States will need to ease access to public and private land for telecom service providers to install, operate and maintain infrastructure if they want to avail additional capital expenditure funds. This is one of the two new conditions set by the Centre for states to access funds under the Scheme for Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI), a top government source told The New Indian Express.
The second reform relates to linking fertiliser distribution with the AgriStack Farmer ID—a unique Aadhaar-linked digital identity for farmers that connects personal details with land records to streamline access to government schemes, subsidies and insurance. “Over 7 crore farmers have already registered under AgriStack,” the source said.
The government has increased the budgetary allocation under SASCI to Rs 2 lakh crore for FY27, up from Rs 1.5 lakh crore in FY26. Of this, Rs 1.75 lakh crore is available to states, while Rs 25,000 crore has been set aside as a buffer. Notably, Rs 70,000 crore of the Rs 1.75 lakh crore will be accessible only if states undertake the specified reforms.
Under SASCI, the Centre provides 50-year interest-free loans to state governments to boost capital expenditure, drive economic growth and create jobs. The scheme supports sectors such as infrastructure under PM Gati Shakti, tourism and digital services, with projects typically required to be completed within two years.
While a portion of the funds is allocated based on the Finance Commission’s state-wise formula, the remaining amount is contingent upon states implementing reforms such as digitisation, urban reforms, disinvestment of state PSUs and mining sector changes.
Easing land access for telecom infrastructure falls under the Right of Way (RoW) framework, which came into effect on January 1, 2025. The framework provides a standardised mechanism to facilitate the rollout of telecom infrastructure while safeguarding public assets and expediting approvals.