Top storySeveral YSRCP leaders and workers in Mangalagiri constituency joined the TDP ahead of local body elections. At an event at Minister Nara Lokesh's residence in Undavalli, he draped yellow shawls on leaders from Mangalagiri, Tadepalli, Undavalli, Nidamarru and Yerrabalem. They included former municipal vice-chairman Munagala Malleswara Rao, former MPTC Kallam Sanjeev Reddy, Jakkireddy Prabhakar Reddy, Kattepogu Baburao and Vemavarapu Narayana. Lokesh said Mangalagiri's development was his only slogan and that he would honour the trust of voters who gave him a 91,000 majority.
Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy said on Sunday his government would complete pending projects in undivided Mahbubnagar district. With ministers Komatireddy Venkat Reddy and Damodar Raja Narasimha, he visited the Kurumurthy Swamy temple at Ammapuram in Chinnachintakunta mandal and laid the foundation stone for an elevated corridor and ghat road costing Rs 110 crore. He said the Narayanpet-Makthal-Kodangal project would be completed to supply Krishna waters, urged critics to target him politically rather than block development, and said Amara Raja Batteries would train and employ 2,000 local youth.
Telangana Panchayati Raj Chamber state president Satyanarayana Reddy called for strengthening gram panchayats. He spoke at an awareness meeting of sarpanches of the erstwhile Medak district held in Sangareddy town. He said newly formed panchayats should be provided their own buildings and their revenue limits fixed, and sought road facilities for tanda panchayats and Madhira villages. He also asked the state government to allocate funds matching central releases. Chamber state secretary Mandipal Venkat, vice-president Ashorrao and sarpanches attended.
Villagers stopped Dornakal MLA Redya Naik and staged a protest as he arrived for a Palle Pragathi programme at Jayapuram in Narsimhulapet mandal. They demanded that double bedroom houses be allotted to genuine beneficiaries and said injustice was being done to them. Police tried to stop the protesters, leading to an argument with villagers. On Monday, Naik opened a Telangana sports ground at Bodrayithanda and reviewed development works.
State Minister Seethakka will take part in several programmes in Mulugu district on Monday. At 9 am she will inaugurate a VO building and a solar project at Jagannapet and hold a meeting with women. At 10.30 am she will open a medical camp at Madanapalli. At 12 noon, at IDOC, she will launch the 'Tolimudda (tiffin)' scheme for anganwadis, being introduced in Mulugu for the first time in the state.
Udayagiri MLA Kakarla Suresh conducted a field inspection of arrangements for Palle Panduga 3.0, to be held on the 29th of this month at Ramapuram village in Varikuntapadu mandal of Udayagiri constituency, Nellore district. Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan are to attend. Officials were directed to complete venue, stage, parking, helipad and security arrangements. Nellore MP Vemireddy Prabhakar Reddy, MLC Beeda Ravichandra, Collector Himanshu Shukla and the district SP took part.
Narayankhed MLA Bhupal Reddy raised in the Assembly on Saturday the demand to make Tadkal village in Kangti mandal a separate mandal. He said the related survey file had been sent to the government and that he had requested Chief Minister KCR to sanction it as per people's demand. He said Narayankhed was made a revenue division and three mandals formed in the constituency under decentralisation. Minister Srinivas Goud assured the issue would be taken to the CM. He also sought Peddashankarampet's merger into Sangareddy district.
Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka took part in development programmes held in Chintakani mandal of Khammam district. He laid foundation stones for road development works at Jagannathapuram, Pandillapalli, Chintakani, Narasimhapuram and Nagulavancha in the mandal, and inaugurated a Stree Shakti Bhavan at Chintakani. He said the government is working for the state's development. He later met BLAs at the Nagulavancha Kalyana Mandapam. District Collector Divakara TS, CP Sunil Dutt and district-level officials attended.
State Energy Minister Gottipati Ravi, along with officials, inspected arrangements and development works for Palle Panduga 3.0 at Ramapuram village in Varikuntapadu mandal of Nellore district. He said foundation stones and inaugurations for development works worth about Rs 12,000 crore are being taken up statewide under the programme, launched from Ramapuram. He alleged the panchayati raj system was disorganised under the previous YSRCP government, with panchayat funds used without giving sarpanches powers, and said the coalition government aims to strengthen panchayati raj and provide rural infrastructure.
Gujja Ramchandra Reddy, a social activist from Gourayipalli village in Yadagirigutta mandal of Yadadri district, filed his nomination as an independent candidate for the Alair Assembly seat in Telangana, paying the Rs 10,000 deposit with 10,000 one-rupee coins collected as donations from the public. Election officials took two hours to count the coins. He has contested the same way four times since 2009, saying democracy has turned into a rule of money.
Andhra Pradesh Transport, Youth and Sports Minister Mandipalli Ramprasad Reddy visited Guttameeda Palle in Dudyala village of Sambepalli mandal. The minister attended a get-together hosted by Ramesh Reddy, where family members of the host and local leaders welcomed him. He interacted with those present and gathered details on the condition of villagers, local problems and development issues. Local leaders, party workers, supporters and villagers took part in the programme.
Third-phase panchayat elections in Narayanpet district will be held in Narva, Maganur, Krishna, Makthal and Utkoor mandals of Makthal constituency. Of 110 gram panchayats, 10 sarpanch posts were filled unanimously, and 327 candidates are contesting the remaining 100. Of 994 wards, 229 were unanimous, while 1,992 candidates are contesting 775 ward seats. Officials said web cameras were installed at 55 sensitive centres, with 920 polling stations, 2,586 staff, 79 buses and micro observers at 183 stations.
Vishwaraya Narasimha Rao Dora, 95, former MP and father of Palakonda MLA Vishwaraya Kalavathi, died on Monday after prolonged illness. He began his political career as sarpanch of Vandava in 1956 and won the Parvathipuram Lok Sabha seat as an independent in 1967. He was elected MLA in 1972, 1978 and 1985. He also served as Tribal Corporation chairman and PCC general secretary during a 40-year career. Ministers and MLAs offered condolences.
BRS working president and MLA KTR will tour Rajanna Sircilla district on Wednesday. At the three-day KCR Kanti Velugu camps held in the Veernapalli and Garjanapalli clusters of Sircilla constituency, 2,042 people were screened. He will hand over eyeglasses to 1,340 people with eye problems at Veernapalli. He will then console the family of former MPTC Nandikonda Srinivas at Rajannapet and, in Sircilla, the family of weaver Vengala Venkatesham, recently killed. District president Thota Agayya inspected meeting arrangements.
Jagtial district has been sanctioned Rs 30 crore under the Special Development Fund. The Telangana government issued GO No. 22 allotting Rs 10 crore each to the Jagtial, Koratla and Dharmapuri assembly segments, releasing the money without requests from MLAs. Utilisation responsibility has been given to in-charge minister Uttam Kumar Reddy. Of every Rs 10 crore, Rs 2 crore is for school infrastructure, Rs 1 crore for drinking water and Rs 50 lakh for office maintenance. Spending must be completed by March 31.
Chief Minister Revanth Reddy will tour the combined Khammam district and Palair constituency on January 18, Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy told the media. Development works worth Rs 362 crore will be launched, including a JNTU foundation and nursing college at Maddulapalli, the Munneru-Palair link canal, and a 100-bed hospital and market yard at Kusumanchi. Deputy CM Bhatti Vikramarka and Ministers Tummala, Uttam, Damodar and Vakiti will attend. The first cabinet meeting at Medaram is also scheduled that day.
The TDP Mahanadu venue has been shifted to Sri Potti Sriramulu Nellore district, where the conclave will be held on May 27, 28 and 29. The party had initially decided on Srikakulam district and identified a site near the town. With PM Modi due for the Bhogapuram airport inauguration in late June, it preferred not to hold two large events in north Andhra. State president Palla Srinivasa Rao discussed arrangements with district leaders on Thursday; three sites are identified, with a decision likely by Sunday.
Former Pithapuram MLA SVSN Varma called on Kapu movement leader Mudragada Padmanabham. Mudragada, who received hospital treatment for illness a few days ago, was discharged recently and is resting at his home in Kirlampudi. Varma enquired about his health and spoke briefly with Mudragada's son Giri and his followers. He advised Mudragada to take care of his health. Varma said he came because the two share a good local and political acquaintance.
Janagama MLA Palla Rajeshwar Reddy said he is working to develop Siddipet district's Cheryal town in all respects with Rs 18 crore. A review of development and pending works was held Monday at the municipality office under Commissioner Nagender, with Bhuvanagiri MP Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy. He issued directions on road widening, drainages and Ambedkar Bhavan, said Rs 3.16 crore was sanctioned under AMRUT for Pedda Cheruvu bund beautification, and demanded an end to harassment of RMPs.
Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu toured Kadapa district on Friday. He first inspected development works at Kadapa airport at the field level. He later went to Potladurthi village in Yerraguntla mandal, the native village of Anakapalli MP CM Ramesh, and met family members at the residence there. The minister enquired about the health of the MP's brother CM Suresh Naidu, who recently suffered a leg injury, and wished him a quick recovery. Several prominent district leaders attended.
