Andhra Pradesh

Hyderabad, February 28: Worried over the ‘disappearance’ of GHMC mayor Banda Karthika Chandra Reddy for more than two weeks, GHMC corporators belonging to the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) lodged a complaint with the police to trace the ‘missing’ person.

In a complaint lodged with the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Saifabad division, TDP floor leader in GHMC Singireddy Srinivas Reddy said that the mayor had disappeared without any intimation to the office or the party colleagues.

Hyderabad, February 28: Hyderabadis can expect light showers, especially in the mornings, in the next few days. The Meteorological centre says that the phenomenon of unseasonal light showers, being experienced in the city for the past two days, may continue for the next few days causing a dip in the mercury levels.

Slight rainfall was reported from various places in Telangana and Rayalaseema today. At least 11.4 mm rainfall was reported from Hakimpet, Ranga Reddy district and 2.0 mm from Hyderabad.

Hyderabad, February 28: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has questioned a senior IAS officer in connection with the alleged illegal mining activities of Obulapuram Mining Corporation (OMC). She is the first officer to be questioned by the CBI ever since the probe commenced.

Sources told Express that a team of CBI sleuths grilled Y Srilakshmi, presently posted as commissioner (Health) after the investigating agency found irregularities in certain leases given to the OMC owned by Karnataka tourism minister Gali Janardhan Reddy.

Hyderabad, February 28: With a shortage of 500 mega watt of power staring in the face, half of it in the purview of the AP Central Power Distribution Company Ltd (APCPDCL), the state government is eyeing a tie-up with the Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) to exchange Regasified Liquefied Natural Gas (RLNG) with natural gas to meet the power deficit during summer.

Hyderabad, February 28: The Andhra Pradesh Assembly was adjourned without transacting any business after it was rocked by the vexatious Telangana issue for the eighth day today.

Order was not restored in the House even after two adjournments forcing Deputy Speaker Nadendla Manohar to adjourn it for the day.

The contentious statehood issue continued to push the Assembly into turmoil as the Telugu Desam Party MLAs from the region rushed into the Well of the House demanding that a Bill for creation of a separate Telangana state be immediately tabled in Parliament.

Kakinada, February 28: Marking the ‘World Science Day,’ city-based Kuchibhotla Vasanthi Foundation is arranging lectures on science by eminent professor Rayaprolu Ramakrishna in the city on Monday. Prof. Ramakrishna, who retired from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, will address students of Asram Public School from 11 a.m. to 12. 30 p.m. and students of Zilla Parishad High School, Ramanayyapet, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Adilabad, February 28: The Lok Satta Party’s Adilabad district unit on Sunday demanded that the Railway Ministry include at least a few train extensions in its Budget for 2011-2012. In a representation to the Ministry, the party maintained that extending a few trains to Adilabad railway station and elsewhere will benefit passengers from Adilabad, Nizamabad and Sangareddy Lok Sabha constituencies in Andhra Pradesh and Nanded, Hingoli and Yavatmal constituencies in Maharashtra.

Kadapa, February 28: Kadapa One Town police registered a case of criminal intimidation and kidnap against former Kadapa Mayor P. Raveendranatha Reddy and Kadapa Market Committee Chairman P. Balamalla Reddy and some former municipal corporators, owing allegiance to former Kadapa MP Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy group and arrested five of them around Saturday midnight.

Kakinada, February 28: Stressing the need for joint initiative by the government and non-governmental organisations to eradicate polio, district Collector M. Ravi Chandra on Sunday called upon the youngsters to create awareness among the parents of children below five years of age about pulse polio immunisation programme. Inaugurating the Pulse Polio Immunisation programme here at the municipal school in Endowment Colony, Mr. Ravi Chandra said the immunisation would protect children from polio.

Ongole, February 28: “All sections of people are disappointed with the Congress-led UPA government. They are waiting for an opportunity to get rid of it,” said State BJP official spokesman Sannapareddy Suresh Reddy on Sunday.

Mr. Reddy, who was here to campaign for MLC candidate from graduates’ constituency A. Venkata Subba Reddy, told a press conference here that corruption had reached unmanageable levels as evidenced by a series of scams, including 2G scam, CWG and Adarsh Housing society.

Prices

Nellore, February 28: Speakers at a function in SPKM Indian Institute of Handloom Technology (SPKM IIHT) have said the textile and garments experts will have good demand in the market in the coming years as many companies are setting up textile and apparel parks in the Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in Andhra Pradesh.

The management of Sri Pragada Kotaiah Memorial Handloom Institute has organised a certificate presentation function for the students who successfully completed diploma in handloom technology, at Venkatagiri in the district on Saturday.

Nalgunda, February 28: Seven students of the Backward Classes Hostel here were affected by food poisoning on Sunday after they consumed rice with tomato and egg curry, instead of regular breakfast. They are being treated at the Government Headquarters Hospital after suffering from stomach pain and vomiting and are said to be out of danger.

District Medical and Health Officer Dr. Narasimlu deputed a medical team to the hostel to treat the other inmates of the hostel. The students hospitalised were Bhavani, J, Pushpalata, Dhanalakshsmi, Mamata, E. Pushpalata, S.Manjula and E. Lakshmi.

Mehboobnagar, February 28: A blood donation camp was organised by Working Journalists Co-operative House Building Society of Palamoor here on Sunday. Over 50 Journalists donated blood on the occasion.

Highlighting schemes

Inaugurating the blood donation camp, District Collector M. Purushotham Reddy exhorted the media persons to highlight the various welfare and developmental schemes taken up by the district administration apart from writing about failures of the administration.

Vijaywada, February 28: The Commissioner’s Task force busted a gang that was allegedly involved in cricket betting here on Sunday.

Addressing a press conference here, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) M. Ravindranath Babu said that they arrested five persons who were organising cricket betting from a house in Madhura Nagar. The police seized Rs. 2.10 lakh cash, a laptop, a portable colour television set, 12 cell phones, voice recorder amplifier and bookie balance sheets from their possession.

Visakhapatnam, February 28: While the elusive panther that struck terror in the heart of the city was finally captured on Saturday night and brought to Indira Gandhi Zoological Park, the fate of the animal continues to hang in balance.

Hyderabad, February 28: The Telugu Desam Party has advised Telangana Rashtra Samiti president K. Chandrasekhar Rao not to resort to criticism of the TDP legislators as it would help in diverting the attention of the people from the ongoing movement which reached its peak.

At a press conference here on Sunday, TDP MLA S. Venkata Veeraiah took objection to TRS’ claims asking TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu to turn an approver so that people could pardon him.

Clarification sought

Hyderabad, February 28: A conference of poets from Telangana here on Sunday witnessed differences of opinion on boycotting their counterparts from coastal districts for not supporting separate Telangana.

The issue came up when Juluri Gowrishanker, general secretary of Telangana writers’ forum, mooted the idea of not sharing literary platforms with poets from coastal districts since they neither wrote in favour nor supported the movement for separate State despite residing in Hyderabad. He suggested that all of them and their meetings should be boycotted.

Vijaywada, February 28: Redgram production remained sluggish because farmers chose to raise the crop mostly on poor and neglected soils under rain-fed conditions on one hand and due to lack of suitable varieties on the other.

Nandyal, February 28: The Nandi Drama festival, which started on February 19 at the Town Centenary Hall in Nandyal, concluded on Sunday.

Commissioner of Information and Public Relations and Managing Director of Film, Television and Drama Development Corporation C. Pardhasaradhi announced the prizes.

However, the awards would be distributed formally after the conclusion of the election code.

Hyderabad, February 28: Chairman of Telangana Joint Action Committee M. Kodandaram on Sunday met Congress Working Committee member K. Keshava Rao in wake of the threat held out by pro-Telangana protagonists to burn the effigies of Congress leaders.

A day after the open announcement by the TJAC that they would target Congress leaders from the region and burn their effigies, Prof. Kodandaram spent over an hour reviewing the Telangana agitation with the senior Congress leader and Peddapalli MP G. Vivekananda. Mr. Kodandaram later met APCC president D. Srinivas to discuss the same issue.

Hyderabad, February 28: The State made a giant leap in the industrial map of the country, when Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy cleared industrial investment worth Rs. 25,672 crore on a single day last week at the State Investment Promotion Board meeting.

Employment potential

He cleared 25 units with an employment potential of 41,406 that is expected to bring revenue to the Government through the Value Added Tax (VAT) of Rs. 878.30 crore annually.

Kundapur, February 28: Does Kondapur, one of the well-known, early, historic Satavahana sites in Medak district, also represent the Brahmanic culture in addition to Buddhist culture? This is what recent excavations at the site, approximately spread over 81 acres, suggest.

Vizianagaram, February 28: Expressing concern over violation of legislations by those who enacted them, K. Nageshwar, MLC, has said that representatives having criminal record are entering the Legislature and Legislative Councils and hence, there is every need for intellectuals to elect a candidate who would fight for the cause of people.

At a talk on ‘Medhavulu-Chatta Sabhalu’ (intellectuals-Legislature), organised by the Udyoga, Upadyaya and Karmika Ikya Vedika at Ananda Gajapathi Auditorium here on Sunday, Prof. Nageshwar said 400 families in politics are ruling the country.

Adilabad, February 28: Not even the hardcore of Telangana protagonists from the teaching community deny the fact that the separate State movement has caused derailment of education in Adilabad district.

Students, they say, have irrevocably lost focus on studies owing to the rather prolonged struggle which has also witnessed participation of teachers at all levels.

Vijayawada, February 28: Union Minister of State for Railways K H Muniyappa yesterday said that seven new projects at a cost of Rs 3,745 crore have been sanctioned for Andhra Pradesh in the Rail Budget 2011-12.

Another 14 projects at a cost of Rs 2709.49 crore have also been announced for the state in the budget by Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee, which would be taken up by the 12th five-year plan period, he told reporters here.

“In addition to the above projects, another Rs 942.38 crore was allocated for ongoing projects in Andhra Pradesh,” Muniyappa said.