VIJAYAWADA: Andhra Pradesh has emerged as a leading State in the country in the digitisation of patient health records under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), outpacing neighbouring States across multiple key parameters of the Next Generation e-Hospital Hospital Management Information System (HMIS), according to senior officials of the National Informatics Centre (NIC).

TULLLUR (GUNTUR): Construction of the long-awaited capital city of Amaravati is progressing at a brisk pace, with the MLA and MLC residential-cum-office complexes being built at Rayapudi nearing completion, Municipal Administration Minister P. Narayana said on Tuesday.

The Minister inspected the under-construction MLA and MLC bhavan complexes at Rayapudi in Amaravati and spoke to the media thereafter, expressing confidence that the capital city project was firmly back on track.

Neighbouring States Taking Note

Mr. Narayana said the scale and speed of construction activity in Amaravati had begun to attract attention and admiration even in neighbouring states. "People across state boundaries are talking about what is happening here," he said, underlining the project's growing visibility as a symbol of the government's development agenda.

Land Pooling: Near-Complete Allocation

Providing a detailed account of the land pooling exercise, the Minister stated that 30,753 farmers had contributed 35,017 acres of land for the capital's development. Of these, plots had already been allotted against 34,525 acres, with allotments pending for only 674 farmers — translating to a completion rate of 98.06 per cent.

He attributed the pending cases to court proceedings initiated by certain farmers and to unresolved family disputes over land ownership, clarifying that the delay was not on account of any administrative failure. All allotments, he added, had been carried out transparently through a lottery system.

Political Conspiracy Alleged

Taking strong exception to what he described as a disinformation campaign, Mr. Narayana alleged that a section of people were deliberately spreading falsehoods about the capital project for political ends. "Those who claim that the government has not allotted plots despite farmers giving their lands must acquaint themselves with the facts," he said, accusing them of orchestrating a political conspiracy against Amaravati.

Handover to GAD

The Minister further stated that completed structures would be formally handed over to the General Administration Department (GAD) upon the conclusion of construction work, paving the way for their operationalisation.

The inspection was seen as part of the state government's efforts to underscore progress on the capital front ahead of the legislature session.

GUNTUR, May 3: The BJP district executive committee met on Sunday at Vajpayee Bhavan, the party's district office, under the chairmanship of district president Cherukuri Tirupati Rao, to deliberate on forthcoming programmes and the conduct of a district-level training camp.

Addressing the meeting, Mr. Tirupati Rao announced that a two-day district-level training programme would be held on May 16 and 17 at VVIT College in Namburu, Guntur district. State-level party leaders will participate and conduct sessions on a range of subjects. He also directed party workers to hoist the BJP flag in every village and ward under the 'Mana Ooru – Mana Jenda' (Our Village – Our Flag) programme.

Booth-level outreach and voter data collection

Mr. Tirupati Rao called for the effective implementation of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) programme across the district. He instructed that BLA-2s be constituted at all polling booths within the district and that they work alongside Booth Level Officers (BLOs) to collect comprehensive voter data — including details of where voters currently reside, the duration of their stay, and the State from which they have migrated.

Training pivotal to party building, says coordinator

Rampalli Jagannadha Sastri, district coordinator for the training programme, said that such instructional camps are critical to strengthening the party's organisational structure. He noted that mandal-level training had already been completed, and the district-level two-day programme would build further on that foundation. He urged participants to observe discipline, deepen their understanding of party ideology, and effectively communicate it to workers at the grassroots. He added that sessions by invited speakers would offer valuable learning across multiple areas of party functioning.

The meeting was attended by Jupudi Rangaraju, Kothuri Venkata Subbarao, Bhimineni Chandrasekhar, CH Yashwanth, Darshanapу Srinivas, Yadlapati Swaroopa Rani, Kokkera Srinivas Yadav, Jaggarapu Srinivasarao, Palaapati Ravi Kumar, Charaka Kumar Goud, Taduvai Ramakrishna, Bajrang Ramakrishna, Kuddus, and Brahmaiah, along with district office-bearers, morcha presidents, general secretaries, mandal presidents, and executive committee members.

GUNTUR, May 3: The second batch of a free skill development and competitive examination training programme, conducted under the aegis of Krishna-Guntur Graduates' constituency MLC Alapati Rajendra Prasad, is set to commence on May 13 at the MLC office premises on Lakshmipuram Main Road, adjacent to HDFC Bank, in Guntur.

The initiative, aimed at improving employment prospects for unemployed graduates in the region, builds on the momentum of its first batch, whose participants successfully appeared in recruitment examinations conducted by prominent organisations. Results of those examinations are awaited.

Encouraged by the response to the first batch, Mr. Alapati announced the launch of the second batch to extend the opportunity to a larger number of aspirants.

Structured for competitive examinations

The training curriculum has been specifically designed to equip candidates to face recruitment examinations conducted by Central government departments and public sector undertakings. Candidates who have completed their Intermediate or degree-level education are eligible to apply at no cost.

Online registration will open on May 5, 2026, through a QR code. An online entrance examination will be held on May 10, following which selected candidates will be admitted to the training programme beginning May 13.

For further details, interested candidates may contact 73374 59888 or 95536 81118.

On the occasion, Mr. Alapati unveiled the programme poster in the presence of Kishore, director of Vijayasadhana Coaching Centre, and Pidikiti Tilak Babu, Executive Director of NRI Educational Institutions.

Addressing aspirants, the MLC appealed to unemployed youth to make productive use of the free training and secure a firm footing in their careers.

Guntur: The BJP Mahila Morcha, Yuva Morcha and the NDA alliance jointly organised a "Praja Akrosh Mahila Yatra" (Women's Protest March) in Guntur on Sunday, demanding that opposition parties be held accountable for allegedly blocking the implementation of the 33 per cent Women's Reservation Bill in Parliament. The protest rally marched from Shankar Vilas Centre to the Ambedkar statue, drawing a sizeable turnout of women participants and party workers.

Addressing the rally, district president Cherukuri Tirupathi Rao alleged that the INDIA bloc had done a disservice to women out of fear that reservations in legislative bodies would erode their own political standing. He warned that women across the country would give the opposition an appropriate response in the days to come.

Mahila Morcha district president Dr. Radha Madhavi said it was deeply unfortunate that the INDIA bloc continued to sideline women in political representation. She noted that the Central government had been taking measures to ensure the economic empowerment of women from birth to old age through various welfare schemes, and called it deplorable that the Women's Reservation Bill — aimed at providing political opportunities as well — was being obstructed.

District Yuva Morcha president Yashwant said it was heartening to see women across the country, cutting across party lines, coming out to protest against the stance of the Congress and the INDIA bloc.

Mahila Morcha state general secretary Naddi Nagamalleswari Yadav asserted that 33 per cent reservation was a rightful entitlement of women. She said the party would intensify protest marches against the Congress alliance in the future and pledged to take the core objectives of the Women's Reservation Bill to every woman in the state, while exposing what she described as the INDIA bloc's anti-women actions before society at large.

Among those who participated were Mahila Morcha state secretary Hari Pavani, Mirchi Yard director Sravana Kumari, district vice-president Mantri Suguna, Vimala Devi, Yuva Morcha leaders Sridurga and Swapna, Mahila Morcha leaders Dr. Sravanthi, Padmaja and Swati Swapna, TDP leader Kalpana, BJP state leaders Eedara Srinivas Reddy, Velagaleti Gangadhar, Kokkera Srinivas Yadav, Charaka Kumar Goud and Mekala Lakshman, along with several district leaders and functionaries.

Guntur: The Bharatiya Janata Party's "Mana Ooru - Mana Jenda" (Our Village - Our Flag) initiative got underway in Guntur, with party workers unveiling BJP flag poles across multiple divisions under the leadership of state spokesperson Valluru Jayaprakash Narayana and district president Cherukuri Tirupathi Rao.

The programme, launched under the direction of BJP state president PVN Madhav, aims to strengthen the party's organisational presence at the grassroots level — spanning every village, ward and booth — while simultaneously propagating nationalist ideology and publicising the Central government's welfare schemes among citizens.

Flag pole installation ceremonies were conducted near Krishna Nagar Park in the 33rd Division under the Western Assembly segment, and in the 12th Division under the 15th Mandal of the Eastern Assembly segment, led respectively by mandal presidents Pesala Venkatesha Yadav and Mallala Lakshman.

Addressing the gathering, Mr. Valluru Jayaprakash Narayana said the BJP was not merely a political party but a national force committed to the service of the country. He underscored the party's resolve toward national security, development, transparent governance and corruption-free administration.

District president Mr. Cherukuri Tirupathi Rao observed that the Central government had taken historic decisions across sectors including poverty alleviation, farmers' empowerment, women's welfare and employment generation for youth. He said the "Mana Ooru - Mana Jenda" programme would play a pivotal role in communicating these achievements to the public.

He called upon every party worker to hoist the BJP flag with pride in their locality and carry the party's message to every household.

Among those present were district convener Bajrang Ramakrishna, Neralla Madhava Rao, district vice-president Sadu Ramakrishna, district secretary Kristipati Narayana Reddy, media panellist Taduvai Ramakrishna, Mahila Morcha state general secretary Naddi Nagamalleswari and several other party functionaries.

Guntur,Tadepalli, April 23: Union Minister of State for Steel and Heavy Industries Bhupatiraju Srinivasa Varma on Wednesday declared that the Vedas are the very lifeblood of Indian culture and Hindu Dharma, and called upon every citizen to take responsibility for promoting Vedic education as part of preserving Sanatana Dharma.

He was speaking at the valedictory ceremony of the Krishna-Guntur Mandala Veda Vidwat Pravardhaka Pariksha Sabha, held under the presidentship of Chintapalli Subrahmanya Sharma at the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham in Kolanukonda village of Tadepalli Mandal. Borra Radhakrishna, Chairman of the Vijayawada Durga Mallikarjuna Swamy Devasthanam, was among the chief guests at the function.

Expressing deep concern over what he described as concerted efforts by certain foreign and internal forces to undermine Hindu culture and traditions in the country, the Union Minister stressed the urgent need to safeguard Vedic knowledge and pass it on to future generations. He observed that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Hindu community across the world had been able to hold its head high with pride.

Taking a pointed dig at previous governments, he alleged that they had encouraged religious conversions for electoral and political gains, and noted that the phenomenon of 'Ghar Wapsi' had now created conditions for people to return to the fold of Sanatana Dharma. He called upon students who had pursued Vedic learning to play a pivotal role not only in social and national development but also in the protection of Sanatana Dharma.

Certificates were subsequently presented to students who had passed the Vidwat and Pravardhaka examinations with distinction.

Among those present were Vijayawada Durga temple Sthanacharyulu Vishnubhatla Sivaprasad Sharma, Vedic scholars Chintapalli Anjaneya Ghanapathi, Chilla Balayya Somayajulu, Chintapalli Narasimhamurthi Avadhani, and Kuppa Janardhan Sharma, besides a large number of Vedic students.

GUNTUR, April 21: The Progressive Recognised Teachers Union (PRTU), Andhra Pradesh State unit, staged a peaceful dharna at the Guntur district headquarters on Tuesday, pressing a wide range of long-pending demands relating to service conditions, pay revisions, and welfare measures for teachers across the State. A memorandum embodying the demands was submitted to the District Collector.

Ghantasala Srinivasarao, Chairman of the AP JAC Guntur district unit and district president of AP NGGO, who attended the event as chief guest, said the problems faced by teachers had remained unresolved for a long time and called upon the government to respond promptly and take steps towards their redressal. He underlined that teacher welfare was indispensable to strengthening the education system.

Key demands

The union's demands centred on several service-related issues. These included the framing of comprehensive service rules, constitution of a new Pay Revision Commission (PRC) with a 30 per cent interior relief, and abolition of the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) with restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS). Teachers who entered service through the 2003 DSC were specifically demanded to be brought under OPS. The union also called for clearance of pending Dearness Allowance arrears, GPF, APGLI, and Earned Leave encashment dues.

Other demands included restoration of GO 302, filling of Junior Lecturer promotion vacancies, implementation of the 70:30 ratio — allotting 70 per cent of Secondary Grade Teacher promotions to SA Telugu and Hindi posts — and opening of GPF accounts for Municipal Corporation teachers. The union further sought reclassification of School Complex Headmasters as Grade-1 HMs, and promotions for Urdu and Oriya language teachers.

Staffing and institutional demands

The union demanded appointment of Hostel Welfare Officers in tribal residential schools, deployment of Data Entry Operators in every high school and model primary school, and restriction of teacher rationalisation exercises to once every five years. It also sought exemption of in-service teachers from the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET).

Further, the PRTU called for merger of Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas, Model Schools, and Gurukulas into the government system under the Master Teacher Scale (MTS), regularisation of Art, Craft, Drawing, and Physical Education teachers working under SSA as full-time employees, and extension of MTS benefits to CRT and CMRT staff with a 60 per cent wage hike.

The union also demanded implementation of the Employee Health Scheme (EHS) with insurance coverage for both government and private school teachers, and immediate resolution of issues faced by aided school teachers.

The leaders urged the District Collector to consider the demands sympathetically, recommend them to the State government, and take initiative for their early resolution.

Among those who participated were G.V.S. Ramakrishna, D. Srinivasareddy, Rambabau, Shyam Moses, M. Venkateswarrao, M. Chandrakishor, Y. Nagamani, and Sheikh Abdul Razak.

Guntur, April 20: The Bharatiya Janata Party organised its 'Janata Varadhi' programme at the Guntur Collectorate on Monday, under the leadership of district president Cherukuri Tirupati Rao, in pursuance of directives issued by State party president PVN Madhav.

As part of the Spandana grievance redressal initiative, party functionaries submitted a series of applications to the Collector pertaining to revenue disputes, encroachment of tanks and illegal occupation of lands. The delegation also submitted a memorandum to the Collector, expressing concern over the dysfunctional state of dry and wet waste dumping yards in the district, and cautioning that the poor management of these facilities was resulting in a colossal waste of public funds running into thousands of crores of rupees.

Janata Varadhi convener Sheikh Sambasiva Rao, co-convener Martha Narendra, Katti Mary Sarojini, ST Morcha district president Nayak, SC Morcha district general secretary Abraham, Guntur East 7th Mandal president Mallala Lakshman Goud and Gopi Sambasiva Rao, along with a large number of BJP leaders and workers, participated in the programme.

Guntur, April 17: BJP State media panellist Taduvai Ramakrishna on Friday launched a sharp attack on Leader of Opposition in Parliament Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of conduct unbecoming of a parliamentarian and of making remarks that brought shame to civilised society.

Referring to the debate in Parliament on Friday, Ramakrishna alleged that Gandhi's comments were deeply offensive to the 140 crore people of the country. He said that Gandhi had not only made inappropriate remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi but had also criticised the Indian Army, which he described as painful and unacceptable. He demanded that Gandhi apologise to the nation immediately for his statements.

Ramakrishna also trained his guns on the Congress party, alleging that its positions have consistently worked against national interests. He said the party had exposed its true character by opposing the Women's Reservation Bill and attempting to obstruct the delimitation process. He reaffirmed that the BJP-led NDA government remained firmly committed to the empowerment of women.

Turning to the Congress leadership, he alleged that the party's policies had become an impediment to the country's progress. Citing a series of political developments over the years, he said the decline of the Congress party was only accelerating under Rahul Gandhi's leadership.

Ramakrishna said the people of the country were welcoming the Central government's decisions aimed at national development, particularly the advancement of Other Backward Classes and the political empowerment of women. He described the introduction of the Women's Reservation Bill as a historic moment and asserted that the credit for this landmark legislation belonged entirely to the BJP and the NDA government.

Guntur, April 17: The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), Guntur district unit, is set to organise a district-level awareness conclave on the autonomy of Hindu temples, with organisers stating that the event will be held on Sunday, April 19, at 4.30 p.m. at the Tyagaraja Cultural Association Hall, 2nd Line, Lakshmipuram.

Organisers pointed out that decades after Independence, Hindu temples continue to function without full administrative autonomy, and that government interference in their management runs contrary to Articles 12, 25, and 26 of the Constitution. They expressed concern over a range of issues, including increasing political interference in temple administration, the induction of non-Hindus into trust boards and temple employment, the alleged misappropriation of temple revenues, and encroachment upon temple lands.

The VHP has launched a nationwide movement with the objective of freeing temples from government control and vesting them with autonomous status, organisers said. As part of this campaign, a large public meeting was earlier convened in Vijayawada. Following an extensive study of temple conditions across several states and a series of consultations with legal and administrative experts, the organisation has prepared a draft model legislation, a copy of which has also been submitted to the State government, they added.

District-wise awareness conclaves are currently being conducted across the State to consolidate public opinion on the issue. Organisers urged prominent citizens, community leaders, and devotees from across the district to participate in the event and offer their suggestions. They also extended an appeal to all to join what they described as a people's movement for the restoration of Hindu temple autonomy.