2024-09-12 03:14:52
New Delhi: The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved several important schemes. These are related to health, renewable energy and electric vehicles. The cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the expansion of the scope of the PM Gram Sadak Yojana to those settlements which were untouched till now due to many reasons including population growth. Apart from this, the scope of Ayushman Bharat PM-Jan Arogya Yojana has been expanded for senior citizens of 70 years and above. Now all people aged 70 years and above can get free treatment up to Rs 5 lakh under the scheme. Let us know about the decisions taken by the Union Cabinet on Wednesday.
1. The scope of Ayushman Bharat Scheme has been increased
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnav said that a budget of Rs 3,437 crore has been approved for the Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY scheme for citizens aged 70 years and above. Its aim is to provide universal health coverage for senior citizens. This scheme will benefit 4.5 crore families and 6 crore senior citizens. For families who are already covered under this scheme, an additional top-up of up to Rs 5 lakh per year is available. While those who were not covered earlier will get Rs 5 lakh per year in shared coverage.
2. Promotion of hydropower
In the renewable energy sector, the Cabinet also approved a hydropower scheme with an allocation of Rs 12,461 crore and a capacity of 31,350 MW. It aims to enhance infrastructure to meet the 500 GW renewable energy target by 2030. The scheme emphasises on development of essential infrastructure such as roads, bridges, transmission lines and communication facilities. It focuses on developing hydropower potential of 133 GW. It includes financial assistance for projects – Rs 1 crore per MW for projects up to 200 MW and Rs 200 crore and Rs 0.75 crore per MW for larger projects.
3. PM E-Drive Scheme approved
The Modi-led cabinet also approved the PM e-Drive scheme with a fund of Rs 10,900 crore. The scheme supports the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) through its FAME 1 and 2 schemes. According to the government, the FAME schemes have already helped put over 16 lakh EVs on the roads. These include two-wheelers, three-wheelers, ambulances and trucks. The latest initiative includes support for 14,028 e-buses at Rs 10,000 per kilowatt hour. It aims to set up 88,500 charging stations with full support. Apart from this, it covers testing, standardisation and development of other facilities.
4. Green signal to the next phase of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana
The Union Cabinet has approved the implementation of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana-IV (PMGSY-IV) from FY 2024-25 to 2028-29. A total outlay of Rs 70,125 crore has been kept for this. The scheme aims to build 62,500 km of roads, which will connect 25,000 unconnected settlements. It will also upgrade bridges on new connectivity roads.
5. Big budget for ‘Mission Mausam’
The Union Cabinet has also approved ‘Mission Mausam’ for better monitoring of weather. For this, Rs 2,000 crore has been set for two years. The mission will be implemented by 3 institutions of the Ministry of Earth Sciences. These include the India Meteorological Department, the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology and the National Center for Medium Range Weather Forecasting. According to the government, the focus of Mission Mausam is to improve understanding to provide accurate and timely weather and climate information.