Metro India News | AMARAVATI

In a comprehensive review meeting held via video conference with district collectors and senior officials, Andhra Pradesh Chief Secretary K. Vijayanand laid out a multi-pronged roadmap focusing on the state's renewed commitment to making all government offices plastic-free by October 2025.As part of a phased campaign to combat pollution, Chief Secretary Vijayanand announced that 17 municipal corporations across Andhra Pradesh will be declared plastic-free by October. He emphasized that steps are being taken to phase out single-use plastics across all government offices and institutions statewide.

“The harmful effects of single-use plastic on the environment—particularly in terms of air and water pollution—must be widely communicated,” he said, directing district collectors to intensify public awareness campaigns. 

Under the Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana (PMAGY), 1,027 villages in Andhra Pradesh have been selected for model village status. Of these, 765 have already been declared model villages under the Village Development Plan (VDP). Collectors have been instructed to expedite development in the remaining 262 villages.

The Chief Secretary also reviewed the MSME Parks and the RAMP (Raising and Accelerating MSME Performance)initiative, a centrally sponsored program supported by the World Bank. He urged district collectors to ensure the timely implementation of these schemes, which are critical to local economic growth and job creation.