Andhra Pradesh Governor Attends Vijayawada Utsav at Punnami Ghat

Vijayawada: Banks of the River Krishna sparkled with colour, music and tradition as Governor S. Abdul Nazeer attended the Vijayawada Utsav at Punnami Ghat on Tuesday night. The festivities turned the riverside into a confluence of spirituality, tradition, art and creativity, enchanting thousands of visitors. Those who attended the festivities included Tourism secretary Ajay Jain, district collector Dr. G. Lakshmisha, police commissioner Rajasekhar Babu, MLAs Vennigandla Ramu and Kagita Krishna Prasad, Swachhandhra Corporation chairman Kommareddy Pattabhi, former MLC Buddha Venkanna, and Telugu Desam state spokesperson Nagul Meera. MP Kesineni Sivanath personally welcomed the guests and supervised arrangements.

The evening came alive once the classical and modern performances. Eminent singers and lyricists mesmerised the audience with soulful renditions, while celebrated artistes presented Kuchipudi and Bharatanatyam. Contemporary dance and fusion performances drew the youth. Programmes presented by children drew repeated applause. The entire ghat reverberated with thunderous claps with every performance, with the audience cheering the artistes. City residents filled the venue and stayed until the end, savouring every moment of the cultural spectacle.

Priests perform Ankurarpanam ahead of the Brahmotsavams at Tirumala

Tirupati: Priests performed Ankurarpanam as a prelude to the nine-day annual Brahmotsavams of Lord Venkateswara at the hill town of Tirumala on Tuesday evening. The ceremony marks the beginning of the Brahmotsavams on Wednesday with the traditional Dhwajarohanam. Ankurarpanam, also called Beejavapanam, is one of the key rituals of the Vaikhanasa Agama. It involves sowing of Navadhanyas, nine varieties of seeds, which signify the “sankalpa,” seeking the blessings of the Lord for the successful conduct of the festival. Each seed represents a celestial body – wheat the Sun, rice Moon, black gram Mars, green gram Mercury, Bengal gram Jupiter, cowpea Venus, sesame Saturn, horse gram Rahu, and field beans represent Ketu. As part of the ritual, TTD authorities led by the priests took the idol of Lord Viswaksena, the supreme commander of the Lord’s domain, in a procession around the four mada streets surrounding the Tirumala shrine. Symbolically, Viswaksena inspects the arrangements ahead of the Brahmotsavams. During the procession, temple staff collected the sacred soil Putta Mannu from the Vasantha Mandapam located on the northwest corner of the temple. The Navadhanyas are sown in the Palikas filled with the Putta Mannu, signifying the formal beginning of the celebrations. Medini Puja is performed to the Earth Goddess, seeking Her blessings for successful germination of the seeds. The seeds sown during Ankurarpanam are nurtured throughout the nine days of the festival. On the concluding day, the sprouts are offered to the deity in the ritual known as Akshataropanam. Devotees believe that healthier the sprouts, the more successful and grand the Brahmotsavams will be. Tirumala Pedda Jeeyar Swamy, Chinna Jeeyar Swamy, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) chairman Bhumana Karunakar Reddy, TTD executive officer (EO) Anil Kumar Singhal, additional EO Ch. Venkaiah Chowdary, and other officials attended the ritual.

Ensure flawless voter rolls: Commissioner

Kurnool: Kurnool constituency returning officer and municipal commissioner P. Viswanath emphasised the importance of accurately comparing the 2002 voter list with the 2025 data, as directed by the Central Election Commission.

An awareness programme on the special revision of the voters' list for 2025 was held for Booth Level Officers (BLOs) at the council meeting hall in the SBI employees’ colony on Tuesday. During the event, the commissioner stated that the election commission of Andhra Pradesh has mandated a thorough review and data mapping of both the 2002 and 2025 voter lists as part of the special summary revision for 2025.

He highlighted that to ensure accuracy, necessary corrections must be made, including deleting duplicate names, removing deceased voters, and updating address changes, in order to create a comprehensive and error-free list. This process should be completed by September 25, with a report to be submitted to the Central Election Commission by the end of the month. The commissioner also informed voters that they can check their details online at https://ceoandhra.nic.in or through ERO NET. Additionally, they may reach out to their local BLOs to make corrections using forms 6, 7, and 8. He further urged that steps should be taken to ensure that all eligible individuals aged 18 years or older are registered as voters. For more information, voters are encouraged to visit the CEO Andhra Pradesh website.

AP, VPA tie up for mega shipbuilding cluster at Dugarajapatnam

Visakhapatnam: The government of Andhra Pradesh and Visakhapatnam Port Authority (VPA) under the ministry of ports, shipping and waterways (MoPSW) signed a landmark MoU on September 19 for establishing the National Mega Shipbuilding Cluster at Duggirajapatnam in Nellore district. The MoU was signed during the national maritime event “Transforming India’s Maritime Sector” at Bhavnagar, Gujarat.

Under the MoU, The AP government will execute roads and other civil works on the landside and provide land as equity, while VPA will handle all seaside works. A Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) will be formed to oversee and implement the project in partnership with global private shipbuilding companies. The programme envisages an indicative outlay of about ?29,253 crore for a global-scale commercial shipyard ecosystem.

The MoU represents a coordinated effort to position Andhra Pradesh as a hub for global shipbuilding, aligning with Maritime India Vision 2030 and Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047. With multiple fishing harbours, shipyards, and a strong industrial ecosystem, the State is uniquely placed to anchor this ambitious cluster.

The MoU embodies the spirit of cooperative federalism, combining central and state initiatives to create sustainable maritime infrastructure that will generate employment, attract foreign investment, and boost India’s share in the global shipbuilding market.

AILU demands fulfillment of promises

Vijayawada: Lawyers across Andhra Pradesh, under the banner of the All India Lawyers’ Union (AILU), staged a statewide pamphlet distribution drive on Tuesday demanding immediate redressal of their long-pending issues.

The Union urged the government to implement assurances given earlier by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and education minister N. Lokesh, including the establishment of a Rs.100-crore Lawyers’ Corpus Fund, and an increase in the death benefit for advocates to Rs.10 lakh.

They also pressed for the release of compensation to families of 1,173 deceased lawyers.

Key demands included doubling the monthly stipend for junior lawyers under the Nyaya Mitra scheme from `5,000 to `10,000, provision of subsidised laptops and printers, issuance of health cards and accident insurance coverage.

The AILU also sought improved infrastructure in bar associations, particularly for women lawyers, housing allotments for eligible advocates and urgent implementation of the Lawyers’ Protection Act.

Calling for faster judicial appointments and case disposal, the leaders warned of intensified protests if the government fails to act.

First flood warning issued at Prakasam Barrage

Vijayawada: Irrigation officials have issued first flood warning as 3.97 lakh cusecs of Krishna waters were discharged from the Prakasam Barrage at 6.30 pm on Tuesday.

The authorities said that with water being released from upstream projects including Srisailam, Nagarjuna Sagar and Pulichintala and also rainfall in the local catchment area, water level to rise further and may reach six lakh cusecs of discharge at the Prakasam Barrage in the next three days.

The revenue authorities advised the people living in low-lying areas along the river course to be cautious and not to enter the river and also not to cross overflowing canals, streams and rivulets.

Meanwhile, Godavari river too is witnessing heavy inflow of water and 4.57 lakh cusecs of water is being discharged from Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage at Dowleswaram on Tuesday evening and the water level is expected to rise further.