Andhra Pradesh Current Affairs 2017 - January to August

PART 2

CabinetapprovesVijayawadaAirportasInternationalAirport.

TheUnionCabinetchairedbythePrimeMinisterShri NarendraModihasgivenitsapprovalforthedeclarationofVijayawadaAirportasInternationalAirport,aspertheprovisionsof

AndhraPradeshReorganisation Act,2014.

TheproposalwilladdtoimprovedconnectivitytotheStatecapital.Itwillprovidewiderchoiceofservicesatcompetitivecoststotheair-travelersandgiveaboostto

domestic/internationaltourismandsocio-economicdevelopmentofAndhraPradeshbybringingininternationalpassengersandcargotraffic.

Thedecisionwastakenonaccountofrepeateddemandsfromairlineoperatorsandsurgeinpassengertraffic.

Theinfrastructureupgradation requiredforinternationaloperationswillbecarriedoutbyAirportsAuthorityofIndia.

AIIBgrants$160millionforAndhraPradeshpowerproject.

TheBoardofDirectorsoftheAsianInfrastructureInvestmentBank(AIIB)approvedaloanofUS$160millioninsupportoftheAndhraPradesh– 24x7Power

forAllproject

TheobjectiveistostrengthenthepowertransmissionanddistributionsystemintheStateofAndhraPradesh.

TheProjectispartoftheGovernmentofIndia’s PowerforAll programthatwaslaunchedin2014toprovideanefficient,reliableandaffordableelectricitysupply

toallconsumersacrossselectedstateswithinfiveyearsfromthestartofimplementationoftheprogramineachstate.

AndhraPradeshisoneofthefirststatesselectedfortherolloutofthe PowerforAll program.

The PowerforAll programinAndhraPradeshwillbethestartingpoint forAIIBtoextenditsassistancetoothercountriesinAsiamovingtowardsan

‘Energyforall’initiatives.

Theprojectisco-financedwiththeWorldBank.

Railwaystationsurvey- Andhra's Visakhapatnamcleanest,Bihar'sDarbhangadirtiest.

Aspersurvey,conductedbytheQualityCouncilofIndia.

Thiswasthe3rd suchsurveyaimedatascertainingcleanlinessatrailpremises.Thesurveyisapartof‘Swachh Rail’campaign.

AndhraPradeshwasratedthecleaneststationamongthe75busieststationsinthecountry

FollowedbySecunderabad,Jammu,VijayawadaandAnand Vihar railwaystations.

Thesurveywasbasedoncriteriasuchastoiletsonplatforms,managementoftracksand dustbins.

TheDarbhanga stationinBihar wasratedasthedirtiest

Varanasirailwaystation,situatedinPrimeMinister NarendraModi’sLok Sabhaconstituency,wasplaced14th

NewDelhistationwasranked39,whileNizamuddin andOldDelhistationswereplacedatthe23thand24thpositionrespectively.

Railwaystationsarecategorised — A1,A,B,C,D,EandF— basedontheirannualpassengerrevenuebytheministry.

ThestationsthatcontributeoverRs50croreannuallyareinthe‘A1’category.

whilethosethatcontributebetweenRs6croreandRs50crorecomeunderthe‘A’category.

AllsuburbanstationsareinCcategory,whileallhalts areinFcategory

Thereare75stationslistedunderthe‘A1’category,whilethereare332underthe‘A’

category.

Amongthe‘A’categorystations,Beas railwaystationinPunjabwasratedthecleanest

followedbyKhammam locatedinTelangana.

Jogbani inBiharwasthedirtiestintheAcategory

AndhraPradeshinksdealwithHCLTechtosetupRs500croreresearchfacilities.

AndhraPradeshITMinisterNaraLokesh todaysignedadealwithHCLTechnologies forsettingupofRs500-croreITresearchfacilityinVijayawada.

Thecompanywillinvest Rs500croreintenyears,foradevelopmentcentre,trainingfacilityandotherancillaryfacilities.

HCLaimstohire,employandtrain5,000localresidentsintheregionintwophases.

ThecompanywilldevelopitsfirstcentreatKesarapalle villageinGannavarammandal ofKrishnadistrictinatotalareaof17.86acresandthesecondcentrein

Ainavulu villageofAmaravati.

A.P.,SingaporesignpactforAmaravati development

TheGovernmentsofAndhraPradeshandSingaporesignedanMoUforthedevelopmentoftheAmaravati start-upareabytheAmaravati DevelopmentPartners(ADP).

ItisajointventurebeingfloatedbytheSingaporeconsortiumconsistingofAscendas-Singbridge andSembcorp Pte Ltd.,andtheAmaravati DevelopmentCorporation(ADC)

Developmentofthestart-upareaspreadin6.84sq.km onthesouthernbanksofRiverKrishnanexttothegovernmentadministrativecoreissettotakeplaceinthreephases

over15years

656acresinPhase-I,514acresinPhase-IIand521acresinthelast.

TheSingaporeconsortiumisgoingtohavea58%equityparticipationinADP(themasterdeveloper)tothetuneofRs.306crorewhiletheADCcomesinwitha42%stake

amountingtoRs.222crore.

AndhraPradesh'sBanganapalle mangogetsGItag.

TheBanganapalle mangohasreceivedthegeographicalindication(GI)tag,makingAndhraPradeshtheownerofthevarietythatoriginatesinitsKurnooldistrict.

TheRegistrarofGeographicalIndicationsRegistry(RGIR)grantedBanganapalle theGIstatusonasix-year-oldapplicationfromAndhraPradesh’s horticulturedepartment.

TheBanganapalle mangoisonethemostpreferredvarietiesofthefruitinbothAndhraPradeshandTelangana.

TheapplicationfortheGItagwasmadein2011,priortothebifurcationofAndhraPradeshin2014tocreateTelangana

MP,VeteranFilmmakerDasari Narayana Rao Diesat75

Dasari Narayana Rao isawell-knownfilmmakerandproducerhasdied.

Rao hascelebratedhis75thbirthdayonMay4thisyear.

Rao wasaCongressMPfromAndhraPradeshandservedastheUnionMinisterofStateforCoalbetween2004-2006andinhissecondtermfrom2006-2008.

HeholdsarecordintheLimca BookofRecordsfordirectingthemaximumnumberoffilms.HismostfamousfilmsareTandra Paparayudu (1986),Meghasandesam (1983)andKaante Koothurne

Kanu (2000)

Three-dayModifestbeginsinAndhraPradesh

Thethree-dayfestivalMakingofDevelopedIndia(MODI) festwaslaunchedinAndhraPradeshon2June2017.

Itbeginstocelebratethesuccessfulcompletionofthethree-yearrulebytheModigovernment.

ThefestivalwasinauguratedbyformerministerK.Lakshminarayana.

ThefestivalwouldbeheldinthreephasesinthreedistrictsofAndhraPradesh,atGovernmentGhantasala MusicCollegeinVijayawada,Ambedkar Bhawan,Rajvihar Circlein

KurnoolandatGokul Park,RamakrishnaBeachinVisakhapatnam

ThepurposeofthefestivalistoshowvariouswelfareschemeslaunchedbytheNDAgovernmentduringthepast3years.

MODIFest,(MakingofDevelopedIndiaFestival),organizedbytheUnionInformationandBroadcasting

Ministry.

MODIfestisbeingconductedthroughoutthecountryandwillbeheldat12placesinTamilNaduandPuducherry.

ThefestalsoprovidesthepublicanopportunitytogetdetailedinformationaboutthevariousschemesoftheCentralgovernmentlikeSkilldevelopment,JanDhanYojana,PradhanMantriAwasYojana,Fasal Beema YojanaandUjjwalaYojana.

MinistryofUrbanDevelopmentlaunchesLiveability Indexfor116citiestomeasurequalityoflife.

UrbanDevelopmentMinistrylaunched"CityLiveability Index".

LaunchedbytheThenMinisterofUrbanDevelopmentShri M.Venkaiah NaiduheretodayataNationalWorkshoponUrbanTransformation.

Itisafirstofitskindinitiativetomeasurethequalityoflifein116majorcitiesincludingcapitalcitiesandthosewithpopulationoveronemillion.

Citieswillbeassessedonacomprehensivesetof79paratmeters tocapturetheextentandqualityofinfrastructureincludingavailabilityofroads,educationandhealthcare,

mobility,employmentopportunities,emergencyresponse,grievanceredressal,pollution,availabilityofopenandgreenspaces,culturalandentertainmentopportunitiesetc.

TheMinistryofUrbanDevelopmenttodaydisbursedRs.500cr asincentiveto16Statesthatperformedwellinimplementingurbanreformsduring2016-17.

AndhraPradeshtoppedthelistscoring96.06%marks.

Otherswhoreceivedtheincentivefundinorderofmeritwere:

Odisha(95.38%),Jharkhand(91.98%),Chattisgarh (91.37%),MadhyaPradesh(90.20%)

Telangana(86.92%),Rajasthan(84.62%),Punjab(77.02%),

Kerala(75.73%),Goa(75.38*),Mizoram(75.00%),Gujarat(73.80%)

Chandigarh(72.73%),UttarPradesh(70.67%)andMaharashtra(70.52).

MarksscoredbytheseStateswasconsideredfordecidingthequantumofincentivewithhighscorers

gettingmore.

Reformincentivefundforthenextthreefinancialyearswillbeincreasedfromthepresentallocation

ofRs.900cr toRs.10,000cr topromotenextgenerationreformsthatwouldmakeasubstantialdifferencetourbangovernanceandservicedeliveryandresourcemobilizationbyurbanlocalbodies.

India’sfirstRuralLEDStreetLightingProjecttobeimplementedinAndhraPradesh

Governmentwillretrofit10lakhconventional streetlightswithLEDlightsinGramPanchayatsof7districtsinAndhraPradesh.

Theprojectwillbecarriedoutbythe EnergyEfficiencyServicesLimited(EESL) functioningundertheMinistryofPower.

Thisprojectwillbethefirst ruralLEDstreetlightingproject undertheGovernmentofIndia’sStreetLightingNationalProject(SLNP).

Inthefirstphaseoftheproject,thedistrictsofGuntur,Prakasham,Nellore,Kurnool,Kadapa,Ananthapur andChittoor willbecovered.

Thetotalupfrontcapitalcostoftheprojectwouldbe fundedbyFrenchDevelopmentAgencyAgence Française deDéveloppement

(AFD)

Theprojectwillhelpthegram panchayats tocumulativelysaveapproximately147millionunitsofelectricityinayear

Itwillleadtoareductionofapproximately12croretonnesofCO2.

TheEESLwillbemaderesponsiblefor carryingoutannualmaintenanceandwarrantyreplacementexercisesinthesegram

panchayats foraperiodof10years.

Background

AndhraPradeshbecamethefirststatetoget assistancefromEESLtoreplaceconventionalstreetlightingwithLEDlightingaftercycloneHudhud causedextensive

damageinVisakhapatnam.

Sincethen, EESLhasinstalledanapproximate5,90,000LEDstreetlightsintheState.Theselightshashelpedthestateto reduceover65,000tonnesofCO2everyyear.

Acrossthecountry,morethan 23lakhconventionalstreetlightshavebeenreplacedbyLEDstreetlightsin21States.

PrimeMinisterNarendraModihaslaunched‘100citiesNationalProgramme‘ onJanuary5,2015toreplaceconventionaldomesticlightswith energyefficientLED

lights.

Similarly,Underthe StreetLightNationalProgramme(SLNP),thegovernmenthassetatargetof

replacing 1.34croreconventionalstreetlightswithLEDlightsacrossthecountry.

LEDbulbshaveaverylonglife,almost50timesmorethanordinarybulbs,and8to10timesthatofCFLs,andthereforeprovidebothenergyandcostsavings

inthemediumterm.

WorldBank,AIIBtogrant$380milliontoAndhraPradeshpowerproject

TheWorldBankandAsianInfrastructureInvestmentBank(AIIB)havetogetheragreedtoextend$380millionofloantoAndhraPradesh

Tohelpthestatebuildareliable,qualityandaffordablepowersupplytocitizens.

WorldBanksaidithassignedanagreementwiththegovernmentofIndiaandAndhraPradeshgovernmenttoextend$240millionofloan.

AIIBhasalsosigneda$140millionloan,whichisconsideredthefirstsuchprojectinIndiatobeco-financedbyit.

TheWorldBankandAIIBwillprovideloansina60:40ratioforallthecomponentsoftheprojectthatisaimedatproviding24X7powerforall.

TheprojectispartofthegovernmentofIndia's`PowerforAll'programmelaunchedin2014andAndhraPradeshisamongthefewstatesselectedfortherolloutofthisprogramme.

APCMChandrababu launchesMSMECorporationwithRs100cr.

Andhara PradeshCMChandrababu NaidulaunchestheestablishmentofMicro,Small,MediumEntrepreneurs(MSME)

DevelopmentCorporationatVijayawada withfundofRs.100croreontheoccasionofInternationalMSMEDay

Around15acreswouldbeallottedforMSMEbhavan inAmaravatiforresearch,developmentandtrainingprogrammes.

MSMEbhavans wouldbeconstructedinallthe175AssemblyconstituenciesandIndustrialPromotionCouncilsarebeingsetup,

headedbyaMinister,inallthedistricts

AP'sVizianagaram bagsMGNREGANationalAward.

TheMinistryofRuralDevelopmenthasselectedVizianagaram asoneamongthe17districtsacrossthenationfortheMGNREGAannualawardforeffective

implementationoftheMahatmaGandhiNationalRuralEmploymentGuaranteeActduring2015-16

Thedistricthadgeneratedworksfor3,61,668householdsin2015-16anddisbursed₹483.42croreaswageswithanaverageof₹106.

Over5,000farmponds,240rainwaterharvestingstructures,and440watershedworkswereexecuted.Inaddition,3,427minorirrigationtankswerede-silted

andrestoredtotheiroriginalcapacity.

TheStatehadbeenutilising 16%ofthenation’sMGNREGAfunds

BillintroducedinLSforsettinguppetroleuminstituteinAP

TheinstitutewouldbeestablishedinVisakhapatnamdistrictinpursuanceofthecentralgovernment’scommitmentforsettingupapetroleumuniversityundertheAndhraPradeshReorganisation Act,2014,accordingtotheObjectsandReasonsof

thebill.

TheIndianInstituteofPetroleumandEnergyBill,2017’ wasintroducedbyministerofstateforPetroleumandNaturalGasDharmendra Pradhan.

Theinstitutewouldactivelypursueresearchanddevelopmentinthefieldssuchasliquefiednaturalgas,biofuels andrenewables.

Andhra,Telangana,Gujaratbestineaseofdoingbusiness:AmitabhKant

AndhraPradesh, Telangana and Gujarat arethethreebest-performingstatesin"easeofdoingbusiness", NITIAayog CEO AmitabhKant.

Onetheotherhand,TamilNadu, Kerala andAssamfareworstintherankings.

KantpresentedtherankingsbasedonkeydevelopmentandsocialindicatorsacrossstatesandunionterritoriesduringanationalconferenceofChief

Secretaries.

Similarly,basedonavailabilityofelectricityinruralhouseholds, thebest-performingstatesareAndhraPradesh,Goa,Kerala,PunjabandTamilNadu,

whichhaveachieved100percentpenetration.

Sixstates/UTsinkMoUwithCentreonGeM.

Sixstates/UnionTerritories(UT)formallyadoptedtheCentre’sGovernmente-Marketplace(GeM)initiative.

ItaimstoensurethatpublicprocurementofgoodsandservicesinIndiaworthover₹5lakhcroreannuallyiscarriedoutthroughthe

onlineplatformfortransparency.

AndhraPradesh,Assam,Gujarat,Telangana,Puducherry andArunachalPradeshwilladopttheGeM.

NewcanyonsystemfoundnearKovvada,AndhraPradesh.CANYON- adeepgorge,typicallyonewithariverflowingthroughit

ScientistsforthefirsttimehavediscoveredthreenewcanyonsclosetoKovvada inSrikakulam districtofAndhraPradesh.

ThisdiscoverywasmadebyteamofscientistsfromCSIR-NationalInstituteofOceanography(NIO)inVisakhapatnam.

ThesethreecanyonstogetherformamajorcanyonsysteminthedepthsoftheBayofBengal.

ThisdiscoverywasmadebyclearlymappingtheoceanfloorbetweenVisakhapatnamandSrikakulam bysendingover32highdensitybeamsto

thedepthsofthesea.

Canyonsystemsaregenerallyformedbytheflowofriverwaterintotheseaandtheycouldbeasoldastheriversystem,whichiscloseto23millionyears.

ThenewcanyonsystemwasprobablyformedbyriverKandivalasa.

Itisveryhugeanditsdepthvariesfromabout90metresatthestartingpointtoabout2,500metresatthedeepestpoint.Itextendstoabout50to70kmdeepintothesea.

ThelastcanyonsystemsofftheVisakhapatnamcoastwerediscoveredin1963byAmericangeologistE.C.LaFond oftheUSNavyElectronicsLaboratory.

Mostofthecanyonsintheoceansystemacrosstheworldactaschannelsfordepositingsedimentsfromtheriverintheshelfregion.

Therearemorechancesoffindinghydro-carbons ifthedepositsaremore.

AndhraPradeshplanshi-techwaronmosquitoes.

Ahi-tech waragainstmosquitoes isbeingproposedusingopticalsensorstocapturetheirdensity,speciesandgenderbeforemovingintoexterminatethem.

Threecitiesin AndhraPradesh — Vijayawada,VishakhapatnamandTirupati —wanttousemoderntechnologytodetectmosquitobreedingbeforemalariaandothervector-bornediseasessuchasdengue,chikungunya andzika becomean

epidemic.

TheAndhragovernmenthassenta'SmartMosquitoDensitySystem'proposaltotheUnionurbandevelopmentministryforapproval.

Thethreemunicipalitiesplantodeploy10sensorspersqkm.TheentiresystemwillrequirenearlyRs4crore.

Atotalof1,850sensorswillbedeployedacross185sqkilometersofthesecitiesSensorsfixedtoelectricitypoleswillbeusedtomonitordensityof mosquitoesalongwithgender

andspecies.

Thedeviceswillanalyse andtransfermosquitodensitydataalongwithlocationtoacentraldatabase.

Therewillbeacontrolroomapplicationtoprovidemosquitodensityheatmaps,whichwillhelpgovernmentagenciesprioritise sprays.

Thesystemwilloperateautonomouslyandusestate-of-the-artinternetofthings(IoT)technologytoalerthealthandotheragencies

AccordingtoNationalVectorBorneDiseaseControlProgramme,about95%populationinIndia residesinmalariaendemicareas.Around5%ofthetotal214million deathsacrossthe

globeduetomalariahappeninIndia.

VenkaiahNaiduInauguratedthe3-dayVisakha Utsav inVisakhapatnam

Thethree-dayVisakha Utsav wasinauguratedbyM.VenkaiahNaidu,thethenUnionMinisterforInformationandBroadcastingandUrbanDevelopment,in

Visakhapatnam.

Thestatefestival,comprisingvariousculturaleventsisbeingheldattheportcity’sRamaKrishnaBeach.

Visakha Utsav isanannualfestivalthataimstobringouttherichcultureandtraditionofAndhraPradesh.

ItsmainobjectiveistopromotethebrandimageofVisakhapatnam.

Itincludesaculturaleventcalled‘Utsav Vedika’,whichaimstorevivethestate’sartforms.

TheinaugurationwasfollowedbyafolkdancebyLambadiwomenfromWarangal.

Afterthepresentationofatheme-basedsong,adanceballetchoreographedbypopularKuchipudi dancerBala Kondala Rao wasstaged.

Besidesthis,theeventwillalsoseeperformancesbymanypopularpersonalitiesincludingShibani Kashyap,BabaSehgal andDeviSriPrasad.

Almost75buseshavebeenallottedfortheevent.

PMAY-NTRNagarHousingScheme

PMAY-NTRNagarSchemehasbeenannouncedbythegovernmentofAndhraPradeshtoprovideaffordablehousestourbanpoor

TheschemewouldbeimplementedundertheaegisofPradhanMantriAwasYojana– Urban,aflagshipaffordablehousingschemeofcentralgovernment.

UnderthePMAY-NTRnagar housingscheme,atotalof1.93lakhhouseswouldbeconstructedforpoorinurbanareasofthestateoutofwhich41,000wouldbe

independenthouses.

TheAPgovernmenthaslaidfoundationstoneforconstructionof1.20Lakhaffordablehomesunder PradhanMantriAwasYojana in38citiesandtownsofthe

state.

Thegovernmentaimstoconstructabout2Lakhhomesbytheyear2022in

APurbanareas.

ThetotalcostoftheconstructionofhomeswouldbeaboutRs.11,530

Crore.

Badikostha BicycleSchemeforGirlStudentsinAndhraPradesh

Badikostha isanewinitiativebythestategovernmentofAndhraPradeshunderwhichbicycleswouldbeprovidedtothegirlsstudentsinthestate.

Themainobjectiveoftheschemeistoencouragegirlstocontinuetheireducationandreducethenumberofdropouts.

ThefreebicycleschemehasbeenlaunchedbytheAndhraChiefMinisteron17thApril2017fromVijaywada duringapublicgathering.

ThestategovernmentundertheBadikostha schemewoulddistributeabout1.82lakhbicyclestothegirlstudentsacrossthestateatacostofRs74.93crore.

Thestategovernmentwoulddistributebicyclesto9th gradegirlstudentsinthe

governmentschools.

Theschemeisaimedatmakingthestatea“KnowledgeState– EducationHub”by

reducingthenumberofschoolandcollegedropouts.

AndhraPradeshCMLaunchedPurushottapatnam LiftIrrigationScheme

Thisschemeisbeinglaunchedwithanaimofprovidingirrigationfacilityto2.15lakhacresinEastGodavaridistrictalsoforfulfillingthedemandofdrinkingandindustrialwaterof

Visakhapatnamcity.

Thisschemeproposestolift3,500cusecsofwaterfromtheGodavaridownstreamPolavaramdamandpumpintoPolavaram leftthemaincanal,andthendivertthewaterintotheYeleru

reservoir.

ThegovernmentstartstheinitiativeofdivertingGodavariwatertotheKrishnathroughthePolavaram rightmaincanalandthecompletionofPattiseema liftirrigationscheme.

ThisdiversionofGodavariwaterhelpedinstabilizingtheayacut bothinWestGodavariandKrishnadistrictsandsavingstandingcropworthRs.2,500croreamidstdroughtconditions

duringKharif.

Inanothersignificantdecision,theCabinetgaveitsconsenttoa50%hikeinthesalariesofthecontractemployeesofvariousdepartmentsintunewiththerecommendationofaGroupof

Ministers

However,thehikewouldbeapplicabletoemployeesdrawinglessthanRs.12,000permonth asperthescalesfixedbythePay

RevisionCommissionof2010.

ThehikewouldhaveretrospectiveeffectfromApril1anditwouldentailaburdenofRs.200croreonthegovernment.

NaraLokesh inductedintoAndhraPradeshcabinet

TeluguDesam PartygeneralsecretaryNaraLokesh wasinductedintotheAndhraPradeshcabinetastheminister

forpanchayat rajandIT .

HeissonofChiefMinisterNChandrababu Naidu.

Lokesh signedfilesconcerningNREGAworkersthatincludeprovisionofRs5lakhinsuranceforthefamilyincaseofthedeathordisabilityofaworker,whohasworkedforover50

days.

CabinetnodforSheela Bhide panelrecommendations

TheStateCabinetapprovedtherecommendationsofDr.Sheela BhideCommitteeonbifurcationofassetsandliabilitiesrelatingtonineBackwardClasses(BC)CorporationslistedunderScheduleIXoftheAPReorganisation

Act.

ChiefMinisterN.Chandrababu NaidusaidtheCommitteehadrecommendedthatthemoveableproperties,PersonalDeposit(PD)accountsandbankbalancesshouldbedividedintheratioof58%and42%betweenAndhra

PradeshandTelangana.

APwouldget₹10.55croreasitsshareinthebankbalances.

Andhracabinetclearsproposaltobuild4lakhhousesforweakersections

AllthehouseswillbetakenupundertheNTRhousingscheme.Whilethebeneficiarieshavetotakeuptheconstructionthemselves,the

governmentwillfundtheentirecostofunitRs1.5lakh.

ThestategovernmentwillgrantasubsidyofRs92,000perunitandRs3,000willbesparedunderthe IndividualHouseholdLatrine (IHHL)scheme.

AnotherRs55,000wouldbespentfromNationalRuralEmploymentGuaranteeScheme(NREGS).TheStateHousingCorporationwillmonitortheprogramme.

CMNaidutoldreportersthat2lakhunitswouldbeconstructedduringthecurrentfiscalandanother2lakhduringthenextfiscal

AndhraPradeshCabinetmeetingimportantdecisions

AllbeltshopsinAndhraPradeshwillbepermanentlyshutdown.Beltshops arenothingbutunauthorizedextendedcountersofexistingwine shoplicensees whogetonelicence and

openscoresofillegal sale countersinareasundertheirpurviewIfanypersonisseenconsumingliquoronroads,heshouldbeimmediatelyarrested.

Everydistrictwillconstitutea4membercommitteewithCollectorandSPandtwootherstocurbSandsmuggling.

AllthosepoorpatientssufferingfromKidneydiseaseswouldnowbegettingamonthlypensionofRs.2500.

APDrinkingWaterSupplyCorporationbeformedtoenhancewatersupplyintheState.Alldrinkingwatersupplyagencieswouldbebroughtunderthecorporation.Atpresent,

thegovernmentissupplying40to55litres toeachindividualanditwouldbeincreasedto100litres

AndhraPradeshcabinetnodtodraftBillforsettingupFisheriesandOceanUniversity

ItwillcomeupunderPublicPrivatePartnership(PPP)modeandthestategovernmentwillhavesharenot

morethan49percent.

SettingupFisheriesandOceanUniversityatanestimatedcostofRs300crorein50acresofland.

Cabinetapprovescybersecuritypolicy

TheCabinetatitsmeetingapprovedtheA.P.CyberSecurityPolicy(AP-CSP)2017.

Anddecidedtointroducecoursesincybersecurity,InternetofThings,machinelearning,financialtechnologiesincollegesfromthisacademicyearitself.

Ithasreckon2017-18astheyear ofe-Pragati.

TheCSPenvisagesprotectiontocyberandinformationassetsinpublicandprivatespheresthroughvariousmeasures,includingcapacity-buildingacrossthedepartmentsandstrengtheningthelawenforcementagenciestobetterequipthemwiththerising

graphofcybercrimes.

TheCabinetresolvedtopayanadditional ₹30,000asaspecialgranttobuildingworkersundertheChandranna Bima scheme.

TheCabinetalsoapprovedG.O.RTNo.118issuedonJanuary18,2017,forcreationofacommitteethatwouldsortouttheissuesfacedbytheStatepost-bifurcation,auctioningof350acresinKeesara andeightcommercialestablishmentsinVijayawadabelongingtoAgriGold

Andallotmentof172.84acrestoPatanjali Ayurved LimitedatChinnaraopalli villageofVizianagaram

NITIAayogshelvesA.P.portproject

NITIAayoghasfinallyspikedtheproposaltodevelopagreenfieldportatDugarajapatnam inNelloredistrictof AndhraPradesh asitwasfoundtobe

technologicallyandfinanciallyunviable.

Thedecisiontoclosethechapterwastriggeredbythetechno-economicfeasibilitystudyconductedbyAmericanconsultantAecom forthe

VisakhapatnamPortTrust(VPT),themajorequitypartnerintheproject.

OneofthemainreasonsforfindingDugarajapatnam unviableisitsproximitytoChennai,Krishnapatnam,Kattupalli andKamarajar (Ennore)ports.

Themassivedredgingrequiredtohandlebigsizevesselsisanotherdeterrent.

CabinetapprovesconstructionofdoublelineinAP.

TheCabinetCommitteeonEconomicAffairs,chairedbythePrimeMinisterShri NarendraModi,hasapprovedtheconstructionofdoublelinewithelectrificationbetweenGuntur-

Guntakal in AndhraPradesh.

Thetotallengthofthelinewillbe401.47km.

TheanticipatedcostoftheProjectwillbeRs.3631crorewhichwillbefundedthroughcostsharingof50:50byStateGovernmentandMinistryofRailway.

Theprojectislikelytobecompletedinfiveyears.

Theprojectfulfilsthecommitmentgiveninthe AndhraPradesh BifurcationActregardingtheincreasedrailconnectivitytotheRayalaseema regiontotheAmravati, thecapital

of AndhraPradesh.

TheGuntur-Guntakal sectionfallsinGuntur,Prakasham,KurnoolandAnanthapur districts

of AndhraPradesh.

ThisismostaccessibleshortestroutetoBangaluru frommanyimportantcitiesof

EasternandNorthEasternState

APCabinetnodfor4privatevarsities

Thestatecabinet,whichmethereclearedthedecksforanotherfourprivateuniversitiesandanInstituteofFinancialManagementResearch.

FinanceMinisterYanamala RamakrishnuduatamediabriefingsaidthemoveisexpectedtohelpthestateattractinvestmentsworthoverRs3028crore.

PrivateuniversitieswhichexpectedtoestablishtheirbranchesincludeRSTrust(VelTech),WorldPeaceUniversity(MaharashtraAcademyofEngineeringandEducationalResearch)

andGreatLakesInternationalUniversity(GreatLakesofInstituteofManagement).

TwoofthemwillcomeupinSriCityandoneeachinChittoor andVisakhapatnam

ThegovernmentproposedtoestablishWorldClassIntegratedFoodProcessingcomplexatMakavaripalem inVisakhapatnamdistrictunderprivatemanagement.Thecabinetresolved

toallot115acrestoaprivatecompanyforestablishingit.

EyeonITgrowth,Cabinetclearsnewtechparkpolicy

TheStateCabinetonMondayapprovedtheDesignatedTechnologyParkPolicy2017-2020, whichwillsupersedethepreviousDTPschemeintroducedaspartof

theITPolicy2014-20.

Theobjectivesofthenewpolicyaretoaccelerateindustryrequiredinfrastructure,encourageITfirmstoinvestintheStateandprovidegainful

employment.

Thegovernmentaimstodevelop5millionsqft ofqualityITofficespaceunderthenewpolicy.

TheITspacecreatedunderthepolicyisexpectedtohouse50,000 plushigh-qualityjobsintechnology,analyticsandcorebusinessbyMarch31,2020.

ItwouldentitleITspacecreatedfortheguaranteeofrentalearningstothetuneof50percentofthepre-agreedrentpersqftontheunoccupiedspaceandupto70percentofthebuilt-upspaceforaperiodof18-36months,dependingonthesizeoftheIToffice

building.

TheestimatedbudgetaryrequirementtobeprovidedbytheStategovernmentduringfirstthreefinancialyearsforthe

implementationofthepolicyis`239crore.

TheCabinetalsoclearedaproposaltosetupaliftirrigationforHandri Neeva Sujala Sravanthi projectinChittoor district.

AndhraPradeshgovttogivemonthlystipendtounemployed youths

Withnearly12lakhunemployedyouthsinthestate,theAndhraPradeshgovernmenthasdecidedtogiveamonthlyallowanceofaroundRs2,000per

persontilltheyfindajob.

TheAndhraPradeshCabinetsub-committee,whichmetonWednesday,hasdecidedtolaunchtheschemewithaninitialbudgetofRs500crore.

ItmaybenotedthatwhileWestBengalisgivingRs1,000toRs1,500perpersonpermonth,TamilNaduisgivingRs500permonth.

SourcessaidAndhramayfixthemonthlyallowanceatRs2,000.

Theassistancewillbefor2-3years andfirstpreferencewouldbegiventothosewhoareregisteredwithemployment

exchangesandbureausforlastfiveyears.

Onlyoneunemployedpersoninafamilywouldreceivethebenefit.

Ajeya Kallam appointednewChiefSecretaryofAndhraPradesh

HeisanIASofthe1983batch,appointedasChiefSecretaryforonemonth,fromMarch1to31,2017.

Unusually,inthesameorder,GORTNo.456,thegovernmentappointedDineshKumar,alsoa1983batchofficer,asChiefSecretaryfromApril1,whenMr Kallam

retires.

IncumbentChiefSecretaryS.P.TuckerwillcompletehistenureonFebruary28.

AndhraGovtIssuesNewBarPolicytoDodgeGSTLicenseFee

ToavoidpayingGoodsandServiceTaxtotheCentralgovernmentonbarlicence fee,theAPgovernmenthasintroducedregistrationfeesysteminthe

newbarpolicy,whichcomesintoforcefromJuly1.

Thebarlicence periodhasbeenincreasedfromoneyearto5years,subjecttopaymentofnon-refundableregistrationchargeandlicence feewithan

enhancementat10%annually.

Thestategovernmenthastopay18%oflicence feetotheCentralgovernment.

Atpresent,thestategovernmentiscollectingRs10lakhtoRs30lakh,dependingonpopulationofthatareaaslicence feefrombars.

Toavoidthis,thebarlicence feeisreducedtoRs2lakhtoallbarsandremainingamountiscollectedundernon-refundableregistrationcharge.

Thestategovernmenthasfixedtheannualnon-refundableregistrationcharge.

Intheareasupto 50,000population,thenon-refundableregistrationchargeisRs8lakhandlicensefeeisRs2lakh;

intheareasfrom50,001to5lakhpopulation,theregistrationchargeisRs18lakh andlicensefeeisRs2lakh

andintheareaswherethepopulationismorethan5lakhs,theregistrationfeeisRs28lakhandlicensefeeisRs2lakh

AndhraPradeshsetsupRs600crorePidatacentre

ChiefministerChandrababu NaiduinauguratedPiDatacenters' `600crorePi-Amaravati softwaredefinedStrategicDataCentre(SDDC)in

Mangalagiri,Gunturdistrict.

PiDatacenters,whichisadatacenterandcloudservicesprovider,hasenteredintoanagreementwith10companies,including

PowerGrid,IRCTC,Mahindra&Mahindra Finance, DeutscheBank,SnapBizz,AcuteandNetSpider.

AndhraPradeshgovernmentpartnerswithBritishCouncil.

TheAndhraPradesh(AP)governmententeredintoapartnershipwiththeBritishCounciltolaunchapilotprogramtoimprovethesoftskills andemployabilityofonelakhuniversityand

collegestudents inthestate.

ThepilotprojectwillfocusonprovidingtrainingtostudentsinareasrelatedtospokenEnglishcommunication,confidencebuilding,betteremployability,CV/resumewritingandpreparation

forinterviews.

Itwilloffer150hours(100hoursofface-to-faceand50hoursofonlineEnglish)oflearningmodelsupplementedwithmobilelearningandEnglishclubs.Thisinitiativealsoincludesthetrainingof

150mastertrainersand2,500teachers.

APchiefministerN.Chandrababu Naidusaid,“WehaveavisionofmakingAndhraPradeshthebeststateinthecountryby2029andamajorpartofthisvisionentailsdevelopingthestateinto

aknowledgehub

AndhraPradeshrichinuranium.

Thetotaluraniumresourcesinthebifurcated AndhraPradesh hascrossedtheonelakhtonnesmark.

Thestatenowhas1.04lakhtonnesofuranium.

AndhraPradeshlosturaniumrichregionsinNalgonda-Mahbubnagarto Telangana followingthestatebifurcationin2014.

AsofFebruary2017AndhraPradeshalonehas1.22lakhtonnesofuraniumoxide,whichisequivalentto1.04lakhtonnesofuraniummetal.

Telanganahas18,550tonnesofuraniumoxideor15,731tonnesofuraniummetal

AndhraPradeshtopsinsolarpower

AndhraPradeshisatthetopinIndiawhenitcomestosolarpower,withaccumulativegenerationcapacityof1,867MW.

TelanganaState,meanwhile,standsatfourthpositionwithagenerationcapacityof1,287MW.

RajasthanandTamilNadu areatsecondandthirdpositionswith1,812MWand1,691MWrespectively.

In2016-17,Indiaadded5,525MWsolarpowergenerationcapacity,takingthetotalto12,288MW.

TheUnionPowerMinistryhasestimatedthatthecountryhasabundantsolarpowerpotential— ithasbeenestimatedat748GW.

Inthecurrentfinancialyear,theCentrehasdecidedtoadd5,000MWofrooftopsolar and10,000MWfromlarge-scalesolarprojects.

AtpresenttheexpendituretosetupIMWsolarunit isabout`5crore.Thiswouldhavecost`17crorefiveyearsago.

TheCentrehasannouncedmanyconcessionstosetupsolarunits.Ithasalsoextendedexemptionofcustomsdutytoimportsolarpanelsandother

equipment.

AndhraPradeshlegislaturepassesstateGSTBill

TheimplementationofGSTwouldcausearevenuelossofRs2,600croreperannumtoAPintheinitialyears.

Thislosswill,however,becompensatedbytheGovernmentofIndiafromthefundcreatedundertheGoodsandServicesTax(CompensationtoStates)Act,

2017

CentreshiftsMithivirdi nuclearpowerplanttoAndhraPradesh

TheCentrehastoldtheNationalGreenTribunal(NGT)thatthe6,000MWnuclearpowerplantproposedatMithivirdi inGujaratwillbeshiftedtoKovvada inAndhra

Pradeshduetodelayinlandacquisitionfortheproject.

Theproposedprojectwitnessedstiffoppositionfromthelocalvillagerswhowerenotreadytogiveuptheirfertileagriculturelandforthesame.

TheyeventuallychallengedtheCRZ(CoastalRegulationZone)clearancegrantedtotheprojectbyMoEF inMarch2015beforeNGT.

FollowingsubmissionfromtheauthoritiesthattheprojecthasbeenshiftedtoAndhraPradesh,thepetitionwasdisposedof

CoromandelInternationalgetsgreennodforRs225croreexpansionprojectinAndhraPradesh .

CoromandelInternationalthecountry'ssecondlargestphosphatic fertiliser player,hasreceivedenvironmentalclearanceforraisingproductioncapacityofitsfacilityat

VishakhapatnaminAndhraPradesh.

Thecompany'sproposalistoraisephosphoricacidproductioncapacityfrom700tonnesperdayto1,000tonnesperday andotherauxiliaryfacilitiesatSriharipuram toachieve

dailycomplexfertiliser productionof3,900tonnes.

Theestimatedprojectcostoftheproposedupgradation andinstallationswillbeRs225crore.Outofwhich,Rs26.42crorewouldbeusedforenvironmentalmanagement

programmes.

Themid-sizecompanyhasphosphatic fertiliser plantsatVisakhapatnamandKakinadainAndhraPradesh

AfterMadhyaPradesh,AndhraPradeshgetshappinessdepartment

AndhraPradeshisthesecondstateinthecountryafterMadhyaPradeshtostartaHappinessIndexDepartment.

Thechiefministerhadrecentlylaunchedan“achievinghappiness”programmeunderwhichcivicbodiesorganisedsonganddanceevents.

TheAndhraPradeshgovernment’s‘SunriseAPVision2029’ hastakenBhutanasamodel tofocusonmattersincludingpsychologicalwell-being,health,timeuse,education,etc.“

TheideaistoseethateachfamilygetsRs10,000incomeandthenewindexwillbemeasuredfromdatasourced.

India droppedfourspotstothe122nd rankintheUNhappinessreportandrankedlowerthanSomalia,China,PakistanandBangladeshinthelist.

NSE,AndhraPradeshgovtsignMoUtofuelgrowthofMSMEs

TopstockexchangeNSEinkedapactwithAndhraPradeshgovernmenttohelpmicro,smallandmediumenterprises(MSMEs)inthestatetoraisecapital

throughlistingonthebourse'splatform.

Asperthememorandumofunderstanding(MoU),theAndhraPradeshgovernmentwouldfacilitateMSMEstogetlistedonNSEEmerge,theplatform

forsmallandmediumenterprises,bysupportingsuchfirmsfinanciallyorotherwise,inbearingtheexpensesrelatedtolisting.

ThepactwassignedontheoccasionoftheInternationalDayforMSMEsi.e.27th June

AndhraPradeshplanstobuild20,000checkdams

TheAndhraPradeshgovernmentisplanningtotakeuprainwaterharvestinginabigwaywiththecooperationoftheIndianSpaceResearchOrganisation(ISRO).

Ithaspreparedanactionplantoconstruct20,000checkdams fromApril15toJuly15tomeetdrinkingwaterandirrigationneedsindrought-proneareasduring

thesummermonths.

ChiefMinisterNChandrababu NaiduisscheduledtolaunchtheprogrammeinRayalaseema region.

Besidesconstructionofcheckdams,allthevillagetankswouldberepaired.

InAndhraPradesh,dial1100andhopecorruptofficialreturnsyourbribe

Ifyouhadpaida bribe foravailingofanygovernmentservicein AndhraPradesh intherecentdays,justdial1100andreportthematter.

Chanceisthatthecorruptgovernmentservant,whofleecedyou,maypossiblycomeknockingonyourdoortoreturntheamount.

Witharecentnation-widesurveyreportplacingAPatthesecondplaceafter Karnataka asthemostcorruptstateinthecountry,theChandrababu regime

haslaunchedthisexercisetoshowcaseitsfightagainst corruption.

The'PeopleFirst'grievanceredressalchannellaunchedbythegovernmentonMay25seemstobe"workingwonders"and"sendingchilldownthespinesof(corrupt)

publicservants

BSNLtorollout4GservicesinTelangana,AndhraPradeshbyMarch2018

Thetenderformalitiesarecompleteandatotalof1,1504Gsiteswillbeinstalledinboththestatesandthe4GserviceswillbelaunchedbyMarch

2018.

ForBSNL4Gproject,10,0004GsiteshavebeenplannedpanIndiawhileTelanganagetting550sitesand600inAndhraPradesh.

ThecombinedAPCircle(coveringAndhraPradeshandTelangana)hasachievedthehighestnumberofSIMactivations inSouthZoneintheQ1ofcurrent

financialyearwith4,27,209.

BSNLearnedRs2,500crorerevenue forAndhraPradeshandTelanganaduring2016-17.

AndhraPradeshandWTOtopromotesustainabletourism.

InitsquesttoputtheStateontheinternationalmap,ithaspartneredwiththeUnitedNationsWorldTourismOrganisation(WTO)topromotesustainable

tourismacrossthestate.

TheU.N.hasdeclared2017astheInternationalYearofSustainableTourismforDevelopment.

Thedecisioncomes50yearsafterthecelebrationoftheInternationalTouristYearonTourism– PassporttoPeace(1967)and15yearssincetheInternationalYearof

Ecotourism(2002).

TheWTOSecretaryGeneralTaleb D.Rifai inauguratetheA.P.initiativeinBerlinonMarch8.

ThethemesthattheA.P.TourismwillfocusaresustainablefishingcultureinEastGodavaridistrict,beachtourismatYerada inVisakhapatnam,atPulicat LakeandinKondapalli

village.

InPulicat Lake,themyriadmigratorybirds,especiallyflamingos,areabigattraction.

Thetourismdrivewillbeguidedbythreemainthemes:protectionofenvironment,protectionofthelivelihoodofthelocalcommunityandstepstoensurethatthebenefitsofthe

tourismreachesthelocalcommunity

OlatiesupwithAndhraPradeshTourism,lookstointroduceEvs (ElectronicVehicles)

TheAndhraPradeshTourismDevelopmentCorporation(APTDC) hastiedupwithcabaggregatorOlafortransportationservices(inter-cityandintra-cityservices)andfurtherpromotetourismandmobility

ecosysteminthestate.

Thenewcapitalofthestate– Amaravati – isthecentreoffocusfortheAndhraPradeshgovernmenttodevelopitasaworld-classcity.

Pushingitasanewinvestmentdestination, thestategovernmentislookingtoimproveconnectivityaswellastourism.

Olaaimstocreate25,000jobopportunitiesinthestate,encouragingentrepreneurshipandsustainableincomeforthe

youthoverthenextfiveyears.

Thecompanylookstoprovideawiderreachandabetterexperiencetotouristsandresidentsby forayinginto newcities

fromexistingsix(Vijayawada,Visakhapatnam,Guntur,Rajahmundry,Tirupati,andNellore)bytheyear2022.

Inthecomingmonths,Olasaysitwillbringanadditionalsetofofferings suchaselectricvehicles(EV),bikesandbuses inthestate

basedonfeasibilityandregulatoryconstraints.

Heli-tourismcomestoState

TheAndhraPradeshTourismDepartmenthassignedanMoUwithMak AeroSpaceandAviationPvt.Ltd, Delhi,topromoteheli-tourism.

TheinitialserviceswillbeintroducedinVijayawada,VisakhapatnamandTirupati.

Thehelicoptertransportserviceswillincludejoyrides,packages,heli-taxiservices,packagingwithweddingplansinTirupati,aerialreconnaissanceanddisaster

management.

Initially,asix-seater helicopter(Bell206L4/Bell407)willbeintroducedandgraduallythenumberofseatswillbeincreasedtorealise thefullpotentialofheli-tourismand

air-connectivity.

APTourismStands3rd inIndia

ThebifurcatedAndhraPradeshhasmanagedtobeatitscounterpartTelanganaintourism.

Amongst35statesandUnionTerritoriesinIndia,APTourismstandsthirdinattractingdomestictourists,butTelanganastandsat30.

TheabovestatementsarebasedonfigurestabledatRajya Sabha.

AndhraPradeshhaswitnesseda20%riseindomestic arrivalsagainstthe71%riseininternationalarrivalsbetween2013&2015.

Telanganaontheotherhandisfallingshortonfootfallsshowingonlya1%riseindomesticarrivalsandsadlya19%decreaseininternationalarrivals.

HyderabadwillalsobehostingSkal WorldCongress,2017fromOctober5to9