Month: October 2010

Would like to take one series at a time: Tendulkar

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Mumbai, October 29: Batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar said on Friday that he would like to focus on one series at a time rather than thinking too far ahead including the World Cup that will be held in the sub-continent, next year.

“I am not yet thinking about the tour of South Africa and the 2011 Cricket World Cup. My immediate focus is on the upcoming New Zealand series and only when that is over, I will start talking about South Africa,” Tendulkar said on the sidelines of a function that marked his association as a brand ambassador with a high-end watch manufacturer Audemars Piguet.

‘State can’t pay salaries of temple staff’

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Hyderabad, October 29: Revised pay scales, as recommended by the Pay Revision Commission, for temple employees are likely to be a reality only after two months. The state government on Thursday expressed its helplessness stating it can take a decision only after the Justice Venkatram Reddy Committee submits its report on the matter in January.

Speaking to reporters here, endowments minister Gade Venkata Reddy said that the government has requested the committee to submit an interim report to enable it to take a decision.

Why can’t food be given to poor, asks Supreme Court

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New Delhi, October 29: The Supreme Court Friday asked the central government why foodgrains it had procured but could not preserve because of inadequate storage capacity could not be given to the poor.

“Procurement of adequate foodgrains is essential to provide food security and to protect the interest of the farmers. All through our anxiety has been that the procured foodgrains be properly preserved,” said the bench of Justice Dalveer Bhandari and Justice Deepak Verma.

Attempt to damage statue of Telugu leader Potti Sriramulu

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Hyderabad, October 29: Two unidentified people tried to damage the statue of Telugu leader Potti Sriramulu here Friday ahead of Andhra Pradesh formation day Nov 1, as groups fighting for separate statehood for Telangana have called for a boycott of the celebrations.

Police said two people tried to damage the statue at Potti Sriramulu at Telugu University in the heart of the city.

Quoting eye witnesses, the police said the attackers poured petrol on the statue and tried to set it afire. When the people present in the university premises raised an alarm, the attackers escaped.

Liu Xiabao’s Nobel prize similar to mine: Dalai Lama

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New Delhi, October 29: Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama Friday compared the Nobel Peace Prize to Chinese imprisoned dissident leader Liu Xiaobo with the one he received in 1989, stating that it was in recognition for work for a “better China”.

In an interview to international television network, CNN, he said that Liu was dedicated to the cause of a “better China”, which is not looking at just economic prosperity but “for freedom of the individual”.

Relieved Yeddyurappa hails verdict disqualifying rebels

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Bangalore, October 29: Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa Friday hailed the judicial verdict upholding the disqualification of 11 Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislators who revolted against him.

“It is a historic decision upholding the values of democracy and a lesson for defectors,” he told reporters after Justice V.G. Sabhahit upheld assembly Speaker K.G. Bopaiah’s decision to disqualify the rebels.

Adarsh society scam maligned Maha govt’s image: BJP

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Mumbai, October 29: BJP today said the Adarsh housing society scam has maligned the image of Maharashtra Government and alleged that state ministers were busy in their own development rather than that of the state.

“The incident where a prime defence land was allotted to the society to house politicians, bureaucrats as well as service chiefs showed how the politicians were involved in their own welfare rather than that of the state,” BJP president Nitin Gadkari said here.

Maradona eyes Premier League coaching role

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London, October 29: Argentina football legend Diego Maradona has revealed his desire to manage in the English Premier League.

Maradona is seeking a new challenge after parting company with the Argentina national side which he lead to the quarter-finals of the 2010 World Cup.

The former World Cup-winning captain, who will celebrate his 50th birthday tomorrow, is now seeking a return to management, and admitted he was attracted by England’s top flight.

He told Sky Sports News: “Yes, I would like to manage in the Premier League.

Gas leak in AP coal mine; 20 workers rescued

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Warangal (AP), October 29: Twenty miners in this Andhra Pradesh district were taken by surprise after a sudden gas leakage from an abandoned mine but all the workers were rescued.

The incident occurred around 12 noon after the workers unknowingly entered the abandoned mine at the Bhupalpally unit of the Singareni Collieries Company Limited, 80 km from here, a police officer said.

The miners were engaged in rock cutting, when thick smoke bellowed from the mine. One of them fell unconscious but his co-workers immediately alerted higher officials who sent a rescue team to the spot.

Rabri calls Nitish Kumar “dishonest, thief”

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Patna, October 29: Campaigning in Bihar Assembly elections reached a new low with former Chief Minister Rabri Devi today calling Nitish Kumar “dishonest and thief”.

“Nitish Kumar beiman aur chor hai, iske raj ko khatma karna hai (Nitish is dishonest and a thief, his government should be thrown out),” Rabri Devi said while castigating Chief Minister Kumar for allegedly forestalling an inquiry into the CAG report that highlighted irregularities in execution of development schemes worth more than Rs 11,400 crore.

Subbarao meets FM ahead of policy review

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New Delhi, October 29: Amid expectations of Reserve Bank hiking its policy rates by 25 basis points on Tuesday, RBI Governor D Subbarao today met Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee.

The RBI is scheduled to come up with its second quarter monetary policy review on November 2 for the current financial year, and finance ministry sources said Subbarao discussed macro-economic issues with the finance minister today.

Gold gains as physical purchases increase

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New York, October 29: Gold today gained as a drop in prices prompted physical buyers to increase purchases of the metal. Palladium climbed to a nine-year high.

The gold gained USD 6.50, or 0.5 per cent to USD 1,349.10 an ounce on the Comex in New York. The metal in London was 0.5 per cent higher at USD 1,350.72.

Gold earlier today declined as the dollar gained against the euro, while holdings in gold-backed exchange-traded products slid for a 10th day yesterday.

Kausarbi was raped before being killed, claims witness

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Ahmedabad, October 29: A witness in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case has claimed that he was told by two of the accused that Kausarbi was allegedly raped before being killed.

Lakhubha Chudasama, a head constable posted as driver with state Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) office in November 2005, said this in his statement which is part of the supplementary charge sheet filed by CBI last week.

In his statement to the investigating agency, Chudasama said he was the driver of ATS vehicle used by accused Santram Sharma and Ajay Parmar.

Nation can’t progress by arresting thinkers: Habibullah

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New Delhi, October 29: Criticising the demands for the arrest of writer Arundhati Roy for her alleged seditious speech, former Chief Information Commissioner Wajahat Habibullah today said nation cannot progress “by arresting thinkers” though her views may be “faulty reading” of the problems in Kashmir.

He said challenge before governments is to give people a feeling that they are part of governance.

Deora meets FM,seeks 15k cr to make up losses of oilcos

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New Delhi, October 29: Oil Minister Murli Deora today met Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee to seek cash compensation for state-run oil companies which have lost over Rs 31,000 crore on selling fuel below cost in the first half of the current fiscal.

“We asked the finance minister to meet at least 50 per cent of the under recoveries (revenue loss),” Deora said after the meeting.

D Ed candidates to have quota in recruitment

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Hyderabad, October 29: It’s official now. The state government has resolved to fill vacant posts of Secondary Grade Teachers (SGT) providing 30 per cent reservation to D Ed candidates.

Orders to this effect are likely to be issued in a day or two. Secondary education minister D Manikya Vara Prasad said here on Thursday that the file had been forwarded to the department of school education for further action. However, it is not clear as of now whether all the posts will be filled immediately or not.

I’m ready for debate, says Vasantha Kumar

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Hyderabad, October 29: Accepting the challenge of the Opposition leader N Chandrababu Naidu for open debate on micro finance institutions (MFIs), rural development minister V Vasantha Kumar on Thursday declared that he was ready to discuss the facts on the issue at the latter’s native place Naravaripally in the presence of mandal samakhyas and district samakhyas.

He also left the choice of fixing the date and time for the debate to the Telugu Desam president.

One more dies of ‘MFI harassment’

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Guntur, October 29: Vaddeswarapu Jakaraiah (32), a daily wage labourer, of Chivuluru in Duggirala mandal died of alleged harassment by micro finance agents. It is said that the deceased took a loan of Rs one lakh from four micro finance institutions for completion of his Indiramma house. When he fell ill two weeks ago he was admitted to a private hospital and later shifted to Guntur general hospital, where he died.

Deities service half-done in AP temples

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Hyderabad, October 29: Temples across the state fell silent as priests and temple employees went on a strike demanding higher wages.

With priests boycotting the arjita sevas (special pujas), devotees had to be content to see the daily pujas.

Some of the temples broke with ages-old traditions by not performing mandatory pujas to the deities.

For instance, the daily Kalyanam of Lord Narasimha Swamy at the Dharmapuri temple went unperformed, unheard of in the history of the temple.

The priests and temple employees are demanding pay scales recommended by the Pay Revision Commission.

DGP is a lover of Sanskrit

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Hyderabad, October 29: Having started his career as assistant superintendent of police in Anantapur district, which also happens to be his native place, K Aravinda Rao has held several important positions in his career of 33 years.

Well-known for his interest in Sanskrit, Aravinda Rao, who took over as DGP on Sept. 1, is considered one of the most influential officers in tackling the Maoists in AP. He has eight months of service left.

Rao has previously worked as SP of Medak, Warangal and Kadapa districts and also served as the Vijayawada police commissioner.

Four sentenced to 7-yr imprisonment in Alipiri blast case

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Tirupati, October 29: A local court on Friday sentenced four persons, including a top Naxal leader, to seven years imprisonment in the 2003 Alipiri landmine blast case in which former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and three others were injured.

Additional District and Sessions Judge D Venkataramana convicted and sentenced Naxal leader Sagar and three others to seven years of imprisonment and also slapped a fine of Rs 5,000 each on them, court sources said.

NIA files charge sheet against two in a Hyderabad blast case

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New Delhi, October 29: Central probe agency, NIA, on Friday filed a charge sheet against two persons including a Pakistani national for allegedly carrying out a blast outside a cinema hall in Hyderabad in 2006 besides planning to carry out strikes on other vital installation in Andhra Pradesh.

National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed a charge sheet against Mohd Zia-ul-Haque, claimed to be an operative of Lashkar-e-Toiba, and Pakistani national Abdul Aziz alias Abu Rehan alias Wali in a metropolitan sessions court at Nampally in Hyderabad.

AP municipal officer caught accepting Rs 50,000 bribe

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Hyderabad, October 29: A top municipal officer from Nalgonda district of Andhra Pradesh was on Monday caught red-handed by sleuths of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) while accepting a bribe of Rs 50,000.

Bhongir Municipality Commissioner, L Balogi was trapped by the ACB at his residence in Ramanthapur here, where he received the sum through his driver and relative B Lalu Naik, as a bribe from the complainant for doing an official favour, a release said.

The duo will be produced before the Additional Special Judge for ACB cases here, it said.

–PTI

Four get jail for life bid on Naidu

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Tirupati, October 29: A court Friday sentenced to seven years jail the four accused in the failed assassination attempt on former Andhra Pradesh chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.

After the seven-year-long trial, Additional Senior Civil Judge Venkataramana sentenced Maoist leader Panduranga Reddy alias Sagar and three traders of gelatine sticks – Ramaswamy Reddy, Nagarjuna and Gangi Reddy.

The court, which examined 96 witnesses including Naidu, also imposed a fine of Rs.5,000 on each of the accused.

Sneha Reddy, Allu Arjun’s marriage on cards!

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Hyderabad, October 29: Young and dashing actor Allu Arjun is likely to tie the nuptial knot with Sneha Reddy.

According to the latest buzz, Arjun and Sneha’s wedding is an arrange one.

Sneha is a daughter of a Hyderabad Engineering College owner. Sneha has completed her MS degree from United States.

Sources close to Arjun said that the wedding is likely to be solemnized some time in February next week. The exact date will be published when it is confirmed by the bothe families.

Arjun’s marriage news is really heart breaking for several female fans.