The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation is funding a pilot project to enable the state’s farmers to reverse the environmental degradation and rural poverty in the state by applying scientific methods to groundwater management.

Baseline studies jointly conducted by the FAO, Centre and state government have identified seven districts in Andhra Pradesh to effectively implement the best practices in sustainable cropping patterns to combat climate change.

Cabinet decides to enhance compensation for lands acquired by Government for specific purposes. The Cabinet has decided to enhance compensation to farmers for lands acquired by the Government for specific purposes.

This decision has been taken after considering a classic case from Patigadda in Kalikiri mandal of Chittoor district represented in the Assembly by Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy.

The Andhra Pradesh Government plans to further streamline the sand mining process in the State to ensure there is no pilferage.

The Mines and Geology Department may consider a crackdown on those violating State regulations and taking to illegal mining of sand, particularly from areas where there are curbs barring permission to mine for housing for the poor.

Andhra Pradesh which has 75 notified special economic zones (SEZs), which is the highest number of SEZs in any State in the country, has attracted investment of about Rs 15,000 crore. These SEZs registered exports of Rs 13,000 crore during the financial year 2010-11 and exports are expected to double during the current financial year, according to statement.

Apart from attracting investment and helping create new infrastructure, these SEZs provided direct employment opportunities to nearly 1.20 lakh people and many more have gained indirect employment.

The Centre has cleared a proposal for laying a six-lane expressway between Bangalore and Chennai, where vehicles can zoom at a speed of up to 120 kmph.

The expressway, the first of its kind in the country, will be built with public-private participation on a build-operate- transfer (BOT) basis and it will be a 100 per cent access-controlled road.

Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Wednesday announced introduction of 1 kg rice for Re 1 for below poverty line families in the state, a move that is being seen as an attempt to upstage the populist schemes of late Y S Rajasekhara Reddy. He had introduced Rs 2 per kg rice scheme ahead of elections, for which he is still remembered in the state.

“This government has understood the hunger of the poor... All those with white ration cards will be given 1 kg rice for just Re 1,” the CM said, launching the scheme at a public meeting in his native district Chittor.

Although G Janardhan Reddy made Bellary his home, he remained linked to his home state of Andhra Pradesh. Born in Chittoor district, he shifted to Bellary to start a newspaper Sayankalam and chit-fund company for the Telugu-speaking population on the Karnataka border.

Later, he ventured into small-time iron ore mining contracts where he first met the late Y S Rajasekhar Reddy’s father Y S Raja Reddy who had irrigation contracts in Bellary. The Reddy brothers and the YSR family became friends.

March 10: For the last one week, forest fires have become a regular feature in Chittoor district, particularly in Tirupati division, with hundreds of acres burnt on the Tirumala hills, Panapakkam, Mungilipattu and Rangampeta.

TIRUPATI: A herd of around two dozen elephants created havoc have strayed into Lakshmipuram village in Kuppam mandal of Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh and caused damage to fields. They had strayed into the State from Karnataka through the Gudupalle-Kuppam route.

The elephants reportedly entered the village around 10.30 p.m. on Monday and flattened the fields before entering a water tank.