Andhra Pradesh

Hyderabad, July 01: Hours after 26 jawans of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were massacred by the CPI Maoists in Narayanpur district of Chhattisgarh, the rebels set off pressure mines injuring three CRPF personnel in Bijapur district on Wednesday.

A probe is already on to ascertain what went wrong with the forces yesterday. Two of the slain CRPF personnel belong to Andhra Pradesh. Meanwhile, the Maoist sponsored bandh started today in five states including Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Orissa, and Bihar.

Hyderabad, July 01: The Rosaiah government will continue the fee reimbursement scheme but with a lot of riders. The Cabinet sub-committee, which went into the controversial issue, has finalised its recommendations which would be placed before the Cabinet on Thursday.

The one condition that the government intends to implement strictly is the limit on family income — Rs 1 lakh per annum.

Though this stipulation existed even in the past, it was not implemented effectively leading to a large number of students — over 20 lakh — availing the benefit of fee reimbursement.

Hyderabad, July 01: Decks have been cleared for the conduct of elections to Vemulawada and Sircilla constituencies along with 10 other segments in Telangana for which bypolls are scheduled to be held next month.

Earlier, the Election Commission did not announce the schedule for Vemulawada and Sircilla apparently because petitions were pending in the High Court. Challenging the EC decision, the TRS approached the court.

Hyderabad, July 01: US Embassy Charge d’ Affaires Steven White today felicitated Inspector General of police (CID) S Umapathi for being named in the 2010 Trafficking In Persons (TIP) report.

Umapathi was named the TIP hero by US Department of State’s office for monitoring and combatting trafficking in persons. White said that anti-trafficking efforts has been an important bilateral issue between India and USA.

Umapathi is the first Indian government official to be honoured for his TIP work.

Hyderabad, July 01: Veteran Tollywood hero Rajendra Prasad was imposed a hefty fine for using a fancy registration number plate for his car and jumping the signal on Wednesday.

Hyderabad, July 01: Satish Kumar, a constable at the Ramgopalpet police station, saved the life of Sudha(35) by donating a rare blood group called ‘Bombay phenotype’.It is reported that only 50-60 people in the country have this blood group.

The NTR Memorial Trust had arranged for platelets from Mumbai to save Sudha whose haemoglobin levels had dropped to dangerous levels. However, the doctors informed only single-donor platelets could save her life.

The Trust then contacted Kumar and arranged for the blood.

Hyderabad, July 01: A division bench of the High Court comprising Justices G Raghuram and Reddy Kanta Rao on Wednesday vacated its earlier order and permitted the government to make payments due to Maytas. A bench presided by Justice Raghuram had stayed the clearing of bills of Maytas on the grounds of the works being awarded without calling for tenders.

Ramesh Reddy from Kadapa had challenged government action as being contrary to public policy and interest.

The government in its reply said the works were awarded to Maytas as no other company had come forward to carry out the works.

Guntur July 01: Telugu Desam Party MP Nandamuri Harikrishna on Wednesday said that party chief and his brother-in-law has the backing of the entire Nandamuri clan.

Speaking to media persons, the son of the party’s founder late NT Rama Rao said that the entire Nandamuri clan was united behind Mr Naidu’s efforts to end the Congress rule in the state.

Vishakapatnam, June 30: INS Cankarso and INS Kondul, the fifth and sixth in a a series of water jet propelled fast attack craft of the Indian Navy were commissioned by Governor ESL Narasimhan here today. The ships, measuring 50 metres in length and displacing 325 tonnes of water, can achieve a speed in excess of 30 knots. They have a complement of four officers and 45 sailors.

Kurnool, June 30: Minister for major irrigation Ponnala Lakshmaiah said Sunkesula reservoir works would be completed in another ten days and water from Handri Niva project would be released from August 15 as promised at any cost.

The minister inspected Sunkesula reservoir repair works today. He came to Kurnool today from Hyderabad.

After taking some rest at the government guest house in the city, he reached the site. After talking to labourers there, he drove the proclainer and tractor for a few minutes there.

Tirupati, June 30: Efforts were on to get the project to develop the Tirupati railway station to international standards cleared, member of Parliament Chinta Mohan said here today.

Rajhmundary, June 30: Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNG R B ) c h a i r m a n M Mansingh said that piped gas would be supplied to all houses in the state in three to five years.

Participating as chief guest in the round table session on access code issues organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) here today, he said a meeting would be held with chief minister K Rosaiah in Hyderabad tomorrow in this connection.

Hyderabad, June 30: In the third major attack since April 6 Dantewada massacre, the Maoists on Tuesday killed at least 26 CRPF jawans near Jharaghati under Dhaudei police station limits in Narayanpur district, Chhattisgarh.

Confirming the toll in the Maoist attack that began at 3 p.m., Union Home Secretary G K Pillai said reinforcements, including doctors from neighbouring CRPF camps, had been rushed to treat the injured.

Chittor, June 30: Union Minister of State for Railways KH Muniyappa, who inaugurated the newly-converted Pakala-Dharmavaram broad gauge section on Tuesday, said six new cost sharing projects having a length of 766 km at a cost of Rs 3,466 crore (state’s contribution to be Rs 1,839 crore) would be taken up in the state.

The railway ministry has approved construction of 12 railway underbridges/overbridges (ROBs/RUBs) with the state government’s contribution. Seven stations will be developed as model station and nine identified for development of multifunctional complexes.

Hyderabad, June 30: Justice NV Ramana of the AP High Court quashed a State Government decision permitting the handling of fertilizer cargo at the Deep Water Port instead of the Anchorage Port.

The judge allowed writ petitions filed by the Kakinada Port Steel Barges and Deep Water Port Workers’ Union and held that while framing policies it “must balance its economic interests vis-a-vis the interest of its citizens, and in the guise of policy decisions they cannot confer more benefits on the private parties than what the original agreement/ contract conferred”.

Hyderabad, June 30: The steering panel of the Telangana Joint Action Committee has warned the people of the region not to expect too much from the coming elections and reminded them it would not be the deciding factor for a separate State.

At a press conference on Tuesday, Akula Bhoomaiah, a member of the committee, said: “There is a conspiracy on the part of the State and Central governments and other inimical forces to finish off the Telangana movement.

Hyderabad, June 30: Ministers J Geeta Reddy and N Raghuveera Reddy wanted the the 500th coronation ceremony of Sri Krishnadevaraya to be celebrated on a grand scale.

They addressed the district collectors through video conference here today.

The celebrations would be held in 10 districts including Hyderabad.

The month-long festivities would begin on July 5 and end on August 8.

Hyderabad, June 30: An internal feud between two groups of Andhra Pradesh Non- Gazetted Officers (APNGOs) Association over house sites allotment marred the day-long dharna of Andhra Pradesh Joint Action Committee (JAC) of Employees, Teachers and Workers organised across the state on Tuesday.

The JAC took up a day-long dharna at all District Collectorates to pressurise the state government to solve their pending demands for hike in house rent allowance and filling up vacant posts in the state government.

Hyderabad, June 30: Chief Minister K Rosaiah has no doubt that a conspiracy was behind the agitation launched by BC leader R Krishnaiah and State BJP chief Kishan Reddy on the fee reimbursement issue.

“Yes. Cent per cent. I have enough information to justify what I have said,” Rosaiah thundered at a meeting with leaders of opposition parties when the latter sought to know on what basis the chief minister saw the role of “some people somewhere” backing the stir.

Hyderabad, June 30: The state government’s move to affiliate all professional colleges in Medak district to Telangana University (TU) in Nizamabad district was strongly opposed by Cabinet ministers – Geeta Reddy and Sunitha Lakshma Reddy – besides TRS senior leader T Harish Rao who hails from the district.

The result: Decision withdrawn! In March, the department of Higher Education has decided to affiliate all the private, aided, unaided and government colleges in Adilabad, Medak and Nizamabad districts to TU.

Hyderabad, June 30: A village revenue officer in Karimnagar district was caught today by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) while accepting a bribe.

The VRO of Peddarathupalli in Kalvasrirampur mandal, YV Phaninder Rao, was caught red-handed by the ACB sleuths today morning near the Zilla Parishad High School in Kalvasrirampur when he took Rs 2,200 from a person to deliver a title deed. Phaninder Rao would be produced before a special court for ACB cases in Hyderabad, an official release said.

Hyderabad, June 30: A city court granted 10-day custody of Lokesh Sharma, one of the accused in the Mecca Masjid blast case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) today.

Lokesh Sharma will be in the custody of the CBI from tomorrow till July 9. The court gave the orders after the investigating agency filed a petition yesterday seeking custody of Sharma in connection with the Mecca Masjid blast case.

Tirumala, June 29: Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh K Rosaiah said his government would not interfere in the Tirumala ‘Archaka’ issue and the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) officials would look into it.

Mr Rosaiah, who arrived here yesterday for darshan of lord Venkateswara Swamy, talking to the media said the controversy between Tirumala archakas would be solved by the TTD and the government would not involve in it.

Earlier, on arrival he was received with temple tradition by the temple officials.

Chittoor, June 29: Chief Minister K Rosaiah on Monday said that the state government is contemplating to change the name of Mannavaram to YSR Puram.

If the state government does go ahead and opts implements Mr Rosaiah’s words, it would be the second time this month that an area would be named after former chief minister late YS Rajasekhara Reddy.

Earlier on June 18, the state Cabinet had unanimously agreed to change the name of Kadapa district as YSR district.

Nellore, June 28: Secretary of Yuva Rajyam, the Praja Rajyam Party’s youth wing, Pathan Nissar Khan on Sunday breathed his last in hospital while undergoing treatment.

Nissar Khan had been shifted to the hospital following a road accident which occurred at Manobolu in Nellore district late on Saturday night.

According to reports coming, Nissar Khan was travelling on a two-wheeler along with his friend towards Gudur when a buffalo came in front of his motorcycle. He lost control over his vehicle and crashed.