VIJAYAWADA: The State cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, held at the Secretariat on Wednesday gave its approval to launch a week-long programme to mark ‘YSR Cheyutha’ on September 22. Under the scheme, 25 lakh women aged between 45 and 60 years, belonging to the Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Minorities, would receive financial assistance of Rs 4,700. The scheme is intended towards women’s empowerment and welfare.
The cabinet also approved to provide tablets to 50,000 teachers apart from 4.72 lakh Class 8 students in government and aided schools with the intention to prepare students to write Class 10 exams as per CBSE syllabus in 2025. It was earlier proposed that only Class 8 students would receive the tabs. It may be noted that the government had inked a deal with ed-tech major Byjus, who will provide content worth Rs 24,000 free of cost for students of Classes 4 to 10.
Information and Public Relations Minister Ch Srinivasa Venu Gopala Krishna elaborated on the other cabinet decisions and said, “Besides giving administrative sanction for construction of one lakh houses under Greater Visakha Corporation, including 3,750 houses in Anakapalle, the Cabinet also cleared the creation of a new revenue division with Chintoor as its headquarters in the Alluri district.”
Earlier this week, Jagan had chaired the State Investment Promotion Board (SIPB) meeting and approved investment proposals of around Rs 1.25 lakh crore, generating 60,000 direct jobs in industrial, power and tourism sectors. The cabinet,too, gave its approval for the same.The cabinet approved to amend the AP State and Subordinate Service Rule, 1996 to provide 4% reservations as against 3% to differently-abled in appointments and promotions in all the government departments.
It also gave its nod for government guarantee to avail loan of Rs 4,020 crore through NABARD for supplying drinking water to six districts under the Jal Jeevan Mission.The cabinet ratified the decision taken to declare probation for employees of village and ward secretariats. A sum of Rs 20 lakh has been sanctioned to each secretariat for settling the issues that came up during Gadapa Gadapaku Mana Prabhutvam programme.A draft Bill to amend various Acts related to Universities, including RJUKT-2008, also got the cabinet nod.
Ultimatum for ministers?
During the Cabinet meeting, Jagan discussed politics for nearly an hour and reportedly pulled up some of his colleagues for not performing well. Sources said he even hinted at dropping two or three ministers