The Cabinet on Wednesday sanctioned one instalment (24.104%) of Dearness Allowance (DA) to the employees with effect from Jan 1, 2017 (it was 22.008% earlier). It will be paid with the salaries for March and the arrears will be credited to the general provident fund accounts. This entails an annual burden of approximately ₹839 crore.
In its meeting at the Secretariat, the Cabinet gave administrative clearance to the Navayuga Engineering Company Limited for taking up the Polavaram work costing about ₹1,245 crore at the old (2015-16) SSR rates, Information and Public Relations Minister Kalava Srinivasulu told the media.
In another significant decision, The Cabinet cleared the appointment of the Public Health and Medical Engineering Department as the implementing agency for externally–aided projects being funded by the Asian Infrastructure and Investment Bank (AIIB) in 42 towns not covered by the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) at ₹4,189 crore.
The State’s share in it is ₹1,117 crore and the balance is to be borne by the municipalities (₹466 crore) and external agencies (₹2,067 crore).
These infrastructure works are taken up under the A.P. Urban Water Supply and Sewage Management Improvement Project, and the A.P. Urban Finance and Infrastructure Development Corporation is designated as the nodal agency.
The Cabinet approved a draft bill conferring autonomy on the A.P. Economic Development Board and the State Investment Promotion Boards and the State Investment Promotion to ensure smooth going for prospective investors.
Permission was given to the SPI Cinemas Pvt. Ltd. for the construction of family entertainment centres in Visakhapatnam and Tirupati at ₹50 crore. It will be allotted 2.7 acres and 3.72 acres.
