New Delhi, Jul 31: In a high-level Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Union Government has approved a series of transformative infrastructure and development projects aimed at boosting connectivity, cooperative growth, and food safety across India.

Railway Multitracking Projects Across Six States

The Cabinet approved four multitracking railway projects covering 13 districts across Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, and Jharkhand. These projects will expand the Indian Railways network by 574 kilometers, enhancing connectivity to 2,309 villages with a population of over 43 lakh.

Key projects include: Itarsi–Nagpur 4th Line, Aurangabad–Parbhani Doubling, Aluabari Road–New Jalpaiguri 3rd & 4th Line, Dangoaposi–Jaroli 3rd & 4th Line (₹1,752 crore).

These projects, worth ₹11,169 crore, are expected to generate 95.91 MTPA in freight capacity and reduce oil imports by 16 crore litres, contributing to climate goals.

Expansion of PM Kisan Sampada Yojana

The Cabinet approved a ₹6,520 crore outlay for the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY), including ₹1,920 crore in additional funding. This includes:

- ₹1,000 crore for 50 multi-product food irradiation units

- ₹1,000 crore for 100 NABL-accredited food testing labs

These upgrades aim to reduce post-harvest waste, improve food safety, and enhance value addition in the food processing sector.

Grant-in-Aid to NCDC for Cooperative Development

A new Central Sector Scheme was approved with a ₹2,000 crore grant to the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) for 2025–2029. This will enable NCDC to raise ₹20,000 crore from the open market to support:

- Dairy, livestock, fisheries, sugar, textile, and food processing cooperatives

- Infrastructure expansion and working capital needs

The scheme is expected to benefit 2.9 crore members of 13,288 cooperative societies, with a strong focus on women-led and rural cooperatives.

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