Cabinet approves ₹3,210 crore infrastructure projects covering roads, railways, and irrigation
New Delhi, April 9: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday approved major infrastructure projects worth Rs 3,210.31 crore, including a road project in Punjab and Haryana, and a rail line doubling project in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.
The Cabinet also gave its nod to the Modernization of Command Area Development and Water Management (M-CADWM) as a sub-scheme of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) for the period 2025-2026 with an initial total outlay of Rs 1,600 crore.
Briefing media on Cabinet decisions, Union Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said, “Today, three historic decisions have been taken in the Cabinet, which will have far-reaching positive impact for the middle class of the country, for the farmers and for the entire logistics sector."
Construction of six-lane Zirakpur bypass in Punjab and Haryana with a total length of 19.2 km is proposed on hybrid annuity mode with an estimated cost of Rs 1,878.31 crore.
"The Zirakpur Bypass starts from the junction with NH-7 (Chandigarh-Bathinda) in Zirakpur and follows the Punjab Government Master Plan in Punjab and terminates at the junction with NH-5 (Zirakpur-Parwanoo) in Panchkula of Haryana, thus avoiding the highly urbanized and congested stretch of Zirakpur in Punjab and Panchkula in Haryana," an official statement said.
The doubling of the Tirupati-Pakala-Katpadi single railway line Section (104 km) in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, approved by the Cabinet today, is estimated to cost Rs 1,332 crore.
"The enhanced line capacity will improve mobility, providing enhanced efficiency and service reliability for Indian Railways. The multi-tracking proposal will ease operations and reduce congestion, providing the much-required infrastructural development on the busiest sections across Indian Railways," the government statement said.
The M-CADWM project is aimed at modernization of the irrigation water supply network to supply irrigation water from existing canals or other sources in a designated cluster.
"The initial approval is for taking up pilot projects across various agroclimatic zones in the country by challenge funding to the states. Based on the learning’s in design and structuring of these projects, the National Plan for Command Area Development and Water Management will be launched starting from April 2026 for the 16th Finance Commission period," the official press release on the Cabinet decision said.
