Andhra Pradesh

Hyderabad, November 20: Till yesterday, both were friends but overnight they have turned rivals!

Karimnagar, November 20: RTC Chairman M Satyanaranayana Rao has poohpoohed TRS chief K Chandrashekar Rao’s fast unto death scheduled to be launched on November 29. He was speaking at a programme held at the district Congress office here marking the birth anniversary of former prime minister late Indira Gandhi on Thursday.

Such hunger strikes are not new as the Congress had staged several such protests earlier, he said.

Gannavaram, November 20: Prasanna and Karthik were on cloud nine this morning when their father Polagani Krishna Rao arrived home safely after spending one month in Bodo militants’ captivity. Family members, relatives and villagers gave a warm welcome to Krishna Rao when he returned to Gannavaram village.

Kadapa, November 20: A suspected naxalite was killed on Thursday in an exchange of fire with the police in Thoomulagunta village here, police said.

The encounter took place in the wee hours when a special police party was on a combing operation in Billaguntta mandal of the district and saw three suspected naxals moving in the area, District Superintendent of Police, D S Chouhan said.

When the extremists were asked to surrender, they opened fire, police said.

The patrol party retaliated killing a 30-year-old man while two others escaped the spot, they added.

Warangal, November 20: CPI (Maoists) central committee member Tusharkant Bhattacharya was released from Central Prison Warangal today following acquittal by courts in three cases in the State. Tusharkant Bhatttacharya was lodged in Warangal prison for the past two years. He was facing charges in three cases in Adilabad, Khammam and Nizamabad districts, which were dismissed by the courts. He was also facing one case in Bihar, for which, he was given an anticipatory bail.

Adilabad, November 20: A contractor from Andhra Pradesh was killed in Maharashtra by Maoists in Gadchiroli district on Thursday.

According to Maharashtra Police, Chenchureddy Nagireddy, 37, from Buchireddypalen in Nellore district had been undertaking road contract works in Maharashtra for the past four years.

Today, even when Nagireddy was out on inspection, Maoists shot him dead at Mahavaragao, in Dhanor mandal of Gadchiroli district.

The reason for the killing is as yet not known.

Gadchiroli police are investigating.

–Agencies

Hyderabad, November 20: The Lok Satta Party has set an example by adding three rooms to an upper primary school at a cost of Rs 3 lakh in the flood-ravaged Kesavaram village in Aija mandal of Mahaboobnagar district within a month of taking up the work.

The LSP had adopted the village to undertake all-round development following the trail of destruction left by floods in the Tungabhadra on October 2.

Most of the 400 houses in the village with a population of 2,000 were damaged and four hundred acres of land silted up.

Karimnagar November 20: Arrested Maoist leader Kobad Ghandhy will be produced before the first class judicial magistrate here after a Delhi court allowed Andhra Pradesh police to take his custody.

Ghandhy (62), arrested by Delhi police on September 20 and lodged in Tihar jail, is in judicial remand till November 27, Karimangar district police superintendent N Shiva Shankar Reddy said.

He will be produced before the magistrate anytime between November 20 and 27, Reddy said.

Kadapa , November 19: The shooting of the much hyped documentary ‘Rajasekhara Reddy-Mahaprasthanam’ which looks back at the life and career of the late Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy was completed at Pulivendula, his assembly constituency .

The shooting of the film on the politician, who was popularly known as ‘Lion of Kadapa’, was completed yesterday and the post production work would be completed in the next 20 days, Aditya, the Director of the film, told PTI.

Hyderabad, November 18: Praja Rajyam Party President K Chiranjeevi had a miraculous escape when a high tension wire suddenly fell down while he was campaigning in Gowtham Nagar division under Malkajgiri circle today.

Chiranjeevi was travelling in vehicle along with other party workers when the incident took place. Cyberabad police said the vehicle almost came in contact with the wire.

In a similar incident Uppal PRP candidate Balamani Reddy also had a close brush with death.

Hyderabad, November 18: The indefinite hunger strike by Andhra Pradesh Junior Doctors Association (APJUDA) demanding an increase in their stipend was called-off tonight after the state government and striking medicos reached an agreement.

“We have reached an understanding but I can’t announce the hike as the model code is in force for the corporation elections in Hyderabad. The junior doctors are ready to resume their duties immediately,” state Medical Education Minister P. Sudarshan Reddy told reporters.

Visakhapatnam, November 18: The trough of low pressure, formed over Telangana area yesterday, moved towards Tamil Nadu and adjoing Coastal Andhra Pradesh even as strong southerly winds and more active north-east monsoon brought in heavy spell of rain in the region in the early hours of today.

According to Cyclone Warning Centre (CWC) here, under its influence rainfall or thunder showers are likely at many places over Coastal Andhra Pradesh during the next 24 hours.

Hyderabad: From apples to fruit bread, the captors of 50-year-old Andhra Pradesh civil engineer P. Krishna Rao tried their best to entertain him, but one month in captivity and constantly being guarded by armed militants has left him feeling traumatised.

Rao, who was kidnapped on Oct 16 by militants of the outlawed National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB), was released on Tuesday in western Assam’s Kokrajhar district.

New Delhi, november 17: The Andhra Pradesh police today moved a Delhi court seeking custody of top Maoist leader Kobad Ghandy, who is lodged in a jail in the national capital.

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Kaveri Baweja sought a report from Tihar Jail Superintendent on the application moved by Andhra Pradesh (AP) police seeking custodial interrogation of Ghandy, an ideologue of banned CPI-Maoist.

Hyderabad, November 17: Viswa Hindu Parishad (VHP) international president Ashok Singhal today likened Union Home Minister P Chidambaram with eunuch for sharing a stage from where a fatwa was issued to the Muslims not to sing Vandemataram. He termed those who did not sing Vandemataram as enemies of the nation.

Chittor, November 17: Tense moments prevailed at Yadamari here today as several farmers closed Union Bank of India after locking it up confining the bank staff, including manager.

The farmers resorted to the act, enraged over the bank manager Mohan Rao’s reported nonchalant attitude when they approached him for farm loans.

Following an altercation, some farmers assaulted the manager. The farmers also clashed with the staff as they came to the rescue of the manager.Later, the farmers locked the bank from outside confining the staff.

–Agencies

Kothagudem, November 17: Director General of Police Girish Kumar has clarified that there is no joint operation going on with the Chhattisgarh State Government against the Maoists in the border areas.

The Director General of Police, who visited the Maoist affected areas in Bhadrachalam division yesterday addressed mediapersons at Kothagudem this morning.

He said the State police have enough courage to face the Maoists.

Rajhmundary, November 17: Rajahmundry City will get ‘Police Urban District’ status by January 2010. A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of the police top brass held at Hyderabad twodays ago. Meanwhile, the government has also issued orders to this effect.

After becoming urban district, the Police Department will be strengthened in the city. One superintendent of police, three additional superintendent of police, six deputy superintendent of police, eleven inspectors, thirty sub-inspectors and 500 constables will be appointed in addition to the existing 500 personnel.

Hyderabad, November 17: Air India (AI) is offering attractive fares on its Hyderabad-Kochi-Coimbatore-Hyderabad route specifically for the Ayappa devotees from Andhra Pradesh.

The national carrier has daily direct flights from Hyderabad to Kochi and passengers will now have the comfort of AI’s brand new Airbus A-319 and the state-of-the-art wide-bodied Boeing-777. The flights operate at a convenient time to facilitate easy travel options for passengers, the company says in a press release.

–Agencies

Vijayawada, November 17: The 20-hour dharna staged by Telugu Desam and Left parties demanding compensation to family members of six children who died at the Government General Hospital here yesterday came to an end this afternoon with District Collector Peeyush Kumar promising to allot a JNNURM house and Rs 10,000 to each of the families of victims.

Anantapur, November 17: Even as the Opposition parties are demanding a CBI probe into the alleged encroachment by Karnataka Tourism Minister Gali Janardhan Reddy’s Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC) on the land of the Bellary Iron Ore Limited (BIOL), it appears that the State Government is well aware of the truth in the allegations.

A government survey document available with TNIE, clearly identifies the encorached areas.

Guntur, November 17: A little presence of mind would have spared the lives of 15 men and women, who were blown to bits when gelatin sticks stored in a house exploded at Narayanapuram village of Dachepalli mandal in Guntur district on Monday.

And, fifteeen others would not have landed in hospital. Sources said Burala Koteswara Rao (48), a resident of the village, had the licence to deal in gelatin sticks and he had a huge stockpile of the explosive material in his house.

This morning, his neighbours alerted him about a gas leak in his kitchen.

New Delhi, November 17: It turns out that the Indian Consulate in Chicago had violated the rules to issue the visas to Tahawwur Rana and his wife.

Both the Pakistani-Canadian Rana and his wife Samraz were given multiple entry visas. But neither of the visas were cleared by the Ministry of Home Affairs. MHA clearance is compulsory for visas to any Pakistani born person.

In fact, Rana and his wife were exempted even from registering with the police if their stay in India did not exceed 180 days.

Bhadrachalam, November 16: Are the Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh police preparing the ground to takeover Abujmal in Chhattisgarh? For the first time after assuming charge, Director General of Police RR Girish Kumar visited the troubled border areas of the Bhadrachalam Agency region on Sunday and arrived at the ITC guest house here this afternoon.

Hyderabad, November 16: The exhibition grounds reverberated with cow protection slogans, as the Vishwa Mangala Go Grama Yatra reached here today. Hundreds of people from all walks of life thronged the ground where a programme marking the Go Grama Yatra of Paschim Andhra Pradesh was organised.

Addressing the gathering, Pujya Sri Abhinavoddhanda Nrusimha Swamy called for the protection of the sacred animal for the benefit of the mankind.