The Andhra Pradesh Government has allotted land for three solar parks and a major manufacturing facility for the Defence Research and Development Organisation. It will also create two special purpose vehicles for development of metro rail projects in Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada-Guntur-Tenali-Mangalagiri corridor.
The State Cabinet, which met here on Friday, chaired by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, also cleared policies for the IT sector and sand mining.
Briefing newspersons after the Cabinet meet here today, P Raghunath Reddy, IT Minister, said the Government has decided to allot 500 acres of land in Anantapur district for setting up a 100 MW solar farm, and accorded permission to establish a mega 1,000 MW MW solar park in Anantapur district and another 300 MW MW solar park in Guntur district.
The DRDO has been allotted 1102 acres in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh to develop a manufacturing facility.
The Government has decided to create two special purpose vehicles to facilitate setting up of metro rail projects in Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada, and the Guntur-Tenali-Mangalagiri corridor respectively. Referring to the power situation in the State, the Minister said the State has bridged the demand-supply gap of 22 million units per day by augmenting supplies from NTPC (177mw), Simhapuri (130 MW), other States (75 MW) and Krishnapatnam thermal power project, which has been synchronised fully by July 20.
He said that the Government plans to add 4400 MW in the thermal sector over the next five years.
The State will be able to provide 24x7 power supply to all segments — domestic, commercial and industrial — and seven hours of power to the farm sector from October 2. It is proposed to extend the farm sector’s seven-hour supply to nine hours.
The Government has also approved the sand mining policy, which seeks to enlist the services of 7.6 lakh women self-help groups, with a membership of 75 lakh women, in sand mining initiatives.
Revenue sharingThe idea is to curb the role of the mafia and also provide women with additional resources. About 25 per cent of the revenue will be shared with the groups, he said.
Announcing the Neera-Chettu (Water-Tree) scheme, the Government plans to take up a massive tree plantation drive, again involving women self-help groups.
It is proposed to plant one crore trees within five years.