Mahbubabad, May 28: Police fired rubber bullets to quell of stone pelting Telangana protestors attacking the Former Congress Minister Konda Surekha when she arrived at the Mahbubabad Railway Station just hours before YS Jagan Mohan Reddy was to step down here to start his ‘Odarpu Yatra’ in Warangal District today leaving at least four injured.
Warangal, May 27: Minister for tourism J Geeta Reddy has said the state government has decided to hold cultural festivals at different parts of the state. “Artistes belonging to the respective areas will be given importance during the programmes,” she added.
Inaugurating a 33 daylong cultural festival `Satarupa’ here at the Public Gardens today, the minister said next phase of Satarupa would be held in Vijayawada and Anantapur. According to her, the concluding function would be held in Hyderabad on a grand scale.
Warangal, May 27: With the people of the region determined to prevent Kadapa MP Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy’s tour of the heartland of Telangana, Warangal district, and the MP equally stubborn about proceeding with it, the Warangal police are in jitters ahead of DDay – May 28 – when the show is scheduled to roll out of Mahaboobabad.
Tirupati, May 27: The 135-ft high Rajagopuram at Srikalahasti temple, a standing testimony to 500 years of history, collapsed on itself here on Wednesday night. The seven-storeyed structure, built in 1516 A.D by Sri Krishna Devarayalu of the Vijayanagara empire, came down with an earth shattering sound forcing panicky devotees, temple staff and locals in the vicinity to run helter skelter.
Though no casualties had been reported, unconfirmed reports said two women had gone missing. Many simians were said to have been crushed to death.
Hyderabad, May 27: The “Rajagopuram” towering entrance to the 15th century Srikalahasti temple in Chittoor district that collapsed Wednesday night will be rebuilt with the assistance of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K. Rosaiah announced Thursday.
“We will approach the Archaeological Survey of India to rebuild the Rajagopuram in a scientific manner,” Rosaiah told reporters here.
Expressing his grief over the incident, he said an inquiry had already been ordered.
Rajahmundry, May 27: Passengers of Hyderabad -bound Gowathami Express faced some tense moments when they noticed smoke coming out from two compartments.
Smoke was coming out from S8 and S9 bogies, prompting the passengers to pull the chain and stop the train at Anaparthy in East Godavari district, railway officials said.
Following an inspection, it was discovered that the smoke was coming out due to some technical problem in the train’s brakes, they said.
After a 30-minute halt, the train left for Hyderabad.
There was no report of any casualty, the officials added.
—PTI
Hyderabad, May 27: The 500-year-old Gali Gopuram (temple tower) at the Sri Kalahasti temple in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh collapsed on Wednesday evening.
The tower, a heavy concrete structure, fell on a neighbouring guest house meant for pilgrims. However, there were no casualties.
The structure had been developing cracks for over a decade.
Religious groups in the temple area brought this to the government’s notice several times. However, only minor repairs were made.
Adilabad, May 27: In a ghastly road accident 35 people including 16 women and 10 children were killed and 20 others critically injured when the Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) in which they were returning after the marriage collided with a gravel-ladened tipper near Donnabanda tonight.
The LCV which was packed beyond its capacity carrying more than 70 people of Kothur village of Luxxetipet mandal when the accident happened while they were returning after the marriage reception at Ramapuram.
Hyderabad, May 27: Andhra Pradesh government’s grandiose plan to construct a memorial for former state chief minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy in the Nallamala forests has landed in a row.
Environmentalists are strictly against the project as they say it is “ being developed in a tiger reserve”. The state cabinet had approved the Rs 4- crore project last month. It is called Dr YSR Smrithi Vanam and covers an area of more than 3,000 acres in the reserve forests of Velugodu in the Nallamala, where YSR had died in a helicopter crash last September.
New Delhi, May 27: Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy is back after a brief lull to revive his turf war with Andhra Pradesh chief minister K. Rosaiah. Rumours are the son of late CM Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy and his supporters are plotting to split the party and float Congress (YSR) — much to the chagrin of the high command.
On Monday, Rosaiah met Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Union home minister P. Chidambaram to discuss various issues concerning the state. Sources said he brought to Sonia’s notice the “anti-Congress” activities of Jagan.
Hyderabad, May 26: A marriage party in a bus with 70 people on board met an accident on Wednesday in Adilabad here, killing at least 39.
According to reports, 39 people have been killed in the accident while several others have been injured. The condition of some of the injured passengers was reported to be serious.
The bride and groom were also in the bus and have survived.
The police has reached the accident spot and a probe is on to ascertain the reasons of the accident. Details about the cause etc are awaited.
–Agencies
Mumbai, May 24: It seems henceforth bi-lingual films are in some financial trouble. Because Bollywood’s fighters’ associations now demand twice the levy on the fights and fighters participating in a bi-lingual. And if it’s a 3-language film then a producer has to pay three times more levy than a one-language film.
This, the makers of Rakta Charitra which is being made simultaneously in Hindi Tamil and Telugu came to know when they were asked to deposit three times more levy than usual.
Hyderabad, May 23: Andhra Pradesh Revenue Minister Dharmana Prasada Rao announced a relief package to the families affected by the cyclone in different districts. He said enumeration of the property damage would commence once the rains subside.
Hyderabad, May 21: As many as 71,000 people continued to be in 300 relief camps in six coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh even as the cyclonic storm ‘Laila’ further weakened into a deep depression and lay centred over the north coastal area about 50 km north of Machilipatnam.
Hyderabad, May 21: CBI has recommended action against two officials of Andhra Pradesh Aviation Corporation Limited (APACL) in connection with the helicopter crash in which chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy was killed for “lapses” on their part to verify the tenure of the pilots.
“We suggested necessary action against then managing director APACL Brahmananda Reddy and quality control manager Lakshman Rao,” DIG (CBI) VV Laxminarayana told reporters here today.
Hyderabad, May 21: Rail, bus and air traffic was severely disrupted for the second consecutive day in East Godavari district due to heavy rains after cyclone ‘Laila’ struck Andhra Pradesh coast leaving over seven persons dead.
Two trains——Circar Express and Simhardi—— from Kakinada have been cancelled while some express trains are running 2—3 hours late due to water logging on the railway tracks following heavy downpour, Special officer South Central Railway (SCR) Raman said.
Hyderabad, May 21:, A powerful cyclone slammed into southeastern India on Thursday, toppling power lines and plunging a large swath of coastal Andhra Pradesh state into darkness after heavy rains and earlier strong winds claimed at least 15 lives. State welfare agencies evacuated more than 50,000 people from low-lying villages as the region braced for its worst storm in 14 years.
Hyderabad, May 20: Seven persons were killed as cyclone Laila today struck Andhra Pradesh coast, inundating large areas, snapping electricity and communication links and disrupting traffic.
Three persons were killed in Sri Potti Sriramulu Nellore district, two in East Godavari and one each in Krishna and Vizianagaram districts, according to the state Disaster Management authorities, adding two persons were missing in Krishna district.
Hyderabad/New Delhi/Kolkata, May 19: Over 50,000 people were evacuated in coastal Andhra Pradesh by late Wednesday as hundreds of villages face threat of inundation with cyclonic storm Laila, which is set to hit the state’s coast Thursday morning.
Authorities were forcibly evacuating people from coastal areas and low-lying villages while nearly 500 personnel of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) were deployed and four helicopters kept ready for rescue and relief operations.
Hyderabad, May 19: Over 700 villages in four coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh are likely to be affected by a severe cyclonic storm that is expected to hit the coast Thursday morning, officials said Wednesday.
The districts of East Godavari, West Godavari, Krishna and Guntur may bear the brunt of the cyclone Laila, which is likely to cross the coast between Nellore and Kakinada close to Machilipatnam.
The government released a list of 777 villages which are vulnerable to storm surge as a result of the cyclone, which lay centred at 250 km south-southeast of Machilipatnam.
Rajahmundry (AP), May 18: Two Maoists yesterday surrendered before the police here, officials said.
M Sathi Babu alias Sumra and M Srinu alias Prathap surrendered before East Godavari District Superintendent of Police G Srinivas.
The SP handed over a cheque of Rs 20,000 each to the Naxals for their rehabilitation, they said.
The state government has taken several initiatives to help the Naxals who have shunned the path of violence to join the mainstream, Srinivas said.
–PTI
Hyderabad, May 19: Andhra Pradesh braced itself for a severe cyclonic storm, christened Laila, as it threatened to bring “extremely heavy rainfall” of more than 25 cm at several places along the coastline on Wednesday, accompanied by gales with initial speeds of 65-70 kmph.
What was initially a deep depression in the Bay of Bengal turned into a cyclonic storm that lay about 550 km south-southeast of Visakhapatnam on Tuesday evening. By all indications, it is likely to intensify into a severe cyclonic storm and cross the coast between Ongole and Visakhapatnam on May 20 morning.
Hyderabad, May 18: The administration in Andhra Pradesh’s coastal region Tuesday went on high alert and National Disaster Response Force was called in for rescue operations as the cyclonic storm Laila intensified and is likely to cross the coast between Visakhapatnam and Ongole early Thursday.
Second warning signals have been hoisted at all Andhra ports as the depression over the Bay of Bengal turned into a cyclonic storm and lay centred 550 km south-southeast of Visakhapatnam.
It is likely to cross the coast between Ongole and Visakhapatnam by early hours of May 20.
Hyderabad, May 18: The administration in Andhra Pradesh’s coastal region Tuesday went on high alert as the cyclonic storm Laila intensified and is likely to cross the coast near Machilipatnam.
Second warning signals have been hoisted at all Andhra ports as the depression over Bay of Bengal turned into a cyclonic storm and lay centred at 690 km southeast of Visakhapatnam.
It is likely to cross the coast near the port city of Machilipatnam in Krishna district, about 450 km from here, in about 72 hours.
Hyderabad, May 18: The state government has hardened its stand against professional colleges, which have threatened to close down their institutions, if the government did not pay fee reimbursement dues by May 25. The government made it clear that it has its ways and means to deal with recalcitrant managements. The issue will be discussed at the Cabinet meeting slated to be held on May 19. Though technical education commissioner L Premachandra Reddy held a meeting with the managements of the colleges on Monday, solution proved to be elusive.