Page 3 - Cabinet Committees

Centre hikes LPG subsidy for Ujjwala beneficiaries to Rs 300 per cylinder

The Ujjwala beneficiaries currently pay Rs 703 per 14.2-kg cylinder as against the market price of Rs 903

Cabinet approves eCourts project phase-III with cost of Rs 7,210 crore

The eCourts project has been under implementation since 2007 for ICT enablement of the Indian Judiciary. The Phase II of the project has concluded in 2023

Cabinet approves viability gap funding for battery storage system

The VGF scheme for BESS projects was first announced in the Union Budget 2023

Unhappy Central Assam BJP leader Rajen Gohain resigns from cabinet post

Gohain had been representing the Nowgong constituency of Central Assam since 1999 and secured four consecutive terms until 2014

CCEA approves 7 multi-tracking projects to increase railway network

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on Wednesday approved seven multi-tracking projects of Indian Railways at an estimated cost of around Rs 32,500 crore, Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said. The proposed projects will help increase the existing line capacity, smoothen train operations, reduce congestion and facilitate ease of travelling and transportation. The projects covering 35 districts in nine states -- Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Odisha, Jharkhand and West Bengal -- will increase the existing network of Indian Railways by 2,339 km.

Majority of contractual employees in Punjab to be regularised soon

A Punjab Cabinet sub-committee on Thursday assured employee unions that a majority of contractual employees in the state will be regularised soon, according to an official statement. The Cabinet sub-committee comprising Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, Employment Generation Minister Aman Arora, Transport Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar, and Health and Family Welfare Minister Balbir Singh met with representatives of various employee unions and associations here, it said. "Majority of contractual employees to be regularised soon, cabinet sub-committee assures employees' unions," the statement added. Finance Minister Cheema informed the employee union representatives that the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab government has already notified a policy to regularise the services of employees having experience of 10 years. He said that the policy would help in regularising the services of the majority of contractual employees. The case of those not being covered under this

Haryana Cabinet accepts backward classes panel report on reservation

The Haryana Cabinet on Monday accepted the State Backward Classes Commission's report on the proportion of reservation for the communities in urban local body elections, according to an official statement. The commission has recommended that every municipal body shall have at least one councillor belonging to backward classes Block-A if its population is not less than two per cent of the total population of the urban local body, it said. There are as many as 78 backward classes in the state and more than 70 of them fall in Block-A sub-category. The commission, headed by Justice (retired) Darshan Singh, conducted an empirical assessment of the political backwardness of the backward classes. In the assessment, the commission found that the backward classes Block-A are not adequately represented in the political setup, so they require the support of reservation in the elections of urban local bodies and municipalities for adequate participation in the grassroots democratic setup, ...

Rs 6,000-crore National Quantum Mission gets Union Cabinet approval

Quantum computers use quantum bits, or qubits, and are faster than regular and supercomputers, which use conventional bits

Govt caps rates to rein-in CNG, piped cooking gas prices, changes formula

The Union Cabinet on Thursday approved a new formula for pricing of natural gas and imposed cap or ceiling price to rein in runaway prices of CNG and piped cooking gas. Natural gas produced from legacy or old fields, known as APM gas, will now be indexed to crude oil price instead of pricing it based gas prices in surplus nations such as the US, Canada and Russia, Union I&B Miniser Anurag Thakur told reporters after a meeting of the Cabinet. From April 1, APM gas will be priced at 10 per cent of the price of basket of crude oil that India imports (Indian basket of crude oil). The rate such arrived at however will be capped at USD 6.5 per million British thermal unit as against current gas price of USD 8.57 per mmBtu. The price such arrived at will also have a floor of USD 4 per mmBtu. Rates will be decided every month instead of current practice of bi-annual revision, he said.

Cabinet okays bill decriminalising minor offences to push ease of doing biz

The Union Cabinet has approved a bill to decriminalise minor offences by rationalising related provisions under different ministries to ensure ease of doing business, sources said on Friday. The proposal was mooted by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). Sources said that the Cabinet discussed the Ease of Doing Business and Ease of Living (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2022 in a meeting here and has approved it as the bill is likely to be introduced in the ongoing winter session of Parliament. The bill proposes to rationalise about 110 provisions across 35 Acts administered by 16 ministries/departments. Explaining the rationale behind the proposed legislation, one of the sources said that taking the reform agenda to the next level, the government is focussing on reducing the overall compliance burden for businesses and citizens. For this, a four-pronged strategy of simplification, digitisation, decriminalisation of provisions for minor offences, an

Tax sops for craft paper, textile, pharma units in Madhya Pradesh

The Madhya Pradesh government is leaving no stone unturned to facilitate investment assistance to various sectors

Live updates: Farmers can't be blamed for NCR pollution, says NHRC

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Land lease continuity for Rail landholders, more clarity for Concor sale

Latest Railways circular also offers details on various terms of the new 'land lease policy' approved by Cabinet last month; existing landholders can extend their lease for up to another 35 years

IDBI Bank re-appoints S Jebaraj as deputy MD for 3 years effective Sept 20

Jebaraj handles verticals for large and mid-sized corporates, trade finance and NPA management and he has been a member of internal committees for more than a decade, said IDBI Bank

Distinguished scientist Samir V Kamat appointed DRDO Chairman: Ministry

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved Kamat's appointment from the date of his assumption of charge till he attains the age of 60 years

West Bengal to carve out seven new districts, total number rises to 30

CM Mamata Banerjee earlier also announced that a cabinet reshuffle is on cards, and around four to five new faces will be inducted to the council of ministers

Cabinet approves Taranga Hill-Ambaji-Abu Rd rail line for improved mobility

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on Wednesday approved Taranga Hill-Ambaji-Abu Road new rail line to provide connectivity and improve mobility, said Anurag Thakur

Monsoon session of Parliament likely from July 18-August 12: Report

The session might start from July 18, the date of polling for the presidential election, and conclude by August 12, the sources said.

Cabinet nod for development of new greenfield airport in Dholera: Thakur

Dholera Airport is to get Passenger and Cargo traffic from Dholera Special Investment Region (DSIR) and is expected to become a major cargo hub to serve the industrial region.

Increase in MSP of kharif crops will empower farmers: PM Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said the Union Cabinet decision to increase the minimum support price for kharif crops will empower crores of farmers. The government has taken an important decision in the interest of farmers, he said in a tweet. The Centre on Wednesday hiked the minimum support price for kharif crops by 4-9 per cent for the 2022-23 crop year, with paddy MSP being raised by Rs 100 to Rs 2,040 per quintal, a move aimed at encouraging farmers to bring more area under cultivation and boost their income. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by PM Modi, approved the increase in MSPs for all 14 kharif (summer) crops for 2022-23 crop year.