Page 24 - Andhra Pradesh

Andhra CM should own moral responsibility for Tirupati stampede, says YSRCP

Senior YSRCP leader and former Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) chairman B Karunakar Reddy on Thursday demanded that Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu should own moral responsibility for the Tirupati stampede and initiate stringent action against the officials responsible. The Congress' state unit held the TTD that governs the Lord Venkatswara temple, responsible for the tragedy and called for immediate probe into the incident. Six devotees died and nearly 40 more were injured in a stampede at Bairagi Patteda near MGM School in Tirupati on Wednesday night as hundreds of them jostled for tickets for Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam at Lord Venkateswara Swamy temple on Tirumala Hills. Scores of devotees turned up from across the country for the 10-day Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam commencing from January 10. "The EO (executive officer), SP (superintendent of police) and his subordinates, besides the vigilance wing of the TTD, should be held responsible and action should be taken against them

Tirupati stampede claims six lives: Here's what went wrong at the temple

A surge of devotees at the Lord Venkateswara temple caused chaos during token distribution for Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam, leaving six dead and many injured

Tirupati stampede: Andhra CM Naidu to visit injured in hospitals today

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu will leave for Tirupati on Thursday to visit those injured in a stampede, sources said. Six devotees died and over 40 were injured in the stampede on Wednesday night as hundreds of them jostled for tickets for Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam at Lord Venkateswara Swamy temple on Tirumala Hills. Naidu will be visiting SVR Ruia Government General Hospital and SVIMS Hospital between noon and 3 pm, where the injured are being treated, sources said. The CM will also conduct a review meeting with the Executive Officer and others over the incident. Tirupati district collector S Venkateswar on Wednesday told reporters that out of the six deceased devotees, five were women and a man. One deceased person came from Salem in Tamil Nadu and another from Narsipatnam in Andhra Pradesh, he said. According to the collector, the incident occurred at Bairagi Patteda near MGM School in the temple town. Hundreds of devotees turned up from across the country

PM Modi lays foundation stone for Rs 1.85 trn green hydrogen hub in Andhra

Among the major projects was the state-of-the-art NTPC Green Energy Limited Green Hydrogen Hub Project at Pudimadaka near Visakhapatnam

PM Modi to lay foundation, inaugurate slew of projects in Andhra today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Visakhapatnam on Wednesday to lay foundation for a few important projects and inaugurate a few others. Welcoming Prime Minister to the Andhra Pradesh, in a post on 'X', Chief Minister N.Chandrababu Naidu said, today's programme is a key forward step for the state as it entails foundations and inaugurations of projects worth over Rs 2 lakh crore. "On behalf of the people of the state, I welcome the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is visiting the state," Naidu said. This will be Narendra Modi's first visit to the state after he assumed the office of the Prime Minister for the third consecutive term in 2024. The NDA alliance in Andhra Pradesh consisting of TDP, BJP and Janasena played a key role in forming the union government. In an official press release issued on Tuesday, chief Secretary K Vijayanand said Modi will arrive in Visakhapatnam in a special aircraft at 4:15 pm on Wednesday and participate in a roadshow from 4:45 pm to

PM Modi to lay foundation, inaugurate slew of projects in Andhra on Jan 8

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Visakhapatnam on Wednesday to lay the foundation for a few important projects and inaugurate a few others. This will be the Prime Minister's first visit to the state, after he assumed the office of PM for the third consecutive term in 2024. The NDA alliance in Andhra Pradesh consisting TDP, BJP and Janasena played a key role in forming the union government. Accompanied by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan and others, Modi will lay the foundation for a railway zone at Visakhapatnam. Likewise, he will lay the foundation for NTPC's integrated green hydrogen hub at Pudimadaka, Nakkapalli mandal, Anakapalli district. As part of this project, the public sector company will invest Rs 65,370 crore in three phases. The Prime Minister will virtually launch Krishnapatnam Industrial Hub, a Rs 1,518 crore project coming up on a 2,500 acre land parcel in the first phase. It is expected to generate employment

No HMPV cases in Andhra Pradesh, no need to panic: Health official

There are no reported cases of Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) in Andhra Pradesh, a health official said on Sunday, assuring the public that there is no need to panic about the virus. Public Health and Family Welfare Director K Padmavathi stated that the virus spreads from person to person, similar to Covid-19, primarily affecting children, the elderly, and individuals with weakened immunity. "There are no HMPV cases in Andhra Pradesh. The virus, detected in China, does not warrant any panic," Padmavathi said in an official press release. According to the director, individuals in close contact with HMPV-infected persons are at risk of contracting the virus. She added that it can also spread through coughing, sneezing, touch, and handshakes with infected individuals. Similarly, Padmavathi noted that the disease can spread through utensils used by infected individuals. The symptoms of the disease typically appear 3 to 10 days after infection and include flu-like signs such as cough, .

AP cabinet approves Rs 2,723 cr for Amaravati works, other investments

The Andhra Pradesh cabinet on Thursday approved two engineering projects worth Rs 2,723 crore for the greenfield capital city of Amaravati, including a 1 million tonne per annum green ammonia manufacturing facility and South India's first integrated energy project, among others. Although the previous YSRCP regime "neglected" Amaravati, Information & Public Relations Minister K Parthasarathy noted that the TDP-led government is taking steps to develop the greenfield capital to world-class standards. It has been decided to undertake development projects in Amaravati with financial assistance from the World Bank, HUDCO, and Germany. As per the directives of these institutions, fresh tenders are being called, said Parthasarathy, addressing a press conference at the Secretariat. Unlike during the YSRCP regime, he stated that several industrialists are now coming forward to set up operations in the southern state. He added that the cabinet has approved AM Green Ammonia (India) Pvt Ltd's

SECI power deals cannot be scrapped without solid proof: Andhra CM Naidu

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said the state government cannot scrap power purchase agreements with the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) without obtaining solid proof of bribery allegations. The Chief Minister's comments assume significance in the backdrop of Adani being indicted by the US Department of Justice over his role in an alleged years-long scheme to pay USD 250 million bribes to Indian officials in exchange for favourable solar power contracts, including from Andhra Pradesh. This allegation was refuted by the Indian conglomerate. The previous YSRCP regime in Andhra Pradesh is embroiled in this alleged scam with claims that government officials received bribes from the Adani Group, which reportedly amounted to Rs 1,750 crore. We are getting proper documentation and once we get that then we will take action (if there was any corruption involved). If we cancel the MoUs right away then it may lead to legal issues and unnecessary complications, Naid

Andhra sinking in debt but CM Chandrababu Naidu's wealth is growing: YSRCP

Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party criticises Andhra Pradesh chief minister over wealth accumulation after ADR report revealed Chandrababu Naidu as the wealthiest CM in India

CM Naidu unveils Swarna Andhra Vision 2047, prioritises water security

Andhra CM Naidu further stated that 90 per cent of irrigation projects, including the Somasila project, were initiated and completed during the Telugu Desam Party's (TDP) tenure

YSRCP leaders, cadres protest over power tariff hike in Andhra Pradesh

The opposition party in Andhra Pradesh, YSRCP, on Friday took out statewide protests and rallies opposing power tariff hikes in the southern state under the TDP-led NDA government. YSRCP leaders and cadres protested at several places across the state, including Nellore, Chittoor, Krishna, Tirupati, Visakhapatnam, Kakinada, Kurnool and others. "Within six months' time, Chandrababu (CM) steeply hiked prices (power tariffs), levying an additional burden of Rs 15,000 crore on the people of the state," said YSRCP in a post on 'X'. In Nellore rural constituency, YSRCP leaders A Vijay Kumar Reddy and K Govardhan Reddy participated in the protest. They garlanded a statue of YS Rajasekhar Reddy and then they displayed a video claiming that Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu had promised not to hike power tariff. At Punganuru in Chittoor district, senior YSRCP leader and former minister P Ramachandra Reddy undertook a rally amid rainfall, demanding the roll back of hiked power tariffs. He wa

Andhra CM meets PM, discusses state's financial challenges, seeks support

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday and sought financial assistance for key state projects and discussed the planned ArcelorMittal steel plant. During the 45-minute meeting, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief thanked Modi for extending financial support for the completion of the Polavaram irrigation project and the Amaravathi capital city development. He reported that work on both projects has resumed, an official statement said. Naidu highlighted financial challenges faced by the state, including the previous government's diversion of funds from 94 centrally-sponsored schemes, of which 74 have now been relaunched. He requested special assistance, noting that the previous administration had depleted five years worth of revenue deficit grants in three years. Regarding the upcoming ArcelorMittal steel plant, Naidu requested central assistance for raw material supply and expedited clearances. The chief minister presente

BPCL clears decks for Rs 95k cr Ramayapatnam refinery in Andhra Pradesh

The refinery was a commitment made in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act 2014

BPCL begins Rs 6,100 cr pre-project activities on Andhra refinery

Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited announced two major energy projects in both traditional and renewable energy sectors

Cold wave and fog disrupt life in North India, but winter tourism thrives

Despite train delays due to severe weather conditions, the snow-covered mountains have drawn large crowds of tourists eager to celebrate Christmas and New Year

From Maharashtra to Andhra, 2024 was the year of political comebacks

From the Lok Sabha elections to state assembly polls, various leaders staged striking returns in 2024, capturing the attention of both the public and political analysts

Andhra govt sets panel for SCs sub-classification after top court's ruling

The Andhra Pradesh government on Monday appointed retired IAS officer Rajiv Ranjan Mishra as the one-man commission to look into the sub-categorisation within Scheduled Castes (SC) in the state following the Supreme Court ruling in favour of it. The Government of Andhra Pradesh has appointed Rajiv Ranjan Mishra, IAS (retired) as One Man Commission to enquire into the sub-classification within Scheduled Castes in the light of judgment of the Supreme Court dated August 1, 2024, said an official press release. The commission will visit the undivided districts of Eluru, Krishna and Guntur from December 27 to 30 to conduct meetings and receive representations from individuals or institutions familiar with the subject matter. Memoranda and representations can also be submitted in person or through registered post at the commission's office until January 9, 2025. In August, the top court had held that states are constitutionally empowered to make sub-classifications within the scheduled .

EPACK Prefab raises $20 mn in first funding round from GEF Capital Partners

The funds will be used for capex expansion and drive growth initiatives by enhancing production capabilities, accelerating new product development, and expanding presence across the country.

World Bank approves $800 million loan for Amaravati Development Programme

The World Bank's Board of Executive Directors has approved USD 800 million Amaravati Integrated Urban Development Program for building Andhra Pradesh's greenfield capital city Amaravati, the international development said on Friday. The Bretton Woods institution's Board of Executive Directors met in Washington, USA on Thursday and approved the loan. "The World Bank's Board of Executive Directors yesterday approved the USD 800 million Amaravati Integrated Urban Development Program aimed at establishing the city as a well-managed, climate-resilient growth center in Andhra Pradesh that generates jobs and improves the lives of its current and future residents, especially the most vulnerable," a World Bank press release said. According to the World Bank, the Government of India requested the USD 800 mn loan to develop Amaravati as an economic hub and the state capital of Andhra Pradesh. The loan has a final maturity period of 29 years, including a grace period of six years, said the Wor