Suspense continues over early polls

Hyderabad: Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao continued the nail-biting suspense over when he would be dissolving the state Assembly to pave way for early elections, by deferring the decision at the cabinet meeting held at Pragati Bhavan here on Sunday to the next cabinet meeting to be held at the earliest.

The next meeting to be held any day immediately after September 4 is expected to take a call on early polls, announcement of IR (interim relief) under new Pay Revision Commission and sanction of new posts under the new zonal system.

Briefing the media-persons after the cabinet meeting, Deputy Chief Minister K Srihari said that Sunday’s cabinet meeting cleared allotment of 71 acres of land Rs 70 crore for the construction of Atma Gaurava Bhavanalu for all backward communities in Hyderabad.      

The buildings will help the communities to preserve their culture and tradition. Five acres of land in addition to 10 acres already allotted for the Raja Bahadur Venkata Rami Reddy Educational Trust to establish a hostel for Reddy students in the city limits.  

On the request of Archakas, the cabinet cleared a proposal to increase the retirement age from 58 to 65. According to the minister, the decision was taken keeping in view the shortage of archakas in temples in the state. 

The cabinet by another decision cleared a proposal for allotment of Rs 25 crore for payment of compensation to the people of Manuwada which is to be submerged at Mid Manair dam on Godavari river. Each affected family will get Rs 4.25 lakh compensation. 

The honorarium to Gopalamitra workers in Animal husbandry department has been increased to Rs 8,500 from Rs 3,500, he added. State Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao said salaries of second ANMs working in state Health department and pharmacists, lab technicians,  nurses and outsourcing workers under the National Urban Health Mission has been increased to Rs 21,000 from Rs 11,000 benefitting nearly 9,000 workers.  

The Asha workers’ salary has been hiked to Rs 7,500 from Rs 6,000 and the contract doctors salary will be increased to  Rs 40,000 from Rs 36,000 from next month, he said.

Next cabinet meet on Sept 5?
Hyderabad: Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao is likely to hold cabinet meeting on September 5 or 6. State GAD (General Administration Department, Political) instructed all the departments to send pending proposals with regard to development and welfare programmes.