Andhra Pradesh

Hyderabad, May 18: The administration in Andhra Pradesh’s coastal region Tuesday went on high alert as the cyclonic storm Laila intensified and is likely to cross the coast near Machilipatnam.

Second warning signals have been hoisted at all Andhra ports as the depression over Bay of Bengal turned into a cyclonic storm and lay centred at 690 km southeast of Visakhapatnam.

It is likely to cross the coast near the port city of Machilipatnam in Krishna district, about 450 km from here, in about 72 hours.

Hyderabad, May 18: The state government has hardened its stand against professional colleges, which have threatened to close down their institutions, if the government did not pay fee reimbursement dues by May 25. The government made it clear that it has its ways and means to deal with recalcitrant managements. The issue will be discussed at the Cabinet meeting slated to be held on May 19. Though technical education commissioner L Premachandra Reddy held a meeting with the managements of the colleges on Monday, solution proved to be elusive.

Hyderabad, May 18: TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao today waded into controversy over Kadapa MP Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy’s tour of Telangana, saying he is remembered as the flag bearer of Samaikya Andhra in Parliament, and therefore was not welcome in the region.

The MP tour, titled Odarpu Yatra and scheduled to begin on May 28, is ostensibly to `console’ the families of people who died of shock when his father, the late Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, died last year. Leaders from several parties have opposed the yatra in Telangana where the MP is seen as hostile to the separatist sentiment.

Hyderabad, May 17: Several parts of the twin cities plunged in darkness on Sunday night after trees and hoardings uprooted by heavy winds that accompanied thunder-showers crashed onto power lines.

Power supply is not likely to be restored till early hours of Monday at many of these places as the damage was quite heavy requiring extensive repair work.

Hyderabad, May 17: Obstructing tours of leaders of other parties by any party is undemocratic, agriculture minister N Raghuveera Reddy has said.

Speaking to reporters here today, Reddy, however, said that the government would not register any case against those who attempt to foil political party meetings.

Hyderabad, may 17: As part of the efforts to make cities slum-free, the state government is taking up Rajiv Awas Yojana in six more cities _ Nellore, Guntur, Kurnool, Nizamabad, Warangal and Kakinada.

The nodal agency for the programme, Mission for Elimination of Poverty in Municipal Areas, a wing of the municipal administration directorate, is doing the spade work.

The civic bodies have been asked to send the proposals.

Hyderabad, May 17: Agriculture minister N Raghuveera Reddy has directed his department officials to cover at least 50 lakh farmers during the Rythu Chaitanya Yatras commencing tomorrow.

Releasing Agriculture Action Plan for 2010-11, posters and CDs of Rythu Chaitanya Yatras (RCYs) here today along with labour and cooperation minister R Venkata Reddy, Raghuveera Reddy said that chief minister K Rosaiah wanted to provide all-out support to the farmers of the state whose mainstay was agriculture and desired to contact each family of 1.20 lakh farmers in the state.

Karimnagar, May 17: Rivers fulfilling drinking water and irrigation requirements have dried up in Karimnagar district, thanks to the soaring mercury levels.

The Irukulla river situated 12 km from the district headquarters on the way to Ramagundam, has also dried up completely barring just a trickle.

The river had 15 per cent water last summer. Then the farmers of Irukulla, Mogdumpur and Durshed villages dug wells in the middle of the river bed and cultivated crops. But this year, the river has dried up.

Hyderabad, may 17: Finding fault with Telugu Desam senior leader E Dayakar Rao’s statement that he would obstruct the tour of YS Jagan in Warangal district, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) Rajya Sabha member Nandamuri Harikrishna said today that by issuing such a provocative statement Dayakar Rao defied the party’s directives.

Rajhmundary, May 17: Minister for Major Irrigation Ponnala Lakshmaiah said the government was trying its best to secure national status to seven irrigation projects from the state and a request to this effect was sent to the Union government. “Of them, Indira Sagar Project (Polavaram) figures in the top,’’ he added.

Speaking to reporters at Dowleswaram here today, he said as many as 12 irrigation projects were completed with an amount of Rs 50,000 crore whereas 19 other projects were under various stages of construction.

Hyderabad, May 17: Chief Minister K. Rosaiah on Sunday expressed happiness that with medical advancement life expectancy today had gone up from 47 to 67 years on an average.

Felicitating over half-a-dozen medical experts at a function organised by Raga Saptha Swaram, a socio-cultural organisation, the Chief Minister, who was handling the health portfolio earlier, spoke of his experience working with medical professionals. He wanted doctors to scale new heights in medical expertise.

Hyderabad, May 17: This time around, excitement is singularly lacking as the clock ticks away to May 20 when the Congress will celebrate the sixth anniversary of its ascension to power _ Rededication Day _ at LB Stadium in Hyderabad.

Though chief minister K Rosaiah has been trying his best to bring about a semblance of order in the party and the government, his efforts do not appear to be bearing fruit with MPs declaring verbal wars against ministers in some districts.

Hyderabad, May 17: The National Congress of Indian Christians (NCIC) has demanded a ban on the Sri Rama Sena headed by Pramod Muthalik and operating in Karnataka. Describing the sena as a fundamentalist organisation, the NCIC demanded that the Central Government order a probe into this and other such bodies by a national investigative agency. It further called for a ban on such entities and the arrest of their leaders under NASA to safeguard public security.

Tirumala, May 17: In the wake of shocking reports of irregularities in the advanced reservation of Arjita Seva tickets, the Tirumala Tirupati Devsthanams (TTD) has initiated measures to streamline the system.

The most important of such measures is introduction of `photo-identity proof ’ and every Arjita Seva ticket holder has to mandatorily show his or her ID proof at the entrance of Vaikuntam Queue Complex. The new system came into force on Friday (May 14).

Warangal, May 17: The announcement of Kadapa MP and late chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy’s son YS Jaganmohan Reddy’s `Odarpu yatra’ from May 29 in the district has the police in jitters.

The MP has finalised the yatra to console the bereaved families of those who died due to shock following the sudden demise of his father and former chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy.

Hyderabad, May 17: Praja Rajyam (PRP) president K. Chiranjeevi and Kadapa MP Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy, who are planning tours in Telangana region, have received support albeit indirectly from most unexpected quarters – TDP Rajya Sabha member N. Harikrishna.

Hyderabad, May 17: A Group of Ministers (GoM) will look into farmers’ problems and take steps to ensure minimum support price for all farm produce.

After receiving separate memoranda from Opposition leader N Chandrababu Naidu and an all-party delegation, the chief minister assured them the State government would do all that was possible to help farmers in regard to remunerative prices and timely procurement.

Rosaiah said that the government was great ly c o n c e r n e d about these issues since it was a “rythu’’ government.

NUZVID(Krishna dist), May 17: The elusive criminal Tatiparthi Rama Rao alias Rudrakshapalli Rama Rao, accused of raping a minor girl and murdering seven persons in cold blood , is no more. Fate caught up with the man, who had been on the run since April 9 after escaping from the Nuzvid jail, near Agiripalli village in Krishna district.

New Delhi, May 17: A cyclonic storm is brewing in the Bay of Bengal and Coastal Andhra Pradesh could bear its brunt by Wednesday, the weather office said on Monday.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has detected a depression formed over southwest Bay of Bengal this afternoon which lay about 930 km east-southeast of Chennai and 1,000 km southeast of Visakhapatnam.

New Delhi, May 17: Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday accused the stat government on failing miserably in solving the problems of farmers in Andhra Pradesh.

Talking to reporters on his arrival in the National Capital, the TDP chief said that he will work for to highlight the plight of farmers who have been affected by a series of problems.

The former chief minister said that the farmers had first faced droughts in the state, followed by flash floods and the economic depression has also taken its toll.

Hyderabad, May 17: As many as 94 people, the majority of them elected public representatives, are said to be in the hit list of the Maoists in the northcoastal districts of Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam districts bordering Orissa. The rebels, who shot dead Visakhapatnam zilla parishad vice-chairman U. Somalingam last week, kidnapped a block committee member G.

Hyderabad, May 16 (INN): An out of control lorry mowed down four labourers working along the roadside in Malapalli, Pebberu mandal in Mahabubnagar district on Sunday.

According to information available, the four labourers died on the spot and two others grievously injured when the driver lost control over his speeding lorry and veered off the road to hit them.

The victims were from Koderu village, Itikyala mandal in the district.

Hyderabad May 16 (INN): Telugu Desam Party president and Leader of the Opposition N Chandrababu Naidu along with senior party leaders met Chief Minister K Rosaiah at the Chief Minister’s Camp Office on Sunday, to discuss the plight of farmers and appeal that ‘justice’ be done to them.
Talking to media persons after his meeting, Mr Naidu said he had toured some parts of the state during the last three weeks to gain firsthand knowledge of the plight of farmers in the state.

Vishakapatnam, May 15: The Indian Navy will soon have another indigenous weapon to be proud of — the Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV).

The product of five years of hard work by the Naval Science Technological Laboratory (NSTL), the final trial runs of the unmanned AUV have proved successful.

The vehicle can lay mines, fire missiles, and collect data, including pictures, on its own. It will be operated from the ground station through satellite remote sensing.

Kurnool, May 15: The discord between Kurnool MP Kotla Suryaprakash Reddy and minister Silpa Mohan Reddy, against whom the former launched a vitriolic broadside on Friday, has brought Kurnool politics to a boil.

The seeds of dissension between the two leaders were sown long ago.