Dole dose doubled for jobless

Amaravati: The Andhra Pradesh cabinet on Thursday decided to double the unemployment dole from the present Rs 1000 to Rs 2000. The marathon cabinet meeting decided that it should expedite all welfare programmes like mass house warming ceremony to four lakh poor in the state on February 9.

The cabinet also approved the proposals for 5 per cent reservations to the Kapu community as announced by Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu recently. It will bring in a bill during the ongoing session and after passing it, the government will send the bill to the Centre.

It will also introduce and pass a bill on BC sub-plan and the dotted lands issue since the Governor had returned the ordinance it had issued recently. The cabinet also discussed on the modalities to be framed for providing financial incentives to the farmers, Pasupu Kunkuma scheme under which government has started distributing cheques of Rs 10,000 for each women self-help group member in the state.

Another important decision taken by the cabinet is to set up a medical college at Eluru at a cost of Rs 260 crore, convert all federations into corporations, withdraw all cases registered against those who participated in the agitation against bifurcation of the state and also release 33 prisoners who are undergoing life imprisonment.

The cabinet also recorded its appreciation for rolling out Kia car in record time from the Anantapur factory. Naidu informed the cabinet about the intention of Kerala government which said that they would like to develop Kochi township on the lines of Amaravati city. The cabinet also gave its approval for free power to Nayee Brahmins and handloom weavers. ate 55 acres of land to women entrepreneurs’ society in Visakhapatnam district.