Hyderabad, April 23: The State Cabinet gave its nod to the AP Power Finance Corporation to mobilise Rs 2,000 crore through private placement of power bonds.
This would come as another revenue source to the power selling utilities in the state, which have already been given green signal to enhance power tariffs.
With the mobilisation of Rs 2,000 crore the revenue deficit would come down to Rs 5,000 crore.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the state cabinet here today. The Government would stand guarantee to these bonds. The cabinet has also accepted the Tribal Empowerment Policy which will empower the tribes in health, education and economic development.
The draft was released by Chief Minister K Rosaiah in November last year.
As part of the empowerment policy, tribes would be provided irrigation facilities to raise commercial crops, selfhelp groups would be strengthened, new residential schools and hostels would be set up to improve the literacy rate from 37 per cent to 60 per cent in the next five years.
The tribal youth would be given training in establishment of micro industrial clusters through the ITDAs and career guidance would be given to them to improve employment facilities.
About 1,092 villages would be provided road facilities, 818 habitations power connections and 1,475 habitations drinking facilities. In every ITDA, land cells and land libraries would be established to see that tribal lands would not go into the hands of others.
Cases on tribal people would be withdrawn which were booked under various forest Acts, Rs 10,000 crore would be spent on their development so that they could get their 6.6 per cent share being provided in the budget.
Social impact surveys would be taken up to rehabilitate the tribes who were evacuated for the construction of projects.
Steps would be taken to preserve the culture, language of the tribals.
Tribal habitats which have more than 500 population would be declared grama panchayats.
AMENDMENT TO MUNICIPAL ACT: The cabinet has decided to bring an amendment to the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Act and to the AP Municipalities Act to allow those who have given birth to twins after the birth of their first child to contest elections. AP Housing Board Act would also be amended. The cabinet has accepted the proposal of the Health and Medical Education Department’s proposal to fill 2,423 posts of doctors in PHCs, community health centres, district hospitals and tertiary hospitals.
It has also accepted the transfer of doctors from Health Directorate and AP Vaidyavidhana Parishad to Medical Education department. This would enable inter-departmental transfers in these three departments.
The Cabinet gives nod to extend facilities like allownaces, leave eligibility to 681 special secondary grade teachers.
The special SGTs, who have been appointed in 1989, have been working without these facilities and were being paid Rs 398 per month.
A decision was taken to sanction five posts in the irrigation circle of Medak district.
–Agencies