Approval for improved Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS)
Approval for improved Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) for the employees of Hooghly Dock & Port Engineers Limited and restructuring of the company through Joint Venture (JV)
The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today approved the introduction of an improved Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) for the employees of Hooghly Dock & Port Engineers Limited (HDPEL) and restructuring of the company through a Joint Venture (JV). The improved VRS package is based on IDA 2007 linked pay scale. The improved VRS Scheme would be open for three months with a provision of extension by another one month. After the implementation of the improved VRS, JV formation with the private sector would be attempted failing which the company would be disinvested.
Implementation of the improved VRS package would substantially reduce the manpower of HDPEL and would help in downsizing. Thereafter, HDPEL would become amenable to re-structuring.
The current VRS package is at the old pre-revised scale, therefore, implementation of an improved VRS package would provide better retirement benefits to the HDPEL employees who opt for it. This decision will take care of employees' welfare as well as prevent recurrent loss to the public exchequer.
Background:
The HDPEL was established in 1819. Subsequently, in 1973, it merged with Port Engineering Works, which had been under the control of Andrew Yule Ltd. The Company was nationalized in 1984 as per the Hooghly Dock & Engineer Company (Acquisition and Transfer of Undertaking) Act, 1984 and was renamed as Hooghly Dock & Port Engineers Ltd. The HDPEL has two units, one in Salkia and another in Nazirgunge located on the banks of the Hooghly River. However, both units of the company have been suffering heavy losses.
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Approval for transfer back by de-leasing of 72 acres and 3 marla of land adjoining main water channel and forest area of the sub campus of Central Institute for Research on Buffaloes at Nabha, Punjab to the Department of Animal Husbandry, Government of Punjab
The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today approved the transfer back by de-leasing of 72 acres and 3 marla of land adjoining the main water channel and forest area of the sub campus of the Central Institute for Research on Buffaloes (CIRB) at Nabha, Punjab to the Department of Animal Husbandry, Government of Punjab for maintaining of cattle at the State-of-the Art Advanced Cattle farm at Rauni (Patiala).
The de-leasing of land shall be subject to an undertaking by the Government of Punjab that the de-leased land will be used exclusively for establishing a fodder farm for cattle. CIRB/ICAR will extend the needed technical support (without any financial involvement) for carrying out research on fodder development in Punjab.
The Government of Punjab had ordered the establishment of State-of-the- Art Advanced Cattle Farm, construction of which is in full swing. The farm has limited land to cultivate feed and fodder to maintain 300 cattle. Therefore, the land given to CIRB on lease basis was asked back by the Government of Punjab. This decision fulfills the fodder requirements for the Advanced Cattle Farm at Rauni.
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Approval to promulgate the Negotiable Instruments (Amendment) Ordinance, 2015.
The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has given its approval for the proposal to promulgate the Negotiable Instruments (Amendment) Ordinance, 2015.
The proposed amendments to the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 (“The NI Act”) are focused on clarifying the jurisdiction related issues for filing cases for offence committed under section 138 of the NI Act.
The clarity on jurisdictional issues for trying cases of cheque bouncing would increase the credibility of the cheque as a financial instrument. This would help trade and commerce in general and allow the lending institution, including banks, to continue to extend financing to the economy, without the apprehension of loan default on account of bouncing of a cheque.
In view of the urgency to create a suitable legal framework for determination of the place of jurisdiction for trying cases of dishonour of cheques under section 138 of the NI Act, the Government has decided to amend the law through the Negotiable instruments (Amendment) Ordinance, 2015.
The objective is to ensure that a fair trial is conducted keeping in view the interests of the complainant by clarifying the territorial jurisdiction for trying the cases for dishonour of cheques. The Ordinance is similar to the Bill in the sense that the substantive principle for determination of the jurisdiction of cases under section 138 of the NI Act remains the same, except that that two distinct situations of payment of cheque (i) by submitting the same for collection through an account or (ii) payment of a cheque otherwise through an account, that is, when cheques are presented across the counter of any branch of drawee bank for payment, are covered under the Ordinance.
Background:
Section 138 of the NI Act deals with the offence pertaining to dishonour of cheque for insufficiency, etc., of funds in the drawer’s account on which the cheque is drawn for the discharge of any legally enforceable debt or other liability. The object of the NI Act is to encourage the usage of cheques and enhancing the credibility of the instrument so that the normal business transactions and settlement of liabilities can be ensured.
Various financial institutions and industry associations have expressed difficulties, arising out of the recent legal interpretation of the place of jurisdiction for filing cases under Section 138 to be the place of drawers’ bank by the Supreme Court. To address the difficulties faced by the payee or the lender of the money in filing the cases under Section 138 of the NI Act, because of which, large number of cases were stuck, the jurisdiction for offence under Section 138 has been proposed to be clearly defined. Accordingly, the Negotiable Instruments (Amendment) Bill, 2015 (“the Bill”) in Parliament was introduced in Lok Sabha on 6th May, 2015 and considered and passed by Lok Sabha on 13th May, 2015. However, since the Rajya Sabha was adjourned sine die on 13th May, 2015, the Bill could not be discussed and passed by that House and the Bill could not be enacted.
The Bill provides for filing of cases only by a court within whose local jurisdiction the bank branch of the payee, where the payee delivers the cheque for payment is situated. Further, where a complaint has been filed against the drawer of a cheque in the court having jurisdiction under the new scheme of jurisdiction, all subsequent complaints arising out of section 138 against the same drawer shall be filed before the same court, irrespective of whether those cheques were presented for payment within the territorial jurisdiction of that court.
Further, it has been provided that if more than one prosecution is filed against the same drawer of cheques before different courts, upon this fact having been brought to the notice of the court, the court shall transfer the case to the court having jurisdiction as per the new scheme of jurisdiction.
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Ex-post facto approval to additional employment of 50 days over and above 100 days per household under Mahatama Gandhi National Rural Employment Act (MGNREGA) in areas hit by drought or natural calamities
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has given its ex-post facto approval to provide an additional 50 days of unskilled manual work in the financial year over and above the 100 days assured to job card holders, in such rural areas where drought or natural calamities have been notified. This will enable States to provide additional wage employment to the rural poor in drought affected areas. The poorest rural households will benefit from this, as it will help in immediate absorption of rural seasonal unemployment, and reduce rural distress.
To provide immediate relief to farmers, in view of the deficit monsoon during Kharif 2015, the Government of India has already taken a number of decisions. Orders on these measures have already been issued to all State Governments, which will implement them on the basis of assessed need. The various decisions are:
1. Diesel Subsidy Scheme for farmers in affected areas: It has been decided to provide diesel subsidy to farmers to enable them to provide life saving irrigation through diesel pump sets in drought and deficit rainfall areas to protect standing crops (allocation of Rs.100 crore). Farmers in the affected regions will be covered during the current South-West monsoon period till 30th September, 2015. The scheme on Diesel Subsidy will be implemented with the participation of the State Governments/UT Administration, with a view to offset the cost of diesel used for pumping water for providing supplementary irrigation/protective irrigation. The scheme will be applicable to such districts/talukas/areas where the rainfall deficit is more than 50 percent as on 15th July, 2015, (as reported by the India Meteorological Department); to such districts/talukas/areas, which have been declared as drought affected area by the respective State Govt./ UT Administration; areas with prolonged dry spell continuously for 15 days, i.e. scanty rainfall (deficit of 60 percent or more of normal) for any continuous 15 days period, after the onset date of Monsoon as per reports of IMD. It is proposed to provide 50 percent subsidy on the cost of diesel (Rs 2000 per hectare) to affected farmers, limited to a maximum of two hectares per farmer. The cost of assistance provided shall be shared between the Government of India and the State Government/UT Administration concerned on 50:50 basis.
2. Enhancement of ceiling on Seed subsidy: Enhancement of ceiling on Seed subsidy. In order to compensate farmers in drought affected districts for the additional expenditure incurred in the sowing and /or purchasing appropriate varieties of drought resistant seeds, it has been decided to raise the extant ceiling on seed subsidy by 50 percent over existing levels for distribution in drought notified districts. The enhancement is valid till 31.12.2015.
3. Interventions for saving perennial horticulture crops: Appropriate input support measures will be provided to rejuvenate water stressed horticulture crops, with an additional allocation of Rs.150 crore. The scheme is to be implemented in all drought affected districts / blocks in the country which are covered under Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), being implemented by Dept. of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers Welfare. Farmers in drought affected districts/ blocks will be provided assistance at the rate of Rs.6000/- per hectare as per cost norms for a maximum area of two ha per beneficiary, for taking up appropriate combination of interventions. Assistance so provided through subsidy shall be shared between the Government of India and the State Government/UT Administration concerned on 50:50 basis.
4. Implementation of additional fodder development programme: Assistance will be provided for additional interventions for production of fodder for mitigating adverse impact of drought on livestock (allocation of Rs.50 crore). Farmers in drought affected districts/ blocks will be provided assistance at the rate of Rs.3200/- per hectare as per cost norms for a maximum area of two ha per beneficiary for taking up additional production of fodder in these districts/blocks. Assistance so provided through subsidy shall be shared between the Government of India and the State Government/UT Administration concerned on 50:50 basis.
5. Flexible allocation under RKVY and other centrally sponsored schemes: States have been advised to keep aside about 5 to 10 percent of fund allocated under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) for undertaking appropriate interventions, if the situation so warrants, to minimize the advance impact of an aberrant monsoon on the agriculture sector. 10 percent of the allocation under Centrally Sponsored Scheme may be utilized in flexible manner by States to meet contingent requirement arising out of deficient rains.
6. Crop contingency plan: Ministry of Agriculture, through ICAR-Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture (CRIDA), Hyderabad has prepared detailed crop Contingency Plans for 600 districts. States have been advised to prepare/ update/ fine-tune Contingency Plans for each district in consultation with CRIDA-ICAR and State Agriculture Universities and to prepare location specific remedial measures based on these contingency plans in the event of late arrival of Monsoon/long dry spells/scanty rainfall/drought conditions e.g. tying up availability of seeds and other inputs for implementing Contingency Plans. As seen from the experience of last year, these are highly useful in case of a deviant monsoon. These plans are available at the website of Dept. of Agriculture & Cooperation, Minstry of Agriculture as well as Central Institute for Dryland Agriculture (CRIDA), Hyderabad.
7. Advisories to the states: State Governments have already been advised to initiate advance remedial action e.g. constructing water harvesting structures under MGNREGA and other such schemes, promoting agronomic practices for moisture conservation, promoting cultivation of less water consuming crops and restoring irrigation infrastructure by desilting canals, energizing tube-wells, replacing/repairing faulty pumps. States have also been requested to carry out periodic assessment of preparation for Kharif crops, particularly contingency crops and also investment made in water conservation structure under various schemes like Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWWP) to verify their utility in harvesting the rainfall.
8. Availability of seeds and other inputs for Kharif, 2015: Availability of seeds and other inputs is being monitored / reviewed on a continuous basis in the weekly Crop Weather Watch Group (CWWG) meetings being held in the Department of Agriculture. Weekly video conference with States is also being held to get first-hand information about State’s preparedness and to advise States appropriately whenever needed.
9. SMS Advisory: The Ministry, through the m-kisan portal sends SMS advisories to registered farmers. These advisories include weather based SMS advisories, advisories to suggest measures to minimize adverse impact of extreme weather event. Ministry through various operators has sent about 700 crores SMS in the last one year. These SMS are sent by ICAR/SAU, KVK, AMFU etc. and district level state Government officials.
10. Crisis management plan for drought for the year 2015: A Crisis Management Plan (CMP) for Drought has been in place and is available at the website of Dept. of Agriculture & Cooperation, Min. of Agriculture. The plan has also been updated recently in consultation with Stakeholder Ministries/Departments. The Agriculture Minister has also requested all Chief Ministers, vide his letter dated 12.05.2015, to direct the officers concerned to expedite preparation of State level Management Plans on Drought.
11. SDRF/NDRF funds - First Instalment of SDRF released: The State Government is primarily responsible for providing necessary relief in the wake of natural calamities. Government of India supplements the efforts of state Governments with financial assistance. For undertaking relief measures, funds are available with State Governments in the form of State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF). Additional financial assistance, over and above SDRF, is considered from National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) for natural calamities of severe nature and is approved on the basis of Memorandum received from the State Government in accordance with established procedure, keeping in view items and norms in vogue for assistance. The first instalment of SDRF has already been released to State Governments. SDRF funds, besides others, can also be used for emergency supply of drinking water in rural and urban areas, as per the approved guideline
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Ex-post facto approval to additional employment of 50 days over and above 100 days per household under Mahatama Gandhi National Rural Employment Act (MGNREGA) in areas hit by drought or natural calamities
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has given its ex-post facto approval to provide an additional 50 days of unskilled manual work in the financial year over and above the 100 days assured to job card holders, in such rural areas where drought or natural calamities have been notified. This will enable States to provide additional wage employment to the rural poor in drought affected areas. The poorest rural households will benefit from this, as it will help in immediate absorption of rural seasonal unemployment, and reduce rural distress.
To provide immediate relief to farmers, in view of the deficit monsoon during Kharif 2015, the Government of India has already taken a number of decisions. Orders on these measures have already been issued to all State Governments, which will implement them on the basis of assessed need. The various decisions are:
1. Diesel Subsidy Scheme for farmers in affected areas: It has been decided to provide diesel subsidy to farmers to enable them to provide life saving irrigation through diesel pump sets in drought and deficit rainfall areas to protect standing crops (allocation of Rs.100 crore). Farmers in the affected regions will be covered during the current South-West monsoon period till 30th September, 2015. The scheme on Diesel Subsidy will be implemented with the participation of the State Governments/UT Administration, with a view to offset the cost of diesel used for pumping water for providing supplementary irrigation/protective irrigation. The scheme will be applicable to such districts/talukas/areas where the rainfall deficit is more than 50 percent as on 15th July, 2015, (as reported by the India Meteorological Department); to such districts/talukas/areas, which have been declared as drought affected area by the respective State Govt./ UT Administration; areas with prolonged dry spell continuously for 15 days, i.e. scanty rainfall (deficit of 60 percent or more of normal) for any continuous 15 days period, after the onset date of Monsoon as per reports of IMD. It is proposed to provide 50 percent subsidy on the cost of diesel (Rs 2000 per hectare) to affected farmers, limited to a maximum of two hectares per farmer. The cost of assistance provided shall be shared between the Government of India and the State Government/UT Administration concerned on 50:50 basis.
2. Enhancement of ceiling on Seed subsidy: Enhancement of ceiling on Seed subsidy. In order to compensate farmers in drought affected districts for the additional expenditure incurred in the sowing and /or purchasing appropriate varieties of drought resistant seeds, it has been decided to raise the extant ceiling on seed subsidy by 50 percent over existing levels for distribution in drought notified districts. The enhancement is valid till 31.12.2015.
3. Interventions for saving perennial horticulture crops: Appropriate input support measures will be provided to rejuvenate water stressed horticulture crops, with an additional allocation of Rs.150 crore. The scheme is to be implemented in all drought affected districts / blocks in the country which are covered under Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), being implemented by Dept. of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers Welfare. Farmers in drought affected districts/ blocks will be provided assistance at the rate of Rs.6000/- per hectare as per cost norms for a maximum area of two ha per beneficiary, for taking up appropriate combination of interventions. Assistance so provided through subsidy shall be shared between the Government of India and the State Government/UT Administration concerned on 50:50 basis.
4. Implementation of additional fodder development programme: Assistance will be provided for additional interventions for production of fodder for mitigating adverse impact of drought on livestock (allocation of Rs.50 crore). Farmers in drought affected districts/ blocks will be provided assistance at the rate of Rs.3200/- per hectare as per cost norms for a maximum area of two ha per beneficiary for taking up additional production of fodder in these districts/blocks. Assistance so provided through subsidy shall be shared between the Government of India and the State Government/UT Administration concerned on 50:50 basis.
5. Flexible allocation under RKVY and other centrally sponsored schemes: States have been advised to keep aside about 5 to 10 percent of fund allocated under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) for undertaking appropriate interventions, if the situation so warrants, to minimize the advance impact of an aberrant monsoon on the agriculture sector. 10 percent of the allocation under Centrally Sponsored Scheme may be utilized in flexible manner by States to meet contingent requirement arising out of deficient rains.
6. Crop contingency plan: Ministry of Agriculture, through ICAR-Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture (CRIDA), Hyderabad has prepared detailed crop Contingency Plans for 600 districts. States have been advised to prepare/ update/ fine-tune Contingency Plans for each district in consultation with CRIDA-ICAR and State Agriculture Universities and to prepare location specific remedial measures based on these contingency plans in the event of late arrival of Monsoon/long dry spells/scanty rainfall/drought conditions e.g. tying up availability of seeds and other inputs for implementing Contingency Plans. As seen from the experience of last year, these are highly useful in case of a deviant monsoon. These plans are available at the website of Dept. of Agriculture & Cooperation, Minstry of Agriculture as well as Central Institute for Dryland Agriculture (CRIDA), Hyderabad.
7. Advisories to the states: State Governments have already been advised to initiate advance remedial action e.g. constructing water harvesting structures under MGNREGA and other such schemes, promoting agronomic practices for moisture conservation, promoting cultivation of less water consuming crops and restoring irrigation infrastructure by desilting canals, energizing tube-wells, replacing/repairing faulty pumps. States have also been requested to carry out periodic assessment of preparation for Kharif crops, particularly contingency crops and also investment made in water conservation structure under various schemes like Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWWP) to verify their utility in harvesting the rainfall.
8. Availability of seeds and other inputs for Kharif, 2015: Availability of seeds and other inputs is being monitored / reviewed on a continuous basis in the weekly Crop Weather Watch Group (CWWG) meetings being held in the Department of Agriculture. Weekly video conference with States is also being held to get first-hand information about State’s preparedness and to advise States appropriately whenever needed.
9. SMS Advisory: The Ministry, through the m-kisan portal sends SMS advisories to registered farmers. These advisories include weather based SMS advisories, advisories to suggest measures to minimize adverse impact of extreme weather event. Ministry through various operators has sent about 700 crores SMS in the last one year. These SMS are sent by ICAR/SAU, KVK, AMFU etc. and district level state Government officials.
10. Crisis management plan for drought for the year 2015: A Crisis Management Plan (CMP) for Drought has been in place and is available at the website of Dept. of Agriculture & Cooperation, Min. of Agriculture. The plan has also been updated recently in consultation with Stakeholder Ministries/Departments. The Agriculture Minister has also requested all Chief Ministers, vide his letter dated 12.05.2015, to direct the officers concerned to expedite preparation of State level Management Plans on Drought.
11. SDRF/NDRF funds - First Instalment of SDRF released: The State Government is primarily responsible for providing necessary relief in the wake of natural calamities. Government of India supplements the efforts of state Governments with financial assistance. For undertaking relief measures, funds are available with State Governments in the form of State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF). Additional financial assistance, over and above SDRF, is considered from National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) for natural calamities of severe nature and is approved on the basis of Memorandum received from the State Government in accordance with established procedure, keeping in view items and norms in vogue for assistance. The first instalment of SDRF has already been released to State Governments. SDRF funds, besides others, can also be used for emergency supply of drinking water in rural and urban areas, as per the approved guideline
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Proposal for providing concessional financing scheme to support Indian companies bidding for strategically important infrastructure projects abroad
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has given its approval to a scheme to enable EXIM Bank to offer concessional finance to support Indian companies bidding for strategically important infrastructure projects abroad.
This will help Indian companies to bid for large projects abroad.
The repayment of the loan would be guaranteed by the foreign Government. The strategic importance of a project, to deserve financing under this scheme, will be decided, on a case by case basis, by a Committee chaired by Secretary (DEA) and will have members from the Department of Expenditure, Ministry of External Affairs, Department of Industrial Promotion and Policy, Department of Commerce, Department of Financial Services and Ministry of Home Affairs. The Deputy National Security Adviser will also be a member of this Committee. The Committee will have powers on conditions within reasonable limits, on a case by case basis, during the first two years of implementation of the scheme. The projects financed under these terms will be monitored by the Committee. The Committee will also consider financing strategic projects through Public Sector banks other than EXIM Bank on the same terms. The Committee may insist on sourcing of at least 75 percent of the project requirements from India, if it is found compatible with the requests for bids. The experience with this scheme will be evaluated after two years.
Background:
There are a number of Indian large project implementation companies which have developed a lot of expertise in building large infrastructure projects. However, they have not been able to win contracts abroad due to higher cost of finance in India. It is felt necessary to help such Indian Companies/entities secure contracts abroad, if it is in India’s strategic interest to have the projects implemented by Indian Companies.
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Union Cabinet approves Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission to drive economic, social and infrastructure development in rural areas
In an ambitious bid to transform rural areas to economically, socially and physically sustainable spaces, the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today approved the Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission (SPMRM) with an outlay of Rs. 5142.08 crores.
The Mission aims at development of rural growth clusters which have latent potential for growth, in all States and UTs, which would trigger overall development in the region. These clusters would be developed by provisioning of economic activities, developing skills & local entrepreneurship and providing infrastructure amenities. The Rurban Mission will thus develop a cluster of Smart Villages.
These clusters would be well delineated areas with planned layouts prepared following the planning norms (as laid down in the State Town and Country Planning Acts/similar Central or State statutes as may be applicable), which would be duly notified by the State/UTs. These plans would be finally integrated with the District Plans/Master Plans as the case may be.
The State Governments would identify the clusters in accordance with the Framework for Implementation prepared by the Ministry of Rural Development. The clusters will be geographically contiguous Gram Panchayats with a population of about 25000 to 50000 in plain and coastal areas and a population of 5000 to 15000 in desert, hilly or tribal areas. There would be a separate approach for selection of clusters in Tribal and Non-Tribal Districts. As far as practicable, clusters of village would follow administrative convergence units of Gram Panchayats.
For the selection of clusters, the Ministry of Rural Development is adopting a scientific process of cluster selection which involves an objective analysis at the District, Sub District and Village level, of the demography, economy, tourism and pilgrimage significance and transportation corridor impact. While the Ministry, following this analysis, would provide a suggestive list of sub districts to the State, the State Governments would then select the clusters following a set of indicated principles included in the Framework for Implementation.
The mission aims to create 300 such Rurban growth clusters over the next 3 years, across the country. The funding for Rurban Clusters will be through various schemes of the Government converged into the cluster. The SPMRM will provide an additional funding support of upto 30 percent of the project cost per cluster as Critical Gap Funding (CGF) as Central Share to enable development of such Rurban clusters.
To ensure an optimum level of development, fourteen components have been suggested as desirable for the cluster, which would include; Skill development training linked to economic activities, Agro Processing/Agri Services/Storage and Warehousing, Digital Literacy, Sanitation, Provision of piped water supply, Solid and liquid waste management, Village streets and drains, Street lights, Fully equipped mobile health unit, Upgrading school /higher education facilities, Inter-village road connectivity, Citizen Service Centres- for electronic delivery of citizen centric services/e-gram connectivity, Public transport., LPG gas connections.
The States would prepare Integrated Cluster Action Plans for Rurban Clusters, which would be comprehensive plan documents detailing out the strategy for the cluster, desired outcomes for the cluster under the mission, along with the resources to be converged under various Central Sector, Centrally Sponsored and State Sector schemes, and the Critical Gap Funding (CGF) required for the cluster.
In addition to the Critical Gap Funding, proactive steps have been taken to ensure the success of the mission with adequate budget provisions for supporting the State Government towards project development, capacity building and other institutional arrangements at the state level.
The Mission envisages institutional arrangements both at the State and Center to ensure smooth implementation of the Mission. The Mission also has an Innovation budget towards facilitating research, development and capacity building.
The scheme through development of rurban growth clusters aimed at catalyzing overall regional growth, would thus simultaneously benefit the rural as well as urban areas of the country, by achieving twin objectives of strengthening rural areas and de burdening the urban areas hence leading to balanced regional development and growth of the country.
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Creation of four posts of Directors for four new National Institutes of Design (NIDs)
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved the creation of four posts of Directors for four new National Institutes of Design (NIDs) at Kurukshetra (Haryana), Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh), Jorhat (Assam) and Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh).
The Cabinet had already approved financial implications including salaries, for setting up of these new NIDs in its meeting held in February, 2014.
Background:
The National Design Policy was approved by the Cabinet in February, 2007. One of the components of the Action Plan for implementation of the National Design Policy in setting up of four more NIDs on the pattern of NID, Ahmedabad. This would help in spreading quality education in design to all regions of India.
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Doubling of Hotgi-Kudgi-Gadag route (284 Km) of railways
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved doubling of the Hotgi-Kudgi-Gadag railway line at an anticipated cost of Rs.1618 crore and completion cost of Rs.2058 crore. Out of this, Rs.946 crore (completion cost) is already received from NTPC under the Customer Funding Model for doubling of the stretch between Hotgi-Kudgi (134 km) and the remaining amount of Rs.1107.58 crore will be funded through the Gross Budgetary Support of Ministry of Railways or Extra Budgetary Resources or both.
A number of Integrated Steel Plants/Power Plants/Cement Plants are coming up along the Hotgi-Kudgi-Gadag route. This doubling work will provide the necessary line capacity for introduction of additional trains and smooth movement of rakes to/from the industries/power plants. This will also boost overall development of the region. In view of the industrial activities taking place in the area, demands are also being received for running of additional train services through this route.
Hotgi-Kudgi-Gadag route is a single line rail link between Guntakal-Pune-Mumbai and Hospet-Hubli-Goa rail routes. This is an important rail link connecting the cities of Bangalore and Mumbai.
A number of Integrated Steel Plants/Power Plants/Cement Plants are coming up along the Hotgi-Kudgi-Gadag route. This doubling work will provide the necessary line capacity for introduction of additional trains and smooth movement of rakes to/from the industries/power plants. This will also boost overall development of the region. In view of the industrial activities taking place in the area, demands are also being received for running of additional train services through this route.
Hotgi-Kudgi-Gadag route is a single line rail link between Guntakal-Pune-Mumbai and Hospet-Hubli-Goa rail routes. This is an important rail link connecting the cities of Bangalore and Mumbai.
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