Andhra Pradesh

Hyderabad, December 31: Virtually ‘caught’ in the midst of software firms and techies at the Raheja IT Park, the elite National Investigation Agency (NIA) has decided to move its field office to a more secure, hassle-free and accessible place and has zeroed in on Begumpet.

Working from the second floor of Maximus 2B Tower, Raheja IT Park at Gachibowli, the NIA is finding it difficult to maintain secrecy over its operations, especially with regard to interrogation of terror suspects. Further, it finds the office not easily accessible and risky for the IT firms in the area.

Hyderabad, December 31: Two co-brothers died while their relative suffered injuries after the two wheeler in which they were travelling rammed into a roadside tree on the outskirts of the city today. The duo were coming to the city after attending the birthday party of one of the victims.

Guntur, December 31: Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president N Chandrababu Naidu has declared that the fight for the cause of farmers would continue till they get the best package ever.

Addressing a huge gathering of farmers at the public meeting, Rytu Kosam, here today, Naidu said he would convene an allparty meeting at Delhi soon and continue the agitation.

The party would study the Brijesh Kumar Tribunal report on Krishna Water Disputes and announce an action plan, as the report was against the interests of farmers of the three regions in the state, he said.

Hyderabad, December 31: The Telangana Joint Action Committee (JAC) on Friday said the political parties from Andhra Pradesh should not be ambivalent on their stand on the separate Telangana demand at the meeting convened by the Centre on January 6.

“TRS, BJP, CPI and CPI(M) are clear on their stand. Congress and TDP should also be clear. They sent two representatives to an all-party meeting convened earlier this year by the Centre and voiced two opinions. That should not happen again. Whatever is their stance, it should be clear,” JAC chairman M Kodandaram told reporters here.

Ongole, December 31: Ms Dappili Anasuyamma, MPTC of Kanchipalli under Giddalur mandal on Thursday resigned from the TDP and announced her decision to support Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy. She also resigned to her MPTC post. She said that she had total confidence on the leadership of Mr Jagan and would be joining his party.

NSS

Hyderabad, December 31: Opposition parties in Andhra Pradesh Thursday reacted sharply to the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal’s award on sharing of surplus water with neighbouring Karnataka and Maharashtra while Karnataka has welcomed it.

While the Congress government in Andhra Pradesh has not yet come out with its reaction, the main opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) said injustice had been done to the state.

The TDP leaders voiced their apprehension that the award would affect the state’s interests and also hit the irrigation projects taken up across Krishna River.

Hyderabad, December 30: The Andhra Pradesh anti-corruption bureau on Thursday unearthed disproportionate assets worth over Rs 2.37 crore belonging to two government employees, including a senior official of the Institute of Preventive Medicine here.

The two govt employees, Alladi Laxminarayana, Assistant Director, Institute of Preventive Medicine and Rajender Reddy, Deputy Executive Engineer of Panchayat Raj, were taken into custody in separate cases by ACB sleuths in neighbouring Rangareddy district.

Kurnool, December 30: Stating that there was political crisis in the state, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) politburo member and Dhone MLA K E Krishna Murthy today predicted that it would come under president’s rule soon.

Visakhapatnam, December 30: Temple priests from north Andhra on Wednesday took out a rally and staged a demonstration in front of the office of Deputy Commissioner, Endowments here, demanding a hike in their salaries.

Addressing the gathering, Visakhapatnam District Archaka Sangham president Rejeti Adiseshu and general secretary Ayiluri Srinivasa Deekshithulu lamented that even minimum wages were not paid to them. They wanted salaries on a par with temple managers and clerks for whom pay revision was being implemented to increase the salaries from Rs.15,000 to Rs.22,000.

Nellore, December 30: The Andhra Pradesh Union of Working Journalists (APUWJ) has taken a serious objection to the TRS chief, Mr K. Chandrasekhara Rao, calling for a split in the union.

Addressing the 33rd State conference, the Indian Union of Journalists secretary general, Mr Srinivasa Reddy, angrily asked how would KCR feel if the APUWJ gave a call for splitting his tongue. He said that no one could split the APUWJ which has a history of 54 years. He said those who did not like the union could go out and start their own outfits.

Hyderabad, December 29: With the increase in agricultural production every year, the requirement for storage space is going up in the State. To address this need, the AP State Warehousing Corporation (APSWC) is coming up with 14 new warehouses with a capacity of 5.56 lakh metric tonnes by November next year. This is in addition to the existing 21.5 lakh MT of storage space available with the corporation.

Guntur, December 29: Lifting of cases against the students who indulged in arson during the agitation for separate Telangana state is unconstitutional, Seemandhra Students Joint Action Committee convener A Kishorekumar has said. The student JAC comprising 14 universities of Seemandhra held an emergency meeting here today to discuss the course of action to be followed after submission of the Srikrishna Committee report if it is in favour of bifurcation of the state.

Hyderabad, December 29: The road ahead may be bumpy for Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy but the journey is going to be a lot smoother than ever before. Surprised? Leave aside politics for a while. It’s time for New Year gifts.

In a month from now, the Chief Minister will be travelling in brand new Toyota Fortuners – one of the most powerful and luxurious cars in the world.

And not to forget, expensive too.

Kiran Kumar Reddy needs to thank his predecessor K Rosaiah for the gift for it was he who had cleared the proposal to “upgrade” his convoy of Scorpios.

Hyderabad, December 29: An ACB team, led by DSP A Venkata Rao, raided the house and properties of N Venkata Subrahmanyam, revenue officer of Kanuru village, Vijayawada district today and found disproportionate assets worth Rs 2 crore with him. According to officials, the VRO had 88 acres of land in and around Vijayawada, seven plots, two cars, a building and Rs 78,000 in cash. The VRO is absconding.

Washington, December 29: The US authorities have booked two men for gunning down a 22-year-old Indian student in a robbery on Christmas morning at a convenience store in Texas where he was working part time.

Daniel Jacob Stiner, 22, and Michael Ray Morris, 29, both from Pasadena, Texas, were charged Monday in the fatal shooting of Jayachandra Elaprolu inside the convenience store in the town, the Houston Chronicle reported.

Hyderabad, December 29: Asserting that the Raipur additional district and sessions judge B P Verma’s judgement pronouncing life imprisonment to People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) national vice-president Dr Binayak Sen under charges of sedition was a miscarriage of justice, PUCL – Andhra Pradesh unit general secretary Jaya Vindhyala said that efforts would be made to build public opinion against the ongoing persecution of activists and human rights defenders in the country.

Hyderabad, December 29: A division bench of the AP High court comprising Justice V Eswaraiah and Justice P Swaroop Reddy on Monday granted time to the AP Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC) to file its counter in a letter addressed by minister P Shanker Rao to the court on the Emaar issue. The court has taken up the letter as a writ petition.

Hyderabad, December 29: The state government issued 73 orders on Tuesday, withdrawing about 200 cases registered against more than 600 students who participated in the Telangana agitations.

The government orders are part of a series being issued for withdrawal of 565 criminal cases registered against 2,436 students and protestors.

The orders were issued withdrawing cases against students in various police stations in districts of Karimnagar, Medak, Adilabad, Warangal, East Godavari, Visakhapatnam, Nalgonda, Rangareddy, Mahabubnagar, Guntur, Khammam, and Anantapur.

Hyderabad, December 29: In what appears to be an orchestrated move, Congress MPs from the Telangana region, true to their word, launched a hunger strike here on Monday morning demanding rollback of cases booked against students who had taken part in protests both for and against a separate State of Telangana. The State government conceded their demand partly by withdrawing an additional 135 cases within hours after the MPs’ set up their protest camp.

Their sudden decision to go on a fast is being perceived as a well thought out strategy, a brainchild, of the Congress leadership itself.

Guntur, December 29: The Telugu Desam is straining every nerve to make the Rytu Kosam programme being organised by it and its friendly parties at the Kasu Brahmananda Reddy Stadium here on December 30 a success in all respects.

TDP state secretary M Subba Rao urged district collector B Ramanjaneyulu to give permission for holding the meeting which will be attended by over one lakh farmers from Guntur, Prakasam, Krishna, East Godavari, West Godavari, Khammam, Warangal, Nalgonda and Nellore districts.

Hyderabad, December 29: T Manohar Reddy, the Kushaiguda police inspector who was suspended by Cyberabad police for his alleged misbehaviour with a Akhila Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) girl student, was posted in Nacharam police station today.

L B Nagar traffic inspector V Srikanth Goud was posted as the new inspector of Kushaiguda police station.

Tirupati, December 29: THE High Court issued an arrest warrant against Srikalahasteeswara Swamy temple executive officer Sriramachandra Murty for failing to appear in the court on Tuesday.

According to sources, some individuals, who had donated money to the temple for a diamond-studded crown, approached the court when the officer failed to give them a receipt for their donations. The court had summoned the officer to appear before it on Tuesday. But as he failed to do so, the court issued an arrest warrant against him.

Hyderabad, December 29: Higher courts should quickly step in to review the life imprisonment sentence given to rights activist Binayak Sen on charges of sedition, and carry out a trial which is of much higher standard, the Lok Satta Party has demanded.

The world’s largest democracy had the responsibility to strive to lead the world in the quality of its system of justice, party president Jayaprakash Narayan said in a statement here today.

Anantapur, December 29: Two groups of Congressmen came to blows and ransacked the district Congress committee office here today, marring the party’s 125th Foundation Day celebrations here today.

As the tension spilled out of the office premises, merchants in the neighbourhood downed the shutters of their shops and establishments while people on the road ran helter-skelter fearing for life.

Khammam, December 29: Crop loss and debts claimed five more lives in the state today _ four in Khammam district and one in Karimnagar district.

S Satyanarayana (52), a resident of Vedanthapuram in Aswapuram mandal in Khammam district raised tobacco in 12 acres and paddy in five acres.

The untimely rains damaged his crops. He was mentally upset and died due to cardiac arrest on his fields today. He is survived by wife and three daughters.