Policy decisions await Cabinet formation

Hyderabad: Several policy decisions are waiting for the approval of the Cabinet. In the recent Assembly elections, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao gave various assurances to the people on which some policy decisions need to be taken.

Mr Rao said the assurances given by him will be implemented from the next financial year which starts from April 1, 2019.  

For this the government should make financial allocations in the Budget. The exercise will start from next month. Unless the government takes policy decisions on some issues, the finance department will not be in a position to allocate funds.

In a review meeting held on Saturday with finance department officials, Mr Rao made it clear that every promise made by him in the elections needed to be implemented. Once the Cabinet approves the policy decisions, the finance department will estimate the quantum of funds needed to implement them and the allocations required in the Budget.

In the election manifesto, the TRS promised a mix of new spos, extension of existing schemes and a repeat of old assurances. TRS announced increasing the retirement age of government employees from 58 years to 61. The finance department needs to assess how many employees will retire next year and the impact of their continuing in service means for finances and others.

Unless the Cabinet approves this policy decision, the finance department cannot continue their services after retirement.

Another assurance made by TRS was increasing the age limit for government jobs by three years and giving unemployed youth a dole of '3,016. This also needs Cabinet approval.  Regarding the dole, Mr Rao said he would appoint a committee to study the number of unemployed youth in the state and how the other states are implementing the scheme.  

The most important assurance of waiver of agricultural loans up to '1 lakh. Unless the Cabinet takes a decision on this, the departments concerned cannot take up the exercise.

Because of the assurance, farmers have stopped repayment of loans, and bank officials will start exerting pressure on them to pay up. The government needs to act quickly.

Mr Rao announced that the government would reduce the age limit to get old age pensions under Aasara scheme and implement it from the next financial year.

Old age pensions are being given for those who are 65 years and older and Mr Rao promised to reduce the age limit to 57. With this lakhs of people will come under the scheme. To allot the budget for this a lot of exercise is needed after the approval of the Cabinet.