Dejected YSR loyalist ends life

Khammam, April 14: Dejected over non-installation of former Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy’s statue during Kadapa MP Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy’s visit to the village, a person from Mandalalapurpalli in Khammam district committed suicide today.

The deceased, Venkatesh (50), was thrilled to see Jagan Mohan Reddy when he came to Mandalalapurpali as part of his ongoing Odarpu yatra.

After Jagan left the village, Venkatesh committed suicide by consuming pesticide.

Mixed response to Jagan’s tour in Khammam

Bhadrachalam, April 14: Though Kadapa Member of Parliament YS Jaganmohan Reddy’s `Odarpu Yatra’ evoked tremendous response in West Godavari district, it received mixed response in Telangana district of Khammam today.

The yatra entered Khammam district at Gangaram village in Sattupalli mandal late last night. Thousands of people, including party workers and leaders, welcomed him.

The only remedy is T

Hyderabad, April 14: The demand of the people of Telangana for a separate state is not a new development. It was voiced much before the formation of Andhra Pradesh and continued to be raised thereafter. The reason for the Telangana people’s reluctance for a merger with Andhra then was the fear of exploitation, neglect and injustice in the enlarged state of Andhra Pradesh.

Civil contracts cannot be awarded by nomination

Hyderabad, April 14: A division bench of the AP High Court comprising Justice G Raghuram and Justice Naushad Ali on Tuesday injuncted the State Government from awarding any civil contracts by nomination. The bench further stayed payment of bills with regards to a work undertaken by Maytas in Kadapa.

The work was awarded by the Government relying on its order which permitted such action in circumstances where connected major works were otherwise allotted to a party.

Power cuts to industries to be lifted soon

Hyderabad, April 14: Power cuts to industries will be lifted in phases once the demand from agriculture sector comes down from third week of this month, APTransco officials informed Chief Minister K Rosaiah. Industries were being allowed open access to source power from generators within and outside the State, they said.

AP arms haul indicates changed ‘shelter strategy’ of Maoists

Hyderabad, April 14: The recovery of a huge dump near Tanuku in West Godavari district recently points to the changed strategy of Maoists, who are now choosing residential and thickly populated areas as hideouts for carrying out their activities, in a bid to regain lost ground in Andhra Pradesh, a top police official said.

“The huge catch of explosive material at Paidiparru village near Tanuku town in West Godavari district recently is an indication that they (Maoists) have changed their strategy of taking shelter,” the official said.

‘Yerrabanda tank was bought but not registered’

Vizianagaram, April 14: As the issue involves Panchayat Raj Minister Botsa Satyanarayana, the revenue department is treading cautiously and slowing down its inquiry into the encroachment of Yerrabanda tank at Gajularega in the district.

Though the department has given enough time to the people who claimed that the Yerrbanda tank was their own property, Muddada Tatayya and others have failed to produce ownership documents to it.

Botsa Gurunaidu Educational Trust, chaired by the panchayat raj minister, is establishing an engineering college at Gajularega, about 10 km from the town.

AP should continue to be unified and united: Hanumantha Rao

Tirupati, April 14: The Tirupati-based freedom fighter Mr A Hanumantha Rao strongly appealed to the Sri Srikrishna Committee that Andhra Pradesh should continue to be a unified and united state without any division.

In his 17-page letter addressed to the Committee yesterday, the 93-year-old freedom fighter said the state had occupied a prestigious position in the country and the setup must not be disturbed under any circumstances.

April 20 deadline for paying fee, charges

Hyderabad, April 13: The Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) has fixed April 20 as final date for payment of charges for applications already processed under the Layout Regularisation (LRS) and Building Penalisation Scheme (BPS).

“This will be the final deadline for payment of charges/fees. Legal action will be initiated against the applicants who fail to clear the dues by that day, besides summarily rejecting their applications and attaching their properties by invoking the provisions of the Revenue Recovery Act,” officials said.

Governor to visit Agency in Adilabad today

Adilabad, April 13: Governer ESL Narsimhan will tour Agency areas in the district tomorrow.

According to official sources, during his one-day tour the Governor will visit Hatti in Jhodayghat mandal and pay tributes to tribal legend Komaram Bheem.

He will also interact with the beneficiaries of the Forest Rights Act.

Later, he will arrive in Utnoor where he will address a review meeting with the officials of all department.

–Agencies

Control room set up to monitor safety of dams

Hyderabad, April 13: With the bitter experience of flash floods that wreaked havoc in Kurnool district in October last year, the irrigation department is gearing up for the monsoon season.

It has established a control room in the State capital to monitor all the major and medium dams in the State. A mock drill will be performed on April 22 to test how the officials are prepared to face any emergency and working of dams’ mechanism.

Jagan’s Odarpu yatra enters 3rd day

Eluru, April 13: Kadapa MP YS Jaganmohan Reddy’s whirlwind tour of West Godavari district continued till late into the night of Sunday, the third day of his Odarpu tour.

‘Help the poor in cultivating distributed land’

Hyderabad, April 13: Chief Minister K Rosaiah has directed officials to prepare a comprehensive plan to help the landless poor to put the land distributed to them to use.

He also wanted them to ensure that bank loans are made available to them to take up cultivation. The Chief Minister said unless the distributed land is made cultivable, the landless poor will not be able to derive any benefit from them. “It is no use distributing land to the landless poor, unless he is helped to cultivate it. The official machinery should come forward to help them,’’ the Chief Minister said.

Asia’s biggest zoo beckons tourists

Tirupati, April 13: Area-wise it is Asia’s biggest Zoo and is named after the Lord of Seven Hills. Spread over an area of 2,212 hectares of natural forest, Sri Venkateswara Zoological Park is all geared up to entertain the summer visitors.

Praja Rajyam Party in favour of Samaikya Andhra

Hyderabad, April 13: ANDHRA PRADESH was the first linguistic state to be created in independent India. The Telugupeaking people of Andhra Pradesh have for centuries shared common roots, history, heritage, heroes, castes, culture, traditions, festivals and aspirations.

From time to time, aggrieved sections of society have been incited to repudiate this truth by power mongers and divisive forces, who exploit minority opinion and present it as the desire of all.

They have created an impression in the people’s mind that separate statehood for Telangana will end all their problems.

‘Government giving priority to infrastrucure’

Rajhmundary, April 13: Chief Minister K Rosaiah has said the Government was giving priority to provide infrastructure facilities at autonagars, industrial estates, ports and airports.

Laying foundation stone for Rs 3.5 crore development works in autonagar here, Rosaiah said Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC) would provide required infrastructure in all the autonagars in the State.

Stating that Rajahmundry is one of the fast growing cities in the State, the Chief Minister said the autonagar would be developed into a model one to encourage more entreprenuers.

‘Government will protect farmer interests’

Vijayawada, April 13: The Congress Government will protect the interests of farmers and present its arguments effectively before the Brijesh Kumar Tribunal for protecting the rights of the State over the surplus Krishna water, said Minister for Heavy Industries Kanna Laxminarayana.

Kishan Reddy revamps State BJP unit

Hyderabad, April 13: In accordance with its two-State theory, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today announced Udyama Committees for Andhra and Telangana regions. Besides, party State president G Kishan Reddy announced the office-bearers of the State unit.

The State unit will have nine vice-presidents, four general secretaries, nine secretaries and 83 Executive Committee members, 61 Executive Special Invitees and nine Permanent Invitees.

Berth mark over Jaya’s TD reentry?

Hyderabad, April 13: Whether veteran actress and former Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Jayaprada will rejoin the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) seems to depend entirely on the party offering her a berth in the Rajya Sabha, to which biennial elections are due later this year.

According to sources, TDP leaders are in touch with her and are very keen to invite her back into the fold. But sources said the latter, currently a Lok Sabha member from the Rampur segment in Uttar Pradesh, was insisting on nomination to the Upper House of Parliament on the TDP quota.

Jagan consoles kin of those who died when YSR killed

Hyderabad, April 12: The ‘Odarpu Yatra’ (solace tour) undertook by Congress MP from Kadapa Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, son of late CM Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, entered into Khammam district on Monday.

He is scheduled to tour 10 assembly constituencies and visit as many as 48 families which have lost one of their family members after Y S Rajasekhara Reddy died in a chopper crash in September last. Some of them committed suicide while some died due to heart failure after they come know the news of YSR’s death.

Cancer encounter claims Vasudeva Rao

Hyderabad, April 12: He died as he had lived for the last 42 years or so — a life of secret struggle for the toiling masses and, over the last few days, waging a quiet battle with cancer in a Hyderabad hospital where he was registered under an alias.

Paila Vasudeva Rao, one of the architects of the Srikakulam peasant movement, breathed his last here today. He was 78 and is survived by wife Chandramma and a daughter.

Fondly called PV by his followers, the death marks the passing of the last of the Srikakulam stalwarts who remained true to their convictions till their last breath.

Lax depts deny midway relief on expressway

Hyderabad, April 12: After a long delay, the 11.46 km PV Narasimha Rao Elevated Expressway, the longest in the country, opened to public last year but the works on three sets of intermediate ramps at different stretches of the elevated corridor are still nowhere near completion, thanks to the lack of coordination among various government departments.

Acid attack victim succumbs to burns

Guntur, April 12: Ramavat Lalitabai (15), a ninth class student, who sutained critical burns after an unwanted suitor threw acid on her, died here this morning after battling four days with 75 per cent burns.

Doctors from four specialisations — general medicine, anaesthesia, nephrology and plastic surgery — at the Government General Hospital here tried to save the teenager with peritoneal dialysis and ventilation but gave up when she developed multiple organ failure and slipped into a coma.