VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, convened its 25th e-Cabinet meeting at the State Secretariat on Wednesday, marking a year of paperless governance.
In a landmark decision, the Cabinet approved the release of 17 life-term convicts based on their good conduct, alongside a series of transformative reforms for state jails and ambitious development projects.
Briefing the mediapersons on the cabinet decisions, Minister for Information, Public Relations, and Housing Kolusu Parthasarathi lauded the visionary leadership of Naidu, Deputy Chief Minister K Pawan Kalyan, and IT Minister Nara Lokesh.
Rs 575.75L for RO plants to provide safe water to Uddanam habitations
He said in compliance with Supreme Court directives (SLP Criminal No. 529/2021), the Cabinet granted special remission to 17 life-sentenced convicts by February 1, 2025, for those who have served 14 years for capital offenses or 7 years for life imprisonment crimes.
Released convicts will report to probation officers quarterly, with remission revocable for subsequent offenses, signalling a focus on rehabilitation and reintegration.
The minister said the Cabinet also allocated Rs 575.75 lakh for RO plants to provide safe drinking water to 2.42 lakh people across 341 habitations in Srikakulam’s Uddanam and tribal areas, covering seven mandals, including Palasa and Ichchapuram. Additionally, Rs 822.86 lakh was approved for 15 water treatment plants in Kuppam, Chittoor, benefiting 2.85 lakh people in 533 habitations.
“For various reasons, including negligence on the part of the previous YSRCP government, the schemes witnessed losses, and to address the same, the Cabinet approved a one-time Viability Gap funding,” he explained.
According to him, the Home Department’s proposal to promote 248 constables to head constables in the Andhra Pradesh Special Police Force and reduce constable posts by the same number was approved, enhancing law enforcement efficiency.
“The cabinet also ratified the GO issued on May 26, renaming of YSR District to YSR Kadapa District. The Cabinet also approved the free transfer of 94.48 cents of government land in Eluru’s Agiripalli mandal for the Andhra Pradesh Police Academy, subject to local authority clearance.
The minister said the Cabinet approved the Andhra Pradesh State Quantum Mission, establishing a Quantum Valley in Amaravati with IIT Madras, TCS, and IBM.
With 50 acres allocated and IBM deploying its 156-qubit Quantum System 2, the initiative aims to lead in quantum computing, AI, and cybersecurity. A Quantum Summit is slated for June 2025.
The other decisions of the cabinet include a waiver of stamp duty and registration fees for transferring 10.88 acres in Pedavegi, Eluru, donated by retired IAS officer K Damayanthi for the Hyderabad Eye Institute, which was approved, saving ` 10.54 lakh.
Amendments to the Factories Act, 1948, via the Andhra Pradesh Factories Amendment Bill, 2025, were approved to facilitate women working night shifts with enhanced safety and transport provisions.
Similar amendments to the AP Shops and Establishments Act, 1988, aim to reduce compliance burdens for businesses. Revised administrative approvals for modernising Haritha Hotel Yatrinivas in Visakhapatnam were ratified to enhance tourism infrastructure.
Preparations for a record-breaking International Yoga Day on June 21, 2025, in Visakhapatnam, themed “Yoga for One Earth, One Health,” were approved.