COMMEMORATING MARTYRS
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aw and order is essential for industrial development and the police in the state are doing a commendable job, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said. Paying tributes to the police martyrs, the CM announced Rs. 15 crore for police welfare fund and construction of a hospital and rest house exclusively for police in the capital. The Government will pay Rs. 5 lakh insurance to each home guard who died on duty, he added. He said a permanent police martyrs pylon would be constructed on APSP 6th Battalion campus at Mangalagiri in Guntur
district and the next police commemoration parade will be held there. Earlier, Governor ESL. Narasimhan along with the CM paid tributes to the police martyrs who sacrificed their lives in discharging their duties in connection with the Police Martyrs Commemoration Day. Home Minister N Chinna Rajappa along with Director-General of Police (DGP) N Sambasiva Rao also placed the wreaths at the martyrs pylon and observed two minutes’ silence praying for peace to the souls of the policemen who died on duty.
CONTENTS A New Beginning for Administration
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Kribhco to Invest Rs 1000cr in AP Plant
The stage is set for full-fledged functioning of the Government of Andhra Pradesh from the Interim Government Complex (IGC) at Velagapudi in Guntur district.
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AP Launches Electronic Urban Public Health Centre (EUPHC)
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CM addresses concerns over Food Park
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AP signs two shipbuilding MoUs with Russia Snapshot
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Fish Production in AP
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A Principled Journalist Khasa Subba Rao
Happening Andhra
CM declares assets
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Cities as Engines of Growth
AP tops in Business Reform
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Various developments across the state of Andhra Pradesh.
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BETS BIG ON REMAKES
Chief Minister’s Social Network
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Thoughts on New Education Policy 2016
Celluloid Wizard
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PAPIKONDALU Hills, Waters & Forest!
ANDHRA PRADESH
EDITORIAL
Published Monthly In English & Telugu Volume:11 November 2016 Issue:5 Salivahana Era 1938
Commissioner S Venkateswar IIS Editor Ramesh Babu Kandula Executive Editor Naresh Nunna Cover Page Heralding Deepavali
Second Cover Police Comemmoration Day Third Cover CM in various programmes
Fourth Cover APIIC Advt on Sunrise State
Published by: Information & Public Relations Department Government of Andhra Pradesh Hyderabad - 500 028 Ph: 040-23300258
Views expressed by various authors in this issue reflect their personal opinions. Design Karthik Beesu
Photos: T.Srinivasa Reddy, Vijayawada Printed at Caxton Offset Pvt. Ltd. Hyderabad Each Issue : Rs 20/Annual Subscription : Rs 220/-
A Worthy Precedent
The declaration of assets by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu for the sixth successive year has firmly established a worthy precedent in accountability among public servants. Naidu began voluntary declaration of assets long before he became the Chief Minister, druing his stint as the leader of the main opposition party. More commendable is the fact that the Chief Minister has been disclosing not only his personal assets but that of every member of his joint family. At a time when personal integrity and transparency in public life have become scarce, it is imperative that such bold initiatives are acknowledged and appreciated. Politics, for some time now, has become the first resort of persons whose sole objective appears to be to accumulate enormous amount of wealth by hook or crook. In the backdrop of this stark reality, the annual public declaration of assets by everybody active in public life should be made mandatory.
Some chose to quibble at the declaration of assets by the Chief Minister’s family, making unsubstantiated – as well as unconvincing claims about benami (undeclared) properties. The Chief Minister, time and again, maintained that if anybody could prove that there were any more assets over and above the declared ones, those would be gladly passed on to the bounty hunters.
Hurling reckless charges against the Chief Minister’s declaration will not absolve the opposition leaders of their responsibility to make a public disclosure of their own assets. The true spirit of democracy is vindicated only when transparency is ensured across political spectrum. High time for all those in public life to emulate the example of the Chief Minister!
Ramesh Babu Kandula Editor
www.andhrapradeshmagazine.org Email: apchiefeditor@gmail.com www.ipr.ap.nic.in
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Printed and Published by Ramesh babu kandula on behalf of Director/Commissioner, Information and Public Relations Dept.; Printed at M/s Caxton Offset Pvt. Ltd., 11.5.416/3, Red Hills, Hyderabad - 500 004; Published at Office of Director/Commissioner , I&PR Dept, Govt of Andhra Pradesh, Samachar Bhavan, AC Guards, Hyderabad - 500028. Editor: Ramesh Babu Kandula. Ph: 040-23300258.
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NOVEMBER 2016
CM declares assets
Assets of the Chief Minister’s entire family members were made public.
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Following his own initiative six years ago, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu made voluntary disclosure of his family’s assets this year too.
n a gesture that will gladden the hearts of all those who like to see transparency as a way of life in the top leadership, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu made voluntary disclosure of his family’s assets for the sixth consecutive year. The CM’s son and the ruling TDP General Secretary Nara Lokesh gave a full account of the assets and liabilities of the family members. The net worth of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s assets is Rs 67 lakh, according to the declaration. Chandrababu has various properties worth Rs 3.73 crore, but also bank loans of Rs 3.06 crore — taking his net worth down to just Rs 67 lakh. This was against Rs 42.4 lakh he declared in 2015 and Rs 70.69 lakh in 2014, NOVEMBER 2016
when he took over as the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh. On the other hand, Chandrababu’s wife, Bhuvaneswari, who is the managing director of the family enterprise Heritage Foods, owns assets worth Rs 33.66 crore. Son Lokesh, presently general secretary of the TDP, owns properties worth Rs 14.50 crore and daughter-in-law Nara Brahmani owns assets worth Rs 5.38 crore. The Chief Minister’s family also disclosed the value of assets registered in the name of Devansh, Lokesh’s 18month old son. They are worth Rs 11.70 crore. “We have been declaring the assets of our family voluntarily for the last six years to show that it lived by the ANDHRAPRADESHMAGAZINE.ORG
virtues of trust and transparency,” Lokesh said. “No other family of any politician in the country has declared its assets in such a transparent manner. We hope that all the politicians follow our path and declare their assets.” He said Heritage Foods, which was established by his father in Chittoor district 24 years ago, had been providing employment to over 10,000 people. “It has bagged several awards for corporate excellence. We have grown to this stage by grace of god,” Lokesh added. He said if anybody proved that the family owned more assets than what they have declared, they would transfer the same to him.
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CM Chandrababu formally occupying his chambers at IGC
AdMINIstrAtIoN
A NeW BeGINNING for
The stage is set for full-fledged functioning of the Government of Andhra Pradesh from the Interim Government Complex (IGC) at Velagapudi in Guntur district.
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t’s a new beginning for the administration of the State of Andhra Pradesh
In tune with the thinking of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, the seat of Andhra Pradesh Government has moved to Amaravati in a record time. The Interim Government Complex at Velagapudi presently houses the entire Secretariat staff, besides all offices of secretaries and the ministers’ chambers.
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The five blocks at the Interim Government Complex, all modern edifices of glass and steel, completely
air-conditioned, and automated building software, offer comfortable working atmosphere. Hundreds of secretariat employees arrived on October 3 to Velagapudi, even as the entire premises of secretariat was decked up to welcome the staffers who formally started working from the new administrative headquarters of the state. It was 24 months ago that Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu announced that the Telugu Desam government would start functioning from the Capital coming up in between Guntur and Vijayawada.
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The CM set the trend as he moved to Vijayawada in 2014 and started working from a renovated bus until the Irrigation Circle office was renovated. Once the decision for building an interim complex housing the offices of the Chief Minister, Ministers, employees, and the Assembly at Velagapudi was taken, the Chief Minister closely monitored the progress and put constant pressure on the firms to complete the construction at jet speed. The foundation stone for the interim complex, which is equidistant from NOVEMBER 2016
Undavalli and the villages where the seed Capital is coming up, was laid on February 17 this year. Two leading firms— Larsen & Toubro and Shapoorji Pallonji— were awarded the contract for building six blocks at a cost of Rs. 600 crore.
CM begins work
Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu occupied his chambers at the Interim Secretariat Complex amid Vedic chants on Dasara. Naidu said that the government constructed the complex in eight months though it faced hurdles created by the Opposition parties. There was criticism that the buildings were not completed as per schedule. But the delay was allowed to ensure quality. Though the State government has the right to function from Hyderabad for 10 years, the Chief Minister decided that the administration should be from Amaravati for achieving better results. “With the move, a new era has started, the CM said. Naidu said empowerment of every family was his main aim and he would strive to develop all the regions. The government has been implementing a number of welfare programmes ahead of other States. The schemes would continue and at the same time, the government wanted to improve the financial condition of every family. Empowerment of women was the objective of the government.
The Chief Minister said his first signature from the new premises was on the file relating to the second NOVEMBER 2016
Explaining the pains of bifurcation, Naidu said the insult meted out to the people of the State could not be wiped out easily though AP was surging ahead of other States with double-digit growth rate. A Central Command and Control Unit is being set up in the first block to enable the CM monitor the administration in districts regularly.
security tightened
With Ministers shifting to the new Secretariat, DGP Sambasiva Rao reviewed security arrangements with Guntur Range IG N. Sanjay, Superintendents of Police Sarvasrestha Tripati and Narayana Naik. The DGP said arrangements had been made at Velagapudi for the convenience of employees shifting to the Secretariat. The Andhra Pradesh Special Protection Force (APSPF) deployed security personnel at the Secretariat. Two more platoons of the APSPF would be deployed for the Secretariat. Besides, the Law and Order police would monitor the security arrangements, he said.
Jaitley lays foundation
Of late, the DWCRA groups have drifted from their path. The government initially thought of releasing to the groups as capital infusion, it was decided to allow them to use the money to meet their personal requirements. “But, my suggestion is to use it as an investment,” he said.
signs Loan Waiver
phase of loan waiver for DWCRA women. Every group member would get Rs. 3,000 as second instalment and the remaining Rs. 4,000 would be given in due course. The payments would be made from November onwards and it would impose a burden of Rs. 2,500 crore on the exchequer, he said.
Work on the permanent structures of the capital city is all set to start from November. Marking the occasion, the Chief Minister invited Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to Amaravati to launch the construction activity. The foundation-stone for the administrative city in the state’s new capital was laid on November 28 by the Union Finance Minister. Union Ministers M Venkaiah Naidu, P Ashok Gajapati Raju, Y S Chowdary, state Assembly Speaker Kodela Sivaprasada Rao, state ministers, MPs, MLAs and others attended the
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event. Coming up in 950 acres area on the banks of Krishna River, the administrative core will house all the wings of government, including the secretariat, Raj Bhavan and the state legislative assembly among other facilities.
Jaitley said the Centre will grant Rs 2.03 lakh crore in five years to the state through the Finance Commission alone. In another significant announcement, he also said that the Centre will very soon take steps to start operationalising the special economic package announced for Andhra Pradesh. “We are giving thousands and thousands of crores to Andhra Pradesh for various projects which is equivalent, if not more, to the special category status,” Jaitley said and listed the projects the Centre has sanctioned to the state in the last two years.
Addressing the CM, Jaitely said, “ You are credited with creating Hyderabad into a modern city and now you have the same opportunity in Amaravati. I am confident in due course Amaravati will become the finest city in India”. “In this task, you are not alone and the Government of India will support you to the hilt,” he said. Terming as unprecedented the act of farmers in the Amaravati region giving away their lands (33,000 acres) under the land pooling scheme for the capital development, Jaitley said “we (AP and the Centre) will together bring smiles on each of these faces”. On the State Government’s request for exemption of capital gains tax on the sale of developed land in the capital region, Jaitley assured he will sympathetically consider and see that an early decision is taken in the matter. During the 10 years of the UPA government at the Centre, Andhra Pradesh got only Rs 1.08 lakh crore, which is not even half of what it will get in five years of his government,
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Union Minister Arun Jaitley formally launching construction of administrative builidings in Amaravati.
VIJAyAWAdA adjudged 3rd best city at skoch summit
Jaitley said. The Chief Minister explained why he had chosen to accept the package announced by the Centre. He said he settled for the Centre’s special development package to the state as special category status did not look possible. Union minister Venkaiah Naidu said it was Arun Jaitley who facilitated the special assistance package for Andhra Pradesh. Brushing aside criticism on the SCS, he said the package was now a reality thanks to their fight in the Rajya Sabha during bifurcation. Besides the administrative city, Jaitley also laid the foundation-stone for RBI’s regional office building, storm water drainage system in Vijayawada city, underground drainage system in Guntur city and seven seed access roads to the capital city. Earlier, the Chief Minister hosted lunch for Jaitley at the Taj hotel here and discussed the Centre’s financial assistance to the state. Naidu wanted “legislative backing” to the special development package announced on September 7.
Work on Amaravati to begin
The State government is planning to start the work on Capital city Amaravati from new year onwards. The
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Government also set a target to complete the construction of administrative capital and create the necessary infrastructure before 2018. Chandrababu Naidu, who held a review meeting on Amaravati on the eve of laying foundation for the construction of the administrative core in the capital, asked the officials to work with a concept--target 2018. The construction of the government complex should have uniformity in buildings and reflect the art and culture of Andhra Pradesh and Buddhism, he said, adding, the government has plans to build a statue of Buddha on a hill which is closely located to the Krishna. One side of the river, Kanaka Durga temple is located atop Indrakeeladri, and the Buddha statue would come up on the other side of the river and Prakasam Barrage. The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) would construct the Venkateswara Swamy temple in the capital city. The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) would build a temple of Lord Krishna, he said, adding, mosques and churches would also come up there to enhance the spiritual ambience, he said.
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ijayawada has been adjudged the third best city and it has bagged the Skoch Smart City Silver Award at the 45th Skoch Summit. Municipal commissioner Veerapandian Ganesan and mayor Koneru Sridhar received the award in Hyderabad. Also, five innovative projects rolled out by the VMC have made it to the 'Top 100 Projects in India' for the year 2016 for the Skoch Smart City Awards. The projects include solar city, Digital Door Numbering System (DDNS), Integrated Online Development Permission Management System (DPMS), Aadhaar Enabled Biometric Attendance System (AEBAS) and Smart city mobile application.
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NOVEMBER 2016
CM addresses concerns over food Park
AP tourism projects promoted at dubai meet
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ndhra Pradesh wooed international investors for developing tourism projects in 79 virgin land parcels spread across 13 districts in the State at the UAE – India Economic Forum 2016 in Dubai. In a total area of 1,279 acres, the State has categorised these projects under seven major themes such as MICE, beaches, recreation, eco-tourism, religious tourism, wayside amenities and heritage/historic tourism. Banking on a futuristic Tourism Mission launched last year along with a tourism policy envisaging multiple incentives for investors, the State has so far realised projects worth Rs. 4,019 crore in the last one year with another Rs. 10,000 crore of investments in the pipeline. AP Tourism Policy offers both fiscal and non-fiscal incentives to investors. It also identifies a clear roadmap of investment approach in infrastructure project development where in a majority of the projects would be build either through private investments or through PPP model. The government will also undertake select tourism projects in its endeavour to build a sustainable ecosystem in the State. Tourism Secretary N Srikanth, delivering the keynote address at the UAE-India Economic Forum 2016 in Dubai, said: “Our aspiration is to develop Andhra Pradesh as one of the most preferred destinations globally. To fulfil this dream and give a major fillip to tourism, we aim to create a world-class tourism infrastructure in the State duly supported by best-in-class hotels, most modern rail, road and air network and excel in every aspect of tourism infrastructure development.” NOVEMBER 2016
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he Chief Minister instructed the State Pollution Control Board to take necessary actions to make the state free from industrial waste and pollution. He also asked officials to ensure setting up of Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CEPT) for wastewater management in all industrial clusters to achieve international standards in pollution control. “We will make the state a leader in the country in providing pollution free climate like we did in making it ODF,” the Chief Minister said. Addressing the concerns expressed on the Mega Food Park to be established in Tundurru, Bhimavaram Mandal, West Godavari district the CM reiterated that his government is committed to the progress of the district and gave assurance to the people of the West Godavari district that no injustice will be done to them. Godavari district is a leader in agricultural production, similarly, I envision making the district a leader in Industrial development as well,” the CM said. The Chief Minister said that the Godavari Mega Aqua Food Park is pollution-free and if it posed any environmental risk, he wouldn’t have allowed that to come up at all. He added that the waste from the plant will be treated and that through a special pipeline, the treated waste will be let into the sea. The officials informed the Chief Minster that Rs 25 crores has already been spent for the establishment of the park and that it would be difficult to move the park to another location. The CM warned the officials not to bypass any pollution guidelines and said that laziness of the officials will not be tolerated. A committee with local MLA and collector has been set up to seek people’s opinions and to remove the misconceptions of the people with regard to the establishment of the mega food park. “Only through industrial development, employment can be generated. If the district has to develop, industrialization is necessary. People should be made aware of this,” the Chief Minister said. He also added that a report should be drafted on how pollution can be controlled and that it should be submitted in two to three days from now. He directed the officials to set up CETP for the treatment of Yananadurru drain along with taking up treatment of polluted waters in all canals on a war footing. He said people in West Godavari are progressive and development oriented and warned all the elements trying to create misconceptions among people. The government will not tolerate any attempt to disrupt development, he added.
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AP signs two shiPbuilding MoUs WITH RUSSIA
the russian delegation with the Chief Minister
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he Andhra Pradesh Economic Development Board inked two MoUs with Russian corporations in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation. Krishna Kishore, CEO, Economic Development Board signed the MoUs at the Russia India bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Eighth Annual Summit of BRICS, Goa. One MoU was signed between Andhra Pradesh Economic Development Board and JSC United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC). USC is the biggest shipbuilding corporation in Russia and 70 per cent of the naval ships in India including submarines have been supplied by USC, its subsidiaries and partners. USC has an order book of over $20 billion with substantial orders from In-
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dian defence. With the signing of this MoU, shipbuilding in Andhra Pradesh will get a major fillip and the state will emerge as one of the biggest shipbuilding hubs in Asia in the years to come, Krishna Kishore said. This facility by USC will not only cater to the Indian market but also tap exports. Another MoU was signed between the Andhra Pradesh Economic Development Board, JSC Alexeev’s Central Hydrofoil Design Bureau, JSC Radar MMS and JSC Morinsis – AGAT and Elcom Systems Private Limited which will facilitate investments in the state of Andhra Pradesh. JSC Alexeev’s Design Bureau is a leading designer and manufacturer of high-speed vessels in Russia having vast experience in the field of re-
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search, design, construction, testing and operation of high-speed vessels. JSC Radar MMS is one of the world’s leaders in the field of developing special and civil purpose radio-electronic systems and suites, precision instruments, special software. JSC Morinsis-AGAT is an umbrella organization in the Russian shipbuilding industry specializing in the domains of informational systems and technologies, system engineering in the sphere of marine data computing equipment and electromagnetic compatibility of radioelectronic facilities. Elcom is an electronics design, development, manufacturing and services company which is part of SUN Group. Elcom has 3 state-of-the-art electronics manufacturing factories in Mohali, Punjab and a R&D centre in Noida, NCR. The company makes NOVEMBER 2016
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Minister for Trade and Industry, Russian Federation, Denis Manturov vowed to take forward the special bilateral relationship. its own patented products as well as undertakes indigenisation of foreign products under “Make In India” philosophy and sells its communications, avionics and radar products to the military and civil sectors, in India and abroad.
AP welcomes russian offer of investments
Andhra Pradesh and Russia discussed ways to enhance cooperation in a wide range of sectors as Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Minister for Trade and Industry, Russian Federation, Denis Manturov vowed to take forward the special bilateral relationship. On the occasion, the Chief Minister highlighted the various investment opportunities and strategic advantages Andhra Pradesh has. The Chief Minister mentioned that this is the right time to invest in India and when compared to other states, Andhra Pradesh can provide an excellent market for investments in a wide range of sectors given the availability of rich natural resources. He highlighted areas such as aerospace and defence manufacturing, automobile and auto components, biotechnology, electronics, energy, mineral-based industries, petroleum, petrochemicals, leather, textiles and apparel for possible collaboration. Besides this, the Chief Minister said that he is looking for active cooperation with Russia in the fields of defence and aerospace. The Chief Minister extended a warm welcome to Russian investors who are interested in colNOVEMBER 2016
laboration either with the government or with any private firm for setting up of a steel plant in the Rayalaseema region. Talking about the strengths Russia possess, the Chief Minister said that Russia’s population is low when compared to India but the country has the best technologies in the world along with strong natural resources. The CM said that while the world economy is moving slowly, the Indian economy is growing at a rate of 7.5 per cent and within that, AP is growing at 10.99 per cent. It is the only state which has a doubledigit growth rate. The Chief Minister said he wants AP to be among the top three states by 2022, number one state by 2029 and the best destination by 2050 with a high index of happiness. Explaining the bountiful natural resources of the state, the Chief Minister said that when compared to other states Andhra Pradesh has excellent reserves of gas, oil, bauxite, barite, granite, limestone and also beach sand. He also mentioned that Russia provides good opportunities for Indian investors and one can choose to invest in the pharma sector.
Petro-chemical complex in AP this fiscal
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nion Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan said a petro-chemical complex would be set up in Andhra Pradesh with an investment of Rs 35,000 crore during this financial year. Addressing a public meeting at Vangali near Vizag after laying the foundation stone for Indian Institute of Petroleum and Energy (IIPE) along with Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, Pradhan said the foundation stone for the petro-chemical complex will also be laid this fiscal (201617). Though the UPA government mentioned a petro-chemical complex in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, the NDA government took the decision to set up the complex in the region between Visakhapatnam and Kakinada, said the Union Minister. Capacity of HPCL-VR refinery in Visakhapatnam will be enhanced from 8.5 million tonnes to 15 million tonnes by December 2016 at an investment of Rs 21,000 crore, and there are also plans for pipeline supply of LPG in the state, he said. Considering the huge gas resources in Krishna Godavari basin in AP, over Rs 60,000 core would be invested in Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode in the KG basin for exploration and exploitation of oil and gas, he said.
In his closing remarks, the Chief Minister said that the government is more than willing to help investors find business in AP and that Wednesday's meeting was historic for talking Russia -Andhra Pradesh partnership to a higher level.
IIPE would produce top experts in petroleum, oil and gas sectors within four years. The campus spread over 200 acres will be ready in three to four years, Pradhan said.
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The institute is at present functioning from a temporary campus in Andhra University with a strength of 96 students.
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Excerpts from the Speech by Chief Minister at India Economic Summit organised by World Economic Forum & CII, in Delhi New Delhi
Cities As engines of growth Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu explained how he sees great opportunity for the country to tackle the challenge of the increasing trend for urbanisation.
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ri. Shivraj Singh Chouhan Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Smt. Vasundhara Raje Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Sri. Mukul Sangma Chief Minister of Meghalaya, Sri. Amitabh Kant CEO NITI Aayog and to all dignitaries present, a very good afternoon to all. It’s a pleasure to be with you all here today. Let me draw your attention to the emerging trends of urban population. By 2050 the world urban population is expected to nearly double that is likely to transform urbanization world over. Thus, planning a seamless urban expansion is going to be one of the biggest challenges of our times. w Nearly 2.5 billion Asians will live in cities by 2025. w This will account for almost 54% of the world’s urban population. w India and China alone will account for more than 62 percent of Asian urban population growth. w And 40 percent of global urban population growth from 2005 to 2025. w The four cities of New York-BostonWashington DC corridor and Los Angeles will account for one-third of US's GDP. w In the UK, London accounts for almost half Britain’s GDP. w Besides the above, in the next ten years, 65% of the world's GDP will come from only 600 cities. w Friends let me tell you with all my conviction that we are in the Urban Age and the world recognizes this fact. w Only last month, Visakhapatnam hosted the 3rd BRICS Urbanization
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Forum where issues of equitable development, sustainability, urban financing and empowerment of urban local bodies were discussed. About 377 million Indians comprising of about 31 per cent of the country’s population, live in urban areas according to Census 2011. With the more rapid growth of the Indian economy in recent years, which is expected to continue, the rate of urbanisation will increase. Projections are that by 2031, about 600 million Indians will reside in urban areas, an increase of over 200 million in just 20 years. And without advanced planning there would be mushrooming of slums in those cities. To prevent this unwelcome development, the government should prepare a blueprint of growth and put in place the mechanism to oversee its adherence. Friends, some see this as a problem, but I see this as a great opportunity for the country. I believe that cities can become enormous growth engines. In addition to this, economic gains from urbanization are significant, and urbanization should be embraced rather than resisted. Friends, I am happy to inform you that Andhra Pradesh has set a target of 50% urbanization by 2030. We aim to realize our target by meticulously planning and executing the upcoming urban regions and leveraging their inherent strengths. I want our cities to not only provide jobs, but also a fulfilling lifestyle to its ANDHRAPRADESHMAGAZINE.ORG
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citizens. Thus, our cities will have to be smart, green and sustainable. For this, I would like to emphasize the role of planning. City planning can allow authorities to see opportunities and manage risks from a vantage point. This will enable them to plan out short-term actions in line with longterm vision. Here, I want to stress that it is very important for the cities to chart out a vision and a framework. We have a vision for “ Amaravati” which will help us anticipate needs, coordinate efforts, and create efficient systems. Friends, I believe that urban planning decides urban economy and cities do not operate in vacuums. These are the guiding principles behind our ambitious project to develop the upcoming capital of Andhra Pradesh.
Andhra Pradesh Growth strategy includes Urbanization w The urban population in Andhra
Pradesh has witnessed significant growth and is rapidly urbanizing. w I am happy to inform you that our State is embarking on a journey of inclusive double digit growth that is fuelled by urban growth and development. w The people of Andhra Pradesh along with me envision transforming their State into a happy, inclusive, responsible, globally competitive and innovation-driven society w Our vision is to NOVEMBER 2016
a Be amongst the top 3 states in India by 2022. b Be the best state in India with high Happiness Index by 2029. c Be the most preferred destination by 2050. w I would like to bring to your notice that we are giving paramount importance to structured urban development. w Our cities are envisioned to be productive, inclusive, sustainable, smart and well-governed. w For balanced and equitable development, we are focusing on improved urban planning based on migration patterns. w In addition to the above we are developing growth hubs across the State to accommodate increasing demands of investment, production, housing and public services.
developing a megacity – Amaravati
w Friends, post bifurcation, we were
faced with the daunting task of developing a new capital. w After a great thought, it was decided to create a new megacity from scratch which will eventually become a major economic engine in the state. This will also serve as our capital city. w We aim to develop Amaravati into a “Happy City” w Principles like walk-to-work, urban spaces geared towards social interacNOVEMBER 2016
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tion and availability of essential services and outlets within five minutes walk from home are the central pillars of planning. In Amaravati, we plan to create a synergy of manufacturing and service industries for the growth of city. We have planned to aim high value manufacturing sectors along with services which will complement research and growth in those sectors. Let me tell you that the biggest issue faced by the nations with high rates of urbanization is the strain on transportation system due to the rapid growth in population. A well planned and developed public transportation system is essential to improve livability in a city. I am happy to inform you that we have envisioned a high quality and well-planned public transportation for the city of Amaravati with the aim of achieving 70% public transport use by the year 2020. I consider healthy living as the integral part of lifestyle in Amaravati, we have planned cyclic stations and excellent pedestrian experience to promote the same. The best cities in the world have all developed a unique personality of their own. In Amaravati, we aim to preserve our history and develop tourism circuits catering to various interests. Not only does this create jobs, it also ANDHRAPRADESHMAGAZINE.ORG
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fosters a sense of belonging and identity. In addition to the above, Kuchipudi village, where the classical dance form is said to have originated will be one of Amaravati's highlights. Amaravati will be developed as a greenest city in India. With more than 20% energy needs to be met by renewable energy, rooftop greenery, greenest legislature buildings, vertical forests and water conservation techniques ingrained during the early stages of planning, we are highly optimistic of achieving our goal. We have also planned to adopt transformational infrastructure by integrating storm water drainage system with the existing canal and village tank network for flood management and recreation purposes. The novel Land Pooling scheme adopted by Amaravati is the largest and most successful experiment in India; it reiterates the people’s desire for a world-class capital. Our “MY BRICK, MY AMARAVATI” initiative is one of its kind crowd-funding initiative for the development of a city. However small the contribution is, the people of Andhra Pradesh are lending a hand in the development of the city. I am happy to inform you that till date, we have raised fund for 56 lakh bricks at Rs. 10 per brick from more
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than 2.26 lakh donors making Amaravati a true People’s Capital.
empowering ULBs
w I believe that citizen engagement is vital for creating w w w w w w w w w w w w w
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and maintaining a sustainable and efficient city. This can happen only if the city governance is transparent, accessible and responsive. Friends, innovative use of technology can truly help with this endeavour. We have placed a large number of services online. Andhra Pradesh is also a pioneer in using technology to improve information gathering and dissemination. Through a massive application of IoT technology we have created the CM’s dashboard. Among the large amount of real time data available, there is extensive data available about Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam. Dear all, at any given point of time, one can go online and see which streetlights are on and which are not. I am keen on ensuring that any citizen at any point of time can go and approach his or her local government easily and get a rapid response and resolution. For this to happen, empowering the ULBs as well as increasing their accountability is a must. ULBs cannot plan, provide efficient services, and engage with its citizens if they do not have resources and the ability to independently raise finances. To raise finances, the ULB has to become an independent entity which can be rated by credit rating agencies. Andhra Pradesh is actively trying to empower cities. In fact, two bodies – CRDA (Capital Region Development Authority) and CCDMC (Capital City Development & Management Corporation Ltd.) have been created exclusively to enable the physical and economic growth of Amaravati. The thrust on urbanisation in the State will support the overall economic transformation and accelerate the development process. Thereby it will leverage the competitive advantage of the State in a large manner. Friends, it’s time for the cities to brand and market themselves to attract investment and measure in form of City Domestic Product (CDP) like GDP at national level or GSDP at state level as indicators of economic growth. Thank you Jai Hind
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AP REVENUE UP DURING FIRST HALF YEAR
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he state’s revenues have witnessed a healthy spike in the first half year , thanks to the efforts of the administration. The revenue earning departments -- excise, stamps and registrations, mines and land revenue have achieved a growth of 13.05 per cent compared to 10.99 per cent during the last fiscal. The State government received Rs. 22,800.09 crore compared to last year’s Rs. 20,166.86 crore during the first half year. These figures were revealed at a review meeting with these departments by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu. Officials told the Chief Minister that the Commercial Taxes Department received Rs. 16,593.17 crore, while the Excise Department achieved Rs. 2,051.90 crore. The earnings of the Stamps and Registration Department stood at R. 2,054 crore, while the land revenue was Rs. 130 crore. The total revenues, including Rs. 26 crore of the Forest Department, stood at Rs.22,800 crore. Visakhapatnam district stood first in revenue generation with Rs. 5,999.87 crore, while Vizianagaram district was at bottom with revenue of Rs. 301.49 crore. West Godavari district bagged second position with its revenue of Rs. 5174.89 crore. Naidu underlined the need for a scientific analysis of statistics and performance of the departments. The analysis was essential to create a healthy competition among the departments. He suggested that a consultancy could be hired for that purpose or an organisation could be floated.
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land Allotment Proposals
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Group of Ministers on issues relating to allocation of land to various institutions has approved a few proposals including allotment of land to Reserve Bank of India (RBI). The GOM has agreed to allot 200 acre land to Amrita university, 11 acre to the RBI and 28 acre to the Central public Works Department. And, other proposals were deferred for subsequent meeting for the need of additional information and evaluation. The government already allotted 200 acre to Vellore Institute of Technology, 150 acre to Indo UK Institute of Health, 50 acre to National Institute of Design, 25 acre to AP Human resource development Institute, 25 acre to TTD Temple and 5 acre to the Central Institute of tool Design. The proposals of SRM University, BRS Medi City Health care & Research Ltd, Brahma Kumaris Society, AP Non Resident Telugu Society, Basavatarakam cancer hospital and GITAM university are still under process for allocation of land.
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NOVEMBER 2016
AP TOPS IN BUSINESS REFORM
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ndhra Pradesh topped the “Ease of Doing Business Reforms Ranking 2015-16”, conducted by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) and the World Bank, relegating Gujarat, last year’s top ranker, to the third spot. AP stood second last year in the rankings, and resolved to work for first rank. "The reordering of the ranking signals that competitive federalism is rapidly taking root as states move swiftly to showcase themselves as ideal investment destinations," said business newspaper The Mint. Eight of the top 10 states in DIPP’s 340point Business Reform Action Plan are governed by the National Democratic Alliance. They were ranked on their implementation of DIPP-proposed reforms in period between July 2015 and June 2016. The rankings, announced by Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, are on the basis of a 340-point business reform action plan and their implementation by the States. This covers the period from July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016. The top ten ranks in 2016 included Andhra Pradesh & Telangana (98.78 per cent each implementation rate), followed by Gujarat (98.21 per cent), Chhattisgarh (97.32 per cent), Madhya Pradesh (97.01 per cent), Haryana (96.95 per cent), Jharkhand (96.57 per cent), Rajasthan (96.43 per cent), Uttarakhand (96.13 per cent) and Maharashtra (92.86 per cent). Commerce and industry minister Nirmala Sitharaman said she is happy states are taking this whole exercise seriously and competing actively. “Last year, only seven states implemented more than 50% of the reforms proposed. This year, 17 have implemented more than 50% of the 340 reforms NOVEMBER 2016
listed by DIPP,” she said. “Last year, not a single state implemented more than 75% of reforms, this year, 16 states implemented more than 75%,” she added. DIPP ranked states on six key reform areas: single-window systems, tax reforms, construction permits, environment and labour reforms, inspection reforms, and commercial disputes and paper-less courts. Interestingly, India moved up by only one spot to 130 in 2017 ranking of the Doing Business survey by the World Bank released last week. World Bank includes only Mumbai and Delhi cities in its survey, both of which performed poorly in the state ranking. Maharashtra fell by two spots to 10th rank this year while Delhi fell by four spots to 19th rank in DIPP’s state ranking. India has been criticising World Bank’s Doing Business ranking methodology alleging that Delhi and Mumbai are not representative of as large and diverse a country as India. World Bank’s India director Junaid Ahmad said he has requested World Bank chief economist Paul Romer to visit India in November to specifically look into this methodology issue. DIPP said states have created a dedicated body as a one-stop system for state-level regulatory and fiscal incentives approvals for single-window clearances. The states have also made good progress in tax reforms by mandating eregistration for value-added tax, central sales tax, and other such, and by allowing online payment and tax return filing.
The state, which resolved to be number one in business reforms after having stood second the previous year, worked up to the top rank. comply with inspection requirements in a user-friendly manner. There has also been significant progress this year in the area of judicial reforms compared to last year, particularly due to the passage of the Commercial Appellate Divisions Act in 2015 which permits setting up of commercial courts to resolve such disputes. While 12 states were ranked as leaders with 90-100% implementation record, 17 states and union territories, including Kerala, Goa and most north-eastern states, were ranked as laggards that need “jump -start” with 0-40% implementation record. “The results of the assessment demonstrate states have increasingly risen to addressing the challenge of making it easier to do business. The national implementation average stands at 48.93%, significantly higher than last year’s average of 32%,” a DIPP statement said.
States have also implemented advanced automated solutions to deal with environmental- and pollution-related applications and approvals. A number of inspection reforms, with regard to labour, tax and environment related compliances, have also been introduced across the states to help businesses
Data was collected from states on a realtime basis as reflected on the Business Reform Action Plan portal. Thirty-two states and union territories submitted evidence of having implemented 7,124 reforms
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THOUGHTS ON
new eduCAtion PoliCy 2016
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Speech of Ganta Srinivasa Rao, Minister for HRD, at CABE Meeting on 25.10.2016, Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi
chool Education is a challenging academic discipline. Education is a potent and meaningful instrument for social transformation. Quality Improvements in school education lay the strong foundations for better jobs, enhance efficiency, augment democratic participation and upgrades overall quality of life. In general, the National Education Policy 2016 is quite comprehensive and appreciable. The NEP Committee has examined the system of education in the country critically in all its dimensions and made suggestions for the improvement of quality of education right from school to University education. The suggestions made by the committee will be helpful to address the critical gaps and develop the panorama of Indian education so as to achieve the stipulated goals. On behalf of Government of Andhra Pradesh I would like to share a few thoughts:
1. Improvements of Learning outcomes
a. Various educational achievement Survey’s i.e. Annual Status of Education Report (ASER), State Level As-
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sessment Surveys (SLAS), National Assessment Surveys (NAS) reveal that the student learning Outcomes is far from satisfactory and in certain groups very low. b. Higher investment in teacher training, teaching-learning materials (TLM) and methods, simpler tools for measuring learning outcomes, improved learning environment, will go a long way in improving student grades. I suggest that allocations for TLM in flagship programs like SSA and RSMA. c. Higher investment in Remedial Coaching, institutional capacity building for SCERT, DIETs, etc. training of Resource Persons, Teachers for improved quality of Assessments and Evaluations is very much required. d. In Andhra Pradesh, we are partnering with J-PAL and Pratham in providing remedial coaching program in over 6216 Schools, in 3 districts covering over 2.5 lakh primary school students. This initiative is showing very promising results in improving the student learning outcomes. I believe that higher funding
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is required for such programs.
2. rationalization of posting of teachers in rural areas
a. The NEP 2016 committee recommendation that each state should undertake detailed exercise of school mapping to identify schools with low enrolment and inadequate infrastructure and merge them as one school in prime location is essentially a good idea. We agree with this recommendation for rationalizing and consolidating schools. During 2015-16, academic year, in Andhra Pradesh Primary multiple schools with less than 30 enrolment, within one kilometer distance were merged/consolidated. In this process 3886 Model Primary Schools with over 80 enrolment were set up across the state. Five Teachers and exclusive English Teacher have been provided for these schools. b. However, it is important to keep in mind that in remote rural habitations, where natural barriers exist, and in tribal areas with sparse populations and long distances, schools will need to be continued irrespecNOVEMBER 2016
tive of enrolment. Further, as recommended by the Draft NEP, it is important that every year before the commencement of academic year the process of rationalization should be completed in order to ensure availability of teachers in needy schools, especially in the vacancies in the rural schools c. I also agree with the NEP 2016 suggestion that there is a need to develop a cadre of competent and committed teachers in order to provide quality school education. In Andhra Pradesh we are recruiting teachers through conduct of the Teacher Eligibility and Teacher Recruitment Test. During 2015-16, we recruited nearly 9000 teachers and ensured 10 days Induction Training, before posting them to respective schools. Periodic in-service training is being given to teachers to improve their competencies. It will be helpful, if the NEP can define in greater detail specific measures to be taken up in this regards. d. It is a good idea to create a separate cadre of High School Head Masters and Principals recruited directly. While creating such a cadre, a minimum of 10 years teaching experience in Government or Private Schools could be a prerequisite. And a certain percentage of Head Masters selected through departmental promotion too. We found the Head Masters Leadership training designed by NUEPA very useful. Already about 1000 Head masters and Principals have been trained. e. In line with the suggestion of the Committee, Andhra Pradesh State is already implementing since 2015 a transparent, performance based, systematic online web based transfer counselling system. Over 62,000 Teachers exercised their web options and took their transfers. f. The recommendation of the NEP Committee for creation of Teacher Recruitment Board may be useful. It is also a good idea that only those teachers who clear TET should be engaged in private schools needs to be seriously considered. Based on the TET clearance, licentiate certifiNOVEMBER 2016
cate may be issued for classroom practice. Mandatory professional development courses both for Government and Private teachers should be organized by Government from time-to-time
3. National Achievement survey (NAs)
I appreciate the decision of the Govt. of India to conduct the National Achievement Survey in Census mode and not as a Sample Survey. This will help in identifying low performing students and target remedial coaching program appropriately. I suggest that in order to avoid too much testing of students, one of the Summative Assessments should be converted as NAS.
4. Compulsory Board examinations in Class X
a. In the NEP draft recommendations, taking board examination is made optional; those who wish to perceive higher education can appear for board examination. However, we are of the view that Board Examination for Class X should be mandatory to test the learning outcomes of the school leaving students. It would in fact be better to include a Vocational Education certification as compulsory for Class X Board Examinations.
5. Joyful Learning
a. The draft NEP recommendations revolving around improvement of learning. Joyful learning allows that children to learn without stress. Activity based learning at the primary level, learning with games, integration of arts, etc. has proven to be most effective in making learning joyful. There is a need to develop joy full learning in Primary School on the sound lines of UNICIF, joy full learning scheme. All the teachers should be provided orientation on participatory, activity based and joy full learning methods. Hence, there is a need to relook into the Pedagogy of teacher education i.e., both pre service and in service teacher education. There is need to develop supplementary story materials, co-curricular material for the allround development of the children. ANDHRAPRADESHMAGAZINE.ORG
b. I am happy to inform that in Andhra Pradesh we are taking firm steps to bring in activity based learning promoted under the RiVER Ladder Model (Rishi Valley Education) to address multi grade and multi-level teaching issues in about 1500 primary schools during this year. We will be expanding it to other primary schools in the next two years. c. Similarly, Andhra Pradesh State is taking action for reviewing the whole Physical Education curriculum, and initiated the Physical Literacy movement in Schools with technical support from the Pullela Gopichand Sports Academy. Mandatory for 6 hours of Yoga and Physical Literacy classes is introduced. Sports, games, art & craft, debates, quizzes, singing, etc. are part of the whole school functioning. d. With encouragement from our Hon’able Chief Minster, environmental awareness, participation of school children in social, health and hygiene programs is being done on a big scale. Every last Saturday of the month is designated for “Street Schools” where in children undertake visits outside the schools to forest areas, national parks, historical monuments, Dams, Science Labs, community events, etc.
6. Anganwadi to be co-located with Primary schools
We fully support the view that the Anganwadies, currently functioning under Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) should be integrated with Primary School system. The Anganwadis should not only be co-located in the premises of Primary School, but the whole pre-school component should be regulated and supported by the school education system. If that is not feasible, systematic coordination between preprimary and primary schools should be ensured. In Andhra Pradesh, we took up a campaign for enrolling all Anganwadi children in Primary Schools during May 2016, well in time for the new academic year leading to nearly 300,000 children from Anganwadis centers joining Government primary schools.
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Andhra Pradesh tops in
ATTRACTING INVESTMENTS
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he new innovative industrial policy (2015-20) of the Government of Andhra Pradesh has started to
yield results. The single desk clearance policy and other proactive measures by the government are turning AP into sought after investment destination. At a meeting of the State Investment and Promotion Board, the State Government approved four new mega industrial projects which would pro-
vide employment to 53,100 people. The SIPB meeting held under the Chairmanship of the Chief Minister, approved the setting up of electronics manufacturing unit by Dixon Technologies Pvt Ltd, ship building unit by Reliance Defence and Engineering Limited, garment unit by Gokaldas Exports Limited and solar manufacturing units by Essel GCL
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consortium with a total investment of Rs 26,630 Crore creating direct employment for 39,900 people and indirect employment for 13,200
The Committee approved Land Allocation Requests of 3 Food Processing Projects Vyshnavi Mega Food Park Pvt Ltd, Hatsun Agro Product
people.
and Sri Varsha Integrated Food Park Pvt Ltd with a combined total investment of Rs 295 Crore and employment for 6,700 persons.
In addition to the above, the Committee approved a framework for approving industrial proposals of investors who are located in other states and intend to expand their business in Andhra Pradesh. Under this category, three units have been granted permission to set
up their units with a total investment of Rs 2,000 crores. United seamless Tubular Pvt Ltd, Kamineni Steel & Power Ltd and Oil & Country Tubular Ltd Pvt have been given permission to set up manufacturing units for the producing of alloy steel, pipes, steel billet plant and tubular goods. This would provide employment for 300 people.
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The Committee also approved supplementary incentives requested by Texport Industries Pvt Ltd, Britannia Industries Limited, Jain Irrigation Systems Limited and Indani
Global Pvt Ltd. State tops in attracting investments In the last two and half years, 375 projects worth investments of Rs 3,31,650 cores have been identified. Out of these, 253 are in advanced stage and for the remaining 55 projects land has been allotted. Once commissioned, these 375 projects would provide employment to NOVEMBER 2016
7,77,043 people. Many more investors are coming forward to invest in solar, electronics, textiles and food processing units. Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu called for providing subsidies and incentives on real-time basis to investors who want to set up industries in Andhra Pradesh. One should not run around the offices for permissions to set up industries and investors should be provided with all basic facilities, the Chief Minister said. The Chief Minister instructed that the 350 crores allotted by the Centre to the extremely backward districts
The Chief Minister announced that special incentives and subsidies would be provided for industries which are set up in the extremely backward districts of the state.
The Chief Minister announced that special incentives and subsidies would be provided for industries which are set up in the extremely backward districts of the state. Besides this, the Chief Minister added that the land should be taken back, if, inspite of signing the MoU’s, industries have not been set up within the given time frame.
of Rayalaseema and north costal Andhra Pradesh should be spent for providing basic facilities in those districts only.
The investors willing to invest in the tourism sector should be provided with special subsidies and incentives as the tourism sector has not been able to attract enough investments lately. v
KAsyAPA Pension scheme applied in the first round up to the end of June month, are already receiving financial assistance from the Corporation. Those who could not apply in the first round, can now register their names under the Kasyapa Scheme from 1st to 30th November 2016, IYR Krishna Rao, Chairman, A.P. Brahmin Welfare Corporation, said.
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he Kasyapa Scheme for Food and Shelter is being reopened for those people who missed it earlier. Over 7,000 beneficiaries, who
NOVEMBER 2016
Under this scheme of pensions launched in the current financial year, poor and orphan children (up to age 14 years), widows, physically challenged, and old people (above 60 years) are paid a monthly assistance ANDHRAPRADESHMAGAZINE.ORG
of Rs 1,000. Old aged people staying in recognized old-age homes get Rs 3,000 per month. Brahmins living in Andhra Pradesh, with a family income not above Rs 75,000 per year, are eligible. Applicants should not be receiving aid for the same purpose under any other government scheme. For selection procedure and other details, and for registration, visit ABC’s web site: www.andhrabrahmin.ap.gov.in. In case of any clarifications, call toll free:1800-102-3579.
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ENGLISH JOURNALISTS FROM AP
A PrINCIPLed JoUrNALIst
KHASA SUBBA RAO Khasa Subba Rau was an inspiring figure from his era. Khasa earned his reputation for his bold journalism, ethical clarity, intellectual honesty, and the rare ability to speak truth to power.
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distinguishing feature of most Andhra journalists would seem to be not only their ability, which was exceptional anyway, but also their mobility. The bulk of them, at any rate, could not stick to one place. The quest for opportunities for self-expression, and adequate freedom for that, took them to the weirdest newspaper establishments. Many of those newspapers and periodicals were short-lived, but even for the duration of their life they were oxygenated by the great Andhra journalists. Among such journalists, those who converted into the voice of history the death-rattle they found in the throats of the publications they joined, a top place must be accorded to Khasa Subba Rao. Born in a Brahmin family of Nellore district, Khasa could easily be lost to journalism. That he was not the good form of journalists not only of Andhra Pradesh but of the whole of India because the radius of his fame extended to the whole of the country. Indeed he had initially toyed with the idea of adopting the legal profession. He had taken the First-Grade pleaders’ examination, but decided he would rather be a teacher. And a teacher he was all his life, teaching not only aspirants to a journalistic life what can be described as the Three R’s of journalism (reporting, writing and rewriting) but also teaching certain home-truths to the Learned of the Land. Nobody was too big to learn from him. Nobody was too small either. Khasa became first a teacher in a high school and then became the headmaster of a middle school. And left teaching in a classroom. Thereafter the country became his classroom. His pupils were the bewildered people of India waiting to be taught to fight the overlord. It was the distinction of Khasa that he not only taught but also learnt, from Gandhiji for instance.
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Then came the Salt Satyagraha. Khasa went from village to village in his district explaining the significance of the stir. Then he went to jail. But the British Government had not yet devised a cell which could subdue Khasa’s soul. His spirit was unbroken. When he was released from prison, his emotions found a release in the hallowed columns of “Swarajya,” an English daily, started by Tanguturi Prakasam in the early Twenties. He stood by Prakasam unmindful of adenoids and occupational hazards of journalism, chief among which is job insecurity. But Khasa was not looking for security in an insecure India. Swarajya folded up. Khasa did not. He joined The Indian Finance of Calcutta, Liberty and Free Press Journal before rejoining Indian Express. In 1946 Khasa started his own weekly, “Swatantra.” In no time it came to be read by far too many persons for the equanimity of the Government. Besides attracting to it some budding writers, many of whom later grew
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NOVEMBER 2016
To Khasa, journalism was not a profession. At best, it was a mission. At worst, it was an obsession. Throughout his journalistic career he was guided by the salutary principle that a journalist who lowered his ideals in the causes of self-interest was a disgrace to the fraternity of the Fourth Estate. into stalwarts, the Weekly was true to its name. It exhibited a robust independence not found in many started after Independence. After running it for a decade, with decorum if not with distinction, Khasa sold away the journal. In June 1958, he started the “Swarajya” weekly. Rajaji, who had the highest regard for Khasa, blessed the venture. After a couple of years, it was taken over by those who wanted to make it a fit instrument for the dissemination of the philosophy of the Swatantra Party. Khasa stayed on as its editor and what he wrote in his “Sridelights” is remembered with both respect and relish to this day. To Khasa, journalism was not a profession. At best, it was a mission. At its worst, it was an obsession. Throughout his journalistic career he was guided by the salutary principle that a journalist who lowered his ideals in the causes of self-interest was a disgrace to the fraternity of the Fourth Estate. He would rather be a one-horse journalist than a journalist with a one-track mind. Indeed, it was his ability to detach personalities from issues and view the latter which earned him the respect of all. Even those whom he criticised became his acolytes because, when he did, he criticised persons not per se but for their actions. That alone can explain why he kept changing his heroes. He adored them but he also attacked them. And they bled like mere mortals. The Olympian pose often did not bear scrutiny. Even Rajaji could not escape Khasa’s “attention.” Rajaji was not faultless. But Khasa saw fewer faults in him than in others. Understandably, Rajaji retained till the last Khasa’s respect. One of the frivolous charges levelled against Khasa was that he was not consistent. The critics evidently had a rather lopsided understanding of what constitutes consistency. Consistency, if it means a perverse refusal to learn from experience, is an overrated virtue, quite unbecoming of a journalist. And Khasa was a journalist nonpareil. Some may not agree with what he stood for but nobody would dare bring him down from the pedestal on which he stood for ever.
- y V ramakotaiah senior Journalist
NOVEMBER 2016
state to host first-ever women MPs meet in January Participants would discuss women empowerment and political challenges on Day One, personality development and vision for future on the second day.
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laborate arrangements will be made for the prestigious women parliamentarians' conference which will be held in the capital city region in the second week of January. About 400 women MPs and legislators of state assemblies will take part in the first-ever such session to be held in Andhra Pradesh. Assembly speaker Kodela Sivaprasada Rao said the meeting is likley to be held at Pavitra Sangamam near Ferry in Ibrahimpatnam mandal. However, a final decision would be taken after inspecting other locations. About 8,000 girl students from across the country would be invited. The decision to involve the students was taken to enhance political awareness among the girls and make them realise the importance of women's participation in policy making. Top women leaders from industry, business, social activists and representatives of NGOs will also be invited. "There will be discussions on encouragement to women and strengthening of democracy on all three days of the conference," Kodela said. Participants would discuss women empowerment and political challenges on day one, personality development and vision for future on the second day and take part in run for women empowerment on day three. Kodela asked VMC commissioner G Veerapandian and senior officials to immediately scout for places for accommodation to all the visiting guests. Deputy speaker Mandali Budhaprasad has been told to chalk out cultural programmes during the sessions. Pune MIT School chief Rahul V Karad and others were present.
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CELLULOID WIZARD
(In this brand new series we bring to you non-Telugu technicians who have worked for the growth of Telugu cinema).
b.vittalacharya
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uch before Steven Spielberg brought to screen cloned dinosaurs and other horrifying creatures to scare and thrill us, Vittalacharya created on the silver screen even more monstrous beings to frighten and delight us. That he did when computer graphics were unheard of. Besides creating mechanical versions, the Karnataka born filmmaker also made use of live animals not only to thrill the audience but also to scare the actors behind the screen. Here is an anecdote. A popular hero once played truant and did not report for the days shoot. Under such circumstances the normal practice is to cancel the shooting or to film the scenes that did not require the hero. This is what any other director would have done but not Vittalacharya. Talking to this writer in the late 1980’s he recalled an incident with a broad grin. “I immediately made a change in the script and transformed the hero into an animal by a sage. I called an animal trainer who brought an animal and shot the scene. From the next day, I did not face any problem from the hero. He was on time to the sets.”
eArLy dAys
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Born on January 18, 1920 in Udayavara near Udupi, Vittalacharya was interested in stage plays, yakshagana and the Kannada folk art Bylaata even as a child. At 9, he left home for Arsikere in Hassan district to fend for himself doing
odd jobs and finally bought an Udupi restaurant and successfully ran it. During this phase, he participated in Quit India Movement and was jailed. Coming out of the prison, he handed over the hotel business to his younger brother and established touring talkies in Hassan district with D. Shankar Singh and other friends. Soon they owned three such theatres. Vittalacharya’s passion towards cinema grew here as he watched all the movies screened at these theatres. In 1944 he married Jayalakshmi
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Acharya.
eNtry INto tINseL toWN
After marriage he moved to Mysore and formed Mahatma Pictures with his friends. Starting with ‘Krishna Leela’ the company had made several films in Kannada including, ‘Srinivasa Kalyana,’ ‘Ramadasu,’ ‘Nagakannika’ the first folklore film in Kannada followed by the first silver jubilee hit, ‘Jaganmohini(1951). Interestingly, Shankar Singh’s wife Pratima Devi, a well known stage actor of the time made her screen NOVEMBER 2016
Born on January 18, 1920 in Udayavara near Udupi, this Kannadiga brought cloned dinosaurs and other horrifying creatures to scare and thrill us much before Steven Spielberg brought them to screen. Vittalacharya’s most rewarding experience however was making films with N.T. Ramarao. Starting with ‘Bandipotu’ (1963) Vittalacharya had directed 15 films with the legendary actor and released three of them the same year in 1969 (Gandikota Rahasyam, Kadaladu-Vadaladu’ and ‘Aggipidugu’) a record of sort. debut with ‘Krishna Leela’ and also played a lead role in ‘Jaganmohini.’ Harini then a 15 year old starred as Mohini. Observing the work of his directors, Vittalacharya ventured into direction. It is said that it was he who had directed ‘Jaganmohini’ but his partner Shankar Singh credited himself as the director. Soon the partners left one by one and Vittalacharya formed his own production company, Vittal Productions and produced and directed his first production, ‘Sowbhagyalakshmi’ (1953). It competed with the Hindi blockbuster hit, ‘Anarkali’ and ran for 100 days. In order to make his horizon wider, Vittalacharya decided to remake his second movie, ‘Kanyadana’ in Telugu and shifted to Madras (now Chennai) then the abode of Telugu film industry. Kantharao and ‘Shavukaru’ Janaki played the lead roles in ‘Kanyadaanam’ (1955). He followed it with another family drama, ‘Vaddante Pelli’ starring Chalam and Krishnakumari. When both the films flopped he made a folklore ‘Jaya Vijay.’ Its success earned him the confidence and along with it also the urge to prove himself in social films. But his next two directorial – ‘Pelli Meeda Pelli,’ and ‘Anna Chellelu’ failed to click with the audience. It was a time when socio-mythologies were ruling the box office. Vittalacharya made ‘Kanaka Durga Puja Mahima’ with his favourite stars Kantharao and Krishnakumari and tasted big success.
treNdsetter
After tasting moderate success with the Hindi remake ‘Khaidi Kannaiah’ he had concentrated on making folklore films in Telugu. One by one,
NOVEMBER 2016
‘Madana Kamaraju Katha,’ ‘Guruvunu Minchina Sishyudu,’’Vijayasimha,’ ‘Jwaladweepa Rahasyam’ etc., rolled from his production house. Most of them starred Kantharao and Rajanala in the main roles. Till then the folk heroes in our movies wore traditional costumes. Vittalacharya draped them in Roman soldier attire. He made excellent use of makeup. This gave the audience a fresh feel. He also mixed elements of horror and humour in a folk tale and laced it with good music. He opined that folklore films besides entertaining also gave a grasp of our mythologies, folk tales, our culture and traditions, adventures and advancement during the ancient times. “In ‘Ramayana’ we read about ‘pushpaka vimana and flying by them. Now we are traveling by airplanes. We read about ‘agneyastra,’ ‘paasupatastra’ etc. We are now seeing such deadly weapons as nuclear bombs.” Kantharao in his autobiography wrote that Vittalacharya was a perfectionist and expected unit members to be on the sets half an hour before the shooting begins. He had also worked on a shoe string budget. If he had shot a scene on the hero and heroine in a room, he will use the same room by making slight alterations in the décor to film another scene involving another set of actors. Most of his films were completed in 28 days. During the early phase of his career in Madras, B. Nagi Reddi extended all support to Vittalacharya who had shot most of his movies at Vauhini studios. When Nagi Reddi requested Vittalacharya to dub for him ‘Mayabazar’ in Kannada, Vittalacharya readily obliged. It was a
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stupendous hit. It is to recall that Vijaya Productions made one of their all time hits, ‘Gundamma Katha’ based on Vittalacharya’s 1958 Kannada hit, ‘Mane Thumbida Hennu.’
fILMs WItH Ntr
Vittalacharya’s most rewarding experience however was making films with N.T. Ramarao. Starting with ‘Bandipotu’ (1963) Vittalacharya had directed 15 films with the legendary actor and released three of them the same year in 1969 (Gandikota Rahasyam, KadaladuVadaladu’ and ‘Aggipidugu’) a record of sort. He also holds the unique record of directing two future Chief Ministers, NTR and Jayalalitha in four films (Chikkadu -Dorakadu, Gandikota Rahasyam, Alibaba 40 Dongalu and ‘Kadaladu-Vadaladu). Among his sixty odd films, Vittalacharya liked ‘Aggipidugu’ the most. “The reason, NTR’s brilliant acting.”
JANAPAdA BrAHMA
By 1968 when folklores were taking a backseat, Vittalacharya made a social film, ‘Beedalapatlu’ (1972) based on Victor Hugo’s ‘Le Miserables.’ Despite a heartwarming performance from Akkineni Nageswara Rao and critical acclaim the film flopped miserably at the turnstile. Vittalacharya had realised that the audience expect the usual gimmicks, sword fights, song and dance, adventure scenes from him and not melodramatic socials. When his next three films also failed to click he dusted the file of his big hit Kannada movie, ‘Jaganmohini’ improvised it and remade it in Telugu with Narasimha Raju and Jayamalini playing the lead. Incidentally it was Vittalacharya who had changed her
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KRIBHCO
to invest Rs 1000 cr in AP plant
director Vithalacharya
name from Alivelu Manga to Jayamalini while she was acting in ‘Aadadani Adrushtam.’ “Jaganmohini’ (1978) was such a big hit that it not only rewrote box office collections for folk genre but also earned the epithet ‘Janapada Brahma’ for Vittalacharya. He became a household name not only in Telugu states but also all over Tamil Nadu. The folklore cinema trend lasted for a few more years before giving way to socio-mythological. Vittalacharya made a few in that genre too ‘Karuninchina Kanakadurga’ (1992) was his last film. In an interview to this writer in 1988 Vittalacharya had said that ‘if you want to experience excellent folklore movies again, new generation with new thoughts and new ideas should enter.’ Vittalacharya breathed his last on May 28, 1999 leaving behind a rich legacy. Critics may dismiss his movies and awards might have eluded him, however he was rewarded by a generation of moviegoers with their overwhelming response to his films. The Karnataka born director had carved a niche for himself in the Telugu tinsel world.
M L Narasimham film Historian & Critic
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The plant is being set up in Andhra Pradesh as the state government has offered power at Rs 1 per unit for next 10 years, VAT exemption for next seven years and a host of other incentives, giving benefit to KRIBCO of about Rs 500 crore.
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ooperative Kribhco plans to invest Rs 1,000 crore for setting up a P&K (phosphoric and potassic) fertiliser plant at Krishnapatnam in Andhra Pradesh.
This will be the first P&K fertiliser plant of the cooperative, which produces urea only, Kribhco managing director N Sambasiva Rao said. "The land has already been allotted by state government for the fertiliser plant. The annual capacity of the plant will be about 600,000 tonnes and it will require an investment of Rs 1,000 crore," Rao said. Government of Andhra Pradesh has allotted first tranche of 119.5 acres of land for the project for which possession has been taken. According to Kribhco officials, it will take 4-5 years for the project to become operational. The plant will come up near Krishnapatnam port on east coast of India. A techno-economic feasibility report for the project has already been prepared. There are also plans to increase the capacity of this plant in the second phase and take the total annual capacity to 1.2 million tonnes per annum. P&K fertilisers are partially decontrolled as companies are free to decide prices while subsidy on it is fixed by the government. At present, Kribhco has one urea plant in Hazira in Gujarat having an annual capacity of 2.2 million tonnes. Besides, the cooperative has one plant in Shajhanpur in Uttar Pradesh in partnership with the Shyam group having a capacity of 1 million tonnes and one plant in Oman in partnership with Iffco. ANDHRAPRADESHMAGAZINE.ORG
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NOVEMBER 2016
Abolish Rs.500, Rs.1000 notes to curb black money: CM
Politics has become a shelter for corrupt people and black money earners. Some people who are in politics are misusing the people’s mandate. I’m writing a letter to the Prime Minister today asking that Rs 1000 and Rs 500 notes be abolished and total bank transactions be encouraged, the Chief Minister said.
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and Rs 1,000 notes among voters. "This is leading to competition among MLAs, who also want to make money to win elections. This is a vicious circle and the only way to break it is to go for total bank transactions," he added.
hief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu demanded abolishing big currency notes and called for making banking transactions compulsory in course of time to curb black money. Stressing the need for ban on cash transactions, he reiterated his demand for immediately abolishing currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 denominations.
He also did not favour Income Declaration Scheme for black money earners, saying this only help them to turn black money into white. "They have to give only 40-45 percent money. Their remaining money becomes white. It's good for them. They will happily pay this. There is not even social stigma," he said.
Addressing a news conference in his new office at Velagapudi, he also voiced concern that politics has become a "shelter" for corrupt. Naidu, who had been demanding a ban on big currency notes, said he would be writing a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi this regard. He said abolishing the big currency notes was necessary to check those who are buying votes and misusing the people's mandate. "Politics has become shelter for corrupt people and black money earners," said the Chief Minister. Terming black money as the root cause for all the evils, Naidu said this could be curbed by abolishing cash and currency transactions and making all transactions through banks compulsory. When all payments can be made through a smart phone, there was no need for cash transactions, he said. "In course of time we have to go for total bank transactions. We have to regulate and create culture. Then only we can control all evils and then only everybody will earn money through genuine way," he said. Stating that some people were becoming rich overnight, he said when questioned, they were launching a "counter attack". Naidu said such people get votes by distributing Rs 500 NOVEMBER 2016
Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitely had said early this month that after the first quarter of the Income Declaration Scheme ended on Sep 30, as many as 64,275 declarants have collectively disclosed Rs 65,250 crore. "Out of the Rs 65,000 crore disclosed across the country, Rs 13,000 crore was declared in Hyderabad and, out of it, Rs 10,000 crore by a single individual. Who is that, we can't know as per law. Is it possible for a businessman to declare such huge money?" Naidu said. Appreciating Prime Minister Narendra Modi for stating that there are still people and problems like Ravana, Naidu said black money was a major cause for these problems. He pointed out that after earning the money by hook or crook, some people resort to drinking liquor, going to clubs and indulging in other immoral activities. Claiming that India is positioned to become super power, Naidu said it is the only country in the world with great values and described the family system as country's greatest asset.
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BETS BIG ON REMAKES
A slew of Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and even Marathi films are being remade in Telugu these days. While some of these films have already released, others are in various stages of production. Although it's not a new trend, what's surprising is the number of A-listers attached to such remakes. Is this an indication that the audiences are going to see films, which are considered 'safe bets', over the span of next few months? Yes and No. Read on…
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n October 7, out of four films that released in theatres, two of them were remakes of acclaimed Malayalam films. While Naga Chaitanya, Shruti Haasan starrer Premam, a remake of the Malyalam film of the same name, went on to become a hit, the other film Mana Oori Ramayanam (a remake of Joy Mathew's 2012 Malayalam film Shutter) opened to positive reviews. However, Prakash Raj, who directed and played the lead role in Mana Oori Ramayanam, was forced to make an earnest appeal to the viewers to go watch his film. "I'm happy that the film opened to good reviews and the word of mouth has been very encouraging. However, the revenue at the box-office was nowhere close to what we had expected it to be. I request all of you to please support our because if films like these work commercially, it'll encourage more people like me to present good content to the audience," Prakash Raj said.
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The pros and cons of remakes couldn't be articulated better than the difference in the results of Premam and Mana Oori Ramayanam. Leaving aside comparisons between remakes and its original versions, as it happened in Premam's case, one of the biggest issues with remakes is how the context changes when a story is adapted to suit our nativity and sensibilities. It's no secret that several Telugu filmmakers and actors, like Venkatesh, have cracked the code of picking the right subjects which have an universal appeal, but Telugu film industry's obsession with remakes is a risky proposition. Despite all the risks attached to such endeavours, it hasn't deterred some of the top actors in the industry to give their nods to play lead roles in remakes. And over the span of next few months, as many as six films featuring the likes of Chiranjeevi, Pawan Kalyan, Ram Charan, Venkatesh and Samantha are slated for release. First among the biggies on the NOVEMBER 2016
bought the rights of 'Two Countries' and 'Oru Vadakkan Selfie' which were runaway hits in Kerala.
list is Chiranjeevi's 150th film, Khaidi No 150, which is a remake of a Tamil film 'Kaththi'. Directed by VV Vinayak, Khaidi No 150 is one of the most eagerly awaited films of 2017 and with Chiranjeevi making his comeback after a gap of nine years, all eyes are on the film to see whether the content will suit Chiranjeevi's image or not. Incidentally, the day Ram Charan announced officially that Chiranjeevi's 150th film is going to be a remake, the reaction was mixed at best. RGV, in particular, was quite critical of the move to choose a remake as Chiranjeevi's comeback film and questioned whether the Megastar failed to find at least one good original script in Telugu. He wasn't alone who voiced their opinion about the issue; however, now that the dust has settled, fans of Megastar are waiting with bated breath for Khaidi No 150. The last time Chiranjeevi and VV Vinayak worked together for 'Tagore', which itself was a remake of a Tamil film 'Ramana', it went on to become one of the most memorable films in Chiranjeevi's career. Then, there's Ram Charan, Rakul and Aravind Swami starrer Dhurva, a remake of Thani Oruvan which went on to become a blockbuster in Tamil in 2015. With Surender Reddy taking the onus of directing the Telugu version, Dhruva is expected to be a stylish action thriller, but the bigger question is whether it will make the same impact as Thani Oruvan did or not.
NOVEMBER 2016
Chiranjeevi and Ram Charan aren't the only actors from Mega family banking on remakes. In fact, Pawan Kalyan has made up his mind to act in two back-to-back remakes all of a sudden. The first one of the two, titled Katamarayudu which is a remake of Ajith starrer 'Veeram', is already underway and another untitled film, which is reportedly a remake of Vedalam, is on the cards as well. After a long gap, Sumanth is making his comeback on silver screen with a quirky film like Naruda Donoruda in which he'll be playing a sperm donor. The film is the remake of 'Vicky Donor' which became a rage in Hindi few years ago. Although it was considered a risky subject to be adapted for Telugu sensibilities, there's every chance that the audiences will see the funny side of a youngster getting caught in such a tricky situation. On the other hand, after playing lead roles in a string of family dramas, Venkatesh will soon be seen in a boxing drama titled Guru, a remake of Irudhi Suttru. He'll be playing boxing coach and after a long time, Venkatesh will be sporting a beefy look in this film that is being shot in Vizag. Talking about remakes of Malayalam films, Premam was not the only film which caught the attention of Telugu filmmakers. Rumours are rife that Dulquer Salmaan, Parvathy starrer Charlie could be remade, whereas couple of producers have already ANDHRAPRADESHMAGAZINE.ORG
Perhaps, the more interesting development in this trend has been the emergence of Kannada cinema, which has been churning out some interesting films of late. Pawan Kumar's UTurn, a horror thriller, is expected to be remade in Telugu with Samantha playing the lead role as a journalist. Although it's not clear when it's going to be shot, buzz is that Pawan Kumar is already working on the remake. Apart from U-Turn, Telugu audiences will soon see Godhi Banna Sadharana Mykattu, a critically acclaimed film, which will be directed by Prakash Raj, along with Ugram's remake in Jayanth C Paranjee's direction. Apart from Kannada cinema, Telugu filmmakers are also keeping an eye on Marathi cinema with Nagraj Manjule's Sairat in spotlight as a potential remake material. The topic of remakes wouldn't be complete without mentioning Oopiri, one of the best films of 2016 so far. A remake of a cult French drama 'Intouchables', Oopiri is the perfect example of how a remake should be done and kudos to Vamshi Paidipally for getting the adaptation right, along with casting in the form of Nagarjuna, Karthi and Tamannaah. Maybe, it would be asking for too much to expect every remake to click at the box-office and there is always a risk factor of adaptations not working in Telugu; however, with so many Alisters betting big on acclaimed films from other languages, it wouldn't be wrong to say that remakes will rule the box-office for the next few months at least. The question now is, will these remakes lead to a deluge of more remakes or will their success turn out to be a challenge for Telugu screenwriters and filmmakers to churn out more original scripts to make their voice heard. The game is on.
- Hemanth Kumar Cr 27
AP launches electronic urban Public health Centre (euPhC)
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tate Health Minister Kamineni Srinivas inaugurated Andhra Pradesh’s first ever Electronic Urban Primary Healthcare Centre (eUPHC) in Vijayawada in the presence of officials from the state government and representatives of Apollo Hospitals. In the next few months, 222 more eUPHCs will be launched across the state. In a first of its kind initiative in the country, the Government of Andhra Pradesh undertook an initiative to upgrade the Urban Primary Health Centres (UPHC) into eUPHCs through a wellthought out PPP model enabling access to Specialist doctors through Telemedicine and diagnostics in the local neighbourhoods itself. Further on, Apollo Hospitals, one of Asia’s most trusted integrated healthcare providers, extended its commitment to rural and remote healthcare by providing services at 164 such eUPHCs across 9 districts in Andhra Pradesh to manage & operate for a period of three years along with the government of Andhra Pradesh through a well drawn tender. “As per the directives in National Urban Health Mission (NUHM) it is imperative
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Health Minister K srinivas launching the programme
to meet healthcare needs of the urban population with the focus on urban poor, by making available to them essential primary healthcare services and reducing their out of pocket expenses for treatment. With the launch of eUPHCs, we would be able to serve families which are below and close to the poverty line thereby catering to basic and advanced healthcare needs of close to 50% of the urban/semi urban population of the state of Andhra Pradesh”, said Kamineni Srinavas. Urban Primary Health Centres (UPHCs) established by the Government serve as the first point of intervention for patients who typically can be treated at the primary level for their basic healthcare needs. “The Hon’ble Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Shri N. Chandrababu Naidu had the noble vision to provide prompt integrated quality primary healthcare for the urban poor population of Andhra Pradesh at their doorsteps. Our eUPHCs are enabled with technology to provide speciality consultations through Telemedicine for select specialities, and will provide laboratory investigations, primary healthcare services through General ANDHRAPRADESHMAGAZINE.COM
Apollo Hospitals will be the service provider for the Government of AP to provide primary healthcare and telemedicine facilities for urban poor population of Andhra Pradesh through this Public Private Partnership model. Practitioners and nurses”, added Shri K. Srinivas. Speaking on the occasion, Vikram Thaploo, CEO- Apollo Hospitalssaid, “This initiative is a novel way to cater to the ever increasing healthcare needs of our population. These eUPHCs will serve families which are below and near the poverty line, thereby catering to the healthcare needs of the urban/semi urban population of the state of Andhra Pradesh. Through this initiative the government aims to serve 13.2 million people of Andhra Pradesh in three years, which is approximately 20% of the total population of Andhra Pradesh We are delighted that Apollo Consortium won the tender and Government chose Apollo Hospitals as the service provider for this endeavour and are confident of leveraging the best technological innovations to enhance access to quality healthcare for everyone. This project is part of Apollo’s Rural Connect initiative.” The National Urban Health Mission aims to take this initiative across more states of the country and provide primary healthcare to the underserved population. v
NOVEMBER 2016
chief minister’s
social network
CM Chandrababu Naidu is an active social media user. Many of you have been actively following his activities with admiration. Here are a few snapshots from his Twitter account and those on him.
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AMAZING ANDHRA PRADESH
PAPiKondAlu Hills, Waters & Forest! 30
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NOVEMBER 2016
W
hile sailing on the cruise through curvilinear flow of River Godavari at the Eastern Ghats of Papikondalu, look into the tranquil waters reflecting the hills shrouded in the humid green forest; you will listen to a whispering voice that awakens you to the rich secrets of the nature. Papikondalu tour, the tourist extravaganza of the West Godavari district of AP, is not only a visual feast to you- being a travel enthusiast and nature lover, but also a soothing retreat. Plotting a course through the twisty river trails, through which the Godavari flows to find its way to the east, you may sojourn at temples and sanctuary of migratory birds, on the banks of the river. For tourists and birders, between November and March is said to be the best time to visit Papikondalu, near Pattiseema. Budding singers, choreographers are engaged in the cruises to make the trip a tourist extravaganza. They entertain and also narrate as guides providing excellent information about the place, its importance and the flora and fauna. Pattiseema, which is bounded by hillocks wrapped in thick blanket of vegetation, is famous for Sri Veerabhadra temple, known to be one of the Panchakasi Kshetrams. The life size sculpture of Devi Bhadrakali is the apparent hallmark of the enthralled journey of cruise along river Godavari. The hillock has two groups of temples. One group headed by Veerabhadra Swamy temple with a life size sculpture of Bhadrakali Devi. Other shrines include those of Kankadurga, Kumaraswamy, Lakshmi Ganapathi, Subramanyam Swamy, Mahishasuramardhini and Saraswati. Thus, being highly sacred for its mythological significance, the vicinity is frequented by devotees of different cults.
Photographers’ delight
Encased by the enchanting hills boarding wide variety of flora and fauna with sparkling clear waters of Godavari lashing the foot hills, the place is an absolute delight for nature loving photogNOVEMBER 2016
raphers. Pattisama, Papikonda Wild Life Sanctury, Polavaram, Perantalapalli, Gandipochamma Temple are a few attractions in the tour. Besides having scenic beauty of the lush vegetation, the place
also has the recorded history of Independence struggle. The locality witnessed the anecdotes of Indian independence struggle led by renowned freedom fighter- Alluri Seetharamaraju.
package details
(APDTC) – Pattiseema Papikondalu Tour Andhra Pradesh Tourism Department Corporation (APTDC: http://www.aptdc.gov.in/home.html) offers a variety of cruises to suit to individual taste and affordability. AP Tourism operates cruises to Pattiseema where breakfast and lunch will be served. But accommodation has to be availed at hotels in Rajahmundry. a 6:30 AM : Departure to
polavaram from Rajamundry by Non A/c bus
a 8:00 AM : Arrival to
polavaram
a 8:15 AM : Departure Peranta-
lapalli by cruise
a 8:45 AM : Breakfast on cruise a 9:30 AM : Visit to
Gandipochamma temple
a 9:45 AM : Departure Peranta-
lapalli
a 1:30 PM to 2:30 PM : Arrival
& Visit Perantalapalli (Rama Krishna parama hamsa asramam & Shivalayam & water fall) a 2:30 PM : Departure to
polavaram by boat
a 6:30 PM : Arrival to
polavaram
a 7:00 PM : Deptarture to Raja-
mundry
a 8:00 PM : Arrival to Raja-
mundry.
a Fare: Adult Rs. 655/- , Child
Rs. 550/-
staying arrangements: There are various hotels in and around Rajahmundry where the travellers can halt for a day when required. Also, the famous Kolluru bamboo hut accommodation by the river side arranged by the Konaseema Tourism is quite popular.
how to get there Nearest railway station/ airport is Rajahmundry By Road: 35 km from Rajahmundry via Kovvur 160 Kms from Vijayawada via NH5 224 Kms from Vizag via NH5 ANDHRAPRADESHMAGAZINE.ORG
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HAPPENING AP VIt pays rs 50 cr for land allotment
In the first official purchase of land by a private player in Amaravati, a first by a private university as well, Vellorebased VIT University has given a cheque for Rs 50 crore to the Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA). At a review meeting chaired by Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu , Vice-president of the varsity Sekar Viswanathan presented the cheque to CRDA commissioner Cherukuri Sridhar. The Rs 50 crore cheque has been given to purchase the 100 acres in the first phase.
LIC Vizag division tops in south Central Zone
Life Insurance Corporation of India, Visakhapatnam Division, has achieved the distinction of being the first in the South Central Zone and 12th at all-India level to cross the one lakh policy mark, according to Senior Divisional Manager K Murlidar. The division covers the districts of Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam and has 20 branches and 11 satellite offices. It collected more than Rs.150 crore as first premium income topping the South Central Zonecomprising the three states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka, Muralidar said in a press release.
Ashok lays stone for shilparamam
Union Minister for Civil Aviation P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju laid the foundation stone for Shilparamam, an arts, crafts and cultural village, coming up in 41 acres at Vyasanarayanametta in Vizianagaram and an overhead water tank which will have a capacity to store 500-kilo litres of water at Poolbaugh in the town. The government had in the first phase released Rs. 1 crore for Shilparamam for execution of works like compound wall, parking place, ticket counters, shops, stage for organising cultural shows, roads and pathways etc. And in the second phase there will be arts gallery, rural museum and recreation facilities for children.
tirumala ‘Hundi’ nets record rs. 20.24 cr
The ‘hundi’ at the famous hill temple of Lord Venkateswara registered a record income of Rs. 20.24 crore during the last eight days during the nine-day Brahmotsavams. The proceeds received from the hundi was 33.5 per cent more than what was collected last year. While about 6.97 lakh devotees had the darshan of the presiding deity as against 5.19 lakh pilgrims last year, the sale of laddus shot up to over 29.96 lakh as against 22.66 lakh last, year registering an increase of about 32.26 per cent. The income earned by way of rent on the cottages and guest houses stood at Rs. 1.64 crore
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as against Rs. 1.22 crore last year.
Casino on the Krishna
A US NRI from Vijayawada is proposing a casino on an island in the Krishna river. The State government, however, has not taken any decision on the proposals. Bhavani Island near Prakasam Barrage in Vijayawada has scores of sub-islands, with a total area of over 130 acres, and it hosts a Goa yacht club. The AP government plans to convert it into an amusement park, on the lines of Sentosa Island which has a casino, and spreads across 122 acres. At least six similar proposals are pending, says Andhra Pradesh Project Facilitators and Consultancy Services Limited (APPFCS) Chief Consultant and Director, K. Lakshminarayana.
Land allotment for film industry soon
HRD Minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao said the government would allot lands to film industry for studios. Rajendra Prasad, Ramcharan, Puri Jagannadh and V.V. Vinayak were among those who applied for land for film industry-related activities and soon lands would be allotted to them, he said. Srinivasa Rao said the government allotted 15 acres for the cultural centre last year and congratulated MAA on starting the construction, estimated to cost Rs.100 crore. The Centre also comprises 2200capacity convention centre, sports complex and gym.
space Innovation Centre planned at Amaravati
The Andhra Pradesh Government is planning to set up a Space Innovation Centre at Amaravati capital city, in collaboration with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), to encourage young researchers keen on exploring space technology. Innovation centres will be established as part of the proposal in all universities. Each university will have at least 10 technology-based startups to take up innovative research on space science. ISRO has agreed in-principle to provide data free of cost.
IIIt to function from ongole from next year
The government set up a IIIT office in Ongole to expedite construction of buildings for the proposed Abdul Kalam IIIT. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu will lay the foundation stone for the institution soon, and it will start functioning from Ongole from the new academic year, Human Resources Development Minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao said. The IIIT, with an intake of 1,000 students with rural background, is presently functioning from Idupulapaya on a temporary basis. The number of
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IIITs in the State would go up to five with the opening of one more institution in Anantapur under the Rajiv Gandhi University of Knowledge Technologies next year to admit, in all, 5,000 students.
Groundwater level up in Andhra Pradesh
The rains in the State have recharged groundwater to the extent of 220 tmcft. Before the advent of the monsoon, the average depth of the water table was 12.11 metres below ground level (BGL). The rains have recharged the groundwater level and raised it by 2.43 metres to 9.68 metres BGL. According to the calculations of the Groundwater Department, 90 tmcft is required to raise the level of the water table by one metre and 218.7 tmcft is required to raise the average groundwater level by 2.43 metres. “It is currently more than the water available in the Srisailam reservoir, which was 204.79 tmcft as on October 8,” said Groundwater Department Joint Director and OSD to Water Resource Department A. Varaprasada Rao. The average depth of the water table in all nine coastal districts is now above eight metres BGL.
Academy of sports for each mandal
Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister N Chinarajappa said that the State Government is going to establish special sports academies in each mandal and at the district headquarters. Inaugurating the National Junior Chess Tournament at a hotel in Rajamahendravaram, Rajappa said that the government would also construct stadiums at mandal and district level and encourage indoor games for girl students.
Nepal likely to open consul office in Vizag
Top officials from the Himalayan Kingdom have given indications on plans to open a Consulate General office in Visakhapatnam. This follows the view that Vizag was ideal to make it a gateway port for export and import cargo of Nepal. The Ministry of Commerce, Nepal, has already notified on payments through Nepal Rastra Bank. Container Corporation of India (CONCOR) has also issued the rate chart, which explains the cost advantage of Visakhapatnam Port, compared to Kolkata, as the second gateway port. After talks during the two-day visit of a high-level team from Nepal, which included Minister (Economics) Krishna Hari Pushkar and Acting Ambassador Krishna Prasad Dhakal, the Nepalese had given enough indication on their plans to open a consulate office.
two model Ps coming up in Guntur
The model police stations which would be coming up in
NOVEMBER 2016
Guntur will integrate technology with basic policing, Director-General of Police N Sambasiva Rao said. Two model police stations would come up at Old Guntur and at Nagarampalem. The existing police station at Old Guntur has been pulled down to make way for a swanky air-conditioned model police station. The police stations would resemble modern office spaces with work stations, a command and control centre headed by Station House Officer, office spaces for sub-inspectors and cushy furniture for petitioners.
regular container service to Colombo
Maersk Line, global container division and biggest operating division of A.P. Moller-Maersk Group, is all set to launch scheduled service from Kakinada to the transhipment port of Colombo. Maersk Lines are at present being operated from Kolkata-Haldia, Chennai, Visakhapatnam, Krishnapatnam and Tuticorin ports. J.M. Baxi Group is now developing container facility at Paradip port. Maersk Line India has been transhipping containers from Kakinada on an experimental basis for past few months since launching of containers at Kakinada Container Terminal (KCT). Following increase in containers to transport cargoes like rice, sugar, paper, chemicals and vegetable oil, Maersk Line India launched the scheduled service from October 29.
Guntur to get 24X7 water supply soon
The dream of having 24X7 piped water supply in the city is finally being realised as Phase 1 of the World Bankfunded Comprehensive Water Project is nearing completion. The project envisages 135 million litres per day (MLD) with an assured supply of 135 litres per capita per day (LPCD) to each household in the city and the 11 merged villages and has been designed to meet the drinking water requirements of the city till the year 2040. We are providing round-the-clock water supply to the city from January 2107.
AP leading in development of solar Parks
The State government’s focus on promoting non-conventional sources of energy has catapulted Andhra Pradesh as a forerunner in development of solar parks’ across the country, maintained AP TRANSCO CMD and APGENCO MD K Vijayanand. “We are leading in development of solar parks in the country, including the setting up the first facility in Anantapur district. The present installed capacity of solar parks is around 850 MW, and in the next four years, expected capacity addition is 5,000 MW. About 1,120 MW of installed capacity for wind power is expected to reach 5258 in the same duration,” he added.
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FISH PRODUCTION IN AP
AP is excelling in ďŹ sheries, and currently the productivity is 23 lakh tonnes per annum. Buoyed by the growth, the Centre wants the state to set a target of 42 lakh tonnes by 2019-20. A target has been proposed to increase the current production of Rs. 33,000 crore to Rs. 1 lakh crore by 2019-20.
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ANDHRAPRADESHMAGAZINE.COM
NOVEMBER 2016
CM IN PICTURES
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Pic 1: Chief Minister taking a test ride of an electric bicycle developed by an Andhra boy.
Pic 2 CM announced Rs 10 lakh as exgratio and a house site to K Sriramlu who was injured during the attack on Pathankot Airbase by terrorists. Pic 3: Movie Artists Association president and actor Rajendra Pradesh met CM in Vijayawada and held discussions about promoting Telugu film industy in AP. Pic 4: Deepavali celebrations at CM’s residence at Undavalli in Vijayawada.
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Regd. No. H-HD-1082/2016-18 Published on: 01/11/2016
APENG/2007/20679
Posting Dt: 6th