VIJAYAWADA: Here is a good news for State government employees. The long wait of the State government employees for Dearness Allowance (DA) comes to a reality as the Council of Ministers on Wednesday approved to pay the same along with their salaries in March.
The government will pay the DA for the period starting from January 1, 2017. Though the government was supposed to announce DA to employees thrice (in January and July 2017 and in January, 2018), it was announced only once and on Wednesday, the Cabinet gave nod for making the payment.The DA, which was 22.008 per cent at the time of implementing the Pay Revision Commission 2015, has been increased to 24.104 per cent after the government announcing 2.096% DA hike.
While the arrears will be deposited in the GPF account of employees, for pensioners and the Contributory Pension Scheme employees, the pending amount will be paid along with salary to be deposited in April. Payment of DA will cause a burden of Rs 838.87 crore per year on the State’s exchequer. The Cabinet also gave nod for sanctioning Rs 1244.36 crore to Navayuga for taking up concrete works of Polavaram project.
Statutory Status for APEDB
The Cabinet met at the Interim Government Complex in Velagapudi on Wednesday approved the Draft Bill providing statutory status to Andhra Pradesh Economic Development Board (APEDB).
The Cabinet felt that this move would further propel the Board to work towards accelerated economic development, provide the financiers and investors with greater confidence and minimise the chances of any litigation.As per the APEDB Act, 2018, a bill was drafted to facilitate statutory status to State Investment Promotion Boards and State Investment Promotion Committees.
Family Entertainment Centres
Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) was permitted to allocate 2.7 acres of land to SPI Cinemas Private Limited for setting up FEC in the port city. The land will be allotted on lease basis for a period of 33 years. The project to be taken up under PPP mode at an estimated cost of Rs 25 crore should be completed within 2 years after land allotment.While Rs 4.284 crore will be paid towards lease for the first year, the lease amount will enhanced by 5 per cent every year.In the temple town Tirupati, 3.72 crore will allocated to for SPI Cinemas at Annamaiah Circle on lease basis for 33 years. While Rs 3.265 crore will be paid towards lease in the first year, it will be enhanced by 5 percent every year.
The minimum development obligations agreed to include a multiplex screen, IMAX, Convention cum exhibition centre, development of commercial space and a 3-star hotel with a restaurant. In order to cater to the needs of tourists who visit Araku Valley, Borra Caves, the State government wants to create more leisure, entertainment and accommodation facilities. The AP Tourism Development Corporation will bear the initial expenditure on the FECs and wil maintain them as tourism projects.
The Cabinet designated the Public Health and Medical Engineering Department as the Single Implementing Agency for all projects taken up under Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) under External Aided Projects to develop infrastructure in 42 towns that were not listed under AMRUT scheme. While, the total project cost is Rs 4,188.71 crore, financing of the project will be shared between the State government (Rs 1,116.99 crore), concerned ULBs (Rs 465.41 crore) and external aid (Rs 2,066.31 crore).
ACB to get more teeth
The Cabinet approved to sanction 350 additional posts (300 on regular basis and 50 on outsourcing basis) for strengthening the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB). It will cause a burden of Rs 24.42 crore per annum on the government.The Cabinet also gave sanction for the appointment of 25 posts at the newly-established Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate-cum-Senior Civil Judges Court at Gannavaram in Krishna district.
Other decisions
Nod to sanction 0.92 acres of land at Vidyadharapuram near Kabela in Vijayawada for the construction of Government Junior College (Urdu Medium)
Handing over 44.97 acres of land to APIIC at free of cost for setting up Industrial Park in Ranasthalam mandal of Srikakulam district
Waiving of penalisation charges of Rs 58,64,298 for a building which is registered to be used for educational purposes at The Hyderabad Don Bosco Society at Srinivasa Theatre, Ongole
The approvals for the change of land use from Open space to Public and Semi-public use is still pending
The Cabinet waived off Rs 2,72,106 for the residential building which is being used as a hostel at Agraharam road of Don Bosco Society, Ongole