AMARAVATI: The Andhra Pradesh government has taken up a statewide programme to modernise village ponds with the twin objectives of conserving water resources and improving the environment and quality of life in rural areas.

Under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY), 105 ponds across the State are being developed at an estimated cost of nearly ₹50 crore, an initiative being pursued with the support of Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan. Work on 26 ponds has already been completed and the facilities have been opened to the public.

The modernisation programme aims to increase the water-holding capacity of ponds, strengthen irrigation resources and improve groundwater levels. The government is also seeking to transform the ponds from mere water bodies into recreational and community spaces that provide residents with facilities for exercise and leisure.

As part of the programme, pond bunds are being strengthened and facilities such as walking tracks, entrance gates, solar lighting, seating benches, children's parks and open-air gyms are being developed. Landscaping and beautification works are also being taken up around the ponds.

Development works have already been completed at several ponds in Anantapur, Palnadu, Sri Sathya Sai, Chittoor, Kurnool, Sri Potti Sriramulu Nellore, Kakinada and Guntur districts.

Among the ponds that have been developed are Vedulla Cheruvu in Kuppam constituency of Chittoor district, Panduru Cheruvu in Kakinada Rural constituency, Vengalayapalem Cheruvu in Guntur district, Gudishelapalli Cheruvu in Anantapur district, Vinjamur Cheruvu in Nellore district and Palasamudram Cheruvu in Sri Sathya Sai district.

Officials expect the increased storage capacity of the ponds to help recharge groundwater in surrounding areas. Better availability of water could benefit farmers by strengthening irrigation resources, while the development of green spaces around the water bodies is expected to contribute to environmental conservation.

The government has also stressed the importance of maintaining quality standards while expediting the works. Officials have been directed to regularly monitor the progress and ensure that construction and development works meet the prescribed standards.

The authorities have been instructed to complete the remaining works by the end of September and make the facilities available to the public.

The government said Mr. Pawan Kalyan expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the Centre's support through centrally sponsored schemes and to Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu for facilitating implementation of the programme in the State. He also thanked Union Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Minister of State Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar for their support.

The pond modernisation programme is being positioned as an integrated initiative combining irrigation, groundwater conservation, environmental protection, rural infrastructure and public health.

Amaravati, April 2, 2026: The Andhra Pradesh unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday welcomed the Central Government's decision to introduce a bill in the Lok Sabha formally designating Amaravati as the state capital, with party president PVN Madhav expressing gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for what he described as a decisive intervention in resolving a long-standing constitutional and administrative ambiguity.

A closure to a protracted dispute

The introduction of the bill comes more than a decade after the bifurcation of the erstwhile united Andhra Pradesh in 2014, which left the successor state without a formally notified capital. The dispute over the location of the capital had since become one of the most contentious political issues in the state, drawing prolonged legal battles, farmer protests, and successive policy reversals across different governments.

Mr. Madhav said the legislation, if enacted, would bring "permanent closure" to the capital row and lay the groundwork for structured urban and economic development in the Krishna riverbank region. "A planned Amaravati has the potential to position Andhra Pradesh as a leading investment destination in peninsular India," he said, adding that the move would open up employment avenues for the state's youth.

Centre-State coordination underscored

Emphasising the role of the NDA alliance in accelerating the state's development, Mr. Madhav credited Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu's leadership for bringing the matter to its current legislative stage. He noted that the synergy between the Union Government and the State administration had been instrumental in pushing forward key decisions of this nature.

Security gains acknowledged

Separately, Mr. Madhav also welcomed recent official statements on the significant decline of Left-Wing Extremism in the state, describing it as a "defining security milestone." He said the near-elimination of Maoist activity would foster an environment of stability conducive to investment and development in the region's hinterland.

Political significance

The BJP president reiterated that the ruling TDP-Janasena-BJP coalition remained committed to a development-oriented agenda for Andhra Pradesh, and expressed confidence that the Amaravati bill would receive broad parliamentary support. Political observers note that the bill carries considerable symbolic weight, particularly for the farming communities in the capital region who had parted with their lands under a land pooling scheme years ago, banking on promises of a world-class capital city.

AMARAVATI — In a warm and politically significant gesture that underscores the strength of Andhra Pradesh's ruling NDA alliance, BJP Andhra Pradesh State President PVN Madhav extended heartfelt congratulations to the Telugu Desam Party on the occasion of its 44th Foundation Day — calling for an even stronger bond between the alliance partners in the shared mission of transforming Andhra Pradesh into a golden state.

Taking to X — formerly Twitter — on the occasion of TDP's Foundation Day, PVN Madhav's message was both a tribute to the party's glorious legacy and a forward-looking call for deeper unity between BJP and TDP as they govern Andhra Pradesh together under the NDA coalition.

Honouring a Legend, Celebrating a Legacy

PVN Madhav began his message by paying rich tribute to the Telugu Desam Party's founder — the late and legendary NT Rama Rao, fondly remembered as NTR — who established the party on the clarion call of Telugu self-respect and dignity.

"The Telugu Desam Party, founded by the late great leader Sri Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao with the rallying cry of Telugu self-respect, steps into its 44th year today," Madhav wrote — words that captured both the emotional depth of TDP's founding moment and the enduring relevance of the values NTR fought to uphold.

For Telugu people across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, NTR is not merely a political figure. He is a cultural icon — a film legend turned political revolutionary who shook the established order and gave Telugu identity a proud and powerful voice. Madhav's tribute acknowledged that legacy with the respect it deserves.

Wishes to TDP's Top Leadership

The BJP State President extended his personal congratulations to TDP's entire leadership hierarchy — a gesture that reflects the warmth and mutual respect at the heart of the NDA alliance in Andhra Pradesh.

His wishes went to TDP National President and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu — referred to affectionately by his social media handle @ncbn — whose decades of political leadership and development vision have made him one of India's most respected regional leaders. Madhav also congratulated TDP State President Palla Srinivasa Rao, TDP National General Secretary and Minister Nara Lokesh — @naralokesh — the young and dynamic leader who has emerged as one of the alliance's most energetic voices, and the entire rank and file of the Telugu Desam Party.

The inclusivity of the message — reaching from the national president down to the grassroots party worker — reflected a political partnership built not just at the leadership level but across the entire organisational spectrum of both parties.

NDA Alliance: Walking Together Toward a Golden Andhra Pradesh

The most politically significant portion of PVN Madhav's message was his articulation of the NDA alliance's shared vision for Andhra Pradesh — and his call for that alliance to grow even stronger in the days ahead.

"Under the leadership of Prime Minister Sri Narendra Modi at the Centre and as the NDA coalition government in the state, we are taking strong steps together for the progress of the state and the welfare of the poor," Madhav wrote — a succinct but powerful statement of the partnership's purpose and direction.

He expressed his sincere and heartfelt desire that the bond between the alliance partners be further strengthened and consolidated in the coming days — with a single, inspiring goal in sight: transforming Andhra Pradesh into Swarna Andhra Pradesh — a Golden Andhra Pradesh — where development is inclusive, prosperity is shared, and the aspirations of every citizen are fulfilled.

The vision of Swarna Andhra Pradesh — a prosperous, developed, and self-reliant state that fulfils the dreams of its people — is the animating ideal behind the NDA government's governance agenda in the state. By invoking it on TDP's Foundation Day, PVN Madhav placed the alliance's political partnership squarely within that larger developmental mission.

The Significance of the Message

In the context of Andhra Pradesh's political landscape, PVN Madhav's Foundation Day message carries significance that goes beyond courtesy and protocol.

The NDA alliance between BJP and TDP in Andhra Pradesh is one of the most consequential political partnerships in the state's recent history. Forged on the shared commitment to bringing development, good governance, and welfare to Andhra Pradesh's people, the alliance has provided the state with stable and purposeful governance — and its continued strength is central to delivering on the promises made to Andhra Pradesh's voters.

By publicly and warmly celebrating TDP's Foundation Day and calling for an even stronger alliance bond, BJP State President PVN Madhav is sending a clear message — to his own party workers, to TDP's rank and file, and to the people of Andhra Pradesh — that this partnership is built to last, built to deliver, and built to transform.

44 Years and Counting

As the Telugu Desam Party marks 44 years of its remarkable journey — from NTR's revolutionary founding moment to its current role as the anchor of Andhra Pradesh's NDA government — the congratulations pouring in from alliance partners like BJP reflect a party that commands respect across political lines.

Founded on Telugu pride, sustained by Telugu resilience, and now partnered with the national strength of the BJP and the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, TDP enters its 44th year with purpose, momentum, and the weight of a governing responsibility it is determined to discharge with distinction.

And if PVN Madhav's Foundation Day message is any indication, the alliance that is driving Andhra Pradesh's transformation into Swarna Andhra Pradesh is only going to grow stronger.

BJP Andhra Pradesh State President PVN Madhav's congratulatory message was posted on X on the occasion of TDP's 44th Foundation Day.