Visakhapatnam, Jan 8: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate and lay foundations for projects worth over Rs 2 lakh crore here on Wednesday evening.

The Prime Minister, who will be arriving on his first visit to Andhra Pradesh after the TDP-led NDA formed the government in the state, will conduct a roadshow and address a public meeting, where he will virtually launch several major projects aimed at driving sustainable growth and infrastructure development, with a particular focus on North Andhra Pradesh.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan will accompany the Prime Minister during the roadshow and for the public meeting.

After arrival at INS Dega at 4.15 p.m., the Prime Minister will conduct the roadshow from Siripuram Cross Roads to AU Engineering College, the venue of the public meeting.

Governor S. Abdul Nazeer, Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, Civil Aviation Minister Rammohan Naidu, Union Minister of State Bhupati Raju Srinivasa Varma, few state ministers, BJP MP and state party president Purandeswari will share the dais with the Prime Minister.

This will be Narendra Modi’s second visit to Andhra Pradesh after assuming office as the Prime Minister for the third term.

In June last year, he had attended the swearing-in of Chandrababu Naidu and his ministers in Vijayawada.

The Prime Minister was scheduled to visit Visakhapatnam on November 29 but the programme was postponed due to a cyclone alert.

The state government has made elaborate arrangements for the Prime Minister’s visit.

The TDP and its allies Jana Sena and BJP are mobilising people from various parts of North Andhra for the roadshow and public meeting.

Authorities expect 80,000 people to take part in the roadshow, while nearly 2 lakh people are likely to attend the public meeting.

The roadshow will commence at 4:45 p.m. from the Venkatadri Vantillu restaurant area in Siripuram.

The public meeting will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. He will leave the venue at 6:50 p.m. and return to the air station around 7:15 p.m. to leave for Bhubaneswar.

PM Modi will lay the foundation stone for the South Coast Railway Zone (SCoR) headquarters in Visakhapatnam. This will meet the long-pending demand of the state under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014.

He will also lay the foundation stone for the NTPC Green Energy Limited’s (NGEL) Green Hydrogen Hub at Pudimadaka in Atchutapuram mandal of Anakapalle district.

To be developed under the National Green Hydrogen Mission, this mega project involves an investment of Rs 1.85 lakh crore and 20 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity to produce 1,500 tonnes per day of green hydrogen.

The project will also produce 7,500 tonnes of green hydrogen derivatives, including green methanol, green urea, and sustainable aviation fuel, primarily targeting export markets.

The Prime Minister will also launch a series of road and railway projects in Andhra Pradesh, collectively valued at Rs 19,500 crore.

He will also lay the foundation stone for a bulk drug park at Nakkapalli in Anakapalle district.

With an investment of Rs 1,438.89 crore, the park is strategically located near the Visakhapatnam-Chennai Industrial Corridor (VCIC) and the Visakhapatnam- Kakinada Petrochemical and Investment Region, promising thousands of jobs and enhanced industrial activity in the region.

The foundation stone will also be for the Krishnapatnam Industrial Area (KRIS City) in Tirupati district under the Chennai-Bengaluru Industrial Corridor.

The project is expected to attract investments of Rs 10,500 crore and create nearly one lakh direct and indirect jobs.

New Delhi, Jan 8: With the tenure of the incumbent Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) coming to an end in February, the Supreme Court was urged on Wednesday to advance the scheduled hearing on pleas challenging the law introduced by the Parliament, which excludes the Chief Justice of India (CJI) from the process of appointment of top officials of the Election Commission.

“The incumbent CEC is retiring on 18th of February and the new Election Commissioner will have to be appointed. Now, the question is as to whether he will be appointed in terms of the Constitution Bench judgment or in accordance with this new law. I am requesting that this matter should be heard next week,” advocate Prashant Bhushan submitted before a bench headed by Justice Surya Kant.

Declining to fast-track the hearing scheduled on February 4, the Justice Kant-led Bench remarked: “How many matters will we be able to hear urgently? We understand the importance of the matter and any good matter requires some time also. February is not far, remind us on February 3 in the morning, so we are able to take up the matter on 4th February.”

Bhushan said that the issue is already covered by the Constitution Bench judgement and should not take much time.

In March 2023, a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court had held that the appointment of top officials of the Election Commission shall be done by the President on the advice of a panel comprising the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, and the Chief Justice of India.

“We declare that the appointment of the CEC and the other ECs shall be made on the recommendations made by a three-member Committee comprising the Prime Minister, LoP of the Lok Sabha and in case no LoP is available, the leader of the largest opposition party in the Lok Sabha in terms of numerical strength and the Chief Justice of India,” said the apex court, clarifying that its guidelines shall be in effect until Parliament makes a law in consonance with Article 324(2) of the Constitution.

After the apex court verdict, the Parliament introduced legislation providing that the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and the other Election Commissioners (ECs) will be appointed by the President on the recommendation of a Selection Committee consisting of the PM, the Leader of the Opposition (or the largest opposition party) in the Lok Sabha, and a Union Cabinet Minister to be nominated by the PM.

Several PILs were filed before the Supreme Court challenging the constitutional validity of the Chief Election Commissioner and the other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Condition of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023.

One of the pleas filed by a Noida-based lawyer sought directions to set aside the gazette notification issued by the Union government on December 28, 2023, and to include the Chief Justice of India in the selection committee for the appointment of the CEC and ECs. Further, it sought direction to the Union of India for implementing an independent and transparent system of selection constituting a neutral and independent selection committee for appointment of the CEC and other ECs.

Recently, CJI Sanjiv Khanna recused himself from hearing the matter and said that the PILs should be heard by a different Bench.

Wayanad, Jan 8: Jewellery magnate Boby Chemmanur was taken into custody by Kerala police on Wednesday morning from his resort in Wayanad following a complaint lodged by popular actress Honey Rose.

Rose accused Chemmanur of using derogatory language against her, an incident she disclosed had occurred four months ago.

Wayanad Superintendent of Police Taposh Basumathary confirmed Chemmanur’s detention and said the probe team handling the case would take him to Kochi for questioning.

Currently, Chemmanur is held at the Wayanad police camp and is expected to be transferred to the Kochi Central Police station later in the day.

The swift action took many by surprise, particularly as Chemmanur was reportedly in the process of securing anticipatory bail.

On Tuesday, Honey Rose publicly revealed her decision to file a police complaint, describing the incident as deeply disturbing for her and her family.

She shared her experience on social media, where she also warned Chemmanur that she would extend her complaint to his close associates if necessary.

Rose had earlier narrated the incident on social media without naming Chemmanur, which resulted in intensified cyberattacks against her. Police have since arrested around two dozen people involved in these attacks.

The actress, who made her acting debut in the 2005 Malayalam film Boyy Friennd, gained widespread recognition with the 2012 film ‘Trivandrum Lodge’. She is now a highly sought-after figure in the entertainment industry, particularly for public events.

Boby Chemmanur is the chairman of the Chemmanur International Group, a sprawling business conglomerate. He is well-known for his association with late football legend Diego Maradona, whom he brought to Kerala in 2012.

Chemmanur has often made headlines for his unconventional ventures, including a record-breaking 812 km marathon in April 2014, aimed at raising awareness about blood donation. This initiative led to the creation of the world’s largest blood bank, inspiring approximately 1.4 million blood donations.

As the investigation unfolds, the allegations have cast a shadow on Chemmanur’s reputation, which has been built over decades of high-profile activities and philanthropic efforts.