Andhra approves key welfare, development initiatives at 25th e-Cabinet meeting

Amaravathi [Andhra Pradesh], June 4 (ANI): The Andhra Pradesh Cabinet, in its 25th e-Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday, approved a slew of welfare and development initiatives, including safe drinking water projects, the establishment of a Quantum Valley in Amaravati, and preparations for a record-breaking International Yoga Day at Visakhapatnam in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to participate.
During the meeting at the State Secretariat, the Ministers in Naidu's Cabinet congratulated the CM for successfully conducting 25 paperless e-Cabinet meetings within his first year in office. The decisions, announced by Information and Public Relations Minister Kolusu Parthasarathy, also encompassed remission for life convicts, industrial reforms, and land allocations for key projects, reflecting the state's focus on innovation, infrastructure, and social welfare.
During the meeting, the cabinet approved the NTR Sujala Scheme to provide safe drinking water through RO plants in tribal and Uddanam areas of Srikakulam district (Rs 575.75 lakhs) and 15 water treatment plants in Kuppam constituency, Chittoor district (Rs 822.86 lakhs), benefiting 2.42 lakh and 2.85 lakh people, respectively.
Other key decisions included granting special remission for 17 life convicts as per Supreme Court directives, promoting 248 constables to head constables in the Andhra Pradesh Special Protection Force (APSPF), renaming YSR District as YSR Kadapa District, and transferring land in Eluru for the Andhra Pradesh Police Academy.
In a major technological push, the Cabinet approved the Andhra Pradesh State Quantum Mission (SQM), establishing a "Quantum Valley" in Amaravati on 50 acres in collaboration with IIT Madras, TCS and IBM, which will set up a 156-qubit Quantum System 2, with a Quantum Summit planned for June 2025.
Additionally, the state will host International Yoga Day on June 21 under the "Yogandhra-2025" initiative at RK Beach to Bheemunipatnam in Visakhapatnam, aiming to mobilise 2 crore people and break the 2023 Guinness World Record set in Surat, with PM Narendra Modi in attendance.
The Cabinet also greenlit industrial reforms, including amendments to the Factories Act, 1948, to allow women to work night shifts with safety measures, the establishment of 175 MSME parks under the "One Family - One Entrepreneur" initiative, and the completion of a Flatted Factory Complex at JETCITY, Vemavaram, with a Rs 20.39 crore payment for Phase 1.
Further approvals included modernising the Haritha Hotel Yatrinivas in Visakhapatnam, exempting stamp duty for land transfers to the Hyderabad Eye Institute, and simplifying compliance for industries under the AP Shops and Establishments Act, 1988.
The 25th e-Cabinet meeting underscores Andhra Pradesh's commitment to sustainable development, technological innovation, and welfare under Naidu's leadership in 2025. (ANI)