VIJAYAWADA: The State Cabinet meeting, held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu at the State Secretariat on Thursday, approved passing a resolution in the AP Legislative Assembly requesting the Centre to amend Section 5 of the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014, to provide legal sanctity to Amaravati as the capital city of Andhra Pradesh. The resolution will be introduced in the Assembly on March 28 and will be sent to the Union Government after its passage. It is proposed to include the name Amaravati in sub-section (2) of Section 5.
The resolution will also clarify that Amaravati refers to the capital city area notified under the AP Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA) Act, which will remain part of Amaravati.
The Cabinet also gave nod to SRM University in Neerukonda to construct academic buildings up to 60 metres in height, adhering to safety measures prescribed under the AP Fire Services Act.
Disclosing the details to mediapersons, Information and Public Relations Minister Kolusu Parthasarathy said the Cabinet approved establishment of 96 new courts as proposed by the AP High Court and creation of 1,730 posts.
As per Supreme Court directions, there should be 50 judges for every 10 lakh population to ensure no case remains pending for more than five years. As per the 2011 Census, the State requires about 2,500 courts. Going by the present caseload, at least 1,420 to 1,500 courts are needed. As pending cases have crossed 8.9 lakh, the Cabinet gave nod for 96 new courts in the first phase.
It was also decided to allot 15% of quarry leases to Vaddera societies along with providing 50% concession on premium and seigniorage.
The Cabinet cleared a proposal to extend subsidy to customers using Piped Natural Gas (PNG) in their houses.
The intention of the government is to encourage people to use PNG. The subsidy was so far being given to beneficiaries using LPG connections under the Deepam-2 scheme. Henceforth, the subsidy will also be extended to those having PNG connections.
To address rising concerns over student suicides and academic stress, the Cabinet gave nod to issue “The Andhra Pradesh Coaching Institutions (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2026” draft notification, which mandates registration of all coaching centres. The government intends to ensure that students avail quality education, infrastructure and security standards in coaching centres. District-level monitoring committees will be constituted to ensure compliance with guidelines.
The Cabinet cleared allotment of government land in Nandyal and Kadapa districts for wind and solar power projects. In a significant policy shift, NREDCAP was designated as the nodal agency for Renewable Energy Manufacturing Zones (REMZ), replacing APSPCL, to streamline coordination with central agencies. A major relief was also provided for the capital’s construction, with administrative overhead charges for power line shifting reduced from 15% to 2.5% for Amaravati works, bringing them on par with NHAI projects.
Besides waiving 50% interest on property tax dues in municipalities and municipal corporations, the Cabinet also gave nod to sanction required posts for a BC Residential School for Girls at Kuppam.