The Andhra Pradesh Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu, on Wednesday approved a series of significant decisions aimed at accelerating the state’s development and transforming it into an investment-friendly destination. In a single sitting, the Cabinet gave the green light to investments totalling ₹22,171.84 crore that are projected to generate about 19,739 direct employment opportunities for the youth.
Minister Kolusu Parthasarathy briefed the media after the meeting and outlined the key resolutions.
Major Boost to Industry
The most notable decision was the approval for Goa Shipyard Limited, a leading defence public sector undertaking, to establish a shipbuilding unit at Machilipatnam in Krishna district with an investment of ₹8,000 crore. The state government has allocated 400 acres of land and 1.7 kilometres of coastline for the project. The company, which already holds orders worth ₹30,000 crore, is ready to begin work soon. Officials said the combination of port infrastructure and ship manufacturing facilities would significantly transform Krishna district’s industrial profile. Minister Parthasarathy thanked Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, Nara Lokesh and Pawan Kalyan for their efforts in securing the project.
Electronics major Dixon Technologies, which had signed an MoU under the previous government but later withdrew, has returned with confidence in the coalition administration. The Cabinet also decided to provide necessary facilities for establishing a “Quantum Valley” to develop Andhra Pradesh as a hub for quantum computing.
Strengthening Law and Order
To enhance security and tackle changing patterns of crime, the Cabinet approved the creation of four new police commissionerates with headquarters at Tirupati, Guntur, Kurnool and Rajahmundry. Officers of IG/DIG rank will serve as commissioners. In addition, dedicated cyber and social media crime units of 20 personnel each will be set up in every district.
Relief for Employees and Pensioners
Government employees and pensioners received welcome news with the Cabinet ratifying two instalments of Dearness Allowance — 2.73 per cent effective from 1 July 2024 and 1.82 per cent from 1 January 2025.
Amaravati Capital Region Development
Administrative sanction of ₹661 crore was granted for constructing a world-class Legislative Assembly building in Amaravati that would make Telugu people proud. Another ₹1,543.98 crore was allocated for basic infrastructure in the village panchayats of the capital region. In a major relief to small farmers, those who contributed less than one acre under the land pooling scheme will now receive the full per-acre annual annuity.
Other Important Decisions
Liquor shop licences will be renewed with strict action against MRP violations. A first offence will attract a fine of ₹10 lakh, while a second violation will lead to cancellation of the licence.
The government will provide loans to resolve issues of closed cooperative sugar factories (including those at Chodavaram and Govada) and clear dues to farmers and workers.
A Social Media Influencers Policy was approved to widely publicise government schemes, with remuneration linked to the number of followers.
The retirement age of judicial officers will be raised from 61 to 62 years through an ordinance.
APIIC was permitted to utilise a ₹2,500 crore term loan for land acquisition under Sagarmala projects. Free land was allotted to DRDA in Vizianagaram for a millets processing unit.
Special service rules will be framed to provide promotion opportunities for various categories of ward secretariat employees.
During the media briefing, Minister Parthasarathy strongly criticised the previous YSRCP government and former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy. He alleged that while Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, Pawan Kalyan and Nara Lokesh were working hard to elevate the state to international standards, the former CM was attempting to create unrest and scare away investors. He claimed such political behaviour was unprecedented in any other state and asserted that the coalition government would take Andhra Pradesh to the highest levels despite any conspiracies.
Through these decisions, the TDP-Jana Sena-BJP coalition government has clearly signalled its dual commitment to large-scale industrial development on one hand and the welfare of employees, farmers and the public, along with administrative reforms, on the other.
Andhra Pradesh Cabinet Clears ₹22,171 Crore Investments, Approves Goa Shipyard Unit in Machilipatnam
