KCR to hold final cabinet meet on September 29, likely to extend election sops

HYDERABAD: Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao is likely to chair a final Cabinet meeting of the current term on September 29 and clear a variety of welfare schemes before the Assembly elections are announced and the model code of conduct comes into force.

These include a decision on setting up the Pay Revision Commission (PRC) for government employees and pensioners, announcing Dearness Allowance (DA) in lieu of delay in implementation of new PRC

The ruling party expects the Election Commission to issue the poll schedule by mid-October, after which the announcements of sops are barred.

The Cabinet meeting also assumed significance against the backdrop of Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan rejecting the recommendations to nominate BRS leaders Dasoju Sravan and Kurra Satyanarayana as MLCs under the Governor's quota. The Cabinet is expected to approve the same two names and send them again to the Governor for approval.

The Cabinet is expected to approve the CM's Breakfast Scheme for government school students of Classes 1 to 10 from October 24 as a "Dasara gift." The scheme will cost Rs 400 crores per year, which is in addition to the mid-day meals scheme being implemented in all the government schools.

The previous PRC was constituted in July 2018 and its recommendations were implemented in April 2021 with a fitment (hike in basic pay) of 30 per cent. A new PRC had to be appointed by July last.