Andhra Cabinet clears Rs 904 cr Amaravati infra push, 1,200 acres for solar project

Amaravati, Aug 21 (PTI) The Andhra Pradesh cabinet headed by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday approved a Rs 904 crore infrastructure development programme in Amaravati villages and the proposal to allot 1,200 acres of government land at Mylavaram to set up a solar power project, among others, Information and Public Relations Minister K Parthasarathy said.

Addressing a press conference at the Secretariat, the minister said the cabinet approved administrative sanction for the Rs 904 crore “Development Infrastructure Facilities Programme” in about 29 Amaravati villages.

“The state cabinet approved the proposal to invite zone-wise tenders under EPC (engineering procurement construction) mode with seven years of operation and maintenance for infrastructure development in Land Pooling System (LPS) zones in village panchayats of Amaravati capital city,” he said.

The programme falls under the Critical Infrastructure and Investment Plan (CIIP) of the greenfield capital city.

The cabinet also approved the allotment of 1,200 acres of government land in Vaddirala and Dhodium villages of Mylavaram mandal to Andhra Pradesh Solar Power Corporation Private Limited through Adani Solar Energy AP Eight Pvt Ltd for establishing a 250 MW solar power project on a 33-year lease basis.

Likewise, the cabinet approved the Andhra Pradesh Circular Economy and Waste Recycling Policy (4.0) 2025–30, which aims to address the challenge of mounting waste from various sources and convert it into wealth, Parthasarathy said.

The cabinet cleared additions to the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Land Allotment Policy 2024–29. These include eligibility criteria for land allotment, land bank notifications, procedures for allocating notified lands for tourism projects, evaluation of proposals and detailed project reports, and timelines for project implementation.

Applicants must have a minimum 50 per cent net worth of the estimated project cost, parent companies must hold at least 76 per cent shareholding, and consortia should be limited to a maximum of three members, among other conditions.

The cabinet approved the lease of 2,954 square yards of municipal land in Guntur to the Telugu Desam Party office for 33 years from July 30, 2017, at Rs 1,000 per acre rent. The lease can be extended up to 99 years, he said.

The cabinet authorised the chairperson and managing director of Amaravati Development Corporation Ltd (ADCL), Vijayawada, to implement the decision to award works to L1 bidders.

The works include a clear water pump house, water distribution centres, an Artificial Intelligence-based comprehensive water management system and others. This approval will help accelerate Amaravati construction and provide rapid infrastructure, the minister said.

The cabinet also approved the transfer of the education portfolio from the ward education and data processing secretary to the ward welfare and development secretary.

Further, it cleared the proposal for basic price fixation through the Tender Committee for assessed values of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL), beer, ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages, wine and foreign liquor brands.

Significant disparities were identified in basic price approvals, which could lead to revenue loss and undermine price integrity, Parthasarathy said. Price variations hindered revenue collection, encouraged unfair market practices and damaged supply chain efficiency, he added.

A sub-committee recommended a new price stabilisation exercise for IMFL, beer, wine and RTDs, aligned with neighbouring states. The tender committee was reconstituted, e-procurement notifications were issued, and offers from suppliers were reviewed before revised basic prices were recommended to ensure that maximum retail prices are equal to or lower than those in neighbouring states, he said.

The cabinet also approved placing before the State Legislature a resolution to rescind the Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act, 1993, as prescribed under Clause (2) of Article 252 of the Constitution.

The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, will continue to be in force to eliminate manual cleaning of human excreta and provide rehabilitation measures for persons engaged in such practices. The objective is to convert unsanitary toilets into sanitary ones, Parthasarathy said.

Moreover, the cabinet approved the proposal to introduce a bill in the Assembly to provide employment as deputy collector under the sports quota to international tennis player Sri Saketh Sai Myneni, among others, he added. PTI STH SSK