30-Jul-2018: Administrative control of CRIF has been transferred to the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA), Finance Ministry.
Work related to the Central Road and Infrastructure Fund (CRIF) has been taken away from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and brought under the domain of the Finance Ministry, according to an official order. It will now be under the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA), Finance Ministry.
Budget 2018 amended the Central Road Fund Act, 2000, and renamed the Central Road Fund the Central Road and Infrastructure Fund.
The objective of the amendment was to use proceeds of the road cess under CRIF to finance other infrastructure projects such as waterways, some portion of the railway infrastructure and even social infrastructure, including education institutions and medical colleges.
The government recently constituted a ministerial panel headed by the Finance Minister to decide on fund allocation for infrastructure projects from the CRIF.
The four-member committee would approve recommendations made by the sub-committee headed by the Economic Affairs Secretary on the list of infrastructure projects to be financed from the CIRF, according to a government notification. Other members of the committee include the Ministers of Road Transport and Highways, Railways and Human Resource Development.
The 15-member sub-committee has Secretaries from different Ministries who will examine and evaluate proposals received from Ministries on infrastructure projects to be financed by the CRIF. Besides, it will prioritise the list of infrastructure projects each year for financing from the fund.
12-Apr-2018: Launch of United Nations Road Safety Trust Fund
An estimated 1.25 million people are killed every year in road traffic crashes, and up to 50 million more are injured, often seriously. Beyond human suffering, road traffic deaths and injuries cause significant economic losses to individuals and societies, keeping millions of people in poverty and creating an estimated $1.85 trillion burden on the global economy each year. This makes addressing road safety one of the most pressing social, economic, health and development challenges of our time.
While the need to improve road safety is gaining increasing recognition, targeted efforts have not been adequately funded at the local, national, regional or global levels. As such, we are far from being on track to halve the number of road traffic deaths by 2020– the target set out in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The United Nations Road Safety Trust Fund, launched today in New York City, aims to accelerate progress in improving global road safety by bridging the gaps in the mobilization of resources for effective action at all levels.
Established at the request of the Secretary-General following the suggestion made by United Nations Member States, the Fund will mobilize resources from governments, intergovernmental or non-governmental organizations, the private sector, philanthropic organizations and individuals.
The scaling up of resources is essential if we are to achieve the SDG road safety targets. The United Nations Road Safety Trust Fund will serve as a catalyst for much-needed progress towards the road safety targets of the Sustainable Development Goals.
UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) will be the secretariat for the Trust Fund. The Trust Fund will support efforts along the five pillars of the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety, which include strengthened road safety management capacities, improved safety of road infrastructure and broader transport networks, enhanced safety of vehicles, improved behaviour of road users and improved post-crash care.
The United Nations Road Safety Trust Fund will focus on strengthening the capacity of government agencies, local governments and city authorities to develop and implement road safety programmes, prioritizing projects in low and middle-income countries.
As a broad partnership mobilizing expertise and resources across different sectors - including government authorities, civil society organizations, multilateral development banks, United Nations entities, other international organizations and academia – the Fund will support a coordinated and holistic approach to improving global road safety.
21-Mar-2018: Cabinet approves closure of India Development Foundation of Overseas Indians
The Union Cabinet has given its approval for closure of India Development Foundation of Overseas Indians (IDF-OI) to enhance synergies in channelizing Diaspora's contributions to Government of India's flagship programmes such as National Mission for clean Ganga and Swachh Bharat Mission.
Background: IDF-OI was set up by Government of India with the approval of Cabinet in 2008 as an autonomous not-for-profit Trust, to facilitate Overseas Indian philanthropy into social and development projects in India.
As the Foundation received only Rs. 36.80 Lakhs between December 2008 and March 2015 as donation from overseas Indian community, a comprehensive review of IDF-OI was undertaken in 2015. Promotion of Government of India's Flagship programmes - National Mission for Clean Ganga and Swachh Bharat Mission; and Social and Development projects identified by State Governments - was added to the mandate of IDF-OI.
Although, between April 2015 and March 2018, the Trust received Rs.10.16 crore, most of the contribution received were for either projects related to National Mission for Clean Ganga or Swachh Bharat Mission, which are separately administered by their respective Administrative Agencies. In order to enhance synergies, improve efficiencies and avoid duplication of work, it was decided by the 9th Meeting of Board of Trustees of the IDF-OI that the Trust would be closed down by March 31, 2018.