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Minister for Social Welfare Dola Bala Veeranjaneya Swamy has announced that seven lakh fishlings will soon be released into reservoirs, irrigation tanks and other water bodies across Prakasam district. Marking World Fisheries Day on Friday, the Minister released fishlings in the Thoorpunaidupalem and Mallavarappadu tanks in Tanguturu mandal, where he unveiled the initiative. “This year’s encouraging rainfall has prompted the decision to release seven lakh fishlings, which will benefit not only individual fishermen but also village panchayats and fishermen’s societies,” he said. Reaffirming the State government’s commitment to supporting the fishing community, Mr. Swamy recalled the supply of fishing nets and motorboats at subsidised prices, insurance cover during the fishing period, and the ₹20,000 compensation provided during the fishing holiday. Revenue Divisional Officer (Ongole) Lakshmi Prasanna, Joint Director (Fisheries) Srinivasa Rao, mandal officials and public representatives participated in the programme.

ONGOLE: Mines and Geology Minister Kollu Ravindra announced Sunday that the State government will construct Mines and Geology department offices in all 26 districts. He said the Ongole office will serve as a model for the rest. Kollu Ravindra, along with Social Welfare Minister Dr Dola Sree Bala Veeranjaneya Swamy, laid the foundation stone for the Prakasam district office complex on Ongole South Bypass Road. The project, estimated at Rs 2.14 crore, will be built on 20 cents of land. The minister said this is the first Mines department office in Prakasam district and assured that granite industry concerns will be addressed. He added that the government’s free sand policy is aimed at preventing shortages. Kollu Ravindra also highlighted Vizag’s emergence as a major software hub, noting that the Vizag–CII Partnership Summit attracted Rs 13.5 lakh crore in investments, expected to generate 17.5 lakh jobs. Swamy welcomed office construction, citing the presence of many granite industries in Prakasam. The two ministers also laid the foundation for Rs 10.94 crore development works at APIIC Throvagunta Auto Nagar, including canals and internal roads. They assured unit owners that infrastructure issues would be resolved to support industrial growth. Event was attended by Ongole MP Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy, Joint Collector R Gopala Krishna, Ongole MLA Damacharla Janardhana Rao, SN Padu MLA BN Vijay Kumar, Kanigiri MLA Dr Mukku Ugra Narasimha Reddy, APIIC Chairman Manthena Rama Raju, Maritime Board Chairman Damacharla Satyanarayana, Mines Department Deputy Director TJ Raja Sekhar, Ongole Mayor G Sujatha, OUDA Chairman Shaik Riyaz, and others

A big tiger has been causing fear in several villages of Prakasam district after being spotted near forest fringes and attacking livestock. Recent incidents include the killing of oxen in Palutla and Ardhaveedu mandals, prompting villagers to stay cautious. The forest department is monitoring the tiger’s movements using trap cameras and has advised locals not to enter forests alone, especially during early mornings and evenings. Authorities may relocate the tiger back into the core area of the Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve if necessary.

VIJAYAWADA: At the request of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, the World Smart Cities Forum (WSCF) of South Korea has agreed to invest in the State in partnership with the Challa Group. As part of this collaboration, the Chan Jong Yun Challa Cancer Center will be established in Donakonda, Prakasam district, with an investment of $480 million on 25 acres. Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with five partner companies were signed in Vijayawada on Monday. WSCF President Peter Chun said the decision followed the success of the Chan Jong Yun Cancer Center in Chennai. He stated that construction would begin after approvals are secured and that the project would generate employment for nearly 4,000 people. The centre will offer free cancer detection and surgeries, as well as facilities for medicine and diagnostic equipment manufacturing and a training institute. Challa Group Chairman Challa Prasad said the initiative, aligned with Chief Minister Naidu’s vision, would transform the healthcare and tourism sectors of Andhra Pradesh. The project is being developed in collaboration with Omexa Biologies, MACE, Challa Group, I Holding (UK), and WSCF (South Korea). He added that many companies were keen to set up AI and data centres in the state. Additionally, I Holding (UK) plans to invest in amusement parks, luxury resorts, and 5-star hotels, strengthening tourism and industrial growth. Omexa Biotech founder Rjan Gard and Vice-President Sudhir Pur said their company would manage cancer screenings and tumor removals at the new centre. MACE representatives Gary Chopra and Joseph Matthew attended the event.

Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) is set to establish a large-scale integrated weapons system and propellant manufacturing unit near Donakonda in Prakasam district, Andhra Pradesh. The ₹1,200 crore project will significantly boost the state’s defence manufacturing capabilities and generate substantial employment, with 600 direct jobs and approximately 1,000 indirect opportunities. Senior BDL officials have recently inspected the proposed 1,400-acre site for the facility. The Andhra Pradesh government has agreed to allocate 1,346.67 acres for the project, with 317 acres sourced from existing state-owned land and the remainder to be acquired. The industrial complex aims to position Prakasam district as a centre of advanced missile and weapons technology. The upcoming unit will work in close partnership with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to produce missiles and a variety of weapons systems for the Indian Armed Forces. The facility will feature advanced engineering integration to ensure optimal coordination among sensors, communication systems, missiles, and gun systems. A notable capability of the plant will be the manufacture of rocket motors capable of carrying payloads of up to 1,000 tons. These will serve both military applications and space research initiatives, expanding the strategic role of the facility beyond conventional defence production. According to the Detailed Project Report (DPR), government and regulatory approvals are anticipated by March 2026. Construction will commence immediately thereafter, with civil works targeted for completion by March 2028. Installation of machinery is scheduled for June 2028, and trial production is expected to begin by September 2028. The implementation will occur in two phases: Phase 1 will see an investment of ₹650 crore, followed by ₹550 crore in Phase 2. For smooth operations, the proposal includes the development of an 8 km two-lane approach road linking the facility to the Amaravati–Anantapur Expressway. Infrastructure plans also allocate resources to meet the plant’s daily requirement of 25,000 kilowatts of electricity and 2,000 kilolitres of water. Of the total land area, 1,200 acres will be dedicated to the industrial facility and 200 acres will house a township for employees. This residential zone will accommodate 600 families, ensuring that workers have access to housing close to the plant, thus supporting employee welfare and retention. This BDL project adds to Andhra Pradesh’s growing defence manufacturing portfolio. It follows the ₹2,400 crore investment by Kalyani Strategic Systems Limited, a Bharat Forge subsidiary, to establish a high-tech equipment manufacturing unit in Madakasira, Sri Sathya Sai district. Together, these ventures are projected to elevate Andhra Pradesh to a position of national and international prominence in defence manufacturing and research, reinforcing India’s strategic capabilities while enhancing local economic growth.

If you are a lorry and you are trying to gain entry into Prakasam First Lane (off Prakasam Street) in T. Nagar, you have no choice but to stop dead in your tracks. A metal barricade, reportedly installed in year 2000 to check movement of water-carrying tankers through the lane, is the first resident on the scene, quiet but highly efficient, to greet you. A massive CMWSSB tank overlooks this lane; and it is studded in what is a water-filling point. Residents are proud of this metallic guard. urther down the lane, another barricade, a naturally occurring one, stands and it can would also stop tall, heavy vehicles. But residents are not proud of this one; in fact, vary of it. It is a raintree, visibly old, and it is leaning precariously. A habitue of the road, one who has his professional stomping ground there, points out that it keeps bowing down earthward from year to year (inch by inch), as evidenced by the fact that it is now touching a pipe on a house (new number 14). When complaints are made to the Corporation, they are inclined to only trimming the branches of the tree, but not uprooting it out of the landscape.

The minister visited Ankepalli and Rajupalem villages in Marripudi mandal of Kondapi constituency to inspect fields where pearl millet crops were damaged by the cyclone: Reports TIRUPATI: Social welfare minister Dr Dola Sri Bala Veeranjaneya Swamy on Friday assured that every farmer who suffered crop loss due to Cyclone Montha would receive full support and compensation from the government. The minister visited Ankepalli and Rajupalem villages in Marripudi mandal of Kondapi constituency to inspect fields where pearl millet crops were damaged by the cyclone. He interacted with local farmers and officials to assess the extent of agricultural loss. Speaking to the media, Swamy said that unprecedented rainfall triggered by Cyclone Montha had severely impacted agriculture across Prakasam district. Crops such as pearl millet, maize, cotton, groundnut, chilli, paddy, green gram and tobacco cultivated over 2,300 hectares were damaged. He said that enumeration of losses was underway and promised that every affected farmer would be compensated. The minister added that estimates for repairing roads damaged by the cyclone were being prepared and that reconstruction work would commence soon after assessments were completed. He commended district officials for ensuring there was no loss of life or major property damage during the storm. Swamy credited Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan and minister Nara Lokesh for closely monitoring relief operations. He said the Chief Minister’s continuous supervision through teleconferences and the coordination via the RTGS system ensured effective disaster management. He also appreciated sanitation workers for their dedication despite adverse conditions, adding that residents from cyclone-affected areas were safely shifted to rehabilitation centres and provided with essential supplies. Kanigiri RDO Keshavardhan Reddy, agriculture department officials and local mandal officers accompanied the minister during the visit.