By DC Correspondent

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Visakhapatnam:ASR district collector A.S. Dinesh Kumar announced that the National Adventure Trekking camp will be held in Araku Valley from September 24 to October 1, organised by the 13th Andhra Battalion NCC. Around 565 cadets from across the country will take part.The camp opens at ASR School on September 24. Activities include a cleanliness drive, garden and museum visits, and a sapling plantation. Cadets will trek to Gali Konda Peak in batches between September 26 and 28, with free entry to Borra Caves and visits to Chaparai Waterfalls. Security will be provided under the forest officer’s supervision. On September 29, cadets will trek to Armakonda Peak and take part in a debate.The camp concludes with cultural programmes and prize distribution on September 30, followed by the closing ceremony on October 1. To review preparations, the Collector held a teleconference with Joint Collector Dr M.J. Abhishek Gowda, APTDC MD, and other officials. Lt. Dr Swamy Naidu has been appointed as the nodal officer.Officials present included SP Amit Bardar, ITDA PO Thirumani Sripooja, Lt. Col. Neeraj Kumar, DFO T.V. Sandeep Reddy, DMHO Vishweshwara Naidu, PRO Bala Man Singh, and APC Swamy Naidu.AP to be made ID liquor-free soon: Kollu RavindraVijayawada:Minister for excise Kollu Ravindra has pledged efforts to make Andhra Pradesh free from illicitly distilled (ID) liquor soon.The minister said the government is implementing Navodayam 2.0, an anti-illicit liquor programme currently active in 18 districts, and it would soon be expanded to eight more districts.Responding to queries during Question Hour in the AP Legislative Council on Thursday regarding spurious liquor, mushrooming belt shops, and permit rooms near liquor outlets, the minister pointed out that during the previous YSR Congress regime, 65,918 cases were booked against belt shops between 2019 and 2024, including 9,129 during the Covid-19 period in 2021.He said non-duty-paid liquor was rampant under the previous regime, but the present government has curbed it. New liquor brands have been introduced, attracting consumers, while smuggling from neighbouring states has reduced. This, he said, has improved state revenues.The minister added that irregularities in the liquor sector under the YSR Congress prompted the constitution of a special AP CID investigation team to probe the matter and take culprits to task.AP solar power crosses 5,000 MW; govt targets 78.5 GW expansionVijayawada:Energy minister Gottipati Ravi Kumar on Thursday announced in the AP Legislative Assembly that Andhra Pradesh’s solar power generation capacity has reached 5,006.35 MW. He said the state aims to raise its capacity to 78.50 GW in the coming years under the AP Integrated Clean Energy Policy 2024.Replying to a question from MLA Battula Balaramakrishna during Question Hour, the minister said rooftop solar panels of 2,138 kW have been installed at model schools and KGBV hostels. Tenders have been floated for 3,550 kW of solar systems across 415 schools under the PM SHRI scheme. Plans are also under way to set up 130 MW of solar capacity on government and panchayat buildings.He urged bankers to support the PM Surya Ghar scheme to expand rooftop solar for households, noting that Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu had already met bankers to seek their cooperation. The government will also provide free rooftop solar systems for eligible SC/ST families to reduce their power expenses.Criticising the previous YSRC regime, the minister said the renewable energy sector suffered setbacks, driving away industrialists and investors. He alleged that Andhra Pradesh, once a power-surplus state, had been turned into a deficit one, with electricity charges raised nine times.Between 2014 and 2019, under the TD regime, the state achieved 9 GW of renewable energy capacity. However, the minister lamented stagnation in the 2019–24 period.AP defers handing over of appointment letters to Mega DSC-2025 candidatesVijayawada:The Andhra Pradesh government has deferred the programme of handing over appointment letters to those selected as teachers in Mega DSC-2025, which was scheduled to be held at Amaravati in Guntur district on September 19.Mega DSC convenor M.V. Krishna Reddy, in a statement issued here on Thursday, said that as the IMD had predicted heavy rains in Guntur district on that day, and considering the difficulties candidates might face in travelling to collect their appointment letters, the state government had postponed the event. He said fresh dates for the programme would be announced later.Eluru to procure 4 lakh MTs of paddy this kharif: CollectorKakinada:Eluru district collector K. Vetri Selvi said that 4 lakh metric tonnes of paddy would be procured from farmers during this kharif season and directed officials to make necessary arrangements.She convened a meeting with officials on Thursday regarding paddy procurement and instructed them to ensure that farmers faced no inconvenience during the…