The Andhra Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission (APERC) on May 02, 2024, notified the Andhra Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission (Green Energy Open Access, Charges, and Banking) Regulation,
Launches pilot project in Maharashtra M. Somasekhar Hyderabad, March 5 The successful e-Choupal model of ITC has provided impetus to an experiment in healthcare
The State loses over Rs 70 crore every year because of the non-revision of royalty on minerals. However, companies extracting mineral ore have been making a killing in the market. According to the state government, it was the duty of the Centre to revise the royalty rates. But it had not done so. Officials of mines and geology department said the companies which take the mineral-rich areas on lease have been paying the same royalty since 2004. For instance, companies have been paying only Rs 11 to Rs 27 for each tonne of iron ore they extract. They sell it at Rs 2,500 per tonne in the open market. Over 75 million tonnes of iron ore is exported every year to various parts of the country from AP. Now, the government has asked the Centre to increase the royalty of iron ore to at least Rs 50 per tonne. The same is the case with limestone which is the raw material for cement factories. The cement companies pay a mere Rs 45 as royalty per tonne. Around 30 lakh metric tonnes of limestone is being mined every year. The royalty rates were fixed when a cement bag of 50 kg cost around Rs 130. Now the same quantity costs Rs 220 but the royalty rates have not been revised. The government has asked the Centre to enhance the royalty at least by 20 per cent on limestone. The department got Rs 1,250 crore as royalty on industrial minerals and another Rs 500 crore from other minerals. Mr V.D. Rajagopal, director of AP Mines and Geology department, told this correspondent that the state would benefit a lot if the union government revised royalty rates.
Endangered sea turtles such as the Olive Ridley have inspired campaigns to save the seas, sandy beaches, and dunes. To save turtles is to save an entire ecosystem. But this protected mascot species faces a rising threat from avoidable coastal development, the planting of exotic trees, and the illumination of beachfront dwellings. The building of coastal structures, including groynes and walls, blocks off access and exacerbates erosion; the planting of casuarina trees preve nts nesting; and lights along the coast confuse turtle hatchlings, fatally attracting them inland. Unless these threats are addressed quickly and scientifically, the Olive Ridley may lose its nesting habitats in the Indian subcontinent and suffer a sharp decline. For many years now, Olive Ridley deaths traceable to human interference have been high. Despite high levels of awareness, recent reports speak of a continuing tragedy. Indian Institute of Science ecologists fear that about 10,000 turtles die annually in Orissa, where they nest en masse. Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh provide low or medium density habitats but they are vital to the health of the species. The planting of casuarina trees on the coast, particularly along the high tideline, is a man-made stressor for the Olive Ridley. Although the intention is to protect habitations from cyclones using a tree belt (as in Tamil Nadu), using an exotic species to create a barrier is at best naive. The outcome of massive tree planting on the high tideline on the basis of shaky evidence threatens to deprive the Olive Ridley of its nesting habitat, and many other species of their general habitat. Scientists at a conference organised in Tamil Nadu in 2006 by the Forest Department, the UNDP, and the Nature Conservation Foundation outlined such negative outcomes of poorly conceived interventions. Clearly, it is futile to attempt engineering solutions to make coastlines resilient to natural events such as cyclones and tsunamis: the ecological costs are just too high and the benefits uncertain. There is little merit in creating coastal casuarina plantations (which many fishermen do not favour around their habitations) and concrete groynes and walls (which accelerate coastal erosion elsewhere). The substantial funds available for such projects from multilateral and official agencies can instead be used to mitigate fundamental problems that affect ecosystem health: pollution, saltpans, aquaculture, and inappropriate constructions. A healthy future for the Olive Ridley and the rest of the ecosystem depends on providing active protection on the coast and allowing coastal ecosystems to regenerate naturally.
When the National Advisory Council (NAC) was preparing the draft legislation on the right to employment, it had, in the words of one of its key members, Jean Dreze, to
The immunization service delivery support (ISDS) model was initiated in Andhra Pradesh, India, in November 2003 with the aim of strengthening immunization services through supportive supervision. The ISDS model involves a well-established supervision system built upon the existing health infrastructure. March 2008
The Government is investing heavily in the Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme and the Rainfed Area Development Programme and in the management and augmentation of water resources. Notwithstanding some shortcomings, the growth of agricultural credit has been impressive and for this I have to thank our scheduled commercial banks and Regional Rural Banks. Between them, they account for about 75-79 per cent of agricultural credit disbursed during any year. We will exceed the target set for 2007-08. For 2008-09, I propose to set a target of Rs 2,80,000 crore. Short-term crop loans will continue to be disbursed at 7 per cent per annum and I am making an initial provision of Rs 1,600 crore for interest subvention in 2008-09. What ails agriculture, among other things, is the fall in investment. However, there seems to be a turnaround. Gross Capital Formation (GCF) in agriculture as a proportion of GDP in the agriculture sector has improved from a low of 10.2 per cent in 2003-04 to 12.5 per cent in 2006-07. This, however, needs to be raised to 16 per cent during the Eleventh Plan to achieve the target growth rate of 4 per cent. Government is investing heavily in the Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP) and the Rainfed Area Development Programme and in the management and augmentation of water resources. Under AIBP, 24 major and medium irrigation projects and 753 minor irrigation schemes will be completed in this financial year, creating additional irrigation potential of 5,00,000 hectares. The outlay for 2007-08 was Rs 11,000 crore with a grant component of Rs 3,580 crore. These are being increased in 2008-09, and the estimated outlay is Rs 20,000 crore with a grant component of Rs 5,550 crore. The Rainfed Area Development Programme has been finalised and will be implemented in 2008-09 with an allocation of Rs 348 crore. Priority will be given to those areas that have not been the beneficiaries of watershed development schemes. The centrally sponsored scheme on micro irrigation launched in January 2006 has brought an area of 5,48,000 hectares under drip and sprinkler irrigation within two years. I propose to allocate Rs 500 crore for the scheme in 2008-09 with a target of covering another 4,00,000 hectares. Pacts with World Bank Agreements have been signed with the World Bank by the Governments of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka under the project to repair, renovate and restore water bodies. The three agreements are for a total sum of $738 million that will benefit a command area of 9,00,000 hectares. I am confident that similar agreements will be signed soon between the World Bank and the Governments of Orissa, West Bengal and some other States. While these ongoing programmes will raise the level of investment in agriculture, I think that we need an ambitious scheme of a much larger proportion. Government is of the view that massive investments are required to be made in irrigation projects. Recently, Government has approved 14 projects that satisfy certain criteria as national projects and three of them alone would require Rs 7,000 crore during the Eleventh Plan period. Having regard to the magnitude of the challenge, I propose to establish the Irrigation and Water Resources Finance Corporation (IWRFC) with an initial capital of Rs 100 crore contributed by the Central Government. State Governments and other financial institutions will be invited to contribute to the equity. It is our intention to mobilise the very large resources that will be required to fund major and medium irrigation projects. I hope to be able to incorporate IWRFC as a company before March 31, 2008. Pending a decision on an alternative crop insurance scheme that is acceptable to the farmers as well as viable to the insurer, the National Agriculture Insurance Scheme (NAIS) will be continued in its present form for kharif and rabi 2008-09. I propose to provide Rs 644 crore for the scheme. Government will continue to provide fertilisers to farmers at subsidised prices. Government is examining proposals to move to a nutrient based subsidy regime and alternative methods of delivering the subsidy.
In the long shadow of the now defunct Kolar Gold Fields, a small revolution is slowly sweeping the desolate countryside: a revolution to take world class science education to village schools and open
Centre for Environment Concerns (CEC), Hyderabad, in association with over two hundred activists and select voluntary organizations is assisting officials in select districts in implementing the NREGA in Andhra Pradesh. This is based on a memorandum of understanding between CEC and the Department of Rural Development and agreed upon as voluntary service and thus without remuneration.
<p>The forest resources of all the states are dwindling and the supply of forest produce to forest based industries has to be re-examined. In this context the supply rates of Bamboo Industrial Cuts to various paper mills of Andhra Pradesh and adjoining states of A.P. have been analyzed.</p>
The forest resources of all the states are dwindling and the supply of forest produce to forest based industries has to be re-examined. In this context the supply rates of Bamboo Industrial Cuts to various paper mills of Andhra Pradesh and adjoining states of A.P. have been analyzed.
