Cabinet Approves Key Welfare and Infrastructure Initiatives
The Union Cabinet approved several measures on Saturday, including a 2% increase in dearness allowance for central government employees and dearness relief for pensioners, raising the rate to 60% effective from 1 January 2026. This decision will cost ₹6,791.24 crore annually and benefit approximately 50.46 lakh employees and 68.27 lakh pensioners. Additionally, the Cabinet established the Bharat Maritime Insurance Pool with a sovereign guarantee of ₹12,980 crore to support Indian maritime operations amid global uncertainties. The pool aims to provide coverage for Indian-flagged vessels and cargo. Furthermore, the Cabinet extended the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana-III until March 2028 with a revised budget of ₹83,977 crore, focusing on rural road upgrades. Two railway projects were also approved, costing around ₹24,815 crore.
Published 2 days ago • 18 Apr 2026, 05:52 PM IST