Key Decisions Taken by the AP Cabinet

The Andhra Pradesh Cabinet approved 57 agenda items and decided to conduct local body elections in October. The Cabinet approved 34 percent reservation for Backward Classes in rural local bodies and 33⅓ percent in urban local bodies. It clarified that there would be no change in the existing reservations for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. The Cabinet also stressed the need to conduct local body elections at the earliest to facilitate the release of funds due to local bodies from the Centre.

The Cabinet further approved the direct election of mayors and chairpersons in urban local bodies, including municipalities and nagar panchayats. It also decided to reorganise the existing 13 Zilla Parishads into 28 Zilla Parishads in line with the restructuring of districts. An action plan will be prepared for establishing the new Zilla Parishads. Officials informed the Cabinet that the process of the Dedicated Commission constituted to examine BC reservations is still underway.