Minister Janardhan Reddy flags off boat marathon, unveils roadmap to boost inland waterways in Andhra Pradesh
VIJAYAWADA: Minister for Roads & Buildings and Infrastructure and Investments BC Janardhan Reddy on Monday flagged off the 'Boat Marathon' at Punnami Ghat, marking the second formation day of the Andhra Pradesh Inland Waterway Authority (APIWA).
Addressing the mediapersons, the Minister said the TDP-led alliance government under the leadership of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is committed to promoting tourism integrated with water transport in the State. He noted that the government is exploring all possible avenues to develop inland waterways by leveraging the extensive coastline and river basins across AP.
'We will enhance the water transport system under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model to ensure efficient operations. An action plan is being formulated to attract large-scale investments in this sector, generating employment and livelihood opportunities for the youth,' he said.
Highlighting the low cost of inland water transport compared to road and rail, the Minister said a report on existing routes and the untapped potential of water transport will be submitted to the Chief Minister, following which necessary steps will be taken. He said the government aims to triple the existing water transport routes to spur economic growth. Plans are in place to develop waterways from the upstream of Prakasam Barrage in Vijayawada to Amaravati. Inland navigation will be introduced in Krishna and Godavari rivers, and in irrigation canals.
'Increasing exports and imports via waterways will significantly reduce pressure on road and rail networks,' he added. APIWA Chairman Dr Z Siva Prasad, AP Tourism Development Corporation Chairman Nookasani Balaji, AP Maritime Board Chairman Damacharla Sathya, and the corporation's CEO Raghava Rao were present.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Print
30 minutes ago
- The Print
‘What about Goanness?': Goa taxi drivers resist govt proposal to bring in app-based cabs
The fear is that the move will threaten the 'Goanness' of Goa's private transport industry, hurt the livelihoods of local taxi owners and flood the market with drivers from outside the state. While Goan taxi owners cite several technical objections to the entry of private app-based aggregators, at the heart of the argument is one key insecurity that is being voiced across multiple sectors in the state. Mumbai: Even as the summer recedes and the rain sets in, Goa is on the boil with the state's taxi drivers protesting against the Pramod Sawant-led government's plan of opening up the market for private app-based taxi aggregators. 'Goa's taxi drivers are the state's brand ambassadors. When tourists arrive, they first sit in the taxi from the airport. We are the first locals they interact with and we give them information on where to go, what to try, what to stay away from, etc,' Savio Valencio Goes, vice-president of North & South Goa Taxi Owners Association, told ThePrint. The overall fear is that Goa is being taken over by non-Goans everywhere, whether it is the staff that works in the state's hotels and resorts, or at restaurants and shacks. 'If all jobs are done by non-Goans, then what is the Goa that the tourists will experience?' asked Goes. The Goa government last month published draft guidelines on enabling the entry of private app-based taxi aggregators in the state. While taxi drivers in Goa have staunchly resisted the idea, tourists have often complained about Goa's taxi drivers overcharging them, not being available at all times and so on. This April, a video of a tourist slamming Goa's cab drivers as 'mafia' had gone viral on social media platforms, after which the taxi union leaders filed a police complaint objecting to the remark. The state's guidelines lay down a regulatory framework for private app-based taxi aggregators, listing the licensing fees, the tariffs, the kind of vehicles and drivers they can onboard, the fare to be received by the taxi owner, and so on. The North & South Goa Taxi Owners Association has called upon all the 23,000-24,000 taxi drivers of the state to submit their objections to the draft rules. The Goa government, meanwhile, has called upon private taxi drivers to join the two government-supported taxi aggregators that are already functional in Goa—Goa Miles and Goa Taxi app. 'We don't mind joining them, but there is absolutely no transparency. And there are basic issues that come up in the functioning of app-based aggregators,' Goes said. Speaking to reporters in Goa Monday, state transport minister Mauvin Godinho said: 'This is just a draft notification. We will take all stakeholders in confidence. We are having consultations with different bodies of industry, the tourism sector, the common man. We have given everyone one month to take feedback. It is not that the guidelines are final.' Also Read: Goa's resentment toward outsiders and settlers is rising. Calangute tourist tax is a sign The many objections The foremost concern of local taxi drivers over the new draft guidelines of the Goa government is that none of them was called as stakeholders in discussions that were held in the run up to the formation of the draft. In the memorandum of objections that the drivers are submitting to the Goa transport department, they call themselves the 'primary stakeholders of Goa's transport business'. 'Our practical experience and insights into the local transport landscape are invaluable, and their omission has resulted in a document that appears to overlook the ground realities and welfare of existing operators,' the memorandum, seen by ThePrint, says. It adds that large cab aggregator companies will have vast resources and aggressive market strategies. They fear that these companies could easily monopolise the transport sector and drive out local operators. 'This would lead to a significant loss of income and employment for Goan families,' the memorandum adds. It further suggests that the role of aggregators should be limited to pick-up and drop facilities in Goa, and they should not be permitted to enter the area of tourism services. These include facilitating bookings for local sightseeing tours, transporting to and from events, spice plantation visits, cruise bookings and so on. The memorandum also says that app-based services will not work in Goa because the state lacks the supporting infrastructure in many places. At several tourist spots, it states, there is inconsistent and poor cellular phone network. Tourists will have trouble finding a cab, and drivers too might be unwilling to ply to such destinations. 'Mandating a system heavily reliant on smartphone applications will disproportionately disadvantage both taxi operators and tourists in these areas,' the memorandum adds. Finally, it says that the guidelines are not transparent regarding fare structure for aggregators. It asserts that the current fare structure for private taxis is also outdated and needs to be revised keeping in mind the increase in petrol and diesel prices. Anand Naik, a taxi driver based in Vasco da Gama, told ThePrint that most Goans have their own cars and two-wheelers and don't need taxis. It is the tourists who do. 'If the tourists start using aggregator services, what will happen to Goans like us who have been driving taxis for generations?' Naik asked. He said that aggregator services may not be feasible in Goa as a lot of journeys are one way. Drivers would have to return to their main stand without a fare, he explained. State's guidelines for app-based aggregators In 2018, the Goa government had launched the Goa Miles cab aggregator service in collaboration with a private company. In 2023, it also launched the Goa Taxi app that allows people to book cabs online to travel anywhere in the state. Private taxi operators say that only a handful—about 2,000 to 3,000 taxi owners—have come on board these two platforms. The new draft guidelines, published on 20 May this year, aim to smoothen the entry of private companies in the app-based transport aggregator business too. The guidelines state that only companies which have obtained a valid licence from the Goa government can operate in the state. The aggregator should also either have a registered office in Goa or have a registered office somewhere in India, and a branch in Goa. The aggregator further has to ensure health insurance for drivers of not less than Rs 10 lakh with a 5 percent increase every year. According to the guidelines, the aggregator has to ensure that the cab owner receives at least the fare that has been prescribed by the government and not make any deductions from it. Moreover, the fare has to be settled with the taxi owner within 72 hours. In case the aggregator fails to settle the dues within the prescribed time frame, the company will have to shell out 25 percent of the dues as penalty for every day of delay. The guidelines also provide for a grievance redressal mechanism. (Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui) Also Read: The real problem to Goa tourism isn't from social media. Sea view homes are killing mangroves
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
MLA emphasises govt.'s commitment to green development
Srikalahasti MLA Bojjala Sudheer Reddy on Thursday said that the State government's is committed to ensure development with minimal carbon foot print. At a programme organised by the Tirupati Urban Development Authority (TUDA) commemorating World Environment Day at Renigunta, The MLA underscored the importance of collective responsibility in safeguarding the environment. 'The World Environment Day is not just symbolic, but a call for action to individuals, communities and governments to take sustainable steps for the future.' Mr. Reddy also highlighted the various green initiatives taken up by the TDP-led government under the leadership of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. He recalled the significance of the NTR Green Vision project, which aimed to increase forest cover across Andhra Pradesh through large-scale tree plantations involving public participation, particularly students. Further, the MLA noted that the TDP government, during its earlier stint in 2014-19, had made Andhra Pradesh a frontrunner in renewable energy by establishing massive solar and wind power projects, especially in districts like Anantapur and Kurnool, and set ambitious targets to generate over 10,000 megawatts of clean energy. Waste-to-energy projects were also launched through a government order in 2017, to manage municipal waste scientifically and sustainably. The event was marked by the participation of several dignitaries including TUDA Chairman Dollars Divakar Reddy, Andhra Pradesh Greening and Beautification Corporation Chairperson Mannuru Sugunamma and Tirupati Municipal Corporation Commissioner N. Mourya. Mr. Divakar Reddy and others hailed the Smart Village – Smart Ward programme, another key initiative under TDP, as having aimed at making local communities cleaner and greener by promoting solid waste management, solar-powered infrastructure, and drinking water safety. The leaders planted saplings and took a pledge to protect the environment.
Indian Express
2 hours ago
- Indian Express
None from Congress going to jail, other Opposition parties need to think of a Third Front: Atishi
At a time when the Opposition INDIA bloc seems to be struggling to take on the ruling BJP-led NDA, senior AAP leader and Delhi's former Chief Minister Atishi has said that non-Congress, non-BJP parties 'definitely need' to think about a Third Front. Expressing disappointment with the role of the Congress in the INDIA bloc, Atishi accused the party of being in an 'unstated alliance' with the BJP. While leaders of non-Congress Opposition parties, she said, were facing 'persecution' of one kind or another, that was not the case with the Congress. She pointed to what she called 'a pattern' and asked, 'Why do their (Congress) leaders not go to jail?'. Atishi made these remarks in an interview with The Indian Express Wednesday, a day after the AAP skipped a meeting of several INDIA constituents which met in Delhi to discuss a joint letter to the Prime Minister to seek a special session of Parliament to 'discuss the developments following the terror attack in Pahalgam'. Leaders of 16 INDIA parties, including the Congress, TMC, SP, RJD, DMK, JMM, National Conference, Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Left, signed the letter. The AAP, however, chose to send a separate letter to the Prime Minister, demanding a special session. Atishi is currently Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Delhi Assembly. 'I would say I am disappointed with the Congress (role in the INDIA bloc). It was their responsibility to assume a leadership position. For example, if I am a Chief Minister… it is my role to take everyone along… I feel that in the INDIA alliance, Congress is the most senior party. It is the biggest party. It has a footprint in all states. In that context, it was their responsibility to take everyone along,' she said. On the issue of forming a Third Front, Atishi said, 'I think there is definitely a need for non-Congress, non-BJP parties to think about what is happening in the country and the rights of states, the way the persecution of their leaders, etc, is happening – it (Third Front) is definitely something to think about.' Citing an example, she said Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, during a recent trip to Kerala, 'trashed' Chief Minister and CPM leader Pinarayi Vijayan, a key INDIA ally. She accused Gandhi of 'speaking the language of the BJP' and alleged an 'unstated alliance between the Congress and the BJP'. 'There seems to be an unstated alliance between the Congress and the BJP. In the Delhi excise policy matter (there was) no recovery of money, no evidence, no nothing, par saare neta hamare jail chale gaye; par National Herald case mein Congress ka ek bhi neta jail nahin gaya hai (All our leaders went to jail in the Delhi excise policy matter, but not a single Congress leader has gone to jail in the National Herald case),' she said. 'How has this happened… This entire DLF land scam – has Robert Vadra gone to jail? No, he hasn't. Commonwealth Games ka to poora matter hi close ho gaya (the entire Commonwealth Games case has been closed),' she said. 'Just look at the pattern – it is only cases of leaders who join the BJP that are closed… A similar thing is happening with Congress. What does this pattern tell you? How is it that Aam Aadmi Party netas go to jail … you are filing cases against TMC's Abhishek Banerjee, against the daughter of CPM's Pinarayi Vijayan. Why doesn't this happen when it comes to the Congress? Why do their leaders not go to jail? So there is definitely an unstated alliance,' Atishi alleged.
