Andhra Pradesh

Hyderabad, February 24: Leader of the Opposition, N. Chandrababu Naidu, on Wednesday said the annual budget presented to the Assembly had neither vision nor direction and showed that the government has gone bankrupt.

Reacting to the budget, he wondered how the government would be able to continue the fee reimbursement scheme with a poor allocation of Rs. 2,000 crore when the arrears and fresh requirement for 24 lakh students was Rs. 5,516 crore. “I wonder if it will mortgage the Assembly to mobilise resources,” he said.

Hyderabad, February 24: Transport and Communication sectors are witnessing a fast growth in the State with about 5.27 crore mobile phones in use.

A rapid increase has been seen recently in the usage of mobiles, while two-wheelers (69.27 lakh) constitute about 72 per cent of the vehicles on the road, according to the Socio-Economic Survey Report for 2010-11, presented to the Assembly by Finance Minister Anam Ramanarayan Reddy on Wednesday.

Vizianagaram, February 24: Print and electronic media journalists have been asked to dispel myths and misconceptions among people on Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and educate them on effective preventive measures to be taken.

Hyderabad, February 24: A dozen members of the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Communist Party of India (CPI) were suspended from the Assembly on Wednesday for disrupting the presentation of budget by Finance Minister Anam Ramanarayana Reddy.

Hyderabad, Fedruary 24: A thorough revamp of the tuition fee reimbursement scheme, which has become an albatross around the neck of the State Government, is in the offing to reduce the huge financial burden it is causing.

The Government has decided to streamline the process to reach out the scheme to genuine beneficiaries, but the changes would be introduced in a phased manner over the next fiscal.

Hyderabad, February 24: The allocations made in the budget for irrigation and energy sectors, two key segments which have a major bearing on State’s development, are such that the government may not able to complete the 43 prioritised Jalaygnam projects during the next two years as planned, and supply power to consumers without problems.

Hyderabad, February 24: With all bus operators including the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) shutting down their services, many passengers were seen risking their lives to travel to their respective destinations by boarding crowded jeeps and other private vehicles.

The problem was particularly severe for people supposed to travel long distance.

Hundreds of travellers gathered at LB Nagar, Dilsukhnagar, Secunderabad and other suburbs in look out for some transport.

Hyderabad, February 24: Three months into power, the Kiran Kumar Reddy Government presented its maiden budget for 2011-12, envisaging a massive outlay of Rs 1,28,542 crore and pledging to maintain the present balance between welfare and development while ensuring dignity and self-respect to people in all walks of life.

Hyderabad, February 24: While students at the Osmania University kept themselves busy pelting stones at the police, university professors and wardens made way to their hostels to ‘counsel’ the agitating students and warn them of the dangers that the agitations would pose to their academic careers.

The newly appointed in-charge vice-chancellor of Osmania University Prof. DN Reddy has advised principals, chief wardens and university officials to visit student hostels and counsel students, after pro- Telangana students clashed with police on the campus.

Warrangal, February 24: Police thwarted the attempts of Kakatiya University students from laying siege to the residence of IT minister Ponnala Lakshmaiah on Wednesday.

After participating in ‘Laksha NivaluluLaksha Ninadalu’ held at the martyrs’ memorial, students were returning in a rally and at once, tried to rush towards the minister’s house.

But the alert police at the place pushed them away and this led to some jostling between cops and students.

Hyderabad, February 24: The Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) on Wednesday welcomed the budget as it proposed various developmental initiatives through public-private partnerships including large infrastructure projects such as seaports and airports.

Hyderabad, February 24: Pro-Telangana activists allegedly set afire two coaches of Manuguru passenger train between KSamudram and Thallapusanapalli stations in Warangal district on Wednesday afternoon during the Telangana bandh.

Eleven trains including Godavari Express, Balharshah-Secunderabad Bhagyanagar Express were also detained by the agitators.

Hyderabad, February 24: Finance Minister Anam Ramanarayana Reddy has said that the noncooperation movement launched by employees and people would only have a temporary impact on the revenue collections.

Addressing a press meet after the Budget presentation, the minister said excise, commercial tax, transport and stamps and registrations departments would get their collections later.

“The revenue loss is not a permanent one. The collections are deferred temporarily,” the minister said.

Hyderabad, February 24: The State Investment Promotion Board (SIPB) on Wednesday cleared a proposal for establishment and expansion of 25 industries with an investment of about Rs 25,672.43 crores.

These industries are projected to provide direct employment to about 41,400 persons, while another 1.2 lakh jobs are expected to be created through indirect employment.

Further, the state is likely to earn revenue of Rs 878 crore through VAT.

Hyderabad, February 24: Opposition parties TDP, CPI, CPM and BJP today termed the budget presented by finance minister Anam Ramanarayan Reddy as ‘jugglery of figures’ to mislead the people of the state.

They said it was hollow and lacked substance. Besides the Congress, the PRP, which was recently merged with the Congress, welcomed the budget for 2011-12 financial year.

Taking a dig at the Congress government for a cut in the budgetary allocations to welfare and other sectors, Opposition leader N Chandrababu Naidu, said that there was ‘nothing’ new in the budget.

Hyderabad, February 24: For the fourth consecutive year, the government presented a budget that surpassed Rs 1 lakh crore notwithstanding the fact that it always ends up with a revised budget at the end of every financial year.

Instead, it should have been more realistic for the benefit of the common man. There were no new schemes and is an extension of the previous budget.

The finance minister took care to ensure that there were no fresh imposts on people but that’s no relief as the common man has to cough up money anyway as the government has a way to burden him through backdoor.

Hyderabad,Febrauary 24:Irrigation, School Education Energy, Agriculture, Social Welfare, Medical and Health and Industrial sectors got a major share in the Budget estimates for the year 2011-12, presented in the Legislature today by the Finance Mnister Mr A Ramanarayana Reddy.

The following allocations were proposed in the Budget Estimates for the year 2011-12, to various sectors and departments:

Irrigation sector –Rs.15,010 crore;

School Education sector – Rs.14,025 crore;

Higher Education – Rs.3,337 crore;

Medical and Health department – Rs.5,040 crore;

Hyderabad, February 24:Describing the figures of budget allocations as numbers of magic, the Opposition parties, including the CPI, CPM and BJP have alleged that the 2011-12 budget allocations were sufficient only to pay the arrears of the last year.

Speaking at the Assembly media point here on Wednesday after the budget presentation in the House by the Finance Minister, Mr Anam Ramanarayana Reddy, the CPI floor leader Mr G Mallesh, who was already suspended by the Deputy Speaker, said that the budget allocations would not be helpful for development of the backward areas in the State.

Hyderabad, February 24:Reacting to the State Budget for 2011-12 presented in the Assembly on Wednesday, the Telugu Desam party supremo and leader of Opposition, Mr Nara Chandrababu Naidu, has said that the government had no prior planning and foresight while preparing the Budget. He alleged that the government prepared the budget without studying any sector perfectly. He alleged that the government has allocated budget to the schemes which are vulnerable to corrupt practices.

Hyderabad, February 24:Finance Minister Anam Ramanarayan Reddy presented a ‘tax and deficit free’ budget for the financial year 2011-2012 in the state Assembly on Wednesday, becoming only the second person from Nellore district to do so.

Mr Ramnarayan Reddy, who made the presentation amidst a ‘ring’ of marshals and Congress MLAs, said that the Rs 1,28,542 crore budget will see Rs 80,984 crore non-planned expenditure while Rs 47,558 crore would be planned expenses.

Hyderabad, February 24:Bharatiya Janata Party state unit president G Kishen Reddy on Wednesday described the State Budget 2011-12 presented by Finance Minister Anam Ramnarayana Reddy as `magic of figures’.

Talking to media persons at Assembly Media Point, the BJP leader said that the government has failed to release last year funds in the budget for Jalayagnam works. How can it allot funds for projects in the present budget, he wondered.

Mr Kishen Reddy demanded the government to earmark a lion’s share of funds for Jalayagnam works.

Hyderabad, February 24:Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy will be heading for New Delhi on Thursday to brief the High Command over the latest situation in the state.

Hyderabad, February 23: Andhra Pradesh is recognised not only as the pharmaceutical hub but also as the bulk drugs capital of India, according to J Geeta Reddy, minister for major industries, sugar, commerce & export promotion.

“We have more than 266 bulk drug manufacturing companies in the state of which more than 90 per cent are small and medium enterprises.

Hyderabad, February 23: The Consortium of Engineering and Professional Colleges Managements Association (CEPCMA), which met here, decided to withdraw their proposed shutdown of colleges from Feb 24 following the Supreme Court directions to the State government to release 50 per cent of fee reimbursement and scholarship arrears by March 31.

Hyderabad, February 23: The 48-hour strike which began on Tuesday might have affected the business, employment or education sectors. But for the IT and software sector, it was business as usual. Presence of a fool-proof security system and coordinated management decisions in wake of the strike helped in smooth functioning of IT companies.