Month: March 2011

Hyderabad, February 28: Three people were killed, scores were injured and several houses were destroyed on Monday when police opened fire against villagers protesting an under construction thermal power plant in Andhra Pradesh.

A war-like situation prevailed in Vadditandra, Kakarapally and surrounding villages of Santhabommali mandal of Srikakulam district bordering Orissa, as police used heavy force to quell the violent protest.

Sitting on the debris of their houses, women and children were seen crying while some others tried to salvage whatever they could from their damaged houses.

Chittor, February 28: The prices of tomato which hovered between Rs 35 and Rs 40 in the month of January, fell by 70 percent in the first two weeks of February and dropped to rock bottom since the last three days.

Yesterday, they were no takers for it for even 25 paise per kilogram in Madanapalle market, the prime market for tomato, in the region. The tomato farmers were so distressed that they threw some of their produce on roads and resorted to rasta-roko at Madanapalle Market Yard.

Rajhmundary, February 28: The Congress appears to be consolidating its traditional vote bank the Kapus who are numerically strong in this region.

A significant chunk had switched loyalty to Chiranjeevi when he came on the political scene in 2009 elections. But now, with Chiranjeevi merging his Praja Rajyam Party with the Congress, a majority of them are set to come back to the Congress.

Kadapa, February 28: Tension prevailed in the district headquarter following the arrest of four followers of former mayor P Ravindranath Reddy by the police in the wee hours of Sunday.

SB Amzad Basha, who is also close to former Kadapa MP YS Jaganmohan Reddy, was picked up by the police from his house around 4 am. P Suresh, a former corporator, and two others were also held.

Hyderabad, February 28: Chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy returned to Hyderabad from Delhi on Sunday evening after the final round of talks with Sonia Gandhi’s political secretary Ahmed Patel regarding the party nominees for the ensuing elections to the Legislative Council.

Sources say that Kiran Kumar Reddy stayed put in the capital to get formal approval for the list of the candidates for local area seats in the council.

Kadapa, February 28: The fluid political situation and fast changing equations in the district have made the MLC (local authority constituency) election scheduled for next month an interesting one.

With the Jagan factor becoming an important issue in the state politics, the Congress, Telugu Desam and Jagan group have taken the MLC election as a prestigious one as it will be a prelude to the bypolls to Pulivendula Assembly and Kadapa Lok Sabha seats.

Nalgonda, February 28: As a fallout of the ongoing non-cooperation movement by the government employees in the Telangana region demanding creation of a Telangana state, supply of rice and other essentials by the civil supplies department has been disrupted affecting the students in social welfare hostels, government schools and also the ration card holders in Nalgonda district.

Karimnagar, February 28: Karimnagar MP and Railway consultative member Ponnam Prabhakar said that foundation stones for the newly sanctioned railway lines Secunderabad – Karimnagar via Siddipet and Hasanparthy- Karimnagar via Huzurabad would be laid soon.

Speaking to mediapersons here yesterday, he said the two rail lines were introduced to reduce traffic between Bengaluru-Delhi.

The Secunderabad – Karimnagar railway line connects three districts – Medak, Rangareddy and Karimnagar. On the ongoing works of Peddapalli – Nizamabad rail line, the MP said they would be completed by 2012.

Tirupati, February 28: With the ever increasing pilgrim influx to the hill shrine of Lord Venkateswara, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), has the huge task of managing pilgrim rush. Increasing pilgrim rush means, increasing demand for accommodation in Tirumala. Considering the limited space in Tirumala, TTD is contemplating several measures and it even conducted a seminar to elicit opinions of experts in this regard.

Hyderabad, February 28: Around one million Telangana people will besiege Hyderabad on March 10 and stay put till the Centre announces a T state, Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) president K Chandrasekhar Rao has said.

Addressing employees of the Intermediate Board, who have been participating in the non-cooperation movement, at the Board office here today,

Hyderabad, February 28: Mata Amritanandamayi Devi (Amma), who reached the city on Sunday called upon her devotees to form committees to work for preventing pollution in the country.

India is advancing scientifically and economically and is poised to be the third largest power in the world by 2025, but we are still taking baby steps in terms of cleanliness, she said.

Amma spoke to thousands of people who flocked to see her at the math in Secunderabad and stirred their souls with bhajans and satsangs here today.

Hyderabad, February 28: Indian Dalit Christian Rights state president Perike Varaprasada Rao has demanded the state government to declare Rs.10 lakh compensation to the kin of Varalaxmi, who allegedly committed suicide unable to bear harassment of the college management to pay her tuition fees.

Hyderabad, February 28: Asserting the significance of stage shows and dramas in creating awareness among people, Information and Public Relations commissioner C Parthasarathy said the state government was giving importance to cultural activities by providing more funds. He was speaking at the valedictory of nine-day Nandi Drama celebrations at Nandyal on Sunday.

Hyderabad, February 28: Former chief of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) K S Sudarshan on Sunday made a vitriolic attack on former Prime Minister late Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru stating that he was a “foreign agent” who worked against the interest of the nation.

Addressing a meeting after releasing a book ‘Om Rashtriya Swaha’, a translation from Marathi to Telugu, Sudarshan blamed Jawaharlal Nehru for the problems that India is facing today particularly in Kashmir.

Hyderabad, February 28: Tejaswini squad TTIs (Traveling Ticket Inspectors) working in the MMTS and regular trains are an unhappy lot. While the Railways has incorporated female TTIs in the last 15 to 16 years, female ticket checkers say they get little respect or recognition.

“We face a lot of problems from passengers especially in the MMTS. Male passengers especially are very rude to us and do not listen,” said Varsha (name changed), a travelling ticket inspector.

Hyderabad, February 28: Worried over the ‘disappearance’ of GHMC mayor Banda Karthika Chandra Reddy for more than two weeks, GHMC corporators belonging to the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) lodged a complaint with the police to trace the ‘missing’ person.

In a complaint lodged with the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Saifabad division, TDP floor leader in GHMC Singireddy Srinivas Reddy said that the mayor had disappeared without any intimation to the office or the party colleagues.