Key decisions in the first Cabinet meeting

Prime Minister and his council of ministers held their first Cabinet yesterday. The newly established government has taken several key decisions in its first meeting.

Here are the key decisions of the first Cabinet meeting:

• The ambit of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Siddhi (PMKSS) has been extended to cover all land holding eligible farmer families.
• The PMKSS scheme was announced in the interim Budget to provide ₹6,000 per year to all small and marginal farmers holding land up to 2 hectares. But, now the limit has been lifted. Hence, the revised scheme would benefit 2 crore more farmers, increasing the coverage of farmers to nearly 14.5 crore beneficiaries from the earlier 12.5 crore farmers.
• The amount will be given to the farmers in three equal instalments. The burden on exchequer will increase by ₹12,000 crore for the year 2019-20.
• PM Modi’s first decision was to hike scholarships for children under the National Defence Fund (NDF). It is increased to ₹2,500 for boys from ₹2,000 and to 3,000 for girls from ₹2,250.
• The ambit of the Prime Minister’s Scholarship Scheme has also been extended to the wards of State Police officials who are/were martyred in terror or Naxal attacks.
• The quota of new scholarships for wards of state police officers would be 500 in a year.
• The Cabinet also approved the pension for traders including shopkeepers, retail traders and self-employed persons are assured to get a minimum monthly pension of ₹3,000 per month after 60 years.
• In order to control Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), Cabinet approved to bear the entire cost for livestock vaccination scheme. So far, the cost has been shared between the Centre and the states.
• The Parliament Session will begin on June 17 and the Speaker’s election will be on June 19.
• Economic Survey will be conducted on July 4 and the Union Budget will be presented on July 5.

Image Credit: Narendra Modi CC BY-SA 2.0

Image Reference: https://www.flickr.com/photos/narendramodiofficial/13374111303