Hyderabad: Friday’s Cabinet meeting, to be chaired by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, will take up several key issues with major political and administrative implications.
A primary item on the agenda is the anticipated clearance of an ordinance granting the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Assets Monitoring and Protection Agency (HYDRAA) legal status and enhanced powers. Once approved by the Cabinet, the ordinance will be sent to the Governor for final approval.
The Cabinet is also expected to deliberate on the implementation of the Rythu Bharosa scheme, a flagship agricultural programme promised by the Congress during the recent Assembly elections. The Congress had pledged to replace the Rythu Bandhu with Rythu Bharosa, offering greater financial assistance to farmers. The government has so far continued the Rythu Bandhu for the 2023-24 rabi season.
With the current kharif season nearing its end on September 30, no scheme — neither Rythu Bandhu nor Rythu Bharosa — has been extended to farmers for the 2024-25 season. Under Rythu Bandhu, farmers have been receiving ₹10,000 per acre annually without any restrictions on extent of land.
In contrast, Congress’s Rythu Bharosa promises Rs 15,000 per acre, with an additional provision of Rs 12,000 annually for tenant farmers and agricultural labourers. The Cabinet is expected to finalise eligibility criteria, including restrictions on land size to ensure the benefits reach genuine cultivators.
Additionally, the Cabinet will discuss the implementation of the Rs 2 lakh crop loan waiver scheme for farmers excluded from the previous three phases. There is also speculation about relief measures for farmers who took loans exceeding Rs 2 lakh.
Other matters on the agenda include the renaming of key institutions: the Women’s University in Koti after Chakali Ailamma, the Telugu University after Suravaram Pratap Reddy, and the Indian Institute of Handloom Technology after Konda Laxman Bapuji. The Cabinet is also expected to review flood relief measures for districts recently affected by heavy rains and floods.
