AP Cabinet approves implementation of 11th PRC

Amaravati: The Andhra Pradesh Cabinet on Friday approved the implementation of the 11th Pay Revision Commission (PRC) pay-scale despite protests from employees' unions.

The Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy was held at the Velagapudi Secretariat to discuss several key issues, including the extension of the retirement age from 60 to 62 years.

In view of the third wave of COVID-19, the Cabinet approved the appointment of doctors and medical staff on a contract basis. As COVID-19 cases surged to 12,000 in the state, the Cabinet discussed ways to take measures to control the spread of the virus. It approved providing jobs in village/ward secretariats under compassionate grounds to families who lost their heads (frontline and health workers) due to COVID-19. The appointment letters will be given by June 2022.

The Cabinet sanctioned Rs. 589 crore for EBC Nestham, a scheme for the economic uplift of poor women belonging to upper castes in the state, The scheme which will be launched from 25 January will provide Rs. 15,000 every year to eligible women between the age of 45-60 years.

Also, Rs. 7,880 crore was sanctioned for the construction of 16 government medical colleges in the state and Rs. 3,820 crore was sanctioned for the development and renovation of government colleges.

The Cabinet also gave its nod to the AP state civil supplies corporation to get a loan of Rs. 5,000 crore for procuring paddy from farmers.

Under Jagannath Smart Townships, the Cabinet approved reserving 10% of the land for government employees with a 20% rebate and 5% land allocation to pensioners.

A total of eight additional directors of medical education posts have been sanctioned under National Medical Commission. Also, 87 posts are sanctioned for 26 dispensaries under Ayush.

The Cabinet gave five acres of land to badminton player Kidambi Srikanth for the construction of a sports academy in Tirupati. Meanwhile, about 50 acres of land has been approved for the construction of the regional agriculture station in Anakapalli.

The Cabinet also approved running Indigo flight services from Kadapa and Kurnool. These flights will run four days a week from Kadapa to Vijayawada, Kadapa to Chennai, and Kurnool to Vijayawada. The flight operations will start from 27 March.