Pension increase to smart TV rooms: Andhra govt loosens purse strings to push welfare schemes

Amaravati: Come January 1, the old age pension will be enhanced to Rs 2,750 from Rs 2,500 In Andhra Pradesh.

The decision in this regard was taken in a cabinet meeting which was chaired by Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Tuesday. The YSRCP ruling government was committed to taking the old age pension amount up to Rs 3,000 as part of the election manifesto.

To this extent, the government has increased the old pension amount in two installments to Rs 2,250 and Rs 2,500. With the pension amount enhanced to Rs 2,750, about 62.31 lakh pensioners will be benefited and the government will spend additional Rs 130.44 crore per month and Rs 1,720 crore per annum.

Currently, there are over 62.31 lakh pensioners in the state. The number will increase to 64.74 lakh after the inclusion of 2.43 lakh new pensioners in December. With this, the monthly expenditure for pensions will be Rs 1,786 crore. The other key decisions are the installation of state-of-the-art teaching aids in the schools where the works have been completed under the Nadu-Nedu phase-I.

Interactive Plot Panels (IFP) in every classroom of High Schools, Smart TV rooms in Foundation and Foundation Plus schools

Around Rs, 300 crore will be spent for setting up IFPs in 30,230 classrooms in about 15,694 schools from class VII to X, and the installation of 10,000 smart TVs in every school for class I to X for Rs 50 crore. The government will formally launch a program on December 21 to make tabs and e-content available to students of class VIII in government schools round-the-clock.

Around 4.6 lakh students pursuing class VIII and 60,000 faculty will be given the tabs with three years warranty for Rs 668 crore. In addition to this, Byju's content worth Rs 778 crore is also available for free. Other decisions include the approval of the State Investment Promotion Board (SIPB) nod for JSW Steel Limited's proposal to set up a steel plant in Kadapa for Rs 8,800 crore and for pumped hydro storage projects to be set up by Adani Green Energy Limited and Shirdi Sai Electricals.

The cabinet approved the implementation of welfare schemes for all the poor under Navaratnalu who have been left behind earlier due to various reasons. On December 27, 2.51 lakh people will be benefited to the tune of Rs.403 crore. In addition to this, 2.63 lakh pensions, 44,543 rice cards, 14,441 Aarogyasri Cards, 14,531 house titles, and insurance claims worth Rs.65 crores were sanctioned.

The Bapatla UDA will extend over 1301 sq.km. comprising two municipalities and 101 villages, while the Palnadu UDA will cover 7,281 sq.km. which includes 349 villages in 28 mandals of eight municipalities. On the other hand, the cabinet also approved the ratification of the Welfare Calendar implemented in May and June 2022 in the Agriculture, Cooperation, and Fisheries Departments and the irrigation water release schedule implemented earlier in the state for Kharif 2022.

The cabinet approved the formulation of Andhra Pradesh Pumped Storage Power Promotion Policy-2022 to promote pumped storage and hydro projects in the state as part of the utilization of non-conventional energy sources, new Animal Husbandry Polytechnic College to be set up at Santagudipadu in Rompicharla Mandal of Palnadu District, filling up of two radiographers posts in State Institute of Animal Husbandry (Tanuku), Area Veterinary Hospital (Gopalapatnam), Visakhapatnam under Animal Husbandry Department through APCOS in outsourcing mode.

Approvals were also given to amendments in Dr. YSR Free Crop Insurance and Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana Scheme, the Creation of 108 posts including 52 teaching staff and 56 non-teaching staff in the Mekapati Gautam Reddy Agricultural College established in Udayagiri, Nellore district, Changing the name of YSR Pasu Bhima Scheme (Live Stock Insurance Scheme) as part of National Live Stock Mission, increasing the capacity of Community Health Center in Sadum, Chittoor District from 30 to 50 beds and as part of this, 18 additional posts will be filled up.

Filling up the posts of three professors, three assistant professors, four professors, three associate professors, and two assistant professors in the post-graduate department as part of the program to provide the best education in NTR District Vijayawada Government Ayurveda College as per the guidelines of the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine. Approval for the works undertaken under APMSIDC as part of Nadu-Nedu in the Department of Medicine and Health.

As a part of this, approvals were given for newly constructed and already in-use medical colleges, multi-specialty hospitals, super specialty blocks, and cancer care centers. Proposals to set up multi and super-specialty hospitals in the private sector in 16 municipal corporations, sanctioning 40 posts of 20 teaching and non-teaching posts for each ITI along with setting up new departments in Minority Government Industrial Training Institutes at Adoni, Kurnool District, and Rayachoti, Annamaiya District.

Creation of SE posts in Tirupati Urban Development Authority (TUDA) and Visakhapatnam Metro Region Development Authority (VMRDA). Amendments to Andhra Pradesh Right of Children to Pre and Compulsory Education Rules-2010 regarding School Education Department. Inclusion of Rule No. 30 to the Andhra Pradesh Right of Children to Pre and Compulsory Education Rules-2010. Creation of 55 additional posts under various categories in the newly established Andhra Pradesh Judicial Academy.

Amendments to Andhra Pradesh Rights in Land and Pattadar Passbook Act – 1971. Allotment of government land for the establishment of various government offices in the newly established five districts. Allotment of 7.45 acres of land to Vishwamanava Samayyakita Sansad for the construction of a super specialty block (mother and child care) hospital in Nadimipalem village of Prattipadu Mandal of Guntur district. Allotment of the remaining 8.32 acres of land free of charge for the upgradation of the Government Medical College and Government Hospital in Anantapur.

Allotment of 15 acres of land to IOCL on a lease basis for setting up wind turbines in Gandikota, Jammulamadu Mandal, YSR District. Sanctioning of a Chief PRO post for giving publicity to some departments in the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) and once again initiating the milk revolution in the Rayalaseema districts were among the decisions taken by the cabinet.