AP Cabinet Approves Draft for Categorisation of SC

The Cabinet approved release of funds, including Rs 617 crore for erection of the state Assembly and Rs 786 crore for the high court building. It also approved the proposals made by the State Investment Promotion Board (SIPB) on April 10.

The Cabinet met at the State Secretariat here with chief minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu in the chair. It cleared the SIPB proposals for allotment of land to the companies, grant of permissions, providing basic amenities and also formulating necessary guidelines for giving them subsidies.

Till now, the SIPB has given its nod for Rs 4.62 lakh crore investments to create over 4.23 lakh jobs.

Briefing the media persons on the decisions taken by the Cabinet, water resources minister Nimmala Ramanaidu, social welfare minister Veeranjaneya Swamy, home minister Anitha and tourism minister Durgesh cited a decision to extend the deadline to collect the seigniorage charges without any additional fee from the contractors in the combined districts of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, East Godavari, Guntur, Chittoor, Kadapa and Anantapur for the period when they did not work during the agreement period.

The Cabinet also gave its clearance for a proposal moved by the social welfare department on a draft ordinance for implementing the sub-categorisation of Scheduled Castes (SCs) for unified and equitable progress among various sub-castes in the state. Also, the move to implement the sub-categorisation of SCs was also approved by the Cabinet, they said.

The 59 Scheduled Castes in AP have been divided into three categories depending on their backwardness, social inequalities and the population ratio. For these three categories, the percentage of reservation has been allotted thus: for Group-I (12 castes) one per cent reservation; Group-II (18 castes) 6.5 per cent quota; and for Group-III (29 castes) 7.5 per cent quota.

A 200-point roster system will be followed for this sub-categorisation. This ordinance will come into effect in all the 26 districts with immediate effect.

The Cabinet also approved the minor mineral policy-2025 which will increase the quantum of mining products along with attracting investors besides increasing the activities and resolving the previous issues.

Nod has also been given to the proposals for approval to confirm the GO Ms No 49, 50 and 51 issued by the industries and commerce department on April 9. This would enhance the financial strength and creditworthiness of the this department and the AP mineral development corporation.

Also, a proposal to allow the issuance of bonds worth Rs 9,000 crore has been cleared by the Cabinet.

As per this proposal, the APMDC can be converted into a 'public' limited company and appoint four more officers as shareholders in addition to the existing shareholders, and bring in necessary changes in the memorandum and articles of association.

“These actions will strengthen the financial position of APMDC and enable it to provide better services,” the Cabinet felt.

The Cabinet cleared a proposal to allot 21.6 acres of land at IT Hil Number 3 for TCS, which would set up an IT campus with an investment of `1,370 crore to provide employment to 12,000 persons. Similarly, the expansion of the steel plant at Vizianagaram by the Maha Maya Industries, the metal manufacturing unit at Sri City in Tirupati and the establishment of a data centre at Visakhapatnam have also been approved.

The Cabinet okayed the proposal to issue LOA for the approval of L1 bids for the construction of the assembly building with an allocation of Rs 617.33 crore and the high court building for Rs 786.05 crore.

Nod was also given to the proposal for taking up works on 11kv agricultural feeders in the combined three districts. The proposals for allocating two projects to M/s Orissa Power Consortium Ltd were also cleared.