Cabinet clears ₹1.86 lakh-crore green energy corridor, ₹1,790-crore Delhi traffic system
ADVERTISEMENT
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the Green Energy Corridor Phase-III (GEC-III) scheme with a total outlay of ₹1.86 lakh crore to strengthen India’s intra-state power transmission network and facilitate the evacuation of up to 135 GW of renewable energy.
The scheme, targeted for completion by FY33, includes ₹1.36 lakh crore for the development of intra-state transmission systems (InSTS) and ₹50,000 crore for deploying 50 GWh of battery energy storage systems (BESS). The Centre will provide financial support of ₹54,082 crore under the scheme.
Green energy corridor to support 135 GW renewable capacity
The GEC-III scheme is aimed at addressing challenges related to renewable power integration, including intermittency, transmission congestion and curtailment during peak hours. Battery storage will also help meet electricity demand during non-solar hours and improve grid flexibility.
The Central Financial Assistance will help offset intra-state transmission charges, which the government said would help keep electricity costs lower for consumers.
All greenfield projects under the InSTS component will be implemented through tariff-based competitive bidding, while brownfield upgrades and network-strengthening projects will be executed on a cost-plus basis. State transmission utilities will serve as the overall implementing agencies, while transmission service providers will participate through a build-own-operate-maintain model.
The government said GEC-III will support India’s target of achieving 900 GW of installed non-fossil fuel capacity by 2035. The programme is also expected to create direct and indirect employment across the power, manufacturing, construction and energy-storage sectors, along with long-term skilled jobs in operations, maintenance and grid management.
Delhi to get ₹1,790 crore intelligent traffic management system
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has also approved the implementation of an Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMS) by the Delhi Police at an estimated cost of ₹1,789.52 crore, including taxes.
The project will cover 42 identified traffic corridors and will be implemented in three phases over 24 months, followed by five years of operations and maintenance.
The technology-led system is aimed at improving traffic management and urban mobility in the national capital through real-time traffic data, adaptive traffic signals, automated enforcement and integrated command-and-control systems.
Delhi has around 71 lakh active registered vehicles, with the growth in vehicle numbers outpacing the expansion of road infrastructure. The ITMS is expected to help make more efficient use of existing road capacity by allowing traffic management systems to respond dynamically to real-time road conditions, reducing reliance on fixed signal timings and manual intervention.
Government raises Rabi crop MSPs for 2027-28 season
The CCEA has also approved higher minimum support prices (MSPs) for all mandated Rabi crops for the 2027-28 marketing season. The highest increase has been announced for safflower, with its MSP raised by ₹675 per quintal. Rapeseed and mustard will see an increase of ₹413 per quintal.
The MSP for lentil (masur) has been increased by ₹390 per quintal, while barley and gram will see increases of ₹136 and ₹83 per quintal, respectively. The MSP for wheat has been raised by ₹25 per quintal. The government said the increases are aimed at ensuring remunerative prices for farmers producing mandated Rabi crops.