State Cabinet has approved unveiling of separate policies to give boost to the fisheries, tourism and micro, small and medium enterprises and announced a host of concessions to attract investments in public private partnership mode.
The State cabinet approved five policies altogether including AP procurement policy for e-governance to bring in transparency and accountability in governance and taking up coffee plantations in additional one lakh acres in agency areas of Visakhapantam, said Ministers Atchannaidu and P.Pulla Rao here on Tuesday.
Briefing press persons after the Cabinet meeting, Mr.Pulla Rao said Andhra Pradesh became the first State to formulate policy for fisheries as the State identified it as a growth engine to take its share of GSDP from 16 per cent to 30 per cent by providing modern infrastructure facilities including cold storages, processing units, fish markets and promoting fish farms in a big way in ponds, tanks besides cage culture.
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The objective is to attract investments in PPP mode to increase fish production through single desk clearance without affecting the interests of lakhs of fishermen. The tanks would be given on lease to fishermen as first priority followed by DWCRA groups and SC, ST beneficiaries. Under the policy, subsidies would be extended on power, capital, fish feed manufacturing units would be given.
Mr.Pulla Rao said the tourism policy has several provisions to attract Rs.10,000 crore investments in developing tourism infrastructure in beach, jungle, hill resorts, amusement parks, MICE centres, tourism services, heritage hotels. It has potential to provide seven lakh jobs and contribute to seven per cent of GSDP.
The Cabinet approved to extend incentives ranging from 5 per cent to 15 per cent or Rs.2 crore to 10 crore based on quantum of investments. The target is to increase domestic tourist traffic from nine crore to 18 crore in four years.
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Explaining about the MSME policy, Mr.Atchannaidu said 15 per cent of land in industrial estate would be allotted to MSMEs and various concessions would be extended on VAT, fixed capital investment, investment subsidy. A separate fund of Rs.100 crore would be set up to revive identified sick units in villages and cities.
The other Cabinet decisions include extending loan waiver cheques to DWCRA women from June 2 to 8 and constituting expert committee to look into all aspects of Agri Gold and similar micro finance companies which defaulted on payments to lakhs of depositors. A Cabinet sub committee was also constituted to examine hiking wages to Anganwadi workers.