The Cabinet approved the recommendations of the Group of Ministers on Bhopal Gas Leak Disaster, for payment of ex-gratia to additional 9000 cases of Cancer and Total Renal Failure amongst the Bhopal Gas Victims. An Amount of 134 crore Rupees has been approved for this purpose.
The Government also approved transfer of land at inner Ring Road, Kathipara Junction, Chennai, measuring 2633 sq. Metres belonging to the Geological Survey of India Ministry of Mines to Chennai Metro Rail Ltd. for the Chennai Metro Rail Project for an amount of 11.34 crore Rupees. The works for the Phase-I are expected to be completed within schedule time frame i.e. by 2014-15.
The project would result in providing the people at large with a convenient, efficient, modern and economical mode of public transport.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved the establishment of the Credit Risk Guarantee Fund Trust (CRGFT) for Low Income Housing. The CRGFT will have an initial corpus of 1200 crore Rupees of which 1000 crore Rupees is being contributed from the Centre and the remaining 200 core will come from the State Governments who draw on it, in accordance with their slum populations.
This is in pursuance of the approval of the Rajiv Awas Yojana Scheme by thein June 2011 which included the creation of a Risk Guarantee Fund for low income housing loans. The Credit Risk Guarantee Fund is expected to catalyse a flow of credit of about 20,000 crore Rupees to the low income housing sector and create the enabling environment for creation of affordable housing stock. The availability of bank credit without the constraint of collaterals or third party guarantees would be a key enabler for the urban poor to realise their objective of upgrading or buying their own house.
The CCEA has also approved modifications of the existing scheme for Reorganization and Restructuring of Teacher Education to fulfill the statutory obligations of the Government with regard to teacher preparation and teacher training under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009.
Modification of the scheme is also critical in the context of the need for training requirements of teachers at the secondary level under the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan. It is estimated that an amount of 6308.45 crore Rupees would be required, as Central share, as per the Plan allocation during the XII Plan.
The CCEA also approved the proposal of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries for further upscaling the scheme of cold chain, value addition and preservation infrastructure for food processing with an investment outlay of 231 crore Rupees to assist additional 30 cold chain projects in the country. With a view to reduce the wastage, enhance shelf-life, value addition and employment generation and cold chain infrastructure has been given a major thrust during the 11th Plan.
In another decision the CCEA today approved a proposal of Ministry of Urban Development for re-development of Kidwai Nagar (East) in Delhi for construction of residential accommodation for Government employees. The project shall be implemented through Public-Private Partnership mode without any budgetary support. Approximately, 4747 dwelling units shall be constructed in place of 2331 old houses in five years.
The Cabinet Committee on infrastructure approved the implementation of development through four laning and operation of Zirkapur – Patiala section (50.7 km) of NH 64 in Punjab through public private partnership on design, build, finance, operate and transfer basis. The total cost of the project will be 501 crore Rupees out of which 79.22 crore rupees will be towards cost of land acquisition, rehabilitation, resettlement and pre construction.
The concession period will be 14 years. The total length of the project will be 50.70 km. The project will reduce the travel time and cost of travel through upgraded facility for the traffic plying on NH 64 between Zirakpur and Patiala. Besides enhancing the safety of the road users, it will also increase the employment potential to the local labourers for the project activities and development of tourism activities.
