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Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday said that the temple economy "valued at Rs 6 lakh crore" is the largest economic activity in the country. Addressing the International Temples Convention & Expo (ITCX), Naidu said that the temple economy is an area where activities take place throughout the year. "With India's temple economy valued around Rs 6 lakh crore, I can say that compared to any other economic activity, this is the biggest. It happens 365 days a yeartemple darshan (visits) or temple town activities. That is the biggest activity. We are all involved in it," said Naidu. Noting that devotees are donating money for a particular cause, Naidu said that the money must be spent by their aspirations. "There is no doubt about it; any government has to abide by and do justice to this," he said, adding that fulfilling the aspirations of devotees is a must. Appreciating ITCX, the TDP supremo said the platform emphasises Artificial Intelligence integration, ...
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu wanted to become the vice chairman of the NDA after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections but Prime Minister Narendra Modi declined it, former prime minister H D Deve Gowda has claimed in Rajya Sabha. However, BJP chief J P Nadda was quick to clarify that no such discussion took place. Participating in the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President's address on Thursday, Gowda said, "Chandrababu Naidu, who supports this government with his 16 members, wanted to become the vice chairman or chairman of the alliance, but Modiji did not agree. He knows how to run the administration." After Gowda concluded his address, Nadda asserted that no such discussion took place. "As the president of the party, I want to clarify that no such discussion happened in the NDA," Nadda said, adding that everyone accepted the leadership of Modi. Both the TDP, led by Naidu, and Gowda's JDS are part of the ruling NDA. According to Gowda, "In the UPA ...
India has got the right leader at the right time in Prime Minister Narendra Modi and he will take the country to the top across various economic and social parameters, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said on Tuesday. Speaking at the launch of an economic taskforce on 'Swarna Andhra by 2047', he said his state has huge growth potential and is progressing on the right path. "Indians are the most accepted community globally and it will continue in future," he said at the event organised by industry body CII. "We are having the right leader at the right time in Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He has absolute clarity on reforms and policy framework for the country going ahead. "I'm fully confident that India will become a developed nation by 2047, and reach the number one or two spot in various areas," he said. India is the only country that has the advantage of democratic dividend for the next 20-25 years, he said. Naidu pitched moving forward from PPP model to P4 mod
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu will on Sunday leave for the World Economic Forum meeting in Switzerland's Davos where he will promote "Brand AP" and showcase the state to top industrialists and business leaders for investment. Naidu intends to highlight a slew of newly-created employment-focused industrial policies and network with top executives to secure investment. "The chief minister will use Davos as a platform to explain the availability of human resources, infrastructure, government subsidies, stable leadership and speed of doing business to attract national and international companies," according to a statement on Saturday. Naidu will leave Amaravati for Delhi at 4 pm on Sunday, followed by a flight to Zurich at 1:30 am on Monday. In Zurich, Naidu will meet India's ambassador to Switzerland. He will later meet industrialists at a local hotel and follow it up with a meeting with Telugu industrialists. At the "Meet and Greet Telugu Diaspora" event, Naidu w
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday said he would order a judicial inquiry into the stampede incident that left six people dead and dozens injured, besides transferring three senior officials including the district Superintendent of Police. Addressing a press conference, Naidu said he has ordered suspension of two officials, including a DSP, for their dereliction. He further said he noticed some loopholes or leakages in the administration and monitoring mechanisms in Tirupati which should have been 'perfect'. Expressing grief over the incident, Naidu said he is announcing Rs 25 lakh ex gratia to the kin of the deceased and Rs 2 lakh to those injured. According to him, a new system of issuing tokens was introduced by the previous regime in Tirupati as opposed to the earlier system of giving them in Tirumala hills. Six devotees died and nearly 40 more were injured in the stampede at Bairagi Patteda near MGM School in Tirupati on Wednesday night as hundreds
Senior YSRCP leader and former Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) chairman B Karunakar Reddy on Thursday demanded that Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu should own moral responsibility for the Tirupati stampede and initiate stringent action against the officials responsible. The Congress' state unit held the TTD that governs the Lord Venkatswara temple, responsible for the tragedy and called for immediate probe into the incident. Six devotees died and nearly 40 more were injured in a stampede at Bairagi Patteda near MGM School in Tirupati on Wednesday night as hundreds of them jostled for tickets for Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam at Lord Venkateswara Swamy temple on Tirumala Hills. Scores of devotees turned up from across the country for the 10-day Vaikunta Dwara Darshanam commencing from January 10. "The EO (executive officer), SP (superintendent of police) and his subordinates, besides the vigilance wing of the TTD, should be held responsible and action should be taken against them
Amid cheers from the public, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accompanied by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and his deputy Pawan Kalyan, undertook a brief roadshow here on Wednesday. People gathered in large numbers, showered flowers on the leaders as they traveled atop an open vehicle, waving back. The entire stretch was decked up with the party flags of TDP, BJP, and Janasena. Starting from Sampath Vinayak temple in the port city, the roadshow reached Andhra University's engineering college ground, where a public meeting has been scheduled. On reaching the venue, Modi will virtually lay the foundation for a slew of projects and inaugurate a few more, which include NTPC's integrated green hydrogen hub at Pudimadaka in Anakapalli district, bulk drug park in Nakkapalli, a couple of railway doubling works and others.
The Andhra Pradesh cabinet on Thursday approved two engineering projects worth Rs 2,723 crore for the greenfield capital city of Amaravati, including a 1 million tonne per annum green ammonia manufacturing facility and South India's first integrated energy project, among others. Although the previous YSRCP regime "neglected" Amaravati, Information & Public Relations Minister K Parthasarathy noted that the TDP-led government is taking steps to develop the greenfield capital to world-class standards. It has been decided to undertake development projects in Amaravati with financial assistance from the World Bank, HUDCO, and Germany. As per the directives of these institutions, fresh tenders are being called, said Parthasarathy, addressing a press conference at the Secretariat. Unlike during the YSRCP regime, he stated that several industrialists are now coming forward to set up operations in the southern state. He added that the cabinet has approved AM Green Ammonia (India) Pvt Ltd's
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said the state government cannot scrap power purchase agreements with the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) without obtaining solid proof of bribery allegations. The Chief Minister's comments assume significance in the backdrop of Adani being indicted by the US Department of Justice over his role in an alleged years-long scheme to pay USD 250 million bribes to Indian officials in exchange for favourable solar power contracts, including from Andhra Pradesh. This allegation was refuted by the Indian conglomerate. The previous YSRCP regime in Andhra Pradesh is embroiled in this alleged scam with claims that government officials received bribes from the Adani Group, which reportedly amounted to Rs 1,750 crore. We are getting proper documentation and once we get that then we will take action (if there was any corruption involved). If we cancel the MoUs right away then it may lead to legal issues and unnecessary complications, Naid
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday and sought financial assistance for key state projects and discussed the planned ArcelorMittal steel plant. During the 45-minute meeting, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief thanked Modi for extending financial support for the completion of the Polavaram irrigation project and the Amaravathi capital city development. He reported that work on both projects has resumed, an official statement said. Naidu highlighted financial challenges faced by the state, including the previous government's diversion of funds from 94 centrally-sponsored schemes, of which 74 have now been relaunched. He requested special assistance, noting that the previous administration had depleted five years worth of revenue deficit grants in three years. Regarding the upcoming ArcelorMittal steel plant, Naidu requested central assistance for raw material supply and expedited clearances. The chief minister presente
Leaders of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) met here at BJP president J P Nadda's residence on Wednesday on the birth centenary of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, JD-U leader and Union minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh, Apna Dal (S) president and Union minister Anupriya Patel, as well as JD (S) leader and Union minister H D Kumaraswamy, were present at the meeting. Bihar's Hindustani Awam Morcha (S) leader Jitan Ram Manjhi, also a minister in the Modi government, Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) president Upendra Kushwaha, a Rajya Sabha MP, and Thushar Vellappally, president of Bharath Dharma Jana Sena, were also present at the meeting. Though there was no official word on the agenda of the meeting, sources said good governance and political issues were discussed. Good governance was a key theme of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government. It was decided to hold
The Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA) chaired by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has approved infrastructure works worth Rs 24,276 crore in greenfield capital Amaravati, Municipal Minister P Narayana said. The approval during the 43rd APCRDA meeting caters to trunk roads, layouts and iconic buildings, he said. "The 43rd CRDA meeting approved Rs 24,276 crore funds for the construction of trunk roads, layouts and iconic bhavans (buildings) in Amaravati capital," said Narayana addressing a press conference at the Secretariat on Monday. He said that a total of Rs 45,249 crore funds were approved in the past four CRDA meetings. Narayana said that the upcoming Assembly building in the greenfield capital would be built in an area of 103 acres, stretching up to 11.2 lakh sq ft and will reach a height of 250 metres. When the Assembly is not in session, he said people can visit the top of the building to enjoy a bird's eye view of the capital while the 20.32 la
The Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA) chaired by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has approved infrastructure works worth Rs 24,276 crore in greenfield capital Amaravati, Municipal Minister P Narayana on Monday said. The minister said the approval during the 43rd APCRDA meeting caters to trunk roads, layouts and iconic buildings. The 43rd CRDA meeting approved Rs 24,276 crore funds for the construction of trunk roads, layouts and iconic bhavans (buildings) in Amaravati capital, said Narayana addressing a press conference at the secretariat. He said that a total of Rs 45,249 crore funds were approved in the past four CRDA meetings. Narayana said that the upcoming Assembly building in the greenfield capital would be built in an area of 103 acres, stretching up to 11.2 lakh sq ft and will reach a height of 250 metres. When the Assembly is not in session, he said people can visit the top of the building to enjoy a bird's eye view of the capital while the 2
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday said global tech giant Google and Andhra Pradesh are eyeing a big Artificial Intelligence opportunity in Visakhapatnam. Addressing a district collectors conference at the secretariat, the CM said Google and the southern state have signed an agreement, which would catapult the port city's development. Recently when IT Minister (Nara Lokesh) went to America, he went to Google campus and requested them. And the result of that is today Google has (agreed to come to Vizag). We signed an MoU (agreement) before coming here. We are looking at a big opportunity in AI, said Naidu. After proposing Vizag as a prospective location, the CM said Google executives visited Andhra Pradesh's largest city for a firsthand survey and were totally impressed. If big firms like Google come to Visakhapatnam under strategic investment, that is a game changer, he said, adding that data centres, AI, machine learning (ML) and deep tech, along with internet sea ...