Andhra Pradesh

Hyderabad, May 30: The Telugu Desam will take the initiative to bring a non-Congress and non-BJP government to power at the Centre after the next election.

“The Congress has been weakened in the country and will weaken further. The BJP is, due to its internal squabbles and communal agenda, unable to dethrone the corrupt Congress. The TDP will, therefore, take it as its responsibility to bring an alternative government at the Centre,” party president N Chandrababu Naidu said in his concluding speech on the final day of Mahanadu here on Sunday.

Tirupati, May 30: Two of the three students accused of sexually harassing a fellow student at TTD-run Veda Pathashala at Dharmagiri on Tirumala were arrested and produced in a court here on Sunday.

The special team constituted to probe the case arrested Avinash and Mahesh Kannan, and produced them in the court which remanded them to judicial custody for 15 days.

On May 19 the parents of a 13-year-old student lodged a complaint with the Tirumala police alleging sexual abuse of their son at the hands of three of his seniors.

Guntur, May 30: Eight persons died and eight others were injured in two mishaps in Guntur and Prakasam districts on Sunday.

Five persons, including an infant, died when a lorry hit their car at Chandolu village.

The mishap occurred while a marriage party of Angalakuduru was returning home from Chandolu. The deceased were identified as Sk Nanesaheb (50), Sk Baji (30), Sk Kalimullah (50), Sk Dariyabi (60) and 7-monthold Sk Abdul Sadik. Three others were injured and they were shifted to Tenali government hospital.

Khammam, May 30: The first rabies death was reported in Khammam rural mandal on Sunday.

Seven other children of four villages were also bitten by dogs. Challa Balu (11) of Danavaigudem who was bitten by a dog on May 2, was admitted to a private hospital here on Saturday. He died while undergoing treatment. His parents Narasimha and Savitramma, who are daily wage earners, alleged that they lost their son due to negligence of government hospital doctors.

Kalkiri (CHITTOOR), May 30: Chief Minister N Kirankumar Reddy ridiculed Telugu Desam chief N Chandrababu Naidu’s comment that the state government is being remotely operated by the Centre.

Talking to reporters on the second day of his tour of the district, Reddy said, “I only pity Chandrababu Naidu. It explains his state of mind. I will not comment further on it.”

Hyderabad, May 30: Endowments minister Jupalli Krishna Rao plans to discuss his padayatra in Mahaboobnagar district with MPs from the region at his residence here on Monday.

Rao, who had a running feud with information minister DK Aruna, deferred his tour on May 23 at the instance of the PCC with Aruna threatening to disrupt his yatra if it entered her Gadwal constituency.

Hyderabad, May 30: Congress Legislature Party (CLP) members have sharply reacted to Telugu Desam’s challenges to the Congress government and described the Mahanadu as an exercise in futility and predicted that the opposition party would be wiped out from the political scene.

Tribal welfare Minister P Balaraju, MLA G Venkata Ramana Reddy, AICC secretary P Sudhakar Reddy, government chief whip Mallu Batti Vikramarka and MLC G Padma Raju addressed the press at the CLP office here on Sunday.

Bhadrachalam, May 30: The Ramalayam at Bhadrachalam attracts a large number of devotees from across the country but the lack of security measures is becoming a matter of serious concern for them.

One of the oldest temples in the country, Bhadrachalam Ramalayam was constructed during the 16th century by a devotee named Bhaktharamadas alias Kancherla Gopanna who worked as the tahsildar of Palvoncha paragana. He was inspired by lord Rama and used the government’s tax collection to construct the temple.

Hyderabad, May 30: The state committee of BJP has taken strong objection to TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu’s remarks against the BJP-led NDA government of the past at the Centre.

Hyderabad, May 30: The works for the construction of the Mahasamadhi of Sathya Sai Baba began on May 27 and it will be ready for darshan by next Guru Poornima in July.

Though the samadhi is reported to be of normal size, it will be made unique with the marble platform that will cover it. A marble statue of Saibaba in a sitting posture with Abhaya Hastam will be put up there.

Hyderabad, May 30: Will AP chief minister Kiran Kumar Reddy be a changed leader? At least, that’s what partymen are hoping for in the wake of his being told by the Congress high command that his six-month regime has been found wanting on more than one count.

Kiran himself requisitioned a report on his functioning from intelligence officials who have reportedly spoken to a cross section of people before coming up with a long list of complaints against his functioning and that of his government which is seen by many as a regime in drift.

Hyderabad, May 29: Naidu is keen on son ‘rise’May 28: The Telugu Desam president, Mr Chandrababu Naidu, said on Saturday that the Congress had ignored the welfare of minorities. For the sake of elections, the party had promised five per cent reservations in employment and education but the High Court had struck down the reservations thrice, he said.

Guntur, May 29: Heavy rain accompanied gales and thunders last night brought respite from the sweltering heat waves in Krishna, Guntur and West Godavari districts.

It occurred for about three hours at almost all places in the three districts. However, the city plunged in darkness due to power failure.

Meanwhile, one farmer died of electrocution when he came into contact with a live wire which had snapped due to heavy winds at Nunna, near here while another was died when lightening struck on him at Bhimavaram in West Godavari district.

Ongole, May 29: PRP’s youth wing ‘Yuva Rajyam’ Prakasham district president Mr.Vellampalli Gopi was brutally murdered on Saturday.

The assailants killed him in his office.They threw chilly powder in his eyes, stabbed and beaten him up.However, reasons for the murder were not immediately known. The incident caused sensation in the town.

—Courtesy:AH

Vishakapatnam, May 28: A slew of crimes over the past few months are sending shockwaves across the city. An alarming rise in use of fire-arms in criminal cases has become disconcertingly common. If recent incidents are anything to go by, Visakhapatnam, which has been known to be a city of peace and tranquility, is slowly but surely slipping into the world of organised crime, inter-state criminal network and above all, gun culture. Recently, two unidentified assailants opened fire at realtor V Sai Babu and his son Pavan Naresh at Aganampudi village in the city.

Hyderabad, May 28: The AP Public Service Commission has a new chairperson. Retired IAS officer Rachel Chatterjee has been posted in the vacancy. Governor ESL Narasimhan on Friday gave his assent to the proposal of the state government.

According to sources in the chief minister’s office, the choice of Rachel Chatterjee, who retired from service in December, is part of an exercise that has begun to appoint people known for their integrity to important offices. “This is the first in the series of initiatives that are going to be taken,” a senior official in the CMO said.

Chittor, May 28: A mad dog went on a rampage biting six people in Mahal in Kalikiri mandal on Friday evening.

According to information, the injured were admitted in the local sub-centre (PHC) for treatment. The incident caused anxiety among the district officials camping in Kalikiri, 10 km away from Mahal, finalising the arrangements for the chief minister’s visit on Saturday.

Hyderabad, May 28: Textiles minister P Shankar Rao on Friday created a flutter saying that several selfish ministers were in N Kiran Kumar Reddy’s Cabinet and they should be removed.

Speaking to reporters at the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) office, he said the selfish ministers were looting public money. He gave several hints that the chief minister would reshuffle his Cabinet soon to render social justice to all sections. The chief minister is still continuing with YS Rajasekhara Reddy’s Cabinet after making some minor changes.

Hyderabad, May 28: Alleging that the state government was contemplating reducing reservation for Backward Classes (BC) from 34 to 23.5 per cent in the ensuing local body elections, Andhra Pradesh BC Welfare Association president R Krishnaiah on Friday demanded that an all-party meeting be convened to finalise the quota.

Srikakulam, May 28: A prisoner, who had been brought from Visakhapatnam Central Jail to Srikakulam District Jail for jail works recently, died due to cardiac arrest at Rajiv Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), here in the early hours of Friday.

According to Superintendent of District Jail Vasanth Kumar, 38-year-old PL Lakshmi Narayana (38) belonging to Polaki mandal was convicted for murder due to family dispute.

–Agencies

Guntur, May 28: Nine children were rescued while they were being forcibly taken to Chickballapur in Karnataka by Prasanthi Express on Thursday night by three youths. Some co-passengers who got suspicion over the youths’ high-handed behaviour towards the children, alerted the railway police who swung into action and rescued the kids.

Hyderabad, May 28: Endowments minister Jupally Krishna Rao is likely to resume his Prajabhiman Yatra in Mahaboobnagar district from June 1 to press his demand for formation of Telangana state.

The yatra, which began on April 28 and has covered several villages in six Assembly constituencies in the district, was put on hold following the arrest of Krishna Rao and his ministerial colleague DK Aruna on May 20 when the latter objected to the yatra’s entry into her Gadwal constituency.

Hyderabad, May 28: After being seven years in the opposition, the Telugu Desam presented a deficit budget at the Mahanadu on Friday.

As per the income and expenditure statement for the year that concluded on March 31, the party had a deficit budget of Rs 91.55 lakh.

However, the total net assets of the party stood at Rs 16 crore. The party netted Rs 5.06 crore from membership and donations, Rs 1.05 crore from interest, Rs 2.40 lakh from rent.

Srikakulam, May 28: In a clash between two groups of villagers over possession of a piece of land at Suryanarayana Puram village of Laveru mandal in the district, an old women died and seven others sustained sustained injuries last night.

Hyderabad, May 28: The Telugu Desam, if voted to power, will introduce an exclusive budget for the welfare of farmers. It will also provide nine-hour free power supply to farmers during daytime.