The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs also met today and cleared a weather insurance scheme for coffee growers as well as personal accident insurance scheme for permanent coffee plantation workers and coffee-growers who are members of the Price Stabilisation Fund Trust for Coffee.

While the weather insurance scheme will cover only small coffee growers with plantations up to 10 hectares, the personal accident scheme will cover 12.77 lakh growers and 51.08 lakh workers.

“The premium (for weather insurance) will be shared on a 50:50 basis between the government and the grower. The Coffee Board will implement it,” said Finance Minister P Chidambaram.

Also cleared

• Only projects with a capital cost of over Rs 250 crore now need to go to Public Private Partnerships Advisory Committee (PPPAC) for clearance

• Under the National Highway Development Program, PPPAC will only consider projects over Rs 500 crore

• Overseas Indian Facilitation Centre

• Rail connectivity to the International Container transshipment terminal at Vallarpadam, Kochi

• Zirconium Oxide and Zirconium sponge plants at Tuticorin for nuclear power programme