Cabinet Nod for Rs.33,000 Crore Amaravati Works
The state government has approved the development of Amaravati with an allocation of Rs. 33,137.98 crore for 45 engineering projects. The Cabinet granted permission to the CRDA (Capital Region Development Authority) to proceed with the construction of quarters for IAS and gazetted officers, 4th-grade employees, flood prevention projects, roads, and other infrastructure facilities in the capital city.
In a Cabinet meeting held at the Secretariat on Thursday, chaired by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Information and Public Relations Minister Kolusu Parthasarathi briefed the media about the decisions. He stated that the capital city of Amaravati would be completed in three years. To fund the projects, the CRDA has been authorized to take loans of Rs. 11,000 crore from HUDCO and Rs. 5,000 crore from the German KFW Bank.
Re-tendering of 44,195 Jal Jeevan Mission Works
A prime example of the state’s mismanagement is the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), under which the central government had allocated Rs. 26,824 crore to provide safe drinking water to millions of people in the state. However, the YSRCP government has spent only Rs. 4,000 crore so far.
In a bid to address this, the government has decided to cancel 44,195 ongoing projects under JJM that have been delayed or were only 25% complete, and re-tender them. The government has also set a deadline for the completion of 33,717 ongoing projects. Key drinking water projects for Pulivendula, Don, and Uddanam will be completed. Other poorly executed works will be reviewed, redesigned, and re-executed. The Cabinet has authorized the cancellation of five MVS projects, worth Rs. 7,910 crore, and has approved new tenders for these projects with updated designs. The Cabinet also agreed to extend the deadline for all JJM projects by six months.
Other Cabinet Decisions:
- Competitive Exam Material for Students: From the next academic year, the state will provide competitive exam materials for MPC and BiPC students to help them prepare for JEE, NEET, and EAPCET.
- Moral Education for Children: Special books will be prepared and distributed to promote moral values among children, with guidance from government advisor Chaganti Koteshwar Rao.
- Student Welfare Kits: The government will distribute kits worth Rs. 32.45 crore under the S. Radhakrishnan Student Friend Scheme, which will include textbooks, competitive exam materials, record books, and writing materials.
- Mid-day Meal Scheme: The mid-day meal scheme for junior college students will be reinstated in 475 government junior colleges from January.
- Loan Rescheduling for Flood-hit Areas: Farmers in flood-affected areas in districts such as Vizianagaram, Alluri Sitaramaraju, Kakinada, and others will receive exemptions from stamp duty and user charges for loan rescheduling, valid until March 31, 2025.
Other Key Decisions:
- Land Transfers and Approvals for New Projects: The Cabinet approved land transfers for various new projects, including a 10-acre land allotment for the Mangalagiri AIIMS and 50.21 acres for a new agricultural knowledge center in Chittoor district.
- NTPC Joint Venture and Revenue Generation: The government approved a joint venture with NTPC for clean energy projects, which will bring in Rs. 20,620 crore in revenue and create 1.06 lakh job opportunities.
- Rice Procurement Payment: The Chief Minister has directed that payment for rice procurement be made within hours of delivery. The government has also extended a guarantee to procure an additional Rs. 1,000 crore loan for rice collection activities from the National Cooperative Development Corporation.
