Amaravati: The Andhra Pradesh Cabinet, headed by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, on Friday approved the second phase of the land pooling scheme for the greenfield capital of Amaravati, involving the pooling of 16,666 acres.
The land will be pooled from seven villages in the capital region—Vaikuntapuram, Pedda Madduru, Endrai, Karlapudi, Vaddamanu, Harishchandrapuram and Peddaparimi.
“The Cabinet approved the proposal to allow the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA) Commissioner to pool 16,666.57 acres from these seven villages,” Information and Public Relations Minister K Parthasarathy told reporters.
He said the APCRDA Commissioner has been permitted to take up the pooling under Section 55(2) of the APCRDA Act.
According to the minister, the government requires the land to build key infrastructure as part of developing the capital region, and the move is aimed at improving financial conditions, reducing poverty and meeting social needs.
Parthasarathy said farmers had given their consent for the second phase of land pooling after gram sabhas passed resolutions and farmers’ meetings were convened.
The Cabinet also approved a Rs 5,000-crore inter-corporate working capital loan to the Andhra Pradesh State Civil Supplies Corporation Ltd (APSCSCL) for paddy procurement for the 2025-26 Kharif season.
The loan will be sourced from NCDC through the Andhra Pradesh State Cooperative Marketing Federation (APMARKFED).
Further, the minister said the Cabinet has cleared new rules for all urban local bodies, making it mandatory for uni-poles, hoardings, advertisements on buses and auto-rickshaws, glow-sign boards, temporary banners and flex boards to obtain licences and permissions before being installed.
He said hoardings, billboards and similar structures must obtain structural stability certificates and insurance coverage.
Parthasarathy added that hoardings and billboards will not be permitted on state and national highways, or near educational institutions and heritage buildings.
The Cabinet also approved a proposal allowing the managing directors of power distribution companies (DISCOMs) to avail a Rs 3,762-crore loan from the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) to implement rooftop and ground-mounted solar power installations.
DISCOMs will use the funds to install solar systems for SC and ST consumers under the Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana (PMSGMBY).
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