Cabinet finalises Budget session, Metro takeover
Budget session of Assembly will begin on March 16
Hyderabad: The state Cabinet has on Monday finalised the schedule for the Budget session of the Assembly. As per the schedule, the two-week-long session will start on March 16 with the Governor’s address on the first day. The Budget presentation is scheduled for March 20. This date may change if Ramzan festival falls on that day.
The Cabinet, at a meeting held at Dr BR Ambedkar Telangana State Secretariat on Monday, also approved a proposal for takeover of the Hyderabad Metro Rail before the end of the current financial year on March 31.
After the L&T company expressed its intent to exit the venture citing accumulated losses and financial hurdles in running the Metro Rail, the Cabinet decided to take complete control of the elevated rapid transport system. According to the latest agreement, the state government will bear the company’s debt of Rs 13,000 crore. The government will also pay Rs 2,000 crore to L&T towards its equity investment.
The government hastened the official process to take over the Metro Rail by March 31 this year so as to be in a position to get funds from the Centre for the second phase of the Metro Rail project in the new financial year.
The Cabinet also discussed the arrangements being made by the government to undertake the Census 2027. Arrangements have been made to start the first phase of the house listing operation from May 11 and continue till June 9.
As many as 34 question patterns prescribed by the Centre for house listing would be used. A total of 89,000 employees, including enumerators and nodal officers, will be involved in the census process in the state. The second phase of the census will be conducted in February 2027. Briefing the press after the Cabinet meeting, state I&PR Minister P Srinivas Reddy said that the government will introduce a new insurance policy for employees.
If any official during their service dies of natural death, Rs 10 lakh additional apart from the regular benefits would be given. Cashless employees’ health scheme would also be introduced covering 3.56 lakh regular employees, 2.88 lakh pensioners and their families. As many as 652 empanelled private hospitals will provide treatment for 1998 diseases through digital health employee cards. For this scheme, the government and employees will make an equal contribution to the trust which will be established with Rs 1,000 crore.
Cabinet also decided to allocate land to Congress in all district headquarters for the construction of its offices. It also allotted 70 acres of land for JNTU college in Gummadur village in Mahabubabad district. The Cabinet also allocated 20 acres to Tirumula Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) in Khammam.
It also allotted land for a hi-tech fruit market and new 21 integrated international schools. Further, the Cabinet allotted 120 acres as compensation for acquiring 42 acres of defence land for road widening. The green energy policy up to 300 MW power generation was also approved.
The Cabinet also discussed ZPTC and MPTC polls. The government has no plans to scrap these elections as of now, it is said.
