AP govt goes all out to restore welfare image

The state Cabinet today approved a slew of proposals and decisions loaded with welfare and development measures in a bid to reassert itself in the aftermath of the Kadapa byelections.

Prominent decisions announced by the government include enhancement of unit cost under the weaker section housing scheme (Indiramma houses) to Rs 55,000 in rural and Rs 65,000 in urban areas with an additional financial commitment of around Rs 500 crore annually, a new scheme to develop 1 million acres of farmland held by SC, STs and other poorer sections at a cost of Rs 1,600 crore, extension of reservations for backward castes to another 10 years, raising the dearness allowance (DA) for state government employees by 5.16 per cent with an additional financial commitment of close to Rs 1,200 crore.

Among other decisions, the state government approved a plan to acquire and transfer 702 acre land to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) for developing and upgrading the existing airport in Tirupati to an international one. The Cabinet sanctioned Rs 100 crore for acquisition of land in favour of Tirupati airport.

Minister for Information and Public Relations, DK Aruna, who briefed the media, said half of the financial resources required for the proposed land development programme, costing Rs 16,000 per acre, would be tapped from the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) while the remaining Rs 800 crore will be raised from the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) in a five-year period starting this year.

Farmers’ unrest
Referring to the farmers' unrest in the wake of crisis in paddy purchases due to heavy arrivals and shortage of storage space, the minister said the government had planned to procure 1.5 million tonnes of paddy during the current season as against 800,000 tonne in the same season last year. The government had raised Rs 500 crore loan towards procurement of paddy, she said. About 500,000 tonne rice lying in state godowns has been moved to other states and another 600,000 tonne would be moved next month to create storage capacity for new arrivals, according to the minister. The government maintained that the problems in paddy purchases leading to below MSP cropped up due to a 32 per cent increase in output registered in the rabi season.

The government has also announced sanctioning of over 600 new posts in various departments apart from providing a window to create over 4,000 additional posts in urban local bodies ahead of municipal elections.

A proposal to allot 283 acres of land to the Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) near Visakhapatnam was also approved.