AP Cabinet nod for more to BC list, port projects, law varsity

Hyderabad, June 30 (UNI) Inclusion of more communities in the list of Backward Classes, approval for law university and Rs 4,700 crore worth port projects and soft loans for small and micro enterprises were among the decisions taken at a meeting of the Andhra Pradesh Cabinet held here today.

Information Minister A Ramanarayana Reddy told reporters the Cabinet approved inclusion of more communities into the BC list, sanctioned 11 new residential schools for BCs and enhanced the income limit to Rs one lakh for post-matric scholarship to ST students. The Cabinet approved 143 teaching and non-teaching posts for new BC Residential Schools.

The principle of exclusion of socially-advanced persons/sections (creamy layer) would automatically apply to the communities.

In another decision, the Cabinet approved the setting up of University of Law at Visakhapatnam, Kadapa and Nizamabad similar to the premier National University of Legal Studies and Research(NALSAR) with 85 per cent of the seats reserved for students from Andhra Pradesh.

The Cabinet approved grant of 50 acre for each campus and Rs 60 crore each for their development.

The draft concession agreement with the Government of Ras Al Khaimah (RAK), United Arab Emirates (UAE), for developing Vadarevu and Nizamapatnam Sea Ports costing Rs 2,700 crore and Rs 2,000 crore respectively was also approved and work likely to be taken up in December 2008.

An extent of 2,000 acre each would be given on lease at Vodarevu and Nizamapatnam for development of the ports and port-based industrial corridor.

The Cabinet also approved the Special Purpose Vehicle(SPV)-- Vanic Ports Private Limited-- for executing the projects, he said.

Infrastructure support such as road connectivity to the Chennai-Kolkata National Highway, water and power supply would be provided, Mr Reddy said.

The grant of term loans to new small and micro enterprises, including food-processing units, at a very low interest rate of three per cent was also given the nod by the Cabient.

It decided that interest on term loan above three per cent, charged by financial institutions, would be reimbursed subject to a maximum of nine per cent.

The measure was taken to give a fillip to new Micro and Small Enterprises in the state, contributing significantly to employment generation, he added.

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