VIJAYAWADA: Nearly 13 months after announcing Dearness Allowance (DA) to State government employees, the Cabinet, which met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu at the Interim Government Complex in Velagapudi on Thursday, decided to clear their DA arrears.
However, the doubt raising here is that whether the Cabinet discussed the issue or not with some ministers, who came out after the Cabinet meeting saying that they have not discussed the DA issue. Ministers K Kala Venkata Rao and P Pulla Rao, who briefed the mediapersons over the Cabinet decision, also not mentioned about the DA issue while briefing. They only mentioned about it after mediapersons inquiring whether the Cabinet discussed over the DA issue or not. The State government announced 3.686 per cent DA to employees in July, 2016 and also another DA in January 2017 . However, the government did not implement the increased payment so far.
However, with the employees putting pressure on the government time to time, the State government, which had cited cash crunch as the cause for delay in payment of DA, announced to clear the arrears of DA announced in July 2016.While the arrears up to August 31, 2017 will be credited into the GPS accounts of employees, they will get the increased DA along with their wages in October.
Encroached lands to be regularised
Another key decision took up by the Cabinet is to regularise the encroached lands. It is learnt that nearly 20 lakh families of Below Poverty Line and Above Poverty Line in the State are going to benefit from the decision. The Cabinet decided to regularise the encroachments up to 100 sq yards of BPL families free of cost. For APL families, land value based on 2013 land price will be collected at the rate of 7.5 per cent up to 100 yards, 15 per cent from 101 to 250 yards and 30 per cent up to 500 yards. The government also decided to remove over 500 square yards of encroachments.
Aimed at encouraging farmers towards alternative crops by diverting them from taking up cultivation of cotton, the Cabinet decided to release a special package of `53.5 crore to the farmers who switch over to alternative crops from cotton. In all, 75 per cent subsidy will be provided on seeds and `500 will be released towards pesticides for two times per hector. A bonus of `200 per quintal will be paid to the farmers for cultivating pulses in place of cotton.
Money matters
A100 crore per month burden on government exchequer for the payment of DA 20 lakh
families below BPL and Above Poverty Line will benefit from the decision to regularise encroachments
100 sq yards of encroachments of BPL families will be regularised free of cost A53.5 crore
special package to farmers to switch over to alternative crops from cotton
Janmabhoomi panels to be reconstituted
Vijayawada:The TDP will reconstitute all the janmabhoomi committees, taking into account dissatisfaction of the people with regard to functioning of members of the committees. The decision was taken at the TDP coordination committee meeting. Party supremo Chandrababu Naidu ordered filling up of party positions at district levels.
Stamp duty exempted
The Cabinet approved to give stamp duty exemption to Hyderabad-based Andhra Organics Limited, which purchased a chemical laboratory in Ranasthalam mandal of Srikakulam district
Citing that Andhra Organics Limited purchased a sick-laboratory, the Cabinet approved to give stamp duty exemption to a tune of H1.22 crore
Other Key Decisions
Approved to introduce new policy in barytes sale procedure by adopting national and international systems
The Cabinet decided to waive penalty to Patanjali for the delay in lifting red sanders purchased through e-auction. The firm should pay rent for storing the logs in the govt godown from 2014
The Cabinet decided to allot nearly 70 acres of TTD land to Science museum at Tirupati on lease basis
The Cabinet decided to strengthen the water users association