States and Union Territories
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Click Here For Integrated Guidance Programme http://upscportal.com/civilservices/online-course/integrated-free-guidance-programme Geography CHAPTER - 2 STATES AND UNION TERRITORIES ANDHRA PRADESH Area : 2,75,069 sq km Population : 8.32 crores as on 1.3.09 Capital : Hyderabad Principal Languages : Telugu and Urdu HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY per cent of the people in Andhra Pradesh. Rice is a major food crop and staple food of the State The earliest mention of the Andhras is said to contributing about 77 per cent of the food grain be Aitereya Brahmana (2000BC). It indicates that production. Other important crops are juwar, bajra, the Andhras, originally an Aryan race living in north India migrated to south of the Vindhyas and maize, ragi small millets, pulses, castor, tobacco, later mixed with non-Aryans. Regular history of cotton and sugarcane. Forests cover 23 per cent of Andhra Desa, according to historians, begins with the State’s area. Important forest products are 236 BC, the year of Ashoka’s death. During the teak, eucalyptus, cashew, casurina, bamboo, following centuries, Satavahanas, Sakas, softwood, etc. Ikshvakus, Eastern Chalukyas, and Kakatiyas The Government is working with a mission of ruled the Telugu country. Other dynasties that “Sustainable Agriculture Production with ruled over the area in succession were the minimum cost of cultivation, eventually encancing kingdoms of Vijayanagar and Qutub Shahi followed the return on income to the farmer. “ In the process by Mir Qumruddin and his successors, known as of making the mission a reality, the Government the Nizams. Gradually, from the 17th century is implementing schemes for the welfare of onwards, the British annexed territories of the farmers like 9 hours free power supply, subsidized Nizam and constituted the single province of interest rate on crop loans, subsidized and quality Madras. After Independence, Telugu-speaking agricultural inputs etc. Andhra Pradesh occupies areas were separated from the composite Madras the first position in respect of agricultural loans Presidency and a new Andhra State came into being from commercial and cooperative banks. on 1 October 1953. with the passing of the States The debt waiver scheme of central government Reorganisation Act, 1956, there was a merger of Hyderabad State and Andhra State, and and the incentive scheme of the State consequently Andhra Pradesh came into being on Government have helped about one crore farmers 1 November 1956. in the state to the tune of Rs. 16,000 crore. The government of Andhra Pradesh is also keen on Andhra Pradesh is historically called the Rice introducing cooperative farming to set up farm Bowl of India. The state has a larger river system yields. which supplements the rainfall in the state. It is one of the few states in the country blessed with IRRIGATION riverine geography. A total of 86 projects (44 Major+30 Medium+4 Andhra Pradesh is bounded on the north by Flood Banks+8 Modernisation) have been taken up Orissa and Chhattisgarh, on the west by under alayagnam programme, with the aim of Maharashtra and Karnataka, on the south by Tamil completing the ongoing and new projects in a Nadu and on the east by the Bay of Bengal with a record time to provide immediate irrigation to coastline of 974 km. water starved areas on top priority by mobilizing funds from all possible sources. Till now, 12 projects AGRICULTURE were completed and water released for 19 more Agriculture is the main occupation of about 62 projects creating partial irrigation potential and Click Here to Buy Full Study Kit in Hard Copy © WWW.UPSCPORTAL.COM http://upscportal.com/civilservices/online-course/study-kit-for-ias-pre-gs-paper-1-2012 Click Here For Integrated Guidance Programme http://upscportal.com/civilservices/online-course/integrated-free-guidance-programme Geography the remaining projects are programmed to be variety of rocks and minerals and is called Ratna completed in a time bound and planned manner. Garbha. Andhra Pradesh has the largest deposits Andhra Pradesh Government has been making of quality chrysolite asbestos in the country. Other huge budgetary allocations for the execution of important minerals found in the state are copper irrigation projects and it is the first state to involve ore, manganese, mica, coal and limestone. The the farmers in the management of irrigation Singareni Coal Mines supply coal of the entire sources. south India. The mineral consumption is POWER increasing due to promotion of various industries and manufacture of mineral based products. The Important power projects in the State are : the state produces about 100 to 110 million tones of Nagarjunasagar and Neelam Sanjiva Reddy Sagar industrial minerals and 200 million cubic metres (Srisailam Hydel Project), Upper Sileru, Lower of stone and building material. AP stand first in Sileru, Tungabhadra Hydel projects and Nellore, Barytes and Limestone production in the country. Ramagundam, Kothagundam, Vijayawada and The state stands first in value of mineral revenue Middanur thermal power projects. The Srisailam among the important Mineral Producing states of Hydro Electric project (Right Bank) with an installed the country. capacity o 770 MW and the Srisailam Left Bank HES capacity of 900 MW and the Nagarjunasagar CIVIL SUPPLIES complex with 960 MW are the principal source of Rs. 2/- a kg rice scheme : To extend help to hydel generation. Vijayawada Thermal Power the poor and low-income groups the State station with an installed capacity of 1,260 MW and Government has been implementing the Rs. 2/-a Kothagudem Thermal power station with an Kg Rice supply scheme since 7 April 2008. installed capacity of 1,220 MW and the main Depending on the size of the family, each white sources of thermal power generation. The 1,000 cardholder gets 16kg to 20 kg every month. This MW coal-based Simhadri Thermal Power station benefits 1.82 crore white cardholders. The aims at supplying the entire energy generated to Government is keen on implementing the scheme the State. without any scope for irregularities. Installed capacity of the State as in June 2009 HOUSING is 13,472.33 MW. The annual revenue from sale of The Government has introduced an innovative, power is Rs. 13,945 crore (including non-tariff unique, self financed housing scheme “Rajiv income). Government is particularly committed to Swagruha” for the moderate income group in the the welfare of farmers by way of enhancing free state with an objective that every person with power from seven hours to nine hours to all moderate income in the state having no house of agriculture consumers. Govt. also waived the power his/her own must have a house at affordable cost consumption arrears amounting to Rs. 1,259 crore in the urban/municipal areas in the state. The relating agricultural consumers. houses / flats have to be made available to them INDUSTRIES at prices 25% less than the exiting market rates The Government of AP is extending various on similar specifications. The construction of incentives for SSI & Tiny Sector and Large & housing programmer under Rajiv Swagruha in Medium Scale Industries. The State Government under progress. has been promoting the manufacturing sector in HEATH a big way by providing concessions in power tariff, “Rajiv Arogyasri” is a unique health insurance allotting land and relaxing labour laws in Special scheme being implemented in Andhra Pradesh. Economic Zones (SEZs). AP has promoted 102 The scheme enables the poor, suffering from Special Economic Zones (SEZs) of which 64 have chronic diseases, to undergo treatment costing been notified by the Government of India. The state upto Rs. 2 lakh. All white cardholders can undergo has recommended to Government of India for treatment for about 942 diseases. Medical and setting up of 59TT/ ITES SEZs, with active private surgical treatment is provided in 344 corporate, sector participation. As of now, 12 IT SEZs with 22 private and Government hospitals free of cost of units are functioning and operational creating an patients. Aarogyasri Scheme is unique in its employment of 15,000 of TT professionals. applicability, since no other state / government MINES & GEOLOGY agency has provided universal health coverage to Andhra Pradesh is well known globally for its the poor for major ailments. The choice of hospital Click Here to Buy Full Study Kit in Hard Copy © WWW.UPSCPORTAL.COM http://upscportal.com/civilservices/online-course/study-kit-for-ias-pre-gs-paper-1-2012 Click Here For Integrated Guidance Programme http://upscportal.com/civilservices/online-course/integrated-free-guidance-programme Geography for treatment is with the patient. The entire 437 km is metre-gauge and 37 km is narrow gauge. process from the time of conduct of health camps Activation : Important airports in the State are to the screening, testing, treatment, follow-up and located at Shamshabad, Tirupati and claim for payment is made transparent through Visakhapatnam. International flights are operated online web based processing to prevent any misuse from Shamshabad. and fraud. The system is motivating more and more Government hospitals to participate in the scheme Ports : There is one major Port at and utilize the revenue earned to improve facilities Visakhapatnam under Government of India and to provide quality medial care and thus bring 13 Non-Major Ports under State Government. Ports reforms in tertiary medical care. Officials from offer tremendous potential for development and for several states have visited the state and the growth of a wide spectrum of maritime appreciated the scheme. Since inception of the i.e., activities such as international shipping, coastal 1 April 2007 and as on 31 March 200, 344 hospitals shipping, ship repairs, fishing, captive ports for from Government and private sector have joined specific industries, all weather ports, tourism and the network and organized 8785 health camps in sports, etc.