VIJAYAWADA: The state Cabinet on Friday gave its nod for increasing old-age social security pensions from the existing Rs 2,750 to Rs 3,000 per month from January besides approving implementation of YSR Aasara and Cheyuta schemes in January. It also cleared the Visakha Light metro DPR and Aarogya Suraksha second phase from among several others.
Addressing the media later, I&PR minister Ch. Srinivasa Venugopala Krishna said the Cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, had taken several key decisions. Among other notable decisions was enhancing free medical treatment limit under YSR Aarogyasri to Rs 25 lakh and make it applicable to all those, whose annual income was a maximum of Rs 5 lakh so that 90 per cent of the families would benefit from the facility.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister will launch the enhanced beneficial Aarogyasri scheme and distribution of new Aarogyasri cards on Monday. Along with health workers, the YSRC MLAs will also participate in the public awareness campaign on the use of free medical treatment applicable to 3,257 ailments. The Aarogyasri scheme has been allotted Rs 4,400 crore for the year. People will be urged to download Aarogyasri App.
Venugopala Krishna, who also holds the BC welfare portfolio, said they had decided to distribute Rs 6,394 crore towards the fourth and last tranche of YSR Aasara from January 10 to 23 and YSR Cheyuta from January 29 to February 10. The hiked pensions would be distributed from January 1 to 8. Around 4.35 lakh AI-loaded tabs worth Rs 638 crore will be distributed to Class VIII students from December 21, which coincides with the birthday of the Chief Minister.
Besides approving the reforms introduced in granting caste and income certificates, the Cabinet has decided to establish additional district sessions court at Tadepalligudem; enhance DA of police personnel working in anti-Naxal operations by 15 per cent and pay DA and DR to working and retired court staff on par with central government staff. Also approved was the appointment of 293 doctors and other staff in super-speciality blocks of the 300-bed Kadapa government hospital; filling up 18 posts of head nurses and nursing superintendents in the Guntur general hospital and 95 posts in the new medical colleges at Vizianagaram, Rajamahendravaram, Eluru, Machilipatnam and Nandyal.
It has been decided to introduce nephrology and neurology departments in 11 medical colleges and recruiting 287 nephrologists, neurologists and other necessary staff. Oncology departments will be coming up in Srikakulam, Kakinada, Vijayawada, Ongole, Nellore, Tirupati, and Anantapur medical colleges.
A decision was taken to upgrade the 50-bed hospital at Cheepurupalli in Vizianagaram district to a 100-bed hospital and allot 11.25 acres of land to the Bengalurue-based TISB international school.
The Cabinet has decided to appoint cricketer Ambati Rayudu and other sportspersons as brand ambassadors for the 51-day sports festival Aadudam Andhra for which 1. 14 crore registrations have been received so far, he said.
