Cabinet approves Rs 58,000 cr PM e-Bus Sewa, Vishwakarma scheme also cleared
New Delhi: The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved PM e-Bus Sewa on Wednesday with an estimated cost of Rs 57,613 crore.
Briefing the media on the Cabinet decision, Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Minister Anurag Thakur said that 10,000 new electric buses will be made available under PM e-Bus Sewa.
Thakur said that out of 169 cities in the country, 100 will be selected for the e-Bus Sewa scheme based on a challenge method.
The Minister said that under the Green Urban Mobility Initiatives, bus rapid transport projects would be developed along with non-motorised infrastructure like bike sharing and bicycle lanes.
"Innovative projects like the National Common Mobility Card, the Intelligent Transit Management System, and multimodal interchange facilities would also be developed," he said.
The Cabinet also approved the PM Vishwakarma’ scheme to support traditional artisans and craftspeople in rural and urban India. The scheme will have an initial financial outlay of Rs 13,000 crore.
Minister for Railways, Communications, Electronics, and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw said that eligible craftspeople under the Vishwakarma scheme will get support in terms of skill upgradation, credit, market access, and financial assistance for buying new tools.
"There will be two programmes under the scheme -- basic and advanced. During the skilling programme, a stipend of Rs 500 per day will be given. For buying modern tools, support to the extent of Rs 15,000 would be provided. A loan of up to Rs 1 lakh will be provided to the craftsmen, and under the interest subvention scheme, a maximum interest rate of 5% will be charged. There will be very liberal terms and conditions. This will be the first tranche. In the second tranche, a loan of up to Rs 2 lakh will be provided," Vaishnaw said.
The Minister said that under the scheme, 30 lakh craftspeople's families will be supported, and one person from each family will qualify to avail of the benefit under the scheme.
In a major boost to railway infrastructure, the Cabinet also approved seven projects of the Ministry of Railways with an estimated cost of around Rs 32,500 crore. The new projects would add 2,339 km to the existing network of Indian Railways.
(Using UNI inputs)
IBNS
Senior Staff Reporter at Northeast Herald, covering news from Tripura and Northeast India.
Related Articles
CRR cut, AI ethics push, and SORR benchmark: Experts hail RBI’s pragmatic policy moves
Mumbai: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has kept the repo rate unchanged at 6.5% while the cash reserve ratio (CRR) has been slashed by 50 basis points to 4 percent, media reports said.
JP Morgan gives 'overweight' rating to Adani Group bonds
Mumbai: US investment bank JP Morgan has assigned an 'overweight' rating to four bonds issued by the Adani Group, citing the group's capacity to scale and grow through internal cash flows, which reduces the likelihood of credit stress.
LG Electronics files DRPH with SEBI; IPO size expected to be over RS 15,000 cr
Mumbai: South Korean electronics giant LG Electronics has filed a draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) on Friday for the proposed public listing of its Indian business, according to a notification on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE).
De-dollarisation not on India's agenda; derisking domestic trade is: RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das
Mumbai: India has not initiated any steps towards de-dollarisation and is solely focused on mitigating risks to domestic trade from geopolitical uncertainties, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das clarified on Friday, media reports said.
Latest News
East Turkistan activists to protest Chinese occupation outside White House on October 12
Exercise Pacific Reach: Indian Navy demonstrates global submarine rescue capability
US govt shutdown hits H-1B visa processing, leaves Indian techies in limbo
Delhi Police recover sex toy, obscene CDs from self-styled godman Chaitanyananda’s ashram
