E-Paper
Andhra govt to give financial aid to hotels, eateries, theatres that incurred losses due to Covid-19
The cabinet also approved a restart package for the film industry. Fixed power charges of cinema theatres would be waived for the first three months of the pandemic - April, May, and June, while payment of electricity charges for the next six months would be postponed for 1100-odd multiplexes and other theatres across the state.
The Andhra Pradesh government on Friday announced a Rs 200 crore relief and restart package for hotels, function halls and restaurants which had suffered heavy losses due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The package was approved by the state cabinet led by chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy at its meeting held at the state secretariat.
“Under this package, loans ranging from Rs 50,000 to Rs 50, 00,000 would be provided to each unit and a moratorium of six months would be imposed for the commencement of repayment. An interest subsidy of 4.5% would be of given during the first year,” state minister for information and public relations Perni Venkataramaiah alias Nani told reporters after the cabinet meeting.
The cabinet also approved a restart package for the film industry. Fixed power charges of cinema theatres would be waived for the first three months of the pandemic - April, May, and June, while payment of electricity charges for the next six months would be postponed for 1100-odd multiplexes and other theatres across the state.
“The cabinet decided that theatres can avail of working capital loans – Rs 10 lakh in major cities and towns, and Rs 5 lakh in smaller towns. There would be a moratorium of six months in loan repayment and an interest subsidy of 4.5 per cent,” the minister said.
The cabinet approved a new tourism policy for the state, according to which various incentives would be provided to the mega projects worth more than Rs 400 crore. The incentives include 100 per cent subsidy in SGST, 100 per cent reimbursement of stamp duty, supply of electricity at Rs 2 per unit and 100 per cent waiving of land use conversion charges. The cabinet also approved to increase the land lease period from 33 years to 99 years for mega projects in tourism industry.
The cabinet decided to conduct comprehensive land resurvey from December 21. The government had made five amendments to Andhra Pradesh Survey and Boundary Act 1923 as per the needs of the resurvey to be conducted. Maps would be designed for every land based on sub division and the boundary of the land would be tagged with GPS coordinates.
Nani said the chief minister would release input subsidies for farmers who had suffered crop damages due to Cyclone Nivar that hit the state between November 24 and 28. As many as 8.06 lakh farmers suffered crop losses in 13.01 lakh acres including paddy in 12.38 lakh acres.
The cabinet has approved for the establishment of the Andhra Pradesh Medical Education and Research Corporation (APMERC) through which Rs 16,000 crore would be arranged for strengthening of existing 11 medical colleges and construction of 16 new medical colleges across the state.
