Cabinet nod for municipal elections in Feb 2nd week

Hyderabad: The Telangana Cabinet, which met for the first time outside Hyderabad in Medaram and chaired by Chief Minister Anumula Revanth Reddy on Sunday, gave green signal for the conduct of elections for urban local bodies in the second week of February. It also decided to set up a one-person commission for the re-organisation of districts. A retired judge will be roped in for the commission.

The Cabinet meeting which was held at Haritha hotel in Medaram and attended by all ministers discussed 18 issues including the master plan for the development of Medaram area. The Cabinet approved the master plan. It also gave approval for the construction of permanent structures for organizing Godavari Puskharalu. Speaking to the media after the meeting, I&PR Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy said that the Cabinet decided to conduct municipal elections before February 15 for 116 municipalities and 7 corporations. As many as 2,996 divisions will go for the polls, he added. According to him, the polls will be held before February 15 as Maha Shivaratri falls on February 15 while Ramzan will be celebrated on February 16. The Cabinet also discussed the takeover of Hyderabad Metro from L&T.

The issue will also be discussed in the next Cabinet meeting. The Cabinet gave approval for the allocation of Rs 2,787 crore for the land acquisition for Phase-2A and Phase-2B expansion of Hyderabad Metro. Approval was also given for the flyover from ICCC to Shilpa Layout in Hyderabad.

The Cabinet meeting decided to bring Godavari waters to meet the needs of irrigation in Mulugu district, which is 100 kilometers away from Godavari River, with Rs.143 crore through Potlapur Lift Irrigation Scheme. Earlier, speaking at a public meeting held in front of Medaram entry gate, the Chief Minister announced that Bhadrachalam will be developed on par with Ayodhya temple. The state government will conduct the world's biggest biennial tribal festival -Medaram Jatara on the lines of Kumbh