Latest news with #IntegratedColdChainandValueAdditionInfrastructure
Mint
5 days ago
- Business
- Mint
Cabinet clears ₹2,000 crore NCDC grant, ₹11,000 crore rail infra upgrade
New Delhi: The government on Thursday approved a raft of decisions aimed at boosting rural lending, expanding food processing infrastructure, and strengthening India's railway network—all with an eye on improving farm incomes and economic connectivity. The decisions were taken at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Among the key measures was the approval of a ₹ 2,000 crore central sector scheme titled Grant-in-Aid to the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC). The scheme will run for four years, from FY26 to FY29. The enhanced capital infusion will allow the NCDC to raise roughly ₹ 20,000 crore from markets during this period. This in turn will enable the agency to scale up loans to around 2.9 crore members of 13,288 cooperative societies spanning sectors such as dairy, livestock, fisheries, sugar, textiles, food processing, storage, cold storage, labour, and women-led cooperatives. In a separate move targeting the farm sector, the Union Cabinet also cleared a ₹ 6,520 crore outlay for the ongoing Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY) during the 15th Finance Commission cycle (2021–22 to 2025–26). This includes an additional allocation of ₹ 1,920 crore. Of this, ₹ 1,000 crore has been earmarked to support the creation of 50 multi-product food irradiation units under the Integrated Cold Chain and Value Addition Infrastructure component of PMKSY. Another ₹ 920 crore has been approved for projects under various other PMKSY component schemes, including the establishment of 100 NABL-accredited food testing labs under its Food Safety and Quality Assurance Infrastructure programme. 'The implementation of the proposed 50 multi-product food irradiation units is expected to create total preservation capacity ranging from 20 to 30 lakh metric tonnes per annum, based on the type of food products irradiated under these units," said Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in a press briefing after the cabinet meeting. The establishment of 100 NABL-accredited food testing laboratories in the private sector will help build advanced infrastructure for testing food samples, ensuring compliance with food safety standards and the supply of safe foods, Vaishnaw added. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs also cleared four railway infrastructure projects with a combined outlay of approximately ₹ 11,169 crore. These are aimed at increasing capacity on critical and strategic rail corridors. The approved projects include a fourth line between Itarsi and Nagpur; doubling of the Aurangabad (Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar)–Parbhani line; and third and fourth lines on the Aluabari Road–New Jalpaiguri and Dangoaposi–Jaroli routes. The Jalpaiguri line, which passes through the strategically sensitive 'chicken's neck' corridor, is considered crucial for faster movement of passengers, goods, and military personnel. 'The increased line capacity will significantly enhance mobility, resulting in improved operational efficiency and service reliability for Indian Railways. These multi-tracking proposals are poised to streamline operations and alleviate congestion,' Vaishnaw said. The four projects will span 13 districts across Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, and Jharkhand, adding about 574 kilometers to the rail network. According to the government, the expansion will improve connectivity for approximately 2,309 villages, representing a population of about 43.6 lakh. These routes are vital for transporting key commodities including coal, cement, clinker, gypsum, fly ash, containers, agricultural goods, and petroleum products. The capacity enhancements are expected to support an additional 95.91 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of freight traffic. Officials also underscored the environmental and economic impact of rail transport, noting that the projects could help India reduce logistics costs, cut oil imports by 160 million liters, and avoid 5.15 billion kilograms of CO₂ emissions—equivalent to planting 2 billion trees.
Mint
5 days ago
- Business
- Mint
Cabinet approves six major decisions including four for strengthening railway network — Check details
The Union Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, approved a series of major decisions on Thursday, 31 July 2025. These include railway projects, a cooperative development project and even one scheme for the nation's farmers. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) and the Union Cabinet approved these schemes and projects for the benefit of cooperative societies, farmers, and the people of the nation who use government services. 1. Additional funds for Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday approved a total allocation of ₹ 6,520 crore and an additional allocation of ₹ 1,920 crore for the PM Kisan Sampada Yojana. According to the official release, ₹ 1,000 crore out of the total allocation will be used to support the set-up cost of 50 Multi-Product Food Irradiation Units under the component scheme Integrated Cold Chain and Value Addition Infrastructure (ICCVAI) and 100 Food Testing Labs (FTLs) with NABL accreditation under the component scheme. The government also announced its plans to use ₹ 920 crore to sanction projects under various component schemes of PMKSY during the 15th Finance Commission Cycle, from fiscal years 2021-12 to 2025-26. 'The implementation of the proposed 50 multi-product food irradiation units is expected to create total preservation capacity ranging from 20 to 30 Lakh Metric Tonnes (LMT) per annum, based on the type of food products irradiated under these units,' said the government. They also said that the NABL-accredited food testing lab will lead to the development of advanced infrastructure for testing food samples to ensure food safety standards. 2. Aid to National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC): The Union Cabinet also approved a total of ₹ 2,000 crore in aid to the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) for a period of four years in ₹ 500 crore tranches, starting from the 2025-26 fiscal year to 2028-29. The NCDC will also be able to raise ₹ 20,000 crore from the open market over these four years, the funds of which will be utilised to grant loans to cooperatives to set up new projects or carry out expansion plans, said the government. With this plan, the government aims to benefit 2.9 crore members of 13,288 Cooperative societies in various sectors, including Dairy, Livestock, Fisheries, Sugar, Textile, Food Processing, Storage, and Cold Storage; labour and women-led cooperatives across the nation. These funds also aim to create income-generating capital assets, which are expected to boost employment opportunities across different skill levels. The Union Cabinet's Committee on Economic Affairs, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, also approved four railway development projects on Thursday, 31 July 2025. 'The 4 (four) projects covering 13 Districts across the states of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, and Jharkhand will increase the existing network of Indian Railways by about 574 Kms,' said the government in the official release. 1. Itarsi — Nagpur 4th Line: This railway expansion project, which involves building a fourth railway line between Itarsi station and Nagpur station, will be part of the 'Delhi-Chennai High Density Network.' This project seeks to increase the efficiency and speed of movement of passenger and goods railway traffic between the states of Maharashtra (Nagpur) and Madhya Pradesh (Narmadapuram, Berul, and Pandhurna). The passage seeks to cater to 10 million tonnes of cargo and save ₹ 1,206 crore in logistical costs. 2. Aurangabad (Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar) — Parbhani Doubling: The second project, which received Cabinet approval, is a 177-kilometre-long railway doubling line project costing ₹ 2,179 crore. The project will connect Jalna Dry Port in Maharashtra to the Goodshed in Dinagaon and Daulatabad, benefitting the districts of Chhatrapati Shambhajinagar, Jalna, and Parbhani. 3. Aluabari Road — New Jalpaiguri 3rd and 4th Line: This additional third and fourth line will serve as a strategic importance to connect the North-Eastern states of India near the international borders of Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Nepal. The 57-kilometre, ₹ 1,786 crore project will benefit the States of West Bengal (Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling, and Uttar Dinajpur) and Bihar (Kishanganj). 4. Dangoaposi — Jaroli 3rd and 4th Line: The third and fourth line project between Dangoaposi and Jaroli will also enhance mobility, resulting in improved operational efficiency and service reliability for Indian Railways in the region. 'The proposed multi-tracking project will enhance connectivity to approx. 2,309 villages, which are having a population of about 43.60 lakh,' said the government.
Mint
5 days ago
- Business
- Mint
Cabinet clears ₹2,000 crore NCDC grant, ₹11,000 crore rail infra upgrade
New Delhi: The government on Thursday approved a raft of decisions aimed at boosting rural lending, expanding food processing infrastructure, and strengthening India's railway network—all with an eye on improving farm incomes and economic connectivity. The decisions were taken at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Among the key measures was the approval of a ₹ 2,000 crore central sector scheme titled Grant-in-Aid to the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC). The scheme will run for four years, from FY26 to FY29. The enhanced capital infusion will allow the NCDC to raise roughly ₹ 20,000 crore from markets during this period. This in turn will enable the agency to scale up loans to around 2.9 crore members of 13,288 cooperative societies spanning sectors such as dairy, livestock, fisheries, sugar, textiles, food processing, storage, cold storage, labour, and women-led cooperatives. In a separate move targeting the farm sector, the Union Cabinet also cleared a ₹ 6,520 crore outlay for the ongoing Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY) during the 15th Finance Commission cycle (2021–22 to 2025–26). This includes an additional allocation of ₹ 1,920 crore. Of this, ₹ 1,000 crore has been earmarked to support the creation of 50 multi-product food irradiation units under the Integrated Cold Chain and Value Addition Infrastructure component of PMKSY. Another ₹ 920 crore has been approved for projects under various other PMKSY component schemes, including the establishment of 100 NABL-accredited food testing labs under its Food Safety and Quality Assurance Infrastructure programme. 'The implementation of the proposed 50 multi-product food irradiation units is expected to create total preservation capacity ranging from 20 to 30 lakh metric tonnes per annum, based on the type of food products irradiated under these units," said Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in a press briefing after the cabinet meeting. The establishment of 100 NABL-accredited food testing laboratories in the private sector will help build advanced infrastructure for testing food samples, ensuring compliance with food safety standards and the supply of safe foods, Vaishnaw added. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs also cleared four railway infrastructure projects with a combined outlay of approximately ₹ 11,169 crore. These are aimed at increasing capacity on critical and strategic rail corridors. The approved projects include a fourth line between Itarsi and Nagpur; doubling of the Aurangabad (Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar)–Parbhani line; and third and fourth lines on the Aluabari Road–New Jalpaiguri and Dangoaposi–Jaroli routes. The Jalpaiguri line, which passes through the strategically sensitive 'chicken's neck' corridor, is considered crucial for faster movement of passengers, goods, and military personnel. 'The increased line capacity will significantly enhance mobility, resulting in improved operational efficiency and service reliability for Indian Railways. These multi-tracking proposals are poised to streamline operations and alleviate congestion,' Vaishnaw said. The four projects will span 13 districts across Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, and Jharkhand, adding about 574 kilometers to the rail network. According to the government, the expansion will improve connectivity for approximately 2,309 villages, representing a population of about 43.6 lakh. These routes are vital for transporting key commodities including coal, cement, clinker, gypsum, fly ash, containers, agricultural goods, and petroleum products. The capacity enhancements are expected to support an additional 95.91 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of freight traffic. Officials also underscored the environmental and economic impact of rail transport, noting that the projects could help India reduce logistics costs, cut oil imports by 160 million liters, and avoid 5.15 billion kilograms of CO₂ emissions—equivalent to planting 2 billion trees. 'Augmentation projects are important given that the Railways moved a record 720 crore passengers and 1.6 billion tonnes of cargo in FY25. The growth has been phenomenal over the last 11 years,' Vaishnaw added.
