VIJAYAWADA: The State Cabinet on Wednesday decided to reconstitute the Excise Department and do away with the Special Enforcement Bureau (SEB) as well as reverse tendering process, implemented by the previous YSRC government. The decisions were taken during a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu at the State Secretariat on Wednesday.
Disclosing the details, Minister for Housing and Information and Public Relations Kolusu Parthasarthy told mediapersons that the Cabinet resolved to abolish the reverse tendering method and call for tenders through the old system.
The Chief Minister told the Council of Ministers that the tendering system should be implemented as per guidelines issued by the Central Vigilance Commission, the Minister said. He alleged that the previous regime brought the reverse tendering process only to benefit certain contractors.
Further, Parthasarthy announced that approval was given for the restoration of Polavaram Left Main Canal works and reconstitution of the Excise Department.
He explained that the Cabinet decided to revive the Polavaram Left Bank Canal works and resolved to continue the existing contractor to execute these works.
A decision to sanction 269 supernumerary posts and appoint them as ward and welfare development secretaries in the Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department was also taken.
Make people partners in formulating Viksit AP Vision: Naidu
A proposal to hold elections to irrigation farmers unions was also approved.
The Cabinet also approved renaming of the Krishnapatnam Industrial City Development Limited as AP Industrial Corridors Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited. Names of Orvakallu and Kopparthy Nodes were also changed.
Further, the Minister announced that the Cabinet has decided to remove names, photos of former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and logos of political outfits from the pattadar passbooks and issue 21.86 lakh fresh passbooks with the official emblem. Jagan’s photos from 77 lakh survey stones will also be removed. It was decided that registration of lands that are under various disputes will not be allowed.
The Cabinet unanimously decided to amend the sand policy so that the people can easily purchase sand through a digital system. Naidu told his Cabinet colleagues to make the people as partners in formulating the Viksit AP Vision document.
Further, the government adopted the e-Cabinet on the lines of paperless Cabinet meet organised between 2014 and 2019. Parthasarathy said Wednesday’s Cabinet meet was held with the technology provided by the National Informatics Centre in New Delhi.
All the subjects, including the agenda and Cabinet notes, are available online, the Minister said. He opined that the concept of e-Cabinet will help improve the operational efficiency.
He added that the entire system will help Ministers oversee the implementation of Cabinet decisions more effectively as information related to the subjects can easily be accessed online from anywhere at anytime. Parthasarthy felt that the system will ensure comprehensive data analysis and also prevent unauthorised access to confidential information.
The features also include interlinking of virtual Cabinet meetings with the e-office and using Artificial Intelligence (AI), he said.
He highlighted that the Chief Minister appreciated the use of e-cabinet and directed all Ministers to make use of the latest technology.
Cabinet decisions
2,774 new ration shops to be set up in the State; Rs 11.51 crore to be released for e-POS machines at these shops
Salaries of PAs to be hiked to Rs 36,000 from Rs 18,000 & to Rs 50,000 for PSs
Every Minister allowed to have 4 employees in Peshi: a PRO, a Vision Maintenance Officer and two Social Media Managers. Appointments should be completed in 3 weeks