Cabinet clears 3 railway projects in 4 states, hike in raw jute MSP

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) on Tuesday approved the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for raw jute at Rs 5,925 per quintal for the 2026-27 marketing season, an increase of Rs 275 over the previous season. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Monday approved the development of a new Civil Enclave at Srinagar International Airport at an estimated cost of Rs 1,677 crore. The airport, operated by the Airports Authority of India within the Budgam Airbase of the Indian Air Force, was designated as an international airport in 2005 and is located around 12 km from Srinagar city. Spread across 73.18 acres, the new Civil Enclave will feature a state-of-the-art terminal building covering 71,500 square metres, including 20,659 square metres of the existing structure. The upgraded facility is designed to handle 2,900 passengers during peak hours, with an annual capacity of 10 million passengers per annum (MPPA). The decision will benefit jute growers, especially in West Bengal and Assam, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told reporters after the meeting. India is one of the largest producers of raw jute in the world.
The Union Cabinet approved a proposal of Kerala government to change the name of the state to Keralam, Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said. The decision was taken at a meeting of the Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at its first meeting held at Seva Teerth, the new PMO complex. The Union Cabinet chaired by the prime minister approved the proposal for alterating the name of state of Kerala as 'Keralam', Vaishnaw said.
The Cabinet approved the extension of the existing North–South corridor of the Ahmedabad Metro from GIFT City to Shahpur. According to an official statement, the proposed extension will be 3.33 kilometres long and will include three elevated stations. The project is expected to be completed in about four years at an estimated cost of Rs1,067.35 crore. The extension is projected to benefit around 23,702 passengers by 2029, with daily ridership expected to rise to approximately 58,059 passengers by 2041.
Earlier,the Union Cabinet reiterated its commitment to make Seva Teerth a global example of sensitive, accountable, and citizen-centric governance. Briefing the media after the Cabinet meeting, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said, in the Seva Sankalp Resolution taken in the first meeting of the Cabinet in Seva Teerth , the Cabinet resolved that in the journey to make India a prosperous, capable, and self-reliant nation by 2047, this premise will serve as a powerful centre of national aspirations.’ ‘The Union Cabinet reiterated its resolve that every decision taken in Seva Teerth will be inspired by a spirit of service toward 1.4 billion citizens and will be connected to the broader goal of nation-building. It also reiterated its resolve that every decision taken in these premises will be inspired by the sentiment of ‘Nagrik Devo Bhava’. The Cabinet took a firm resolve that with the new energy of Seva Teerth and the rapid pace of the Reform Express, the Government will fulfil its commitment to secure India’s place among the top three economies of the world in the near future.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs also approved three Railway ministry projects with a total cost of approximately Rs 9,072 crore. The three projects include the doubling of the Gondia-Jabalpur section and the laying of the third and fourth lines between Punarakh-Kiul and Gamharia-Chandil sections. The government said that these projects covering eight districts across Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand will increase the existing network of the Indian Railways by about 307 km.