Visakhapatnam: In response to Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s remarks in Parliament, Dalit organizations under the Dalit Sangam Aikya Vedika staged a protest at Ambedkar’s statue in Vizag on Saturday. Braving adverse weather conditions, the protesters took out a symbolic procession around the statue, which had a replica of Amit Shah.
Dalit Sangham Ekya Vedika coordinator Busi Venkata Rao questioned the ethics and morals of Shah’s statement. He emphasized that without Dr. BR Ambedkar and the Constitution, Shah could not have held his current position. The protesters called on the President of India to take action himself and asked the Parliament Street Police to file an atrocity case against Shah.
The protesters also criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party for ignoring Ambedkar’s contribution. Various organizations including Bhim Sena, Dalit Sena, Indian Atheist Samaj, SC and ST Employees Federation, and United Trade Union Federation (UTF) joined the protest.
The Central Government has constituted the AP Coastal Zone Management Authority
Visakhapatnam: In an important step towards strengthening coastal environmental protection, the Union Government has constituted the Andhra Pradesh Coastal Zone Management Authority. The authorization replaces the earlier order dated 3 November 2023, which is effective for three years from the date of publication of the notification in the Official Gazette.
Constituted under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, the Authority comprises Special Chief Secretaries or Principal Secretaries of various departments of the Government of Andhra Pradesh, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research and expert members from institutions such as Krishna University. Its headquarters will be based in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh.
Nekkanti Satya Santoshi Sarathchandra, secretary of India Youth for Society Voluntary Organization, Visakhapatnam, has been appointed as a member of the authority. Earlier, Sarathchandra, an assistant professor at a private engineering college and currently a researcher at the Indian Institute of Petroleum and Energy, will represent the NGO in the 13-member committee for three years.
The authority’s responsibilities include evaluating project proposals, regulating development activities, enforcing Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) provisions and ensuring environmental compliance. To promote transparency, the authority will establish a dedicated website to publish meeting agendas, minutes, and decisions.