MP Cabinet okays additional Rs 1,782 crore for rehabilitation of Upper Narmada Projects oustees

Bhopal: The Madhya Pradesh Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, on Tuesday approved a Rs 1,782 crore special relief package for families affected by submergence due to the Upper Narmada, Raghavpur and Basania multipurpose projects in Anuppur, Mandla and Dindori districts.

Briefing the media on the Cabinet decisions, Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla said that the special package is in addition to Rs 1,656.02 crore already provisioned in the Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for rehabilitation and compensation of the project-affected people.

The Deputy CM said the three projects, with a combined cost of Rs 5,512.11 crore, will provide irrigation facilities to 71,967 hectares and generate 125 MW of electricity.

A total of 13,873 families will be affected by submergence and will receive compensation of Rs 12.50 lakh per family under the special package.

In addition, around 50,000 Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe families will be entitled to extra compensation, he said.

Shukla said the Council of Ministers also gave sanction to works costing Rs 10 lakh or more under the Chief Minister’s Rural

Road and Infrastructure Scheme for the financial year 2025–26.

As many as 3,810 works, involving an estimated expenditure of Rs 693.76 crore, are expected to be completed under the scheme.

The Cabinet further cleared a provision of Rs 90.67 crore under the revenue head for operation and maintenance of the Bhopal and Indore Metro Rail projects during 2025–26.

Shukla said the Cabinet approved continuation of the Chief Minister’s Udyam Kranti Yojana from 2026–27 to 2030–31 with a total outlay of Rs 905.25 crore.

The scheme provides bank loans ranging from Rs 50,000 to Rs 50 lakh to local youth aged 18 to 45 years for self-employment, along with a 3 per cent annual interest subsidy and loan guarantee fee support for seven years.

The Cabinet also sanctioned Rs 48 crore for setting up six Forest Science Centres between 2025–26

and 2029–30 to promote agro-forestry and tree-based livelihoods.

The Cabinet further approved necessary provisions to convert existing temporary posts into permanent ones across government departments and to discontinue fresh appointments on work-charged and contingency posts, Shukla added.