Metro India News | AMARAVATI

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday announced that the state will be free of single-use plastics by June 2026, declaring it a mass movement, not just an environmental campaign. Participating in the Swarnandhra-Swachhandhra programme in Macharla, Palnadu district, he joined municipal workers in a cleanup near a village tank and handed over ₹52 crore to DWCRA women’s groups.

Naidu took a strong stance against both “plastic waste and dirty politics,” stating that true democracy had returned to Palnadu only after the NDA coalition came to power. He accused the previous regime of fostering political violence and pledged zero tolerance for such crimes.

He announced that the long-delayed Varikapudisela irrigation project would be completed, benefiting over 1.25 lakh acres and one lakh people. He reiterated that Polavaram would be completed by 2027, promising water for every acre in the state.

Naidu praised sanitation workers for clearing over 85 lakh tonnes of garbage, and detailed the state's move toward a circular economy with waste-to-energy plants and electric vehicles for door-to-door waste collection. He announced health and insurance coverage for safai mitras, and Swachhandhra Awards for outstanding sanitation efforts on October 2.

Other key announcements included ₹15,000 Dasara gifts for auto drivers, transparent teacher recruitment with 16,000 new hires, and attracting ₹10 lakh crore in investments, creating 9 lakh job opportunities. He concluded with a call to citizens to join hands in building a “Swachh Andhra and Green Andhra,” making the battle against plastic and corruption a collective mission.