Andhra Pradesh

Hyderabad, March 24: Telangana Rashtra Samiti president K. Chandrasekhar Rao has reiterated that his party will remain in public life irrespective of the formation of the Telangana State as it was launched only for the overall development of all sections of the people in the region.

“Our party will continue even if the Telangana State is created or not. Some news channels launched an evil misinformation campaign on the eve of MLA Pocharam Srinivas Reddy (TDP) joining the TRS,” he said, while addressing a public meeting on here on Wednesday night.

Nalgunda, March 24: Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy, CPI deputy general secretary, on Wednesday, contended that the Congress lost two-third seats in the Legislative Council elections, indicating that people were not happy with the nominated State leadership by the Centre.

At a press conference, Mr. Reddy demanded the ruling party in the State to explain to people the cause for the council poll debacle. By winning three seats, former Kadapa MP Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy proved that he is a “political force in the State”.

Hyderabad, March 24: GHMC will be taking up a special drive for debris, pamphlets and posters in the twin cities from April 1 onwards, if necessary, with the help of police, said Mayor B. Kartika Reddy on Wednesday.

At a review meeting with the Health & Sanitation wing, she asked to study the feasibility of recycling debris as in New Delhi. She also promised to take up the issue of debris left over by the Water Board after desilting, demolitions by the Town Planning wing and cutting of trees by the CPDCL with the respective Zonal Commissioners.

Vizianagaram, March 24: District Medical and Health Officer U. Swarajya Lakshmi has claimed that the cure rate under revised national tuberculosis control programme (RNTCP) has improved to 88 per cent compared to 69 per cent under NTCP. Since inception of RNTCP in 2001, so far 39,438patients had been treated under DOTS. Of these 35,678 patients were cured and the remaining were being treated. Addressing a press conference on Wednesday on the eve of World TB Day on Thursday, Dr. Lakshmi said that the case detection rate that was 171 per lakh under RNTCP in 2001 had dropped to 151 last year.

Hyderabad, March 24: The Atlanta-based, global asset management company, Invesco Limited on Wednesday opened its Hyderabad office with a head count of about 600 employees. President and CEO, Martin L. Flanagan said he was bullish about its growth in India as the investment climate was just right for Invesco to expand in the Asian region.

Hyderabad, March 24: Officials of the Anti-Corruption Bureau have unearthed assets worth Rs. 94 lakh after searches of the house and other premises of P. Shukla Kumar, a Deputy Tahsildar of Moinabad mandal in Ranga Reddy district.

Guntur, March 24: YSR Congress Party leader Ambati Rambabu has asked Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy to resign owning moral responsibility for the ruling party’s dismal performance in the Legislative Council elections.

Addressing media persons here on Wednesday, Mr. Rambabu said Mr. Kiran Kumar Reddy could not ensure the victory of the Congress candidate in his native (Chittoor) district, which showed that he was losing grip over the cadre.

‘Sinking ship’

Sangareddy, March 24: The State government has been seriously considering establishment of a special bank for the Self Help Groups (SHGs). According to sources, a proposal to this extent was already forwarded to the Union government for examination and approval.

Hyderabad, March 24: The counting of votes for Legislative Council from Chittoor LAC took place amid high drama as Desai Thippa Reddy, the final winner, established only a one-vote majority in the first round in which he secured 408 votes compared to 407 of his nearest rival B. Naresh Kumar Reddy of the Congress.

The tally remained same even after the recounting ordered by the returning officer as normally done when the difference is only one vote in a round, according to Chief Electoral Officer Bhanwar Lal.

Hyderabad, March 24: Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy said a car manufacturing company had evinced interest in setting up a Rs. 6,000 crore unit in the State but declined to divulge its name as he wanted it to be a secret till it finally arrived.

He told a meeting here on Wednesday to mark the ground breaking ceremony of the new tractor plant of Mahindra & Mahindra at Zaheerabad in Medak district that the car company promised to convey its decision on setting up the unit in June. “Till then, let it be a suspense”, he remarked.

Hyderabad, March 24: Telugu Desam president N. Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday said the outcome of the Legislative Council election from Local Authorities Constituencies show that the party would gain from the division in the Congress ranks brought about by the former Kadapa MP, Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s group.

Kadapa, March 24: The victory of Chadipiralla Narayana Reddy backed by YSR Congress Party as Kadapa MLC Local Authorities Constituency with a margin of 10 votes on Wednesday comes as a morale booster for former MP Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy and his new party in his native Kadapa district.

Sangareddy, March 24: Balladeer Gaddar proposes to float a Joint Action Committee (JAC) with the cooperation of all people’s organisations involved in the agitation for separate Telangana. This will not be connected to any political party.

Speaking to the media after participating in ‘Telangana Lolli’ programme arranged by the District Photographers and Videographers Association held at the district headquarters on Wednesday, Mr. Gaddar said it was the responsibility of the people to fight for the separate State as all the political parties failed to achieve the goal.

Kakinada, March 24: Boddu Bhaskara Rama Rao of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has been elected Member of Legislative Council from the local bodies’ constituency of East Godavari district. Though independent candidate supported by the YSR Congress Party Kudupudi Chittabbayi too was in the poll fray, the contest was between Mr. Rao and the Congress party’s nominee Gidugu Rudra Raju. The counting of votes was held at Bennet Club here on Wednesday and the result was out within two hours of the commencement of the counting.

Hyderabad, March 24: Nearly 13 lakh students will appear for Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examinations which will commence from Thursday across 5,841 centres in the state. The exams will be held from 9.30 am to 12 noon till April 9.

Students who did not receive the hall-tickets can download the same from the websites ‘www.manabadi.com and www.schools9.com’. Students have been advised to reach the examination hall half an hour before the commencement of examination.

Kadapa, March 24: YSR Congress leaders celebrated the victory of former Kadapa DCCB president C. Narayana Reddy as MLC LAC on Wednesday by bursting crackers and demanded the resignation of the three Ministers – Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy, D.L. Ravindra Reddy and Mohd. Ahmedullah – from the Cabinet owning moral responsibility for the defeat of Congress candidate N. Varadarajulu Reddy.

New Delhi, March 23: A delegation of TDP leaders and MLAs from Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh today met President Pratibha Patil and demanded the Centre immediately initiate steps for formation of a separate Telangana state.

The delegation of MLAs and former MLAs from the region led by senior leader Nagam Janardhana Reddy met Patil at the Rasthrapati Bhavan and apprised her of the situation in the region.

Hyderabad, March 23: The Telugu Desam Party forced adjournment of the Andhra Pradesh Assembly without transaction of any business on Wednesday over the demand of a Joint Legislature Committee to probe the land allotments in the last six years.

This was the sixth day that the issue has rocked the Assembly. The government today said it would consider the demand for JLC only if Opposition allowed discussion on the issue in the House first.

The TDP, however, remained adamant, saying it wanted nothing but a JLC.

Hyderabad, March 23: In a setback to the ruling Congress, former party MP Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy today won two out of nine seats in the elections to Local Authorities’ Constituencies (LAC) of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council.

Though his group supposedly won the third seat, the result is marred in a dispute with the victor securing a lead of just one vote.

With the result, Jagan has effectively marred the victory prospects of Congress nominee in East Godavari district, letting main Opposition TDP have the last laugh.

Hyderabad, March 23: In a setback to the ruling Congress, former party MP Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy today won two out of nine seats in the elections to Local Authorities’ Constituencies (LAC) of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council.

Though his group supposedly won the third seat, the result is marred in a dispute with the victor securing a lead of just one vote.

With the result, Jagan has effectively marred the victory prospects of Congress nominee in East Godavari district, letting main Opposition TDP have the last laugh.

Hyderabad, March 23: Andhra Pradesh Police’s request for a helicopter to meet emergency situations, particularly during anti-Maoist operations, has been pending with the state government for long.

It was at the height of the Naxal movement in the state in the 1990s that the police first came up with the proposal for buying a helicopter.

The elite anti-Maoist force ? Greyhounds ? was supposed to use the chopper in its operations, especially in forest and remote areas, for movement and evacuation of personnel.

Hyderabad, March 23: The murder for gain of a 52-year-old housewife committed last month at L.B. Nagar was hatched by a degree second-year student living in a rented portion of her house, the police said on Tuesday.

Karnool, March 23: District TB Control Officer Moksheswarudu said that 10,000 TB cases were detected every year in the district.

The death rate was brought down from 28 per cent to seven per cent after the introduction of DOT system wherein use of drugs was monitored constantly until the patient recovered.

Addressing a meeting at Gadda Street in the city on Tuesday, he said the infection rate increased in Kurnool after the floods.

According to him, 1.40 crore people were affected by TB in the country while the disease caused five lakh deaths every year.

Adilabad, March 23: Pudari Vijay Kumar, a teacher working in Utnoor mandal of Adilabad district was waylaid and robbed of Rs. 5 lakh in cash by nine identified persons on March 18 on the outskirts of Nanded district head quarters in Maharashtra.

The teacher had gone to Nanded to purchase gold.

A local jeweller and his accomplice, who had also accompanied Vijay Kumar, had assured him of facilitating such a purchase through their contacts in Nanded. The duo is now the prime suspect in the case.

Dharwad, March 23: Horticulture University, Bagalkot, will increase the number of seats in various courses from the next academic year.

Vice-Chancellor S.B. Dandin told presspersons here on Monday that such a decision was taken in the backdrop of the increasing demand for courses in horticulture science.

In the last academic year, only 20 per cent of the total number of applicants could be accommodated.