Latest news with #S.SureshKumar
The Hindu
15-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Workshop for MEPMA officials to identify SHG businesses held at Tadepalli
MEPMA (Mission for Elimination of Poverty in Municipal Areas) on Tuesday conducted a workshop on 'Livelihoods and Entrepreneurship Acceleration Programme' (LEAP), a key initiative under MEPMA to achieve the goals set by the State government with regard to One Family-One Entrepreneur (OFOE) programme. According to a press note from the Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department (MA&UD), LEAP is aimed at strengthening urban business ecosystems by identifying, guiding, and scaling SHG-led enterprises. In alignment with the State government's OFOE programme, the LEAP project is being implemented in collaboration with the India SME Forum. In this context, the workshop held at Tadepalli provided direction to MEPMA staff on how to enable entrepreneurship within families. MA&UD principal secretary S. Suresh Kumar and MEPMA mission director N. Tej Bharat were present on the occasion. The workshop focused on capacity building for city mission managers, identifying SHG businesses, exploring market access strategies and digital formalisation techniques, and also training staff to become mentors and counsellors. The officials also discussed subjects, including cluster development, promotion of women SHG clusters, and digital tools like dashboards, feedback systems, and performance tracking. MEPMA is aiming to nurture 30,000 entrepreneurs during 2025–26, and staff were briefed on the roadmap to achieve the goal. According to a press note, an action plan is already under way for implementation of the project. Phase-1 audit has been completed in Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, and Tirupati municipal corporations. Data of nearly 4,00,000 SHG members was analysed by India SME Forum and MEPMA staff. Phase-2 audit also has begun recently across 14 municipal corporations.
The Hindu
13-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Andhra Pradesh Government issues revised guidelines for building permissions under self-certification scheme
In a significant step towards streamlining and accelerating construction activity, the Government of Andhra Pradesh (GoAP) on Sunday (July 13, 2025) released Revised Guidelines for Building Permissions under Self-Certification Scheme (SCS) – 2025. The SCS is aimed at 'revolutionising building permissions' for enhanced Ease and Speed of Doing Business, and boosting the real estate sector, Principal Secretary (Municipal Administration & Urban Development) S. Suresh Kumar stated in G.O. Ms No.120. He mentioned that the core objectives of the SCS 2025 include making the building environment safe, inclusive, environmentally sustainable, and contributing to economic development by enhancing the Ease of Doing Business and cultivating an investment-friendly environment. SCS 2025 facilitates a reduction of compliance burden and deregulation in alignment with efforts being made to avail incentives under the Central Government's Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI) 2025-26. The revised guidelines would be integrated as Chapter–XIV with the existing Andhra Pradesh Building Rules of 2017. A fundamental aspect of the SCS is the proactive delegation of enforcement power and responsibilities (with regard to the building permissions) directly to Licensed Technical Persons (LTPs) and citizens on a trust basis. The Online Building Permission System (OBPS) envisioned in the SCS is equipped to scrutinize applications and issue building permission proceedings instantaneously on payment of necessary fees and charges on a trust basis. Mr. Suresh Kumar stated that the applicants would be free to begin constructions immediately upon obtaining permissions through OBPS. Another highlight of the SCS is that supervisory checks of self-certified buildings by Town Planning functionaries is being dispensed with. All building plan applications along with essential documents, fees, and mortgage details, have to be submitted through the OBPS by an LTP. A self-certification proforma has to be signed by both the applicant and the LTP, affirming the authenticity and accuracy of all submitted information and documents. The G.O. says that in the initial phase, the SCS will be applicable to non-high rise residential building plan permissions for plot areas of up to 4,000 square metres, including plots in approved layouts, layouts regularised under the Land Regularisation Schemes of 2008 and 2020, village sites and 'gramakantam', areas with approved circulation patterns, and redevelopment of existing buildings with prior approved plans or the ones existing before 1985. The scheme also covers the establishment of white category industries defined by the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board provided the site area is up to 500 square metres. The revised guidelines under SCS are applicable to all Urban Local Bodies and Gram Panchayats within the jurisdiction of Urban Development Authorities including APCRDA (excluding the capital city area) for sites measuring 300 square metres or above. The building owners have to bear the sole responsibility for adhering to the approved building plan throughout the construction process while the LTPs are mandated to ensure that no misrepresentation of documents or facts occurs and that all plans comply with the master plan and zoning regulations concerned and the Andhra Pradesh Building Rules, 2017.
The Hindu
10-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Municipal dept. prepares action plan to improve citizen satisfaction in urban bodies of A.P.
The Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MA&UD) Department has prepared an action plan to improve citizen satisfaction with sanitation services across all the 17 urban local bodies in the State. The action plan is part of the Positive People Perception Tracking (PPT) framework, operational under the State's Real Time Governance System (RTGS), and it utilises Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS) technology to collect real-time citizen feedback on urban services, said MA&UD Principal Secretary S. Suresh Kumar, in a statement released to the media. The department has set targets for 17 urban local bodies and 77 municipalities in the State, with regard to door-to-door garbage collection, garbage dump clearance and drain de-silting. While for the corporations, the target for garbage collection is 80% or more, garbage dump clearance is 75% or more and de-silting is 75% or more. For the municipalities, the targets for the same are 70%, 70% and 80% respectively on the three indices. For the remaining Nagara Panchayats, IVRS feedback collection will commence from September, Mr. Suresh Kumar said. To meet these targets, the Municipal Commissioners in urban local bodies have been directed to initiate comprehensive measures, in conjunction with field inspections and close supervision by municipal functionaries. Explaining the targets, the Principal Secretary said the Commissioners should ensure 100% daily coverage across all households and establishments, launch awareness campaigns encouraging residents to cooperate with the sanitation staff, enforce fixed route plans and timings for public health workers, clear reported dumps within 24 hours of identification, and install 'Cleaned Within 24 Hours' boards, among others. While the above mentioned directions were given with regard to garbage collection and clearance, the department has issued a slew of directions to the Commissioners to keep surface drains clean and obstruction-free, priority being given to flood-prone and high-density zones. Some of the important directions include ensuring workers are equipped with safety gear and tools, completion of monsoon preparedness in advance, ensuring full compliance with the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013 during sewer and septic tank maintenance and resolution of all drain-related grievances within 24 hours of the registration of complaints. Mr. Suresh Kumar said any lapse will be viewed seriously and that a State-level monitoring mechanism is in place to track performance and enforce accountability.
NDTV
10-07-2025
- Science
- NDTV
To Beat Mosquito Menace, Andhra Pradesh's AI-Powered Surveillance System
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu is always talking about technology as the answer to challenges old and new. That is one big reason why the state now wants to use an AI-driven program to combat mosquitoes and vector-borne diseases. The Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) Department of the Andhra Pradesh government is rolling out the Smart Mosquito Surveillance System (SMoSS). This innovative, AI-driven program that uses IoT technology too, will be piloted across 66 strategic locations in six major municipal corporations, marking a shift from traditional "blind spraying" to a data-driven, targeted approach. The AI-powered SMoSS, developed by a private agency, aims to not only curb the persistent mosquito menace but also reduce the operational burden on civic staff and lower costs for Urban Local Bodies (ULBs). The system leverages cutting-edge Internet-of-Things (IoT) technologies, including smart sensors, drones, heat maps, and traps, for comprehensive and real-time monitoring. The pilot project is set to launch soon, with 16 locations in Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation, four in Kakinada, five in Rajamahendravaram, 28 in Vijayawada, seven in Nellore, and six in Kurnool. A core component of SMoSS involves the installation of AI-powered smart mosquito sensors in key mosquito-prone zones. These sensors are capable of detecting mosquito species, gender, density, and environmental factors like temperature and humidity. Crucially, SMoSS will automatically trigger alerts when mosquito density in a specific area surpasses a predefined threshold. The data generated by these sensors will be continuously streamed to a central server and visualised on a real-time dashboard. According to MAUD Department Principal Secretary S. Suresh Kumar and Director of Municipal Administration P. Sampath Kumar, this live data will enable precise monitoring and facilitate prompt, targeted fumigation, a stark improvement over the current less effective "blind spraying" methods. Furthermore, the program will integrate drones for spraying larvicides. This is expected to significantly enhance efficiency by covering large areas swiftly, reducing chemical usage, saving time, and cutting costs. The emphasis is on evidence-based spraying, preventing chemical overuse, and promoting public health safety. To ensure accountability and efficiency, the operations will be entirely outsourced to specialised agencies, with payments linked to results. Citizen complaints and field reports will be actively tracked via mobile applications like Vector Control and Puramitra. In a comprehensive approach to public health, the system will also receive daily reports on cases of malaria, dengue, and chikungunya from hospitals across the state. This crucial data will be used to identify mosquito "hotspots," enabling the development of special action plans for scheduled fogging and larval treatment in these high-risk areas.
Hans India
06-07-2025
- Science
- Hans India
Andhra Pradesh set to launch AI-driven mosquito control programme
Andhra Pradesh's Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department is launching a focused "smart mosquito control" programme using deep technology to check vector-borne diseases. The Artificial Intelligence-powered Smart Mosquito Surveillance System (SMoSS) will be launched on a pilot basis at 66 locations in six major municipal corporations in the state, the department announced on Sunday. SMoSS will primarily safeguard public health by curbing the dreaded mosquito menace, and it will also reduce operational burden on civic staff and cut costs of Urban Local Bodies, it said. The programme will be closely and effectively monitored with the help of Internet-of-Things like drones, sensors, heat maps and traps. The pilot will soon be launched at 16 locations in the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation, four in Kakinada, five in Rajamahendravaram, 28 in Vijayawada, seven in Nellore, and six in Kurnool. MAUD's Principal Secretary, S. Suresh Kumar, and Director of Municipal Administration, P. Sampath Kumar, recently studied the AI-powered SMoSS, developed by a private agency, to assess its efficacy. AI-powered smart mosquito sensors will be installed in key mosquito-prone zones in the selected urban local bodies as part of the pilot project. These smart sensors will detect the mosquito species, their gender, density, temperature and humidity. SMoSS will trigger automatic alerts when mosquito density crosses a threshold level in any particular area. Data thus generated will be continuously streamed to a central server and visualised on a real-time dashboard. "This will enable close monitoring and ensure prompt fumigation in the affected areas in a data-driven approach for effective control of mosquitoes instead of the present 'blind spraying' process that has little impact. The IoT sensors will monitor mosquito density and guide the targeted activity," an official said. Use of drones for spraying the larvicide would result in an efficient application by covering large areas with less chemical use, time, and cost. Evidence-based spraying, prevention of chemical overuse and promotion of public health safety are the key elements in the whole operation. "We will be outsourcing the operations completely to specialised agencies, and payment will be result-oriented by fixing operational accountability. Complaints, if any, from the citizens and field-level functionaries will be tracked via mobile applications (Vector Control and Puramitra),' they said. A system is also being put in place for reporting daily on cases like malaria, dengue and chikungunya from hospitals. Based on the data, mosquito hotspots will be identified for focused action. Special action plans are being drawn for scheduled fogging and larval treatment in hotspots, the officials added.
