General
Cabinet Approves Rs 13,000 Cr For Vishwakarma Scheme; Nod For Digital India Programme & Railway Projects

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved four major initiatives, including the PM Vishwakarma scheme that seeks to benefit lakhs of traditional artisans and craftsmen and the PM-eBus Sewa that aims at promoting green mobility while improving city bus operations. The other two schemes to get Cabinet nod are the extension of the Digital India programme and seven multitracking projects of Indian Railways. The Vishwakarma scheme, for which an outlay of Rs 13,000 crore has been set aside for a period of five years, seeks to benefit about 30 lakh families of traditional artisans and craftsmen, including weavers, goldsmiths, blacksmiths, laundry workers, and barbers.
Scheme will be launched on September 17
PM Modi had on Tuesday announced that the scheme will be launched on September 17. The artisans and craftsmen will be provided credit support of up to Rs1 lakh (first tranche) and Rs2 lakh (second tranche) with a concessional interest rate of 5 per cent. The government will also provide support of up to Rs15,000 to buy modern tools. The cabinet also gave its nod to the PM-eBus Sewa to promote green mobility and improving bus connectivity with cities that have no organised service.
10,000 e-buses will be deployed in 169 cities
As many as 10,000 e-buses will be deployed in 169 cities on a public-private partnership (PPP) model at an estimated cost of Rs57,613 crore of which Rs20,000 crore will be borne by the Centre. The scheme will cover cities with a population of three lakh or more and support bus operations for 10 years. States/cities will be responsible for running the bus services and making payments to bus operators, while the Centre will provide subsidies, the government said.
Union cabinet approved the extension of the Digital India programme
The Union cabinet has also approved the extension of the Digital India programme with an outlay of Rs14,903 crore to boost digital initiatives in skilling, cyber security, high performance computing and simplifying technology for masses, among other areas. The outlay has been approved for a five-year period from 2021-22 to 2025-26, Vaishnaw said. Under the extended programme, nine more super computers will be added under the National Supercomputing Mission (NCM), he said. The Digilocker app will be extended to micro, small and medium enterprises to help them avail of credit and other services by verifying their document stored in the app. As many as, 6.25 lakh IT professionals will be re-skilled and 2.65 lakh persons will be trained in information security, he said.
Cyber awareness courses will be conducted
Besides, cyber awareness courses will be conducted for 12 crore college students under the programme. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs also approved seven multi-tracking projects of Indian Railways at an estimated cost of around Rs32,500 crore, Vaishnaw said. The projects, which will be fully funded by the Centre, will help increase the existing line capacity, smoothen train operations, reduce congestion and facilitate ease of travelling and transportation. The projects will cover 35 districts in nine states, including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Odisha, Jharkhand and West Bengal, and increase the existing network of Indian Railways by 2,339 km and provide employment of an estimated 7.06 crore man-days to the people of the states.
Maharashtra
ED took action on 15 places including Mithi river, cleanliness, irregularities, Dino Morea

Dino Morea ED
Mumbai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has raided 15 places including Mumbai in the irregularities case in the cleaning of the Mithi river. The Enforcement Directorate has also claimed to have seized many important documents related to the case while conducting raids in Mumbai and Kochi. The ED has also raided the house of film actor Dino Maurya. The EOW has registered the first FIR in this case, after which the Enforcement Directorate has now started a parallel investigation. The ED has taken this action under the PMLA Money Laundering Act. Dino Maurya has also been involved in this irregularity. The EOW has also questioned him and his brother.
It is said that Dino Maurya and Ketan are close to Shiv Sena leader Aditya Thackeray. Now Dino’s troubles have increased. The EOW has found many important documents and evidence in the Mithi river corruption and irregularities case in Mumbai, so now the ED has also started its action in the case of misuse of funding and illegal tender purchase in this case. Many Shiv Sena leaders are also in the ambit of ED action, because during the Mithi river corruption scam, Shiv Sena was ruling the BMC, so the scope of investigation has become focused on Shiv Sena leaders. EOW has also made significant progress in its action in the Mithi river corruption case in Mumbai. More revelations are expected after the arrival of ED in this case. EOW has taken action against 13 people in this case so far and has also arrested them. In this, political leaders including BMC officials are also on the radar of ED.
Maharashtra
Mumbai: MLA and SP leader Abu Asim Azmi appeals to avoid sacrificing animals in the open on Eid-ul-Azha

Mumbai: Mumbai Maharashtra Samajwadi Party leader and MLA Abu Asim Azmi has appealed to Muslims not to perform Qurbani in the open and also follow BMC and government guidelines. Cleanliness is half of faith, so take special care of cleanliness. Not only this, it is mandatory to follow all the guidelines and guiding principles set regarding Qurbani. Take special care of cleanliness and ensure that the brothers and sisters of the country do not face any kind of trouble on Eid-ul-Azha. This is the real teaching of Islam. Celebrate Eid with mutual love, brotherhood and following Sunnat Ibrahimi. Azmi said that the waste of Qurbani on Eid should also be kept in bags and thrown in the dustbin.
Maharashtra
Mumbai Congress delegation meets Municipal Commissioner, expresses grave concern over poor condition of city

Mumbai: Today, a high-level Congress delegation led by Mumbai Congress President and MP Prof. Varsha Tai Gaikwad met BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani. The delegation included MLA Aslam Shaikh, MLA Amin Patel, MLA Dr. Jyoti Tai Gaikwad, former corporator Haji Babbu Khan and other former corporators of Mumbai Congress.
Several important issues were raised in the meeting on administrative collapse, corruption and deterioration of public amenities in Mumbai.
🛑 Highlights of the meeting:
🔸 Increase in property tax without public approval
Violating the directions of the Supreme Court, the BMC increased property tax in the absence of elected representatives. The Congress strongly opposed this unconstitutional move and called it a financial burden on the people of Mumbai.
Scams in road construction
There is a possibility of massive corruption in the concreting of roads. Only 25% of the work has been completed so far and that too has been hampered by poor quality, damage to pipelines and serious irregularities in tendering – particularly in the inorganic phosphate based geo-polymer concrete tender.
🔸 Drain cleaning scam
Drain cleaning before the monsoon has become a sham. All the work has been handed over to contractors, no monitoring, no accountability. The Congress has demanded immediate and strict action.
🔸 Medical facilities in ICUs
BMC hospitals – like Baba, Rajawadi, Shatabdi and Bhagwati – are in a shambles. Patients are being forcibly sent to private hospitals, while privatisation of hospitals and delay in development work have worsened the problems.
🔸 Waste management
The sanitation system is already failing and now the BMC is considering imposing a “garbage tax”. In areas like Kurla and Borivali, the sewer line work has been incomplete for years.
🔸 Failure of the education system:
BMC school children have not yet been given books and uniforms. The commissioner has given a deadline of June 15. If this work is not completed, the Congress will again come out with questions on June 16.
🔸 Delay in housing schemes and PAP projects:
Housing schemes, PAP and redevelopment projects in areas like Andheri, Vakola, Khar have been victims of builder fraud, misuse of TDR and government negligence.
🔸 Other important issues
Corruption in central procurement process
Delay in approving hawking policy
Acute lack of facilities in Muslim graveyards
🗣️ Congress demands:
✅ ACB should investigate contractor mafia in BMC
✅ Independent audit of drain cleaning and road construction works
✅ Independent monitoring body should be formed for BMC tenders
Mumbai cannot be left at the mercy of a neglected and corrupt system. Congress will continue to fight at every level by becoming the voice of the people of Mumbai!
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