Union government lead by PM Modi has given it’s approval to various schemes related activities and Projects on December 28, 2016
Cabinet Approves Ordinance to Penalize Person with Scrapped Notes Post March 31
The Cabinet on December 28, approved promulgation of an ordinance to make possession of a large number of scrapped banknotes a penal offence beyond March 31, imposing a penalty and a possible jail term.
- As per the ordinance holding of old Rs. 1,000 and 500 notes in excess of 10 notes after March 31st will attract suitable monetary fine along with a jail term of up to 4 years in certain cases. However, the detail of the penal provision is still awaited.
- The Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, also approved Specified Bank Notes Cessation of Liabilities Ordinance that provides for amending the Reserve Bank of India Act to provide legislative support for scrapping the demonetised banknotes that are not returned.
- The government had set December 30, 2016 as the deadline for depositing the junked currency in banks, following which those still holding such notes would be able to deposit them at the Reserve Bank of India up to March 31, 2017 after an explanation as to why they failed to deposit the notes before December 30.
- Furnishing wrong information while depositing the old currency between January 1 and March 31 will attract a fine of 5,000 rupees or five times the amount.
Cabinet Approves Road Connectivity Project for LWE Affected Areas
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 28, 2016, approved a Centrally Sponsored Scheme namely “Road Connectivity Project for Left Wing Extremism (LWE) Affected Areas” to improve the rural road connectivity in the worst LWE affected districts from security angle.
- The project will be implemented under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) to provide connectivity with necessary tunnels and cross-drainage structures in 44 worst affected LWE districts and adjoining districts, critical from security and communication point of view.
- The roads will be operable throughout the year irrespective of all weather conditions.
About the Project
The project would include construction/upgradation of 5,411.81 km road. 126 bridges/cross drainage works will be taken up at an estimated cost of Rs.11,724.53 crore.
- The Centre and States Government would share the fund for LWE road project in the ratio of 60:40 except for eight North Eastern and three Himalayan States (Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh & Uttarakhand) for which it would be 90:10.
- Ministry of Finance will allocate Rs.7,034.72 crore to Ministry of Rural Development for this project during the period of implementation 2016-17 to 2019-20.
- Ministry of Rural Development will sponsor Ministry as well as the implementing Ministry of this project. The project is likely to be completed in four years from 2016-17 to 2019-20.
- The roads taken up under the scheme would include Other District Roads (ODRs), Village Roads (VRs) and upgradation of the existing Major District Roads (MDRs) that are critical from the security point of view. Bridges up to a span of 100 meters, critical from security angle would also be funded on these roads.
- Though the PMGSY guideline does not permit construction/upgradation of MDRs but keeping special circumstances of LWE areas in view, MDRs would be taken up under the scheme as a special dispensation.
- The National Highways and the State Highways would be excluded from this project. The roads to be constructed under the scheme have been identified by the Ministry of Home Affairs in close consultation with the state governments and the security agencies, by following a process of extensive consultation.
Centre gives ex post facto approval for ratification of ISA’s Framework Agreement
The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi on December 28, gave its ex post facto approval to the proposal of Ministry of New & Renewable Energy for ratification of the International Solar Alliance’s (ISA) Framework Agreement by India.
About International Solar Alliance’s (ISA)
ISA was launched jointly by the Prime Minister of India and the President of France on 30th November, 2015 at Paris on the side-lines of the 21st CoP meeting of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
- The foundation stone of the ISA Headquarters was laid at Gwal Pahari, Guragaon in Haryana. It is a major international body headquartered in India. India has offered a contribution of around $15 million for creating the ISA corpus fund and has also offered training support for ISA member countries at the NISE.
- The agreement was opened for signature on the sidelines of 22nd CoP meeting at Marrakesh, Morocco. The agreement invokes the Paris Declaration on ISA and encapsulates the vision of the prospective member nations.
- The United Nations Development Programme and World Bank have already announced their partnership with the ISA. Till now, 25 nations have signed the Framework Agreement.
- The ISA will strive to bring together more than 121 solar resource rich nations for coordinated research, low cost financing and rapid deployment.
- India has already committed the required support of operationalisation of ISA. ISA will give India a global leadership role in climate and renewable energy issues. It will also give a platform to showcase its solar programmes.
Centre Gives Green Signal for Apex Corridor Development Body
The Centre has approved the re-designation of the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor Project Implementation Trust Fund as National Industrial Corridor Development & Implementation Trust (NICDIT).
- NICDIT would serve as the apex body to oversee development of all industrial corridors across the country. Alkesh Kumar Sharma, the CEO of the DMIC Development Corporation (DMICDC), will take additional charge as the Member Secretary and CEO of the new NICDIT.
- The NICDIT has been sanctioned an additional Rs. 1,584 crore besides the balance available from Rs. 18,500 crore already sanctioned to the DMIC-Project Implementation Trust Fund for project activities.
- NICDIT will implement all the five proposed industrial corridors, together covering 15 States. It includes, the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor which is under development.
- The Chennai-Bengaluru Industrial Corridor, Bengaluru-Mumbai Economic Corridor, Amritsar-Kolkata Industrial Corridor and the Vizag-Chennai Industrial Corridor would be implemented in the next stages.
- The DMICDC, which is currently developing the western corridor, will serve as the Knowledge Partner (KP) to the NICDIT for all the industrial corridors until the KPs for them are in place.
Centre Approves Rs 266 crore investment for Delhi under AMRUT
The Ministry of Urban Development has approved the Annual Action Plan of Delhi for 2016-17 under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme. It has approved an investment of Rs 266 crore for improving water supply and sewerage networks.
- A similar Action Plan for 2015-16 of Delhi was approved earlier in January with an investment of Rs 223 crore. With this, the total investment approved for Delhi under AMRUT for improving basic urban infrastructure is Rs 489 crore.
- Of this, Rs 215 crore will be invested in improving water supply and Rs 254 crore for improving sewerage networks and septage management, while Rs 8 crore would be spend for drainage networks and Rs 12 crore for developing open and green spaces.
- As per AMRUT guidelines, the Centre will provide a total of Rs 804 crore to Delhi for the five-year mission period.
AMRUT Action Plan approved for 2016-17 for Delhi
- Delhi Jal Board will take up 5 water supply projects in East Municipal Corporation of Delhi area at a total cost of Rs 102 crore.
First sewerage project in North MCD area at a cost of Rs 95 crore, another sewerage project in South MCD area at a cost of Rs 55 crore, South MCD will take up a storm water drainage project with an investment of Rs 8.00 crore, East MCD will take up one park development at a cost of Rs 4.00 crore and New Delhi Municipal Council will take up one park development
