Cabinet approves projects worth ₹1,20,000 crore; nod to pulses mission; DA hike for central govt employees

The Union cabinet today approved the pulses mission to drive production to 350 lakh tonnes by 2030-31 along with MSP for the Rabi season, among several other key decisions. The Cabinet has also approved a DA hike for central government employees.

“The Union cabinet has approved projects worth ₹1,20,000 crore,” said Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.

The pulses mission will entail an investment of ₹11,440 crore to achieve self-sufficiency in pulses. The government said 100% procurement of Tur, Urad and Masoor from farmers will be done during the next four years on Minimum Support Price.

The pulses mission will benefit 2 crore farmers through improved seeds, post-harvest infrastructure, and assured procurement. Under the scheme, 88 lakh free seed kits will be provided to strengthen farmers access to the latest varieties of pulses seeds. One thousand processing units are being planned to reduce post harvest losses.

“Government has increased the MSP of Rabi crops for the marketing season 2026-27, to ensure remunerative prices to the growers for their produce. The absolute highest increase in MSP has been announced for Safflower at ₹600 per quintal followed by Lentil (Masur) at ₹300 per quintal. For Rapeseed & Mustard, gram, barley, and wheat, there is an increase of ₹250 per quintal, ₹225 per quintal, ₹170 per quintal, and ₹160 per quintal respectively,” the government said in a release.

In an another decision, the Cabinet approved the widening and improvement of the existing carriageway to four-lane of the Kalibor- Numaligarh section of NH-715 including implementation of wildlife-friendly measures proposed on the Kaziranga National Park (KNP) stretch in Assam, a release said. “The project will be developed on Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) Mode with a total Length of 85.675 km and total capital cost of ₹6,957 crore,” the it added.