NEW DELHI: The Cabinet on Wednesday approved a slew of mega infrastructure projects including building 12 new industrial smart cities at a cost of Rs 28,602 crore, three new railway projects worth Rs 6,456 crore and special dedicated fund of Rs 4,136 crore for equity participation by the northeastern states in developing hydroelectric projects in the region. It also decided to roll out FM radio stations in 234 uncovered cities.Briefing media after the Union Cabinet meeting chaired by the Prime Minister, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the industrial smart cities would come up across 10 states and is strategically planned along six major corridors.The minister said the approval for the industrial cities has been given under the National Industrial Corridor Development Programme (NICDP) with an estimated investment of Rs 28,602 crore. The move will transform the industrial landscape of the country, creating a robust network of industrial nodes and cities that will significantly boost economic growth and global competitiveness, he said.The cabinet also approved three railway projects worth Rs 6,456 crore, covering seven districts in four states including Odisha, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Chhattisgarh. The power ministry’s proposal to provide Central financial assistance to the governments of the northeastern states for their equity participation in developing hydroelectric projects was also approved. This bears an outlay of Rs 4,136 crore.Another decision was taken to roll out 730 FM private radio channels for 234 new cities through e-auctions. This comes at an estimated reserve price of Rs 784.87 crore under the FM Radio Phase III policy. Many of the approved cities or towns are in Naxal-hit areas. In a bid to make the Central Sector Scheme under the flagship Agriculture Infrastructure Fund impactful, the Centre also gave its nod to expand it.
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