Andhra Pradesh

Vijayawada, April 09: Telugu Desam Party (TDP) President N Chandrababu Naidu today participated in a ‘Maha Dharna’ programme at Prakasam Barrage along with farmers to highlight the Andhra Pradesh Government’s failure to protect the rights of the state over the surplus Krishna water.

Reaching the ‘Maha Dharna’ venue by road from Hyderabad, Mr Naidu along with TDP leaders protested against the construction of projects by the upper riprian states of Maharashtra and Karnataka on river Krishna to enable the neighbouring states to store the surplus water in their dams.

Vijayawada, April 09: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) senior leader M Venkaiah Naidu today announced that the party would take out a ‘March to Parliament’ rally over the price rise issue on April 21.

Addressing a press conference here, he said the rally, in which lakhs of party cadre would participate, was to protest against the betrayal of ‘aam aadmi’ by the Congress-led UPA Government at the Centre.

He said the Union Government had run out of ideas on how to deal with the situation.

Hyderabad, April 07: An SAP-trainee who went missing a few days ago is found to have been murdered. His alleged affair with a friend’s wife is suspected to be the cause for the killing.

Hyderabad, April 07: The State Government has constituted a committee for protection of lakes in the HMDA area.

Called Lake Protection Committee (LPC), it will work for preservation of lakes till the enactment of a legislation for constitution of the Lake Protection Authority.

Hyderabad, April 07: There is a hectic lobbying among TDP leaders for the two Rajya Sabha seats it could win in the biennial elections. Indicating the growing importance of NTR family again in the party, some party leaders are making a beeline to the houses of Balakrishna and NTR Jr with a request to recommend their names for the RS seats. However, both the stars were noncommittal on the issue.

According to sources, several senior leaders including K Rammohan Rao, N Srinivasulu Reddy, G Rammohan and others met either Balakrishna or NTR Jr for the RS seats.

Tirumala, April 07: The gold offerings deposited in Srivari Hundi of Lord Venkateswara temple in Tirumala have touched 3000-kg mark and they will be deposited with State Bank of India instead of taking to Government Mint in Mumbai and converting them into gold dollars.

Hyderabad, April 07: A city court today permitted disgraced Satyam founder B Ramalinga Raju to file a detailed counter against CBI’s allegation that he had violated court orders and met several people at NIMS here where he is presently undergoing treatment.

The investigating agency had last week alleged that about 234 persons met Raju between December 12, 2009 and March 27, 2010 at the Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences where he is undergoing treatment for Hepatitis-C.

Hyderabad, April 07: Telugu Desam Party (TDP) senior leader Yanamala Ramakrishnudu said that the Planning Commission’s remarks indicates that there would be a drastic cut in subsidies on agriculture and others.

Speaking to reporters here today, Ramakrishnudu said the Centre had already cut subsidies on food, fertilisers and petroleum.

The amount on subsidies was halved in 2010-11 as against the Rs 1.90 lakh crore subsidies in 2009-10.

There is an impending danger of increase in petro prices, which would have cascading effect on the prices of other commodities.

Hyderabad, April 05: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K. Rosaiah on Sunday said that development at a fast pace was possible in the State only when a peaceful atmosphere was ensured.

Hyderabad, March 31: The CPI (Maoist) will build country-wide people’s struggle to avenge the killings of Maoist leaders Sakhamuri Appa Rao and Kondal Reddy.

In a statement today, CPI (Maoist) Central committee spokesperson Azad said that the struggles are intended to “sweep away the fascist regime led by Sonia-Manmohan-Chidambaram gang.’’ “Let us pay our red revolutionary homage to Appa Rao and Kondal Reddy pledging to carry forward their cherished dreams.

Vijayawada, March 31: Sri Kanaka Durga temple authorities’ decision to allow only Brahmins in ‘prasadam’ section here stirred up a controversy today.

Several non-Brahmin workers, who have been preparing prasadam for the past several years, staged a protest at the temple in protest against the decision.

The temple which invites tenders every year for making pulihora, laddus, chakkerapongali and other prasadams, issued the tender a month ago specifying that only Brahmin community people would be allowed to work in prasadam making and packing section.

Hyderabad, March 31: Legislators and Floor Leaders from the Opposition parties, at an all party-meeting called by Chief Minister Rosaiah at the Assembly today, urged him to see to it that Congress leaders desist from public utterances on a “conspiracy’’ behind behind the riots in Old City as this would only aggravate the situation.

Hyderabad, March 31: Former chief minister and Congress Parliament Member N Janardhan Reddy’s elder brother N Padmanabha Reddy has charged the former with attacking his educational institution and wanted protection for his family.

Padmanabha Reddy today met Chief Minister K Rosaiah in his chamber and submitted a memorandum in this regard. He came along with Union Minister of State for Textiles Panabaka Lakshmi and her husband P Krishnaiah.

Vishakapatnam, March 31: An earthquake, measuring 6.4 on the richter scale, on the Andamans caused mild tremors in Visakhapatnam and some parts of Srikakulam district on Tuesday night.

The tremors were felt in MVP Colony, Maddilapalem, Venkojipalem, NAD Junction, Seethammadhara, Marripalem, Kancharapalem, Madhavadhara, Muralinagar, Gajuwaka, Nakkavanipalem, Lawsons Bay Colony and other places here in the city and even Anakapalle. The first tremor lasted for 8-10 seconds and the second, which occurred after a gap of 10 minutes, lasted for 6-7 seconds.

Mumbai, March 31: A special court here Wednesday set May 3 as the date for pronouncing the final judgment in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks case.

Ajmal Amir Kasab is the lone surviving Pakistani terrorist who was caught during the attack and has been facing the trial in the special court.

According to Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam, the final arguments in case, involving Kasab, ended here Tuesday, after which Special Judge M. L. Tahaliyani announced the verdict in the case would be pronounced on May 3.

Guntur, March 31: A farmer was found dead in police custody at Bapatla Rural Police station in the early hours of Tuesday. The police maintained that Asodhi Nagi Reddy (37), committed suicide.

Washington, March 31: Flavonoid, an antioxidant in orange juice, taken along with a high-fat meal, especially fast food, neuters its ill effects, says a new study.

Free radicals, or reactive oxygen species, are known to induce inflammation in blood vessel linings and contribute to the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Endocrinologists at the University of Buffalo (UB) in the US show that the potent preventative effect of orange juice is most likely linked to its heavy load of flavonoids, naringenin and hesperidin, which are major antioxidants.

Gudavalli, March 29: Chief Minister K Rosaiah described former deputy chief minister Koneru Ranga Rao as Messiah of Dalits saying that the latter had done great service to the community.

Garlanding the portrait of the late Minister Koneru Ranga Rao, the Chief Minister conveyed his deep condolences to Rao’s family. “It’s a big loss to the State, Congress party and to me personally,” he added.

Nellore, March 29: The tussle between former chief minister N Janardhan Reddy and his brother N Padmanabha Reddy for control over NBKR Educational Institutions in Vakadu has intensified with NJR declaring his son Sriramkumar Reddy as its new chairman.

Padmanabha Reddy and his son N Bhanusekhara Reddy, who kept themselves away from the office of NBKR Educational Institutions, lodged a complaint in Kota police station against NJR’s son and former Congress MLA Prakash Rao.

Hyderabad, March 29: Chief Minister K Rosaiah has asked the State Tourism Department and AP Tourism Development Corporation to prepare a master plan for employment-intensive projects.

“Tourism is an industry where there is vast scope for employment of skilled professionals, unskilled workers and illiterate people. Hence tourism becomes a priority sector. Just Rs 10 lakh investment can create 78 jobs in tourism while it is only 18 jobs in other industries,’’ he said.

Hyderabad, March 29: With the State Government waiving interest on arrears and current year dues (2009-10) of property tax in all the municipalities and corporations in the State up to March 31, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) is hopeful of netting Rs 75 crore in the remaining three days.

The benefit, a one-time measure announced on Saturday, can be availed only when the assessee pays the total arrears and current year tax in lumpsum or in instalments before March 31.

Sangareddy, March 29: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) senior leader Bandaru Dattatreya said their party was against religion-based reservations.

If Muslims are being provided reservation basing on their backwardness, then similar people of all castes should also be provided reservation, he demanded. He alleged that the Congress government was providing religion-based quota only with an eye on vote bank.

The BJP leader was in Sangareddy today to monitor the party’s signature campaign against spiralling prices of essentials. He visited all wards in the town.

Hyderabad, March 29: Two engineering second year students drowned in the Komatikunta Cheruvu at Maisammaguda in Petbasheerabad near here on Sunday.

The duo, V Anil (19) of Chintal and T Chetan (19) from Maharashtra, students of Malla Reddy Engineering college in Maisammaguda, entered the lake to bathe, police said.

Hyderabad, March 29: Cinematography Minister J Geetha Reddy today said the Government would solve problems being faced by producers and directors of low-budget films.

Directors Tripuraneni Varaprasad, Bhimaneni Srinivas Rao, Siva Nageswara Rao, B Jaya, C Devi Prasad and others called on Geetha Reddy at the Secretariat today. They urged the minister to see to it that low-budget movies were screened for 24 weeks a year in every cinema.

Hyderabad, March 28: A 25-year-old person allegedly hacked to death his parents and attempted to portray it as murders for gain by stealing his mother’s jewellery, at Gundala village of Chevella in Ranga Reddy district, 40 km from here, on Saturday.

Malla Reddy, who was detained by the police, reportedly admitted to have killed his father, Yalal Reddy, 50, and mother, Pentamma, 45, by attacking them with an axe while they were asleep. The accused, of late, got into bad habits and was frequently quarrelling with his parents to give him more money and property.