Minister distributes agricultural equipment
Kondapi: Social Welfare Minister Dr Dola Sree Bala Veeranjaneya Swamy urged farmers to make optimal use of government incentives designed to save time and achieve higher yields at lower costs through new technology and agricultural mechanisation.
The minister, along with AP Maritime Board chairman Damacharla Sathyanarayana, distributed agricultural mechanisation equipment, Kisan Drones with an 80 per cent subsidy, and subsidised seeds to farmers at Surareddy Palem in Tanguturu mandal.
Speaking at the event, Minister Swamy stated that making agriculture profitable is the primary objective of Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu. He said that the state government is distributing agricultural equipment to farmers across the state with an investment of Rs 100 crore. He said that agricultural mechanisation equipment worth Rs 3.98 crore is being provided in the district.
The minister advised the farmers that they should utilise the government's encouragement to achieve higher yields at lower costs through new technology and agricultural mechanisation. He emphasised that the state government is taking steps to establish 800 village-level Kisan unions across the state to provide drones to farmers. He criticised the previous government for dedicating the incomplete Veligonda project to the nation, thereby deceiving the district people, and assured that only the coalition government will complete the Veligonda project.
Responding to the local issues, the minister said that proposals worth Rs 450 crore have been sent to provide drinking water to villages in the region from Ramatheertham Reservoir. Meanwhile, filters will be installed to supply safe drinking water from the pond.
The programme was attended by District Agriculture Officer Srinivasa Rao, Sarpanch Sailaja, mandal agriculture officials, mandal public representatives, farmer beneficiaries, and community members.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
‘Engineers decided, cabinet okayed': KCR justifies KLIP nod
Hyderabad: Former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Wednesday appeared before Justice (Retd) P C Ghose commission, which is probing structural failures at the Medigadda barrage and damages at the Annaram and Sundilla barrages, and sought to firmly distance the political executive from any unilateral decision-making in Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS). Tired of too many ads? go ad free now He asserted that all major decisions — ranging from the re-engineering of the project to the construction and operation of its key barrages — were made based on the recommendations of technical and expert committees and were formally approved by the state cabinet. "This is a massive technical project, and every decision was taken by engineers, irrigation experts, and subject committees. The cabinet only gave formal policy sanction," he is believed to have told the commission. KCR stressed that the then BRS govt acted on expert advice, followed due administrative procedures, and relied on the collective wisdom of the cabinet throughout the execution of the Rs 1 lakh crore mega project. He also noted that Water and Power Consultancy Services (India) Limited (WAPCOS), a Central govt agency, had conducted the survey for the construction of the three barrages. Justice Ghose posed 18 pointed questions during the 50-minute session. KCR explained that the project plan was revised after expert reports and WAPCOS flagged concerns over inadequate water availability at the original site, Tummidihatti. The commission summoned him as witness number 115, given that the Kaleshwaram project was conceived and executed during his tenure. KCR pointed out that the Maharashtra govt had objected to the proposed barrage at Tummidihatti being constructed at a height of 152m. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Lowering the height to 148m, as suggested, would have rendered the project unviable due to insufficient water availability. Since Central Water Commission (CWC) also raised concerns, he said, the decision to shift the project to Medigadda was both inevitable and scientifically justified. Medigadda, he explained, offered a more favourable location with an assured water availability of 230 tmcft for lifting — significantly higher than at Tummidihatti. KCR held the irrigation portfolio when the three major barrages — Medigadda, Annaram, and Sundilla — were completed and inaugurated in 2019. Responding to questions on the formation of Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Corporation (KLIC), KCR said the special purpose vehicle was created to raise loans, as revenue generation had not yet begun. The state govt, he added, provided budgetary support for the repayment of principal and interest, and extended sovereign guarantees to lending agencies. On the allegation that the barrages were used as storage points beyond their design capacity, he described it as a "technical call" made by engineers based on field realities. He noted that Rs 280 crore had been allocated for maintenance and over 4,000 engineers had worked on the project, ensuring oversight at every level. To reinforce his position, the BRS chief submitted to the commission a booklet titled Kaleshwaram: A Lift Line of Telangana, along with records of all govt orders, approvals from central agencies like CWC, and minutes of key decisions made during the project's execution. The cross-examination began at 12 pm and concluded at 12.50 pm. With the inquiry entering a sensitive phase, KCR's deposition is being seen as a clear political signal. "The state's most ambitious irrigation venture was built on expert advice, not personal whim — a line likely to define the BRS's counter-narrative as accountability questions continue to mount," a senior observer noted.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Meet fails to find consensus on Metro alignment in Thiruvananthapuram; state govt opts for further consultation
Thiruvananthapuram: The long-pending Metro rail project in the state capital has hit another roadblock, as the high-level meeting chaired by chief minister on Wednesday failed to finalise the alignment. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Instead, the state govt decided to constitute an advisory committee to consult stakeholders on the various alignment proposals, effectively pushing the project back to square one. According to sources, the decision to form the committee was taken after multiple stakeholders presented differing alignment suggestions, complicating the planning process. The committee will be formed under the leadership of the chief secretary. It will examine related matters and submit its recommendations. The committee will include the secretaries of revenue, finance, local self-govt and transport departments. Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL), the implementing agency of the project, presented six alignment options during the meeting. However, Shashi Tharoor, MP, who participated online, also submitted his alignment proposals, prompting the chief minister to recommend further stakeholder consultation before moving forward. In a post on social media platform X, Tharoor wrote, "Had a very constructive online meeting this morning (Wednesday), chaired by the Chief Minister @pinarayivijayan, to discuss plans for a Metro in Thiruvananthapuram, something I have been clamouring for ever since becoming an MP." He added that an advisory committee would be formed to evaluate the proposals. "Our vision for the Metro must be to anticipate the needs of generations yet unborn," Tharoor posted. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "I am confident that, with the right approach, we can make Thiruvananthapuram an ideal capital city for the 21st century," he added. Meanwhile, KMRL chief Loknath Behera described the meeting as positive and expressed hope that a final decision would be made soon. "A presentation about the alignments of the proposed Metro rail in Thiruvananthapuram was completed. Now, the govt has to take a final decision," he told TOI. Once the alignment is finalised, it will be handed back to KMRL to revise the detailed project report (DPR) originally prepared by Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC). The DPR's executive summary was submitted to the state govt in Feb 2024. The finance department gave its approval to the project earlier this year. After the chief minister's nod, the project will be sent to the state cabinet for final clearance. In the 2025-26 state budget, the govt announced that preliminary work on the Metro would begin within the year. However, alignment disputes continue to stall progress. The transport department earlier rejected DMRC's original alignment, citing impracticalities and suggested an alternative route beginning at Kazhakkoottam instead of Pallipuram on NH 66. As per the previous cost estimate prepared by DMRC, the project will cost Rs 11,560.8 crore. The KMRL proposed a conventional Metro in Thiruvananthapuram instead of a light Metro, which was initially proposed. It was earlier said that DMRC would submit the report to the KMRL in Jan last year, which would in turn submit it to the state govt by the end of Jan after reviewing it. However, it was delayed.
India Today
an hour ago
- India Today
Crippled by Op Sindoor strikes, Pak eyeing Germany for air defence upgrades
Rattled by the devastating impact of BrahMos missile strikes during India's Operation Sindoor, Pakistan is now exploring the procurement of a new air defence system to counter future to sources, Islamabad is actively considering the purchase of the IRIS-T SLM air defence system from Germany in a bid to strengthen its aerial shield against India's supersonic cruise missiles, particularly the move comes after Pakistan's existing Chinese-origin air defence systems, including the HQ-9 and HQ-16, failed to detect or intercept Indian missile attacks during the operation. In contrast, the IRIS-T SLM system has demonstrated significant effectiveness in recent combat situations. In Ukraine, where several units were redirected from Egypt due to the ongoing war, the German-made system has reportedly shot down over 60 aerial targets since its deployment last it was said to have successfully intercepted Russian Oniks missiles, which are similar in profile to India's by Diehl Defence, the IRIS-T SLM is known for its modular and compact architecture. Each unit, estimated to cost around USD 200 million, includes radar, an operations centre, and launchers, all mounted on a 20-foot interest in the system highlights its urgent push to rebuild and upgrade its air defence network, particularly after key air bases were damaged by Indian missiles during Operation grappling with a severe economic crisis, Pakistan has raised its defence budget by 18 per cent this year while simultaneously scrapping domestic development projects valued at 1,000 billion Pakistani the past month, the country has secured financial assistance totalling USD 1.8 billion from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to address its fiscal Germany's Diehl Defence, the maker of the IRIS-T SLM, is also involved in a major Indian defence initiative. The company is collaborating with Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems on Project 75I, a Rs 70,000 crore programme to build six submarines for the Indian Indian-German collaboration also includes the development of the Interactive Defence and Attack System (IDAS), which will be integrated into the India's Reliance Defence has announced a partnership to manufacture Vulcano 155mm precision-guided artillery shells domestically. The initiative is expected to generate revenues of approximately Rs 10,000 crore, with over 50 per cent of the components to be produced indigenously.
