Andhra Pradesh

Nine persons, including students and women, were on Thursday killed in separate road accidents in Khammam and Anantapur districts of Andhra Pradesh, police said.

Five women and a youth were killed on the spot when the autorickshaw they were travelling in collided with a lorry near Kollugudem village in Khammam district at around 2.30 pm, they said.

Three students (aged around 16), who were on their way to attend SSC examinations, died after the bike on which they were travelling was hit by an unidentified vehicle at Kutagulla village in Anantapur district, police said.

The budget session of the State Legislative Assembly which started on February 13 concluded on Thursday with the State Government passing the Appropriation Bill without debate.

According to the statistics, the Assembly functioned for 29 days and worked for 88 hours and 14 minutes. However, on an average, the assembly worked for a little over three hours on each working day to discuss and pass a budget of Rs 1.45 lakh crore.

A shopkeeper and three employees were killed in a blaze in Andhra Pradesh’s Eluru town Thursday, police said.

The fire engulfed Ramakrishna Khadi Bhandar, a textile shop, in Eluru in West Godavari district, 350 km from here.

The fire, blamed on an electrical short-circuit, destroyed goods worth Rs.10 lakh.

Andhra Pradesh High Court Services Committee is holding a mega Lok Adalat tomorrow in Krishna District Headquarters of Machilipatnam for settlement of cases pertaining to road accidents. Informing this at a press conference here today, district legal Cell Secretary P Mohan Rao said Lok Adalats, especially to resolve the road accident cases, are being held in various places in the state.

He said during the last five months, as many as 399 cases were settled benefiting 785 persons by disbursing Rs.8,95,57,968. He appealed to victims to get their cases settled at the Lok Adalat. UNI

YSR Congress leader and former TTD chairman Bhumana Karunakara Reddy has alleged that the TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu was suffering from ‘defeat phobia’ after the party candidates rout in the Kovur Assermbly constituency.

Speaking to the media here on Tuesday, he said there was acute feeling of insecurity among the TDP leaders and cadres after the Kovuru by-election.

Director General of Police V Dinesh Reddy said that all police stations are being interlinked through Crime Control Tracking System which would be operational in a couple of months. Addressing a press conference in Krishna District headquarters, Machilipatnam, today, he said the Crime Control Tracking System is being installed at cost of Rs.100 crore.

In the wake of the mishap involving a school bus which fell into a stream, killing eight students on March 20, the state Road transport Officials have undertaken intense cheking of all school buses to ensure They safety they seized ten buses which were in poor condition. Assistant Transport Officer, A Mohan said there were as many as 1,840 school buses in krishna district. Notices were issued to the school managements to get them repaired.

Tourism Minister Vatti Vasanth Kumar on Monday informed the State Legislative Assembly that a Shilparamam would be established in Vijayawada soon.

In what appears to be yet another suicide for the cause of separate Telangana, a man in his 30s, set himself ablaze reportedly shouting ‘Jai Telangana’ slogans in Public Garden at Hanamkonda near here on Monday.

According to eye witnesses, one Rajamouli, an auto-driver, took the extreme step after pouring petrol on himself at around 11 am and raised ‘Jai Telangana’ slogans before he succumbed to his burn injuries.

The speaker congratulated the MLAs on their victory and adjourned the House at around 0913 hrs for 15 minutes after disallowing all adjournment motions given notices by the TDP and TRS (on Telangana bill) and Left Parties and BJP (on SC, ST sub-plan funds issue).
Even as the House adjourned for 15 minutes, the Opposition members of TRS and TDP were seen sitting inside the well of the House when it reassembled around 1025 hrs.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy said on Sunday that the Congress government in the state was committed to create employment opportunities for the educated youth in the state.

Addressing a public meeting at the RK beach in connection with Visakha Vasantostavam, he said 1.6 lakh jobs would be created in government departments in the state this year.

Stating that the government intention was to provide good education to all, he said the state government had been giving scholarships worth Rs 3500 crore to 27 lakh students in the state.

Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) Secretary Kolanukonda Sivaji here today appealed the government to create greater Vijayawada in order to expand its geographical vastness to ease congestion. Addressing a press conference here today, he said even smaller cities then Vijayawda, like Guntur, were being developed as grater cities, by incorporating nearby villages, in order expand its geographical vastness, but efforts are not being done for the creation of grater Vijayawada, he deplored.

Union Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh said the air connectivity for two-tier cities, including to Visakhapatnam would be improved in future. Addressing the gathering at a convention on ‘International Connectivity and Tourism’ being organised by Air Travellers Association (ATA ),Civil Aviation, he said tourism and hospitality sector had great impending for employment generation. He said Visakhapatnam city was developing very fast and International air connectivity was very essential for future growth.

Coolies digging a well found seven kg of gold in the district on Saturday.

According to the information, some laborers were digging a bore-well in Hanumanthunigudem village under Nuzvid mandal when they found the gold. However, instead of handing it over to the authorities, they tried to share it among themselves. However, there was no agreement on the shares and they started quarrelling with each other. With this, the news became public and the police entered he scene and seized the yellow metal. (NSS)

East Godavari District Collector Neethu Kumari today flagged off the World TB day rally at the government general hospital here. Addressing the participants on the occasion, she said TB was a controllable disease and it can be treated effectively by DOT (Directly Observed Treatment) system, introduced by Andhra Pradesh government.

Stating that TB and HIV are inter-linked, the Collector said many HV patients were now losing their lives to TB, she said and advised patients to get themselves tested for HIV so that comprehensive treatment could be given simultaneously. UNI

Barring minor incidents of road blockade , the Maoists Bharat bandh in the tribal agency area of North Coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh Passed off pecefully According to police, the Bharat bandh called by the Maoists passed off peacefully without any major incidents in the area. The Maoists resorted to road blockades by cutting trees and placing them across the road at Chitapalli- Annavaram road and at Turakalavalasa in Pedabayalu mandal.

A woman and her son were on Friday electrocuted and three others suffered burn injures in a village in Andhra Pradesh, police said.

Andhra Pradesh: Mother-son duo electrocuted
The incident took place at Chilvakodur village, nearly 60km from here, according to Circle Inspector P Mahender.

The woman, P Gangavva (46), was putting clothes for drying on a wire tied to an electric pole. While doing so, one of the clothes touched the high tension wire and it resulted in electric shocks to Gangavva leading to her instant death.

Andhra Pradesh: Mother-son duo electrocuted

At least seven peacocks were found dead in Mandalenkapalli village here apparently due to rising temperatures and water scarcity.

The birds were found near a tank on the village outskirts yesterday under Bejjenki police limits, village sarpanch Rajaiah said.

The exact cause of the death is not known and a complaint has been filed, he said.

Police and forest officials, who reached the spot, nearly 40 km from here, are probing into the peacock deaths, he added.

–Agencies

Has a change of guard in Andhra Pradesh become inevitable in the wake of the severe drubbing faced by the ruling Congress in the seven Assembly segments where by-elections were held?

A three-day’Agri & Horticulture and Dairy and Processing India Expo 2012′ will be held here from March 24, Expo Chief Executive M A Nazeer said today. Addressing a press conference here, he said the main objective of the expo was to bring awareness among farmers on better farming practices and various products, technology and services available to get better yield and results in the sectors. Companies dealing with manufacture of seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, equipment and machinery, milking machines would display their products and services in the expo he said.

State Minister for Mines Galla Aruna Kumari toay said her son Jaidev, Managing Director , Amara Raja Batteries , was willing to enter politics. Talking to the mediapersons here, the Minister said Mr Jaidev,who is also a Council Chairman for CII-AP, was ready to contest the elections (from Tirupati Assembly Constitutency) if the party high command gave ticket. It may be noted that the present Tirupati MLA and and erstwhile PRP President K.Chiranjeevi from Congress was elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Andhra Pradesh today.

Telugu Desam Party senior leader K Yerram Naidu on Thursday demanded that the State Government immediately announce the schedule for conducting elections to the local bodies in the State.

Talking to media persons while participating in the dharna being organized under the aegis of Citizens Forum against forcible collection of property tax in front of the municipality, Yerram Naidu alleged that the government was resorting to delaying tactics in conducting the elections and postponing them repeatedly fearing of defeat in the elections.

Nallapu Reddy Prasanna Kumar Reddy, who won the by-elections by contesting on YSR Congress Party ticket from Kovvur Assembly constituency with 23,496 votes, on Wednesday expressed confidence that his party would win in the ensuing by-elections for 17 Assembly constituencies under the stewardship of Jagan Mohan Reddy with thumping majority.

Whenever elections were held in the State, it would be YSR Congress that would sweep, said Nallapureddy Prasanna Kumar Reddy, who won with a good majority in Kovuru as the party’s candidate.

Nallapu Reddy Prasanna Kumar Reddy, who won the by-elections by contesting on YSR Congress Party ticket from Kovvur Assembly constituency with 23,496 votes, on Wednesday expressed confidence that his party would win in the ensuing by-elections for 17 Assembly constituencies under the stewardship of Jagan Mohan Reddy with thumping majority.