PM POSHAN To Subsume Mid-Day Meal; Centre To Spend Rs 1.31 L Cr In 5 Years

New Delhi: The Centre on Wednesday approved PM-POSHAN scheme in its cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

Informing about the decision, Union Minister Anurag Thakur said the scheme will provide mid-day meal to students of more than 11.2 lakh government and government-aided schools across the country.

He said the scheme will run for 5 years and Rs 1.31 lakh crore will be spent in the project. The PM POSHAN scheme will subsume the existing Midday Meal Scheme and will run in partnership with state governments but the major contribution will be of the Central Government, he added.

The Union Cabinet also approved doubling of Nimach-Ratlam railway line at a total estimated cost of Rs 1,095.88 crore and Rajkot-Kanalus railway line at a total estimated cost of Rs 1,080.58 crore.

Furthermore, the Union Cabinet on Wednesday granted Rs 4,400 crore investment in ECGC Ltd. in 5 years to provide support to exporters as well as banks. The move, as said by the government, will help create 59 lakh new jobs, including 2.6 lakh in the formal sector.

Continuation of the National Export Insurance Account (NEIA) scheme and infusion of Rs 1,650 crores Grant-in-Aid over 5 years. This move will enable NEIA support project exports worth up to Rs 33,000 crores.