VIJAYAWADA: The State Cabinet meeting held under the leadership of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu at the State Secretariat on Thursday gave its nod for the establishment of the Logistics Infrastructure Holding Corporation.
Disclosing the decisions taken at the meeting, Minister for Information and Public Relations Kolusu Parthasarathy said that in view of rising logistics costs, the Cabinet decided to set up the AP Logistics Infrastructure Corporation.
The move aims to reduce charges by bringing all logistics-related works under one umbrella and cutting expenditure through the development of roads, inland waterways and sea transport via the AP Maritime Board.
In a boost to the port sector, the Cabinet approved the renaming of the captive port at DL Puram in Anakapalli district as M/s AMNS Ports Rajayyapeta Private Limited, an SPV of ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel.
The Cabinet also approved the AP Cluster Development Programme (AP-CDP) with an outlay of Rs 200 crore to revitalise the MSME sector. The Minister said the initiative would provide institutional support for industrial growth and large-scale employment generation.
The AP-CDP scheme targets the creation of 45 Common Facility Centres (CFCs) in MSME parks over the next five years, providing direct employment to 7,500 people. With the “One Family–One Entrepreneur” vision, the scheme will prioritise rural areas and units led by women, SC and ST entrepreneurs.
SIPB-recommended land allotments cleared
The Cabinet approved major land allotments recommended by the State Investment Promotion Board (SIPB).
The Council of Ministers also approved the withdrawal of the Additional Retail Excise Tax on bars. This decision will result in liquor being supplied to wine shops and bars at the same price.
The Cabinet approved a government guarantee for the AP Jal Jeevan Water Supply Corporation (APJJWSC) to avail Rs 5,000 crore from the National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development for implementing JJM works in the State.
Administrative sanction was accorded for Rs 944.53 crore for the procurement and supply of student kits for Classes I to X in government schools.
The Cabinet also gave administrative sanction for Rs 165.33 crore for the construction of the AP Judicial Academy, including internal electrical and plumbing works, infrastructure facilities and internal roads, at Pichikalapalem village in Amaravati.
It gave the green signal to avail a Rs 1,500 crore loan from AP State Financial Corporation Limited to AP Scheduled Co-operative Finance Corporation Limited to meet future expenses. The Cabinet cleared the proposal to establish a new government degree college at Kotabommali in the Tekkali Assembly constituency.
Focus on inland & coastal water transport: CM
The Chief Minister reviewed recent developments with Ministers and directed them to prepare a concrete action plan to promote inland and coastal water transport. He said AP should aim to compete at the global level in use of logistics.
“All coastal districts should have at least one port. The government is bearing the burden of the true-up charges imposed during the Jagan regime so that the load does not fall on people. The government is paying Rs 4,490 crore towards true-up charges. We have reduced power tariff per unit from Rs 5.19 to Rs 4.9,” he said.
The story is reported by S Viswanath of The New Indian Express
