HYDERABAD: The State Cabinet, which will meet at Pragathi Bhavan here at 4 pm on Tuesday, is likely to discuss the construction of the new Secretariat building, the 30-day action plan being implemented in villages, and the ensuing Huzurnagar byelection.As the meeting is being held ahead of Dasara, it is speculated that the Cabinet will take a decision on enhancing the retirement age of state government employees from the present 58 years to 60 or 61 years, and decreasing the age bar of Aasara pension beneficiaries from 60 to 58.
With the shifting of offices from the Secretariat completed, the state Cabinet is expected to examine the designs prepared for the new Secretariat complex. The government has received as many as nine designs so far. Once the final design is picked, the work for demolishing the existing Secretariat buildings and constructing the new Secretariat complex will be given to a contracting agency.
The Cabinet is likely to review the ongoing 30-day action plan in villages and the impact it is having on the people. According to sources, the Cabinet is likely to enhance the retirement age of government employees, which was a poll promise of the TRS. The TRS had said that it would increase the retirement age to 60 or 61. The immediate benefit of this is that the state government would not need to spend on providing terminal benefits to its employees. This would, to some extent, help the government cope with the economic slowdown.
The Cabinet may also decrease the age to be eligible to receive Aasara pension from 60 to 58 years. This would provide Aasara pension to 6 lakh more people, and would require additional funds of around `120 crore every month.
Other topics that may be discussed are the new Revenue Bill, to be introduced in the State Legislature, and the strike notice served by TSRTC employees. Chief Minster K Chandrasekhar Rao is also expected to brief his Cabinet colleagues about his recent one-on-one talk with his Andhra Pradesh counterpart YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on diversion of Godavari water to the Krishna.
30-day action plan, retirement age may be discussed
Besides the Huzurnagar bypoll, the 30-day action plan and hiking of govt employees’ retirement age could be discussed on Tuesday