Andhra Pradesh

Anantapur, March 06: An Assistant sub-inspector and head constable were arrested on charges of extortion in Puttparthi yesterday and search is on for another constable, who was their accomplice.

According to police higher officials, the accused ASI Gangulappa, head constable Siva Prasad and constable Munya Naik went to the apartment of one, Patel (70) on February 28 and claiming to be naxals, they demanded `1 lakh. Fearing for his life, Patel gave them Rs 90,000 which was all the money that he had at that time.

Warangal, March 06: A UKG student was thrashed mercilessly by his teacher for not doing his maths home work on Friday. The incident came to light this morning after which a mob attacked the school and damaged furniture while the teacher fled the school.

Four-year-old Anish Balaji is a student of Victory Public School in Lingala village in Regonda mandal. Police said he went to school as usual yesterday.

Hyderabad, March 06: A student, who inhaled tear gas released by police on students during recent clashes on the Osmania University campus and developed health complication, died yesterday while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Warangal.

The student, M Ashok, was a first year student of MA (public administration) at PG college, Secunderabad. According to reports, Ashok took part in the recent ‘Chalo Assembly’ protest called by OUJAC demanding tabling of separate Telangana bill in the Parliament.

Tirupati, March 06: Taking exception to some observations believed to have been made by TTD chief priest AV Ramana Deekshitulu, TTD Employees Association Joint Action Committee leaders have demanded that the TTD take action against the priest for making such comments against the management.

Addressing a press conference here yesterday, JAC leaders Venkataramana Reddy, Lakshminarayana Yadav, Ramachandra and others accused the priest of making controversial statements.

Hyderabad, March 06: Does Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy have a signet ring engraved with a maxim true and wise: Even this shall pass away? For, this was what he had to say upon completion of his 100th day in office on Friday.

“These (political uncertainty in the State) are passing clouds and will pass by in thre e t o six months,” he predicted at an informal chat with reporters at his chambers in the Assembly. Upbeat, despite an intensified Telangana agitation casting a shadow on his regime, the Chief Minister painted a humorously optimistic picture.

Vishakapatnam, March 06: Swetha recalls the days when her sister Krishnaveni would help her out with her home work. ‘’She was good at mathematics and science. She was my best friend and we were so happy.

But marriage changed Krishnaveni’s life for the worse,’’ says Swetha, weeping inconsolably.

Family members of Duvvi Krishnaveni, the final year engineering student who was done to death in the most barbaric manner on Friday are shattered.

Police said Krishnaveni’s husband, Ch Ravi Kumar was the man who allegedly slit her throat in full public view yesterday.

Hyderabad, March 06: Ruling Congress MLAs hailing from Andhra-Rayalaseema regions have decided to visit New Delhi after the ongoing Budget session of the state Assembly and bring pressure on the party high command to keep Andhra Pradesh united.

Their colleagues from Telangana, who held a separate meeting here on Saturday night, too decided to rush to the national capital on March 12 demanding creation of Telangana state.

Hyderabad, March 06: “If big leaders cannot settle the Telangana issue, then the people of the region will settle it.” This was an SMS read out by Telangana Rashtra Samithi MLA K Taraka Rama Rao which, he said, showed the kind of emotion that exists among the people of Telangana, while stating that all efforts are being made to ensure that the Million March on March 10 is a big success.

Hyderabad, March 06: A Person hailing from Warangal filed a petition in the High Court yesterday, seeking denial of permission to the Telangana Joint Action Committee to organise Million March to Hyderabad on March 10 on the ground that it clashes with the Intermediate examinations.

The High Court ordered the state government to file its response by March 8.

The petition was filed by S Chakrapani, a resident of Warangal district. He contended that lakhs of Intermediate students are supposed to take their examination on March 10.

Hyderabad, March 06: With the proposed ‘Million March’ by the Telangana Joint Action Committee (TJAC) on March 10 nearing, school authorities have begun advising students to leave from home early to reach their examination centres in time.

Hyderabad/ Sangareddy, March 06: Alleged financial problems, fear of examinations and health reasons drove four students to end their lives in the city and neighbouring Medak district on Friday.

In Patancheru of Medak district, a first year engineering student committed suicide allegedly unable to bear the pressure from his college management to pay the fees before the examinations.

According to police, K Shankar Reddy (19), was a first year ECE student of TRR Engineering college at Inol village in Patancheru mandal.

Hyderabad, March 06: In the light of fast changing political developments in the region on separate statehood issue, the Telangana public representatives of the ruling Congress have called for a ‘Telangana CLP’ meeting here today to discuss the developments taking place in the Parliament as well as in the State Assembly, and also the ongoing Telangana agitation and non-cooperation movement of Telangana employees.

The meeting is expected to take place at the Ministers’ Club House or at the residence of one of the Telangana ministers in Banjara Hills tomorrow at 4 pm.

New Delhi, March 06: Union Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh on Friday said he would convene a meeting of Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and Chhattisgarh to find a way forward for Polavaram irrigation and hydel project in Andhra Pradesh.

Replying to a short notice question in the Rajya Sabha, the minister said although the forest clearance was given to the project, there was a condition that there would be no submergence in Orissa and Chhattisgarh.

Hyderabad, March 06: Election Commission observer K. Chandramouli and Kadapa Joint Collector and Returning Officer K. Nirmala scrutinised the nominations filed for MLC LAC constituency candidates and accepted the papers of six candidates on Saturday.

One set of nomination each belonging to 3 candidates were accepted out of two nominations papers each filed by them. The papers of Challa Narayana Reddy, 29, and Chennam Narayana Reddy, 25, were rejected as they were under-aged as the EC stipulates a minimum age of 30 for contesting the election.

–Agencies

Visakhapatnam(AP), March 05: The BJP today said it has extended support for creation of a separate Telangana state as smaller states would pave way for good governance and faster development.

“Smaller states would develop faster with transparent administration and accountability which is witnessed in states like Chhattisgarh, Uttrakhand and Jharkhand that were formed when the NDA government was in power at the Centre,” party?s National spokesperson Nirmala Sitaraman told reporters.

Vijayawada, March 05: Opposition TDP on Saturday appealed to the Telangana supporters to withdraw their proposed agitation on March 10 as it would disrupt the intermediate examination scheduled for that day.

“Please do not spoil lives of students,” TDP legislator Devineni Umamaheswara said talking to reporters here.

Telangana protagonists, including political parties, have planned ‘Million March’ in Hyderabad to press for their statehood demand.

Hyderabad, March 03: Students of Osmania University on Wednesday blocked the AP Express bound to New Delhi for a brief period at Secunderabad railway station as part of the `rail roko’ call given by the TJAC demanding introduction of Telangana Bill in the Parliament.

At around 7 a.m in the morning, more than 20 students reached platform No 1 of the Secunderabad railway station and squatted in front of the AP Express which chugged into the station from Nampally on its way to New Delhi. The students raised pro-Telangana slogans and climbed atop the engine of the train.

Hyderabad, March 04: The siege of Eluru MP Kavuri Sambasiva Rao’s Banjara Hills residence by Telangana lawyers on Wednesday led to a confrontation between Telangana and Andhra leaders of the Congress.

The lawyers, accusing Sambasiva Rao of working against the Telangana cause, marched to his residence and staged a dharna, raising slogans that they would not allow such leaders to live in Hyderabad or hold meetings. Though police detained them, the incident triggered a rash of protests, challenges and counter-challenges between leaders of the two regions.

Adilabad, March 03: A pregnant woman, who was admitted to the government area hospital in Mancherial on Wednesday, died due to alleged negligence of doctors.

Angered over the death, relatives of the deceased damaged glass doors and furniture in the hospital and later staged a rasta roko there.

According to sources, Allam Sravanti, a native of Hanuman basthi in Bellampalli, was admitted to the hospital last night for delivery of her first baby.

But doctors told her kin that a Caesarian section was necessary and asked them to take her to Karimnagar hospital.

Hyderabad, March 03: As the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) leaders get cracking with preparations for the Million March on March 10, party president K Chandrasekhar Rao and Medak MP Vijayashanthi left for Delhi to take care of the agitation at the Centre – creating ruckus in the Lok Sabha with the help of like-minded parties and forcing the Centre to issue a statement favouring bifurcation of the state.

Hyderabad, March 03: Enthused by the success of the rail roko, the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) has decided to go ahead with the Million March to Hyderabad on March 10 despite opposition from parents that the protest might cause hardship to students.

The TRS, however, demanded that the Intermediate Board should reschedule the examinations to begin on March 7 so as to avoid inconvenience to students.

Guntur, March 03: Political Joint Action Committee convener N Samuel on Wednesday condemned the Telangana Rashtra Samithi’s resolution that students should boycott the Intermediate examinations as part of the protest demanding a separate Telangana state.

With the move of the TRS, lakhs of students would lose the opportunity of appearing for various national-level competitive examinations, he said.

Further, their performance would be affected with the postponement of the examinations, he said.

Vizianagaram, March 03: Nischal Narayanam, a mathematics genius, has launched Nischal Mathematics Lab, a unique international quality product in Vizianagaram on Wednesday.

The amazing product is useful for every child of 4 years and above. Nischal Math Lab consists of more than 500 math manipulative’s, 15 booklets, 13 animated DVDs and six books.

It covers almost all the concepts in school mathematics, suitable to all curriculum.

Hyderabad, March 03: Union home minister P Chidambaram’s statement that a decision on Telangana issue cannot be taken overnight and that he would convene a meeting with the state political parties only when all of them express their readiness to give their views, has left Telangana leaders of both the Congress and the TDP red-faced.

Chidambaram’s comments added fuel to the ongoing Telangana fire.

Hyderabad, March 03: In a curt ‘no’ to the proposal made by Congress leader JC Diwakar Reddy yesterday to TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu, the Seemandhra MLAs of the TDP have decided not to boycott the ongoing budget session of the Assembly.

“It is astonishing that Diwakar Reddy has met Naidu.

Reddy is trying to confuse the people. The Seemandhra TDP MLAs will attend the Assembly session and discuss people’s issues. There is no need for the TDP MLAs to boycott the session,” TDP politburo member Yanamala Ramakrishnudu said.