With the AP Government sending feelers that new districts would be carved out, the realtors have gone into a tizzy across Andhra Pradesh. The activity is more intense in places which are likely to become the district headquarters. Interestingly, no announcement has been made so far. But, in places like Narsaraopet the situation has completely gone out of hand.

Take for instance Narsaraopet, which is being touted as the district headquarters of the proposed district. As a result, over 200 realty ventures have sprouted in the town. The local politicians, allegedly led by the local MLA, are making hay while the sun shines. They are allegedly taking their cuts for land conversion from farm land, to issue permissions from DTCP and to issue permissions to take up infrastructural development.

Allegations are that the politicians of the ruling party are now allowing even a single inch to be sold if their cuts are not given. Ditto with several other small times, where an artificial boom is created. Interestingly, there are no official announcements so far. Yet, the land prices are soaring.

Sources say the realtors are pinning their hopes on the whimsical attitude of YS Jagan. They feel that if Jagan decides, the carving out of a new district is just a matter of time. Hence they are in a mad rush to create ventures. However, these ventures do not fulfil the basic conditions such as land conversion and securing of approvals.

Similar trends are being reported from places like Tadepalligudem and Tanuku in West Godavari, Rajanagaram in East Godavari and several other places. The local MLAs in most places are said to be raking in moolah at an astounding rate.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy on Monday dashed off two letters to union jal shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and union environment minister Prakash Javadekar.

In the letter to Shekhawat, Jagan requested the Centre to give directions to Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) to inspect illegal projects of Telangana first on river Krishna before inspecting AP’s Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme (RLIS).

Jagan complained that due to Telangana government’s illegal production of hydel power at Srisailam, Nagarjunasagar and Pulichintala projects, the Srisailam project will never be full.

Jagan complained that Telangana government is constructing Palarmur Rangareddy and Dindi lift irrigation projects on Krishna at 800 ft illegally without any environmental clearances due to which Srisailam dam will never attain water level of 854 feet.

Jagan told Shekhawat that Telangana government is drawing water from 796 feet in Srisailam dam to produce hydel power and it has utilised 19 TMCs since June1 for hydel power generation.

Jagan said if Srisailam dam has no water level of 854 ft, there is no possibility to meet irrigation and drinking water needs of Rayalaseema, Nellore and Prakasam districts.

In his letter to Javadekar, Jagan requested him to grant environmental clearances to RLIS immediately.

He said the AP government has already submitted DPR (detailed project report) of RLIS to the union water resources commissioner and urged him to speed up environmental clearances.

He said there is no scope to take water through Pothireddypadu project unless there is a water level of 854 feet in Srisailam.

He is a senior leader of the YSRCP. Not just that. He is a close relative of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. In fact, he is incharge of the party affairs in south Andhra region. Yet, this key leader is finding his political career at the crossroads.

YV Subba Reddy has been a key member of the YSRCP and has played a very significant role in the growth of the party. In fact, it was he who held the party together during the 18 months when Jagan Mohan Reddy was in Chanchalguda Jail. His wife is YS Vijayamma’s sister. Despite all these he is facing an uncertain future.

His term as the TTD chief has ended. Though Jagan wanted to give him another extension, he said that he was interested in a political job more than the TTD job. So, the government has appointed a specified authority for TTD. This means the doors for another stint at TTD are closed. But, he has not been given any key post so far. In fact, he had to vacate his Ongole MP seat in 2019 to make way for Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy. So, there is no way he can enter into Prakasam district politics, where he has a loyal band of supporters.

Subba Reddy is now working very hard to become a minister in Jagan’s cabinet. He wants Jagan to make him an MLC and then take him into the cabinet. Thus, he will be able to protect his cadre and supporters. He can also play a key role in the matters of governance. YV is said to be pulling all stops but he knows pretty well that his rehabilitation can be decided only by YS Jagan and none else. So, as of now, he knows he can do nothing else except biding for his time.

AP Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, it appears, has a special liking for north Indian IAS officers. Ever since he came to power, the north Indian officials are having a gala time. Several IAS officials of north Indian origin have been given plum posts. What is interesting is they are being pulled out of the closet very much after their retirement and are being given key posts.

Jagan caused a revolution of sorts when he appointed a north Indian, Anil Singhal, to the post of TTD executive officer. Till then, TTD EO post was held only by a Telugu IAS officer. But, Jagan ignored opposition from within the IAS ranks to make Anil Singhal the EO. Initially, people dismissed this appointment as one-off case. But, the same trend of appointing north Indian IAS officers is not just continuing, but also retired officials are being brought in these days.

Neelam Sahani, a north Indian, was made the chief secretary. She was given two extensions of service and after her retirement, she has been appointed as the State Election Commissioner. Sources say Jagan enjoyed great rapport with her as the CS. Similarly, retired IAS officer AK Parida has been brought in as the chief of the AP Pollution Control Board. Retired IPS officer Veena Ish has recently been appointed as the vigilance commissioner. If sources are to be believed more north Indian retired IPS officers may be given plum posts in future.

Jagan seems to have a lot of faith in the officials from outside AP. One of his recent appointees is Kanagaraju of Tamil Nadu. He has been made the chief of the Police Complaint Authority. Jagan’s clear preference for north Indian retired IAS officers is now hot top in the power corridors of the secretariat.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy has finally cleared property tax arrears pending since he became CM in 2019 after facing the ire of people.

Jagan has constructed a huge palatial house in Tadepalli on the outskirts of Vijayawada when he was leader of opposition in February 2019.

In May 2019, he became CM of Andhra Pradesh. After he became CM, he converted his house as official residence cum camp office of AP CM.

He has been discharging duties as CM from this house since then.

But Jagan ignored to pay property tax arrears since 2019.

With this, the arrears have mounted to Rs 16.90 lakh in the last two years.

Tadepalli municipality which penalises common people and seizes their properties who fail to pay property tax in time has remained silent on Jagan’s arrears. However, the information got leaked about Jagan’s arrears leading to anger among people who questioned how could a CM who should set an example to people by paying all taxes in time defaults on payment of property tax arrears for two years.

Sensing public anger, Jagan decided to pay arears and he cleared all dues on Saturday.

The house is registered in the name of YS Jagan’s wife Bharathi Reddy.

One politician is gobbling up gravel, while the other politico is slurping down sand. Both the leaders are at war with one another. So, one is trying to expose the misdeeds of the other. The end result is both the leaders are bringing disrepute to the party and are causing headache to the party’s young chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.

In the Nellore YSRCP a war of sorts is raging between Minister Anil Kumar Yadav and district YSRCP chief and Sarvepali MLA Kakani Govardhan Reddy. The war is not over who works more for the people. It is over who gobbles up more. While Govardhan Reddy is accused of mining more gravel from Sarvepalli region than is permitted, Anil Kumar is blamed for quarrying more sand from Penna that is allowed to. Both the leaders are bent on exposing one another.

Govardhan Reddy’s followers have secured permission to quarry 8000 cubic metres from Sarvepalli. His followers have even paid the seigniorage charges for the same. However, there are allegations that they have mined more than 10000 cubic metres. Anil Kumar has not only got a complaint filed against them, but even got an inquiry done. The MLA’s followers were penalised.

Not to be outdone, Govardhan Reddy’s followers have lodged a complaint against Anil Kumar’s followers for quarrying more sand from Penna river than permitted. Both the issues have now been lapped up by the Opposition TDP, which has begun an agitation against both the leaders. The issue has now reached Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, who is now said to be trying to patch up between the two warring leaders.

The whole issue has given the ruling YSRCP negative publicity and the gobbling up of natural resources by the powers that be has become a hot topic for discussion among the public.

The Centre on Thursday dealt a blow to Andhra Pradesh government by reducing its loan limit for this year.

The Jagan government is depending entirely on loans to fund its Navaratnalu cash transfer schemes, development programmes and even to pay salaries for state government employees.

It was found that Jagan government obtained loans over and above the permissible limits during the past two years.

This year, AP government sought Centre’s permission to take Rs 42,000 crore loans. The Centre had approved Rs 37,000 crore loans.

After it was found that, Jagan government crossed loan limit in the last two years, it has now deducted excess loans and cut down AP loan limit to Rs 27,000 crore this year.

Jagan government is now tensed over how to run the show with just Rs 27,000 crore loans this year at a time when AP government earnings took a drastic hit due to Covid and subsequent lockdown since April/May.