Andhra Cabinet approves ₹700 cr for additional paddy procurement, protection wall on Krishna river
By PTI
Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh Cabinet headed by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday approved the transfer of ₹700 crore loan to the Civil Supplies Corporation for additional paddy procurement, establishment of 63 more Anna canteens and the construction of a retaining wall on the right side of Krishna river among other decisions, said Information & Public Relations Minister K Parthasarathy.
Addressing a press conference at the Secretariat, the minister said the ₹700 crore transfer is aimed at further paddy procurement during 2024-25 kharif season.
“The state government took up paddy procurement as a prestigious issue. Unlike any other place in the country, Chandrababu Naidu’s government is the only one which disbursed money to farmers for procured paddy within 24 hours and within six to seven hours in some cases,” he said.
According to Parthasarathy, the southern state has already deposited ₹6,200 crore to 4.6 lakh farmers for procuring 29 lakh tonne of paddy.Likewise, the Cabinet approved the establishment of 63 more Anna Canteens, which offer subsidised meals to poor people, in 63 constituencies. Each Anna Canteen will cost ₹61 lakh and the total cost will amount to ₹38 crore.
Parthasarathy noted that a separate society would be established for Anna Canteens with management and advisory committees to enhance their operations and make them self-reliant.
The Cabinet has approved tariff and electricity tax exemptions to Ferro Alloys Producers Association for another six months till March 31, 2025, said the minister, and added that this move will burden the state by ₹300 crore.
Similarly, the Cabinet approved ₹294 crore to build a protective wall on the right bank of the Krishna river in Tadepalli village of Guntur district.The wall will be built from 0.9 km to 2.61 km downstream of the Prakasam Barrage to protect the right bank from flooding, erosion and loss of assets.
The Cabinet has exempted stamp duty and registration fees for transferring 2,596 acres to Andhra Pradesh Industrial Corridors Development Corporation’s Special Purpose Vehicle by Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation at Kopparthi and Tadigotla villages in Kadapa district.
Parthasarathy noted that the Cabinet has approved the proposal to regularise the houses built by poor people on encroached government lands, which raises no objections.
Further, the Cabinet approved the proposal to rationalise ward and village secretariats to offer enhanced real-time governance, among others.
This article has been republished from The Hindustan Times.