As Andhra CM, Naidu to first sign off on abolishing Land Titling Act, reopening Anna canteens

The chief minister is expected to announce the ministers’ portfolios on Thursday. Jana Sena Party chief Pawan Kalyan is being touted as the likely deputy chief minister.

Related: Chandrababu Naidu sworn in as Andhra Pradesh CM

The five promises

The five files prioritised pertain to the notification of a mega District Selection Committee (DSC) to recruit teachers, the abolition of the Land Titling Act, enhancing social security pensions from ₹3,000 to ₹4,000, conducting skill census to ensure employment to the youth and reopening of the Anna canteens.

The mega DSC is expected to open up about 13,000 teaching posts. It was one of the promises Naidu made to the youth during his poll campaign.

The previous YSRCP government delayed the issuance of the DSC notification — despite making a promise ahead of the 2019 Assembly elections — till February 2024, just before the model code of conduct came into force on 16 March.

However, notification for 6,100 posts ran into rough weather with litigations in courts arguing that sufficient time was not given to candidates to prepare for the DSC as it followed immediately after the Teachers Eligibility Test (TET).

Naidu then stepped in and promised to issue the Mega DSC notification within 60 days of coming to power.

Related: TDP slams Andhra Cabinet decision to recruit 6,100 teachers in last 60 days

Land Titling Act to be scrapped

The chief minister will also sign a file scrapping the contentious Land Titling Act, another priority for the TDP government. The previous YSRCP government had brought the act on 31 October 2023.

The TDP opposed the act, stating that the YSRCP had an ulterior motive of snatching the properties of the people by invoking the provisions of the act. The TDP said that the act allowed the government — and even outsiders — to take away private properties.

It was also alleged that the act was meant to legalise land encroachments by YSRCP leaders. The issue generated immense heat in the campaign with the TDP, tearing up the land title passbooks printed with Jagan Mohan Reddy’s image on them.

Naidu had promised that he would, soon after coming to power, annul the act and protect the people’s properties of the people. He included the annulment of the Land Titling Act in the TDP manifesto also.

Related: Can Naidu stop any scheme I implemented, asks Jagan

Hike in security pensions

Another important promise Naidu made was raising the monthly social security pensions from ₹3,000 to ₹4,000. The promise was well received, and the chief minister is keen on implementing it immediately.

Naidu also promised ₹6,000 as a pension to the physically challenged. He is expected to sign the file concerned with retrospective effect from April 2024.

Another file that Naidu is expected to clear is on the Anna Canteens. The canteens used to provide food to the poor at the rate of ₹5 per meal when the TDP was in power between 2014-19.

Related: Naidu Cabinet is a mix of 17 freshers, eight experienced ministers

Skill census

After Jagan became the chief minister in 2019, the canteens had been wound up. Naidu decided to reopen them because they would cater to the poorest of the poor.

Naidu is also keen on addressing the touchy issue of unemployment. He is expected to sign on the file relating to the skill census to develop a databank on the skill levels of the unemployed youth in the state so that appropriate jobs could be provided.

The skill census also would help the state government identify and frame policies for sectors that need to be promoted so that the youth would benefit from them.

(Edited by Majnu Babu).

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