Bear Attacks Man in Kadapa District

Kurnool: A bear that has been creating panic for the past 10 days attacked a man in Obulavaripalle mandal of Kadapa district on Thursday. Battala Desaiah of Botumeda Palli village sustained injuries in the incident.

According to sources, Desaiah was walking along the railway track from Obulavaripalle towards Krishnapatnam and was climbing down when the bear suddenly emerged from thorny bushes and attacked him.

Locals rushed to his rescue and shifted him to the Government Hospital in Railway Kodur, where he is undergoing treatment. Forest officials have been alerted.

Citizens’ Initiative wants temples, Endowments under RTI Act

Kakinada:Citizens’ Initiative (CI) has demanded that the central government bring issues related to temples and Endowments department under the Right To Information Act, so that corruption in these bodies could come out in the open.

CI secretary Duvvuri Subrahmanyam pointed out that when he wanted to use RTI to know about the income and properties of temples, Endowments department officials denied the information to him. They went on to cite a High Court judgement that “Temples are not instruments of the state’’ and executive authority in Endowments department is not public authority.’’

Subrahmanyam said the court went on to recommend that the union government amend the RTI Act to ensure that information sought in connection with temples is provided under RTI, since temples receive enormous funds from various sources.

The CI secretary went on to quote a recent ruling of the Supreme Court that every rupee belonging to temples belongs to God. That people have every right to know to what extent the departments of Endowments have been able to protect lands and cash donated by philanthropists.

Subrahmanyam said power and position without responsibility and accountability are extremely dangerous. Such power and position can lead to anarchy and rampant corruption.

Under the circumstances, the CI secretary said, the union government should amend the RTI Act to make temples and Endowments answerable.

Not afraid of illegal cases: Kakani

Nellore:Former minister and YSRC district president Kakani Govardhan Reddy on Thursday accused the police of harassing opposition leaders by filing “false cases.”

He said police had informed him they would visit his residence at 10 a.m. for an inquiry, but no officer arrived even by noon. He termed the episode harassment.

Kakani alleged a case was booked against him for consoling the family of a minor girl who died under suspicious circumstances at Gumalla Dibba and for demanding government accountability. He also claimed that law and order had deteriorated and that his daughter, Poojitha Reddy, was served notices for raising questions online.

“We are not afraid of illegal cases and will continue to fight,” he asserted.

Kakinada’s SPARC presents its Wildtrak at AI Summit

Kakinada:SPARC Foundation, an organisation located at Eleswaram in Kakinada district, presented its Wildtrak AI, a programme focused on protecting forests, wildlife and rural communities through intelligent monitoring and early warning systems, at the recent Artificial Intelligence Impact Summit in New Delhi.

SPARC chairman Sai Pradeep, chief executive officer Sai Sandeep, and director Ramyasri presented their product at the summit.

Sandeep said their programme is designed specifically for rural and tribal India. It combines wildlife prediction, smuggling detection, fire intelligence, and threat response.

The CEO maintained that AI should empower not only cities but also rural areas, apart from forests and wildlife. “Featuring India’s first Forest AI voice assistant and next-generation offline edge AI, the system supports anti-smuggling, wildlife protection and tribal emergency response, bringing intelligent defence capabilities to remote and rural terrains,” Sandeep added.

Fake ‘PA’ of Vemireddy Prabhakar Reddy arrested for threatening calls

Nellore:Police have arrested a man who allegedly posed as the personal assistant (PA) of Nellore MP Vemireddy Prabhakar Reddy and threatened people for money.

According to police, the accused, identified as Nadeem from Tirupati, allegedly called Golla Naresh of Jammalamadugu multiple times, claiming to be the MP’s PA and demanding money. Suspecting foul play, Naresh alerted the MP’s office in Nellore. The office staff subsequently lodged a complaint with the Nellore IV Town Police.

Following an inquiry, police traced the accused to Tirupati and took him into custody. During a preliminary investigation, officials found that he had allegedly made similar threatening calls to others while falsely claiming links to the MP’s office. He has been shifted to the police station for further questioning, and a case has been registered.

Police said stringent action would be taken against the accused.

In a public advisory issued on behalf of the MP on Thursday, citizens have been urged to remain vigilant against such fraudsters. If anyone receives threatening calls in the name of the MP or his PA, they are requested to immediately inform the VPR office in Nellore.

AP Chambers seeks policy reforms to strengthen MSME sector

Vijayawada:A delegation of the Andhra Pradesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry Federation (AP Chambers), led by its president Potluri Bhaskara Rao, met MSME minister Kondapalli Srinivas at the Secretariat on Thursday and discussed key issues concerning the engineering and MSME sectors.

The delegation, comprising AP Chambers office-bearers and engineering sector representatives, sought reforms in fire safety policy, including the issuance of no objection certificates (NOCs) for three to five years to reduce compliance burdens. They also called for effective implementation of labour codes to ensure clarity and uniform standards for industries.

Among the major demands were a settlement scheme for long-pending indirect tax (VAT) disputes, rationalisation of property tax, and priority for MSMEs in government procurement. The delegation stressed the need for prompt payment of dues by government departments and large buyers, urging strict enforcement of payment timelines to protect MSME liquidity.

The representatives highlighted delays in solar net metering approvals and requested a stable, industry-friendly renewable energy policy to encourage solar adoption and improve cost competitiveness. They also sought deregulation measures and stronger support systems to enhance the MSME ecosystem in the state.

Assuring a positive response, Kondapalli Srinivas said the issues raised by AP Chambers would be examined and appropriate steps taken to support MSMEs and further improve ease of doing business in Andhra Pradesh.

CII Tirupati elects Rajendran as chairman

Tirupati:S.P. Rajendran, chief operating officer of Kajaria Ceramics Ltd., has been appointed chairman of the CII Tirupati Zone for 2026–27, while T.N. Srinivasulu, COO of Exafluence Inc., will serve as vice chairman. The appointments were announced at the CII Tirupati Zone annual meeting and session on ‘Industrial Transformation of Tirupati Region’ held in Tirupati on Thursday.

Addressing the gathering as chief guest, Tirupati district collector Dr S. Venkateswar said the district has emerged as the centre for a Special Economic Zone in the Rayalaseema region and is receiving attention from both the Central and state governments. He noted that the Nellore–Tirupati–Chennai belt has seen rapid industrial growth over the past two decades, particularly after reforms in horticulture and the spread of micro-irrigation enabled the expansion of mango-based food processing units between 2005 and 2015. He said Tirupati functions as a feeder region to the Chennai and Bengaluru metros.

The collector outlined major infrastructure works, including four Sagarmala road packages costing about `1,200–1,500 crore each, a greenfield expressway worth over `6,000 crore under construction, near completion of the Bengaluru–Chennai Expressway, and railway projects exceeding `6,500 crore in the district. Naidupeta Industrial Park has become one of the most sought-after industrial locations in AP, alongside fast-growing tourism in Tirupati, he added.

Outgoing chairman O. Jagannath Anirudh stressed collaboration among government, industry and academia to strengthen MSMEs, promote entrepreneurship and create jobs. CII AP chairman Murali Krishna Gannamani said Tirupati is well placed to drive the state’s manufacturing and innovation agenda, with potential in electronics, advanced manufacturing, agri-processing, renewable components, logistics and technology-led sectors.

Senior industry leaders also spoke on women’s workforce participation, local entrepreneurship ecosystems and the need for stronger industrial infrastructure and connectivity to sustain Tirupati’s transformation.

Dedicated Commission to study on 34% BC quota in local bodies

Vijayawada:The state government has constituted an Independent Dedicated Commission headed by a retired IAS officer Rajiv Ranjan Mishra to conduct a contemporaneous and rigorous empirical inquiry into the nature, extent and implications of backwardness with regard to Local Bodies within the state. The Backward Classes welfare ex-officio secretary S. Satyanarayana issued GO No. 3 here on Thursday.

Accordingly, the Commission shall undertake a comprehensive empirical assessment for the purpose of determining and specifying the proportion of reservations to be provided to local body-wise, strictly in conformity with the provisions of the Constitution of India and in adherence to the principles laid down by the Supreme Court of India. It shall submit a comprehensive report to the state government within a period of 45 days.

BC welfare additional director D. Chandrasekhar Raju shall be the Secretary to assist the Commission. Minister for BC welfare S. Savitha in a statement issued here on Thursday stated that their government was committed to provide 34% reservation to BCs in the local bodies as assured in the last elections and thanked the Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu for appointing the Commission.