Andhra Pradesh

Visakhapatnam, December 23: Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Maken today said there was no need for any panic as the government had taken all precautions to meet any contingency on the law and order situation in the context of the Sri Krishna Committee Report on Separate Telangana being submitted to the Centre on December 31 Speaking to UNI, he exuded confidence that the situation would be normal in the state.

Turning to other issues, he lamented the absence of Hindi Departments in as many as 15 universities in the South India.

Tirupati, December 23: State Minister for Panchayat Jana Reddy today said Former Kadapa MP Jagan Mohan Reddy was holding fast at Vijayawada for showing his strength only.

Mr Reddy, who was here to participate in the inaugural function of two-day colourful ”Sri Krishnadevaraya TANA Utsavalu” at Chandrigri Fort, near here, talking to mediapersons said there was no impact on the Congress Party by Mr Jagan’s show of strength.

Vijayawada, December 22: Khammam district Pinapaka MLA Mr. Rega Kanta Rao has announced that he would sail with the rebel Congress leader Mr Y S Jaganmohan Reddy as he owed his political career to the latter’s late father Dr. Y S Rajasekhara Reddy.

Mr. Kanta Rao who participated in Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy’s Lakshya Deeksha yesterday, met him and expressed his support. He came to Vijayawada along with his 1000 supporters.

New Delhi, December 22: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday expressed his sympathy to Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu and said that the reports of alleged suicides by rain-hit farmers in the state would be looked into.

Dr Manmohan Singh’s assurance came after a delegation of leaders of seven political parties met him and brought to his notice to the plight of farmers in Andhra Pradesh.

Vijayawada, December 22: Khammam district Pinapaka MLA Mr. Rega Kanta Rao has announced that he would sail with the rebel Congress leader Mr Y S Jaganmohan Reddy as he owed his political career to the latter’s late father Dr. Y S Rajasekhara Reddy.

Mr. Kanta Rao who participated in Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy’s Lakshya Deeksha yesterday, met him and expressed his support. He came to Vijayawada along with his 1000 supporters.

Nellore, December 21: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will in all probability announce the date for the launch of GSAT-5P satellite on board Geo-Synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-F06) after conducting experiments to ensure that the leak which put off the scheduled launch on Sunday is under control.

According to information coming in, a team of technicians will decide if the GSLV F06 can be still launched with leak in one of the valves of the Russian Cryogenic stage, which is said to be minor in nature.

Vijayawada, December 21: Former Kadapa MP YS Jaganmohan Reddy (YSJ) on Tuesday began his first officially political agitation after resigning from the Congress party and his Parliamentary seat by launching his 48-hour hunger strike along with lakhs of farmers and his supporters, including about a dozen MLAs and six MLCs, on the banks of River Krishna, seeking adequate compensation for the rain-hit farmers.

Hyderabad, December 21: “We are with you. We will stand by you for all times to come. You will not be allowed to suffer. All your interests will be taken care of. All your genuine problems will be solved”, the Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy said, referring to the various issues of the affected farmers in the State.

Hyderabad, December 19: There is now no need to guess what will happen to the status of Andhra Pradesh after the Srikrishna Committee submits its report.

New Delhi, according to authoritative sources, is not willing to give any thought to the creation of a Telangana state either immediately or in the near future.

There have been hints to this effect from several recent events and comments, and well-informed sources disclosed that the Centre has decided to put on the backburner what it promised on Dec. 9, 2009 — steps towards formation of a separate Telangana state.

Hyderabad, December 19: The government is likely to face the acid test well before December 31, the deadline for the Srikrishna Committee to submit its report on the separate Telangana issue to the Centre, if intelligence reports are any indication.

According to sources, senior police officials have told the government that some Telangana groups are trying to intensify the agitation well before the December 31 deadline.

Police were especially wary of the student Joint Action Committee (JAC)’s plan to once again take the initiative in stirring the agitation.

Hyderabad, December 19: Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy today reiterated that the state government was committed for the welfare of farmers and will take all measures necessary for their well-being. He criticised the Opposition parties for politicising the sufferings of farmers for their selfish gains and appealed to farmers to have faith in the state government.

Hyderabad, December 19: Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu has urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to make farming a remunerative enterprise and thus prevent the farmers from committing suicides.

The TDP chief, who is on a fast demanding a fair deal for the farmers, wanted the Prime Minister to prevail upon the AP government to respond to the agrarian crisis compounded by the recent rains that battered the crops and provide succour to them.

Ongole, December 19: Director general of police K Aravinda Rao today justified requisitioning of additional central forces but insisted that they would be used sparingly, should any riots break out after December 31 when the Srikrishna Committee would deliver its report on Telangana issue.

Vishakapatnam, December 19: One more Maoist was killed today in exchange of fire with security forces in the forest of Cheruvuru of Visakhapatnam district where three Maoists were shot dead yesterday. But unofficial sources put the toll at five.

According to police sources, a group of Maoists, belonging to the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA), had come to an area between Cheruvuru and Yegajanaba villages under Balapam panchayat of Chintapalle mandal as a part of cadre recruitment drive yesterday.

Hyderabad, December 19: Dr C Rangarajan, chairman, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, on Saturday said there was a need to fix cap on the interest rates charged by micro finance institutions (MFIs) in the country.

“One approach can be to fix the margin so that it will be adequate for MFIs to cover transaction costs and the risk element,” said Rangarajan, declining to suggest the approximate cap that can be imposed.

Anantapur, December 19: A three-member Central Empowered Committee will be reaching here on December 21 and undertake a field visit to the Obulapuram mines on the following day. On coming back, it will interact with the officials concerned here on December 23 and then return to Delhi via Bangalore.

The committee, comprising member-secretary M K Jiwa Rajika and members Mahendra Vyas and A D N Rao, will inspect the mines in regard to the boundary and mining jurisdiction dispute.

Hyderabad, December 19: Two state government employees including an executive engineer of an irrigation project in Nalgonda district were arrested by Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in an illegal gratification case.

Balguri Durgaiah, an assistant executive engineer of Nagarjuna Sagar Left Branch Canal, Kodad Sub-Division, was caught red-handed by the ACB officials at his office-cum-residence while accepting Rs 1,90,000 as bribe amount for himself and also for B Srinivasa Rao, Executive Engineer from the complainant for showing an official favour, a release from the ACB said.

Hyderabad, December 19: A woman Maoist was killed in a fresh exchange of fire between the ultras and the police in Visakhapatnam district of Andhra Pradesh early today, police said.

The exchange of fire that lasted for about ten minutes took place in a forest area near Cherrvuru village of Chintapalli mandal, where three Maoists including two women cadres were killed and a police officer was injured yesterday, they said.

Hyderabad, December 19: Ahead of YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s “direct action”, a two-day hunger strike beginning Dec 21 in Vijayawada, more leaders from the Congress are moving closer to him.

The latest to announce his loyalty to YSR’s son is Elamanchili Congress MLA Kanna Babu. Already, Anakapalle MP Sabbam Hari and former minister Konatala Ramakrishna, who did not see eye to eye in the past, are now buddies, espousing Jagan’s cause.

Kadapa, December 19: Former Kadapa MP YS Jaganmohan Reddy today predicted that the Congress government in the state would make all the seven legislators from the Kadapa Lok Sabha constituency ministers just to make an attempt to defeat him at the byelection.

“As of now, three legislators from the Kadapa Lok Sabha constituency are ministers in the Kiran Kumar Reddy government.

The Congress will also use money power to ensure my defeat but it will be nothing but day-dreaming for them,’’ he said.

Hyderabad, December 19: “We will support Chandrababu Naidu as he is fighting for farmers. Whichever party works for us will enjoy our support. But our ultimate goal is Telangana state,” said M Ramaiah, an elderly farmer from Yellamkonda in Navabupet mandal, who came to express solidarity with the fasting TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu. A sizable number of farmers from Chevella and other villages in Ranga Reddy district turned up at the MLA Quarters, the venue where the TDP chief launched a hunger strike today on farmers’ problems.

Kakinada (AP) December 19: A Maoist dump has been recovered during a combing operation in a forest area under Addategala mandal area of East Godavari district, police said today.

An anti-Naxal squad recovered huge quantity of explosives from a forest area near Ducharthi village — bordering Visakhapatnam district on Friday night, Rampa Chodavaram (sub-division) ASP Vikram Jeet Duggal, told PTI.

The explosives include 47 claymore mines, two land mines, 50 live detonators, four hand-grenades, two single-barrel guns, two tapanchas, five batteries and fuse wire from the dump, he said.

Eluru, December 18: About 40 tonnes of fish perished due to suspected poisoning in Brahmanandapuram under Ungutur mandal of West Godavari district on Saturday.

Police suspect that the fish worth Rs 40 lakh perished as some unscrupulous elements mixed poison in the water.

Police have registered a case and taken up investigation.

NSS

Vijayawada, December 19: The Agriculture Minister and brother of late chief minister Dr Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, Mr Y S Vivekananda Reddy, has said that the State government was proceeding with the inspiration of his late brother.

Talking to mediapersons here on Saturday, Mr Vivekananda Reddy said that farmers’ interests were top most on the agenda of the government. This was the reason why the government had quickly announced a package for the farmers, he claimed.

Vijayawada, December 19: Three farmers have died in Krishna district, either by heart break due to losses or by committing suicide during the past 24 years.