Cabinet decisions:Time for villages to become smart

EXIM Bank to provide concessional loans to companies executing infra projects overseas

After select cities, it is now turn of 300 village clusters to be smart. The Cabinet on Wednesday gave approval to the Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban mission for this purpose at the cost of Rs 5,142 crore.

The clusters of villages, having population between 25,000 to 25,000 each, would be developed as areas having regular water supply, solid  and liquid waste management, street lights, healthcare system, skilled programme linked to economic activities, information technology links among other facilities.

State governments would make plans for this purpose and send a list of clusters to be developed, telecom minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters after the Cabinet meeting.

Additional Days Under MNREGA For Drought Affected Areas:

The Cabinet approved a proposal to provide 50 days of additional work for a member of each household under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme in drought affected villages. Currently 100 days of work is provided.

Concessional Finance Form EXIM Bank :

Companies engaged in infrastructure projects overseas would be given concessional loans by the Export-Import Bank of India. The Cabinet approved a proposal in this regard. A high-powered committee would be constituted under revenue secretary Hasmukh Adhia to work out details.

NSCN(K) Declared Unlawful:

The Cabinet declared NSCN (K) as unlawful orgaisation after the outfit engaged in explosions and attack on Indian army, Prasad said.

Politics Over Stamps:

Amid protests by the Congress, Prasad lashed out at the party for making postal stamps a family affair.

He said the government has decided to issue definitive stamps (used for daily purposes) on Abul Kalam Azad, Sardar Patel, Rajendra Prasad, Shyama Prasad Mukherji, Bhagat Singh, Maharana Pratap, Mother Teresa,Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Subramanya Bharathi, besides, Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru would be there.

He sought to know from the Congress if  Azad, Patel, Rajendra Prasad were in the party or not.

He disclosed that seven commemorative stamps were issued on Nehru, four on Indira Gandhi and two on Rajiv Gandhi.

An advisory committee has advised the government to include an image of "yoga" instead of Indira Gandhi's on inland letters, but a decision to this effect is yet to be taken, Prasad said.