Bhopal, Aug. 25 -- The Madhya Pradesh Cabinet on Tuesday approved a state guarantee for a Rs 4,600-crore loan to the Madhya Pradesh Road Development Corporation (MPRDC) through NABARD's Infrastructure Development Assistance (NIDA) programme to fund the construction of 12 road projects across the state.
The Cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, approved the proposal with the aim of strengthening the road network and improving connectivity between major urban centres, district headquarters, and key economic and tourism destinations.
The Cabinet approved the transfer of 22 selected roads to the MPRDC at a nominal value, in return for which the corporation will issue shares to the state government.
The Cabinet approved the Rs 3,960.09-crore four-laning of the 91.64-km Seoni-Balaghat road under the Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM). The Seoni-Balaghat road links the two district headquarters, key mining, forest and tourism destinations, and connects with NH-44, NH-543 and routes to Chhattisgarh.
The 12 roads proposed to be taken up under the NABARD-backed financing include Bhopal-Vidisha, Khalghat-Manawar-Mangod, Mandsaur-Sitamau, Sitamau-Basai-Suwasra, Eastern Bhopal Bypass, Neemuch-Manasa-Rampura-Jhalawar, Indore-Depalpur, Chapda-Newari-Dewas, Dinara-Datia-Seondha, Agar-Sarangpur, Soyat-Machalpur-Jirapur and Rahatgarh-Khurai-Khimlasa. Under Managing Director Bharat Yadav, a 2008-batch IAS officer known for introducing innovations in public administration, the MPRDC is set to play a larger role in the development and management of strategic road assets, while building a dedicated revenue stream to service infrastructure-related borrowings.
The Cabinet approved proposals worth Rs 10,630 crore across infrastructure, healthcare, cybersecurity and social welfare, including Rs 1,740 crore for 19 welfare schemes for vulnerable groups.
It also approved 244 posts for Dhanwantri Health University, Ujjain, and Rs 80 crore for MP-CERT from 2026-27 to 2030-31. Further approvals included Rs 250.67 crore for MP Bhawan and guest-house programmes in New Delhi, amendments to facilitate faster land acquisition by mutual consent, and changes authorising the EOW to act under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
The Cabinet also granted post-facto approval for Rs 78 lakh in incentives to three Madhya Pradesh players and three coaches associated with India's victorious women's T20 Blind Cricket World Cup team.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.