AP Cabinet Approves 4 Police Commissionerates

The new commissionerates would be headquartered in Rajamahendravaram, Guntur, Tirupati and Kurnool. These would strengthen law and order, streamline policing and improve coordination among various wings. Each commissionerate would be headed by an IGP/DIG-rank officer with executive magistrate powers under the BNSS, 2023.

The existing police strength would be redistributed among the new commissionerates.

Rajamahendravaram will have three territorial zones, Guntur and Tirupati four each, and Kurnool two zones covering five sub-divisions.

The Cabinet meeting, presided over by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, cleared SIPB-recommended investment proposals worth ₹22,177.84 crore, which are expected to generate 19,739 jobs. The proposals include `8,000 crore in infrastructure and investment, ₹5,176.56 crore in energy, ₹4,332.49 crore in industries and commerce, ₹3,734.18 crore in food processing, ₹ 526.25 crore in IT and electronics and `408.26 crore in tourism.

A major proposal is the ₹8,000-crore Goa Shipyard Ltd facility at Machilipatnam, to be developed on 400 acres with around 1.7km of waterfront. It would undertake defence, Coast Guard, commercial and export shipbuilding and ship repairs, generating around 8,000 direct and indirect jobs over five to eight years.

Other industrial proposals approved include a ₹ 3,000-crore greenfield cement plant of My Home Industries in Palnadu, a Caterpillar facility at Sri City, a garment plant by MAF Clothing at Kuppam, and expansion proposals by Dalmia Cement and Agarwal Foundries.

LG Electronics also received approvals for revised project implementation timelines.

Food-processing projects were cleared in Nellore, Anantapur, Chittoor, Tirupati and Vizianagaram.

For Amaravati, the cabinet sanctioned ₹1,548.98 crore under the Critical Infrastructure and Investment Plan, revising the earlier `904-crore approval. The works cover 76.02km of water-supply lines, 30.16km of sewerage, 309.30km of storm-water network, 69.68km of roads and 2,597 streetlights.

It also approved ₹661 crore for the assembly building in Super Block ‘E’, covering the spire, roof, RCC structure, core walls, slabs, beams, lifts and waterproofing. The earlier ₹798-crore sanction would be replaced.

The Cabinet approved amendments to provide minimum annual annuity to eligible LPS farmers who contributed less than one acre and ratified `5.04 crore already paid to 1,304 landowners.

Government employees and pensioners would get DA/DR increases of 2.73 per cent from July 2024 and 1.82 per cent from January 2025. The cash benefit would start from September 2026, while arrears would be paid in instalments from 2027 and 2028. The total financial burden is estimated at ₹4,556 crore.

The cabinet also approved ₹125.65 crore for HNSS Phase-II Kuppam Branch Canal lining and `37.90 crore for HNSS main canal lining and tunnel works. It cleared 12 super-passage works under the Polavaram Left Main Canal.

Energy proposals approved included a 675-MW solar project in Sri Sathya Sai district, wind-solar hybrid projects in Kurnool and Kadapa, a compressed biogas plant in Nandyal and large-scale pumped-storage procurement. Government guarantees were also approved for APPFCL loans.

The Cabinet cleared new prosecution service rules aligned with the BNSS and approved a proposal to raise the retirement age of judicial officers from 61 to 62 years.

IT proposals included a Deloitte IT/ITES campus in Visakhapatnam, an AI hub by Muthoot Fincorp and quantum-technology projects. Tourism proposals included new hotels in Amaravati, Tirupati and Kadapa.

A policy to empanel social media influencers for disseminating government information was also approved.

The Cabinet cleared land allocations for industrial, renewable-energy and tourism projects, including 8.25 acres in Tirupati for an Iskcon Vedic Cultural and Spiritual Centre.

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• 4 police commissionerates: Rajamahendravaram, Guntur, Tirupati and Kurnool, headed by IGP/DIGP-rank officers

• ₹22,177.84 crore investments, with promise of 19,739 jobs

• Goa Shipyard: ₹8,000 crore Machilipatnam shipbuilding centre on 400 acres and 1.7-km waterfront; 8,000 jobs

• Amaravati CIIP: ₹1,548.98 crore for water, sewerage, storm-water drains, roads and 2,597 streetlightsa

• Assembly Super Block E: ₹661 crore for spire, lifts and waterproofing

• LPS annuity: minimum annual provision for contributors; ₹5.04 crore ratified for 1,304 landowners

• DA/DR: 2.73% from July 2024 and 1.82% from January 2025; ₹4,556 crore burden

• Irrigation: ₹125.65 crore for HNSS Kuppam canal lining; ₹337.90 crore for HNSS Package-II; 12 Polavaram super-passages approved

• Energy: 675 MW solar, 100 MW wind-solar hybrid, 118.80 MW AC solar and 24-TPD CBG projects

• Judiciary: retirement age raised from 61 to 62

• IT/electronics: Deloitte campus, Muthoot AI hub and seven quantum companies cleared

• Tourism: hotel projects in Amaravati, Tirupati and Kadapa

• Social-media influencer policy approved for public awareness

• Land: 8.25 acres allotted to ISKCON in Tirupati for a Vedic Cultural and Spiritual Centre