TS cabinet decisions: 1 lakh aid to BCs, services of VRAs to be regularised

Hyderabad: The Telangana government would extend Rs 1 lakh financial assistance to members of the Backward Classes (BCs) dependent on hereditary professions for their livelihood.

This was decided at the state Cabinet meeting here on Thursday. It also decided to regularise the services of village revenue assistants (VRAs).

This apart, the Cabinet decided to advance the kharif and rabi seasons by a month to save crops from unseasonal rain and hailstorms as was experienced in the April/May season in the last few years, causing huge losses to the farmers.

Finance minister T. Harish Rao said the CM has constituted a Cabinet sub-committee to frame guidelines for extending the Rs 1 lakh financial assistance to vishwabrahmins, nayi brahmins, rajaka, medara etc. The panel would recommend to the government on the extent of the subsidy component, loan component etc for this scheme.

The Cabinet also decided to sanction Rs 10 crore to TS Public Service Commission to strengthen its facilities for conducting the recruitment exams in a fool-proof manner.

The Cabinet has decided to reorganise the health department so as to strengthen the primary care sector. It decided to appoint a DMHO (district medical health officer) each for 32 districts and appoint five more DMHOs to Hyderabad district that has over a crore of population. At present, Hyderabad district has just one DMHO post.

The Cabinet decided to divide Hyderabad into six circles and appoint one DMHO for every circle, Harish Rao stated.

By another decision, the government would start the second phase of the sheep distribution in the next two weeks.

The Cabinet decided to give representation to the Jain community in the Minorities Commission.

Another decision was to appoint regular staff in all the urban health centres as they are currently handled by contract staff. It was also decided to set up PHCs (primary health centres) in the 40 new mandals.