TDP comes up with more promises

HYDERABAD: Free supply of subsidised rice, doubling the monthly quota, waiver of jewel loans, houses for government employees and free supply of LPG under Deepam scheme are to be included in the Telugu Desam manifesto for the Assembly elections.
These promises are among the 208 listed out in a booklet circulated among the Polit Bureau members, other important leaders, MPs, MLAs, MLCs of the party who attended a brainstorming session, stated to be the first of the preparatory meetings for the coming elections. TDP president, N. Chandrababu Naidu, was the key speaker.
These promises were categorised into welfare of the poor, farmers, women, youth, backward classes, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Completion of irrigation projects with vigour, crop loan waiver to be extended to all farmers, piped supply of LPG in towns and free education for the economically backward were the other promises.
Meanwhile, inaugurating the meet, Mr. Naidu called upon the leaders to gear up for Assembly and Lok Sabha elections slated in the next six months. The schedule of these elections could be decided by the next Lok Sabha session scheduled in October. The survival of the UPA government was becoming difficult as more members who had defied party whips in the confidence vote are likely to be disqualified.

All-round failure

With no section of the people happy with the government, the TDP would romp home in the next elections, he asserted. He wanted the party leaders to highlight the all-round failure of the State government, especially corruption, the way it could not control price rise, extend crop loan waiver to all farmers, ensure
Minimum Support Price of Rs. 1000 per quintal of paddy and pushed the women’s self help groups into debt trap by promising “pavla vaddi” but levying compounding interest.

JNTU students hack exam portals

HYDERABAD: Technology comes with its own limitations and deficiencies and some students of the Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU) are exploiting these shortcomings to crack into the examination portals and steal the question bank.
The hacked questions are shared with other students using popular networking sites like Orkut or web groups like Yahoo and Gmail.
These question banks pertain to the internals conducted online by the University carrying 20 marks each for every subject in every semester. Majority of students in the cities who are part of these groups are able to download the question bank consisting of 180 questions.
A third year engineering student agreed that there are some bright students who crack the examination portal. The hackers don’t even allow their friends to toil studying the questions and searching for answers.
A software available with them is embedded to the question bank and it searches the right answers and highlights them in bold for easy identification. Some of them are so advanced that they insert a pen drive, loaded with the software, in the examination hall and it answers the questions.
Interestingly, the JNTU introduced online examination system when it found that some colleges were resorting to leakage of question papers for their students’ benefit. The then Vice Chancellor, Y. Venkatrami Reddy, introduced the system of sending question papers through CDs locked with a password that used to be revealed an hour before examination. Later, online testing was adopted.
The JNTU in-charge Registrar, E. Saibaba Reddy said earlier revelations were that students were able to guess the answers based on the pattern of the question papers. That was plugged making changes in the system.
“We will study it and enhance our security systems if needed,” he said.
However, he said the University had discussed a plan to increase the number of questions in the bank and give open access.

Venkataswamy urges TRS to back UPA without riders

HYDERABAD: Congress Working Committee member G. Venkatawamy has advised Telangana Rashtra Samiti president K. Chandrasekhara Rao to support the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government without conditions.
Reacting to the TRS chief’s condition that the two MPs of his party would back the UPA only if Prime Minister Manmohan Singh gave a specific assurance on creation of Telangana, Mr. Venkataswamy said at a press conference here on Wednesday that this was not the time to put conditions.
“It is the moral responsibility of the TRS to back the UPA Government,” he said and exuded confidence that the Congress party would give serious consideration to the demand for creation of a separate State. “Once the UPA Government survives the confidence vote, the demand for creation of Telangana may be seriously considered,” he said.
Irrigation project
Expressing displeasure over the Detailed Project Report (DPR) submitted by a consultancy, WAPCOS, on the Pranahita-Chevella irrigation scheme, Mr. Venkataswamy demanded that the Government constitute an expert committee to study it.
He said the DPR was submitted to the Government without the technical staff or engineers visiting the field. Raising doubts over the fairness of the DPR, he said the Government could not allow the survey on canal works to be taken up.
The Congress leader wondered how the agency could be so casual in its approach while preparing the DPR for one of the most ambitious and biggest irrigation project that would benefit five districts.
The expert committee should study the DPR and, if necessary, direct the Government to conduct a resurvey for the project.

Goud should not form a party, says TDP leader

HYDERABAD: Telugu Desam spokesman and Secunderabad MLA T. Srinivas Yadav on Wednesday wanted former party leader T. Devender Goud to drop the idea of forming a political party as he had lost faith in elections.
At a press conference, Mr. Yadav wondered why he was asking his supporters to stick posters of the proposed party all over when he had contempt for seeking votes and individuals running parties. Instead, he should concentrate only on building movement for separate Telangana.
If he was so opposed to votes and elections, he should explain why he sought votes for the chairmanship of Ranga Reddy Zilla Parishad and later as MLA from Medchal that facilitated him to become Minister, he added. Continuing with his blistering attack on Mr. Goud, he challenged him to contest from Medchal again claiming an ordinary TDP worker would be enough to defeat him.
Asked about the talk of the proposed TDP-TRS alliance, he dismissed the reports as highly speculative and said there was lot of time for Assembly elections.

RTC increases bus frequency

HYDERABAD: Taking into consideration long pending requests from passengers, APSRTC has increased the frequency of buses on Route No. 211 T from Secunderabad station (near Gurudwara) to S.P. Biotech Park and ICICI Knowledge Park with immediate effect, a release said. APSRTC will operate ten services everyday from 6.10 a.m. to 7.55 p.m. from Secunderabad station and between 9.20 a.m. and 8.35 p.m. from S.P. Biotech Park.
APSRTC also informed that 216 persons were caught travelling with fake bus passes during surprise checks by its zonal enforcement squad.

Fines imposed
The bogus passes were confiscated and complaints launched with concerned police stations besides imposing fines totalling Rs.14, 455, it said.
Fines totalling Rs.38, 620 were also levied on 1,415 passengers for ticket less travel while 431 passengers were prosecuted by the mobile court for offences like footboard travelling and unauthorised occupation of seats reserved for ladies. the press release added.

Unscheduled power cuts

HYDERABAD: City dwellers continue to be harassed with unscheduled power shutdowns even after the announcement of a schedule by the APCPDCL a few days ago. Power cuts of durations ranging from two to five hours or more are being experienced all over the city, often at odd timings.
“For the past two to three days, power is being removed abruptly at odd hours. We had shutdowns from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and again from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. Our school-going children would not find time to finish their homework,” complained Narsing Rao, an Inspector from City Police who stays at Chintal Basti.
Power cuts in the morning are resulting in untold misery due to obstruction in water supply, he said. The water pump which requires three-phase supply would not have full pressure at single phase supply. “The cuts are not limited to two hours. We experience 3-hour cut everyday,” says Chary, a retired lecturer from Dilsukhnagar.

Indifferent attitude
Many areas within the Ranga Reddy district such as Alwal and Saroornagar share the problem. All are miffed with the non-responsive attitude of the authorities.
Calling the local distribution office will not yield any result as the receiver is put aside during power cuts, he said. The 24-hour helpline would be always busy. Authorities, however, refute allegations of unscheduled cuts.
“The housing colonies adjacent to the industrial areas had to suffer due to the four-hour scheduled cut for the industries. Now the problem will be rectified as weekly power holidays have been announced,” said V.V. Swamy, the Public Information Officer of CPDCL.
He further said the prolonged cuts might be due to line clearance obtained by the local officials.

Pawar hits Babu plan

Hyderabad, July 9: The Telugu Desam supremo, Mr N. Chandrababu Naidu, has once again decided to adopt a wait-and-watch policy on Telangana issue in the wake of the UPA wooing the Telangana Rastra Samiti for support. The party leadership has also postponed the meeting of the five-member committee on Telangana, which was scheduled to be held on July 13 in Khammam district.
Though Mr Naidu has reportedly been in touch with the TRS president, Mr Chandrasekhar Rao, the phone call from the Union Minister, Mr Sharad Pawar, to the latter has changed the picture. KCR has offered the support of his two MPs to the UPA if the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, was willing to kickstart the process for the formation of Telangana.
This has prompted Mr Naidu to bide his time till the moves of the TRS leadership and the policies of actor Chiranjeevi’s proposed party become clear. Till then he will keep his cards close to his chest.“The committee will meet at a later date and as far as the Telangana issue is concerned, we will watch the developments,” said the TD politburo member, Mr Yanamala Ramakrishnudu.
As the political situation at the Centre is fluid, the TD leadership feels that a hasty decision on separate Telangana is uncalled for. It may even lead to unnecessary troubles in Andhra and Rayalaseema regions. “We were apprehensive that before the 2009 elections the UPA might take a decision in favour of separate Telangana to woo the people of this region,” said a TD leader. “But as the Union government is in trouble now, we foresee no such possibility.”
However, the Telangana leaders in the TD are stepping up pressure on Mr Naidu to announce a pro-Telangana stance. On the lines of Mr K. Srihari and Mr E. Dayakar Rao, another Telangana leader, Mr M. Jagannadham, also spoke in favour of a separate state. He said that the TD would ally with the TRS in the next elections to get maximum seats in Telangana.
Meanwhile, the TD chief held a three-hour long teleconference with 1,000 mandal presidents to assuage the restive cadre that the exit of some leaders would not harm the party.
(Courtesy:DC)

CEO turns down Allu Aravind’s plea

HYDERABAD: A plea by film producer Allu Aravind, brother-in-law of film star Chiranjeevi, to extend the July 14 deadline for completion of house-to-house enumeration of eligible voters for enrolment was turned down by Chief Electoral Officer I. V. Subba Rao here on Wednesday.
Mr. Aravind met the CEO at the latter’s office for 20 minutes and sought extension of the deadline since “a large number of youth who had crossed the age of 18 years after the 2004 elections had not been enrolled”. The film maker later told reporters that he had called on Mr. Subba Rao as an individual citizen but refused to answer any questions on the party being launched by Mr. Chiranjeevi. The CEO explained that the deadline was fixed quite some time ago by the Election Commission after considering several factors. However, two more opportunities were available after July 14 for eligible voters to enrol themselves.

Competent authority
They could approach the officials concerned between July 25 and August 9 when objections would be received by the competent authority, tahsildar, for inclusion or deletion of names from the electoral rolls. The draft electoral rolls would be displayed at all tahsildar offices.
The second opportunity would be available from September 1 when 1,200 designated photo lamination (DPL) centres would be opened in the State.
(Courtesy:The Hindu)

India sends safeguards agreement to IAEA Board

New Delhi: Contrary to External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee’s assurance that the process of finalising India’s safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency would begin only after the United Progressive Alliance won a vote of confidence in Parliament, the government has given the go-ahead for the draft text to be forwarded to the Agency’s Board of Governors.
In a statement issued on Wednesday evening, the IAEA Secretariat said that “at the request of the government of India,” the draft safeguards agreement had been circulated to the 35-nation Board “for its consideration.”
It added that the Chairman of the Board “is consulting with Board members to agree on a date for a meeting when the Agreement would be considered” and that the text of the draft was not public.
The Board is scheduled to meet on July 28 to discuss an unrelated matter, but an attempt could be made to make the India draft an agenda item for that meeting.
At a press conference on Tuesday, Mr. Mukherjee was asked when the government intended to send the agreement to the IAEA Board. He replied this would be done only after the government demonstrated it had majority support in the Lok Sabha.
IAEA sources in Vienna told The Hindu that although safeguards agreements normally circulated for 45 days before being taken up by the Board for approval, the Chairman — currently Chilean Ambassador Milenko E. Skoknic — was consulting with member- states to see if this process could be accelerated. “Because both the U.S. and India are pushing, this can be speeded up. But at the same time, there is concern that the agreement not be rammed down the throat of states which have reservations,” the sources said.
The IAEA sources also refuted Mr. Mukherjee’s claim that Agency rules prevented India from sharing its draft safeguards agreement with anybody it wants.
The Secretariat is obliged to follow a certain procedure for circulating documents such as a safeguards agreement to the Board of Governors, the sources said, but these procedures do not apply to the member state which is party to that agreement.
Asked pointedly whether Mr. Mukherjee was correct in saying India could not circulate the safeguards text to “third parties without going through laid down procedures of the IAEA,” a senior IAEA official said, “I don’t think this is something we could restrict India from doing.”
“As far as the Secretariat is concerned, we are not in the position of making safeguards agreements available for public distribution. We only put them up to the Board members. What each member does with them is up to it,” the official said, adding, “I don’t think India is bound by this procedure.”
In their statement announcing withdrawal of support to the United Progressive Alliance, the Left parties had cited the refusal of the government to share the safeguards text with them as a major breach of understanding.
Replying to them on Tuesday, Mr. Mukherjee had referred to the safeguards text as a “privileged document held in confidence between GOI and the IAEA Secretariat.” If the Left leaders wanted the full text, they “would have to join the government in order to access [it],” he said. In a press conference the same day, he described the safeguards agreement as a “confidential document” and claimed the IAEA’s rules stipulated that “until the text was shown to the Board it can’t be shown to others.”
The IAEA official said the rule cited by the Minister was correct. But it applied only to the IAEA Secretariat.
The IAEA Statute contains no reference to tying a member state to a set procedure for the circulation of documents. The only reference to confidentiality of information is in Article VII, which deals with the obligations of the IAEA staff. In all other documents such as safeguards agreements and Additional Protocols, the obligation to maintain confidentiality applies to the IAEA and not to the signatory state.
(Courtesy:The Hindu)

24-hour power supply to Tirumala, Tirupati

HYDERABAD: There will no cut in power supply to Tirumala Hills and Tirupati. Tirumala has been exempted from power cut implemented all over the State, as a special case in view of the flow of pilgrims and visits by VIPs almost daily. As the sub-stations and feeders are common to Tirumala and Tirupati, there will be no cut in Tirupati, which is also a major pilgrim centre. P. Gopal Reddy, Chairman & Managing Director, AP Southern Power Distribu-tion Company Ltd. said they had taken all steps to ensure 24-hour supply to the two pilgrim centres.

ICET counselling begins today

HYDERABAD: Around 55,000 seats would be on offer at the ICET counselling beginning on Wednesday.
The counselling would be inaugurated by Minister for Technical Education R. Chenga Reddy at 11 a.m. at the PGRR Centre for Distance Education, Osmania University. ICET-2008 Convener D.N. Reddy said that only 300 candidates have been called on the first day and the first phase would be completed by July 20. Last year, 17,000 MBA seats were available in 381 colleges and 26,000 MCA seats in 521 colleges. This year 29 new MCA colleges and 13 new MBA colleges got permission to offer the course.
Scratch card
He said every candidate attending counselling would get a scratch card containing a password using which they could update their choice of colleges and the courses after the first phase. The facility would be open from July 25 to 30 for practice for the candidates and from August 2 to 15 they can actually give their options as many times as they want. Prof. Reddy said the allotment would be done on August 16 and candidates can download the allotment letter from the website to present it at the college.
Notification
He said a detailed notification with instructions on the usage of the scratch card, websites and how to choose the options would be issued after the first phase of counselling to guide the candidates.
(Courtesy:The Hindu)

Telangana movement will be peaceful, says Devender Goud

HYDERABAD: Former Minister T. Devender Goud on Tuesday asserted that the movement which his party would be spearheading for carving out a separate Telangana State would be peaceful and not give scope for any violence as people of the two regions should part ways cordially like “brothers”.
Participating in a ‘Meet-the-press’ programme organised by the Andhra Pradesh Union of Working of Journalists (APUWJ), he said “there won’t be space for violence” and the party would not rouse passions by building prejudices against people from other regions.
Mr. Goud said he quit TDP not to become Chief Minister or for some position but to fight for the justice of Telangana people, who have been neglected.
Immediate focus would be on building a movement by involving the people rather than looking for winning seats.
He said that 2009 elections for Lok Sabha and Assembly would be crucial as MPs from the State would play a key role in the formation of the next government at the Centre. The situation would be favourable for Telangana in both Parliament and Assembly, he predicted.

Criticises Naidu, YSR
Mr. Goud lashed out at TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu and Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, saying both the leaders had hijacked their respective parties which were functioning in an undemocratic manner.
Mr. Goud was non-committal on the possibility of having an understanding with the party proposed to be launched by actor Chiranjeevi saying it would not be proper to comment without knowing its agenda. He ruled out the question of aligning with the TDP in future.
(Courtesy:The Hindu)

In case, it is pending...

Hyderabad, July 8: American boxer Rubin Carter, who was known among fans as ‘Hurricane,’ spent over 20 years of his life in jail on a murder charge before he was finally declared innocent and released. His heart-rending story was later made into a movie. There are many like him languishing in Indian jails, with their trials getting delayed interminably. But unlike Hurricane, they rarely get media attention. There are also thousands of petitioners who are pursuing cases for years with no end in sight. Most people in the legal fraternity agree that justice delayed is justice denied. But the fact remains that nearly 2.6 crore cases have piled up in courts across the country.
Thousands of cases are pending in courts in Andhra Pradesh too, delaying delivery of justice to people in all corners of the state. Some of them have incurred huge debts in fighting their cases. Quite often, even petty cases take several years to be resolved and petitioners end up spending more money on travel and the fee of advocates than they would ever get if the case goes in their favour.
The state of those who lose such cases after long trials is even worse. They are sometimes ruined financially. There is a backlog of more than 40,000 civil and criminal cases in the Supreme Court itself and it has increased by 25 per cent in the last one year. Various parliamentary panels have recommended several times that SC benches should be set up in other parts of the country to deal with pending cases but the apex court has turned down this suggestion. Similarly, 3,991,251 cases (3,287,037 civil cases and 704,214 criminal cases) are pending in 21 high courts of the country. More than 2.5 crore cases are pending in subordinate courts.
In Andhra Pradesh, there are 9.51 lakh cases pending in various courts. These cases involve over one crore people. The AP High Court Chief Justice, Mr A.R. Dave, himself admitted recently that the disposal rate of cases has come down drastically in the last few months. The Central government had established fast track courts to help reduce the number of cases. Though they have cleared over 10 lakh of the 19 lakh cases placed before them, there is still a long way to go. The Centre has now extended their tenure by another five years.
To deal with the burgeoning problem, the Centre has also appointed 150 additional judges in the high courts and decided to fill up judicial vacancies at all levels and fund computerisation of lower courts. There are over 2,800 judicial vacancies across the country. There are some encouraging trends. Judges are now attempting to club cases of similar nature so that they could be dealt with together."This way, a court may deal with over 100 cases of a similar nature in one go," said Mr Venkata Rajaram, a senior advocate.
There has also been much focus on revolutionising the infrastructure through computerisation. Karnataka is leading the way in this. "More courts should be established in rural areas so that people won’t have to incur huge expenses to run their cases," said an advocate of the AP High Court.


Backlog cases in various high courts
State Cases
Allahabad 8,08,226

Andhra Pradesh 1,47,537

Bombay 3,67,409

Calcutta 2,79,318

Chhattisgarh 74,701

Delhi 76,674

Gujarat 1,10,639

Gauhati 59,339

Himachal Pradesh 26,781

Jammu & Kashmir 45,374

Jharkhand 49,276

Karnataka 1,04,237

Kerala 1,15,750

Madhya Pradesh 1,87,677

Madras 4,26,347

Orissa 2,27,752

Patna 1,02,165

Punjab, Haryana 2,55,696

Rajasthan 2,12,451

Sikkim 67

Uttaranchal 22,807
(Courtesy:DC)

In case, it is pending...

Hyderabad, July 8: American boxer Rubin Carter, who was known among fans as ‘Hurricane,’ spent over 20 years of his life in jail on a murder charge before he was finally declared innocent and released. His heart-rending story was later made into a movie. There are many like him languishing in Indian jails, with their trials getting delayed interminably. But unlike Hurricane, they rarely get media attention. There are also thousands of petitioners who are pursuing cases for years with no end in sight. Most people in the legal fraternity agree that justice delayed is justice denied. But the fact remains that nearly 2.6 crore cases have piled up in courts across the country.
Thousands of cases are pending in courts in Andhra Pradesh too, delaying delivery of justice to people in all corners of the state. Some of them have incurred huge debts in fighting their cases. Quite often, even petty cases take several years to be resolved and petitioners end up spending more money on travel and the fee of advocates than they would ever get if the case goes in their favour.
The state of those who lose such cases after long trials is even worse. They are sometimes ruined financially. There is a backlog of more than 40,000 civil and criminal cases in the Supreme Court itself and it has increased by 25 per cent in the last one year. Various parliamentary panels have recommended several times that SC benches should be set up in other parts of the country to deal with pending cases but the apex court has turned down this suggestion. Similarly, 3,991,251 cases (3,287,037 civil cases and 704,214 criminal cases) are pending in 21 high courts of the country. More than 2.5 crore cases are pending in subordinate courts.
In Andhra Pradesh, there are 9.51 lakh cases pending in various courts. These cases involve over one crore people. The AP High Court Chief Justice, Mr A.R. Dave, himself admitted recently that the disposal rate of cases has come down drastically in the last few months. The Central government had established fast track courts to help reduce the number of cases. Though they have cleared over 10 lakh of the 19 lakh cases placed before them, there is still a long way to go. The Centre has now extended their tenure by another five years.
To deal with the burgeoning problem, the Centre has also appointed 150 additional judges in the high courts and decided to fill up judicial vacancies at all levels and fund computerisation of lower courts. There are over 2,800 judicial vacancies across the country. There are some encouraging trends. Judges are now attempting to club cases of similar nature so that they could be dealt with together."This way, a court may deal with over 100 cases of a similar nature in one go," said Mr Venkata Rajaram, a senior advocate.
There has also been much focus on revolutionising the infrastructure through computerisation. Karnataka is leading the way in this. "More courts should be established in rural areas so that people won’t have to incur huge expenses to run their cases," said an advocate of the AP High Court.

Backlog cases in various high courts
State Cases
Allahabad 8,08,226
Andhra Pradesh 1,47,537
Bombay 3,67,409
Calcutta 2,79,318
Chhattisgarh 74,701
Delhi 76,674
Gujarat 1,10,639
Gauhati 59,339
Himachal Pradesh 26,781
Jammu & Kashmir 45,374
Jharkhand 49,276
Karnataka 1,04,237
Kerala 1,15,750
Madhya Pradesh 1,87,677
Madras 4,26,347
Orissa 2,27,752
Patna 1,02,165
Punjab, Haryana 2,55,696
Rajasthan 2,12,451
Sikkim 67
Uttaranchal 22,807

Fee reimbursement for minority students

Hyderabad: Monetary constraints will not be a problem for poor Muslim boys and girls pursuing higher education this year. They can pursue studies without worry as the government has come forward to pick up the bill of all eligible candidates. From this year onwards, the total tuition fee will be reimbursed by the government with regard to 27 different courses – right from Intermediate to MBBS.
Not just this. The government will also provide pre and post matric scholarships to minority students on a par with SCs. For this the income limit of parents/guardians has been revised to Rs. 1 lakh per annum from the existing Rs. 20,000 (pre matric) and Rs. 24,000 (post matric). Guidelines for sanction of scholarships and fee reimbursement on saturation basis have been issued under two separate GOs 26 and 27 recently. This decision will benefit 8.12 lakh students during the academic year 2008-09. The government will incur Rs.115.09 crore expenditure towards scholarship and fee reimbursement which is up from Rs. 60.44 crore during 2007-08.
“It is a historic decision and will go a long way in benefiting the minorities. In fact, no other State has this policy,” Minorities Welfare Minister Mohd. Ali Shabbir told The Hindu.

Courses
Some of the courses for which fee reimbursement will be provided are MBBS, engineering, pharmacy, MBA & MCA, B.Ed, Law, ME/M.Tec/M.Arch, M. Pharmacy, Dental, Degree (regular and restructured), P.G, Intermediate (regular and vocational), polytechnic ITI/ITCs, paramedical, DMLT. This year, the government will spend Rs. 54.49 crore towards payment of scholarship and Rs. 60.60 crore towards fee reimbursement against Rs. 44.13 crore and Rs. 16.31 crore last year.
(Courtesy:The Hindu)

Units plan shutdown

Hyderabad, July 8: Industrial units in and around the city have decided to observe a shutdown one day a week because of the power crisis. The units want to ensure uninterrupted power in the remaining six days by closing down for a day.
Units in Jeedimetla Industrial area will observe a holiday on Monday, Bachupally, Surana Industrial area on Tuesday, Uppal, Mallapur and Nacharam on Wednesday, Cherlapally, Moulali, Narapally, Ghatkesar on Thursday, Medchal, Kandlakoya, GP Pally and Athivelly areas on Friday and Gachibowli IT industrial area on Saturday. Industrial units in Ranga Reddy circle (north) have also decided to observe a weekly holiday to deal with the power shortage.
It is also learnt that many units are planning to lower their production targets for this quarter because of the power crisis. The official power cut of three hours and the two-hour emergency load shedding has all but ended work in one shift in the industrial units.
Cement, pharma, steel and manufacturing units are in a fix since they are losing production close to six hours a day. After industrial Associations objected to the daily power cut, the Central Discom officials suggested they take a weekly holiday instead.
"With the Central Discom facing a shortage of more than 700 MW, how will it be possible to ensure uninterrupted power supply daily?" asked a senior official. "It would be better to close down for a day rather than face power cuts every day," said Mr V.L.N. Reddy, president of the Federation of Andhra Pradesh Small Industries Associations.
As officials are not able to give a clear idea about how long this shortage would continue, industrialists are in dilemma on whether to install big generators and uninterrupted power systems. "The IT industry is also facing power cuts and therefore it is forcing us to go for generators," said Mr Laxmi Kanth of Broad Ridge Solutions.
(Courtesy:DC)

MNJ Cancer Hospital plans centre of excellence

HYDERABAD: Given the rise in cancer prevalence and the need to meet the shortfall of trained specialists to handle the situation, the MNJ Institute of Oncology and Regional Cancer Centre has sought a 50-acre site on the outskirts to set up a centre of excellence.
The government has been approached on the subject and efforts are on to identify an ideal site around Rangapur village of Bibinagar, where an advanced research and referral university of Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences is coming up, for locating an institute of excellence in cancer treatment and offer training in the super-speciality.
“The prevalence of cancer is going up and there is a need to have an appropriate facility to meet the challenge. That’s why we mooted the idea and Chief Minister Y.S.Rajasekhara Reddy issued directions on finding a right location for it,” said institute director, T. Mandapal. Not only the treatment, a dearth of professionals trained in this speciality looms large. “Earlier, general physicians used to treat cancer patients. Now the subject is a super-speciality with several sub-specialities and there is an acute shortage of manpower trained in it,” he said. From radiation oncology to surgical and medical oncology and other sub-specialities such as pathology and tumour marking were not available. The proposed Institute of Oncology would come up as one of the best in the country with all necessary facilities not only for the patients but also the attendants and adequate attention for palliative care.

Linear accelerator
Meanwhile, the MNJ Hospital has acquired a High Energy Linear Accelerator at a cost of Rs. 6 crore and the same would be installed in a separate facility, Rajiv Gandhi Linear Accelerator Block, being set up at Rs. 4.8crore. This equipment comes with a technology that offers precise radiation to a tumour.
“The radiation is precisely given to the tumour according to its shape and kills cancerous tissue while sparing the normal tissue,” he said. The new block follows designs specified by Atomic Energy Regulatory Board and stipulations of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre. “All safety measures of Level-3 under the guidance of these two agencies are incorporated at the new facility,” Dr. Mandapal said.
(Courtesy:The Hindu)

TD spits fire on Chiru

Hyderabad, July 8: The Telugu Desam has once again lashed out at the Chiranjeevi’s camp saying it was banking on defections from other parties as there was dismal response to its plans to launch a political party. The TD politburo member, Mr Yanamala Ramakrishnudu, on Tuesday criticised Chiranjeevi for encouraging defections “sitting amidst the four walls” and hosting parties to likely defectors.
Chiranjeevi’s political party would stand as the “party of defectors,” he said. “Is this the idealism that Chiranjeevi is talking about?” Mr Yanamala questioned. He, however, asserted that the TD was not perturbed over the exodus of leaders from the party into the Chiranjeevi camp. Asked if they would appeal to Chiranjeevi not to enrol leaders who quit the TD, Mr Ramakrishnudu replied in the negative. “We are not scared of anyone or any party,” he said.
Though the Anti-Defection Law applied only to elected representatives, the spirit of it was to discourage defections from one party to the other, the TD leader pointed out. When reporters recalled the defection of Mr N. Chandrababu Naidu, from the Congress to the TD, Mr Yanamala said it happened long before the anti-defection law came into being. Asked for his reaction about Mr Devender Goud’s remarks that the TD and the Congress would join hands, Yanamala avoided any comment.
(Courtesy:DC)

ECET 2008 counselling

The counselling for admissions of ECET qualified (FDH) and B.Sc Degree holders (Lateral Entry) into engineering for 2008-09 in Muslim, Christian and Sikh minority colleges will be held from July 9 to 12 at A.P. Veterinary Association Hall, Shantinagar.

HC ruling on Andhra Jyothi case

Hyderabad, July 8: The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Tuesday directed the Jubilee Hills police not to arrest the managing director of Andhra Jyothi, Mr V. Radhakrishna, in a case registered against him under the SCs and STs Atrocities (Prevention) Act.
Dealing with a petition filed by Mr Radhakrishna seeking a direction to quash the criminal proceedings against him, Justice P. Swaroop Reddy, however, refused to quash the proceedings against him stating that the court was of the opinion that there was a prima facie case against him. The court directed the police to expedite the investigation and also directed Mr Radhakrishna to be available and co-operate with the investigation officer.
Police had registered case against the managing director and the editor and two reporters of Andhra Jyothi on a complaint of the Madiga Reservation Porata Samiti president, Mr Manda Krishna Madiga. In his complaint, Mr Krishna Madiga had stated that Mr Radhakrishna and the editor had instigated their staff to insult him by slapping his effigy with sandals.
The police arrested the scribes in connection with the case and released them on bail. Mr Padmanabha Reddy , senior criminal lawyer who appeared on behalf of the Mr Radhakrishna argued that he had neither instigated anyone or participated in the procession.
The Public Prosecutor, Mr C Nageswar Rao, told the court that the investigation was in its preliminary stage and there was yet evidence to be to found on Mr Radhakrishna’s role in the offence. The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Tuesday asked the Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) to furnish category-wise data of selected candidates for the Group-1 Mains by Thursday.
A division bench comprising Justice Ghulam Mohammed and Justice C.V. Ramulu heard the argument on a petition filed by several candidates who appeared for the screening for Group I posts. Mr Baloji Badhavath along with 31 others had challenged the orders of the AP Administrative Tribunal on upholding the clause of the GO Ms No. 570, that the number of candidates admitted for the written examinations would be 50 times the total number of vacancies available at the time irrespective of communities while publishing of results of examinations conducted by the APPSC.
Mr S. Ramachandra Rao, senior counsel for the petitioners, argued that if the impugned provisions are allowed to continue to operate, it will adversely affect the rights of the reserved category. He informed the court that the commission had selected 9,800 candidates without following the known and established principles of recruitment. He alleged that the APPSC selected the candidates only by following the ir own pick and choose method.
The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Tuesday reserved its orders on a petition filed by A.T. Maideen challenging the global tenders for the sale of red sanders by the AP Forest Department.
Mr Maideen contended the global tender was against the rules of exim policy and is in violation of the fundamental rights guaranteed under Articles 14 and 19 of the Constitution. Justice B. Seshasayana Reddy heard arguments and posted the case for orders on Friday. Justice C.V. Nagarjuna Reddy, had earlier stayed all proceedings including opening of the tenders.
The judge observed that "prima facie", the public notice issued by the Government of India, ministry of commerce, prohibits export of the red sanders. From the fact that global tenders are called to dispose of the red sander logs, it can be presumed that the respondents are likely to permit export of auctioned red sanders which, would be contrary to the export policy of the Government".
(Courtesy:DC)

YLP all praise for Telugus in US

Hindi Academy Chairman Y. Lakshmi Prasad toured Chicago, St. Louis, Atlanta and New Jersey for the past one month and participated in meetings arranged by the Telugu associations in those places. Speaking to mediapersons on Tuesday, Mr. Lakshmi Prasad said Telugus living abroad were evincing keen interest in their mother tongue and in promoting Telugu culture.

Left move was not unexpected :Rosaiah

Hyderabad, July 8: The finance minister, Mr K. Rosaiah, on Tuesday said the decision of the Left to withdraw support from the UPA government was expected but lacked reasoning. He also ruled out early elections to the Lok Sabha and the Assembly. “Even if Lok Sabha polls are held early, Assembly polls will be held as scheduled,” he added. The Left parties argument on the nuclear agreement was not tenable, he said.
“When they have no objection to Russia and China signing the nuke agreement, why should they object India’s move,” he questioned. Mr Rosaiah said nuclear energy would be the major source of power in future due to depleting coal and oil reserves. “We cannot depend on sea waves and solar energy to meet the power demand,” he said. Referring to the BJP leader, Mr L.K. Advani’s demand to the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, seeking trust vote in Parliament, he said if the party was so confident of pulling down the government, it should have moved a no confidence motion.

Farmers stage ‘rasta roko’

Sangareddy: A farmer fainted during a ‘rasta roko’ in Ghanpur near Kolcharam when he was allegedly hit by ASI Anjaiah on Tuesday. The farmers were staging a rasta roko demanding fertilizer.
Addressing the farmers, former MLC R. Satyanarayana of Telangana Rashtra Samiti criticised the indifferent attitude of the State government towards the problems faced by the farmers. He pointed out that farmers in Medak have been organising dharnas from the past three days, but none of the concerned officer showed his face. He demanded immediate supply of fertilizer to the farmers in Medak sub-division.
As a result of the rasta rook, the traffic on the Narsapur-Medak has been affected.

No Goud link with Desam

Hyderabad, July 8: The Telangana proponent, Mr T. Devender Goud, said the Telugu Desam chief, Mr N. Chandrababu Naidu, and the Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, would join hands sooner or later as they are from the same school of thought. “The mindset of both these leaders is the same. They grew in politics at the same time and from the same school (Congress).
“Their gameplan is also similar. So, they may come together once again at an opportune time and revive their old friendship,” Goud remarked at the meet-the-press programme organised by the AP Union of Working Journalists here on Tuesday. He said Mr Naidu and Dr Reddy were adept at adopting the “Kaurava-Pandava” formula in politics to defeat their rivals. Mr Goud, however, cautioned that people would throw the TD-Congress into the Bay of Bengal if they came together.
Mr Goud, who recently walked out of the TD, said he would never again align with his parent party, even if situation demanded, because of the fast changing political equations. He said it would be too early to speak about his possible alliance with Chiranjeevi.

State has five floating MPs

Hyderabad, July 8: AP has four MPs that the UPA can woo for the vote in the Lok Sabha, plus one Congress MP whose commitment is suspect. On Tuesday, the TRS chief, K. Chandrasekhar Rao, said his two MPs would vote for the UPA if Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced that the process for the formation of Telangana state would be started. He made the demand when the NCP chief and Union agriculture minister, Mr Sharad Pawar, called him up for support.
Congress circles are unsure which way the party’s Narsapur MP, Mr Ch. Harirama Jogaiah, will vote. Mr Jogaiah is a severe critic of the Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, whom he has accused of corruption. Mr Jogaiah told this newspaper he would vote for the Congress. “My complaint is against the Chief Minister and not against Mrs Sonia Gandhi,” he said. “As long as I am with the Congress, I will vote for it.”
A fourth vote is that of Mr Asaduddin Owaisi, the sole MP from the Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen representing Hyderabad. Mr Owaisi said, “The president of my party (his father, Mr Salahuddin Owaisi) will decide whom I should support or oppose.” The other vote which could go either way is that of Mr A. Narendra, who has been suspended from the TRS. He floated his own party, promised to merge it with the BSP but reneged.
(Courtesy: DC)

New ration cards to be issued from Aug. 1

Kakinada: The Food and Civil Supplies Department will issue ration cards according to the new BPL (below poverty line) norm viz. annual family income not exceeding Rs 70,000 in urban areas and Rs 60,000 in the villages, from August 1. The income limit was recently increased by the State government to bring more poor people under the purview of public distribution system, said Collector Gopalakrishna Dwivedi.
Addressing a review meeting on Indiramma housing and ‘Adarsa gramalu’, Mr. Dwivedi said the process of issuing ration cards would be completed in two months from the above date and it was up to eligible beneficiaries to avail of the scheme. Such people have to get themselves photographed in the designated photographic location (DPL) centres to be set up at the division level from July 15.

TRS’ rider to support UPA

HYDERABAD: Telangana Rashtra Samiti president K. Chandrasekhar Rao has said that his party will support the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government only if Prime Minister Manmohan Singh gave a firm assurance on starting the process for creation of a separate Telangana State.
He contended that the Congress party was earlier claiming that the Left parties were not in favour of creating smaller States. Now that the Communists had decided to withdraw support, the time had come for the Congress party and the UPA itself to take a decision on separate Telangana, he said.
Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao laid down this condition when Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar telephoned him from New Delhi on Tuesday to seek the support of the two TRS MPs for the UPA government and help avoid mid-term elections to the Lok Sabha.
The TRS chief said he explained to Mr. Pawar how the Congress party had failed to fulfil its promise of conceding Telangana after the general elections in 2004.
Low profile
The Telangana leader, who has been maintaining a low profile after his party’s drubbing in the recent byelections, has come back to the centre-stage within hours of the Left parties’ decision to withdraw support to the UPA government although his party’s strength in the Lok Sabha has come down from five to two.
Speaking to reporters, he said, “Unless the Prime Minister gives us a specific assurance, the TRS will not help in bailing out the government.”

Andhra Pradesh State SSC supplementary results today

Hyderabad: Results of the SSC advanced supplementary exam will be released on Wednesday at 10.45 a.m. at the Directorate of Government Examinations.
The results can be obtained from
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http://www.nettlinxresults.net/,
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http://www.prathibhaplus.com/,
http://www.getyourresults.com/,
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http://www.edubharatfamily.com/,
http://www.manabadi.co.in/,
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http://www.resultsindia.in/.
BSNL users can check at 9540 22222222, 2222 2222

IAEA step only after winning trust vote: Pranab

New Delhi: The United Progressive Alliance government will press on with the implementation of the civilian nuclear deal with the United States only after winning a vote of confidence in Parliament, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said here on Tuesday.
At a press conference here hours after four Left parties announced withdrawal of support to the UPA, Mr. Mukherjee said the government would take a decision on convening a special session of Parliament as soon as they received a formal communication from the Rashtrapati Bhavan asking them to prove their majority.
Though official sources indicated that the vote could be held as early as July 21, the Minister would only say that the special sitting would be called sometime before August 11, when the monsoon session is due to begin.
Mr. Mukherjee said the government would send India’s draft safeguards agreement to the International Atomic Energy Agency Board for approval only if it won the trust vote in Parliament. “I cannot bind the government if we lose our majority,” he said.
Were it to lose the vote, the government would continue in a “technical” capacity until elections but would not have the moral authority to “bind” the country to “an international agreement.”
Asked whether he was confident the government had the requisite numbers in Parliament, he said the “taste of the pudding is in the eating" and that he did not “indulge in the sharing of confidences or the numbers game.” Everything would become clear when the trust vote was held in the Lok Sabha.
On the Left’s charge that the government did not show the text of the safeguards agreement to the UPA-Left committee, he said the “outcome of the negotiations” with the IAEA was shared in the form of a summary of the safeguards draft. “But we could not share the actual text as it is a classified document between India and the IAEA.”
The IAEA Secretariat told India that the document could not be shared with others without first being circulated to the agency’s 35 board members. That could not be done without India first signing it. Notwithstanding this, the government had shown summaries of the relevant provisions dealing with concerns such as fuel supply assurances raised by the Left.
Mr. Mukherjee said he only wished to set the record straight. “I am not entering into any acrimony [with the Left]. We appreciate the support they gave us for four years to keep at bay the communal forces.”
(Courtesy:The Hindu)

Naidu opens Chiru attack

Hyderabad, , July 7: Reeling from a string of defections to Chiranjeevi’s proposed party and pro-Telangana outfits, the Telugu Desam began to take an aggressive stance on Monday. For the first time, the party attacked Chiranjeevi’s proposed party in a reversal of its stand of waiting for the outfit to be launched. Responding to questions on the migration of senior leaders to Chiranjeevi’s proposed outfit, the TD spokesperson, Dr Mysoora Reddy said, “Those who claimed that they will establish exemplary political norms are encouraging factions in other parties. Is it the cleaning up of politics that they speak highly of.”
Dr Mysoora Reddy did not name Chiranjeevi directly. He said the new outfit would be a combination of Telugu (Telugu Desam) and Congress. He wondered how pulling in leaders from other parties can be “ideal”. Even so, it allowed the impact of party chief, Mr N. Chandrababu Naidu’s conversation with the TRS chief, Mr K. Chandrasekhar Rao, to sink in. Mr Naidu denied the conversation took place and described it as a “media creation.” But the TD spokespersons, Dr M.V. Mysoora Reddy and Dr K. Sivaprasada Rao, gave different versions.
Dr Mysoora Reddy described the reports as “rumours”. But in Krishna district, Mr Sivaprasada Rao said it was Mr Chandrasekhar Rao who called up Mr Naidu. When newsmen asked him about the possibility of a TD-TRS alliance, Dr Mysoora Reddy said, “I can’t foretell the future. Anything is possible.”
According to sources, Mr Naidu agreed to toe the Telangana line to stop further exodus from the party. Mr Naidu believes that a pro-Telangana stand will counter the impact of Mr Devender Goud on both the TD and the TRS. Pro-Telangana leaders like Mr K. Srihari and Mr S. Venugopalachari welcomed the development. “If the TD and the TRS have an alliance in Telangana, we will sweep the region,” said Mr Srihari.
But Andhra leaders like Mr K. Yerrannaidu. Mr Y. Ramakrishnudu and Mr K. Sivaprasada Rao are reportedly opposing the proposal, fearing that it could affect the party’s prospects in Andhra and Rayalaseema. The TD is also wary of the CPI(M)’s strict “no-statehood” stance and it is afraid that the communists will not support it if it ties up with the TRS. Pro-Telangana TD leaders say that the CPI(M) had allied with the Congress despite its alliance with the TRS in the 2004 elections.
(Courtesy:DC)

C.S. Rao is new pay panel commissioner

Hyderabad, July 7: The government has appointed Mr C.S. Rao, a retired IAS officer, as pay revision commissioner. He will submit his report to the government within a year of assuming charge. Mr Rao will be the ninth pay revision commissioner and will have the rank of chief secretary. He will recommend revised emoluments to government employees keeping in view the financial position of the government. The pay scales were last revised with effect from July 1, 2003, with monetary benefit from April 1, 2005.
The commission will cover employees of the government, local bodies, aided institutions, non-teaching staff of universities including Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University, Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, work-charged employees and full-time contingent employees. The PRC will also review the pension structure.
The commission will not cover teaching staff in government and government aided private colleges drawing UGC/AICTE and ICAR scales. It will also not deal with officers of the AP Higher Judicial Service and AP Judicial Service whose pay scales are recommended by the First National Judicial Pay Commission. The PRC will examine as to what extent the existing DA may be merged in pay and evolve a new set of pay scales. It will suggest the mode of fixation of pay in the revised pay scales. It will study the automatic advancement scheme in view the anomalies and examine whether it should continue in its present form. It will look into the special pay, compensatory and other allowances and perquisites in cash or kind.

Prez gets SV’s P.hd

Tirupati, July 7: The Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences has given an honorary doctorate to President Pratibha Patil during her visit to the university. She visited the SVIMS during its first convocation at Tirupati on Monday. Speaking on the occasion the President said that she was pleased to be in the temple town amidst medical luminaries, faculty members and students of SVIMS.
“The Tirumala hills are the world’s second oldest rock mountains and Tirupati is considered to be Kaliyuga Vaikuntha or heaven on earth. It is a beautiful place. Students of this institute are fortunate to pursue their studies under a conducive atmosphere here.” “I am sure the faculty feels privileged to be working in such a serene atmosphere,” she added.
However, she lamented that there was only one doctor for every 1,000 patients in India when compared to 2.3 per 1,000 in the US. “Even though there are 271 medical colleges all over the country and about 31,000 students graduate every year, we don’t have enough doctors to treat the people. The penetration of health services in rural areas is very low. We need many more doctors and institutions,” the President said.
She cautioned against compromising on quality while increasing medical colleges in India and stressed on the need to grow in a way that the best education is available to all medical students. The President told the gathering that India ranks high among other countries in the world in medical technology. She said that medical tourism gained prominence because India offered a cost advantage.
“We must constantly strive for higher standards of medical education. It is said in Sanskrit, Vaidyo Narayano harih (doctor is a personification of the Almighty). I believe that no medical service can be complete unless there is a human touch. A patient is half cured if the doctor displays a caring attitude,” the President said. Referring to the excellent infrastructure and super speciality courses offered by SVIMS, she called upon the doctors to explore ways to use technology to reach out to villages through tele-medicine.

Officials heave sigh of relief
Tirupati , July 7: Officials heaved a sigh of relief after the President Pratibha Patil completed her two-day visit to Tirumala and Tirupati on Monday. The President had arrived at the holy shrine along with her husband, Dr Devisingh Ramsingh Shekhawat and other family members on Sunday evening. The couple celebrated their marriage anniversary at Tirumala on Monday.
Several dalit leaders and outstanding students met the President on Sunday night apart from TTD chairman, B. Karunakar Reddy. He briefed the President about the activities of the TTD. She took part in theArchanantara seva at around 4.30 am on Monday morning and inaugurated SV Bakti Channel at 5 am.
The President unveiled a pylon set up at Alipiri to mark the Amrutotsvam festival before inaugurating SV Oriental College. She took part in a colourful function at Mahati auditorium organised to mark the platinum jubilee of the TTD. The President also participated in the first convocation of SVIMS before leaving for Mumbai in a special aircraft from Renigunta airport. A large contingent of police was drafted for the security arrangements during the first women president’s visit.

Patil praises TTD’s services
Tirupati, July 7: President Pratibha Patil praised the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) for its services in education, medical, social and spiritual fields while addressing a function at the temple town on Monday. She spoke after inaugurating the Amruthotsavam Venkateswara Oriental college building and Sri Venkateswara Bakti channel.
“The TTD has in the last 75 years came a long way in providing basic amenities for pilgrims. I notice there have been several additions to the facilities available to the pilgrims compared to my last visit some decades ago. I still remember the days when pilgrims used to rush in search of shelter when it rained as they climbed the hills on foot. Today, the entire footpath has a roof,” the President said.
She lauded the TTD for setting up Sri Venkateswara Poor Home, with the assistance of the Central government to cater to the needs of leprosy patients. She said that the home was one of the largest in the country to admit lepers from all over India. The President also appreciated the TTD for providing training in carpentry, shoe-making and weaving to patients.

‘Teach devotees to be clean’
Nellore, July 7: President Pratibha Patil has advised the TTD to create awareness among the people about hygiene. She told them to make use of health camps being organised as part of TTD’s Sri Balaji Arogya Varaprasadini Scheme. The scheme is meant to assist the needy to get medical aid at an affordable price and also supports rural healthcare system by conducting health camps in nearby villages. The President made this suggestion while addressing the first convocation of the SVIMS at Tirupati on Monday.
(Courtesy : DC)

BE admissions from July 16

Hyderabad, July 7: The notification for Eamcet engineering admissions was issued on Monday. The first phase of admissions would be conducted from July 16 to August 7. During this period, Eamcet rankers from 1 to 54,000 would be called for counselling. Besides, online counselling would be conducted simultaneously at eight centres across the state. The centres are located in Hyderabad, Warangal, Visakhapatnam, Guntur, Kadapa, Tirupati, Secunderabad and Vijayawada. Counselling for reserved categories such as NCC, CAP and PHC will be held between August 9 and 14.
“On the first day of counselling, we will call only 1,000 candidates. The number will be gradually be raised to 4,000 on the consecutive days,” said Mr K.C. Reddy, chairman of the AP State Council of Higher Education. He added that for the first time, admissions will be conducted according to GO 550. Under this order, students from reserved categories can claim seats in both the open and reserved category at the same time.Later, if a reserved candidate opts for a seat under the reserve quota, the seat which falls vacant in the open category would be filled up by a student belonging to the same reservation quota, he said.
Mr Reddy informed that the number of new engineering colleges approved by AICTE for this year admissions stands at 124. “Candidates who attend counselling would be given a scratch card. With this, students need not come to counselling centres for the second phase if they want to change the college and the course.” “Instead, they can avail the facility online with the help of the password provided on the scratch card and choose a course accordingly.” Mr Reddy said. He added that nearly 220 colleges have come forward to provide admissions to economically backward students under the “fee waiver scheme.”
(Courtesy: DC)

No meaning in another meeting, says Left

NEW DELHI: The four major Left parties on Monday reacted angrily to the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s statement from Japan that the UPA government would move the International Atomic Energy Agency “very soon.” to seal the safeguards agreement.
They said there was “no meaning” in holding yet another meeting of the United Progressive Alliance-Left panel on the civilian nuclear deal.
Dr. Singh’s statement came shortly after External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, in a letter to the Left parties, said a “draft report” of the committee was ready and it could be considered at a meeting of the panel on July 10.
“The CPI(M), CPI, RSP and Forward Bloc are meeting on Tuesday and we will give our reaction to Dr. Singh’s statement and Mr. Mukherjee’s proposal at that time,” CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat told .
(Courtesy:The Hindu)

We will go to IAEA very soon: Manmohan

Sapporo (JAPAN): Hinting that the government was ready to take the next step on the nuclear deal, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said that he expects to rally international support from countries, including China and Australia, when he meets their leaders separately on the margins of the G8 summit at Toyako on Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido over the next two days.
“Once we take the decision to go to the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) for an agreement, the United States will have to fulfil its promises. There is the July 2005 statement in which the U.S. has publicly stated they will help us to get through the IAEA and the NSG (Nuclear Suppliers Group). I hope they will do their work,” he said.
While he declined to indicate a timeline for taking the agreement to the IAEA — he said he could not reveal that while he was on a foreign trip — he noted the government “will, very soon.”
Dr. Singh flew into Sapporo on Monday evening after an eight and a half hour flight from New Delhi, seeming quite pleased with the way his government had been able to prise out enough domestic political support for the deal over the past week. “I don’t foresee an election before time,” he said confidently in response to a question whether he anticipated they would be held any earlier than April next year.
He seemed equally hopeful of winning international approval for the nuclear deal.
The Prime Minister will, in fact, be working overtime on Wednesday starting at 5 a.m. to drive two hours and 20 minutes from his Sapporo hotel to meet U.S. President George Bush at the G8 summit hotel at Toyako. He will later meet leaders of Russia, China, Australia, Canada, Mexico, Korea and Indonesia, countries which are either on the board of the IAEA or members of the influential NSG, whose approval India needs before it can hope for international nuclear cooperation.
It is not clear how many members of the NSG are still not persuaded to make an exception for India. International commerce in nuclear supplies has been limited so far to countries that have signed the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty. But Dr. Singh appeared confident of securing their approval.
He said he would reinforce efforts to impress upon the global leaders about the civil nuclear deal that goes before the IAEA and the NSG. “We obviously seek the support of the world community in both these fora,” he said. “Fortunately, we have the support of the major powers, the U.S., Russia, France and Britain.”
Answering a question specifically on China, he said, “I have discussed it with the Chinese leaders on more than one occasion. I cannot say that I have a firm assurance but I have a strong feeling that when the matter comes before the relevant fora, China will not be a problem.”
Sources indicated that the government may wait for another meeting of the UPA-Left coordination group before heading to the IAEA.

(Courtesy:The Hindu)

40 die in attack outside Indian Embassy in Kabul

KABUL\NEW DELHI: Over 40 people, including four Indians, were killed when a suicide bomber rammed his bomb-laden car into the gates of the Indian Embassy in Kabul on Monday morning, diplomatic sources said. Over 140 people were injured.

Others killed in the attack, the first of this magnitude on an Indian mission, were local security personnel and Afghans who had queued up for visas to travel to India.

An Indian diplomat, V. Venkateswara Rao, and the military attaché, Brigadier Ravi Datt Mehta, were killed as their car was entering the compound while jawans of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police were questioning the suicide bomber at 10 a.m. The jawans, Ajai Pathaniya and Roop Singh, were also killed on the spot along with Niamatullah, an Afghan employee of the embassy, Minister of External Affairs Pranab Mukherjee told newspersons in New Delhi.

“The government of India strongly condemns this cowardly terrorist attack on its diplomatic mission in Afghanistan. Such acts of terror will not deter us from fulfilling our commitments to the government and the people of Afghanistan,” Mr. Mukherjee said.

About 10 Afghan security personnel were among those dead or injured. Several shops across the road, including the Indian Airlines office, were damaged and many Afghan shopkeepers injured.
An IAF transport plane left for Kabul in the evening to bring the bodies of the Indian victims.
A special team led by senior diplomat Nalin Suri has rushed to the Afghan capital to review security measures and interact with local officials to improve safety measures for the nearly 3,000 Indians working at missions and development projects in the country. It includes representatives from the Foreign Office and the Home Ministry besides trauma specialists.
(Courtesy:The Hindu)

Launch recovered from Chitrakonda reservoir

VISAKHAPATNAM: A week after it sank off the Chitrakonda reservoir in Orissa leading to the death of several Greyhounds constables after an ambush by Maoists, the police and naval authorities retrieved the launch by using imported balloon technology on Sunday evening.
Efforts were being made to bring the vessel to the shore. Police confirmed recovery of three bodies during the day and the badly mutilated bodies of some other constables are likely to be recovered on Monday.

A police officer confirmed that some bodies were lying trapped inside the cabin. The launch was retrieved at about 6.15 p.m.

Unique technology

“The launch, which got stuck in the riverbed, came to the shore after imported balloons were dropped inside to put pressure on the launch by inflating it with air,” Commissioner of Police N. Sambasiva Rao told The Hindu.

Each balloon deployed by the police under the supervision of Visakhapatnam SP Akun Sabharwal had the capacity to remove any sunken vessel up to a weight of 10 tonnes.
The launch capsized when a Greyhounds team came under fire from Maoists positioned in the adjoining hillocks. Some constables were trapped inside the cabin, while 28 could swim to safety.
Some could not reach the shore as Maoists shot them by chasing them in country boats.
The bodies recovered on Sunday were identified as that of constables Bujjibabu of Kakinada, A.V.B. Reddy of Parigi (Ranga Reddy) and N.M. Sekhar of Guntur.

Old tale of capitulation replayed

Karachi: An old tale of capitulation against Sri Lankan spinners was replayed on a forgettable Sunday for M.S. Dhoni’s men. And as defending champion Sri Lanka defeated India by 100 runs in the final and retained the STAR Asia Cup at the National Stadium here on Sunday, memories of botched chases flitted past.

Vinod Kambli’s tears and the 1996 World Cup semifinal, Asia Cup final 2004 and India falling short by 25 runs. These are scripts spun together by the guile of Jayasuriya, Muttiah Muralitharan and Upul Chandana.

Add Ajantha Mendis (six for 13) to these names as he flummoxed the Indians and helped Sri Lanka’s 273 in 50 overs, assume alarming proportions in a tournament where 300 plus scores was the minimum yardstick. India scored 173 in 39.3 overs with Virender Sehwag’s 60 (36b, 12x4) atop the order and Dhoni’s (49) sanity in the middle being the exceptions as Sri Lanka cruised to its fourth title triumph in the Asia Cup.

Chase starts

The chase started with Sehwag scattering Chaminda Vaas, the lofted drive over the bowler’s head being the pick. Vaas, however, found relief in scalping Gautam Gambhir and India’s steady ally of good opening partnerships was cut adrift. Sehwag’s upper cut of Kulasekara assuaged nerves but he gave Mendis the charge and was left stranded as the spinner pitched it a shade wide past a flailing bat.

Mendis struck again two deliveries later as he bowled Yuvraj, who was all tentative feet and a late bat coming down and across. Suresh Raina played an ugly hoick, Rohit Sharma was rooted to the crease. Mendis had spun his web with a mix of deliveries that held their line and hurried off the pitch and those that turned just a wee-bit to nudge out reluctant batsmen busy looking at the giant television screen to figure out their mode of dismissal.

Dhoni hung in grimly while Muralitharan ruffled Robin Uthappa’s pads and Mendis prised out Irfan Pathan and R.P. Singh. The fire had died long back and when Vaas bagged Dhoni, the embers of defeat smouldered.

Power and placement

In the evening, Sanath Jayasuriya’s 125 melded power and placement and gave Sri Lanka compelling reasons to believe in hope and rebirth. Struggling at 66 for four in 12 overs and with Ishant Sharma finding rhythm against a top-order that erred in its shot selection, Sri Lanka banked on Jayasuriya for deliverance.

And the man from Matara readily obliged. Jayasuriya’s 27th ODI ton, and his 131-run fifth-wicket partnership with T.M. Dilshan ensured that Sri Lanka managed a challenging total after Dhoni opted to field and belied pre-final hints from both camps of batting first on winning the toss.
After the first over bowled by R.P. Singh went for 11, Ishant’s next over led to a collective intake of breath as the Indians celebrated Kumar Sangakkara’s dismissal. Jayasuriya tapped straight to Suresh Raina, Sangakkara charged from the non-strikers end and never returned.
Skipper Mahela Jayawardene had four fielders in his gaze and yet failed to ground his cut. Ishant then surprised Kapugedera and induced the leading edge and two deliveries later, had Chamara Silva chopping on to his stumps.

26 in an over

Jayasuriya (125, 114b, 9x4, 5x6) meanwhile rocked back to cut and pull Ishant and Irfan Pathan and pummelled R.P. Singh for 26 in an over. The ease with which he flexed his forearms and swivelled his legs to generate power belied his 39 summers. And in Dilshan (56), Jayasuriya found sustenance.

Jayasuriya glanced Sehwag to short fine-leg for his hundred and fell with a slog-sweep but it was a supreme innings though the lone discomfort was when Ishant got one to dart past his rib-cage early in the innings. For India, Ishant bowled a good first spell, Pragyan Ojha was steady but Irfan frittered away, gifting width and got punished as Jayasuriya reigned.

SCOREBOARD

Sri Lanka: S. Jayasuriya c Ishant b Sehwag 125, K. Sangakkara (run out) 4, M. Jayawardene c Rohit b Ishant 11, C. Kapugedera c Raina b Ishant 5, C. Silva b Ishant 0, T. Dilshan c Dhoni b Irfan 56, C. Vaas b R.P. Singh 19, N. Kulasekara (not out) 29, T. Thushara lbw b R.P. Singh 5, A. Mendis b R.P. Singh 8, M. Muralitharan c Dhoni b Irfan 2; Extras: (lb-8, w-1) 9; Total: (in 49.5 overs) 273.

Fall of wickets: 1-11, 2-34, 3-66, 4-66, 5-197, 6-213, 7-236, 8-256, 9-264.

India bowling: R.P. Singh 9-1-67-3, Ishant 10-1-52-3, Irfan 9.5-0-67-2, Pragyan 10-1-38-0, Sehwag 8-0-30-1, Rohit 3-0-11-0.

India: G. Gambhir c Dilshan b Vaas 6, V. Sehwag st Sangakkara b Mendis 60, S. Raina b Mendis 16, Yuvraj b Mendis 0, M.S. Dhoni c Sangakkara b Vaas 49, Rohit lbw b Mendis 3, R. Uthappa lbw Muralitharan 20, Irfan c Jayawardene b Mendis 2, R.P. Singh b Mendis 0, P. Ojha (not out) 6, Ishant b Kulasekara 8; Extras: (b-2, w-1) 3; Total: (in 39.3 overs): 173.

Fall of wickets: 1-36, 2-76, 3-76, 4-93, 5-97, 6-135, 7-154, 8-154, 9-160.

Sri Lanka bowling: Vaas 9-0-55-1, Kulasekara 6.3-0-26-1, Thushara 8-0-51-0, Mendis 8-1-13-6, Muralitharan 8-0-26-1.

Good progress in Yellampalli project

KARIMNAGAR: Minister for Mines and Geology P. Sabitha Indra Reddy along with Ministers T. Jeevan Reddy (R&B) and J. Ratnakara Rao (Endowments) visited the Sripada Yellampalli project site on Saturday. The authorities told the Ministers that they were taking all measures to supply water to the NTPC power plant by the end of December 2009 and stabilise the SRSP ayacut in Manthani segment.

49 projects for 3 districts approved

KARIMNAGAR: The Andhra Pradesh State Financial Corporation (APSFC) has accorded approval for 49 projects involving financial assistance of Rs. 54 crore in Karimnagar, Warangal and Adilabad districts.
In a press note here today, APSFC deputy general manager (development) U. Dileep Kumar stated that they had accorded permissions for 414 projects throughout the State involving a loan amount of Rs. 1,416 crore during the business development campaigns organised in the months of June and July this year. A similar business development campaign meeting was organised in Karimnagar town on Saturday for the benefit of Karimnagar, Warangal and Adilabad districts.
In this region, the corporation received proposals from the sectors of food and agro- industries, textiles, minerals and construction activities.

National coal technology centre mooted

HYDERABAD: Union Minister of State for Commerce and Coal Jairam Ramesh has advocated the immediate need for setting up a ‘national centre for coal technology’ and use of coal-to-liquid fuel knowhow in view of crude oil touching $146 a barrel.
“In this context, coal to liquid becomes a very important option,” he said here on Saturday during an informal interaction with scientists of the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT).
“We must set up the centre which could look at coal gasification, combustion and utilisation,” he stressed, adding that public sector undertakings BHEL, NTPC apart from consumers, research and academic institutions could be its stakeholders.
The Minister suggested that the Climate Change Research Fund which is becoming operational this year could be utilised for setting up the centre, with contribution from the government.
(Courtesy:The Hindu)

Polling stations to go up by 10,000 in State

HYDERABAD: Considering the upswing in voters’ strength in each village/area in the Andhra Pradesh, the Election Commission has decided to increase the number of polling stations in the State by 10,000, taking the total to 66,000.
Each polling station area has been carved out on the basis of the new boundaries of Assembly/Parliamentary constituencies finalised under delimitation.
The principle adopted is that there should be one polling station for every 1,200 voters. Announcing this at a press conference here on Saturday after addressing political parties on the exercise taken up to issue photo identity cards to voters, Chief Electoral Officer I.V. Subba Rao said the final list of the polling stations would be published on July 10. He said designated photography locations (DPLs) would be located on permanent basis at all the 1,200-odd mandal headquarters in the State from September 1 to facilitate eligible voters to get EPICs (elector photo identify cards). The aim was to equip all voters in the State with EPICs for the next elections.
He said work was in full swing using the 294 DPLs. Those seeking enrolment could register by accessing websites www.eci.gov.in or http://www.ceoandhra.nic.in

State to tap private aid for Indiramma

HYDERABAD: The government has decided to involve private financial agencies for extending loans to beneficiaries of Indiramma housing programme in urban areas on low interest.
The Cabinet Sub-Committee on Indiramma, headed by Finance Minister K. Rosaiah, which met here on Saturday, noted that private agencies had to be tapped for loans as there were limited number of nationalised banks in some urban areas.
For example, there were only two nationalised banks at Mangalagiri in Guntur district as against a demand for construction of 10,000 housing units . The two branches alone could not provide the required funds.

Additional funds

Briefing reporters later, Housing Minister B. Satyanarayana said already four private agencies expressed interest to advance loans under Indiramma. More agencies were in pipeline. He said the meeting resolved to integrate the construction of individual latrines with dwelling units by releasing the required additional funds through Housing Department.
The unit cost inclusive of a latrine would now go up to Rs. 50,000 in villages and Rs. 70,000 in urban areas. As against this, the government would contribute Rs. 34,250 for dwelling units in rural areas and Rs. 46,000 for those in towns, with the balance amount being arranged through bank tie-ups.
He said 52.2 per cent of the 20 lakh houses taken up under Indiramma-I had been completed, while 37.07 per cent were in progress and 17.67 per cent were yet to start.
(Courtesy:The Hindu)

Parking fee at airport peaks

HYDERABAD: With officials of Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Shamshabad deciding to revoke the 15-minute free parking facility at the main car parking area from Sunday midnight, motorists have to pay Rs.30 and Rs.50 for both economy and premium parking respectively for first 30 minutes.
However, there is no revision of any parking fees currently enforced at the airport for long-term and premium car parking, two-wheeler, coach and cargo truck parking for first two hours and more.
“We have decided to cancel the free parking facility for the first 15 minutes as many vehicle owners are misusing it,” said GMR Chief Commercial Officer Viswanath Attaluri. The removal of free parking facility would help decongest the arrival ramp for easy movement of vehicles. “The arrival ramp would be closed for people except for those vehicles exiting from the car parking area,” according to a press release issued here on Saturday.

Charges

The facility was provided for the convenience of passengers ever since the inauguration of the airport three months ago and a convenient parking facility with a capacity to cater more than 3,000 vehicles was provided near the airport. The parking charges for cars (long term) is Rs. 70 for first two hours and Rs. 35 for each subsequent hour up to a maximum of Rs. 350 for 24 hours.
Car parking (premium) is Rs. 120 for first two hours and Rs. 60 for each subsequent hour up to a maximum of Rs. 600 for 24 hours. Two wheeler parking charges are – Rs.15 for first two hours and Rs. 10 for each subsequent hour up to a maximum of Rs. 100 for 24 hours.
(Courtesy:The Hindu)

The megastar is now a grandfather

HYDERABAD: Megastar Chiranjeevi became a grandfather as his younger daughter Srija delivered a baby girl on Saturday at a private nursing home.
It may be recalled that she hit the headlines when she married an engineering student Sireesh Bharadwaj at the Arya Samaj here.
The parents of either of them were not present at the wedding.
Srija’s mother Surekha, brother Ramcharan and uncle Allu Aravind were among the first to visit the nursing home to welcome the new entrant into the family.
Ramcharan, who is busy shooting for his second film, directed by S.S. Rajamouli, went to the hospital.

TV crew get busy

Since morning, TV crews have been at work trying to get their frames and bytes. But while Mr. Sireesh was seen beaming smiles, his mother-in-law was apparently not very comfortable at the intrusion of her privacy by the channels.
Ever since three members of Chiranjeevi’s family visited the hospital and the news was flashed on television, people have been waiting for the megastar to come and have a look at his grand daughter.
A family member hinted that Mr. Chiranjeevi might visit the nursing home late on Saturday.

2-hour power cut begins

VIZIANAGARAM: Keeping in view the shortage of power, Superintending Engineer (Transco) D.R.K. Prasad has officially released the two-hour power cut schedule under 33/11 kv sub-stations in urban and rural areas. The schedule will come into effect immediately. Mr. Prasad said in a release that if necessary the two-hour cut would also be imposed in Vizianagaram town between 6 p.m. and 12 midnight and asked industries to utilise the lighting load from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

There will be no power from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. under Vantithadi, Dharmapuri, Natavalasa, Denkada, Govindapuram, B. Koneru, Poolbaugh, Dasannapeta, Ayyannapeta, Kothavalasa, L. Kota, Malliveedu and Vepada sub-stations, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. : Parvathipuram, Sitanagaram and Komarada, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.: Garbahm, Komatipalli, Therlam, Nellimarla, Gurla and Sathivada.

Police counsel students against ragging

SANGAREDDY: Medak police organised a counselling session with the senior engineering students at the Kahsipur based DVR College of Engineering and Technology on Saturday on the repercussions of ragging of first year students.

The team consisting of Circle Inspector Rangan Goud and rural Sub Inspector Harschandra Reddy visited the college and explained them he provisions of the Ragging Act. The police told the students that few moments of fun could lead them to almost ten years of imprisonment. Police advised the seniors to learn how to respect the feelings of others in order to become responsible citizens.

College Principal Laxmipathi explained that the college has been adopting a zero tolerance policy towards ragging. The police is also planning to organize another such session at the MNR medical college on the Narsapur road.

Ex-DGP asks students to aim high

VIZIANAGARAM: Former State Director-General of Police Ramavatar Yadav has asked students of Satya Junior and Degree College to adopt children who have not gone to school for want of money and educate them in the interest of society.

Speaking on ‘Secrets of Success’, organised by Lotus Educational System, on the college premises on Saturday, Mr. Yadav asked them to aim high and choose the right path for success. Asserting that no student is good or bad at education, the former DGP said, “it depends on how one is able to mould on his own under the able guidance of teachers and elders.”
Krishna Murty, CEO of Lotus said that “for the fear of committing mistakes many a students have not been able to reach their aim. Those who fail to plan cannot come up in life.” Mr. Seshibhushana Rao, joint secretary of Botcha Guru Naidu Educational Institutions, presided.

Banks gearing up for ‘Runa Vimukti Melas’

Kakinada: The Debt Waiver and Debt Relief Scheme (DW & DRS) announced by the Central Government recently, will benefit a total number of 2,49,695 farmers to the tune of Rs.532.73 crore (Rs. 502.77 crore on account of full exemption from repayment and Rs. 29.96 crore as relief to the extent of 25 per cent of loans taken) in East Godavari district.

The District Cooperative Central Bank had disbursed the major chunk of loans amounting to Rs. 310.64 crore, commercial banks lent Rs. 212.59 crore (that includes Rs. 70.51 crore by the State Bank of India) and Chaitanya Godavari Bank Rs. 9.45 crore.

The Agriculture Department and banks are gearing up to organise ‘Runa Vimukti Melas’ / farmers meetings from July 8 to 20 where they will distribute certificates of loan waiver / relief to farmers according to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) guidelines.

The farmers’ meetings will be organised in all the 21 Assembly constituencies covering 60 mandals, beginning with Rajahmundry rural mandal on July 8.

Special counters

The process of submitting the lists of beneficiaries by banks to Agriculture Department, opening special counters by banks at the venues suggested by the respective people’s representatives for distributing the certificates and mobilising farmers to attend the said meetings, is on the verge of completion, Collector Gopalakrishna Dwivedi said in a special meeting of the District Consultative Committee (DCC) held at the Court Hall on Saturday.

Mr. Dwivedi said a total of 426 bank branches would undertake the massive exercise of checking the veracity of claims made by farmers and distributing certificates of loan waiver / relief printed in formats prescribed by the RBI along with copies of Prime Minister’s letter addressed to the farmers.

The staff of Agriculture and other departments concerned would help the banks in extending the benefits envisaged under DW & DRS.

Twenty one special officers have been appointed for many Assembly constituencies to supervise the programme. Andhra Bank Deputy General Manager B.S. Rama Rao, Assistant General Managers A. Sethi (RBI), K.V. Satyanarayana (NABARD), Joint Director of Agriculture T. Nandaiah and other district officials were present.
(Courtesy:The Hindu)

“Chiru’s entry will affect all parties”

NELLORE: Senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister Neduramalli Janardhana Reddy has claimed that all political parties, including the Congress, will be affected with the possible entry of actor Chiranjeevi into politics.

“ The actor’s entry into politics will indeed create ripples in all parties, including the Congress and Telugu Desam Party,” the Visakhapatnam MP, who was here along with Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president D. Srinivas and Rajya Sabha member K.V. P. Ramachandra Rao to review arrangements for Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s visit to Sri Potti Sriramulu Nellore district on July 17, told reporters on Saturday.

He took a dig at the film actor’s political advisor Puchalapalli Mitra saying: “Mr. Mitra lacks both political acumen and right kind of experience or exposure to guide a new political outfit such as the one to be floated by Mr. Chiranjeevi though he hails from a political family,” he remarked.
When asked whether he would like to contest from Nellore with the Lok Sabha seat being reserved for general category, he said that it was his “right” to contest from Nellore seat.
“However, I have no objection if sitting MP and Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Panabaka Lakshmi prefers to contest for the seat. But the party high command is the final authority to decide as to who should contest."

Nuclear deal

The former Chief Minister said that the nuclear deal with the United States was beneficial for India and hence all political parties should keep national interest above politics while firming up their stand on the issue. “We need the deal for clean energy and hence the Congress is pressing for the civilian nuclear deal without compromising on national sovereignty.”

Later the Visakhapatnam MP, PCC president and Mr. Ramachandra Rao visited the Krishnapatnam port .
(Courtesy:The Hindu)

Venkatswamy faults project report on Pranahita-Chevella

KARIMNAGAR: Peddapalli MP G. Venkatswamy has alleged large-scale irregularities in the preparation of the detailed project report (DPR) of the ambitious Pranahita-Chevella lift irrigation by the private agency.

Reacting to the Pranahita-Chevella project report submitted during the district review committee (DRC) meeting here on Saturday, Mr. Venkatswamy found fault with the mention of the project providing irrigation facilities to about 3.39 lakh acres in Nizamabad district and no mention of Warangal district. He demanded that the irrigation officials clarify how the project would provide irrigation sources to Nizamabad district and not Warangal.

When the irrigation officials tried to convince him by stating that it was only tentative projection, the Peddapalli MP asked why Chennur segment was included in the ayacut of the project as the Pranahita starts from Adilabad district.

He also demanded that they disclose how irrigation sources i.e. through gravity canals, lift schemes etc. would be provided in Karimnagar district.

To a query, the irrigation official stated that the private agency had conducted the DPR for the Pranahita-Chevella at a cost of Rs. 2.55 crore. Irked over this, he charged that no company officials or experts had visited the project site and prepared the DPR by sitting in Hyderabad.
When the situation was losing out of control and Venkatswamy became emotional, Government Whip D. Sridhar pacified him by announcing that a detailed meeting with the irrigation officials would be held in Hyderabad in the second week of this month to clarify all doubts of the district leaders on the Pranahita-Chevella project.

The project report on Pranahita-Chevella says that a barrage would be constructed across river Pranahita in Thummadihetti village of Kautala mandal of Adilabad district to utilise about 160 tmcfts of water. Under this project, the water would be lifted to Sripada Yellampalli balancing reservoir and later to Mothe reservoir and Mid-Manair Dam reservoir and others parts of Telangana region to provide irrigation sources to 17.25 lakh acres.

The meeting was chaired by Minister for Mines and Geology P. Sabitha Indra Reddy, Ministers T. Jeevan Reddy, J. Ratnakara Rao, ZP chairman A. Mohan, legislators Chada Venkat Reddy, Etala Rajender, G. Mukund Reddy, K. Ramulu, K. Eshwar, V. Lakshmikantha Rao, K. Lingaiah, Sana Maruthi, MLC Ch. Sudhakar Rao, Collector Sandeep Kumar Sultania, Joint Collector K. Sasidhar were also present.
(Courtesy:The Hindu)

A.P. announces Rs. 337-crore package for SCs

HYDERABAD: An action plan aimed at providing financial assistance to Scheduled Castes was announced by the Andhra Pradesh government here on Saturday.
Estimated to cost Rs. 337.22 crore, the plan will benefit 1.48 lakh SCs by way of development of lands, energising pump sets and taking up horticulture. Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy announced this while interacting with senior officials and representatives of the SC community. The plan will be implemented by the AP State SCs Cooperative Finance Corporation. District-level societies will act as facilitators for sanction of 50 per cent subsidy subject up to a maximum of Rs. 30,000.
(Courtesy:The Hindu)

Chandrababu Naidu finds himself on a sticky wicket

HYDERABAD: Even as Telugu Desam president N. Chandrababu Naidu completed the 75th day of his “Mee Kosam Yatra” on Saturday proving his detractors somewhat wrong, he seemed to find himself in a political logjam with seniors leaving him.

When he began his 150-day 10,000-km-long yatra, on a hot morning on April 21 from a Dalit colony near Tirupati, many had dismissed it as too ambitious to last long. His detractors had argued that having enjoyed power for nine years he did not have credibility, stakes, tenacity and issues such as his arch political rival, Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, possessed when he took up his ‘padayatra’ as leader of the Opposition. Mr. Naidu rubbished their argument, as his ‘yatra’ trundled on for the 75th day, leaving one wondering if the ‘yatra’ would now become a must in any top politician’s itinerary in Andhra Pradesh if he were to bid for power. Rain or shine, braving spells of illness, he moved on. Barring a day’s break on July 3 when he had to attend United National Progressive Alliance’s meeting in New Delhi, he kept up his promise of not returning to Hyderabad till he completed his mission of fighting for people’s causes. No doubt, Mr. Naidu struck a chord among people. But just as he thought he was able to win back the sections that have moved away from his party, he had to face the embarrassment of seeing some of his senior colleagues desert him one by one. If it was Kotagiri Vidyadhara Rao in Andhra, it was T. Devender Goud in Telangana and now the Bhuma couple in Rayalaseema.

His dreams of playing a key role in national politics have come a cropper with the Samajwadi Party all but moving away from UNPA.
(Courtesy:The Hindu)