (NICDP) with an estimated investment of Rs. 28,602 crore. This move is set to transform the industrial landscape of the country creating a robust network of industrial nodes and cities that will significantly boost economic growth and global competitiveness.
Spanning across 10 states and strategically planned along 6 major corridors, these projects represent a significant leap forward in India’s quest to enhance its manufacturing capabilities and economic growth. These industrial areas will be located in Khurpia in Uttrakhand, Rajpura-Patiala in Punjab, Dighi in, Maharashtra, Palakkad in Kerela, Agra and Prayagraj in UP, Gaya in Bihar, Zaheerabad in Telangana, Orvakal and Kopparthy in AP and Jodhpur-Pali in Rajasthan.
Key Highlights:
Strategic Investments: NICDP is designed to foster a vibrant industrial ecosystem by facilitating investments from both large anchor industries and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). These industrial nodes will act as catalysts for achieving $2 trillion in exports by 2030, reflecting the government’s vision of a self-reliant and globally competitive India.
Smart Cities and Modern Infrastructure: The new industrial cities will be developed as greenfield smart cities of global standards, built “ahead of demand” on the ‘plug-n-play’ and ‘walk-to-work’ concepts. This approach ensures that the cities are equipped with advanced infrastructure that supports sustainable and efficient industrial operations.
Area Approach on PM GatiShakti: Aligned with the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan, the projects will feature multi-modal connectivity infrastructure, ensuring seamless movement of people, goods, and services. The industrial cities are envisioned to be growth centers for transformation of whole region.
Vision for a ‘Viksit Bharat’:
The approval of these projects is a step forward in realizing the vision of ‘Viksit Bharat’ – a developed India. By positioning India as a strong player in the Global Value Chains (GVC), the NICDP will provide developed land parcels ready for immediate allotment, making it easier for domestic and international investors to set up manufacturing units in India. This aligns with the broader objective of creating an ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ or a self-reliant India, fostering economic growth through enhanced industrial output and employment.
Economic Impact and Employment Generation:
NICDP is expected to generate significant employment opportunities, with an estimated 1 million direct jobs and upto 3 million indirect jobs being created through planned industrialization. This will not only provide livelihood opportunities but also contribute to the socio-economic upliftment of the regions where these projects are being implemented.
Commitment to Sustainable Development:
The projects under the NICDP are designed with a focus on sustainability, incorporating ICT-enabled utilities and green technologies to minimize environmental impact. By providing quality, reliable, and sustainable infrastructure, the government aims to create industrial cities that are not just hubs of economic activity but also models of environmental stewardship.
The approval of 12 new industrial nodes under the NICDP marks a significant milestone in India’s journey towards becoming a global manufacturing powerhouse. With a strategic focus on integrated development, sustainable infrastructure, and seamless connectivity, these projects are set to redefine India’s industrial landscape and drive the nation’s economic growth for years to come.
In addition to these new sanctions, the NICDP has already seen the completion of four projects, with another four currently under implementation. This continued progress highlights the government’s commitment to transforming India’s industrial sector and fostering a vibrant, sustainable, and inclusive economic environment.