Cabinet nod to Rs 2,481 cr natural farming mission
The Cabinet on Monday approved a national mission to promote natural farming among one crore farmers across the country with a budget outlay of
Rs 2,481 crore, besides three multitracking projects for the Railways at a cost of Rs 7,927 crore.
The decisions, taken at a Cabinet meeting headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, aim to create an ecosystem for sustainable farming and improve connectivity.
“There is a need to improve the quality of soil and maintain the health of the people with chemical-free food... The National Mission on Natural Farming is a path-breaking decision,” said Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnav after the meeting. It would cover 1 crore farmers across the country, he added.
The minister said natural farming would be promoted in a mission mode after successful experiments in 2019-20 and 2022-23. Around 10 lakh hectares are currently under natural farming throughout the country, he added.
According to the Ministry of Railways, the multitracking projects would ease train operations, reduce congestion and provide essential infrastructure on the busy Mumbai-Prayagraj route.
The projects are part of the PM-Gati Shakti National Master Plan for multi-modal connectivity, which integrates planning and ensures seamless movement of people, goods, and services.
“The three projects covering seven districts in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh will increase the existing network of the Railways by about 639 km,” a statement said.
The Cabinet further approved the continuation of Niti Aayog’s flagship initiative Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) with an enhanced scope of work and allocated budget of Rs 2,750 crore till March 31, 2028.
2 hydel schemes for Arunachal
- The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved two hydropower projects entailing an investment of Rs 3,689 crore in Arunachal Pradesh.
- An investment of Rs 1,750 crore has been cleared for the construction of 186 MW Tato-I Hydro Electric Project and Rs 1,939 crore for 240 MW Heo Hydro Electric Project in Shi Yomi district.
