GETTING DOWN TO BRASS TACKS Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is known for making ground visits to fast-track the ongoing projects. In one such visit in April, Naidu drove down the hilly site for a review of the Handri-Neeva Sujala Sravanthi (HNSS) project at Charlopalli village of Kadiri mandal in Anantapur district. He inspected the project works before moving to the review meeting site, where the CM directed the officials to ensure that the main part of the project, involving the canal works and all important structures such as Lift Irrigation systems and reservoirs, are completed within this year.
CONTENTS ap one of top destinations for FdI
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100% Household Electrification State
AP CM has turned the state into one of the most favoured destinations for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the country.
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Tourism Boost to ap
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Isuzu, Mondelez open facilities in Sri City
Ugadi puraskaraalu
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Interim Secretariat complex inaugurated
Snapshot ap Fiber Network
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amazing ap: Gooty Fort
Hero MotorCorp to begin production
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Happening andhra province to 15 Sichuan work with ap
Vijayawada airport in expansion mode
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Various developments across the state of andhra pradesh.
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p Suseela: a Legend Honoured
Chief Minister’s Social Network
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10 diamonds of ap
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ambedkar to Stand 125ft tall in amaravati
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apMoots Houses for Urban poor
ANDHRA PRADESH
Published Monthly In English & Telugu May 2016 Volume: 9 Issue: 11 Salivahana Era 1938
Commissioner Dr P Krishna Mohan Editor Ramesh Babu Kandula Executive Editor Naresh Nunna Cover Page Graphic on Investments
Second Cover CM’s visit to Handri-Neeva
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
Printed at Caxton Offset Pvt. Ltd. Hyderabad Each Issue : Rs 5/Annual Subscription : Rs 50/-
EDITORIAL
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Drawing Big Ticket Investments
ndhra Pradesh has added one more feather to its cap by achieving a commendable position in attracting Foreign Direct investment. By competing with developed states like Gujarat and Maharashtra in FDI flows within a short period of two years after the unscientific division of the state, AP's leadership showed the world that there is always a way, if there is a will. The latest rankings by the respected Financial Times of London, according to which the state was able to draw about Rs 40,000 crore foreign investments in 2015, once again affirmed the credibility enjoyed by the Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu across the business world. This April also witnessed the opening of two big ticket manufacturing facilities in Sri City in Chittoor district which is fast emerging as a major industrial base of Andhra Pradesh. While Mondelez International, formerly Cadburys, inaugurated its state-of-the-art facility, the largest in the Asia-Pacific Region, Isuzu Motors set up its greenfield project for manufacturing its adventure utility vehicle at an investment of Rs 3,000 crore. Hero Motors too is all set to roll out its first phase of production in Sri City.
The laying of foundation stone for India's largest electronics manufacturing cluster - ELCINA Raaga Mayuri Electronics Park village in Hindupur, Anantapur district, this month is also another step forward in beefing up the investment scenario. The Vizag-Chennai Industrial Corridor Development Programme (VCICDP), for which Asian Development Bank has come forward to extend a loan of Rs 3,500 crore, will go a long way in augmenting the infrastructure along the proposed corridor.
AP has never been a manufacturing base. Now, it will be, thanks to the relentless efforts of this administration.
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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UGADI PURASKARAALU
his Ugadi, the Telugu New Year, which fell on April 8, was celebrated with traditional fervour across the State. During the Ugadi Celebrations held in Vijayawada, the Chief Minister was present during the the recitation of the Panchangam (almanac) of the new year. On the occasion, the CM gave away Hamsa-Kalaratna awards to luminaries from various ďŹ elds. In the picture. 1. A beaming CM during the Ugadi Celebrations 2. Film Artist Kanchana 3. Misro (Theatre) receiving award 4. C Narasimha Rao, psycho-analyst 5. Mimicry Artist Thota Sylvestor 6. D V Mohana Krishna (Vocal) 7. Goli Sivaram (Painting).
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AP
one of top destinations for
FDI
Andhra Pradesh started o as a battered economy with little help from anywhere, but the leadership mettle of Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has turned the state into one of the most favoured destinations for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the country. The latest FDI rankings attest to this impossible reality.
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ven as India emerged as the top destination for foreign direct investment (FDI) in 2015, the newly created Andhra Pradesh has registered an impressive growth in attracting foreign funds by ranking third most popular state in the country, according to fDi Intelligence, a unit of the Financial Times group. Among Indian states, Gujarat received the highest FDI in the country. Of the total inflows to India and China, the western state received 10%, with $12.4 billion in investments, while Maharashtra with $ 8.28 billion ranks second. Andhra Pradesh, the newly created state with a battered economy, rose to occupy the third place in a short period of just two years with $ 6.1 billion investments. It is indeed remarkable for Andhra Pradesh to be in the reckoning for FDI in such a short time. The state was down in the dumps after the truncated Andhra Pradesh was left with no resources, no large industrial base, no capital city and no proper administrative set up following the most unscientific and unjust bifurcation in 2014.
India, Bangalore. Still, very people believed that it was possible to make a difference to the residual state of Andhra Pradesh, battered as it was on all fronts in the division process.
8% to 697 in 2015 over the previous year. This is still lower than China’s (789 projects) which indicates that the value of investments was much higher in India.
But the Chief Minister proved even his most bitter critics wrong by creating a positive environment conducive for investments through Sunrise Andhra Pradesh brand. While the cynics continued to sulk, Naidu went on whirlwind tours to China, Japan, Singapore, Britain and Davos and convinced them to invest in Sunrise Andhra Pradesh. From the Partnership Summit to several investement conclaves that the Government held to attract investments showed almost immediate results. The Partnership Summit in Vizag alone netted some Rs 6 lakh crore investments.
India is one of the fastest growing major economies in the world and is considered to be a bright spot by international agencies, including theInternational Monetary Fund. Prime minister Narendra Modi is also pushing to increase manufacturing in the country.
It was a time when AP looked like it was destined to rot as one of the backward states in the country with a huge fiscal deficit and uninspiring economic brass tacks. The special category status that was promised on the floor of Parliament failed to materialise. The fiscal deficit and special assistance expected from the Centre remained unfulfilled for a variety of reasons.
The efforts to make the administration responsive to investors paid off with the World Bank ranking the state second among business-friendly states in the country. The CM was dogged in his pursuit of transforming the state favourable for businesses and investments through policy changes, pro-active governance and personal initiative to attract big ticket investments to the state.
Despite all this gloomy scenario, the one thing that made a difference to the state was the newly elected government with the hugely experienced, self-motivated and die-hard Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu at the helm.
Meanwhile, India was the top destination for foreign direct investment (FDI) in 2015. Asia’s third largest economy raced past China—which was at the top for many years—with $63 billion worth of foreign investment.
Indeed, Naidu was a seasoned administrator having turned around the sleepy city of Hyderabad into a bustling IT centre, rivalling the silicon valley of
An increase in the number of investment projects in coal and power in India helped the country surpass China. The number of projects in the country rose
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China, on the other hand, is battling slow economic growth, overcapacity, and high debt. Beijing is adding to the debt to ease the slowdown. “India replaced China as the top destination for FDI by capital investment following a year of high-value project announcements, specifically across the coal, oil and natural gas and renewable energy sectors,” the fDi report said. Andhra Pradesh has the distinction of attracting a few high-profile projects the last year. Foxconn, the Taiwanese manufacturer which makes iPhones, has set up shop in Sri City in Chittoor district. Globally, AP has made it to the fifth place in attracting FDI in states and municipalities. AP has also been named as the Aspiring Leader category in World Bank rankings. The big FDI story of the past year is India. After a long period of trailing behind China, the south Asian country is now racing past its formidable rival. But as important to note is the emergence of AP as the challenger within India. The state is set in every way to rise up the rankings sooner than later.
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Isuzu, Mondelez open facilities in Sri City
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Two globally reputed companies, Isuzu Motors and Mondelez (formerly Cadburys) opened their biggest manufacturing units in Andhra Pradesh, boosting manufacturing sector and creating large employment in the state.
ndhra Pradesh witnessed the opening of two large manufacturing facilities of global companies Isuzu Motors and Mondelez International in the last week of April. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu did the honours for both the companies located in Sri City in Chittoor district, fast emerging as a preferred hub for international companies. Isuzu Motors India (IMI), a subsidiary of Isuzu Motors, Japan, inaugurated its new manufacturing facility in Sri City, Andra Pradesh, on April 27, while Mondelez India Foods, part of Mondelçz International Inc which makes Cadbury chocolates, inaugurated its largest manufacturing plant in Asia Pacific, built at an investment of US$190 million. The Japanese manufacturer rolled out D-Max V-Cross pick-up from the new plant. It was first unveiled at Auto Expo in Delhi in February. The manufacturing facility has been set up with an investment of Rs. 3,000 crore and it will provide employment to 3,000 people. The plant is spread across 107 acres and has a production capacity of 50,000 units, which can be increased up to 1,20,000 units. Isuzu had signed an MoU with the Andhra Pradesh government in 2013 for the Sri City plant. Isuzu Motors India, after registering the company in August 2012, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Andhra Pradesh government in March 2013 to set up the plant which is spread across 107 acres of land and has an installed capacity of 50,000 units per year which can be scaled up to 1,20,000. Product localisation level is presently marked at 70%, but will be increased in the future. Having invested Rs 3,000
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CM Chandrababu inaugurating Mondelez International at Sri City
crore in its combined business units which include Isuzu Motors India, Isuzu Engineering Business Centre, and Isuzu Logostics India, the company expects to generate between 2,000-3,000 jobs with the start of operations of its manufacturing unit. Isuzu isn't new to India, however. It made its brand debut here with Hindustan Motors as the supplier of engines for the Ambassador - the 1.8-litre petrol and 2.0-litre diesel. The company has 26 dealerships across the country and is supported by 120 parts suppliers. Isuzu will market its D-Max utility pickup in three configurations for the commercial segment - Single Cab 4x2, Single Cab 4x4 and Crew Cab. There will also be a variant called D-Max V-Cross for personal registration and use. The company currently also sells the MU-7 SUV in addition to the D-Max range. The DMax Single Cab range and the V-Max variant will be powered by a 2.5-litre common-rail turbocharged 4-cylinder engines that generates 134bhp and 320Nm. The Crew Cab variant gets a ANDHRAPRADESHMAGAZINE.ORG
78bhp, 176Nm 2.5-litre engine. The engines confirm with BS-IV emission norms. Masanori Katayama, President, Isuzu Motors Limited, said, "India is one of the biggest automobile markets and also one of the fastest growing economies of the world. India is a key part of Isuzu Motors' global growth strategy." He also said that the plant in Andhra Pradesh will not only cater to the needs of the Indian market but will also be a key manufacturing centre for Isuzu's global operations. Isuzu also signed a MoU to facilitate investment by its suppliers in the state under the Automobile and Auto Component policy 2015– 2020. Under the policy, the automakers and auto component manufacturers will be offered various incentives and concessions for promoting automotive manufacturing in the state. As per the MoUs, the auto comp majors will explore the investment opportunities within AP to supply OEMs. MAY 2016
Mondelez largest Asia Pacific plant Mondelez India Foods facility is the
first phase. The company also plans to export at a later stage. Naidu said the government had decided
‘A land of cocoa and milk’
Chandrababu Naidu described Andhra Pradesh as the land of cocoa and milk, the essential ingredients required to make chocolates. Interacting with the top brass of Mondelez International (Cadbury) at the inauguration of their plant at Sri City, Naidu left no stone unturned to promote the State as the investment destination, both on industrial and agricultural fronts.
CM trying out Isuzu Motors new vehicle after inauguration
largest in the Asia-Pacific Region and will produce 60,000 tonnes of Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate. Spread across 134 acres, the entire facility once functional in 2020 is expected to produce 2.5 lakh tonnes in multi categories. It will generate 1,600 local jobs. The company has a market share of 60 per cent in chocolate segment in India and has invested $100 million in the six manufacturing facility over years. Inaugurating the plant, the Chief Minister, said the State has strong supply of milk production needed for making milk powder, robust cocoa cultivation and qualified workforce, which makes Sri City a favoured destination. "The multi-category food campus is expected to reach an annual capacity of 2.5 lakh tonnes of production in three phases by 2020, and employ over 1,600 people in five years," Mondelez India MD Chandramouli Venkatesan said. Mondelez India Foods will produce approximately 60,000 tonnes of Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate annually in the MAY 2016
to promote accelerated industrial development as also concentrate on leveraging the full potential of agriculture sector as it would propel the service sector generating huge employment. This was crucial for the newly-formed State that inherited a few problems on account of bifurcation and fuelling industrial and agricultural growth was the lasting solution to overcome these problems. In this context, he wanted the management of the Sri City to work hard for attracting at least 15 units every quarter and make it the best place for investments and work. The Sri City industrial corridor presently had 80 units operating from it with an estimated investment of Rs. 23,000 crore and generating 35,000 jobs. The Greenfield plant at Sri City was on trial production for the last two months and the first consignment of the chocolates was despatched out of the plant on April 24. ANDHRAPRADESHMAGAZINE.ORG
Naidu pointed to the cocoa production taken up extensively in East and West Godavari districts as an inter-crop and hinted at increasing the acreage to meet the company’s requirement. “Cocoa is presently cultivated in 23,000 hectares. We will increase it to one lakh hectares within a period of ten years,” he announced. Praising the high quality of the cocoa crop grown in the State, the Chief Minister suggested to the companies to even procure and export the yield after meeting their requirements at the plant..
Tri-city industrial corridor
To accelerate industrial growth, the government had decided to develop a tri-city industrial corridor involving Nellore, Tirupati and Chennai besides ensuring that the government played an active role in providing skill development to aspiring youth. Mendelez International executive vice presidents Daniel Myers and Maurizio Brusadelli said the company had crossed a major milestone in the launch of the Sri City plant. The new plant, the seventh in the country and the largest facility in the Asia Pacific, would become multi-category food campus in the subsequent phases. The company would continue to invest behind the brands, routes to market and people to drive sustainable growth.
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STATe wAS crADle of All PrecIouS SToneS
DIAMONDS OF AP
In the backdrop of the debate on Kohinoor diamond in the possession of the British, it is pertinent to remember that most of the precious diamonds, presently with various nations, were actually mined from the present day Andhra Pradesh.
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The diamonds from Kollur are known to the world by various names due to historical reasons. In the fourteenth century, the diamonds from Rayalaseema were known as Vijayanagara diamonds as the region was under their rule. Then in the 16th century, the Andhra and Rayalaseema diamonds were known after Golconda, as the regions were under their control. Later, in the 18th century, the Nizams controlled the regions and hence the diamonds found during this period were named as Nizam diamonds.
he Supreme Court of India is hearing a plea to get back the precious Kohinoor diamond from the British Government. An interesting fact that many Telugus are not aware is that not only Kohinoor but several other most famous and precious diamonds across the world have their origin in Andhra Pradesh, especially Kollur in Guntur district. Historical records note that diamond excavation was a major vocation in the 17th and 18th centuries in Andhra Pradesh. As many as 60,000 labourers were employed in Kollur Diamond alone. In the present day Kurnool area, about 30,000 workers were involved in diamond mines. The commander of Golconda Mir Jumla II apparently employed 12,000 labourers to search for diamonds in Kadapa area. The Kollur Mine in the Guntur district was one of the most productive diamond mines in the world and the first major diamond centre. It is situated on the south bank of the River Krishna. It operated between the 16th and mid-19th centuries. In addition to the Kollur, Paritala, Gollapally, Mallavally, Ramallakota, and Banganapally were extremely prolific mines in India during this period. At the height of production, it was recorded that around 60,000 people mined the region, including men, women, and children of all ages. Many of the most famous and notable diamonds were mined from these early Indian mines, including the Koh-i-Noor, the Regent Diamond, the Great Mogul (all from the Kollur); the Dariai-Noor, the Orloff, the Dresden Green, and the Nassak Diamond.
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It is also significant to note that the kingdoms during the medieval period vied with one another to control Andhra and Rayalaseema due to mainly the fact that the diamond mining and import and export through Machilipatnam, Nizampatnam and other ports yielded good revenues to the king. It could be said that the wealth of Kakatiya, Vijayanagara, Orugallu, Golconda and Nizam kingdoms could be attributed to a large extent to the precious diamonds found in Andhra and Rayalaseema.
A Brief History of Andhra Diamonds Rafal Swiecki, geological engineer
Probably the largest of Indian diamonds is the Great Mogul, the history of which is very obscure. This was seen in the treasury of the Great Mogul, Aurungzebe, in 1665, by Tavernier, who both drew and described the stone in detail. This diamond had then the form of a very high and round rosette, and was of good water. It weighed 319 ratis, which Tavernier calculated to be
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notable diamonds
Some of the most famous diamonds mined in the Kollur mines are v
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The Great Mogul Diamond, 280 carats (56 g) cut, 787 carats (157.4 g) rough, - Lost after Nādir Shāh sacked Delhi. The Pitt or Regent Diamond, 410 carats (82.0 g) - in the Apollo Gallery, Louvre Museum, Paris Nizām Diamond, 340 carats (68.0 g) - currently owned by the Government of India. The Orloff Diamond, 300 carats (60.0 g) - in the Diamond Treasury, Kremlin, Moscow Daryā-ye Nūr, 182 carats (36.4 g) in the Iranian Crown Jewels, on display:Central Bank of Iran, Tehran The Golconda, 135 carats (27.0 g) - belonging to Dunklings Jewellers, Melbourne, Australia. Koh-i-Noor, 105.6 carats (21.12 g) (793 carats (158.6 g) rough, 186 carats (37.2 g) cut, further cut for Crown Jewels) - in the British Crown Jewels, London The Hope Diamond, 67 carats (13.4 g) - in the American Museum of Natural History, the Smithsonian Institution, Washington The Kolluru Diamond, 63 carats (12.6 g) - Purchased by Tavernier and present location unknown. Dresden Green Diamond, 41 carats (8.2 g) - "The New Green Vault" in the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen .Dresden
equivalent to 280 carats, assuming 1 rati = 7/8 carat. Authorities, which consider this value of the rati too high, give the equivalent as 188 carats. The rough stone is supposed to have been found between 1630 and 1650, in the mines at Kollur, and to have originally weighed 787 1/2 carats, a weight which would make it unquestionably the largest of Indian diamonds. MAY 2016
Kohinoor diamond, a stone of considerable bueaty, was also supposed to be a corruption of Kollur, the locality at which it was found, and the name by which it is formerly known in India. The considerable disparity between the weight of the rough stone and its weight when cut, has been attributed to the unskilful manner in which it was cut by Hortensio Borgis, the Venetian diamondcutter, who at that time was domiciled in India. The subsequent history of the "Great Mogul is a complete blank; it has been variously supposed to have been lost or destroyed, to be in existence under another name, such as the "Orloff" diamond, or the "Koh-i-noor," to be in the possession of the Shah of Persia, or to be lying forgotten among the jewels of some Indian prince. Another large diamond of the same weight, namely, 320 ratis, is described in the memoirs of Baber, the founder of the Mogul dynasty. According to this account the stone had long been famous in India, and had formed part of the spoils of war of many an Indian prince, finally passing into the possession of Baber in 1556. This stone is regarded by Professor Story-Maskelyne as being identical with the diamond seen at Delhi, and described as the "Great Mogul" by Tavernier, and identical with the stone at present known as the "Koh-i-noor"; this view is very generally accepted. Nadir Shah, the Persian conqueror of the Mogul Empire, appropriated The Koli-inoor in 1739; in 1813 it passed into the possession of the Rajah of Lahore, and after the British annexation of the Punjab, became the property of the East India Company, which in 1850 presented it to Queen Victoria. The stone had then the form of an irregular rosette (Plate 4, Figs. 4a, 4b), with numerous facets above, below a broad cleavage surface, and on the side a second smaller cleavage surface. The weight of the Indian-cut stone was 186 1/16 carats, which agrees closely with the weight of 320 ratis, recorded long before as the weight of the ANDHRAPRADESHMAGAZINE.ORG
stone described by Baber. In order to improve its form, which was very far from perfect, it was re-cut in England in 1852 by the diamond-cutter, Voorsanger, of the Amsterdam firm of Coster; the work of re-cutting occupying thirty-eight days, of twelve hours each. The "Koh-i-noor" is now a stone of considerable beauty, weighing 106 1/16 is, however, too thin for a perfect brilliant; moreover, it is not of the purest water, and the colour is slightly greyish. In spite of these blemishes it is valued at £100,000 ($11,125,244). The question as to the identity of the "Great Mogul" with the "Koh-i-noor" can scarcely now be decided. Tennant regarded them as identical, and suggested that the "Koh-i-noor" and the "Orloff" are both parts of the rough stone of 787 carats, mentioned by Tavernier, and that the third and remaining portion of it is the plate of diamond weighing 132 carats, often mentioned as having been taken by Abbas Mirza with other jewels from Reeza Kuli Khan at the capture of Coocha, in Khorassan. Tennant constructed models of these separate portions in fluor-spar, a mineral which has the same octahedral cleavage as diamond, and by piecing the portions together arrived at the conclusion that the rough stone had the size of a hen's egg, the form of a rhombic dodecahedron, and a weight of about 793 carats, which agrees closely with Tavernier's account. Opinions differ also as to the derivation of the name "Koh-i-noor," which is sometimes said to signify "Mountain of Light," and is supposed to have been given to the stone by Nadir Shah. It has also been supposed to be a corruption of Kollur, the locality at which it was found, and the name by which it is formerly known in India.
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The Interim Adminstrative Complex at Amaravati was inaugurated in time for moving the Secretariat staff, as planned, by June 2016. The CM chose the occasion to announce relief to employees relocating to Amaravati, besides signing files for loan waiver to farmers.
INTERIM SECRETARIAT COMPLEX INAUGURATED CM Announces Slew of Sops
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ndhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu formally inaugurated the state’s interim government complex (temporary Secretariat) at Velagapudi village in capital region Amaravati on April 25 A 2,000 sqft office space was readied for use by the Chief Minister and Chandrababu occupied it to mark the inauguration, at 4.01 am amidst chanting of Vedic hymns by priests. On the occasion, the Chief Minister announced a slew of sops to various sections of the people including the state government employees. He said that Rs 7,320 crore would be released for payment towards the second instalment of loan waiver to the farmers in May. Likewise, selfhelp groups too would get an amount of Rs 2,400 crore in June. He signed a file relating to waiver of loan for horticulture farmers to the tune of Rs 375 crore and Rs 195 crore due to the farmers under the first phase of loan waiver. Chandrababu Naidu even began his regular work symbolically on the premises of the new Secretariat at Velagapudi just after one day of its inauguration amid hectic construction work going on around him. The Chief Minister held talks with the representatives of the Indo-UK Health Institute, who gave him a presentation on the master concept of the King’s College Hospital in London. The government is determined to begin operations from Amaravati region from June 15, Chandrababu said. The construction of the government complex has been going on at a brisk pace to meet the deadline. Later, the Chief Minister announced that a five-day working week would be implemented for employees who MAY 2016
come to work at Velagapudi from Hyderabad. Also, they would be paid an additional 30 per cent as house rent allowance. “In the first phase, we will build 5,000 houses for the employees within a year in the new capital region. More number of houses will be built in the subsequent phases,” Chandrababu said. “Make use of technology and our e-office system. I only want that files are cleared in time and there is no corruption,” the Chief Minister said. On the occasion, he also announced that an additional 50 square yards of land would be given to farmers of the region who parted with their lands under the Land Pooling Scheme for the development of the capital. “We will take care of your needs and ensure you have a comfortable stay in the new Capital region. I want a corruption free and transparent administration,’’ Naidu said. The AP Government has imposed a deadline of June 15, 2016 for secretarial staff and staff working in various directorates to relocate to Amaravati. While a few departments have already started functioning from Vijayawada and Guntur, others were expected to follow suit in the coming two months. Reminiscing his own problems after deciding to relocate to Vijayawada from Hyderabad, Naidu said, “I had no office of my own and I was forced to work out of a bus. The bus was my home and office and I moved to the office [Irrigation Office] only after it was renovated. Even I have a family back at Hyderabad. My family members can’t move here immediately as they are involved in various businesses,’’ Naidu said. As there is no other auspicious ‘muhurtam’ in the coming few months, the Chief Minister
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completed the formalities today amid vedic chants and a Ganapati ‘homam’ (religious ritual).
Capital farmers to get plots in own villages The State government had finalised the land policy in the new capital Amaravati region. The farmers who have given their lands would get their share of plots, both residential and housing, in their own village. This decision had cleared all doubts of the farmers about their share of plots. The Chief Minister had directed the Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) to prepare a list of the farmers and the due share of plots to be given to them.
Addl Floors Approved The Andhra Pradesh government's Interim Government Complex at Velagapudi will not only temporary house government offices but also iconic structures such as an Assembly building and the Raj Bhavan. The state government issued an order in April permitting the AP Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA) to add two additional floors to the 'interim complex' to accommodate the state's Assembly. Government accorded permission for calling and finalizing the proposal of additional two floors, interiors and internal works for 5 buildings. The government also accorded administrative sanction for an amount of Rs 530 crore towards the tentative cost of the additional work. Earlier, the State government had given administrative sanction for building the Interim Government Complex at an estimated cost of Rs 180 crore.
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TOURISM BOOST TO AP
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View from Horsely Hills, Chittoor Dist
he sunrise state of Andhra Pradesh, offering a plethora of enchanting yet unexplored tourist destinations, is eying eyes investments worth Rs. 20,000 Cr by 2029. The state has set a target of Rs. 10, 000 cr investments by 2020. In its efforts to fuel the engine of growth in the tourism sector, aA shelf of district and theme based projects worth Rs. 36,000 have already been prepared and initiated. The year 2015-16 witnessed the tourism sector track investments worth Rs.12,000 crores from approximately 160 projects generating an employment potential of about 35,000. Projects worth Rs.1,500 crores have already been grounded. This momentum in investments is further going to pick up in the year 2016-17.
Steep rise in Tourist footfalls
In year 2015, the State has seen a jump in the tourist footfalls to the tune of 30%, increasing from 93 million in 2014 to 122 million in 2015. "In our endeavour to make Andhra Pradesh as India's most preferred tourist destination, this data comes to us as a great encouragement," Andhra Pradesh Principal Secretary, Tourism and Culture, Neerabh Kumar Prasad said. Anantapur district which houses the famous Puttaparthi and Lord Veerbhadra temple at Lepakshi, became the most visited destination by foreign tourists with a footfall of 1.37 lakh foreigners. Among international tourist arrivals, 2.37 lakh tourists visited the state during 2015 against 66,333 in 2014. Majority of the foreign tourists were from the South East Asian countries like
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Singapore, Malaysia and the Middle East, among others.
Attractive Tourism Policy
In a bid to match investor expectations with the state’s resoluteness of intent, the Government of Andhra Pradesh in its award winning Andhra Pradesh Tourism Policy 2015-20 announced an array of incentives to investors for taking up tourism infrastructure projects and services such as a fixed land rental of 2% of basic market value for investors, reduction in VAT slabs to 5% for hotels. Among its various other plans to give an impetus to tourism in the state, the government is providing best tourism packages with option of multi-modal transportation for a tourist and is setting up an Indian Culinary Institute at Tirupati in addition to Hospitality Management Institute at Tirupati and Kakinada. To promote MICE tourism in the state, the government plans to develop Mega Convention Centres in Visakhapatnam, Tirupati and Vijayawada. and resorts, and a 3 year tax holiday on luxury and entertainment tax among others. The state also beholds investment opportunities for tour operations and travel agencies to further augment tourist inflow to the state. Speaking on tourism potential, Neerabh Kumar Prasad, Principal Secretary to Government, Tourism & Culture said, “The state is working towards creating 6 tourist hubs – Visakhapatnam; RajahmundryKonaseema-Kakinada; Vijayawada-Amaravati; Tirupati; Ananthapuramu-Puttaparthi and Srisailam.” With an investment of Rs. 12,000 crores already tracked, development of a sturdy tourism infrastructure is what will give further fillip to the sector.” he further added.
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MAY 2016
SICHUAN PROVINCE TO WORK WITH
ANDHRA PRADESH
As per the MoU, Sichuan Province in China can now facilitate hassle-free investments to Andhra Pradesh in industry, trade, education, agriculture, agro-allied industries and in various other sectors.
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n a bid to strengthen Andhra Pradesh’s might on the global map as an investment destination, the Government of Andhra Pradesh has entered into a MoU with Sichuan Province in relation to mutual co-operation between the state (Sister State / Province Relations). China Sichuan Province Executive Governor Wang Ning and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu signed the papers. According to the MoU, Sichuan can now facilitate hassle-free investments to Andhra Pradesh in industry, trade, education, agriculture, agro-allied industries, petroleum, chemicals, science and technology and infrastructure. This MoU comes as a result of the MAY 2016
Chief Minister’s visit to China in April 2015. During his meeting with Sichuan governor Wei Hong, the Chief Minister expressed interest in working with Andhra Pradesh as sister-state and extended his province’s support to the reorganized state. Speaking at the event, the Chief Minister recalled the historical relationship between India, Andhra Pradesh and China. The Chief Minister stated that AP has an advantage of deep water ports which can make the state a Gateway to South East Asia. He said the state offers a bouquet of opportunities for investors and entrepreneurs. “I am extremely happy that the seminar is coinciding with the Ugadi festival. I am confident this will strengthen the ties between both states,” he added.
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Seeking to review the status of existing projects and set up new industries, the Chief Minister invited Sichuan Executive Governor Wang Ning to visit Andhra Pradesh at least once in a year. The Chief Minister expressed hope that this summit will give a huge fillip to industries and create employment, infrastructure and usher in investments into Andhra Pradesh. Appreciating Chief Minister for being investor-friendly and tech-savvy, Ning said that they will promote several projects to better the relations between Indian and China. Later, 40 representatives from various companies gave presentations during the Investors-Partnership Summit.
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VIJAYAWADA AIRPORT in expansion mode
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cargo.
he Airports Authority of India (AAI) has drawn up plans for constructing a new integrated terminal building complex at Vijayawada (Gannavaram) airport in about five years to accommodate larger volume of passengers and
It will be spread in nearly 81,000 square meters and have facilities on a par with international airports. A master plan for it has been drawn by the AAI. The existing runway has already been extended from 1,745 metres to 2,286 metres and decks have been cleared for making it longer by 730 metres in the near future.
4.1-km-long runway
Madhusudana Rao said depending on viability, Vijayawada airport would have a 4.1 km-long runway which can handle even Airbus 380 planes but that it is a long–term proposition. “The airport is poised for speedy growth with more airlines set to start their operations in the coming months. The night services to Delhi to be shortly launched by Air India will have a multiplier effect”, he observed.
Vijayawada Airport Director G. Madhusudana Rao observed that an Instrument Landing System (ILS) that helps in safe landing of aircraft under poor visibility conditions was installed.
New flights on Vijayawada-Kadapa-Tirupati-Hyderabad and Vijayawada-Tirupati-Visakhapatnam sectors are on the anvil from April. The number of aircraft movements is set to go up from 24 per day to 36 by April-end.
The airport is at present capable of handling direct flights to some international destinations as per bilateral agreements but it will take time as necessary clearances have to be obtained from the AAI and other departments /agencies concerned.
Union Minister for Civil Aviation P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju, who inspected the work sites of the new interim airport terminal building and parking bays on the premises of the Vijayawada airport at Gannavaram, advised the officials and the construction agencies to speed up the work and complete both the projects before the Pushkarams.
Flights can be immediately launched to select foreign countries through Hyderabad or other metro cities. Construction of the new terminal building spread over 13,000 square meters and a small cargo building is
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under progress. Space would be provided to the Customs Department and immigration checks soon.
He also suggested to the officials not to compromise on the quality of work and expressed satisfaction over the progress. Raju directed district Collector Babu A. to
ANDHRAPRADESHMAGAZINE.ORG
MAY 2016
Vijayawada (Gannavaram) Airport is all set to tranform with a new integrated terminal building complex, and a runway which can handle even Airbus 380 planes. complete the land acquisition process at the earliest.
Airport road Beautification completed
The AP Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) received a pat from Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu for completing the beautification works on the road road from Vijayawada airport at Gannavaram to the core city. The Chief Minister had, earlier, directed the CRDA officials to beautify the road margins from airport to city by planting saplings and by improving lighting as the flow of foreign dignitaries had increased following the announcement of transforming Amaravati into a capital city. As per the directions of Chief Minister, the officials planted saplings on the nine kilometer stretch from Gannavaram to Enikepadu on the road divider, including flowering plants. The plantation programme was completed on a war-footing basis, after it was started in February last year. The maintenance of the plants was handed over to Kadiam Agriclinic and Agri business agency. The flowering plants were raised in rainbow formation, providing a visual treat to passers by. The plants including Rapis Humilis, Cycus Rivolta, Vashingonia, Philifera, Arikapalm, Golden babusa in violet colour, Cycus Rivolta in Indigo colour, Babusa Valaris and other varieties of plants are attracting the visitors coming from airport to Vijayawada city. Naidu personally inspected the plants while returning from airport recently and praised the efforts of CRDA officials in developing greenery on road dividers. He asked the officials to prepare proposals to develop greenery on road margins and dividers in Vijayawada Hyderabad road, Gananvaram to Bomuluru in Visakhapatnma route, Ibrahimpatnam to Pullur, Kanaka Durga varadhi to Timmapuram in Guntur route and in Vijayawada –Machilipatnam route.
Site clearance for 3 Airports
The Ministry of Civil Aviation has given in-principle approval for site clearance for three airports in Andhra Pradesh this year. Minister of State for Civil Aviation Mahesh Sharma said 'site clearance' was granted in January for greenfield airports at "three locations in Andhra Pradesh namely Dagadarthi Mendal in Nellore, Bhogapuram in Vizianagaram and Oravakallu in Kurnool. MAY 2016
According to him, a decision has been taken to close the existing Vishakapatnam airport for civilian operations once the new airport at Bhogapuram becomes operational. Runway extension works could be started immediately. The Airports Authority of India has already sanctioned Rs.145 crore for the same. The Ministry of Civil Aviation had approved the construction of three greenfield airports in Andhra Pradesh last year. Bhogapuram, a town around 40 kilometre from Visakhapatnam, Kurnool and Nellore will host these airports.
AP airports fare better
Meanwhile, all the four operational airports in Andhra Pradesh have registered an improvement in customer satisfaction index as per the survey conducted by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) during the July-December 2015 period. The Visakhapatnam airport has been ranked 14 out of 49 airports, whereas Rajahmundry is ranked 33, Tirupati is at 37 and Vijayawada is ranked at 40. As per the survey, the customer satisfaction index rated on a scale of five points has also shown that the Visakhaaptnam airport has registered the second best performance after Dibrugarh airport during the second half of 2015. The city airport, which had registered 4.20 points out of 5 in the first half of 2015, scored 4.59 in the second half of the same year. Rajahmundry scored 4.16 (as against 4.08 in the first half of 2015), Tirupati 4.09 (as against 3.74 in the first half of 2015) and Vijayawada 4.03 (as against 3.79 in the first half of 2015).
Increased Traffic
Airports in AP have seen traffic growth of 59 per cent in 2015-16 compared to the national average of 17 per cent. The highest number of passengers was from Visakhapatnam followed by Vijayawada and Tirupati while Rajahmundry stood fourth. Out of the four airports in AP, Vizag had the highest number of flyers for 2015-16. Vijayawada saw a tremendous increase in year-on-year traffic growth rate. The annual growth at Vijayawada was 78 per cent; for Visakhapatnam it was 61 per cent. Tirupati despite being a tourist and religious spot showed growth of 49 percent and Rahamundry, 37 per cent.
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HERO MOTORCORP To ProvIDe eMPloyMenT To 15k PeoPle
fIllIP To AncIllIAry unITS As per the plans, Bajaj MotoCorp will begin production of 5 lakh units (per annum) in the ďŹ rst phase by December 2018 with an investment of Rs 800 crore.
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to begin production by 2018
ero MotoCorp is all set to begin production of the proposed plant in Sri City in Chittoor district, after more than 18 months since signing an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the state government. As per the plans, Bajaj MotoCorp will begin production of 5 lakh units (per annum) in the first phase by December 2018 with an investment of Rs 800 crore.. M Girija Shankar, Industries Secretary said, "With another 5 lakh units to its production capacity in the second phase by December 2020, an additional 8 lakh units will be added in the third phase by December 2023. Moreover, an initial investment of Rs 800 crore for both the phases have also been planned." Hero MotoCorp will provide employment to more than 1,500 people in the first phase and another 3,500 in the subsequent phases. The company had signed a MoU with the Andhra Pradesh government in September 2014 for setting up a two-wheeler manufacturing facility at Madannapalem in Chittoor district. The plant would come up close to the existing Sri City Special Economic Zone. This was the first major project in the manufacturing sector that the Chandrababu Naidu government succeeded in attracting to the state post bifurcation. HMCL informed the government in a letter on March 31 that the upcom-
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ing plant would be state-of-the-art and deploying robotics, cutting edge manufacturing technology and green building technology and it would be made a manufacturing hub for twowheelers for east and south Asia. HMCL also promised an investment of another Rs 1,600 crore for development of ancillary units that could create direct and indirect employment for 15,000 people. In addition to this, employment for 2,000 people would be created by the supply chain partners in Phase-I and would go up to 6,500 at the final stage of expansion, the firm said. The state government also agreed to allocate another 200 acres of land within a radius of 25-35 kms of the mother plant for the proposed ancillary units, that are expected to commence production in the first phase by December 2019 with an investment of Rs 400 crore. Another Rs 600 crore each would be invested for the next two phases by December 2021 and 2024, respectively, HMCL had informed. The state government accepted the request of HMCL to permit it to diversify its manufacturing activity into three-wheelers, electrical vehicles, aerospace and defence and technology relating to green-tech through joint ventures and business associates, the Industries Secretary said. The government is hopeful that the plant will give fillip for setting up of ancillary units to cater to the requirements of the main plant.
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MAY 2016
ADB ready to Advance rs 3,500 cr for Industrial corridor
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he Asian Development Bank has come forward to extend a loan of 3,500 crore for Visakhapatnam - Chennai industrial corridor.
A delegation from the ADB which met Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu at his office in Vijayawada assured him that the project would get off sooner and it would be completed in time. The delegation urged the chief minister to constitute a project management unit to ensure coordination among various departments for the execution of the project. ADB country director M Teresa Kho explained to the Chief Minister the measures it had taken while extending loan for the project. The director evinced interest in advancing loans in the area of rural raods, drinking water, interlinking of ports, transportation, power and urban planning. The Chief Minister asked the delegation to employ the best practices it had been following in other countries in Andhra Pradesh too. Referring to how Sri City has become a success, he said he hoped to see the Visakhapatnam Chennai corridor flourish with industries. The Chief Minister apprised the team that the Economic Development Board was studying the sectors where investments were possible and was in the process of making a report. Responding to this, the delegation said that the ADB would fund the companies which show interest in investing in these sectors. Those who took part in the meeting included Energy Principal Secretary Ajay Jain, CM’s principal secretary Sai Prasad, Economic Development Board CEO J Krishna Kishore. MAY 2016
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AjAy Devgn and kAjol
to be brand ambassadors of AP
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ollywood actor-couple Ajay Devgn and Kajol will be the brand ambassadors of Andhra Pradesh tourism as the state attempts to appeal to a broader pan-India audience in its bid to become the country’s most preferred tourist destination. Andhra Pradesh, home to sandy beaches and religious hotspots such as Tirumala, Puttaparthi and Amaravathi, is trying to promote tourism to generate additional income. The state has the country’s only submarine museum in Visakhapatnam. The state government also plans to convert aircraft carrier INS Viraat into a 500-room hotel or resort after it is decommissioned from service later this year. The Chandrababu Naidu government is encouraging five star resorts along its coast, mainly in the scenic city of Visakhapatnam. Last month, Essel Group executives evinced interest in developing an island for tourism purposes and in constructing a multi-storeyed centre for “fun and recreational purposes”. About 121.8 million tourists visited Andhra Pradesh in 2015, a 30% increase over the previous year, according to the state government. Of ANDHRAPRADESHMAGAZINE.ORG
these, 237,000 were foreign tourists mainly from Southeast Asian countries such as Singapore, Malaysia and West Asia. Bollywood actors have been active tourism brand ambassadors of different states and countries. Amitabh Bachchan was the brand ambassador of Gujarat tourism, while Akshay Kumar of Canada. Aamir Khan was the face of Indian tourism. Bachchan and Priyanka Chopra are the new mascots of Incredible India tourism campaign. Devgn’s appointment as the tourism brand ambassador of Andhra Pradesh comes despite a thriving Telugu film industry, the home base of stars such as Chiranjeevi, Prabhas and Mahesh Babu. Devgn offered to don the mantle of brand ambassador at a meeting with Chief Minister Naidu in Vijayawada. A government statement said Naidu immediately agreed. Devgn also proposed to build an entertainment and media city in the state’s upcoming capital Amaravati. The actor and his team made a power point presentation to the chief minister about the project. The actor also expressed his willingness to build a virtual technology studio in the state.
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Legendary playback singer
P.SUSHEELA
enters Guinness World Records
Becomes the title holder for the highest number of solo, duet and chorus backed songs in over six Indian languages.
Paduga and Sinhalese.
early life
Susheela was born in Vijayanagaram, in Andhra Pradesh to Mukundarao and Sheshawataram, as the fifth of nine children. She lost her mother at a very early age. In her early school days she participated in all the music competitions, sometimes to the detriment of her academic education. She went on to study music at Maharajah's Government College of Music and Dance in Vijayanagaram and graduated in first class. She later joined the Sangeeta Academy in Chennai under the guidance of Subramani Iyer and completed a degree in music.
career
In 1950, music director Pendyala Nageswara Rao was looking for new talent and scouted for new singers at All India Radio. Of the five people referred, Susheela was selected and sang her first song, a duet titled "Edhukku Azhaithaai", with A. M. Raja for the 1951 Tamil movie Petra Thaai (Kanna Thalli in Telugu). She was only 16 years old at the time; the song was recorded in 1951 on a Telugu New Year's Day in Prakash Studio.
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In an official certificate presented by Guinness it was verified that she has sung 17,695 solo, duet and chorus backed songs as on January 28, 2016.
Susheela began her professional career at a time when competition was intense; there were already many established playback singing stars such P. Leela, Jikki, M. S. Rajeswari, Jamuna Rani, M. L. Vasanthakumari, T. V. Rathinam, Radha Jayalakshmi, Soolamangalam Rajalakshmi, Rao Balasaraswathi Devi, A. P. Komala and K. Rani. Nevertheless, she achieved great popularity in a short time, and by 1955 many Indian movies featured her voice in one or more songs. She rendered memorable songs in various south Indian languages under the musical direction of K. V. Mahadevan, M. S. Viswanathan and Saluri Rajeswara Rao.
With an illustrious career lasting over five decades, Susheela has over 30,000 songs to her credit across multiple languages.
She won the first National Film Award ever awarded in the Best Female Playback Singer category in 1969. She would eventually go on to win the award five times.
In Telugu alone, she has sung close to 20,000 songs, followed by around 10,000 songs in Tamil, besides many more in other languages.
P. Susheela is fluent in Telugu. She can read and write in Tamil but is not fluent while speaking. Meyyappa Chettiar appointed a Tamil teacher for Susheela to train her in the proper pronunciation of words. She cannot read or write in Malayalam or Kannada, but she has sung more than 2000 songs in Malayalam.
egendary playback singer P. Susheela received another honour. She has become the Guinness World Records title holder for the highest number of solo, duet and chorus backed songs in over six Indian languages.
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Pulapaka Susheela (born November 13, 1935) recorded songs in many Indian languages including Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Hindi, Bengali, Oriya, Sanskrit, Tulu,
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MAY 2016
AP PIPS TELANGANA IN REVENUE COLLECTION
Personal life
She is married to Mohan Rao; they have a son named Jayakrishnan and two granddaughters named Jayashree and Subashree. Her daughter-in-law, Sandhya Jayakrishna, is a singer who debuted with A. R. Rahman in Iruvar.
Awards and recognition
She was awarded the Padma Bhushan by the Government of India in January 2008. In 2001, the Andhra Pradesh Government honored her with the Raghupathi Venkaiah Award for lifetime achievement in Telugu cinema. In 2005, she received the Special Jury Swaralaya Yesudas Award for outstanding performance in music. She was honoured with the Life Time Achievement Award by the Filmfare in the year 2006. In 2011, she was honoured with the Devarajan Sangeetha Award. She received the National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer five times. It is to the credit to this queen of melody that P Suseela is regarded as their own by all all South Indians - Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada. While she learnt Tamil, Suseela sang soulfully even in Malayalam and Kannada even though she was not fluent in those languages. Be it Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu or Kannada, she has to her credit some of the finest ever songs in all languages. Generations of Telugu families have been blessed, listeneing to her melliflous voice. MAY 2016
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ndhra Pradesh has earned more revenue than twin Telugu state, Telangana. Two years ago, Telangana reported more revenue from tax and non-tax categories. But, Andhra Pradesh has now overtaken it by recording 16 per cent increase in revenue. For the first time, AP surpassed Telangana in both tax and non-tax revenue categories including income from commercial taxes, transport, liquor sale, and stamps and registration. Andhra Pradesh received Rs 90,122.58 crore revenue receipts during 2015-16 achieving 100 per cent target. Telangana's revenue receipts are around Rs 88,550 crore. Interestingly, all revenue earning departments posted impressive collection figures during 2015-16 even as about 450 mandals are drought-hit with no farm production. According to official statistics, AP reported collection of Rs 31,120 crore revenue from sales tax, Rs 12,739 crore from excise, Rs 3578 crore from land registrations and stamp duty, Rs 2,128 from transport, Rs 1,390 from mines and minerals. Entertainment tax, Nala tax, professional tax, luxury tax, and sugarcane cess also reported decent growth rate during 2015-16. AP's own ANDHRAPRADESHMAGAZINE.ORG
tax revenue touched Rs 44,423 crore. Telangana on the other hand earned about Rs 40,000 crore. The non-tax revenue of Andhra Pradesh also rose to Rs 5,300 crore. Transfers from the Centre reported 120 per cent increase over the previous financial year. AP received Rs 21,966 crore under different grants from the Centre. "By introducing finance reforms and following strict budgetary allocations, we spent over Rs 1.17 lakh crore during last financial year. The state reported 16 per cent revenue growth as against national rate of 7.9 per cent. We have also curtailed revenue deficit to Rs 7,143 crore," principal finance secretary PV Ramesh told TOI. The state reported the highest revenue expenditure of Rs 1,17,439 crore including Rs 15,000.64 crore capital expenditure. The expenditure reported 103 per cent growth compared to the previous financial year. By showcasing 16 per cent revenue growth and reduction in the revenue deficit, the AP government is now planning to approach the Centre seeking increase in the FRBM limit to 4 per cent so that it could raise Rs 5000 crore loan from outside. At present the loan raising limit is fixed at 3 per cent of the gross state domestic product.
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ANDHRA PRADESH SOON TO BE
100% HOUSEHOLD ELECTRIFICATION STATE
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he Andhra Pradesh power utilities are gearing up to achieve the rare distinction of cent percent electrification of households, including those in the rural and remote areas. Over 1.37 lakh households were provided electricity connection in 2014-15. The number went up by another 2.37 lakh in 2015-16. The government has set a deadline of May this year to complete electrification of the remaining 2.09 lakh households. The power utilities are working overtime to provide power connections to these houses. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu is likely to declare completion of 100 per cent electrification of all households in the State tentatively on June 8, making the State the first in achieving the distinction.
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Principal Energy Secretary Ajay Jain said that despite steep increase in the demand during summer, the utilities were able to meet the average daily demand of 158 million units for all categories of con-
sumers, except for the agricultural sector, thus fulfilling the 24X7 supply under the ‘power for all’ scheme.
rs 1-lakh cr investments in power sector
The Andhra Pradesh Government is on course to investments of over Rs. 1 lakh crore in capacity addition in the power sector over the next five years. In the Government’s efforts to ensure supply of electricity at affordable prices and provide quality power, the new investments in the public and private sector are expected to play a major role and make a difference to consumers as also attracting new investments into the State. The proposed investments include Rs. 28,000 crore for 4000 MW Pudimadaka project of NTPC near Vizag, Rs. 20,000 crore for Thermaltech and Sembcorp in Nellore, Rs. 11,000 crore of AP Genco Krishnapatnam (800MW) and VTPS (800 MW), Rs.
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The State Government has set a deadline of May this year to complete electrification of the remaining households in the state to achieve the distinction of electricity for all cent percent. 30,000 crore for renewable energy sector of Solar (2500 MW) and Wind (2500 MW) power and Rs. 25,000 crore for transmission and distribution projects. In an open letter to the people, the Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has appealed to them to participate in the energy conservation mission initiated by the Government. Coinciding with the International Energy Efficiency workshop in Vijayawada, the Government plans to launch a number of projects including supply of energy efficiency fans and pump sets. Having become a power surplus State from a deficit one, the State would be able to sell 10,472 MU of power per annum to the other states. This is likely to yield income of Rs. 4,492 crore. In its efforts to drive energy efficiency programmes, the State is planning to become a “Incandescent Free Bulb State” by March 2017. This will be by replacing existing MAY 2016
CM at the two-day international workshop on ‘Energy-efficient Lighting: Urban Experiences and Implementation Practices’ held in Vijayawada.
bulbs with LED ones.
Per capita energy consumption up
The per capital energy consumption in Andhra Pradesh has gone up to 982 units in 2015-16, from 951 units in 2014-25, registering a growth of 3.3 per cent due to roundthe-clock power supply. The State utilities are seeking to bring down the transmission and distribution losses to single digit, 9 per cent from 10.2 per cent, which is also amongst the lowest in the country. Ajay Jain, Principal Secretary, Energy, Infrastructure, Investments, said, “The energy deficit has been reduced from 10.6 per cent in June 2014 (22 million units per day), when the State was bifurcated, to zero level as on Monday due to effective implementation of the ‘24x7 Power for All’ scheme.” During 2015-16, 50,369 million units of energy was supplied as against 47,256 mu in 2014-15, registering a growth of 6 per cent with the AP grid recording highest consumption of 162.09 mu per day on MAY 2016
March 23 and peak demand of 7,391 mw. The system is geared up to supply 170 mu per day. While the State has a total installed capacity of 12,730 mw, 1,175 mw was added during 2014-15 and another 3,090 mw in 2015-16. Providing fresh thrust to the renewable energy sector in the State, solar energy capacity of 4,000 mw is being developed in parks at Anantapur, Kurnool and Kadapa. These projects are at various stages of development and would be implemented in a phased manner over the next two years. The State government is targeting 10 per cent of the country’s targeted 100 giga watt solar capacity and is making all-out efforts to encourage development of solar-gridconnected projects and roof-top units. Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh is leading the country in DELP (Domestic Efficient Lighting Programme) by distributing 1.88 crore LED bulbs as against 7.87 crore in the entire country. “Eighty percent of the families have
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been covered in the State and have been provided with two LED bulbs, each at the rate of Rs 10. Another 44 lakh bulbs have to be distributed to complete the target of 2.32 crore,” Energy Secretary Ajay Jain said. According to him, the State Government is keen on having Andhra Pradesh as the first ‘Incandescent Bulb Free State’ in India, perhaps in the world by March 2017. Jain said the replacement of the conventional street lights in 110 urban local bodies in the state is progressing at a brisk pace and till date out of the target 5.5 lakh street lights, 3.25 lakh street lights have been replaced. Another energy efficiency initiative is the distribution of energy efficient ceiling fans and like LEDs, these too would be distributed at subsidised price of 1,100 each. Each family will be offered two fans and the cost is adjusted in the power bill in 24 monthly instalments or the customer can make upfront payment. It will be implemented first in Vijayawada and Narasapuram.
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GAUTAMIPUTRA
SATAKARNI FILM LAUNCHED
In backdrop of good reception to period ďŹ lms like Bahubali and Rudramadevi, the new cinematic venture Gautamiputra Satakarni will be much awaited for its historic and cultural nuances.
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t a time when Telugus, especially in Andhra Pradesh, are redefining their identity, a feature film on the very first Andhra Empire, with focus on the most important of the Satavahana Dynasty, is a welcome move. The film Gautami Putra Satakarni, starred by veteran actor and MLA Balakrishna and directed by talented Jagarlamudi Radhakrishna (Krish) promises to be a visually scintillating and emotionally stirring cinematic experience. The crew formally launched the shoot of his 100th film Gautamiputra Satakarni, which is based on the life of the Andhra ruler who is said to have ruled over, mainly vast parts of southern India. Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, actor-turned-politician and former Union Minister Chiranjeevi, top Telugu hero Venkatesh and a host of prominent
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personalities from the world of film and politics attended the 'Muhurtham' event of the film here. Rao, who was a TDP leader before starting the separate Telangana agitation with his party TRS in 2001, hailed the decision of Balakrishna to be part of the film on Gautamiputra Satakarni. Gautamiputra Satakarni was a great personality who initiated a new era (known as Satavahana Saka to celebrate his victory), Rao said. Describing himself as a fan of late NTR, he expressed confidence that the 100th film of Balakrishna would run for 200 days. NTR was a great son of Telugu race who brought an independent identity to Telugu who were till then often described as 'Madrasis', the Chief Minister said. He also wished to be among the first to watch the film 'Gautamiputra Satakarni' upon its completion.
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Noting that some misinformation was recently carried out when the Telangana recently government decided to erect a 125-ft statue of Ambedkar at the NTR gardens in Hyderabad, Rao said the NTR gardens, where the 'Samadhi' of the late Chief Minister was situated, would continue to be like that forever. According to the Puranas and historical evidence, Satavahanas, one of the oldest kingdoms in India, belong to the Andhra dynasty. Of all the Satavahana kings, Gautamiputra Satakarni was one of the outstanding rulers of ancient India. He was the son of Sivasvati and Gautami Balasri. His achievements and personality is known from the Nasik inscription of Balasri. At the time of his accession the situation was very gloomy for the Satavahanas. In the indoGangetic plain, the Kushans were making great progress. Western Deccan was in the hands of the Ksharatas the foreign tribes, Sakas, Yavanas and Phalavas who had embraced Hinduism and settled in India disturbed peace and order in the Deccan. In such a gloomy situation Satakarni did not lose heart. He rose to the occasion and destroyed the Sakas, Yavanas and Phalavas.
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MAY 2016
APMoots HOUSES FOR URBAN POOR
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he Andhra Pradesh Government has taken up an ambitious housing scheme for the poor and the middle class sections. On the occasion of Ambedkar's birth anniversary on April 14, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu said six lakh double bed room houses would be constructed for houseless poor at a cost of Rs. 16,000 crore across the State. Two lakh houses would be constructed under NTR Rural Housing Scheme, two lakh houses under NTR Urban Housing Scheme, and 50,000 houses under other schemes. Besides as many as 1.50 lakh houses under NTR housing upgradation scheme would be repaired or renovated, he said. About Rs. 42,000 crore was released for houses during the ten-year Congress regime. However, only Rs. 12,000 crore was spent. There were no evidences for 14.50 lakh houses constructed during the Congress tenure, he alleged. The state government is working on modalities of the scheme and is in touch with major public sector banks for loan tie-up with beneficiaries. Senior officials of the housing department are also in MAY 2016
The Chief Minister wants to provide houses to all those who do not have pucca houses by 2019. As part of this initiative, the Government has stepped up eorts to start this mega project at the earliest.
touch with leading architects for preparing the design of the houses. According to sources, the government is planning to utilise government lands available in rural and urban areas for construction of the proposed houses. Since there is a shortage of government land in towns and cities for taking up housing schemes, the government is planning to build multi-storeyed buildings in towns and independent houses in rural areas. The scheme will be only for those who have not taken any form of benefit from the housing schemes announced by the state government in the past. The Chief Minister wants to provide houses to all those who do not have pucca houses by 2019. As part of this initiative the government has stepped up efforts to start this mega project at the earliest. These houses will be different from the 1.93 lakh houses already sanctioned for the state by the Union urban development ministry. The state government had sanctioned another two lakh houses for the rural poor belonging to ANDHRAPRADESHMAGAZINE.ORG
SCs, STs and Other Backward Classes (OBC) communities, taking the total number of houses sanctioned to various beneficiaries so far to nearly 4 lakh. As per this scheme, the government is providing a subsidy of Rs 1.5 lakh for SCs and STs and Rs 1.1 lakh for OBCs for the houses, measuring 270 sft each, while the remaining amount is being paid by the beneficiaries.
jakkampudi Housing
The face of Jakkampudi Colony on the outskirts of the city would soon change thanks to the efforts of the State Government. With the help of Chinese consultants who came up with a design to provide housing to the displaced families of Eluru canal, Jakkampudi, which is located on the banks of river Krishna, would be developed into a model township accommodating over one lakh people. The CM, while laying the foundation stone for the massive NTR housing project at Jakkampudi, said this will solve the problem of housing for the poor as there is acute shortage of houses in the city. Designers of Guizhou Maritime Silk Road International Investment Corportion (GICC) came up with elaborate Jakkampudi housing conception designs, layouts, rendering plans and prototypes of the houses.
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AMBEDKAR TO STAND
125ft TALL IN AMARAVATI
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hief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu laid the foundation stone for installation of 125 feet Ambedkar statue at Capital city Amaravati coinciding with the 125th birth anniversary of B R Ambedkar. The Chief Minister also laid the foundation stone for a housing scheme at Jakkampudi village near here on April 14th.
The State government would construct B.R. Ambedkar memorial, including the statue of the architect of the Constitution, on a 15-acre site in the State’s new capital Amaravati. The proposed memorial would comprise a park, convention centre, a Buddhist meditation hall and a library. The government proposes to construct six lakh houses across the State under the NTR Rural Housing Scheme and NTR Urban Housing Scheme for the poor. At a ceremonial function at A Convention Centre in Vijayawada, the Chief Minister laid the foundation stone for Ambedkar smriti vanam, memorial. On the occasion, Naidu said that the government was organising a yearlong celebrations in honour of Ambedkar. Sincere efforts were being made to spread the high ideals of Dr.Ambedkar among the people and reminded that for the TDP founder NT Rama Rao, Dr. Ambedkar had always been an inspiration. Dr Ambedkar’s views have been the principle guide and motivation for my government in framing and implementing the welfare schemes,” he said.
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Stating that the SC and ST sub-plan was being implemented in the State effectively, the Chief Minister listed out various initiatives launched by the State government for the welfare of Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs), he said.
|CM garlanding B R Ambedkar’s statue in Vijayawada on the occasion of the latter’s 125th birth anniversary.
“We want to develop Amaravati as a tourist attraction for Buddhists from across the globe. BR Ambedkar’s proposed statue and memorial park would further add glory to the capital city,” Naidu had announced in the Assembly. As part of the celebrations, various programmes, including Ambedkar Ideology Run, Ambedkar Sports Meet and other programmes for the entire year, were being organised. ‘We will translate all the works of Ambedkar into Telugu language,’ Naidu said. According to Naidu, the state will also hold anti-discrimination week, besides holding an international Buddhist convention. ANDHRAPRADESHMAGAZINE.ORG
The Andhra Pradesh government is planning to implement a slew of measures including construction of over six lakh houses for dalits and oppressed under the weaker sections housing programme in connection with the 125th birth anniversary of Dr B.R. Ambedkar. Chief Minister Naidu said the government decided to convert all the ST hostels into residential educational institutions during the current year and upgrade all social welfare hostels into residential schools in the next three years to enable the deprived sections get quality education. It was proposed to bring the management of tribal institutions under one umbrella for betMAY 2016
The Andhra Pradesh government is planning to implement a slew of measures including construction of over six lakh houses for dalits and oppressed under the weaker sections housing programme in connection with the 125th birth anniversary of Dr B.R. Ambedkar. ter quality management. He said the government’s focus would be on improving the education and health standards of tribal people and dalits by upgrading the institutions run by the respective departments. In addition, it was proposed to focus on economic development activities of the tribal people with emphasis on products like organic coffee, geographical indication tag for turmeric and promotion of potato cultivation, organic cashew, vegetable cultivation and better marketing with value addition. Better branding and marketing of organic products through engagement of professional business consultants and skill development activities for at least one lakh members a year for ensuring gainful employment were among the measures. The government also relaxed the five-acre norm as eligibility criterion for economic support schemes like horticulture, NTR Jalasri, and other schemes. On the infrastructure development front, it was proposed to cover all the SC/ST habitations with CC internal roads, provision of safe drinking water under NTR sujala pathakam, construction of tribal museum at Visakhapatnam, electrification of all non-electrified habitations, provision of more LED lamps as well as waiver of power supply charges of up to 50 units a month and according priority to infrastructure development in all schools and educational institutions. MAY 2016
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Dredging harbour at Antarvedi
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ndhra Pradesh entered into an MoU with the Dredging Corporation of India (DCI) at the maritime meet held in April to set up a dredging harbour at Antarvedi in East Godavari district.
is expected to improve connectivity between East and West Godavari districts and generate of more jobs in the days to come. The government also entered into an MoU with Inland Waterways Authority of India for development of National Waterway 4 at an estimated cost of around Rs 3,000 crore. National Waterway 4 passes through Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. Once developed, this waterway will help take off roads significant portion of cargo traffic. The Rs.1,800-crore dredging harbour-cum-training centre is also expected to take care of the maintenance of the dredgers at work in the ports being maintained by the government and private companies. This harbour can also become a centre to facilitate dredgers from the entire South Asia. A team of DCI officials, which was on the job of selecting a suitable place for the project, visited Antarvedi in September last and evinced interest in establishing the harbour there. The district administration also reacted positively and finished the formalities of allotting 200 acres of land for the prestigious project. Subsequently, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu announced the project from the dais of the foundation stone-laying ceremony of the capital city, Amaravati. “In the first phase, East Godavari district will get quality road network, as the DCI needs good connectivity from Eethaakota to Antarvedi to move its equipment to the project site. Similarly, there is a possibility of the local youth getting employment in the project,” says Collector H. Arun Kumar. People of West Godavari district are hopeful of completion of the long-pending road-cum-rail bridge project across the Vasishta Godavari connecting Sakhinetipalle in East Godavari district and Narasapuram in West Godavari district, as the project will be more beneficial to the DCI. “The present MoU is the first step towards the road-cum-rail bridge project. The bridge will improve connectivity between the two Godavari districts and reduce transportation cost,” says Bandaru Mahdava Naidu, MLA from Narasapuram in West Godavari district. ANDHRAPRADESHMAGAZINE.ORG
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A learned scholar with two PhDs in economics from Andhra University and in education from the US-Anand Gajapathi Raju was known for his patronage to education institutions, research, philanthropy and also cricket.
A MAN OF MANY PARTS
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he sudden demise of Pusapati Anand Gajapathi Raju, former Minister, came as a shock to the entire state of Andhra Pradesh as it had lost a leader and scholar. The end came on March 26 at Manipal Hospital in Visakhapatnam city. He was 65 and is survived by wife and daughter. His younger brother Ashok Gajapathi Raju, is Union Minister for Civil Aviation. A scion of the royal family of Vizianagaram, Anand joined the Telugu Desam Party following NT Rama Rao’s call in 1983. He was elected to the Assembly from Bheemunipatnam in Visakhapatnam district and served as a minister twice in his cabinet— holding the portfolios of Education and Health. On the advice of NT Rama Rao, he successfully contested the Bobbili Lok Sabha in 1984 where he again won seven years later on a Congress ticket. He later contested from contested from the Visakhapatnam Lok Sabha constituency on the TDP ticket without success, after which he showed lack of interest in politics.
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Anand was living in Kilampudi Layout on the beach road in Visakhapatnam, spending his time reading and in spiritual activity. He succeeded his father PVG Raju as chairman of MANSAS, a trust engaged in educational activity and also as many as 108 temples including the Simhacha-
lam temple board , Arasavilli and Srikurmam temples as hereditary trustee. He studied in Loyola Colllege, Madras and later in Andhra University. He had a brief stint as a journalist having worked with The Hindu in Chennai . A learned scholar with two PhDs in economics from Andhra University and in education from the US-Anand Gajapathi Raju was known for his patronage to education institutions, research, philanthropy and also cricket. He pursued his studies in several reputed educational institutions in India and the United States of America. Appreciating his services to the cause of education, an honorary doctorate was conferred on him by the Inter American University of Humanistic Studies in Florida, USA. In 2009, he was awarded with another doctorate in economics from Andhra University in recognition to his contribution to economic policies. Anand began his political career as Youth Congress leader in the Fort Town of Vizianagaram but joined TDP when its founder NT Rama Rao visited Bheemunipatnam in November 1982 along with Ashok Gajapathi Raju, who was serving as Janata Party MLA from Vizianagaram. During his short tenure as Bhimili legislator, Anand took steps to open a Government Degree College, Government
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Polytechnic for Girls at Bheemuipatnam and Government Residential HIgh School for Girls at Tagarapuvalasa, a few kilometers away from Bheemunipatnam. The ambitious `Divyakshetram’ project was taken up at Simhachalam during Anand’s tenure as hereditary trustee. The Rs.100 crore project was started in the year 2003. The Pusapati family had donated 9,000 acres to the Simhachalam Devestanam during the period of PVG Raju. The Mada Streets or the roads on all four sides of the temple, the Rajagopuram on the south, Queue complex, free rest house, Gangadhara, a 60-room choultry down hill and other development works were taken up during his tenure. On haring the death of Anand, the Simhachalam Deveasthanam offices were closed for the day. The Vizianagaram town was shell shocked at the sudden demise of the beloved son. All the educational institutions and the Prince of Wales Market remained closed on the day. The body of Anand was taken in a procession from is bungalow in the Fort Town via RTC Complex and Balaji Junction to the burial ground at Peddacheruvu, People stood on either side of the road in respect and watched the last journey.
- b.Prabhakara Sarma
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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
Gooty Fort
Magnificent Hilltop Fort
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ooty Fort in Anantapur district is one of the neglected but important historical monuments in Andhra Pradesh.
About gooty fort
The Gooty fort is around 50 Kms from Anantapur, situated at a height of 300 meters above the sea level in Gooty (Gutti). The fort was built during the Chalukyan times. Major part of this fort was fortified and strengthened during the Vijayanagara era. The Fort has been granted the title of 'World Heritage Site' by UNESCO. The exact construction date of the fort is not known, according to the historical records the earliest inscriptions found in the structure date back to the 7th century. The fort was captured by Mir Jumla and then came under the sway of Qutub Shahi chiefs. In 1773, it was captured by Haider Ali & Tippu Sultan and later fell into the British hands. About 10 Km away from Gooty Fort, archeologists have discovered a stone on which constitution belonging to Ashoka is written.
Shell-Shaped fort
The Fort was build primarily from Security point of view. No structure inside the fort has any architectural magnitude & has not withstood the ravages of times. The fort is built in the shape of a shell and has 15 inner forts with 15 main doors in an area of approximately 25 acres. The fort of Gooty is an amalgamation of Hindu-Islamic architecture. The fort has numerous temples, including Nageswara Swamy Temple, Lakshminarasimhaswamy Temple and Ramaswamy Temple. On the top of the fort a small pavilion made in polished lime stone is known as Morari Rao's seat. It offers a panoramic view of the town below and is believed to be the favorite resort of Maratha ruler Morari Rao. Sitting on the top of the fort & watching the sunset, beautiful landscape & a walk in the MAY 2016
nearby places
Penukonda: This place is around 65 Kms from Anantapur. It served as the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire for a short period. This is one of the holiest places in south India, It has 365 temples of Lord Hanuman. This place is also popular for the Babaiah Dargah (Mausoleum) The Dargah of 12th Century Sufi Saint Hazrat Syed Shah Baba Fakruddin Suharwardy(R.A) A perfect symbol of brotherhood & communal harmony between all the communities.
Rayadurg Fort: This magnificent fort is situated on the foothills of the Rayadurg Town. This unique hill fort was constructed by Junga Nayak. A part of this fort wall has disintegrated. There are four caves placed beneath the slope which has small doors of stone with sculptors of Siddhas. The area of the fort comprises of many village temples like Elamma, Narashimhaswamy and Hanuman. The big banyan Tree: One can also visit the big banyan tree known as Thimmamma Marrimanu, located around 35 km from town Kadiri & 100 Kms from Anantapur. It is reported to be the world's biggest tree with a canopy of 19,107 square metres. Its branches spread over 5 acres and were recorded as the biggest tree in the Guinness Book of World Records in 1989. One can also visit some wonderful places like Lepakshi, known for the biggest Nandi statue in India, and there are many temples built during the13th century AD. Dharmavaram another famous place for silk sarees, Puttaparthy, abode of Sri Sri Sri Satya Sai Baba, Hemavati, Penakacherla & PABR dams, Aluru Kona water fall near to Tadipatri & world famous Belum caves near Tadipatri.
where to stay
There are some star hotels & many budget hotels to stay at Anantapur. Do not go for online booking, it’s better to check suitable hotels & directly ask for the low tariffs & special discounts.
best time to visit
Any time is the fine to enjoy the beauty of Gooty Fort but September to February is the perfect time. The weather during these months remains cool and pleasant.
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HAPPENING AP Airtel expands 4g services in AP
Top telecom operator Airtel said its high speed 4G services are now available in 40 towns inAndhra Pradesh and Telangana. Airtel 4G is available to customers across a range of smart devices, including mobile phones, dongles, 4G hotspotsand Wi-Fi dongles, the company said in a statement here. Venkatesh Vijayraghavan, Chief Executive Officer of Bharti Airtel for Andhra Pradesh & Telangana, said, "We launched Airtel's first 4G Network in Hyderabad last May and in just 10 months, our 4G presence has spread to 40 major towns in both the States."
A P announces 20,000 government vacancies
The Andhra Pradesh government today gave its nod for a phase-wise recruitment on 20,000 government posts lying vacant. The decision was taken during a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Information and Public Relations Minister Palle Raghunatha Reddy told reporters. "Thousands of government jobs are lying vacant but given the financial constraints faced by the state, we are taking up 'needbased recruitment' to fill the vacancies," Finance Minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu told the Assembly during the recent Budget session.
IT collection surpasses target
Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have exceeded the Income Tax target for 2015-16 and the Visakhapatnam region did exceptionally well by registering a 27.4 per cent growth, Principal Chief Commissioner of Income Tax I. Suresh Babu said. He said against a target of Rs.36,250 crore the two States had collected Rs.36,665 crore. The Visakhapatnam region comprising the north Coastal and Godavari districts collected Rs.514 crore more than the target of Rs.3,867 crore. After bifurcation of the State, a Chief Commissioner has been appointed for Vijayawada.
State selected for Pr awards
The Panchayat Raj Department of Andhra Pradesh has bagged the “Incremental Devolution Index” award of the Centre for the development of gram panchayats in the State with innovative plans. Minister for Panchayat Raj Chintakayala Ayyanna Patrudu received the award from Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a function at the JRD Tata Complex at Jamshedpur in Jharkhand on April 24. He also received a cash award of Rs. 2 crore. The award was for the action the state government has taken in strengthening the Panchayats through the digital Panchayat concept by computerising 11 important services of a Panchayat.
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rs. 100-crore drought relief works in chittoor
Collector Siddarth Jain said that Rs. 100 crore would be spent on the drought relief works in Chittoor district with an action plan for the next three months. The Collector was inspecting the Neeru-Chettu works in Gangadhara Nellore, Vedurukuppam and SR Puram mandals. Speaking to the officials of the MGNREGS, Rural Water Supply and Panchayat Raj wings, Mr Siddarth Jain said that steps were taken to provide Rs. 200 each to the job-card holders. He instructed the officials to supply drinking water and buttermilk to the NREGS workers in view of the heat wave conditions.
TTD deposits gold bars with PnB
The TTD deposited 1,311 kg of pure gold bars with the Punjab National Bank (PNB). At a formal programme organised in his chambers at the TTD’s administrative buildings, Executive Officer D. Sambasiva Rao said that the management already wrote to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) as well as the government seeking amendments to the Central-sponsored Gold Monetisation Scheme. If the concerns raised by the TTD were to be heard then the management would not hesitate to move all its deposits under the monetisation scheme, he said.
land allotted for wind power projects
Expediting the process for setting up wind power projects in the State, the Andhra Pradesh Government has allotted around 80 acres of land in Anantapur and Kurnool districts for the projects. The government allotted 28.93 acres of land in Karivemula, Jilledubudakala, and Kunkanur villages of Kurnool district in favour of New and Renewable Energy Development Corporation (NREDCAP) and Varshini Wind Power Projects Pvt. Ltd jointly for establishment of wind power project for a period of 25 years on lease basis. The lease value was fixed at 10 per cent of the prevailing market value with a provision to enhance the lease amount in very five years block period. Similarly, 62.94 acres in Muthuvakuntla of Kanaganapalli mandal in Anantapur district has been allotted jointly to the NREDCAP and Sarayu Wind Power.
Anu expands reach abroad, to house ceSS
The global reach of the Amaravati-based Acharya Nagarjuna University (ANU) is set to expand further. After successful tie-up with the University of Panama, the institution is going to tie up with an African Institution shortly. On the home front, ANU will also house the AP branch of the Centre for Economic and Social Studies
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(CESS) soon. The vision of the university is to be the best one in the Amaravati capital region, said ViceChancellor Prof. Rajendra Prasad. The tie-up with the University of Panama has worked well and over 40 students from Panama have been given PhD admissions here in the past three years. The proposed tie-up with the Eastern Africa Statistical Training Centre (EASTC), Tanzania will materialise in a month, according to him.
A.P. pilots solar energy storage project
Andhra Pradesh will set an example to other States in integration of solar energy with the power grid when the proposed 100 MW storage capacity is created in the green energy corridor coming up in Anantapur and Kadapa districts. It is a pilot project being supported by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). the energy storage facility would help in automatically adjusting the frequency when solar, wind or hybrid energy is exported to the grid. “No other state is creating solar energy storage, which is an emerging concept in the entire world.
cM launches ‘chandranna Sanchara chikitsa’
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu launched ‘Chandranna Sanchara Chikitsa’, a mobile medical unit, supply of rotavirus vaccine, and injectable polio vaccine programme coinciding with his birthday. Mr. Naidu also inaugurated a CT scan facility provided by Krsnaa Diagnostics Pvt. Ltd at Tekkali through a remote from Vijayawada. He said that 275 mobile medical units would serve as primary health care centres in villages. They would conduct fixed day clinics twice in a month, and these clinics would maintain the electronic medical record of every beneficiary, he added.
Discoms acquire gvk power plant
Andhra Pradesh power distribution companies have acquired the 216 MW gas-based power plant owned by the GVK group. The acquisition comes for a consideration of Rs. 261.27 crore as against the value of Rs. 293.37 crore quoted by the GVK management. Simultaneously, arrangements have been made at the plant site for taking over by the senior officials of the distribution companies. The acquisition comes after the expiry of the power purchase agreement signed between the GVK management and the distribution companies of the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh. Spread over 211.73 acres in lush green forest environment, the GVK Jegurupadu plant was among the first project that entered into power purchase agreement with the power utilities.
MAY 2016
State IT Departments in vizag
Chief Secretary S.P. Tucker said that the State level offices of the IT and Tourism departments would be shifted to Visakhapatnam to implement at the field level the new measures adopted for overall development of the two areas. There was scope to increase the number of IT employees from the present 19,000 to one lakh and a space of 20 lakh sft was needed for the IT companies. The officials had to identify the space, he said.
nID to come up in in Amaravati
The National Institute of Design (NID) will be one of the iconic structures in the neighbourhood of the secretariat building which was inaugurated by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu recently. The land for the Central institute is already allocated on the Secretariat boulevard and the construction of the building will be completed by 2018. At present, the NID is operating in the transit campus within ANU. The Central institution has already completed one year and the first batch of students will be receiving their certificates by the end of May.
TTD to build temple in Hyderabad
The TTD Board resolved to construct a temple of Lord Venkateswara at Banjara Hills in Hyderabad at a cost of Rs. 18 crore. The board also resolved to procure two new gold vahanams — Sarva Bhoopala and Muthyapu Pandiri — for use at the hill temple at a thumping cost of Rs. 3.86 cores besides two gold ‘sataris’ (sacred canopy used by the priests to bless the devout inside the sanctum) at a cost of Rs.72.75 lakhs. The board resolved to construct a Kalyana Mandapam and a pilgrim amenities Complex (PAC) at Vontimitta in Kadapa at a cost of Rs. 4.60 crore, Anna prasadam complex at Tiruchanoor (Rs. 6.70 crore), treasury hall adjacent to the administrative building at Tirupati (Rs. 4 crore) Kalyana Mandapams in Chintalur and Lepakshi in Anantapur (Rs. 1.25 crore each), development of infra structure and construction of new operation theatres at BIRRD hospital (Rs.7.08 crore)
Au completes 90 years
Andhra University has completed 90 years. The university was founded on April 26, 1926 by Sir C.R. Reddy with just four courses, and today it has grown to offer over 200 courses, covering sciences, humanities, engineering, under-graduate and PG and self-financing courses.
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AP FIBER NET PROJECT As a part of Phase I, it is planned to
Mission To set up State-Wide High-Speed, Aerial Optical Fiber infrastructure leveraging the existing electricity distribution companies’ assets.
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set up State-Wide High-Speed, low-cost optical fiber infrastructure leveraging existing electricity distribution companies’ assets;
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establish scalable ‘Infrastructure-Platform as a Service Model’ providing, wholesale bandwidth from up to 2600+ POP’s, on a non-discriminatory basis, to ISP’S, TSP’s, MSO, LCO’s and others across the state;
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provide ‘On-Demand’ bandwidth of 10 – 100 Mbps for households and 100Mbps – 1 gbps for all private sector at an affordable price;
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develop sustainable business and revenue models for last-mile linkages, providing institutional ecosystem with a platform for delivering products and services;
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develop a Technology-Ecosystem, conducive of integration with potential national level initiatives such as the National Optical Fiber Network and existing initiatives such as the State Wide Area Network. Cost of the Project: Rs 333 Crore
benefits: The AP FiberNet will give connection at Rs.149 per month for an 15 Mbps line to 1.3 crore households. Officials will get 100 Mbps connection at Rs.999 per month. Objective: To provide the cheapest internet connection in the world and ondemand broadband connectivity. v
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IN HEAT & DUST..
he Chief Minister has had a hectic April, hopping in and out of Vijayawada, despite the scorching heat in the State. Besides conducting a slew of review meetings, he visited various districts, monitoring projects on site and inaugurating new industires. Pic 1: Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu addressing all the stakeholders on how to make Anantapur droughtproof district. Pic 2 A China team meets Chandrababu Naidu in Vijayawada and discusses development of Amaravati.
Pic 3: Pallonji Shapoor, chairman of Shapoorji Pallonji Company, met Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu at the Camp OďŹƒce in Vijayawada. Pic 4: The Chief Minister inaugurating Chandranna Sanchara Chikitsa, a mobile medical service, to serve in the rural and remote areas.
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Regd. No. H-HD-1082/2016-18 Published on: 01/05/2016
APENG/2007/20679
Posting Dt: 6th