Cabinet clears projects worth ₹95,000 crore, including infra upgrades in poll-bound Bihar

The Union Cabinet has cleared infrastructure projects in poll-bound Bihar, amid a slew of key undertakings cumulatively worth about ₹95,000 crore, Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting, said on Wednesday in a cabinet briefing.

Amid the key undertakings, the Cabinet—chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi—cleared a massive scheme worth ₹69,725 crore to reinvigorate and revitalise the shipbuilding and maritime sector. This initiative includes extending the Shipbuilding Financial Assistance Scheme, establishing a National Shipbuilding Mission, and creating a Maritime Development Fund. The package aims to enhance domestic capacity, promote the use of green vessels, and generate significant employment and investment opportunities.

The Cabinet of Economic Affairs has also approved the doubling of the 104-kilometre Bakhtiyarpur – Rajgir – Tilaiya single railway line in the poll-bound Bihar state, at a cost of about ₹2,192 crore. The rail section offers rail connectivity to prominent destinations, including Rajgir (Shanti Stupa), Nalanda, and Pawapuri, attracting pilgrims and tourists from across the country. The multi-tracking projects will enhance connectivity to approximately. 1,434 villages and approximately 13.46 lakh population, as well as the two aspirational districts of Nawada and Gaya.

The cabinet, taking cognisance of the performance of railway employees, also approved the payment of Productivity Linked Bonus (PLB) of 78 days for ₹865.68 crore to 10,91,146 railway employees. The payment of PLB to eligible railway employees is made each year before the Durga Puja and Dussehra holidays.  This year, the PLB amount, equivalent to 78 days’ wages, is being paid to about 10.91 lakh non-gazetted railway employees. In FY2024-25, Indian Railways loaded a record cargo of 1,614.90 million tonnes and carried nearly 7.3 billion passengers.

Concurrently, the Cabinet has also given its approval to the construction of the four-lane Sahebganj-Areraj-Bettiah section of NH-139W in Bihar, under the Hybrid Annuity Mode, with a total project length of 78.942 km and a total capital cost of ₹3,822.31 crore. This proposed four-lane greenfield project aims to improve connectivity between the state capital, Patna, and Bettiah, connecting the north Bihar districts of Vaishali, Saran, Siwan, Gopalganj, Muzaffarpur, East Champaran, and West Champaran, as well as the areas along the international border with Nepal.

The Cabinet has also approved the third phase of the Centrally Sponsored Scheme for strengthening and upgrading existing state and central government medical colleges, standalone postgraduate institutes, and government hospitals to increase 5,000 postgraduate seats.

It also approved the extension of the scheme for the upgradation of existing government medical colleges, increasing the number of MBBS seats by 5,023 with an enhanced cost ceiling of ₹1.50 crore per seat. The total financial implications of these two schemes amount to ₹15,034.50 crore for the period from 2025-26 to 2028-29. Out of ₹15,034.50 crore, the central share is ₹10,303.20 crore, and the state share is ₹4,731.30 crore.

Lastly, the cabinet has also approved the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research / Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR/CSIR) Scheme on “Capacity Building and Human Resource Development” with a total outlay of ₹2277.397 crore for the period of the 15th Finance Commission Cycle 2021-22 to 2025-26.