Telangana: Six Ministers assume office at Secretariat on auspicious Thursday

Owing to auspicious muhurats on Thursday, six Ministers - Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu, D Sridhar Babu, D Anasuya, Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, C Damodar Raja Narasimha and N Uttam Kumar Reddy - occupied their chambers at the Dr BR Ambedkar Telangana State Secretariat

Hyderabad: Owing to auspicious muhurats on Thursday, six Ministers – Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu, D Sridhar Babu, D Anasuya, Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, C Damodar Raja Narasimha and N Uttam Kumar Reddy – occupied their chambers at the Dr BR Ambedkar Telangana State Secretariat here. After assuming charge formally, some Ministers signed their first files as Ministers.

Bhatti Vikramarka took charge as Minister of Finance and Planning, Energy at his office at the auspicious time of 8.21 am, amid chanting of Vedic hymns. He signed the first file releasing Rs.374 crore to TSRTC towards providing free bus rides for women under the Maha Lakshmi scheme. He also signed two more files releasing Rs.298 crore for enhancing Rajiv Aarogya Sri health coverage to Rs.10 lakh and Rs.996 crore towards power subsidies. Another Rs.75 crore was sanctioned towards making arrangements for the grand celebration of the Medaram Sammakka Sarakka Jatara.

---

Earlier in the day, the Deputy Chief Minister performed the house warming ceremony at 5.30 am on Thursday before formally moving into the residential quarters of Praja Bhavan.

Minister for IT, Industries and Legislative Affairs D Sridhar Babu also assumed charge at the Secretariat, accompanied by his wife and senior IAS officer Shailaja Ramaiyer, mother and other family members amid chanting of Vedic hymns. He signed three files – to develop an exclusive policy for MSMEs and also set up an institutional mechanism for handholding and supporting MSMEs in the State; creation of a platform for online filing of Right to Information applications, that is applicable across departments; and make all government departments and agencies use digital technologies to improve public service delivery and departmental efficiency.

Minister for Panchayat Raj, Rural Development, Women and Child Welfare D Anasuya (Seethakka), who occupied her office in the presence of her family members and officials, signed the first file upgrading 3,989 mini Anganwadi Centres to main Anganwadi Centres. Accordingly, she also cleared the proposals to hike the salaries of Anganwadi teachers working in these centres from Rs 7,500 to Rs 13500 and to recruit one Anganwadi helper each in all upgraded centres.

Revenue and Housing, Information and Public Relations Minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy assumed charge and signed the first file allotting 10 acres of land in Raigiri, Yadadri Bhongir district, for a sports complex. He also approved proposals to provide latest cameras to all the 33 DPROs (district public relations offices) among others.

Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Science and Technology C Damodar Raja Narasimha, after taking charge signed two files, raising the Aarogyasri healthcare coverage limit from Rs.5 lakh to Rs.10 lakh and also for recruitment of 5,200 staff nurses.

Irrigation and Catchment Area Development Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy, after assuming office, signed files pertaining to several irrigation projects.