New Delhi: The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved several key initiatives on Wednesday aimed at boosting infrastructure, public transport, healthcare, and electric vehicles. These steps focus on improving rural connectivity, providing health insurance for senior citizens, and promoting clean energy.
One major decision is the allocation of over ₹70,000 crore for the fourth phase of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), which will run from 2024-25 to 2028-29. This phase aims to construct 62,500 km of roads, providing new connectivity to 25,000 rural habitations and upgrading bridges. The project is expected to generate 40 crore days of employment. This expansion comes after the completion of 7.66 lakh km of roads under previous phases.
In a significant move for senior citizens, the Cabinet approved free health insurance coverage of up to ₹5 lakh per year for all citizens aged 70 and above under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY). This extension will benefit around 6 crore seniors across India, irrespective of their income.
The government also announced a ₹12,461 crore plan to boost hydropower infrastructure, aiming to achieve 500 GW of non-fossil fuel energy capacity by 2030. This investment includes roads, bridges, and transmission lines to unlock the potential of 133 GW in hydroelectric power.
Additionally, the Cabinet approved the “PM-eBus Sewa-Payment Security Mechanism (PSM)” scheme, with an outlay of ₹3,435 crore, to procure and operate 38,000 electric buses across India by 2028-29. It also greenlit ₹10,900 crore for the PM E-Drive scheme to promote electric two-wheelers, three-wheelers, ambulances, and trucks, alongside support for charging infrastructure at 88,500 sites.
