₹6,000-crore ‘Housing for All’ scam under YSRC rule: Minister

Stating that the present coalition government has ordered a detailed inquiry, the minister said 43,948 ineligible beneficiaries have been identified so far, while another 1,11,037 cases remain under scrutiny.

Replying to a question raised by Telugu Desam MLA Maddipati Venkata Raju, Satya Prasad said the previous government had distributed about 22 lakh house-site pattas. However, nearly seven lakh beneficiaries did not even collect their conveyance deeds, raising serious concerns over implementation.

He alleged that lands unfit for habitation — including low-lying areas, burial grounds, flood-prone locations and plots situated far from villages — were acquired at two to three times the market price and distributed as house sites. As a result, around 2.5 lakh beneficiaries reportedly refused to accept the pattas.

The minister said the coalition government has decided to provide three cents of land in rural areas and two cents in urban areas under the scheme, compared to 1.5 cents in rural areas and one cent in urban areas earlier. He added that 4,08,876 fresh applications have been received so far, of which 1,03,494 have been approved, 1,41,928 rejected and 1,56,454 are under examination.

APSECM urges fast-track rollout of ₹408-crore energy efficiency projects

Calling for faster execution of energy-efficiency initiatives, P. Pulla Reddy, in-charge managing director of APgenco and chief executive officer of the AP State Energy Conservation Mission (APSECM), on Tuesday urged industries and financial institutions to expedite financial closure and implementation of identified projects in Andhra Pradesh.

Addressing the sixth Investment Bazar workshop held in Vijayawada under the Bureau of Energy Efficiency’s (BEE) Energy Efficiency Financing Platform, he said the State has identified over ₹408 crore worth of viable energy-efficiency projects through five earlier events. He urged stakeholders to convert technical potential into bankable, time-bound investments.

Referring to the State Energy Efficiency Policy 2024–2028, Pulla Reddy highlighted the mandatory implementation of the Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) 2017 across 123 urban local bodies, noting that more than 1,800 ECBC-compliant buildings have already been approved.

He also encouraged industries to utilise the ADEETIE scheme, which offers a 5 per cent interest subvention for micro and small enterprises and 3 per cent for medium enterprises across 14 sectors, including Fisheries and Glass & Refractory clusters in East and West Godavari districts.

Pulla Reddy said Andhra Pradesh achieved energy savings of 1.356 million tonnes of oil equivalent (MTOE) across 59 industries under the Perform, Achieve and Trade (PAT) mechanism up to Cycle VI. He added that a Financial Institutions Committee comprising 11 banks and two NBFCs has been formed, and that the State recently won the National Energy Conservation Award 2025 (First Prize) for the fourth consecutive time.

BEE director P. Shyam Sunder and NREDCAP vice-chairman and managing director M. Kamalakar Babu also addressed the gathering of about 50 industry representatives and bankers.

Puducherry lift All India Police South Zone T20 title

Puducherry clinched the second All India Police South Zone T20 Cricket Tournament 2025–26 title, defeating Andaman and Nicobar Islands by 43 runs in the final that concluded a five-day tournament on Tuesday.

Hosted by the Andhra Pradesh Police under the aegis of the All India Police Sports Control Board, New Delhi, the tournament was held from February 20 to 24 at the ACA Grounds, Mulapadu, with 10 teams participating. In the semifinals, Puducherry defeated Tamil Nadu, while Andaman got the better of Telangana.

Batting first after Andaman opted to field, Puducherry posted 192 for 9 in 20 overs, with Raju top-scoring with a fluent 51. For Andaman, Yashwanth Rao returned figures of 4 for 51, while C.P. Yadav took 2 for 26.

Chasing a target of 193, Andaman were bowled out for 158 in 18.3 overs despite a steady start. B. Prabhu turned the match in Puducherry’s favour with a brilliant spell of 4 for 18, including a hat-trick.

At the closing ceremony held at the APSP 6th Battalion Grounds in Mangalagiri, Director General of Police Harish Kumar Gupta presented the trophies. Prabhu was named both Player of the Series and Player of the Match. Raghava Rahul (Andhra Pradesh) won the Best Batsman award, K.P. Yadav (Andaman) Best Bowler, and Mohammed Hasan (Andaman) Best Fielder.

The DGP said the tournament showcased discipline, teamwork and sporting spirit, and noted that DD Sports telecast the matches live in 160 countries. Cultural programmes and AP Police bike stunts marked the grand finale.