AP Cabinet Meeting Highlights: New Tourism Policy, Input Subsidy For Crop Damage Approved

AMARAVATI: The State Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, has approved the  new tourism policy, given the nod for paying input subsidy in one month of crop damage and to amend the State Survey and Boundary Act among other issues.

  Briefing the media here on Friday after the cabinet meeting, Information &Public Relations Minister Perni Venkatramaiah said that incentives will be provided to the projects investing in the State. Tourism projects with over Rs 400 crore would be called Mega Tourism projects. The incentives include, 100 percent subsidy in SGST, 100 percent reimbursement of Stamp Duty, electricity at Rs 2 per unit and 100 percent waiving of land use conversion charges and the like. The cabinet also approved to increase the land lease period from 33 years to 99 years for mega projects in the tourism industry. 

-The Cabinet has approved a Rs 198.50 Crore relief and restart package for Hotels, Function Halls and Restaurants which are in crisis due to outbreak of the pandemic. Through this package, loans from Rs 50,000 to Rs 50, 00,000 would be provided to each unit and a moratorium of 6 months is provided and 4.5% of interest subsidy for the first year would be provided by the government. 

-The Minister said the cabinet has approved to conduct comprehensive land resurvey from December 21, 2020. The Cabinet has made five amendments to Andhra Pradesh Survey and Boundary Act 1923 as per the needs of the resurvey to be conducted. Maps would be designed for every land based on sub division and the boundary of the land would be tagged with GPS coordinates, he said.

-The Minister said the cabinet has approved a restart package to the Film industry. Theaters closed in March are yet to reopen. The government has decided to waive fixed power charges of theaters for three months (April, May, and June), and the payment for six months is postponed for multiplex and other theaters and it would benefit 1,100 theaters across the state. Through this package, theaters can avail working capital loans. Rs 10 lakh loan for A and B Class centre theatres and Rs 5 lakh for C class theatres with a moratorium of six months and interest subsidy of 4.5 percent would be borne by the Government which would cost Rs 4.18 crores. 

-The Cabinet also approved the implementation of the third phase of Rythu Bharosa scheme benefitting around 50.47 lakh farmers. The Chief Minister would release 1,009 crore as the third installment Rs 2,000 to each.  The Minister said that the Chief Minister will release input subsidies for the farmers who suffered crop damages due to Nivar Cyclone form November 24-28 on December 29. The State Government has enumerated that 8,06,504 farmers suffered losses in 13,01,000 acres  of which 12,38,000 acre is Paddy crop and 70,000 acre is of horticulture crop and 718 crore of the input subsidy will be released on December 29. The input subsidy due to natural calamities is being provided within one month, he said. 

-The Minister said the cabinet has approved for Sanction of 147 lab technician posts and 147 posts of lab attendant on contract basis in the constituency level animal disease diagnostic laboratories in the state to provide better facilities to farmers.  The cabinet also approved to set up Andhra Pradesh Institute of Rural Management (AP IRM) at Pulivendula with a budget of Rs83.59 crore to empower rural women and youth by providing training and certification courses. 

-He said the cabinet has approved for the establishment of the Andhra Pradesh Medical Education and Research Corporation (APMERC) through which Rs 16,000 crore would be arranged for strengthening of existing 11 medical colleges and construction of 16 new medical colleges across the state. 

-The cabinet has accorded permission to give 41.19 acre land in Chennaiahgunta in Tirupati –urban mandal for establishing Survey Training Institute. The Cabinet has approved to hand over of 410.30 acer of land in Chinapavani village, Lingasamudram mandal, Prakasam district to Acharya N.G Ranga University, for establishment of Agricultural Research station for research on pulses and millets, the Minster said. 

-The Cabinet has approved to provide compensation to people who gave land for the Industrial park of APIIC at Vikruthamala village in Yerpedu Mandal in Chittoor district. The Cabinet approved for transfer of 11.83 acre land of Sunkesula village, in Owk mandal to Forest Department in advance position. 

-The cabinet has accorded permission to borrow a loan amount of Rs 1931 crore for Chintalapudi lift irrigation scheme from NABARD. The Cabinet approved for Development of Micro Irrigation Projects under Pulivendula Branch Canal, CBR right canal (Lingala Canal) Phase 2. The Cabinet has approved the implementation of “Rejuvenating Watersheds for Agriculture Resilience through innovative development (REWARD) program in six districts. 

-The Cabinet has ratified the appointment of Jasti Naga Bhushan as Additional advocate General of the State