Karnakata-based humanitarian Madhusudan Sai awarded Fiji's highest honour
The award was presented by the President of Fiji, Ratu Naiqama Lalabalavu, at a function held at the State House of Fiji, the official residence of the President.
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Hans India
30 minutes ago
- Hans India
Singapore-based Surbana Jurong eyes AP housing projects
Singapore: Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu held a series of back-to-back meetings on the first day of his Singapore visit, successfully engaging global investors and inviting them to capitalise on AP's burgeoning growth opportunities. Among the key developments, leading urban infrastructure company Surbana Jurong expressed keen interest in investing in the state's housing sector, while Malaysian construction giant Eversendai proposed setting up a significant manufacturing factory. Representatives from Singapore-based Surbana Jurong, a prominent urban and infrastructure consulting firm, met Chief Minister Naidu. The Chief Minister extended an invitation to Surbana Jurong to actively invest in large-scale housing construction projects across Andhra Pradesh, encouraging their participation in the state's ambitious 'Housing for All' initiative. Chief Minister Naidu elaborated on Andhra Pradesh's strong focus on infrastructure development, highlighting plans for the development of 20 ports and 15 airports. He emphasised the state's strategic positioning as a major logistics hub and outlined the government's vision to transform these regions into thriving industrial townships. He urged Surbana Jurong to explore the extensive investment opportunities available in these areas. Tan Sri Dato' A K Nathan, chairman and managing director of Eversendai Engineering, a leading Malaysian construction company renowned for its iconic projects, also held discussions with Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu. The primary focus of their meeting was Eversendai's proposal to establish a state-of-the-art manufacturing factory and an integrated training center in Andhra Pradesh. The Eversendai chairman indicated that Visakhapatnam or Krishnapatnam are being considered as potential locations for this facility, which would facilitate nationwide distribution of its products. The proposed manufacturing unit is projected to span approximately two lakh square meters. This substantial investment is anticipated to significantly boost industrial growth and create large-scale employment opportunities within the state. Eversendai also conveyed its interest in investing in infrastructure projects related to the development of Amaravati, the state capital. Furthermore, Chairman Nathan discussed the establishment of a Structural Engineering Training Center in collaboration with premier institutions such as IIT-Tirupati and IIIT Sri City, underscoring a commitment to skill development. Eversendai highlighted its impressive track record, which includes contributions to landmark global projects such as the Burj Khalifa, Petronas Towers, DLF Downtown Taramani in Chennai, and the Statue of Unity in Gujarat, showcasing their expertise and capacity for large-scale development.
News18
38 minutes ago
- News18
Ports, cities, sports on agenda of Andhra Pradesh CMs day two of Singapore tour
Amaravati, July 28 (PTI) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, on the second day of his five-day Singapore tour, will focus on port-led development, urban planning and international sports collaboration. According to a press release, Naidu is slated to hold a meeting with Singapore's Minister for Trade and Industry Tan See Leng on Monday morning, discussing energy, science, technology, and industrial cooperation between Singapore and Andhra Pradesh. 'On the second day of his five-day visit to Singapore, Naidu will hold meetings with several organisational heads, including representatives of the Singapore government. The discussions will centre around urban development, sports, and port-led industrial growth," said the release. The chief minister is scheduled to meet Airbus representatives, followed by an interaction with Honeywell officials to discuss industrial technology collaborations. Naidu will participate in a Business Round Table titled 'From Skills to Competencies, accelerating Workforce Transformation'. Students from the National University of Singapore (NUS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore Management University (SMU), and Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) will attend. He is expected to meet Simon Tan, Chairman of EverVolt, to explore green energy and battery storage solutions, followed by a visit to Singapore Sports School. The TDP supremo will visit the Tuas Port and later meet Port of Singapore Authority CEO Vincent to discuss smart logistics, export infrastructure and large-scale industrial clusters. Naidu will present Andhra Pradesh's development roadmap at the Andhra–Singapore Business Forum in the afternoon, followed by a strategic meeting with Adani Ports MD Karan Adani in the evening. PTI MS GDK NSD NSD (This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI) view comments First Published: July 28, 2025, 08:15 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Karnataka BJP demands action against firms selling fake seeds, fertiliser
As farmers across the state staged protests over an alleged shortage of urea and reports of fake agricultural inputs surfaced, the state BJP on Sunday accused the Congress-led government of negligence and demanded immediate action against companies distributing counterfeit seeds and fertilisers. State BJP president BY Vijayendra alleged that the crisis was not the result of supply constraints but a consequence of poor planning by the state government (PTI) State BJP president BY Vijayendra alleged that the crisis was not the result of supply constraints but a consequence of poor planning by the state government. He claimed that despite receiving sufficient quantities of urea from the Centre, the government had failed to ensure proper distribution, causing distress among farmers and panic in several districts. 'The efforts to trouble the food-providing farmers and exploit them within the system have been ongoing for a long time. Companies supplying fertilizers and seeds are engaging in the despicable act of sabotaging agricultural activities by providing fake seeds to the enthusiastic farming community that is expecting a good harvest in the backdrop of a promising monsoon this time,' Vijayendra said. He demanded the registration of criminal cases against such firms and called for a dedicated police vigilance team to investigate and dismantle networks involved in deceiving farmers. 'I urge the government to file a criminal case against such companies in this regard and take strict action, and also to take all necessary measures to ensure that the farming community gets quality seeds and necessary fertilizers in a timely manner,' he added. Vijayendra further said the BJP's farmers' wing would stage statewide protests on Monday to express solidarity with the farming community. According to him, the state received over 870,000 metric tonnes of urea from the Centre, but only around 530,000 metric tonnes had reached the market. He alleged that the remaining quantity was being hoarded by middlemen and traders, with the state government turning a blind eye. 'What about the rest? The fear is that somewhere there is some kind of hand-in-glove. Brokers and traders are keeping the stocks; it has to be released. The state government is trying to create an artificial shortage. This will not help farmers and that's the reason farmers are upset,' he said. The BJP leader claimed the early arrival of the monsoon had worsened the situation. 'This time, mother nature has embraced the farmers through a good monsoon, I urge the government to take all possible precautionary measures to thwart any fraudulent attempts that may disrupt the farmers from enjoying its benefits,' Vijayendra said. Agriculture minister N Chaluvarayaswamy, however, pushed back against the allegations, attributing the pressure on fertiliser supply to a combination of early monsoon and increased cultivation. 'The rains have been good for the past one and a half months. The monsoon arrived early, which has caused some challenges as the dams have filled up sooner than expected. Moreover, the area under cultivation has increased by two lakh hectares. Because of these factors, the demand for fertilizer has gone up. I have urged the chief minister to focus on addressing the farmers' issues instead of criticising them, and requested him to write a letter,' he said. The minister said the global situation had also disrupted supply chains. 'I have already written to minister Pralhad Joshi regarding the disruption in urea supply due to the ongoing conflict in Iran. I've also sent letters to all MPs from the state and the Union ministers representing Karnataka. Yet, Joshi ignored these efforts and instead chose to target Siddaramaiah,' he said. 'I didn't expect them to politicise an issue as serious as agriculture. Fertilizer used to be supplied on time, and we had better stock last season. But currently, there are two or three issues at the central level. Due to the Iran conflict, urea supply has been disrupted, and shipments from China have completely stopped. National-level production is also low,' he said, insisting that the Centre must step up. Chaluvarayaswamy sought to reassure farmers. 'I can criticise too, but that's not what matters right now. What's important is resolving the problems farmers are facing. Farmers need not worry. We will ensure they get whatever they need, whenever they need it. Everyone should remain calm. Even if there's a delay of two days, we'll make sure it's delivered by the third or fourth day,' he added.
