Andhra Pradesh plans to establish three circular economy parks

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

Amaravati, June 17 (IANS) The Andhra Pradesh government plans to establish three circular economy parks in different regions of the state within a year, it was announced on Tuesday.

The state will also bring a policy on the circular economy to strengthen the waste management system in the state.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu directed officials to finalise the policy within two months.

Conducting a review of circular economy strategies with officials at the Secretariat, with discussions focused on wealth creation from waste and the reuse of resources, he called for increased deployment of modern machinery in waste-to-energy plants. Also ordering immediate clearance of legacy waste, he asked for an action plan on waste segregation and recycling to be submitted within 90 days.

The meeting also reviewed the proposals from the Material Recycling Association of India regarding the establishment of circular economy parks. In the first phase, a park will be set up on 400 acres in Visakhapatnam, designed to meet international standards.

The Chief Minister suggested studying similar parks in other countries and attracting significant investments through these initiatives.

He directed officials to develop a comprehensive plan focusing on 11 sectors identified by the Central government under the circular economy framework: municipal waste, vehicles, lithium batteries, gypsum, tyres, rubber, electronics, agriculture, industry, and aqua waste. Additionally, he instructed that the departments of mining, handlooms, and animal husbandry also be included. Urban and rural local bodies should strive to achieve the goal of zero waste.

To encourage best practices, the Chief Minister proposed that ‘Swachhta’ awards be introduced from October 2 next year for individuals and institutions demonstrating excellence in waste management. Awards will be distributed across categories such as local bodies, self-help groups, anganwadis, schools and colleges, bus stands, hospitals, NGOs, and other organisations.

He directed that single-use plastics be completely banned in four major cities, Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Tirupati, and Rajahmundry, along with 17 other municipal corporations by October 2, this year. He called for increased usage of cloth bags in these areas. Furthermore, 157 Reduce-Reuse-Recycle centres are to be established across 87 urban locations.

Officials briefed the Chief Minister that a total of 52 waste clusters have been established across the state, with two in each district, covering urban and panchayat areas. Every year, Andhra Pradesh generates 36,588 tonnes of battery and automotive waste, 61,996 tonnes of plastic and PET bottle waste, 23,928 litres of engine and hydraulic oil waste, and 59,654 metric tonnes of tyre and rubber waste.

Agriculture contributes over 4 million metric tonnes of waste annually, while the livestock, aqua, and poultry sectors together generate 34.7 million metric tonnes. In rural areas, 1,329 metric tonnes of waste are generated daily from 8.8 million households.

The meeting was told that effective implementation of the circular economy model in Andhra Pradesh could boost the state’s Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) by an estimated Rs. 15,000 crore annually. Additionally, it would allow the supply of materials worth Rs 10,000 crore to the manufacturing sector. This value addition is expected to generate Rs. 3,000 crore annually in GST revenue.

–IANS

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Patna, March 29 (IANS) Ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections, Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to embark on a two-day visit to the state on Saturday evening, during which he will formulate the BJP’s strategy and set the agenda to secure a majority in the polls.

The BJP has set a target of winning 225 seats in the state, and Union Minister Shah’s visit is seen as a pivotal step in achieving this goal.

The Union Minister will arrive at Patna Airport today at 7.30 p.m. and head directly to the BJP state office at Veer Chandra Patel Path, where he will engage in back-to-back meetings with key party leaders.

From 8.00 to 9.00 p.m., he will hold meetings with BJP MLAs, MPs, Legislative Councilors, Bihar government ministers, Union ministers, and state officials. From 9.30 – 10.30 p.m., he will hold a core committee meeting to fine-tune election strategies.

After the meetings, he will rest at Hotel Maurya for the night.

BJP spokesperson Arvind Kumar Singh said, “We have set a target of winning 225 seats in the Bihar Assembly elections. The Union Home Minister will guide our leaders and workers to achieve this goal.”

On March 30, the Union Minister will head to Gopalganj, the home district of RJD Chief Lalu Prasad and former CM Rabri Devi.

The Union Minister will address a massive election rally at noon, signaling the BJP’s intent to challenge RJD’s stronghold. The rally is expected to send a strong political message as the BJP gears up for the upcoming elections.

Preparations for the rally have been completed, with BJP leaders expecting a significant turnout. Following the rally, Union Minister Shah will return to Patna at 3.00 p.m. for a final round of meetings with BJP leaders.

He will then depart for Delhi later in the evening.

This visit marks the launch of the BJP’s election campaign in Bihar, with Union Minister Shah taking a hands-on approach to ensure the party’s dominance in the 2025 Assembly elections.

–IANS

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No one can stop ‘Telangana Rising’: CM Revanth Reddy

Hyderabad, Feb 27 (IANS) Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Thursday reiterated his resolve to make the state a trillion-dollar economy, asserting that no one can stop ‘Telangana Rising’.

Stating that Hyderabad is the fastest-growing city in the country, he said within a year after coming to power, his government has attracted massive investment from both India and abroad.

In his address at the inauguration of the global delivery centre of HCLTech in Madhapur here, Revanth Reddy stated that many people were not sure when he gave the slogan of ‘Telangana Rising’.

“No one can stop Telangana Rising. People were also sceptical about Hyderabad Rising. Today, the entire world is witnessing it,” he said.

The Chief Minister said when he said that Hyderabad’s competition is not with Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru or Chennai, some said that it would be a big dream. “Today, we have made Hyderabad number one in EV adoption, promoting the state as a hub of data centres, green energy, life sciences, biotechnology, skill development, manufacturing, and agri-processing.”

“Some people differed with my resolve to make Telangana a one trillion-dollar GDP state. They said it was not possible. After MoUs worth Rs 41,000 crore and Rs 1.78 lakh crore were signed during two Davos trips, they realised that my aim is noteworthy,” he added.

He asserted that the state government has been entering MoUs with multinational companies and inaugurating new facilities as per the agreements all through the year.

Revanth Reddy mentioned that a few days ago, he launched a new technology and innovation centre of Amgen, one of the world’s largest life sciences companies, hosted one of the world’s best conferences, BioAsia and today is inaugurating the new campus of HCL.

“Telangana state and the city of Hyderabad are developing at the fastest pace in the country. It is a proud moment that Telangana attracted the highest investments from domestic and multinational companies in just a year and also became number one in job creation. Telangana is endowed with the highest artificial intelligence and the lowest inflation,” he said.

Revanth Reddy said that as a global company, HCL Tech is a pride of India. He noted that the company is operating in 60 countries with over 2.2 lakh employees and creating world-class technology in digital, engineering, cloud and AI.

Minister for Information Technology and Industry D. Sridhar Babu, Special Chief Secretary Jayesh Ranjan and top executives of HCL were present on the occasion.

–IANS

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Cong leader slams Assam govt’s new arms licence policy, warns of return to gun culture

Guwahati, May 29 (IANS) Congress leader Bhupen Kumar Borah on Thursday launched a scathing attack on the Assam cabinet’s decision to introduce a state-specific arms licence policy, warning that the move could revive a culture of fear reminiscent of the violent past.

Speaking to reporters here, the former Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president painted a grim picture while recalling personal experiences when he was a Youth Congress leader.

“There was a time when the sound of a single gunshot would leave entire neighbourhoods sleepless,” he said.

The Congress leader also recounted his own security concerns during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, when he was provided a bulletproof vehicle, jacket, and helmet by Assam Police.

Back then, our collective aspiration was to move away from the gun culture that gripped the state. Today, Assam is in a far better place — we cannot afford to regress,” he said.

Criticising the legality of the cabinet’s decision, Borah pointed out that arms licences fall under the jurisdiction of Central laws. “I, too, possess a licensed firearm – but only after a credible threat to my life was assessed and verified through due process,” he noted.

Taking direct aim at Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Borah accused him of drawing inspiration from the gun culture of the United States.

“This isn’t the America of mass shootings and gun glorification,” he cautioned.

“We don’t want a society where guns become commonplace, where even children wield them like toys,” he said.

Borah ended his address by accusing the Chief Minister of stoking societal divisions through provocative policies. “This is not governance – it’s divisive politics that threatens to unravel the hard-earned peace of Assam,” he said, urging the government to reconsider the controversial move.

In a move aimed at bolstering self-defence capabilities in Assam’s remote and sensitive areas, the state cabinet has approved the issuance of arms licences to eligible residents in vulnerable and border regions.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced the decision on Wednesday, citing Assam’s unique security challenges and geographical vulnerabilities.

“Assam is a difficult and sensitive state,” CM Sarma said.

“We have decided to issue arms licences to eligible individuals living in remote, vulnerable, and border areas. We will encourage original inhabitants and indigenous Indian citizens to apply under the provisions of the Arms Act.”

–IANS

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