Andhra Pradesh

Bangalore, February 13: Karnataka government today agreed to allow diversion of 2.626 tmc of water to the Anantpur district of Andhra Pradesh.

Following a request by the state Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy to his Karnataka counterpart B S Yeddyurappa, the Tungabhadra Board has agreed for diversion of 2.626 tmc of water to meet the drinking water needs of three water supply schemes in Andhra Pradesh, an official release said.

Reddy had called up Karnataka Chief Minister yesterday and sought diversion of water from K C Canal quota.

Tirupati, February 12: India’s richest Hindu temple here Friday deposited 1,175 kg gold with the State Bank of India (SBI) to convert the ‘dead assets’ into income earning sources.

Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), which manages the temple’s affairs, had last year deposited 1,075 kg gold with the SBI.

TTD officials said the move would not only convert the ‘idle gold’ into a perennial source of income but would also provide security to its assets.

Bodhan, February 12: The District Medical and Health Department is making efforts to achieve the goal of 100 per cent Institutional deliveries so as to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality, said Dr. Kanappa, Addl. DMHO, Nizamabad, at a workshop organized on the second day of Bharat Nirman Public Information Campaign at Bodhan.

Bodhan (Nizamabad), February 12: Transparency and accountability will increase with proper utilization of RTI act, thus enabling development and welfare schemes reach the needy, said Dr. V. Vasundhara Devi, Reader, Nizamabad Women’s Degree College and RTI Activist. She was speaking at a workshop organized on RTI Act on the second day of Bharat Nirman Public Information Campaign here on Thursday. Explaining the genesis, implementation and utilization of RTI Act, she felt that the Act would be of great help in reducing corruption and irregularities in governance.

Anantapur, February 11: A team of the Central Investigation Bureau continued its inspection of the controversial Obulapurm mines in D Heerehal mandal today.

The team, which had earlier inspected the Antar Gangamma Company belonging to Karnataka minister Gali Janardhan Reddy, inspected the mines belonging to Anantapuram Mining Company, Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC) 1, 2, Bellary Iron Ore Company Limited and Mahabaleswarappa & Sons Company today.

Hyderabad, February 11: The Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) organised a draw for allotment of plots to land losers in Outer Ring road on Thursday.

The draw was for plots in survey no 276, Kondapur R&R site and Survey no 210 of Yadgarpally R&R site to land losers of Korremul, Ghanapur, Ghatkesar, Annojiguda, Yamnampet, Mazarguda, Padmasaiguda, Rampallydayara, Kundapally and Ciryal villages of Ghatkesar mandal. The draw was conducted for 410 plots. 310 attended the draw and rest will be accommodated shortly.

–Agencies

Hyderabad, February 11: The budget session of the Andhra Pradesh Assembly would begin on February 17.

Governor E S L Narasimhan today summoned the Assembly and Legislative Council to begin their next sessions from February 17.

The session is expected to be stormy as the TRS today said it will move a no-confidence motion against the Congress Government on the Telangana issue.

The Telangana party may demand passing a resolution in support of the separate statehood demand during the session.

Hyderabad, February 11: A petition was filed in an Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) court on Thursday against IAS officers, K Ratna Prabha (Principal Secretary, Information Technology and Communications), former MD and vice-chairman of the Andhra Pradesh Industrial and Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC) BP Acharya, Special Secretary, Information Technology Gopi Krishna and three others including two from the Raheja group, for allegedly conspiring to reduce APIIC’s stake in a joint venture, Mindspace.

Hyderabad, February 10: After numerous sightings of the four-year-old leopard in three villages in Shamshabad, villagers from a fourth village in the area raised a false alarm on Wednesday night. It kept forest officials and local police on the move throughout the night.

Locals in the Narkuda village called up the Shamshabad police station at 11 p.m and said a leopard had fallen into a village well. The news triggered a frenzy of action, with forest officials, local policemen and othe r people rushing to Narkuda.

Hyderabad, February 10: Conducting a complete free and fair elections in any democracy in the world may not be possible, opined former chief election commissioner James M Lyngdoh. He felt that with political leaders and their parties vying to outdo each other in every possible way, it was difficult to conduct elections in a democratic way.

Lyngdoh was speaking at a panel discussion on ‘Free and fair elections – the soul of democracy’ on the concluding day of the 17th Commonwealth Law Conference here today.

Hyderabad, February 10: Yet another case was slapped against Bhanu Kiran, the prime suspect in killing of faction leader Maddelachervu Suri’s murder, by CCS sleuths today.

The case was registered following a complaint by a landlord from Maheshwaram who alleged that Bhanu threatened him and got his 5.15 acres registered in his name. The landlord, K Sudheer Reddy, approached the CCS stating that Bhanu forced him to register his land located at Pendyal in Maheshwaram in his name in last February .

–Agencies

Hyderabad, February 10: Andhra Pradesh’s Warangal and Karimnagar districts shut down on Thursday in response to a call by pro-Telangana groups to protest the visit of Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy.

Shops, business establishments and educational institutions remained closed in Warangal and Karimnagar towns and other parts of the two districts as people voluntarily participated in the shutdown.

Hyderabad, February 10: The Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) on Wednesday formally endorsed its chief K Chiranjeevi’s decision to merge the party with the Congress. The party’s State and district committees and Legislature Party, at a meeting here, adopted a single-line resolution approving the merger. Two dissident MLAs, Sobha Nagi Reddy and Katasani Ramireddy, were conspicuous by their absence at the meeting held at the residence of Chiranjeevi.

Vishakapatnam, February 10: Prasanna Lakshmi, sister of Anusha, whose parents were stabbed to death by a stalker in Rajahmundry, reportedly committed suicide here on Wednesday.

Lakshmi, an Intermediate first-year student of the Narayana College, is said to have jumped from the fifth floor of the college building.

Preliminary investigation suggested the girl had made a call from a telephone booth near the college. Whom did she call and what did she speak remain a mystery.

Vijayawada, February 10: The three-day annual Mary Matha festival atop Gunadala Hill near here kicked off today with devotees thronging the shrine in large numbers.

Warangal, February 10: Parakal MLA and YS Jagan Mohan Reddy loyalist Konda Surekha today shot off another missive to Congress president Sonia Gandhi questioning her decision to invite Chiranjeevi into the Congress.

In a strongly-worded 10-page letter, the Parakal MLA said: “If you (Sonia) have confidence in Chiranjeevi and Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy then you dissolve the Assembly, conduct fresh elections and bring back the Congress to power under your leadership.”

Nalgonda, February 10: A 13-year boy hanged himself after being thrashed by his neighbours on suspicion he had entered their house to steal a mobile phone at Kodad in Nalgonda yesterday.

Though the mobile phone was not stolen, four neighbours thrashed him in absence of his parents.

Anatapur, February 10: A team of CBI officials probing the irregularities of the Obulapuram Mining Company began their field-level enquiries in the mining area in D Herehal mandal today.

Talking to newsmen here today, CBI SP Venkatesh said the team will strive to ascertain the quantity and quality of the iron ore being illegally mined and exported. The team will collect about 100 samples of the iron ore, weighing about 12 kg, at random in the mining area for examination.

Mujjugudem, December 10: Protests by the TRS, CPM, Jagan loyalists and media marred chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy’s Rachabanda programme at Mujjugudem village in Nelakondapalli mandal today.

Vishakapatnam, February 10: Parchur Congress MLA Daggubati Venkateswara Rao today hit out at TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu for the latter’s remarks that UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi was encouraging corruption even as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had remained a mute spectator.

Hyderabad, February 10: Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) cracked its whip on corrupt government officials across the state.

In searches conducted on the residences of government department officials in three parts of the state, including one in Hyderabad, ACB sleuths unearthed Rs 2.60 crore disproportionate assets from their possession. The market value of these unearthed assets would approximately be Rs 10 crore, ACB officials said.

Mahabubnagar, February 10: TDP senior leader Dr. Nagam Janardhana Reddy has staged a dharna at the police station at Thimmajipet in this district on Wednesday, demanding the release of Telangana agitators arrested by the police.

Visakhapatnam, February 10: Barely ten days after the killer of her parents was convicted and sentenced to life in prison, a young girl committed suicide by jumping from the hostel building of Narayana College in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday.

Prasanna’s elder sister Anusha was stalked by one Matta Rajesh, who had also attacked and stabbed her parents to death on September 17, 2009.

According to sources, Prasanna, who was pursuing intermediate first year in the college, ended her life by jumping from the hostel building. The reason for committing suicide was yet to be known.

Vijayawada, February 09: A National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) will be set up at Mangalagiri at a cost of Rs 250 crore, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) vice-chairman Marri Shashidhar Reddy has said.

Speaking at a review meeting at the sub-collector’s office here today, he said the NDRF would be set up at Mangalagiri with all modern infrastructure to mitigate loss in coastal areas during natural calamities.

Chittor, February 09: Panic gripped Cheedaragattuvaripalli and other villages in Gudipalli mandal after a herd of 27 elephants strayed into the village today wee hours.

The herd went on a rampage damaging the standing crops. In all, 41 acres of crops including 20 acres of paddy, 10 acres of horticulture (flowers), 3 acres of vegetables and 8 acres of sugarcane were destroyed. The nearby mango grove wasn’t spared either; plants were uprooted, branches were broken.