The coalition government’s clarification came amid reports in a section of the media that the State Waqf Board has been abolished…reports Asian Lite News
The Andhra Pradesh government on Sunday clarified that the State Waqf Board was dissolved due to certain concerns and that a new Board will be constituted at the earliest.
The coalition government’s clarification came amid reports in a section of the media that the State Waqf Board has been abolished. The Fact Check Wing of the state government posted the clarification on X while reacting to a post by BJP leader Amit Malviya.
“Andhra Pradesh government strikes down the Waqf Board. There is no provision in the Constitution, which supports the existence of one in a secular India,” Malviya posted while reacting to a news channel’s report that the Andhra Pradesh government abolished the Waqf Board.
FactCheck.Ap.Gov.In, the official account of Fact Check Wing, in its post explained the reasons for the Government Order (G.O) issued on Saturday. “The Andhra Pradesh Waqf Board has remained non-functional since March 2023, leading to a period of administrative stagnation. The withdrawal of G.O. Ms. No. 47 became imperative due to several substantive concerns. These include 13 writ petitions challenging its validity, the absence of adequate representation from Sunni and Shia scholars, the non-inclusion of former MPs, the appointment of junior advocates without transparent criteria, questions surrounding the eligibility of certain members, and the inability to elect a chairman owing to ongoing litigation,” reads the clarification.
“The GoAP will take appropriate measures to address these defects and constitute a new Waqf Board at the earliest,” it added.
The TDP-led coalition government on Saturday issued an order withdrawing an earlier order issued by the previous government of YSR Congress Party constituting the Waqf Board. The then government headed by Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy issued an order on October 21, 2023, constituting the 11-member Board. A MLA and a MLC were among the three elected members. The then government had also nominated eight members including two women.
As some individuals had approached the Andhra Pradesh High Court, challenging the nomination of members, the High Court in its order on November 1, 2023, stayed the election of the chairperson of the State Waqf Board.
The government’s move to dissolve the Waqf Board came after the Chief Executive Officer of the State Waqf Board brought to its attention the prolonged non-functioning of the Board and the pendency of writ petitions questioning the legality of G.O. Ms. No. 47 dated October 21, 2023, to resolve the litigations and prevent an administrative vacuum.
TDP’s Guntur Lok Sabha candidate Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar is leading the list of multimillionaires in Andhra Pradesh…reports Asian Lite News
Several multimillionaires are in the fray for simultaneous elections to the Andhra Pradesh Assembly and Lok Sabha with Telugu Desam Party (TDP) candidate from Guntur Lok Sabha constituency, Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar leading the list.
With family assets of more than Rs.5,705 crore, the NRI medical professional may be the richest candidate in the country.
Founder and CEO of ‘UWorld’, he is making his electoral debut in the May 13 election.
Hailing from Burripalem village of Guntur district, Chandra Sekhar did MBBS from Osmania Medical College in Hyderabad in 1999. Later, he moved to the US and completed post-graduation.
The 48-year-old has done M.D. in internal medicine at Geisinger Medical Centre in Danville, Pennsylvania. He served as a faculty at Johns Hopkins University and practices as a physician.
Andhra Pradesh is heading for simultaneous elections to the 175-member Assembly and all 25 Lok Sabha seats. The list of wealthy candidates has only gone up.
The majority of the rich candidates are from the main opposition TDP. The list includes industrialists, businessmen and actors.
TDP president and former chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, who is seeking re-election from Kuppam Assembly constituency in Chittoor district, has declared his family assets at Rs 931.83 crore. His wife Bhuvaneshwari accounts for the lion’s share of this property – Rs. 895.47 crore.
The couple’s assets grew by 39 per cent in the last five years. Their assets were valued at Rs 668 crore in 2019.
The 74-year-old, who served as chief minister of united Andhra Pradesh and residuary Andhra Pradesh for 14 years, is once again aspiring to occupy the top post.
Chandrababu Naidu’s son and TDP general secretary Nara Lokesh has declared family assets of Rs 542 crore. His assets have gone up by 45 per cent in five years.
After unsuccessfully contesting for Assembly from Mangalagiri constituency, he is again testing his electoral fortunes from the same segment.
Chandrababu Naidu’s brother-in-law and Tollywood actor N. Balakrishna has declared family assets of about Rs 483 crore. His assets grew by 67 per cent since 2019.
Balakrishna, son of TDP founder and former chief minister N. T. Rama Rao, is seeking re-election for Assembly from Hindupur for a third consecutive term.
The 63-year-old is also father-in-law of Naidu’s son and TDP general secretary Nara Lokesh.
TDP leader P. Narayana, who is contesting for Assembly from Nellore City, owns family assets of Rs. 824.05 crore. The former minister is the founder of Narayana group, which has educational institutions in both the Telugu states. He had declared family assets of Rs 669 crore in 2019.
Jana Sena Party candidate for Nellimarla assembly constituency in Vizianagaram district Lokam Naga Madhavi has declared family assets worth Rs. 898.73 crore. Most of the assets are in the name of her husband V. N. V. Prasad. Both are entrepreneurs.
Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy is one of the richest candidates with declared family assets of 757.65 crore.
The YSR Congress Party chief’s family assets grew by more than 48 per cent in the last five years. In 2019, he had declared family assets of Rs 510.35 crore.
Jagan Mohan Reddy’s own assets increased from Rs 375 crore in 2019 to Rs 529.87 crore while that of his wife Bharti Reddy mounted to Rs 176.30 crore from Rs 124 crore five years ago.
Jagan Mohan Reddy’s sister and Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee president Y. S. Sharmila Reddy and her husband own assets of Rs 181.79 crore.
TDP’s Vemireddy Prabhakar Reddy, who is contesting for Lok Sabha from Nellore, has declared family assets of Rs 716.31 crore.
Jana Sena leader and Tollywood actor politician Konidala Pawan Kalyan has family assets of Rs 164.52 crore, up by over 215 per cent during the last five years.
Pawan Kalyan, who filed his nomination from Pithapuram constituency in Kakinada district, had assets worth over Rs 52 crore in 2019.
He has declared assets in his name and the name of his wife Konidala Anna (formerly known as Anna Lezhneva) and four dependent children.
Pawan Kalyan had made an unsuccessful electoral debut in 2019. He had lost both Assembly seats he contested.
TDP candidate from Visakhapatnam Lok Sabha Sribharat Mathukumili, has declared assets of Rs 296 crore. He is the son-in-law of Balakrishna and co-brother of Lokesj. He had narrowly lost to MVV Satyanarayana of YSRCP in 2019.
TDP candidate from Undi Assembly seat Raghu Rama krishna Raju has assets of Rs 2,21.9 crore.
State minister and YSRCP candidate from Punganur Assembly constituency Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy is estimated to be worth Rs 235.39 crore. His son and YSRCP candidate from Rajampet Lok Sabha seat, P. V. Midhun Reddy, has assets of Rs 211.33.
YSRCP’s Mekapati Vikram Reddy, contesting from Atmakur Assembly seat, has assets worth Rs 209.22 crore.
Asmith Reddy in TDP’s MLA candidate from Tadipatri constituency, has family assets of Rs 185.3 crore.
YSRCP candidate from Yemmiganur Assembly constituency, Butta Renuka, declared family assets of Rs 161.21 crore.
YSRCP’s Simhadri Chandra Sekhar Rao, contesting for Lok Sabha from Machilipatnam, has assets worth Rs 138.41 crore.
Narendra Verma, the TDP candidate from Bapatla Assembly constituency is worth Rs 109.47 crore.
BJP’s Vishnu Kumar Raju, who is contesting from Visakhapatnam North Assembly constituency has declared assets of Rs 106.22 crore.
4.14 crore eligible voters in Andhra
A little over 4.14 crore voters are eligible to cast their votes in Andhra Pradesh for May 13 simultaneous elections to the state Assembly and Lok Sabha.
The state’s total electorate stands at 4,14,01,887 – 2,03,39,851 male, 2,10,58,615 female, and 3,421 third-gender voters. The state has 68,185 service electors.
Chief Electoral Officer M. K. Meena said on Thursday that the final electoral roll was published under Special Summary Revision of electoral rolls with reference to January 1, 2024, as the qualifying date on January 22, 2024. Thereafter, the rolls were updated till the last date for making nominations for general elections, 2024 that is April 25.
He said there are 46,389 polling stations in the state, with 1,500 voters at each polling station.
Since the model code of conduct came into force, two persons have died and 156 injured in cases of electoral violence. The enforcement agencies seized cash, liquor, drugs, precious metals and freebies worth Rs.203 crore from March 16 to May 2.
The CEO revealed that 2,11,257 voters above 85 years of age and 5,17,227 PWBD (Persons with Benchmark Disability) voters are eligible for home voting. Out of the total 7,28,484 voters eligible for home voting, 28,591 have opted for it. A total of 31,705 essential services electors have opted for Form-12D collection.
Polling for the 175-member Assembly and all 25 Lok Sabha seats is scheduled on May 13.
The students are requested to utilise the opportunity and enrol in the scheme at the earliest…reports Asian Lite News
The Andhra Pradesh government is now providing an opportunity for overseas students from the state to enrol in the Pravasandhra Bharosa Bima (PBB) insurance scheme for free until January 15, 2024, according to a statement issued by the government.
Andhra Pradesh Non-Resident Telugu Society (APNRTS), an entity of the Andhra Pradesh government functioning under Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, offers various services to overseas citizens of the state (NRTs) across various countries. The Pravasandhra Bharosa Bima (PBB) Insurance Scheme is one such welfare service for NRTs studying and working abroad.
The students are requested to utilise the opportunity and enrol in the scheme at the earliest (student premium normally is Rs. 180 for one year) and there is a high possibility of an increase in PBB premium and benefits that could decrease.
Venkat S Medapti, President of APNRTS, said that family members invest a fortune in their children’s overseas education with dreams of a bright future. He emphasised the importance of the PBB insurance scheme, noting that, if a student unfortunately falls victim to unforeseen situations while abroad, up to Rs. 10 lakhs of life insurance are provided.
He urged students studying abroad or their families to enrol in this scheme as soon as possible, highlighting that PBB enrollment would ensure financial assistance to families in case of unexpected fatalities.
Benefits of the PBB insurance scheme: Rs. 10 lakh financial assistance in case of accidental death or permanent disability; medical expenses for injuries or sickness of up to Rs. 1 lakh; a one-way economy air ticket in case of non-continuation of studies due to sickness or accident; and other benefits. (ANI)
The project will generate 10,000 jobs across four districts of Andhra Pradesh….reports Asian Lite News
In a boost to the green energy sector in Andhra Pradesh, Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has cleared pump storage projects proposed by Adani Green Energy with a total capacity of 3,700 MW. The project was cleared in the State Investment Promotion Board (SIPB) review meeting on Wednesday.
Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy has cleared the proposal of investment of Rs 15,740 crore which is a part of the proposed total investment of Rs 60,000 crore by Adani Group in the state of Andhra Pradesh that was discussed during the World Economic Forum meet at Davos recently.
The project will generate 10,000 jobs across four districts of Andhra Pradesh.
Adani Group has proposed pump storage projects in four districts of the state – two plants to be set up in Parvathi Puram, one in YSR Kadapa, and one in Satya Sai district. In Parvathi Puram, a 1200 MW capacity plant will be set up in Kurukutti, and a 1000 MW plant in Karrivalasa.
Meanwhile, a 1000 MW plant will be set up in Gandikota while 500 MW plant in Chitravathi. In each of these districts, Adani Group has proposed that they will be generating 3,000 jobs in Kurukutti, 3000 in Karrivalasa, 1500 in Chitravathi and 2500 in Gandikota.
The project is stipulated to commence in December 2022 and is likely to commission in December 2028. While the plants will be set up spanning across 1,490 acres of land, the state government has decided that the land will be leased from farmers at the cost of Rs 30,000 per acre in these districts, which will be transferred to the farmers directly.
Meanwhile, the state will be generating a revenue of Rs 2,775 crore from the project in terms of the power stored and an additional Rs 980 crore from the SGST.
“This will give a big boost to the state in terms of investment and a positive message as the employment rate continues to rise in the state,” Andhra Pradesh CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy said in the meeting.
In other decisions taken in the SIPB meeting, the government has decided to apply for the PM MITRA scheme, which proposes to set up an integrated textile park in YSR Jagananna Mega Industrial Hub at Kopparthy in YSR District. The government, as per the conditions laid down under the scheme, has proposed that they would be fixing the power cost at Rs 4.5 per unit and Rs 60 per TMC of water for the 10-year period of the project.
The SIPB has also cleared the setting up of a shrimp processing unit at the food park in Krishna district by Avisa Foods Private Limited. The project would generate 2,500 jobs in 12 months and the company has requested for 11.64 acres of land from the state government of Andhra Pradesh. The SIPB has decided to lease the 11.64 acres at the cost of Rs 1,027 per sqm. The government has also laid out condition that the effluent treatment plant (ETP) would be set up by the company.
The government had also decided to disburse regular payments on a quarterly basis…reports Asian Lite News
Nobel Laureate Esther Duflo has hailed the measures taken by the Andhra Pradesh government for sustainable economic progress goals, especially those to eradicate poverty.
The French-American economist called on Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy at his official residence here on Monday.
During the meeting, the Chief Minister explained to her team the revolutionary measures taken by the government, implementation of various novel programmes and schemes in the areas of agriculture, education, health, housing, and women empowerment along with those being carried out for the betterment of the poor.
According to the Chief Minister’s Office, Duflo was all praise for the Chief Minister’s good governance. She noted that he undertook the iconic padayatra to know the problems of the people at the field level and understood them and thus rolled out various welfare schemes that benefit the poor.
She said that a majority of schemes are Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) schemes, where the amount is credited directly to women’s accounts.
Later, Chief Secretary Dr Sameer Sharma gave a presentation with details of the activities taken up by the state government to achieve the targets of sustainable development goals.
Duflo was the recipient of the Nobel Prize in Economics in 2019 along with her husband, Abhijit Banerjee and Michael Creamer. She is Director and Co-founder of The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) and also a professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Two weeks ago, the government ha disbursed Rs 708 crore to 10.82 lakh students as fee reimbursement under its flagship scheme Jagananna Vidya Deevena.
The amount was credited to the bank accounts of beneficiaries towards fee reimbursement for October – December 2021 quarter.
Jagan Mohan Reddy, who transferred the money, reiterated that poverty should not be a hindrance for pursuing higher education.
The government had also decided to disburse regular payments on a quarterly basis.
Education is the only solution to eradicate poverty. If a child in a village is educated, the entire village can benefit from it. Further, the government is ensuring to reduce college dropouts across the state. Debt settlement can make a huge difference to lead to successful completion of course/education,” he said.
Under the government’s flagship Jagananna Vidya Deevena, the total fee reimbursement would be directly transferred to the accounts of mothers of the students.
