Govt launches 103 lakh cr infrastructure projects

To augment India's infrastructure and create jobs, the government has launched Rs 103 lakh crore infra projects and will release a logistic policy soon, besides accelerating highways construction, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Saturday. Presenting the Union Budget in Parliament, Sitharaman said Rs 1.7 lakh crore has been provided for transport infrastructure in 2020-21. The minister said Rs 103 lakh crore projects, under the National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP), was launched in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement of Rs 100 lakh crore infrastructure investment in five years. Rs 100 lakh crore would be invested on infrastructure over the next five years. It consists of more than 6500 projects across sectors such as housing, safe drinking water, access to clean and affordable energy, healthcare for all, world-class educational institutes, modern railway stations, airports, bus terminals, metro and railway transportation, logistics and warehousing, irrigation projects, etc.