The Andhra Pradesh Cabinet on Friday approved a series of key decisions, including authorising the AP Capital Region Development Authority to take about 16666 acres in seven villages under Land Pooling Scheme II, and another 4200 acres of assigned and Lanka lands for major projects such as the international airport, quantum valley, international sports city, inner ring road, Amaravati railway station and other capital region infrastructure.
Briefing the media, Housing and Information and Public Relations Minister Kolusu Parthasarathy said the CRDA would issue an LPS II notification in a few days, adding that rules for the new scheme were published in July 2025. He said residents of the seven villages, Vaikuntapuram, Pedda Madduru, Endrayi, Karlapudi, Vaddamanu, Peddaparimi and Harishchandrapuram, had already given consent in Grama Sabhas and that further action would be taken in line with Section 55(2) of the APCRDA Act.
Another major decision was the conferring of Notified Partner status on Raiden Infotech India Private Limited, a Google owned entity, for setting up a 15 billion dollar AI data centre in Visakhapatnam district. The Cabinet also approved a government guarantee for a ₹7500 crore loan from the National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development for infrastructure creation in the emerging capital city. A draft Bill amending the Municipalities Act, 1965, and Municipal Corporations Act, 1955, to provide 50% exemption on Vacant Land Tax during the construction period was cleared.
The Cabinet approved raising a fresh working capital loan of ₹5000 crore from the National Cooperative Development Corporation through AP Markfed to support paddy procurement for the 2025 to 26 Kharif season. It also cleared the AP Urban Local Bodies Rules 2025 to regulate billboards, display devices and advertising, replacing the 2020 rules. The new norms make licensing and permissions for display structures, along with periodic structural stability certification, mandatory.
The power discoms were permitted to borrow about ₹3763 crore from NABARD with a government guarantee to implement rooftop and ground mounted solar installations for SC and ST consumers under the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana. The Cabinet approved allocation of the Balimela Dam Powerhouse and Jalaput Dam Powerhouse to Orissa Power Consortium Limited, in line with High Court directions, with the condition that half of the power generated should be supplied to Andhra Pradesh at a tariff determined by the respective regulatory commission.
The Cabinet approved the creation of a new special purpose vehicle to implement the revised BharatNet programme, aimed at building a high capacity IP MPLS network and integrating BharatNet with AP State FiberNet Limited for seamless broadband services. Administrative approval for ₹543 crore for Polavaram project works was also granted.
The revised funding pattern of 50% central share and 50% state share for constructing the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade campus at Kakinada at a cost of ₹230 crore was approved.
Finally, the Cabinet cleared amendments to the RFPs and draft concession agreements for developing ten new medical colleges in public private partnership mode. Colleges at Adoni, Madanapalle, Markapuram and Pulivendula will come up in the first phase, followed by Penukonda, Palakollu, Amalapuram, Narsipatnam, Bapatla and Parvathipuram in the second. Land will be leased at ₹100 per acre per year and assets will revert to the government after the 33 plus 33 year concession period. Half the seats will fall under the government quota as per NEET aligned reservation norms, and fees will be regulated by the AP Higher Education Regulatory and Monitoring Commission.
Published – November 28, 2025 09:38 pm IST
