Ramana Gogula quizzed by CCS sleuths

Hyderabad, October 23: Noted music director Ramana Gogula was on Thursday questioned by the sleuths of Central Crime Station (CCS) of the City Police in a case relating to alleged misappropriation of funds of a film production house.

The CCS took up the case after a court directed it to investigate the allegations of misappropriation.

The case was filed by the representative of a Telugu film production house, Green Mango Productions, which recently made the Sumanthstarrer Boni.

Creamy layer GO kept on hold

Hyderabad, October 23: Yielding to the pressure from several BC organisations, the State Government has kept in abeyance GO 496 which imposed a ceiling on income for excluding creamy layer among the BCs from enjoying the benefit of reservation in appointments to government service.

At a meeting with a sub-committee on BC affairs here on Thursday, Chief Minister K Rosaiah directed officials to take immediate action in this regard.

KLU teacher bags NASA project

Hyderabad, October 23: K Madhavi Latha, a member of faculty at Koneru Lakshamaiah University, has bagged a project of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

As part of the project, Madhavi Latha will work on theoretical physics at NASA with partial funding from the Gravity Research Foundation. “It gives me immense pleasure to be part of the project.

I will strive to put my best efforts in the project,’’ Madhavi Lata said in a statement.

–Agencies–

Resign and seek fresh mandate, TD tells KCR

Hyderabad,October 23: Reacting to Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) president K Chandrasekhara Rao’s allegation against TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu at the Siddipet public meeting yesterday, Telugu Desam leaders A Revanth Reddy and Arvind Kumar Goud today dared Rao to resign and seek a fresh mandate from the people of Mahaboobnagar.

Speaking to reporters here today, they said that they would not tolerate if Rao continued his tirade against Naidu.

Jana for statute change if review is not granted

Hyderabad, October 23: Former home minister K Jana Reddy today called for a constitutional amendment to resolve the row over Hyderabad’s status as a free zone in the matter of government service in case the review petition to be filed by the State Government in the apex court did not yield `justice’.

Stage set for arrest of TDP MLA

Hyderabad, October 23: Stage is set for the arrest of TDP legislator from Devarakadra, Sita Dayakar Reddy and a ZPTC member while a Congress MPP member surrendered before the police for driving the Agricultural Officer Rajeswari to commit suicide in Mahaboobnagar district recently.

Rajeswari, in her dying declaration recorded by the Magistrate, has mentioned the names of the MLA, MPP member Bharati Reddy and ZPTC member Pradeep Goud.

Two more succumb to swine flu in Vizag

Vishakapatnam, October 23: Two persons, one of them a woman, have succumbed to swine flu while undergoing treatment at the District Chest and Communicable Diseases (DCCD) hospital here. While a 39-year-old woman from the old CBI Office area had died last night, a 29-year-old male youth died this evening.

CM, US envoy stranded as lift goes kaput

Hyderabad, October 23: Chief Minister K Rosaiah on Thursday experienced embarrassing moments in front of US Ambassador to India Timothy Roemer when the elevator in the C Block of the State Secretariat stopped working. Both were forced to wait for over 10 minutes till it was put back into operation.

3 die as tanker explodes in road mishap

Srikakulam, October 23: Three persons were charred while two others are also feared trapped in the fire that broke out after a fuel tanker met with an accident and exploded on the Visakhapatnam-Itchapuram highway late on Thursday night.

According to the police, the three victims were residents of nearby Baligam village and were sitting on the roadside when the mishap occurred.

The tanker was proceeding towards Itchapuram when it rammed into a railing and overturned on the highway at Baligam junction in Mandasa mandal of the district.

AIKS demands withdrawal of NGO system

Vijayawada, October 23: All India Kisan Sabha(AIKS) has demanded that the Centre withdraw their proposal to handover the training and visiting system to Non Governmental Organizations(NGOS) for agriculture expansion in the country, said AIKS Vice President Kolli Nageswara Rao said today.

Talking to newspersns here, Mr Rao said before 1991, training and visiting system was to help maximise the production of agriculture.

Later, Government abolished the system and started reducing the agriculture expansion, besides reducing agriculture subsidies.

Romer to practise what Barack Obama preaches

Hyderabad, October 22: Adhering to US President Barack Obama’s suggestion, American Ambassador to India Timothy J Roemer stated that he was not going to confine himself to the four walls of his diplomatic office but would be seen often in public domain.

“I will try to shake as many hands as possible. US President Obama has floated the idea of public diplomacy, which I’m going to put into practice,” the US Ambassador said.

Facilities in Govt hospitals to be improved

Hyderabad, October 22: Finally, the State Government has realised the need to improve the services and infrastructure facilities in the Government Hospitals.

Observing that the Corporate Hospitals were being largely benefited by the Arogyasri scheme, the State Government has decided to improve the amenities in the Government hospitals.

Victims’ families still in shock

Tirupati, October 22: The sudden end of the affable and industrious V Rameshbabu (47) has left family and neighbours in deep shock. The wastepaper dealer who had come up the hard way after the early death of his father, was one among the 27 people from the district who were burnt alive in the cracker godown fire in Pallipattu, Tamil Nadu, on October 16, the eve of Deepavali. Ramesh, a familiar and avuncular figure in Irlanagar where he lived, as also here, was forced at the age of 12 to stop his studies and look after the family.

Poor GK of hostellers shocks Collector

Ongole, October 22: Prakasam District Collector Kanthilal Dande was in for a rude shock when he visited the SC Girls Hostel at Tripurantakam mandal headquarters as even middle and high school students there could answer simple questions like name your State capital. The Collector who made a surprise visit to the hostel last night to find out the facilities available there, besides assess their academic capabilities, was shocked when all the 60 odd students said they they did not know the name of the State capital.

CM to launch scheme in Chevella on Nov 1

Hyderabad, October 22: Besides giving an assurance that he would continue all the programmes and schemes undertaken by former chief minister late YS Rajasekhara Reddy, Chief Minister K Rosaiah has decided to launch `Dr YSR Abhaya Hastham’ scheme from Chevella in Rangareddy district, a place mostly preferred and seen as a sentiment for late YSR for launch of programmes. Rosaiah would launch the scheme by handing over policy certificates to the enrolled members at Chevella on Nov 1.

New ‘quick darshan’ system at Tirumala from tomorrow

Tirupati, October 20: Tirumala, the abode of Lord Venkateswara, would start with Rs 300 ‘quick darshan’ tickets from tomorrow, in a bid to curb menace of middlemen as well as provide devotees a glimpse of the deity without much delay.

Named ‘Seegradarshan’ (quick darshan), the system will come into force at dawn at Vaikuntam Queue complex on the hills from Wednesday, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthananams (TTD) Public Relations Officer T Ravi told PTI here today.

Maoists regrouping in Andhra Pradesh!

Hyderabad, October 19: The CPI (Maoist) documents found by the Special Intelligence Branch reveals that the top Maoist leadership is concentrating on reviving the movement in Andhra Pradesh. Maoists have decided to set up more guerrilla zones and transfer guerrilla zones in the base areas and red resistance zones. The SIB of the state police which was involved in anti-naxal operations in several states is among the top targets of the Maoists, officials said.

Singareni Collieries to set up 600 MW plant in Telangana

Hyderabad, October 18 : The state-owned Singareni Collieries will set up a 600 MW power plant at a cost of Rs.2,700 crore (Rs.27 billion) in Adilabad district in Andhra Pradesh.

Chief Minister K. Rosaiah, who will shortly lay the foundation stone
for the project to come up in the backward Telangana region, Sunday said the plant was expected to be completed by December 2012.

According to him, the project would not only give an impetus to the growth of Telangana, but also help the state bridge its power deficit to a large extent.

Properties worth Rs 13 lakh gutted in fire

Vijayawada, October 18 : Properties worth Rs 13 lakh were destroyed in two fire accidents in the city during the last 24 hours.

According sources, nine shops were gutted in the mango market in the city late last night when a fire cracker fell on a fruit shop and caused fire.

Three fire tenders were pressed into service. The flames could be brought to control after two hours.

The loss was estimated to be Rs three lakh, the sources added.

In another incident, properties worth Rs ten lakh were gutted into fire in an agro oil products mill unit in Gudivada Town in Krishna District.

Properties worth Rs 13 lakh gutted in fire

Vijayawada, October 18: Properties worth Rs 13 lakh were destroyed in two fire mishaps in the city during the last 24 hours.

According sources, nine shops were gutted in the mango market in the city late last night when a fire cracker fell on a fruit shop and caused fire.

Three fire tenders were pressed into service. The flames could be brought to control after two hours.

The loss was estimated to be Rs three lakh, the sources added. In another incident, properties worth Rs ten lakh were gutted into fire in an agro oil products mill unit in Gudivada Town in Krishna District.

World Bank gives $320 million loan to Andhra Pradesh

Washington, October 17: The World Bank has approved a USD 320 million loan to India, designed to improve quality, capacity and safety of roads in the state of Andhra Pradesh.

The loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) with a maturity of 30 years, including a grace period of 5.5 years. It would help finance the Andhra Pradesh Road Sector Project
designed to upgrade about 429 km of priority state highways and finance long-term maintenance of over 6,000 km of the state’s core road network.

Three Naxals held

Sangareddy, October 17: The police arrested three Janasakthi naxalites last night and recovered a country-made gun, 14 rounds bullets, 10 detonators, 10 gelatine sticks, bike, TV and three cellphones from their possession.

A dark Deepavali

Kurnool, October 17: For the people affected by the worst-ever floods in Kurnool district, Deepavali this year is not an occasion to celebrate but mourn the deaths of scores of their brethren. After the large-scale devastation caused by the floods, they are yet to come to terms with the reality.

A major portion of the district, including some parts of Kurnool and Nandyal towns, still have no electricity and lakhs of victims still find it difficult to get their daily ration. The burst of even a single cracker has not yet been heard and people are not in a mood to exchange greetings.

Mahatma in poster controversy now

Hyderabad, October 16: Controversies continue to dog the Telugu film ‘Mahatma’ directed by Krishna Vamsi.

After a writer alleged that his song was used by the film producers without his permission, Bajrang Dal activists on Wednesday staged a dharna protesting the poor portrayal of right-wing groups in the film.

TRS chalks out plan for mass agitation

Hyderabad, October 16: The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) has decided to launch a mass movement after Deepavali with a demand for constitutional amendments on the issues of `Hyderabad free zone in the matter of employment’ and equal share for Telangana in Krishna waters.

The party says it would be needless to compare the proposed movement with that of 1969, adding that it might take any dimension and would script a new chapter in the history of Telangana.

The Politburo and state committee met at Telangana Bhavan under the chairmanship of its president K Chandrasekhara Rao today.