Mass Varalakshmi Vratams at Durga temple today
Temple executive officer V.K. Seena Naik said the rituals will be held in two sessions.
Vijayawada:Marking the auspicious fifth Friday of Sravana Masam, Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy Varla Devasthanam will host a grand Samuhika Varalakshmi Vratam on August 22 at the 6th floor of Sri Mallikarjuna Maha Mandapam here.
Temple executive officer V.K. Seena Naik said the rituals will be held in two sessions. The first, a paid event, will be conducted from 7 am. to 9 am. with an entry fee of ₹1,500 for the vratam and ₹300 for special darshan. Only one woman per ticket is allowed.
The second, free session will be held from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. for registered devotees. Participants will receive a prasadam kit containing kumkum, bangles, a blouse piece, special prasadam and a Shakti Kankanam, along with darshan via a ₹100 special queue.
TTD staff return valuables to devotee
Tirupati:Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) staff at Tirumala ensured the safe return of valuables worth over Rs 1 lakh that had been left behind by a devotee at the Krishna Sadan rest house on Thursday.
The devotee, Kalluri Venkata Subba Rao from Prakasam district, had forgotten his purse, a 12-gram gold bracelet valued at Rs 1.10 lakh, and a wristwatch in his room. The belongings were later traced and handed back to him.
Subba Rao expressed his gratitude to Mahidhar Reddy, a TTD attender at Krishna Sadan, for his role in recovering the items. The valuables were formally returned under the supervision of TTD’s Padmavathi enquiry office Superintendent Vijay Kumar.
AP Chambers asks centre to restore export subsidies
Vijayawada:Andhra Pradesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry Federation (AP Chambers) and its affiliated associations met in Vijayawada on Thursday. The meeting requested the central government to restore export subsidies, improve access to working capital facilities, and offer reduced GST rates to various sectors affected by the US tariffs.
Addressing the meeting, AP Chambers president Potluri Bhaskara Rao pointed out that 50 per cent tariffs imposed by the USA on exports from India has affected many sectors in Andhra Pradesh, especially aqua, textiles, agricultural products and auto components.
Given the situation, he asked the state government to release incentives to industries that have been pending for the last 5–6 years. “We believe the AP government is planning to clear all pending incentives by September. This will provide the much-needed impetus to MSMEs,” he stated.
Further, the AP Chambers president pointed out that fuel and power charges are very high in Andhra Pradesh, compared to the neighbouring states. “We have been requesting the state government to bring down these charges, so that our industries are able to compete with industries in other states.
Speaking on the occasion, AP Chambers general secretary B. Raja Sekhar suggested that India reduce its dependence on the US markets. He said, “We request the central government to bring back schemes, such as Marketing Development Assistance, Market Access Initiative and Interest Equalisation Scheme. The government should implement the proposed two-slab GST rate structure and simplify tax compliance for businesses.”
Those present at the meeting included AP Chambers treasurer Akkaiah Naidu, Affiliates Council chairman Bayana Venkat Rao, council vice chairperson Radhika, and presidents and secretaries of many state-level industry associations.
Konaseema farmers with 20,000 acres likely to take crop holiday
Kakinada:Many farmers of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema district are likely to take an unofficial crop holiday due to prevailing weather conditions.
According to officials, there had been no transplantation activities on more than 15,000 acres during Khariff season due to drought. Now, paddy fields have become ponds, where transplantation is not possible.
Sources said unless farmers complete transplantations within one week, there is likelihood of damage to the crop as time passes by.
In Konaseema district, Rabi crop is more important than Khariff, as yields are more during the Rabi season.
Recent rains have hit paddy farmers in Godavari districts very hard. “If water levels recede, we will be happy that our crop has survived. If the crop is ruined, we will not be able to go for another crop during Khariff due to the upcoming Rabi crop.
RSASTF arrests three red sanders smugglers near Giddaluru
Tirupati:The Red Sanders Anti-Smuggling Task Force (RSASTF) arrested three smugglers near Giddaluru in the Prakasam district and seized 26 red sanders logs along with a motorcycle.
According to officials, a special team headed by Kadapa Sub Control RSI P. Naresh launched combing operations in the Bestavaripeta forest range of Giddaluru division on Wednesday night.
During the operation at Guntapalli beat, the team noticed a group of persons gathered near a motorcycle. On seeing the police, they attempted to flee, but the task force personnel managed to apprehend three of them after a chase.
On questioning, the arrested men revealed the location of red sanders logs hidden under a culvert, leading to the recovery of 26 logs. The accused were identified as residents of Prakasam district. The seized logs and the motorcycle were shifted to the Tirupati Task Force Police Station. A case has been registered, and further investigation is underway.
