Dalit organisations protest against Amit Shah's remarks on Ambedkar in Vizag
Visakhapatnam: Dalit organisations under the Dalit Sangham Aikya Vedika staged a protest at the Ambedkar statue in Vizag on Saturday in response to Union Home Minister Amit Shah's remarks in Parliament. Braving adverse weather conditions, protesters held a symbolic funeral procession around the statue, featuring a replica of Amit Shah.
Boosi Venkata Rao, convener of the Dalit Sangham Eikya Vedika, questioned the moral and ethical implications of Shah's statements. He emphasised that without Dr B.R. Ambedkar and the Constitution, Shah would not hold his current position. The protesters urged the President of India to take suo motu action and called for the Parliament Street Police to file an atrocity case against Shah.
The protesters also criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party for what they deemed as its neglect of Ambedkar's contributions. Various organisations, including Bhim Sena, Dalit Sena, the Atheist Society of India, the SC and ST Employees Federation, and the United Trade Union Federation (UTF), joined the protest.
Central govt constitutes AP Coastal Zone Management Authority
Visakhapatnam: In a significant step towards strengthening coastal environmental protection, the central government has constituted the Andhra Pradesh Coastal Zone Management Authority. The Authority, effective for three years from its notification in the official gazette, replaces the previous order dated 3 November 2023.
Formed under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, the Authority includes key members such as Special Chief Secretaries or Principal Secretaries from various Andhra Pradesh Government departments, along with expert members from institutions like the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research and Krishna University. Its headquarters will be based in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh.
Nekkanti Satya Santoshi Sarathchandra, Secretary of the India Youth for Society voluntary organisation from Visakhapatnam, has been appointed as a member of the Authority. Sarathchandra, formerly an Assistant Professor at a private engineering college and currently a researcher at the Indian Institute of Petroleum and Energy, will represent non-government organisations in the 13-member committee for three years.
The Authority's responsibilities include evaluating project proposals, regulating developmental 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.
