AMN / NEW DELHI
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, CCEA has removed restrictions on export of all types of pulses.
Briefing media after the Cabinet Meeting in New Delhi this afternoon, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said, the decision will give farmers greater choice in marketing their produce and enhance their incomes.
He said, opening of export of pulses will help the farmers to dispose of their products at remunerative prices and encourage them to expand the area of sowing.
It is expected that pulses production will be sustained in the country and its import dependence on pulses will come down substantially.
This is also likely to provide higher levels of protein to the population and work towards nutritional security.
The CCEA also empowered the Committee chaired by Secretary, Food and Public Distribution to review export-import policy on pulses and consider measures such as quantitative restrictions and change in import duties.
Mr Prasad said, the CCEA also gave its nod for continuation of sub-schemes under Integrated Child Development Services, ICDS till November 2018 with an outlay of over 41 thousand crore rupees.
The schemes under it are Anganwadi Services, Scheme for adolescent girls, Child Protection Services and National Creche scheme. More than 11 crore children, pregnant women and lactating mothers and the adolescent girls will be benefited through this scheme.
Besides, it approved implementation of Scheme for Adolescent Girls for out of school girls in the age group of 11 to 14 years and phasing out of the ongoing Kishori Shakti Yojana.
Anganwadi Services and Child Protection Services are already in operation in the entire country while the Scheme for Adolescent Girls will be expanded in a phased manner and National Creche Scheme will continue to be implemented in over 23 thousand creches.
The Cabinet also approved increase in carpet area of houses eligible for interest subsidy under the Credit-Linked Subsidy Scheme, CLSS for the Middle Income Group-MIG under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.
The Minister said, under it the carpet area in the MIG- I category of CLSS has been increased from the existing 90 square metre to 120 square meters and for MIG II category, from 110 square meters to 150 square meters. Under the MIG-I category, a four-percent interest subsidy is provided to the beneficiaries, whose annual income is between 6 lakh rupees and 12 lakh, on a loan of up to 9 lakh rupees.
Similarly, under the MIG-II category, the beneficiaries with an annual income of 12 lakh to 18 lakh rupees get an interest subsidy of three per cent on a loan of up to 12 lakh rupees.
Cabinet also gave nod for continuation of the Centrally Sponsored Scheme for Development of Infrastructure Facilities for Judiciary beyond 12th Five Year Plan from 1st of April, 2017 to 31st March, 2020. It will be implemented in a Mission Mode through National Mission for Justice Delivery and Legal Reforms with an estimated outlay of 3,320 crore rupees.
The Cabinet was apprised of Agreement between the Indian National Science Academy and the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus on Scientific and Technological Cooperation.
The Cabinet also gave its approval for signing the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Poland for the Promotion of Civil Aviation Cooperation.
The Cabinet also approved the Railway Convention Committee resolution for adoption of its recommendations.
The Committee in its report for 2016-17 had recommended that the rate of dividend payable by Railways to the General Revenues should be waived off.
The resolution will be tabled in both the Houses of Parliament.