Fans association demands Bharat Ratna for NTR
In a meeting held here on Saturday, association vice-president Vaddepalli Sambasiva Rao said that besides awarding the country's highest civilian honour to NTR posthumously, the Vijayawada airport should be named after him. They also expressed disappointment that no resolution was passed at the 'Mahanadu' organised in Kadapa recently seeking the coveted award for NTR, and wanted due priority to be given to NTR fans in the TDP.
Association office bearers S.L.N. Swamy, Manne Someswara Rao, K. Prabhakar Rao, A. Sambasiva Rao, M. Venkateswara Rao and K. Venkateswara Rao and nearly 50 members from across the State took part.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
43 minutes ago
- News18
Inside Look At NDA's Seamless Coordination: How Coalition Stays On Same Page
Strategic grouping of MPs One of the NDA's key innovations has been the division of all its MPs into smaller working groups, each comprising 10-12 members. These groups are overseen by one cabinet minister, one minister of state, and one member from the BJP's organisational setup to ensure regular engagement. To reinforce the seriousness of these meetings, it has been made mandatory that at least one among Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, or JP Nadda be present in every group-level meeting. This ensures that alliance coordination isn't left to junior leaders but is backed by the top tier of government. For instance, a recent group meeting took place at the residence of JD(U) MP and union minister Ramnath Thakur, a member of the group led by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Regular meetings during Parliament sessions Sources say each group holds at least one meeting during every Parliament session, with additional meetings for larger state blocs like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, or Maharashtra, depending on coordination needs. These sessions are used to discuss key policy positions, clarify the government's stance on current issues, and ensure a unified voice across the coalition. 'These meetings are not just about BJP strategy," a source explained. 'They also serve to address issues raised by our alliance partners and Bharatiya Janata Party MPs regarding constituency work or pending development projects, so that they don't have to constantly knock on doors." Digital coordination and real-time feedback To strengthen coordination further, dedicated WhatsApp groups have been created for each MP team. These groups are used to share ground reports, media clippings, programme updates, and internal communication. Senior ministers like Nirmala Sitharaman, Dharmendra Pradhan, and Bhupender Yadav, and key leaders from NDA allies such as TDP's Ram Mohan Naidu and JD(U)'s Lalan Singh, are actively leading these groups. NDA-wide parliamentary party meetings In a recent move inspired by suggestions from an NDA ally, the parliamentary party meetings, traditionally held only by the BJP every Tuesday during Parliament sessions, have now been expanded to include all NDA members. A senior minister from an NDA ally told CNN-News18, 'We felt the PM is not just the BJP leader but the head of the entire coalition. He should address all NDA MPs together." He added that PM Modi readily accepted the suggestion, and now these Tuesday meetings have become full-fledged NDA gatherings, giving all allies direct access to top leadership. Strength in numbers The BJP secured 240 seats on its own in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. With key allies like TDP and JD(U), along with regional partners like Shiv Sena (Shinde faction), NCP (Ajit Pawar faction), LJP (Chirag Paswan), HAM (Jitan Ram Manjhi), Jana Sena, and JD(S), the NDA's strength stands at 292 seats, giving it a comfortable majority.
Time of India
5 hours ago
- Time of India
AP eyes strategic defence role post UAV missile test
1 2 3 Vijayawada: A day after the successful trial of UAV launched precision guided missiles from Andhra Pradesh soil, the state govt has made a quick move to position itself as a leader in defence and aerospace manufacturing sectors. A delegation of TDP MPs led by parliamentary party leader Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu met Union defence minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi on Friday and handed over a proposal from chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu to set up defence manufacturing units in AP. They urged him to look into the series of landmark initiatives by the govt aimed at transforming the state into a strategic defence production hub. Krishna Devarayalu said they have submitted a comprehensive defence development plan to make AP a leader state in attracting investments in the defence sector. "The chief minister has emphasized on the establishment of four defence and aerospace manufacturing hubs in the state. The state govt has proposed two separate clusters — Jaggaiahpet and Donakonda with nearly 6,000 acres — for missile and ammunition production. About 4,000 acres have been readied at Orvakal in Kurnool district to set up units for drones, robotics, and advanced components. The chief minister has also proposed an aircraft and defence electronics city at Lepakshi-Madakasira where we have identified about 10,000 acres. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like If A Cat Bites Their Owner Heres What It Really Means Gloriousa Undo We want the Centre to make use of about 3,000 acres available in Visakhapatnam-Anakapalli for naval equipment and weapons testing," the Narasaraopet MP said. The chief minister wants the Centre to set up the DRDO industry-academia centre of excellence at IIT-Tirupati and a common ammunition storage facility by the ministry of defence, Krishna Devarayalu added. "The CM has sought support for defence investments and strategic projects, including the 2,400 crore BEL strategic complex at Palasamudram, and revival of UADNL's 60,000 TPA aluminium alloy plant in Nellore. The govt is ready to give land and provide required infrastructure for HAL's expansion project at Lepakshi," he said.
Time of India
10 hours ago
- Time of India
Centre: Import duty on apples 50%, no proposal received for hike in tariff
Shimla: As apple growers from Himachal and other apple-growing states have been clamouring for a hike in the import duty of the fruit for the last few years, Union MoS (commerce and industry) Jitin Prasada informed the Rajya Sabha Friday that the ministry has not received any such proposal to date. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "The import duty on apples is 50% in India," he told the House in response to a question from Himachal MP Harsh Mahajan (BJP) during the ongoing monsoon session of Parliament. Himachal contributes nearly 25% to the country's annual apple production, amounting to about 6.5 lakh metric tonnes, which is valued at approximately Rs 5,000 crore. Himachal BJP spokesperson Chetan Singh Bragta had claimed on July 4 that the Centre had hiked the minimum import price of apples from Rs 50 to Rs 80 per kg. Bragta had said the revised price came into effect following an approval from Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. However, Prasada informed the Rajya Sabha that to protect the interests of apple farmers, there is a minimum import price (MIP) of Rs 50 per kg for the import of apples in India. The Union minister said in the US, the import duty on apples is 0% for normal trade relations (NTR) countries, which includes India. "In addition to the above, the apples coming from Iran, Turkey, and the US have a landed cost above the minimum import price of Rs 50/kg. The import price of apples from Turkey is Rs 66.16/kg, Iran is Rs 51.62/kg, and that from the US is Rs 82.99/kg during 2024-25 FY," Prasada said. The Union minister added that the govt has implemented a nutrient-based subsidy (NBS) policy with effect from April 1, 2010, for phosphatic and potassic (P&K) fertilisers. Under the policy, a fixed amount of subsidy, decided on an annual or bi-annual basis, is provided on notified P&K fertilisers depending on their nutrient content. Under the NBS scheme, the maximum retail price (MRP) is fixed by fertiliser companies as per market dynamics at a reasonable level, which is monitored by the central govt, he added.
