Mega auction of over 2,300 MHz of spectrum across seven bands cleared

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday cleared the way for mega auction of more than 2,300 Megahertz (MHz) of spectrum available across seven bands.

The bands are 700, 800, 900, 1800, 2100, 2300 and 2500 MHz. The availability of such a large quantity of spectrum will give a fillip for Digital India programme. It will allow telecom operators to purchase spectrum at par with international holding values and end spectrum shortage.

The Cabinet also approved extension of timeline for taking over 50 percent of Outstanding Debt of DISCOMs by states under the UDAY scheme.

The extended timeline of one year up to March 31, 2017 will allow the states which could not participate in UDAY earlier to join.

The Cabinet also gave its nod for special package for employment generation and promotion of exports in Textile and Apparel sector.

A special package announced is expected to generate one crore jobs over the next three years in the textile and apparel industry.

It will also attract investment of Rs. 74,000 crores over the next three years and lead to cumulative increase of 30 billion dollars in exports.

The government will bear the entire 12 percent of the employers' contribution of the Employees' Provident Fund Scheme for new employees for the first three years, who are earning less than Rs. 15,000 per month.

Overtime hours for workers will not exceed eight hours per week and fixed term employment will be introduced for the garment sector.

The majority of new jobs are likely to go to women since the garment industry employs nearly 70 percent women workforce.

Besides, the Cabinet also approved a set of tax and production incentives for creating additional employment in garment manufacturing sector.

The incentives include increase in the subsidy from 15 to 25 percent, which is being given to the garment units. These measures form a part of the special package announced for job creation and export promotion in textile and apparel sector.