Telangana Cabinet to convene at Medaram on Jan 18, first meeting outside Hyderabad

Hyderabad: To bridge grassroots governance with state policy, the Telangana State Cabinet is set to convene at Medaram on January 18.

This is the first time in the history of the state that a formal Cabinet meeting will be held outside Hyderabad.

The meeting will be held at 5 pm at Haritha Hotel, Medaram, Mulugu District, on Sunday.

Aiming to decentralise power

The meeting is being viewed as a step towards decentralisation of power from urban Hyderabad to a remote tribal forested region.

Ahead of the meeting, Cabinet ministers, senior government officials, police and other government departments will camp in Medaram for the weekend.

The meeting is timed just 10 days before the Sammakka-Sarakka (Saralamma) Maha Jatara, Asia’s largest tribal congregation, which is expected to draw nearly 30 million devotees between January 28 and 31.

A symbolic shift

The step to move the seat of power from the Secretariat to a tribal area is to ensure inclusivity, said Chief Minister Revanth Reddy. By choosing this venue, the administration aims to honour the ‘Jal, Jangal, Jameen’ (water, forest and land) philosophy that defines the region’s identity.

Monitoring a Rs 251 crore infrastructure overhaul

A primary objective of this off-site Cabinet session is a direct inspection of the massive development works currently underway. The state has sanctioned Rs 251 crore for permanent infrastructure at the site, which includes:

1. Temple platforms (gaddelu): A Rs 101 crore renovation to expand and strengthen the sacred platforms.

2. Public utilities: Ensuring the readiness of sanitation, water and transport facilities for the record-breaking turnout expected later this month.

3. National festival status: The Cabinet is expected to pass a resolution strengthening its long-standing demand for the Union Government to grant ‘National Festival Status’ to the Medaram Jatara, according to sources.

High-stakes agenda items

Beyond local preparations, the Cabinet will deliberate on several critical state-wide issues, such as:

- Water security: Discussions on the Polavaram-Nallamala Sagar project and strategies for river water disputes with Andhra Pradesh following recent judicial developments.

- Reservations and welfare: Approval of BC (Backward Classes) reservations for urban local bodies and finalising budgetary allocations for the final quarter of the 2025-2026 financial year.

- Economic outreach: As the Chief Minister is scheduled to depart for the World Economic Forum in Davos immediately after the Cabinet meeting, it is being said that this meeting will serve as a bridge between local tribal welfare and global economic investment.

Medaram – Temporary administrative capital of Telangana

Government sources indicate that this move is also intended to project Telangana as a stable and culturally rich destination for eco-tourism.

By conducting official business in the heart of the forest, the leadership intends to demonstrate robust law and order and the state’s potential for decentralised development.