HYDERABAD: In another sop to farmers entitled for free power supply, the State Cabinet on Friday decided give 80 per cent subsidy for purchase of ISI-marked agricultural pumpsets, frictionless valves and plastic pipes.

Installation of these three demand side management (DSM) devices, along with capacitors, could help save up to 30 per cent of the electricity consumed by them without payment. About 24 lakh agricultural pumpsets will be covered by this decision. Already capacitors have been installed on 96 per cent of the pumpsets.

Subsidy on condition

An official spokesman told reporters that the subsidy was subject to farmers contributing the balance 20 per cent and surrendering the old pumpset to the Government. He said the massive subsidy was aimed at providing relief to farmers who would have to otherwise incur expenditure of up to Rs. 20,000 each on installing all the devices. The Government will now bear this burden by implementing it in phases in the next couple of years.

He said the Government would talk to manufacturers to supply pumpsets in bulk at a concessional rate and offer them surrendered motors in exchange.

The Cabinet ratified the allotment of 5,000 acres of land to M/s Satyavedu Reserve Infracity Private Limited for development of a Special Economic Zone in Satyavedu-Tada area of Chittoor district. Promoted by Sannareddy Ravindra and backed by NRIs, the company has appointed JTC of Singapore to develop the SEZ with an investment of Rs 8,000 crores to Rs.12,000 crores. It will provide 1 lakh jobs. The developer has already deposited funds with the Government for the acquisition of the land.

The allotment of land in Ranga Reddy district near Hyderabad to three parties at a price of Rs 1.5 lakh per acre was also given the green signal. They are 12.34 acres at Vattinagulapalli to Lal Bahadur Sastry Institute of Management, Delhi, to set up a similar institute, 62 acres at Kancha Gachibowli to expand IIIT here and 20 acres at Pet Bahseerabad to St. Ann's School (Secunderabad) in lieu of land being lost by the institution under road-widening.

10 draft Bills cleared

The Cabinet cleared 10 draft Bills, which will be introduced in the Assembly. They include a Bill for establishing a "Paramedical Board" to improve standards of paramedical education in the State.

A draft Bill for "compulsorily retiring" higher judicial officers like High Court judges as directed by the Supreme Court before their superannuation, if found not fit to continue in public interest was also approved.

The proposal for delimitation of graduates, teachers and local authorities constituencies based on 2001 Census with the district as a unit for constitution of the Legislative Council was cleared. It will be sent to the Election Commission of India.

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