AP Cabinet sanctions 1,480 cr extra funds for Housing

Amaravati: The state Cabinet on Friday sanctioned Rs 1,480 crore for the Housing department in addition to the Budget allocations to allow the department construct houses for 5,66,466 beneficiaries. 

As the State government faced problems in spending money on material component under MGNREGA for construction of these houses, the Cabinet took this decision to ease the construction activity.

The Cabinet also exempted the stamp duty for the houses being constructed under PMAY NTR Urban Housing Scheme by the AP TIDCO (Township and Infrastructure Development Corporation).

At the same time, the Cabinet also accepted the proposal for giving additional benefits to the journalists in housing scheme. Under this provision, the I and PR department will give Rs 1 lakh in rural areas and Rs 1.5 lakh in urban areas for the journalists as additional amount under the existing housing schemes.

The Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority (VUDA) would be allowed to acquire land, including 899 acres at Gajuwaka, 150 acres at Kommadi and Paradesipalem for World Class Smart City project.

IREP (Integrated Renewable Energy Project) will be established at Pinnapuram near Panyam in Kurnool district at an estimated cost of Rs 15,000 crore on an extent of 4,767 acres of land by GreenCo Energies Private Limited.  

IT Policy 2014-20 amended: The AP IT Policy 2014-20 has been amended and renamed as AP IT Policy 2018-20. Under the new amendment, it put a target of Rs 6,500 crore worth IT services from the State in the GSDP and to generate at least 1 lakh employment within a year.

The Cabinet gave its nod to Dr Abdul Haq Urdu University to recruit 35 teaching and 4 non-teaching staff members. It has allotted 40 acres of land to Franklin Templeton at Madhuravada in Visakhapatnam district. Eluru will be developed as smart city at an estimated cost of Rs 1,300 crore.

The Cabinet condemned the Central government for not purchasing the agriculture produce at the prescribed MSPs. The Ministers alleged that the Centre was only announcing the MSP but not implementing it and not even purchasing produce from farmers.