Top storyA mishap was averted on a main road at Tatipaka in Rajole mandal of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema district on Monday. A wheel of a 10-tyre milk lorry travelling from Tatipaka towards Mamidikuduru came off while the vehicle was in motion and struck two two-wheelers parked beside the road, damaging them badly. Residents said no lives were lost as motorists and bystanders moved aside in time. They sought regular fitness checks on heavy vehicles.
Heavy rain lashed Bhimavaram in West Godavari district from the early hours of Monday. Several parts of the town were inundated as a result. Rainwater collected on main roads, leaving motorists struggling. The premises in front of the local railway station resembled a canal, causing difficulties for passengers arriving at the station. Normal life in the town was disrupted by the downpour. No official rainfall or damage details are available.
Two unidentified men attempted a theft at the Chennakesava Swamy temple in Sompalem of Mulakalacheruvu mandal in Annamayya district. The intruders threw chilli powder on the security staff after midnight on Sunday and entered the temple, according to the report. Villagers who heard the noise reached the temple, after which the two men fled from the spot. Details of the incident were reported on October 5.
YSRCP state youth joint secretary Kishore Reddy paid a courtesy call on Rajampet MP Midhun Reddy at the YSRCP party office in Madanapalle. They discussed problems in Thamballapalle constituency, strengthening the party and the upcoming local body elections. Kishore Reddy said he brought the constituency people's problems to the MP's notice. Strategies for the party's success in the elections and coordination among leaders and workers were also discussed. He said the constituency would be strengthened further under MLA Dwarakanatha Reddy.
Former MLA Biyyapu Madhusudan Reddy called on every party worker to work collectively for a YSRCP victory in the coming local body elections. A mandal extended-level meeting was held under his chairmanship at the party office in Srikalahasti town, where ID cards were distributed to leaders and workers. He said party ranks need not fear any threats from the coalition government and assured them of his support. Electing YS Jagan Mohan Reddy as Chief Minister in 2029 is the goal, he said.
Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu and Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday performed bhoomi puja at Burripalem in Guntur district's Tenali constituency for construction of 3 lakh houses statewide under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin. Under a pilot project of the Union Rural Development Ministry and the AP government, 175 houses — 100 at Burripalem and 75 at Obulanayudupalem — will be built with 3D concrete printing. Designs withstand earthquakes, extreme temperatures and cyclones. Another 4.20 lakh houses are targeted by March.
The CPM announced a rally and public meeting in Markapuram on the 7th of this month on district development issues. A pamphlet for the meeting was released at the party office in Giddalur. CPM leader T Avulayya said no funds had been allocated for development 10 months after the district was formed and that full-fledged officers had not been posted to all departments. He sought Rs 10,000 crore for the district, small and medium industries, a leather factory in Giddalur and Veligonda phase-two works. B Narsimhulu, D Thomas and D Srinivasulu attended.
Eluru District Collector K. Vetriselvi on Monday received a cheque for Rs 32 lakh in CSR funds from Deepak NexGen, led by its MD A.V. Subrahmanyam, at the Godavari meeting hall of the district collectorate. The funds will support the smart kitchen programme under the Dokka Seethamma midday meal scheme being implemented at Denduluru. The Collector said priority would go to infrastructure, modern technology, hygiene and food quality, and urged more corporate firms to come forward.
The funeral procession of Dr Prabhakar Naidu, a noted physician and former municipal chairman, was held on Monday in Kavali town of Nellore district. Kavali MLA Kavya Krishna Reddy took part and personally helped carry the bier. MLA Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy, MLC Beeda Ravichandra, former minister Ramesh Reddy, former MLA Kambham Vijayarami Reddy and NUDA chairman Kotamreddy Srinivasulu Reddy paid tributes. The procession went from his Rammurthypet residence to Balakrishna Nagar cremation ground. Thousands attended.
Field assistants staged a dharna at the Panchayat Commissioner's office in Vijayawada under a 'collective representation' call. They arrived in large numbers from various districts of the state with three main demands: release of pending dues, a wage hike and job security. With protesters gathering at one place, police were put on alert and heavy forces were deployed at the office. Police are monitoring protest permissions and the movement of demonstrators. The field assistants say the agitation will continue until the government responds.
A preparatory meeting for the local body elections was held in the Rahmat Puram area of the 23rd ward of Hindupur municipality. Constituency in-charge T N Deepika participated and said workers were the backbone of the party. She called for the YSRCP flag to fly in every panchayat in the coming panchayat elections and asked workers to tell people about the government's unfulfilled promises. Identity cards received from the central office were then distributed to leaders and workers. State minority wing joint secretary Farooq and ward presidents Mansoor, Asif, Shabbir and others attended.
Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, along with Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, performed the foundation ceremony for 3 lakh houses under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin 2.0 at Burripalem in Tenali constituency, Guntur district. They also launched a pilot project for 177 houses using 3D concrete printing technology in Burripalem and Obulanayudupalem at an estimated Rs 14 crore, to be implemented jointly by the Union Rural Development Ministry, CSIR-CBRI Roorkee and the state government. Officials said 5.50 lakh houses have been handed over and 4.20 lakh more are targeted by next March.
A private e-bus was gutted by fire at Pedakakani Y Junction in Guntur district early on Sunday. The bus had left Tirupati for Vijayawada and was proceeding onward after dropping passengers at Guntur when smoke began emerging from the engine. The alert driver stopped the vehicle on the roadside and brought the passengers out. Fire personnel reached the spot and doused the flames, but the bus was already completely burnt. Fourteen passengers were on board; no lives were lost.
Excise police seized 474 boxes of Goa-made liquor — Mansion House quarter bottles — stored illegally in a tin shed in a grove near the railway gate in Raptadu mandal of Anantapur district on Monday evening. The stock is valued at Rs 44 lakh at Andhra Pradesh prices. Abusaleha, Dastagiri Hussain, Kishore and watchman Anand were arrested, while main accused Boosupalli Venkatasivakumar Reddy is absconding. Enforcement Assistant Commissioner Muniswami received information two days earlier; the raid followed Deputy Commissioner Nagamaddayya's orders and cellphone signal tracking.
APSRTC management and leaders of the Joint Action Committee (Aikasa) met at RTC House in Vijayawada. Executive Director (Admin) Brahmanandareddy, ED (Engineering) Varma and ED (Operations) Nageswara Rao attended. The unions sought that procurement and maintenance of electric buses be carried out entirely by APSRTC, that the number of buses for the 'Stree Shakti' scheme be increased, and that vacant posts be filled immediately. Around 30 demands were submitted. Officials said the discussions would be reported to the Special Chief Secretary and RTC Managing Director.
Kakinada district police have busted a cyber gang that routed crores of rupees through mule bank accounts, SP Bindu Madhav said on Friday. Putta Ram, based in Dubai, paid Rs 30,000 per account to associates who opened accounts in the names of unsuspecting people. The case surfaced after Korra Lovakrishna found Rs 50 lakh in transactions in his account. Police identified 48 mule accounts and Rs 8.80 crore in suspect transactions. Satish and Prasad were arrested; Uday Kiran is absconding.
Two people died on the spot in a road accident on the national highway near Bodugudem in Chintoor mandal, in the Polavaram area. A speeding car lost control and hit from behind a lorry carrying iron from Odisha to Tamil Nadu. Both vehicles caught fire; the car was completely gutted and its two occupants were burnt alive. Police identified the dead as Nimmakayala Ayyanna (35) of Someswaram, Rayavaram mandal, East Godavari district, and Adivi Surya Vinay Teja (28) of Miyapur, Rangareddy district. A case has been registered and an investigation begun.
Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday laid the foundation stone for the construction of three lakh houses across Andhra Pradesh under PMAY Gramin 2.0. At the event in Burripalem in Tenali constituency of Guntur district, they also launched house construction using 3D concrete printing technology. Union Minister Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar, ministers Nadendla Manohar and Parthasarathy, BJP AP president PVN Madhav, MLAs, MLCs and corporation chairmen attended. Chandrababu later addressed a public meeting.
Markapuram district SP Pankaj Kumar Meena, IPS, directed police officers to work with advance planning to conduct the coming elections peacefully and transparently. He reviewed election security measures at the district police headquarters on Sunday. He asked officers to identify villages and polling stations where clashes occurred in past elections and place them under special surveillance, and to keep rowdy-sheeters and offenders under watch within the law. Patrolling in sensitive areas must be stepped up. DSPs Nimmagadda Satyanarayana and Sridhar, CIs and SIs attended.
Kadapa district principal judge R Ram Gopal visited the Rayachoti court complex at 11 am on Sunday to examine a proposal to demolish the old court buildings and construct new ones at the same site. He said the buildings were not dilapidated enough for demolition and that minor repairs could keep three courts functioning there for another 20 years. He asked the Roads and Buildings Department DE who had certified the building unusable, and advised lawyers to submit a representation with full details.
