Cabinet Clears Rs 25,497 Cr: Railway Lines and Vibrant Villages-II
Why in the news
The Union Cabinet cleared funding for new railway capacity and a second phase of border village development in early April 2025.
Key facts
- Rail outlay: Rs 18,658 crore, cleared by the CCEA; reach: 15 districts, 3,350 villages.
- Lines: Sambalpur-Jarapda and Jharsuguda-Sason (3rd and 4th), Kharsia-Naya Raipur-Parmalaksa (5th and 6th), Gondia-Balharshah (doubling).
- Benefits: smoother services, less congestion and a direct link to Baloda Bazar, a cement hub.
About Vibrant Villages Programme-II
- Outlay Rs 6,839 crore, fully funded by the government, for border development and internal security.
- Goals: better livelihoods in border villages, national integration, help with surveillance, curbing trans-border crime.
- Covers strategic border areas of northern, north-eastern, western and eastern states, including Arunachal Pradesh, Ladakh, Gujarat and West Bengal.
- Period 2025-26 to 2028-29; monitored by a committee under the Cabinet Secretary.
Exam angle
- Approving body for rail projects: CCEA.
- Scheme duration: four years.