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Cabinet Committees
The Himachal Pradesh Cabinet on Thursday approved the recommendations of a sub-committee led by Industries Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan on the operation of homestays in the state, and decided to notify the Himachal Pradesh Homestays Rules, 2024. According to the new provisions, preference will be given to bonafide Himachalis, while the requirement to obtain no objection certificates (NOCs) from the HP Pollution Control Board, local bodies or any other department has been waived, an official statement said. The meeting chaired by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu also decided to extend the special relief package given to the disaster-hit areas in 2023 to people affected by natural disasters at Samej and Rampur in Shimla district, Jaun-Bagipul and Nirmand in Kullu district, and Tikkam Thalu-Kot in Mandi district during this year's monsoon, in which more than 30 people lost their lives with several still missing. Under the special package, the affected families will receive enhanc
The Union Cabinet approved on Friday the 26.463-km Rithala-Kundli corridor of the Delhi Metro's Phase-IV project that will further enhance connectivity between the national capital and neighbouring Haryana. The entire stretch will comprise 21 stations, all of them elevated. The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Addressing a press conference, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the project is scheduled to be completed in four years from the date of its sanction. This line will be an extension of the operational Shaheed Sthal (New Bus Adda)-Rithala (Red Line) corridor and will boost connectivity in the northwestern parts of Delhi, such as Narela, Bawana and parts of Rohini. The completion cost of the project is Rs 6,230 crore.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on Friday gave its nod to eight new railway projects that the government said would provide connectivity, facilitate ease of travelling, reduce oil imports and lower carbon dioxide emissions. Briefing reporters on the decisions taken by the Cabinet, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the proposed projects will improve logistical efficiency by connecting the unconnected areas and enhancing transportation networks, resulting in streamlined supply chains and accelerated economic growth. The total estimated cost of the projects is Rs 24,657 crore, he said. These projects will save 767 crore kg of CO2, which is equivalent to planting 30 crore trees, Vaishnaw underlined.
The Modi government on Wednesday constituted various cabinet committees, including the country's highest decision making bodies on security, economic and political affairs. According to an official notification, the Cabinet Committee on Security comprises Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. Apart from PM Modi, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs comprises defence minister, home minister, finance minister, external affairs minister, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, and Heavy Industries and Steel Minister H D Kumaraswamy. Others in the committee are: Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Minister of Panchayati Raj and Fisheries Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh. The Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs comprises defence minister, home minister
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has called an "emergency" meeting of his Cabinet at his residence here on Thursday to discuss the issue of power subsidy, officials said. Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, the Cabinet may take a "major decision" on power subsidy for the next year, they said. The meeting will be held at 4 pm, they said. The Kejriwal government is providing free electricity to consumers with a monthly consumption of 200 units. A subsidy of 50 per cent is given to those who use 201-400 units per month.
In a significant move, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) has accorded approval for procurement of more than 200 BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles and associated equipment for the Indian Navy at a cost of around Rs 19,000 crore, people familiar with the matter said on Thursday. The missiles will largely be deployed on various warships to enhance overall combat capabilities of the Navy, they said. It is learnt that the proposal approved by the CCS entails acquisition of a mix of BrahMos missiles having a range of around 290 km and the latest extended range variant of the weapon with a range of around 450 km. BrahMos Aerospace Pvt Ltd, an India-Russian joint venture, produces the supersonic cruise missiles that can be launched from submarines, ships, aircraft, or land platforms. BrahMos missile flies at a speed of 2.8 Mach or almost three times the speed of sound. The formal contract for acquisition of the missiles is expected to be sealed in the next few months. India is also
The Union Cabinet on Thursday approved auctions in eight spectrum bands for mobile phone services at a base price of Rs 96,317.65 crore. Spectrum, held by certain companies undergoing insolvency process, that are expiring this year, will also be put on auction. "All the available spectrum in 800, 900, 1800, 2100, 2300, 2500, 3300 MHz and 26 GHz bands will be put on auction. "As recommended by TRAI, the reserve prices for various bands have been revised using suitable indexation," an official statement said. The reserve price will be Rs 96,317.65 crore.