Andhra Pradesh

Visakhapatnam, February 16: Five militia members surrendered before the Kothaveedhi police in this district on Tuesday.

They told the media that they were surrendering because of health reasons.

NSS

Nalgonda, February 16: Some 20 persons were grievously injured when a gas cylinder exploded in a house in Chanupally village under Nadigudem mandal in the district on Tuesday.

According to the information, two persons repaired the regulator of the cylinder to stop gas leak and suffered injuries when the cylinder exploded on lighting the stove. The condition of the duo was stated to be critical. Meanwhile, some persons rushed to the spot on hearing sound of explosion and got injured. All the injured were shifted to the Khammam general hospital.

NSS

Kadapa, February 15: Chintakommadinne SI Krishnamohan and a constable sustained injuries and a constable and home guard-driver of the SI’s jeep were killed when their jeep was hit by an RTC bus near Nandimandalam in Pendlimarry mandal on Monday night.

The SI and staff were going to Pulivendula to escort TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu to Kadapa halt.

-Agencies

Kakinada, February 15: Free medical camps under ‘Rajiv Arogya Sri’ will be conducted in various parts of the district from February 19 to 28. Releasing the schedule here, Additional Joint Collector B. Rama Rao said that the camps would be held at Ganti Pedapudi of P. Gannavaram mandal on February 19, Dhanyampalem of Addateegala mandal on February 20, Tipparajupalem of Kajuluru mandal on February 21, Nagampalli of Sitanagaram mandal on February 22, Pithapuram town and Srirampuram of U. Kothapalli mandal on February 26, P.

Puttaparthy, February 15: Weavers United Front Chairman K.A.N.Murthy appealed to district Collector B. Janardhan Reddy to develop infrastructure in Puttaparthy in view of the ever increasing foreign tourists and pilgrims. It has cumulative pressure on the infrastructure available at Puttaparthi. The BT road between Kota Complex and the bus station need widening. Further the R&B had laid foot paths on the western edge of this road which is totally unsuitable for pedestrian walking. This had also narrowed the road where there is heavy bus traffic.

Khammam,February 15: Condemning the Centre’s proposed move to lift the ban on export of rice and wheat, the CPI (M) Polit Bureau member and MP Brinda Karat has charged the UPA government with trying to feed the rest of the world while the people in India starve.

Ms. Karat was in Bhadrachalam on Monday to participate in a ‘maha dharna’ organised by Girijana Sangham marking the culmination of a 16-day cycle rally by members of the sangham demanding adequate fund allocation for tribal welfare in the next State budget.

Khammam, February 15: Visiting foreign delegates, who attend seminars, workshops and other meetings in twin cities, quickly embrace the local culture. Sometimes they make a sartorial statement by incorporating local attire in their dress code or eat out to get the local flavour. A similar thing happened during the visit of Vice-Chancellor of Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT), Professor Margaret Gardner.

Sangareddy, February 15: Tension has been building up at the district headquarters as well as under the limits of the Sangareddy Assembly constituency with the announcement made by Congress legislator T. Jayaprakash Reddy that all the educational institutes would be remained close till the Telangana State was formed.

The educational institutes were in a fix over the issue as they used to close the down the institutions whenever a bandh call were given by the agitators in the name of Telangana.

Hyderabad, February 15: The temple town of Bhadrachalam virtually turned into a sea of humanity on Monday as scores of tribals from across Bhadrachalam agency and other parts of the district thronged the town to participate in the massive dharna organised by the Girijana Sangham here.

The tribals laid a siege to the office of the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) vociferously demanding their due share of development funds in the next budget and redress of their grievances.

Huge rally

Hyderabad, February 15: As many as fourteen people including ten women were killed and 17 others sustained injuries in four separate road accidents in different parts of Andhra Pradesh today, police said.

Four women were killed and 14 others (all farm labourers) injured when a speeding lorry hit an auto they were boarding near roadside in Gooty mandal in Anantapur district this morning, sources said.

Hyderabad, February 15: Monday’s cabinet meeting witnessed a heated argument between health minister D L Ravindra Reddy and tourism minister Vatti Vasanta Kumar over the memory of the late Y S Rajasekhara Reddy.

Sources said Vasanta Kumar triggered the quarrel, saying that ‘’some ministers’’ were maligning the image of the late chief minister by describing his regime as very corrupt. He implied Ravindra Reddy and handlooms and textiles minister P Shankar Rao.

Bhadrachalam, February 15: The central government had diverted Rs 20,000 crore of funds meant for tribal people’s welfare to other departments in the past two years, CPM Politburo member and Adivasi Adhikar Rashtriya Manch president Brinda Karat alleged here on Monday.

Hyderabad, February 15: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy today met Governor E S L Narasimhan here and is understood to have discussed Telangana and other issues.

“It was a routine courtesy call that lasted about 15 minutes,” a Raj Bhavan official said.

The Chief Minister is reported to have discussed the current political situation in the state and the Budget session of Legislature slated to begin on February 17 with the Governor’s address to the both Houses.

New Delhi, February 15: All India Congress Committee official spokesman Manish Tiwari on Monday stated the Centre would take a appropriate decision on Telangana state issue at appropriate time.

Talking to media persons, the spokesman said the Centre would soon begin consultation process with political parties on the Telangana state formation soon.

Reacting on the Telangana Political Joint Action Committee call for non-cooperation agitation from February 17, he termed it as `unfortunate’.

Hyderabad, February 14: BJP senior leader and Rajya Sabha member M Venkaiah Naidu said on Sunday that the BJP-led NDA is not keen on moving a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The NDA will take a final decision at its parliamentary party meeting scheduled to be held on Feb 22 at Delhi.

“No-confidence motion is a way to expose the misdeeds of the government but this is not the right time. The NDA, however, will adopt different strategies to corner the government in parliament,” the BJP leader said.

Sangareddy, February 14: In a bid to gain edge over Telangana political JAC which has planned to launch non-cooperation movement from Feb 17, Sangareddy MLA T Jayaprakash Reddy on Sunday called upon students to boycott schools in his constituency from Feb 15 in support to the cause of separate Telangana.

He asked managements of all the 250 private and government schools to observe indefinite bandh from Feb 15.

Hyderabad, February 14: For the first time after YS Jagan Mohan Reddy quit the Congress, Opposition leader N Chandrababu Naidu is embarking on a two-day tour of the former Kadapa MP’s home turf. Naidu will hold road shows in several villages in Kadapa district, including Pulivendula, Vempalle and Kadapa, considered the strongholds of Jagan.

Nalgonda, February 14: The way the widening of main entrance of Yadagirigutta Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple was done led to suspension of joint endowments commissioner N Srinivas today.

Endowments minister Jupalli Krishna Rao and Srimannarayana Ramanuja Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji attended the inauguration ceremony.

Later, Sri Chinna Jeeyar reportedly expressed his displeasure over the way the main entrance works were executed. The seer told the minister that he only suggested widening of the main entrance.

Rajhmundary, February 14: Praja Rajyam Party district president Jyothula Nehru who opposed the merger of PRP with the ruling Congress, is planning to join the new party to be floated by former Kadapa MP YS Jaganmohan Reddy.

He is likely to join Jagan camp at a public meeting at Jaggampeta on February 17 or 19 after obtaining the consent of the former MP. Former BJP MLA Pendem Dorababu and former ZPTC member Attili Sitarama Swamy will also join Jagan camp on the same day.

Hyderabad, February 14: Family members of martyrs who laid down their lives for separate Telangana on Sunday made a vain bid to storm Telangana Bhavan, the headquarters of separatist party Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS), here alleging that the party was not committed to the cause of statehood to the region.

Mild tension prevailed at the Bhavan as TRS activists tried to attack the martyrs’ family members who tried to force their way into the party office this afternoon. But police reached the place in time and caned the agitators away.

Karimnagar, February 14: In this age of ‘love-today forget-tomorrow’, G Boddenna, a sexagenarian, stands a model expressing his love to his deceased wife, Narsamma.

He had installed a statue of his wife beside that of his near their fields in their native Jaggasagar in Metpalli mandal, ten years ago, after the death of Narsamma.

Neighbours and people of nearby villages call him ‘shahjahan of modern days’ for building a structure in memory of his wife.

Not just that, he spends much of his time at the place despite having five children who live in the same village.

Anantapur, February 14: In a major breakthrough, the police have arrested three inter-state burglar gangs and recovered Rs 25 lakh worth of gold and silver ornaments, motorcycles and cell phones from them.

Addressing a press conference here today, district superintendent of police MK Sinha said they arrested Shankar (25) at Srirampuram, Narayanaswamay (29) at Basavannapuram, Sardar and Sivaji at

Chittor, February 14: In a tragic incident, four persons were burnt to death when a lorry collided with the car in which they were travelling, near Kallur of Pulicherla mandal, today.

The victims have been identified as Hari (30), Amarnath Reddy (33), Abhilash

(27), Naveenkumar Reddy (27), all of them natives of Agraharam of Pulicherla mandal.

Reportedly, they were going to Kadapa on some personal work when the mishap occurred.

The lorry driver has been identified as Venkataramana (45). He was seriously injured and was shifted to SVIMS in Tirupati.

Nellore, February 14: Four persons died in a road mishap at Kalluru Kothapalem in Vakadu mandal, late on Saturday night.

According to Gudur DSP Narayana Reddy, the deceased have been identified as A Sureshkumar, P Gangadhar, C Srinivasulu (all three from Subedarpet in the city) and G Ravindra Reddy (from Chaganur in Saidapuram mandal) who were into hatcheries business.

They were on their way back to Nellore from Toopili. The mishap occurred when Gangadhar who was driving the car lost control and hit a mile stone on the roadside.

Hyderabad, February 14: The air is thick with anticipation that the Centre may make an announcement, though not on Telangana as such, but on issues related to Telangana. For instance, it might make it clear that Hyderabad is part of Zone VI or declare something else on some other issue which is emotionally linked to T. An instruction to the state government to pass a resolution in the Assembly urging the Centre to do the obvious – take a decision on the Srikrishna Committee report, without going into the options – is also not being ruled out.