The YSRCP government in Andhra Pradesh headed by Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy is doing everything to block the public meeting of Amaravathi JAC in Tirupati on December 16 demanding Jagan government to withdraw 3-capitals proposal and continue Amaravathi as the only capital of AP.

Ever since the Amaravathi JAC padayatra began 45-day Maha Padayatra from Amaravathi to Tirupathi in the name of “Nyayasthanam (AP High Court) to Devasthanam (Tirumala temple)”, the Jagan government is creating various hurdles by misusing power and misusing police force.

Despite this, the pada yatra is going on successfully since November 2 with overwhelming support from AP people.

The padayatra is currently going on in Nellore district and expected to reach Tirupati this week.

The organisers of padayatra sought stadium belonging to Sri Venkateshwara University (SVU) to hold a huge public meeting on December 16 to mark the completion of 45-day maha padayatra.

But Jagan government directed SVU officials not to give stadium for public meeting.

But private individuals in Tirupati are coming forward to allot place to hold rally.

A private individual has given his land along Nayudupeta-Puthalapattu highway adjacent to Toyota showroom near Tirupathi to conduct public meeting.

The padayatra organisers submitted this proposal to Tirupati police seeking permission to hold public rally in this ground along with the consent letter of the land owner.

The police permission is awaited.

Has AP Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy proved himself one-up on the employees association leaders? He has made the key announcement on the PRC without even consulting the leaders, who have served the notice for agitation? Sources say that this is Jagan’s way of denying any credit to the leaders.

After they served the strike notice, the leaders of the unions were expecting a call from YS Jagan for discussions. They had even announced their schedule of protests. However, instead of calling them for discussion, Jagan made the announcement of PRC in Tirupati. Now that the PRC has happened, their union leaders are completely marginalised. They cannot claim credit for the PRC as Jagan has already announced it.

Interestingly, Jagan did not respond to their strike calls. Also, he has not made any offers to the leaders. He has directly made the announcement virtually ignoring them. As a result, the union has got what it wanted. Only thing it could not get was credit for the achievement.

Sources say that YS Jagan was upset that the unions were trying to put the government in a spot by putting unreasonable demands. Hence, he decided to make the announcement without keeping them in the loop. The employees’ unions are also unhappy that only union president Venkatrami Reddy is being allowed to meet the CM. The remaining leaders have no access whatsoever. By his latest action, YS Jagan has shown the employees union leaders their place, say those in the know.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday visited some flood-hit villages in Chittoor and Nellore districts and assured all help to the affected people.

The Chief Minister, who toured some flood-hit areas in YSR Kadapa district on Thursday, began his visit on the second day from Tirupati town.

He visited Krishna Nagar and Saraswati Nagar of Tirupati Municipal Corporation and inspected the damaged roads and houses. He also interacted with the flood victims.

As people brought their concerns to the notice of the Chief Minister, he immediately directed the officials to resolve their grievances at the earliest. He also asked the district Collector to take special measures to create employment opportunities for the youth who lost their livelihood during floods.

Jagan Mohan Reddy personally visited Vijayakumari of Saraswati Nagar, who was severely injured in a road accident and is receiving treatment, upon her request to meet him. He inspected the bridge over the Swarnamukhi River at Tiruchanur-Padipeta, which was washed away during floods.

Later, he visited a photo exhibition depicting the flood intensity in Muthlareddipalle area, along with Chandragiri and Tirupati constituencies. He also enquired from women about the response of the officials during the floods and regarding compensation provided to them. They thanked the Chief Minister for his support and told him that officials have responded well and helped them during floods. He assured them that all measures will be taken to prevent such floods in the future.

He lauded the efforts of people who had displayed unparalleled bravery in the floods of the Swarnamukhi River which was overflowing with heavy rains and also felicitated police constable Prasad and honored three others Srinivas Reddy, Madhu, and Reddappa, who played a vital role in flood relief operations.

Later, the Chief Minister headed to Nellore district from Renigunta Airport and visited the flood-affected areas in the district. He inspected the damaged R&B road at Devarapalem and the Nellore-Mulumudi-Tatiparthi road in the Nellore Rural Zone.

The district Collector informed him that temporary road restoration works are being carried out at a cost of Rs 18.5 lakh and Rs 50 lakh would be required for permanent repairs. Reddy also inspected the damaged Penna river embankment and crops at Jonnawada.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy was forced to concede to the demand of AP government employees on implementing new PRC pay scales (pay revision commission) to employees and pensioners.

Jagan on Friday (today) announced to implement new PRC within ten days.

Jagan made this announcement in Tirupati during his visit to flood hit areas.

Few employees associations met Jagan in Tirupati and demanded implementation of new PRC.

It may be recalled that the AP employees associations have threatened to go on indefinite strike in December if the government fails to implement new PRC.

AP employees are angry at Jagan for keeping new PRC pending for several months despite neighbouring Telangana CM KCR announced new PRC for Telangana employees in March this year.

KCR announced 30% fitment (hike on basic pay) as part of new PRC while AP employees unions are demanding 40% fitment.

The AP government is struggling to pay even the existing pay scales on time due to financial crisis.

Against this backdrop, doubts arise over whether Jagan will be able to give at least 30% fitment like KCR.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Thursday visited YSR Kadapa district which was affected by recent heavy rains and floods and interacted with affected people.

He met the farmers and flood affected people at Pulapatturu village. He walked around the village and consoled the victims.

Later, the Chief Minister attended the programme for sanctioning houses to be built in five cents of land to the people who lost their houses due to heavy rains and floods. In his remarks on the occasion, he was all praise for the officials for their quick response during the floods.

Claiming that the compensation has been given to 98 per cent of the people, he said those who missed can approach the village secretariat and get it.

The Chief Minister said 293 houses were damaged in Pulapatturu village and the state government will build each house in five cents for them. He said the state government would provide compensation to every farmer who lost the crop and added that Rs 12,000 would be given to them to clear sand dunes in their farms.

He said employment would be provided to everyone through MGNREGS works as there won’t be agriculture works due to the breach of two projects. He assured women that a moratorium would be imposed for a year on their DWACRAA loans.

Reddy said educated youth, who suffered losses, will be provided jobs and loans within 10 days. He said six Deputy Collectors were assigned to carry out relief works in the villages and they would be available till Sunday to solve all the problems.

The Chief Minister said Pincha dam and Annamayya dam will be redesigned and constructed to handle more flood inflows and added that retaining walls will be constructed along the sides of residential areas till Nandaluru bridge to avoid flood water entering into those areas.

A depression in Bay of Bengal from November 13 to November 20 triggered heavy to very heavy rains in south coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema.

The heavy rains and floods battered Nellore, Chittoor, Kadapa, and Anantapur districts, leaving at least 40 people dead. According to officials, 25 people went missing. A total of 1,402 villages in 196 mandals and four towns were affected.

The cost of the crops damage and loss to infrastructure is estimated at over Rs 6,000 crore.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Wednesday sought NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Rajiv Kumar’s support for the progress and development of the state.

Reddy also urged the NITI Aayog to provide adequate assistance to streamline power generation as DISCOMS are facing severe losses.

At a meeting with the NITI Aayog team on Wednesday, state government officials sought assistance to grant special status, industrial concessions and tax exemptions on par with those enjoyed by the backward regions like Koraput and Bolangir in Odisha, and Bundelkhand.

The officials highlighted the financial difficulties being faced by the state following its bifurcation. They pointed out that the loss of Hyderabad has eroded large-scale revenues, even as promises such as special status have not been fulfilled.

The NITI Aayog team was informed that per capita income in Andhra Pradesh is much lower than Telangana, a release issued by the state government stated.

The state has also requested the NITI Aayog team to pursue the Rs 6,284 crore arrears from Telangana power utilities, and also to clear the Rs 18,969 crore resource gap amount as confirmed by the CAG.

YSRCP chief and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy already has the dubious distinction of not caring a damn about constitutional norms and procedures.

In his two and a year half rule as CM, Jagan took several decisions in violation of constitutional norms and procedures due to which his government faced and is facing hundreds of cases in courts.

CM Jagan received a drubbing from courts on several occasions for his controversial decisions violating constitutional norms and procedures.

Latest, Jagan overrode the Centre’s powers and gave extension to a lady IAS officer on his own on the day of her retirement.

The Centre’s DoPT (Department of Personnel and Training) has powers regarding the service conditions of IAS officers.

DoPT’s permission is must to extend the service of IAS.

All these years, the Chief Ministers of various states sought DoPT approval for extension of service of chief secretaries and DGPs.

Jagan also secured extension of service to his chief secretaries Neelam Sahani, Adityanath Das and Sammer Sharma from DoPT.

But Jagan has now given extension on his own to IAS officer V.Usha Rani, who is working as principal secretary in revenue department.

Usha Rani, a 1995 batch IAS officer, was supposed to retire on November 30 (yesterday).

Employees associations also arranged a grand felicitation programme on the occasion of her retirement on November 30.

But Jagan all of a sudden issued orders on November 30 extending her service by one more month and appointed her in the same post as principal secretary of revenue department. Jagan did not take permission of DoPT to give extension of Usha Rani.

Bureaucratic circles are shocked to know this development as they had never witnessed such instances in AP or any other state where an IAS officer was given extension by a state government on its own without DoPT approval.

It remains to be seen how DoPT reacts to Jagan overriding its powers.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy on Sunday created a record of sorts by securing extension for Chief Secretary Sameer Sharma by six more months.

Sameer Sharma is set to retire in two days on November 30.

However, the Centre issued orders on Sunday extending the tenure of Sameer Sharma by six more months until May 31, 2022 following the request from AP CM YS Jagan.

With this, Jagan scored a ‘hat trick’ by securing extension for all the three Chief Secretaries appointed by him after he became CM in May 2019.

When Jagan took over as CM in May 2019, LV Subramanyam was the Chief Secretary, who was appointed by the Election Commission of India during TDP government in April 2019 after YSRCP complained that then CS Anil Chandra Punetha was working in favour of TDP during general electrons held in April 2019.

After Jagan became CM in May 2014, he continue LV Subramanyam as CS.

But Jagan all of a sudden removed Subramanyam from CS post unceremoniously and posted him in an insignificant post in AP Human Resource Development Institute, Bapatla in November 2019.

Jagan appointed Neelam Sahni as CS in November 2019.

She was supposed to retire on June 30, 2020, but Jagan secured extension by six months until December 31, 2020.

Later, he appointed Adityanath Das as CS in January 2021. He was supposed to retire in June 2021.

Jagan secured extension by three months until September 2021.

Later, Jagan appointed Sameer Sharma as CS in October 2021. He was supposed to retire on November 30, 2021.

Jagan has now secured extension by six more months to Sameer Sharma.

The Centre has been rejecting the requests of CMs to extend the tenure of Chief Secretaries in other states.

But in the case of Jagan, the Centre has approved all the requests made by Jagan seeking extension of tenure of Chief Secretaries.

YSRCP circles say this shows the good rapport Jagan enjoys with Modi government at the Centre.