AP Pilgrims’ Car Crashes Into Bridge in TN, Two Dead

Tirupati:Two pilgrims from Andhra Pradesh, returning from their Sabarimala pilgrimage, died in a car accident in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday.

According to sources, Venu, 58, a resident of Karani in BN Kandriga mandal of Tirupati district, had travelled to Sabarimala along with his son Rajesh, 28, daughter Chaturya, and their driver Teja. After having darshan at the Sabarimala temple, the family began their return journey on Tuesday.

The car, travelling on the Theni-Dindigul bypass near Periyakulam in Tamil Nadu, rammed into a bridge in the small hours, killing Rajesh on the spot. Local police rushed to the spot and shifted the injured Venu and driver Teja to a nearby hospital. Venu died while undergoing treatment, while Teja is reported to be recovering.

Tamil Nadu police registered a case and were investigating the accident.

Union minister inaugurates Uddhav 2025

Vijayawada:Union Tribal Welfare minister Jual Oram inaugurated Udbhav 2025, a national cultural and literary festival of tribal students, at the KL University in Mangalagiri of Guntur district on Wednesday.

Speaking on the occasion, he assured that the Ekalavya model residential schools in the country will be developed on the lines of Kendriya Vidyalayas, Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas and Sainik Schools.

Oram called on tribal people to study hard and fare well in all fields. He hoped Uddhav 2025 will become a platform to bring about a major change among Adivasi. He appreciated the AP government for conducting the cultural festival in a great manner.

Anantapur police arrest 3 for theft of explosives in district

Kurnool:Police arrested three persons near and seized from them explosive materials worth about ₹2 lakh stolen from Karthikeya Enterprises Explosive Magazine located at Konapuram village in Peddavaduguru mandal of Anantapur district.

The main accused is a driver who formerly worked for the explosives’ company. He planned the theft after allegedly not receiving his salary for several months.

Police have recovered explosives including 11,500 plain detonators, 100 kg of Ideal Power Gel, 375 metres of detcord, and 444 Nonels, along with 48 used ones. Police also seized a car, a hammer and other tools used for the crime.

The arrested persons have been identified as Nagari Ravikumar of Chandana village in Yadiki mandal, Chittavula Ramu of Pamidi mandal, and Uppara Veeresh, a native of Maddikera in Kurnool district, now residing at Kalluru village.

Tension in Jojipeta after demolition of residential buildings

Vijayawada:Tension mounted at Jojipeta in Bhavanipuram here on Wednesday when over 40 houses were razed to the ground with police protection.

The sudden action caused hardships to the residents as some of them were living there for upto 25 years. The action followed a court order in favour of the Sri Lakshmi Rama Cooperative Building Society.

The residents said they got a stay order from the Supreme Court against any demolition till December 31. They showed this to the police and lawyers, but their houses were demolished. They vowed to fight the case and seek justice.

According to police, the theft occurred on the night of December 1, 2025. Following a complaint by the magazine owner Shyam Kiran, Peddavaduguru police, under the directive of Anantapur district SP P. Jagadeesh, registered a case with crime No. 159/2025 under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Explosive Substances Act.

Tadipatri ASP Rohit Kumar Chowdary said that Ravikumar planned the theft to sell the explosives and recover his unpaid wages.

Collector orders removal of Anganwadi teacher

Kurnool:An Anganwadi teacher, K. Fatima, was ordered to be terminated from service after the district collector found serious irregularities during a surprise inspection at the Anganwadi centre in Gorantla village of Kodumur mandal on Wednesday.

The collector, Dr A. Siri, has directed Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) project director P. Vijaya to remove the teacher for failing to perform her duties properly.

During the inspection, the collector checked the Take Home Ration for pregnant women, milk, eggs and all registers. She found that the centre was unhygienic and records were poorly maintained. A major mismatch was noticed between the stock register and the physical stock of eggs. She also found fake attendance, unused pre-school kits and poor learning levels among children, who could not recite even basic alphabets.

MP raises demand for ST status for Boyas

Kurnool:Nandyal MP and TD Lok Sabha deputy floor leader Dr Byreddy Shabari has demanded that the Boya community of Andhra Pradesh be included in the Scheduled Tribes list.

Raising the issue in Lok Sabha on Wednesday, she said the demand has been pending for several decades and has been continuously neglected. She explained that the Boyas were traditionally forest dwellers and hunters and now dependent on forest produce and agriculture for their livelihood. Due to this, they remain economically and educationally backward.

She reminded the House that the Deputy Registrar General of India had recommended ST status for the Boya community as early as 1961. She also recalled that in 2017, under the leadership of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, the Andhra Pradesh Assembly had unanimously passed a resolution seeking ST status for Boyas. She criticised the previous YSRC government of using the issue for political gain without implementing the promise.