Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) [India], April 7 (ANI): Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav chaired a cabinet meeting held at the state secretariat on Tuesday and gave nod to various key decisions aimed at the development of the state and public welfare.

The council of ministers approved Rs 16,720 crore for various development works and important schemes, particularly focused on strengthening education, agriculture, irrigation, administrative reforms and infrastructure development. In the interest of farmers, Rs 3,174 crore has been approved for the procurement of gram and lentil over the next three years, and the Katna Micro Irrigation Project in Mandsaur district has also been approved.

The Cabinet approved administrative sanction of Rs 88.41 crore for the Katna Micro Irrigation Project in Mandsaur district. The project will provide irrigation facilities to 3,500 hectares of land across 12 villages in the Bhanpura Tehsil of the district.

The council of ministers decided to establish the Financial Training and Research Institute (FTRI) within the campus of RCVP Noronha Academy of Administration and Management, Bhopal. The institute will provide centralised and standardised training in financial administration and management to personnel at all levels of government.

The Cabinet approved the continuation of eight schemes of the Commercial Tax Department till 2030-31 with a total outlay of Rs 2,952 crore. This includes allocations for urban infrastructure development, IT-related works, stamp costs, and departmental establishment expenditure.

Along with this, significant investments were sanctioned for environmental conservation, with Rs 5,215 crore approved for regeneration, restoration and conservation of forest areas over a five-year period from April 2026 to March 2031, in line with work plans approved by the Government of India.

To strengthen the education sector, financial approvals were granted for fee reimbursement under the RTE Act, expansion of the PM SHRI School Scheme, and provision of free textbooks for students from Classes 9 to 12.

The Cabinet approved Rs 3,039 crore for the continuation of the fee reimbursement scheme under the Right to Education (RTE) Act from 2026-27 to 2030-31. Under the scheme, tuition fees are reimbursed to non-aided private schools providing free and compulsory education to children from Classes 1 to 8.

Additionally, Rs 693 crore was approved for providing free textbooks to students studying in Classes 9 to 12 in all government high schools and higher secondary schools in the state from 2026-27 to 2030-31. Apart from this, Rs 940 crores were approved as the state's share for the extension of the PM Shri School Scheme until 2031, aligned with the National Education Policy 2020.

To support higher education, the Cabinet further approved Rs 10,000 per month assistance for Scheduled Caste students from Madhya Pradesh studying in Delhi under a hostel scheme, similar to the support provided by the Tribal Affairs Department. Under the scheme, 100 new students will be admitted each year, along with continuing students, including 50 new undergraduate and 50 new postgraduate students, with an annual outlay of 1.80 crore.

In a key infrastructure push, the council of ministers approved Rs 590 crore for the acquisition of 437.5 acres of land to facilitate Airbus aircraft operations at the airstrip in Ujjain under the Centre's RCS-UDAN scheme. The expansion aims to boost religious tourism linked to the Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga and support the city's growing industrial and service sectors. (ANI)