The Andhra Pradesh government today held a state cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, at the Secretariat in Amaravati.
At the meeting, the CM and his colleagues took several critical decisions, including many regarding the government's welfare programs.
The move most likely to cause the biggest splash however was the government's decision to roll out a scheme for Economically Backward Class (EBC) women from various high castes. This new scheme, the EBC Nestham (Friend of EBCs), will reportedly have an annual budget of Rs 670 crore.
"The beneficiaries, EBC women between the ages of 45 and 60, will receive financial assistance of Rs 15,000 per year under the program, for the next three years. They will therefore get a total of Rs 45,000 over the three-year period," Information and Public Relations Minister Perni Nani told the media.
Apart from this, the ongoing
workers' agitation against the Centre's decision to privatise the state's historic Visakhapatnam Steel Plant was also discussed in great detail. The AP cabinet has reportedly decided to pass a resolution opposing the privatisation during the Assembly's upcoming Budget session.
(The CM had already made clear his stand on the issue, and had asserted that he would
fight the Centre's bid to privatise the plant.)
Further, a compensation package for the farmers whose lands were acquired for the Kakinada Special Economic Zone project in East Godavari district was also approved, as was the move to select a joint venture partner for the construction of the YSR Steel Plant in the state's Kadapa district.
The cabinet also finalised the calendar for the implementation of nine welfare schemes under its Navaratnalu (nine jewels) program.