NEW DELHI: The Cabinet on Wednesday cleared a slew of plans, including the promised National War Memorial near New Delhi's iconic India Gate, a longstanding demand of the Army . Apart from this a national watershed management plan and new AIIMs also got a leg up.1)at Princess Park, near India Gate, for soldiers who died post-independence. The estimated cost of the project will be around Rs 500 crore and the total time for completion of the entire project is estimated to be five years.2) The Cabinet cleared a national watershed management plan,to be done under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayi Yojana . This plan will have a total outlay of Rs 2,142.30 crore, which will be implemented at the national level as well as in the nine states of Andhra Pradesh , Chattisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand Madhya Pradesh , Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan and Telangana. Of the Rs 2142.30 crore alloted, the government's share is Rs 1,071.15 crore and the rest is the loan component from the World Bank.Neeranchal will bring about institutional changes in watershed and rainfed agricultural management practices in India and build systems that ensure watershed programmes and rainfed irrigation management practices are better focussed, and more coordinated, and have quantifiable results.It will translate into better implementation outcomes of PMKSY. The programme will lead to reducing surface runoff of rainwater, increasing recharge of ground water and better availability of water in rainfed areas resulting in incremental rainfed agriculture productivity, enhanced milk yield and increased cropping intensity through better convergence related programmes in project areas.3) In an early Diwali cheer, the Cabinet okayed a proposal to giveto about 12.58 lakh railway employees. The financial implication of payment of 78 days' bonus to railway employees has been estimated to be Rs 1,030.02 crore. The wage calculation ceiling prescribed for payment of PLB to the eligible non-gazetted railway employees is 3,500/- per month and the maximum amount payable per eligible railway employee is Rs 8,975 for 78 days.4) Three newat Nagpur in Maharashtra, Manglagiri in Andhra Pradesh and at Kalyani in West Bengal under Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojna, this will cost Rs 4,949 crore.The institutes to be set up will be on par with the one in Delhi, complete with attached hospitals with capacity of 960 beds, teaching blocks, hostel and residential facilities.Of the Rs 4,949 crore, the cost of the new AIIMS at Manglagiri in Andhra Pradesh will be around Rs 1,618 crore, at Nagpur in Maharashtra of Rs 1,577 crore and at Kalyani in West Bengal of Rs 1,754 crore.5) The Cabinet also cleared mechanisation of East Quay berths aton Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) basis, under Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode' for handling thermal coal exports. The estimated cost of the project is Rs 1,437.76 crore of which Rs 1,412.76 crore will be spent by the concessionaire. The remaining Rs 25 crore will be spent by the Paradip Port Trust on dredging.The mechanization of EQ 1, 2 and 3 Berths will increase their capacity from the existing 7.85 million tonnes to 30 million tonnes. The project is scheduled to be completed within three years. This mechanisation project will go a long way in improving the operational efficiency in Paradip Port and thereby reduce transaction cost for thermal power plants dependent on coal supply through Paradip Port.6) The Cabinet gave its ex-post facto approval to the protocol for cooperation in the field ofwhich was signed between India and Seychelles on August 26. The protocol lays down the modalities and mechanism of cooperation between the two parties for ocean studies as well as scientific exploration and exploitation of sea based resources, for sustainable development and economic purposes.7) The Cabinet also approved the protocol for avoidance ofwith Israel and Vietnam for prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income and on capital.