Centre announces plan for 12 industrial smart cities, promises 4 million jobs in mega infrastructure push

PTC News Desk: The Union Cabinet has given the green light for the development of 12 industrial smart cities across 10 states, with a total projected cost of Rs 28,602 crore. This ambitious initiative is anticipated to draw investments of approximately Rs 1.52 lakh crore and generate around 9.39 lakh direct jobs, with the potential to create up to 30 lakh indirect jobs.

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced the project on Wednesday, detailing that these industrial smart cities will be developed along six major industrial corridors: Amritsar-Kolkata, Delhi-Mumbai, Vizag-Chennai, Hyderabad-Bengaluru, Hyderabad-Nagpur, and Chennai-Bengaluru.

#WATCH | After the cabinet meeting, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw says, "...Cabinet today approved 12 Industrial Smart Cities under National Industrial Corridor Development Programme. The government will invest Rs 28,602 crore for this project..." pic.twitter.com/KxNYqNZ5dT — ANI (@ANI) August 28, 2024

The planned cities will be situated in:

• Khurpia, Uttarakhand
• Rajpura-Patiala, Punjab
• Dighi, Maharashtra
• Palakkad, Kerala
• Agra and Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh
• Gaya, Bihar
• Zaheerabad, Telangana
• Orvakal and Kopparthy, Andhra Pradesh
• Jodhpur-Pali, Rajasthan
• Railway Infrastructure Enhancement

In addition to the smart cities project, the Cabinet has approved three major railway infrastructure projects totaling 296 kilometers at an estimated cost of Rs 6,456 crore. These new rail projects are expected to significantly improve connectivity and boost regional development, particularly in districts such as Nuapada in Odisha and East Singhbhum in Jharkhand.

Expansion of Agricultural Infrastructure Fund

The Cabinet also revealed an expansion of the Agri Infrastructure Fund, which was initially launched in 2020 with a budget of Rs 1 lakh crore. This fund focuses on developing post-harvest agricultural infrastructure, including pack houses, cold storage facilities, refrigerated vehicles, and primary processing units.

The expanded scope will now incorporate integrated secondary processing and coverage of Component A of the PM-Kusum scheme, which provides credit guarantees for these projects. This initiative aims to bolster support for farmers by facilitating value addition to their products and the establishment of agri-based industries.

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- With inputs from agencies

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