Union Cabinet enhances compensation to civilian victims of cross border firing

The Union Cabinet has enhanced the compensation to victims of terror and left extremism from three lakh rupees to five lakh. Minister of State in the Prime Minister's office Jitendra Singh said, for the first time, civilian victims of cross border firing along the Indo-Pak border will be given a compensation of five lakh rupees similar to those who die due to terrorism or Naxal violence. 

Jitendra Singh said, now onwards, any civilian who dies anywhere in the country due to terror attack, naxal violence, firing from across the border and IED explosion will be given 5 lakh rupees as compensation uniformly. The amount will be given to the next of kin of the victim. The Minister said that five lakh will also be given to those who receive 50 per cent or more disability or incapacitation due to the same reasons. 

Giving a major push to the Railways’ effort to de-congest busy routes, Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, CCEA has given its approval for nine projects worth over 24 thousand 374 crore rupees in nine states for expansion of railway network and enhanced



connectivity. 

In Assam, second line between New Bongaigaon and Kamakhya of Northeast Frontier Railway has been approved while in Jharkhand, approval was given for the construction of third line between Kharagpur and Adityapur. The CCEA gave its nod for the construction of third line between Rajnandgaon-Nagpur in Chattishgarh and Maharashtra along with third line between Mathura-Jhansi and Bina- Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. It has also given its approval for construction of third line between Itarsi and Nagpur in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra along with Ballarshah and Kazipet in Telangana and Maharashtra. 

CCEA also gave approval for construction of third line between Vijaywada and Gudur in Andhra Pradesh and fourth line between Jharsuguda and Bilaspur in Odisha and Chhatisgarh. These projects will be completed in the next four to six years. The move is aimed at creating a capacity to carry 1.5 billion tonne of goods by 2020. It will also faster movements of the passenger trains. The decision will also yield over 1900 kilometre long additional track capacity.