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Railways, farmers in focus as Centre okays ₹19,000 crore projects
The cabinet cleared ₹ 6,520 crore for the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sampada Yojana (PMKSY) to boost agro-processing and cold chain facilities
The Union cabinet on Wednesday approved six proposals with a cumulative outlay of ₹19,688 crore to strengthen cooperatives, boost food processing and expand railway connectivity.
With a special focus on strengthening India’s farmers, a grant of ₹2,000 crore over four years has been approved for the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC), said IT, railways and I&B minister Ashwini Vaishnaw , while announcing the decisions. NCDC gives loans to about 8.5 lakh cooperatives, which have 290 million members. About 94% of India’s farmers are associated with these cooperatives, he said .
The funding will allow NCDC to mobilise an additional ₹ 20,000 crore for lending to sectors such as dairy, fisheries, textiles and women-led cooperatives, benefiting over 13,000 societies with nearly three crore members.
The cabinet also cleared ₹ 6,520 crore for the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sampada Yojana (PMKSY) to boost agro-processing and cold chain facilities. This includes ₹1,000 crore for 50 food irradiation units and 100 testing labs to cut post-harvest losses and meet export standards. Irradiation is a process that uses controlled radiation to kill germs and extend the shelf life of food. Having more food testing labs reduces time for sample analysis, improves compliance with domestic and international standards and boosts exports, said the government.
“Under the Narendra Modi government, in his third term itself, the government has taken decisions worth ₹ 9 lakh crore to improve the livelihoods of farmers,” said Vaishnaw, adding that processed food exports have more than doubled in 11 years, from $5 billion to $11 billion.
Four major railway projects were also cleared. The ₹ 5,451 crore Itarsi–Nagpur fourth line, right in the heart of India, will improve capacity on the high density networks of the Delhi–Chennai corridor and Mumbai-Howrah corridor. The 297 km stretch will feature 37 stations, 36 major bridges, 415 minor bridges, two road-over-bridges (ROBs), 74 road-under-bridges (RUBs), four tunnels, and two rail-over-rail bridges.
Meanwhile, the ₹ 1,786 crore Aluabari Road–New Jalpaiguri third and fourth lines, spanning 57 km, will strengthen connectivity to the Northeast. It is considered strategically vital, as this route lies close to the only rail link connecting the region to the rest of India and is near the international borders with Bhutan, Bangladesh and Nepal, making it crucial for movement of both civilian and defence forces. It also lies near the vulnerable Siliguri corridor, or “Chicken’s Neck.”
The ₹ 2,179 crore Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar–Parbhani line doubling will strengthen links in Maharashtra, and the ₹ 1,752 crore Dangoaposi–Jaroli third and fourth lines will aid iron ore transport, crucial for steel production., the government said.
