Andhra Pradesh

Hyderabad, October 20: The internal feud in the ruling Congress party in Andhra Pradesh came to the fore once again with a minister filing a defamation suit against a party member of parliament (MP) for making allegations of corruption against him.

Major industries minister Kanna Lakshminarayana filed the suit in Guntur district court Oct 19 against senior leader and Guntur MP Rayapati Sambasiva Rao, seeking Rs.1 crore in damages.

“I will respond only after I receive the court notice,” Rao told reporters Wednesday, after a meeting with Chief Minister K. Rosaiah on the issue.

Hyderabad, October 20: An official of the District Education Office (DEO) in Andhra Pradesh’s Prakasam district was arrested today by sleuths of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) for accepting a bribe of Rs 10,000.

The amount was recovered from the I V Prasad Rao, Senior Assistant in the DEO, after he received the bribe from the complainant for doing an official favour, an ACB release said today.

The accused is being produced before a special court and investigations are on, the release said.

Khammam, October 19: A gang of Maoists looted State Bank of Hyderabad in the day light yesterday and fled with large amount from there. The incident took place at 11 o’clock in the morning in Khammam district when the bank was opened yesterday after Dussehra holidays.

It has been told that a 15 member armed gang including a woman entered into SBH and asked the customers present there to go out and looted the amount at gunpoint. It is learnt that meanwhile the Maoists entered into the strong room too and looted gold jewelry also.

Nellore, October 18: Trouble continued in Nellore town on Saturday when followers of Kadapa MP YS Jaganmohan Reddy staged a demonstration protesting the action of local authorities in not allowing installation of a statue of late chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy.

As part of Jagan’s ongoing Odarpu Yatra in the district, his men planned to have a statue of YSR unveiled in Fishermen’s Colony in the centre of the town.

They commenced work without obtaining the requisite permission forcing the civic officials to demolish the pedestal a couple of days ago.

Adilabad, October 18: Yet another suicide due to ‘harassment by microfinance agents’ was reported from Adilabad district.

K Narayana (50), a dealer in pearls, committed suicide by consuming poison allegedly due to harassment by agents of four microfinance institutions (MFIs). Narayana took the extreme step in his house at Bhagyanagar colony in Nirmal division of the district.

Kurnool, October 18: Refused money to buy liquor, a man brutally murdered his mother and wife with a pestle in Yemmiganur town on Saturday.

Vadde Erranna (31), a daily wage worker and an alcoholic, used to pick up argument with his mother Nagamma (49) and wife Venkatalakshmi (28) after consuming alcohol.

According to police, Erranna picked up a quarrel with the women after they refused to give him money to buy liquor last night.

Hyderabad, October 18: For the first time, the representatives of Lok Satta and Praja Rajyam parties attended an all-party meeting convened by TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu at NTR Bhavan on Saturday.

CPM state secretary BV Raghavulu wanted all the Opposition parties to launch a united fight against the ruling Congress.

He wanted the main Opposition TDP to work with LSP and PRP also since it has some reservations to work with them. TDP convened an allparty meting today and even invited LSP and PRP.

LSP president Jayaprakash Narayan and PRP MLA K Kannababu attended the meeting.

Hyderabad, October 18: BJP senior leader and former Union minister B Dattatreya demanded that the Central government should create a revolving fund by allocating Rs 50 lakh crore to provide financial assistance to all the self help groups (SHGs) across the country.

The BJP leader said he would submit a memorandum to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the issue.

Bhadrachalam, October 18: Pilgrimage on the occasion of Dasara turned tragic for the poor families of East Godavari district when the van in which they were travelling fell into a valley, killing seven persons.

Twelve others were seriously injured.

The incident occurred in the wee hours of Saturday near Tulasipaka, about 80 km away from the temple town of Bhadrachalam, when the driver lost control while negotiating a sharp curve on a ghat road and the vehicle fell into a 40-foot deep valley.

Rajhmundary, October 18: Housewife Karri Ammaji (48) of Katheru village in Rajahmundry rural mandal committed suicide last Sunday night. It created a sensation in the village.

She had borrowed Rs 2 lakh from four micro finance companies (MFIs) at 10 per cent interest, and had stood surety for a loan of Rs 2 lakh taken by her relatives.

She had been under enormous pressure to cough up repayment instalments, and was due to pay one of Rs 4,000 on Monday.

Chittoor, October 18 : Villagers of Peddamarrimanu in Madanapalle mandal poisoned and killed about 45 monkeys on Saturday.

When elders of the village admonished them that killing monkeys on Dasara was unholy, the villagers were overcome with guilt and gave a decent burial to the monkeys and even built a grave for them.

The farmers of Peddamarrimanu had been having problems with the monkey for damaging their crops in the past few years.

Vijayawada, October 18: P Nagaraju, a 17-year-old intermediate boy in NCC uniform, was seen busy in assigning duties to fellow cadets at the Kanakadurga temple. He was the lone incharge to guide 216 NCC cadets, who were involved in assisting the police and temple staff ensuring a safe darshan for the devotees.

The police deployed 870 NSS, 216 NCC cadets and 26 NCC Air wing cadets from various colleges in the city, whose services at Indrakeeladri during the Navaratri festivities drew applause from all quarters.

Hyderabad, October 18: Two persons were electrocuted to death while erecting poles as a part of Dussehra celebrations in Adilabad town, police said today.

The incident occurred this afternoon at a locality under Adilabad-II Town police station limits when some persons were trying to erect poles to put up posters as part of Dussehra celebrations and came in contact with the overhead electricity lines, they said.

The two died on the spot police said adding three injured persons were shifted to a hospital in Adilabad town. Further investigations were on.

–PTI

Hyderabad, October 18: Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) president K Chiranjeevi on Saturday urged the state government to introduce a market intervention scheme with Rs 1,000 crore to regulate prices of essential commodities.

In a letter to Chief Minister K Rosaiah, Chiranjeevi wanted the government to strengthen the public distribution system and ensure that essentials were supplied to the poor regularly.

Hyderabad, October 18: For the first time, Telangana Praja Front (TPF) founder Gadar has come in for attack from a senior functionary of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS).

Former minister and TRS politburo member A Chandrasekhar on Saturday found fault with Gadar for making criticism of the separatist party as the sole agenda of his campaign.

Hyderabad, October 17: Two persons were electrocuted while erecting poles for Dussehra celebrations in Adilabad town in the state, police said today.

The incident occurred this afternoon at a locality under Adilabad-II Town police station limits when some persons were trying to erect poles to put up posters as part of Dussehra celebrations and came in contact with the overhead electricity lines, they said.

Two died on the spot, police said, adding three injured persons were shifted to a hospital in Adilabad town. Further investigations were on.

–Agencies

New Delhi, October 17: SKS Microfinance today said it will seek legal opinion on whether the Andhra Pradesh government’s new ordinance to regulate the microfinance sector will be applicable to the company.

The ordinance is aimed at regulating Microfinance Institutions (MFIs), which have come under criticism for charging exorbitant interest rates from the poor and for their strong arm tactics for recovering money.

Kurnool, October 16: In a gory incident, a man murdered his mother
and wife in the district on Saturday.

According to the police, Veeranna has fatally attacked his mother and
wife with a pounding pestle during the wee hours when the victims were
fast asleep in Yemmiganur town. He tried to kill himself and was
injured.

The police took him into custody and sent him to hospital. Police said
that Veeranna was mentally instable since three months.

—-NSS—

Hyderabad, October 16: Panchayat raj minister Botsa Satyanarayana today dared the opposition leader N Chandrababu Naidu to prove the charges against him on issues pertaining to encroachment of lakes and temple lands and liquor syndicate in Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam districts.

The TDP leader should stop making allegations if he cannot prove the charges, Satyanarayana said.

Hyderabad, October 15: The Met department today issued a warning of heavy rainfall in five coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh over the next 48 hours with the low pressure area in the Bay of Bengal concentrating into a deep depression.

Isolated heavy to very heavy rains in the districts of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakahaptnam, East and West Godavari of coastal Andhra Pradesh has been forecast.

The Met has also forecast occurrence of isolated heavy rain over remaining coastal districts till the morning of October 17.

Mahabubnagar, October 15: At least four persons were killed and one sustained serious injuries when a speeding Tata Sumo collided with a stationary lorry near Pebberu mandal in Rangapur on National Highway -7 on Friday.

According to police sources, three persons were killed on the spot and one, who sustained serious injuries, died in the Government General Hospital in Mahabubnagar while undergoing treatment. The condition of another is stated to be serious.

Visakhapatnam, October 15: In an unfortunate incident, three Intermediate students were believed to have been drowned while attempting to rescue one of their friends in Visakhapatnam on Thursday.

According to police, Jagadish, Prakash and Shivbarghav, residents of Akkaipalli in Visakhapatnam district in Bheemili Beach were swept away by the swirling seas and drowned after they entered the waters to rescue one of their friends R Jagadish.

The three had come to the beach on a holiday trip and were playing volleyball when Visweshwara was swept away.

Karimnagar, October 15: A cotton farmer who suffered losses due to the recent heavy rains, allegedly committed suicide in Karimnagar district of Andhra Pradesh, police said today.

According to the police, Vangapalli Ramreddy (31) of Cheerlavancha village, about 45 km from here, committed suicide yesterday by consuming a poisonous substance.

Ramreddy owned four acres of land in the village. Besides he took six acres on lease from other farmers to raise cotton crop, they said, adding his entire crop was damaged in the heavy rains.

Warangal, October 15: Incidents like Muslim girls running away with Hindu boys and marrying them subsequently are frequent these days. But in an unprecedented incident a Muslim burqa clad girl is found to be worshiping in a temple with her non Muslim friends.

The girl not only visited Sri Sai Baba temple situated in Hanamkunda Warangal police station limits but also worshiped according to Hindu rituals.

Local Muslims are immensely grieved by the agonizing incident.

——–Siasat News

Hyderabad, October 14: Seeking to rein in microfinance institutions (MFIs), whose coercive functioning led to alleged suicides of a number of poor and rural people, the Andhra Pradesh government today approved a special Ordinance for the purpose and sent it for the Governor’s assent.

The State Cabinet met here specially to approve the ordinance in view of the massive pubic outcry over the harassment of the poor by the MFIs.

State Rural Development Minister V Vasanth Kumar, talking to reporters after the Cabinet meeting, declined to divulge the contents of the ordinance.