VIJAYAWADA: The High Court on Friday imposed a fine of Rs 7 lakh on Dr NTR University of Health Sciences for wrongfully denying admission to a meritorious medical aspirant due to its negligence. The university was ordered to pay the amount as compensation to the petitioner, Revuru Venkata Ashritha. Ashritha appeared for NEET in 2022 and possessed an NCC B-grade certificate. During counselling, she opted for an MBBS seat under the Open Women category. Three medical colleges - Sri Venkateswara Med

VIJAYAWADA: The government is addressing the shortage of doctors and healthcare staff through a recruitment plan as part of a 30-point agenda to enhance access to medical services and bolster administration across the State. Health Minister Y Satya Kumar Yadav is leading the initiative, with Special Chief Secretary MT Krishna Babu overseeing its implementation. The officials have unveiled the 30-point agenda on Friday, which aligns with Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidus vision for healthcare r

TIRUPATI: The National Geospatial Knowledge-based Land Survey (NAKSHA) has been launched in Andhra Pradesh to digitise urban land records, curb irregularities in revenue land maintenance, and improve property ownership clarity. The project, implemented under the Digital India Land Records Modernisation Programme (DILRMP), is expected to enhance urban planning and governance. In the first phase, the Government of India and the Andhra Pradesh government will conduct the survey across 10 Urban Loca

GUNTUR/ TIRUPATI: A case has been filed against an unidentified Twitter user for allegedly posting offensive comments targeting Deputy Chief Minister and Jana Sena president K Pawan Kalyan on Friday. The complaint was lodged by Jitta Rajendra, a resident of Karumuri Hanumantharao Colony at Bapatla Town Police Station. Police sources revealed that the accused, operating under the Twitter handle Naa Ishtam (Leo), posted a morphed image of K Pawan Kalyan with derogatory remarks about his appearance

GUNTUR: In an effort to counter bird flu rumours and revive the struggling poultry industry, poultry farmers and industry representatives in Guntur organised a free chicken and egg distribution programme at Swami Theatre premises on Friday. The initiative saw an overwhelming response, with thousands gathering to receive freshly cooked poultry dishes, leading to an unexpected surge. The crowd grew so large that organisers had to lock the gates to maintain order. The recent bird flu outbreak sever

VIJAYAWADA: Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha directed the DGP to finalise the Suraksha mobile application aimed at ensuring womens safety. She further ordered officials to have the application ready by March 8, in time for International Womens Day. Anitha chaired a review meeting at the Secretariat with Director General of Police (DGP) Harish Kumar Gupta, ADGP Madhusudan Reddy, NTR District Commissioner of Police SV Rajashekhar Babu, and other officials. The discussion focused on ongoing measure

VIJAYAWADA/SRIKAKULAM/NELLORE: In response to the sharp decline in tomato prices, the State government has launched a comprehensive intervention to protect farmers from financial losses. The government is directly procuring tomatoes from farmers at a remunerative price of around Rs 8 per kg and distributing them to Rythu Bazaars across the State. According to the latest reports, the price per kg plummeted to Rs 2 to Rs 3 or less in several parts of the State, leaving the farmers in distress and

VIJAYAWADA: Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri highlighted the Centres support for the States development projects and said the new US policies may not have an impact on petroleum prices in India and may even fall further in global markets. Speaking to mediapersons in Vijayawada on Friday, he expressed support for the petroleum refineries, GAILs Srikakulam-Angul Natural Gas Pipeline, AIIMS Mangalagiri, IIT Tirupati, and IISER Tirupati. Additionally, he noted a signif

VIJAYAWADA: Handlooms and Textiles Minister S Savitha announced that the Andhra Pradesh State Handloom Weavers Cooperative Society (APCO) and Tamil Nadus Co-optex signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Friday, creating new opportunities for handloom artisans and weavers to sell their products in both States. APCO Managing Director Pavana Murthy and Co-Optex Managing Director Deepak Jacob exchanged the agreement copies during a Buyer-Seller meeting held in Vijayawada, which was attended by

GUNTUR: Bapatla police arrested three cybercriminals for impersonating government officials and misusing the Chief Ministers image on WhatsApp to commit fraud. The gang, operating from a call center in Delhi, targeted pregnant women under the Janani Suraksha Yojana scheme, stealing Rs 16.02 lakh. The accused - Achari Ranjith Singh (27), A Venkata Narayana (22), and Jathin (24) - defrauded 132 victims across multiple states. Investigations linked them to 12 cybercrime cases and 213 FIRs nationwid

ONGOLE: Prakasam District Collector Thameem Ansariya and SP AR Damodar reviewed preparations for APPSC Group-2 Mains, Intermediate, and Xth class exams in a meeting at the district collectorate on Friday. The Collector stated that 4,544 candidates will take the Group-2 Mains exam in seven centres in Ongole on February 23. Entry is allowed from 8:30 am to 9:30 am for the morning session and from 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm for the afternoon session. Candidates can contact the control room at 8801188046 fo

GUNTUR: Guntur district police recovered 234 lost and stolen mobile phones worth Rs 46.60 lakh and returned them to their owners at the District Police Office Conference Hall. Additional Superintendent of Police (Admin) GV Ramana Murthy handed over the devices on Friday. Murthy said mobile phones are essential in todays digital world, and losing them can be distressing. Using advanced technology, the police traced and recovered the phones without charging the victims, who expressed gratitude. Au

GUNTUR: Over 40 villages in Narasaraopet and Chilakaluripet mandals of Palnadu district are gearing up for Maha Shivaratri celebrations at Sri Trikoteswara Swamy Temple, where lakhs of devotees are expected on February 26. The temple, one of the oldest in the district, hosts a two-day fair annually, drawing worshippers from across the State. A major highlight of the festival is the construction of Prabhalu - towering, rectangular cloth structures - by devotees. The century-old tradition is belie

VIJAYAWADA: Andhra Pradesh has recorded a dismal 0.48% refund of lost money in cyber frauds to victims in 2024. Of the total Rs 974.12 crore lost in cyber frauds that took place from January 1 to December 31, 2024, the cybercrime police stations in the 26 districts of the State have only recovered Rs 4.75 crore, which amounts to a dismal 0.48% of the total sum. A total amount of Rs 122.94 crore in the bank accounts of cyber fraudsters has been frozen last year, and the sum will be returned to vi

Ambedkar Konaseema district in Andhra Pradesh was plunged in grief following the death of international badminton star Satwiksairaj's father Rankireddy Kasi Viswanadham. Rankireddy died of cardiac arrest on Thursday. He was 67. Rankireddy was about to fly to Delhi to attend the ceremony where his son was set to receive the prestigious Khel Ratna award when the tragedy struck. He was rushed to a nearby hospital where doctors declared him brought dead. The unfortunate incident occurred while Viswa

VIJAYAWADA: Andhra Pradesh State FiberNet Limited (APSFL) Chairman GV Reddy terminated three higher officials of the organisation for their alleged intentional delays in executing orders, which he claimed had crippled the profit-making organisation and pushed it toward closure. The officials removed from service include Chief Technology Officer Pappu Satya Rama Bharadwaja, Business Operations Head Gandhamsetti Suresh, and Procurement Assistant Manager Shashank Haidar Khan. Addressing a press con

VIJAYAWADA: Water Resources Minister Nimmala Rama Naidu criticised the previous YSRCP government for dedicating the Veligonda project to the nation without completing critical work. He stated that an additional Rs 4,000 crore is needed to finish the project within two years. Speaking to reporters at the Secretariat on Thursday, Rama Naidu explained that the Veligonda project, intended to provide irrigation water to 4,50,000 acres and drinking water to 25 lakh people, was inaugurated by the previ

VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Thursday ruled that the Group-2 Mains examination, scheduled for February 23, will proceed as planned. Justice Satti Subba Reddy, hearing a petition from two aspirants seeking to halt the exam, made it clear that stopping the examination would adversely impact the 92,250 candidates who have already cleared the preliminary exams. The petitioners sought the courts intervention to implement horizontal reservation in the recruitment process. However, Just

VIJAYAWADA: Amid concerns raised by YSRCP leaders regarding the security of their president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu lambasted the opposition for political opportunism. Naidu pointed out, Those who did nothing for farmers in the past are now speaking up. Before 2019, we released Rs 138 crore to support chili farmers, and now the NDA government will provide further assistance. Some are entering the chili yards for political gain. Naidu also addressed the violation

VIJAYAWADA: The State government is set to streamline school education operations by replacing the current 45 apps used by teachers with a single, integrated app, as directed by HRD and IT Minister Nara Lokesh. This initiative aims to ease the administrative load on teachers, enabling them to focus more on teaching and improving learning outcomes. In a review meeting on School Education and Samagra Siksha, held at his residence in Undavalli, Minister Lokesh emphasised the necessity for a unified

GUNTUR: Guntur District Superintendent of Police (SP) Satish Kumar inspected the strong rooms at AC College, where ballot boxes for the upcoming MLC elections for graduate constituencies in the combined Guntur and Krishna districts will be secured. The elections are scheduled for the 27th of this month. Four strong rooms have been set up at the college to safeguard the ballot boxes. Kumar, along with police and revenue officials, reviewed the security arrangements. He assessed the deployment of

VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said the issue of slump in the prices of chillies was taken to the notice of the Centre, and urged to extend the necessary aid to farmers of the State. Chilli prices slumped like never before. Farmers got good price in the past because of the demand in the international market. However, due to the reduction in demand in the international market, there is a slump in the chilli prices now, Naidu said. Speaking to media persons in New Delhi, Naidu said

TIRUPATI: Giving a huge relief to power consumers, the Andhra Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission (APERC) has released the retail supply tariff order for the financial year 2025-26 without any hikes. The State government has also agreed to fill the revenue gap of Rs 12,632 crore without burdening power consumers further. APERC Incharge Chairman Thakur Rama Singh and member P Venkata Ramana Reddy and APSPDCL CMD K Santhosha Rao, APCPDCL CMD AKV Bhaskar, APEPDCL CMD I Prudhvi Tej and APERC S

VIJAYAWADA: Deputy Chief Minister and Jana Sena President K Pawan Kalyan emphasised that the NDA government in Andhra Pradesh is working in close coordination to drive the development of the State. He highlighted that the leaders of TDP, JSP, and BJP are all united in their efforts to achieve common goals for the States progress. In an informal interaction with the media in Delhi, Pawan addressed his recent absence from several State government meetings. He explained that he had been unable to a

VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) has received orders from the State government to appoint eligible dependent family members of APSRTC employees who died in service before December 31, 2015. On Wednesday, all district public transport officers (DPTOs) were directed to take necessary action and report compliance to headquarters. Applications for compassionate appointments for dependents of employees who passed away from January 2016 onwards had remained pend

VIJAYAWADA: Eight trained Panchayat Champions from Jaggayyapet rural mandal in NTR district have begun work to drive comprehensive village development under the Viksit Panchayat initiative launched by Vijayawada MP Kesineni Sivanath (Chinni). Trained at the National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (NIRDPR) from February 10 to 16, the champions are now applying their skills to improve local governance, infrastructure, and entrepreneurship opportunities in their villages. Their e

GUNTUR: A patient undergoing treatment for Guillain-Barr Syndrome (GBS) at Guntur Government General Hospital (GGH) reportedly passed away on Wednesday. Sources identified the deceased as Sheikh Gauhar Jaan, admitted on February 2 with GBS symptoms. Despite repeated attempts, GGH Superintendent Dr SSV Ramana and District Medical and Health Officer (DM&HO) Dr Vijaya Lakshmi did not confirm the death. This marks the second recent GBS fatality, following Kamalammas death from Prakasam district. The

TIRUMALA: With the aim of making Andhra Pradesh free of illicit liquor, drugs, and ganja, the State government launched the Navodayam 2.0 programme on Wednesday at the Ongole Police Parade Grounds, setting a six-month target for complete eradication. Excise Minister Kollu Ravindra and Social Welfare Minister Dola Sree Bala Veeranjaneya Swamy inaugurated the programme, emphasising the need to protect youth from addiction and promote awareness. Minister Ravindra highlighted the success of the orig

VIJAYAWADA: A major Non-Duty Paid Liquor (NDPL) supply chain was busted across multiple districts in Andhra Pradesh, leading to several arrests and the seizure of a substantial quantity of illicit liquor. The State Task Force (STF), which led the investigation, uncovered that the network operated through private transport services and digital transactions. Authorities identified Chennai-based supplier S Prabhu as the key figure behind the operation, linking him to multiple illegal liquor distrib

VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Wednesday made it clear that there was no necessity to abide by the request of the State government pertaining to setting up of the HC Bench in Kurnool. A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur and Justice Cheemalapati Ravi, asserted that the judiciary acts on its own. It made critical remarks against the State government, while hearing the PIL filed by advocates Tandava Yogesh and Turaga Sai Surya challenging the State government

VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who went to the national capital on Wednesday evening to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Delhi Chief Minister on Thursday, is likely to meet Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, and urge him to come to the rescue of chilli farmers in Andhra Pradesh. In fact, prior to leaving for Delhi, he wrote a letter to Chouhan, urging the Centre to take immediate measures to implement the Price Deficiency Payment (PDP) under the Market Intervent

GUNTUR: YSRCP President and former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy interacted with farmers at the Mirchi Yard in Guntur on Wednesday and criticised the coalition government for failing to provide Minimum Support Price (MSP) and for neglecting their concerns. He asked Chief Minister N Chandarbabu Naidu to visit the Mirchi Yard and address the ongoing crisis faced by farmers struggling to sell their produce. He highlighted that chilli prices have dropped from Rs 27,000 to Rs 8,000 per quintal,

VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for allocating Rs 608.08 crore to Andhra Pradesh under disaster and flood relief. On behalf of the people of Andhra Pradesh, I express heartfelt gratitude to the Honble Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi Ji and Honble Union Home Minister Shri @AmitShah Ji for sanctioning Rs 608.08 Cr for our state out of the Rs 1554.99 Cr allocated to all states under disaster and flo

VIZIANAGARAM: With the polling day for North Andhra Teachers MLC election drawing closer, the political atmosphere in Vizianagaram heated up much before the summer. Though there are ten contenders in the fray, the main contest would be among Pakalapati Raghu Varma (APTF), Koredla Vijaya Gowri (PDF) and Gade Srinivasulu Naidu (PRTU). There are 22,493 voters including 8,985 women for the North Andhra Teachers MLC constituency comprising Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, Srikakulam, Anakapalle, Alluri S

TIRUMALA: A controversy erupted at Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) after two incidents of alleged staff abuse by newly-appointed trust board members, drawing widespread criticism. On Tuesday, a TTD employee working at the Varaha Swamy temple was suspended after failing to recognise board member Panabaka Lakshmi as a VIP. Though the employee was not a gatekeeper but the temple in-charge, he happened to be at the gate when the incident occurred. According to police sources, the suspended empl

VIJAYAWADA: In a clear demonstration of the TDPs commitment to its grassroots, party national general secretary and HRD and IT minister Nara Lokesh, held a meeting with party cadre and local leaders upon his arrival in Tirupati on Wednesday. Lokesh attended the gathering before participating in other official engagements. Lokesh confirmed that he would prioritise meetings with party members during his visits to Assembly segments across the State. He engaged with the party cadre to learn about th

VISAKHAPATNAM: Despite mass strandings of Olive Ridley turtles along the Andhra Pradesh coast in January, nesting activity has remained steady in February, with turtles continuing to arrive on the shores to lay eggs. To aid conservation efforts, the Forest Department has set up four hatcheries along the Visakhapatnam coast at RK Beach, Sagar Nagar, Uppada, and Pedanagamayyapalem. So far, 262 nests containing 26,630 eggs have been relocated to these ex-situ hatcheries for protection. In Vizianaga

VIJAYAWADA: Minister for Health, Family Welfare & Medical Education Y Satya Kumar Yadav has sought a report from the Director of Medical Education (DME) on two suspected GBS deaths at the King George Hospital in Visakhapatnam and the Government General Hospital in Vijayawada. The Health Minister on Tuesday directed the DME to look into complaints of doctors negligence in treating the patients. Renuka Mohanti (63) of S Kota mandal in Vizianagaram district was admitted to the KGH with GBS symptoms

VIJAYAWADA: Swachh Andhra Corporation Chairman Kommareddy Pattabhiram said that Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu launched the Swarna Andhra-Swachh Andhra initiatives to make Andhra Pradesh clean and green. Swachh Andhra follows a monthly theme-based approach, involving 2.17 lakh government employees from 90 departments. Pattabhiram stressed that waste management requires coordinated efforts across all government sectors, with nodal officers overseeing implementation at State and district level

VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh State Electricity Regulatory Commission (APERC) has called for urgent action to accelerate energy efficiency and conservation, aiming to provide affordable power to consumers and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Commission emphasised the need for active participation from all categories of electricity consumers to achieve this goal. Highlighting the importance of spreading the conservation message, APERC Chairman Thakur Ram Singh suggested adopting a special me

ONGOLE: A mother and her two sons slit the throat of their family member, cut his body into pieces, and dumped it in a stream to conceal the crime in Cumbham town. Prakasam police arrested all four accused, including a local man who helped dispose of the body, on Tuesday. Markapur DSP U Nagaraju, along with Cumbham Circle Inspector Mallikarjuna and Sub-Inspector Narasimha Rao, revealed case details to the media. According to police, K Shyam Kumar (35), an unmarried lorry driver addicted to alcoh

ONGOLE: Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav said the State government is focused on cancer awareness, early detection, and treatment through screening camps across Andhra Pradesh. He emphasised that cancer screening is crucial to saving lives and urged women to undergo tests without hesitation. Addressing a cancer screening awareness programme in Yedugundlapadu village, Maddipadu mandal, Prakasam district, on Tuesday, Yadav said Andhra Pradesh is the only State conducting cancer screening for all

VIJAYAWADA: The State government is implementing a special action plan to resolve land disputes between departments without leading to legal complications, announced RP Sisodia, Special Chief Secretary for Revenue and Director General of the Andhra Pradesh Human Resource Development Institution. On Tuesday, Sisodia chaired a high-level review meeting at the State Disaster Management Authority office, where officials discussed strategies to settle ongoing land conflicts hindering government devel

VIJAYAWADA: The ongoing bird flu outbreak has caused a significant drop in poultry prices across the State, while driving up the demand and cost of mutton and seafood. With consumers moving away from chicken, prices have fallen notably in several districts. In Guntur, skinless chicken is now priced at Rs 160, down from Rs 180-Rs 210, and chicken with skin has dropped from Rs 160 to Rs 140. The cost of a tray of 30 eggs has decreased to Rs 160 from Rs 170-190. In Kakinada, skinless chicken has re

GUNTUR: Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of the Stamps and Registration Department, Kiran Kumar, was booked on Tuesday for allegedly assaulting his wife, Anasuya. In her police complaint, Anasuya accused her husband of multiple extramarital affairs and subjecting her to mental and physical harassment. She claimed they had been living separately for a year due to his abusive behaviour. The couple, who married for love, has a daughter they adopted and a son born via surrogacy in 2012. Anasuya allege

VIJAYAWADA: Governor Abdul Nazeer has called on the Indian Red Cross Societys (IRCS) State Branch to expand its service activities across Andhra Pradesh and bring them closer to the people. He made this appeal during a meeting with newly elected Chairman YD Rama Rao and Treasurer P Ramachandra Raju, who, along with General Secretary AK Parida, paid a courtesy visit to Raj Bhavan on Tuesday. Congratulating the new leadership, Governor Nazeer praised the quality of blood services provided by 20 Re

Following the outbreak of Guillain-Barr Syndrome (GBS) in Pune and four deaths and 45 cases reported in the State, public awareness of the disease has grown significantly. In an exclusive interview with Bandhavi Annam, Additional Director of Medical Education, Dr Nagarjunakonda Venkata Sundarachary, who is also the Principal of Guntur Medical College, and former head of the Neurology Department at Guntur Government General Hospital (GGH), reassured that GBS is a rare autoimmune disorder, however

VIJAYAWADA: Minister for Water Resources Nimmala Rama Naidu has felt that the rapid economic development of the State is only possible with the interlinking of rivers and effective utilisation of available water resources. Making a presentation on the Water Policy of Andhra Pradesh as part of Swarna Andhra Vision 2047 to make the State drought-proof, at the Water Vision 2047 convention being held by the Jal Shakti Ministry in Udaipur of Rajasthan on Tuesday, Rama Naidu said KL Rao, an eminent en

VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu emphasised that the effective use of technology can yield remarkable results in the aqua sector. Speaking at the three-day Aqua Tech 2.0 Conclave organised by the Global Forum for Sustainable Transformation in Vijayawada on Tuesday, he stated that this industry should act as a growth engine for the States economic prosperity. By leveraging technology and adopting innovative methods, achieving a steady 30 per cent growth rate is possible. Currentl

VIJAYAWADA: Terming the fabricated case and illegal arrest of former Gannavaram MLA Vallabhaneni Vamsi Mohan a reflection of deteriorating law and order in the State, YSRCP president and former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy cautioned police to strictly adhere to the law, and not to play into the hands of political bosses as they have to face the consequences in the days to come. Speaking to the media after visiting Vamsi in the sub-jail here on Tuesday, Jagan alleged that the Chandrababu N