Month: October 2011

Anantapur, October 08: Two new trains from Tirupati passing through Kadiri in Anantapur district will be introduced before March. Disclosing this to mediapersons at Kadiri on Friday, Union minister of state for railways KH Munniyappa said the trains, one from Tirupati to Hubli in Karnataka and the other from Tirupati to Amaravati in Maharashtra were sanctioned in the 2011-12 railway budget and would be introduced by March next.

Both the trains will pass through Kadiri.

Hyderabad, October 08: Several Telangana political leaders predict that the Sakala Janula Samme will turn into a revolution if the Centre continues to delay creation of a separate Telangana state. Exuding confidence that Telangana state will be a reality and even God cannot thwart it, they, however, see the utmost need for political unity to achieve their objective.

BJP senior leader and former Union minister Bandaru Dattatreya organised Alai-Balai programme at Jala Vihar here on Friday.

Hyderabad, October 08: The twin cities were unusually lethargic on Friday, a day after Dasara. Several shops and establishments remained either closed or without customers and the traffic was thin on the roads. The festive hangover seems to be continuing well into the weekend.

Surprisingly even wine shops wore a deserted look though the customer flow picked up in the evening. Excise employees belonging to Telangana have been on strike as part of the Sakala Janula Samme. As a result, several wine shop owners hiked the prices as the stocks dwindled.

Tirumala, October 08: Governor ESL Narasimhan felt drowsy after eating the prasadam after the Chakrasnanam ritual and sat down at the Varahaswamy temple on Tirumala on Friday. After being given glucose water immediately, he recovered quickly.

Stating that he was all right and there was nothing to worry about, he said, “I am hundred percent healthy and no need to worry. It was due to lack of sleep as I had arrived here late and am fasting today,’’ he said.

New Delhi, October 08: Senior Ministers Pranab Mukherjee and P Chidambaram today elicited the views of their junior cabinet colleagues and Congress leaders from Andhra Pradesh on the Telangana statehood demand, which has virtually divided the party on regional lines.

Mukherjee and Chidambaram met Minister of State for HRD D Purandeswari and Minister of State for Defence M M Pallam Raju separately here during which they sought to know their views on the contentious issue.

New Delhi, October 08: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy today met senior central ministers Pranab Mukherjee and P Chidambaram and discussed the situation arising out of the Telangana statehood demand.

Reddy, who was called for consultations, gave his views on the issue that has gained a certain amount of urgency against the backdrop of the ongoing separate Telangana agitation almost paralysing Hyderabad.

Defence Minister A K Antony and Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, who is also involved in handling the issue at the party level, were present during the discussions.

Kurnool, October 08: Efforts by the district administration notwithstanding, the annual ‘banni’ utsavam was held in a grand manner at Devaragattu hill on the outskirts of Neradi village in Holagunda mandal on Thursday night. About four lakh people from various places thronged the hill to watch the fete while 3,000 devotees clashed with each other with sticks, as part of ‘banni’ celebrations.

About 91 people suffered injuries and four of them, who were hurt seriously, were admitted to Adoni government hospital. The remaining were shifted to Alur hospital.

New Delhi, October 08: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met Andhra Pradesh Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan in New Delhi Saturday as part of hectic consultations on the Telangana issue, with the agitation for a separate state growing intense by the day.

Manmohan Singh will also meet Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy in the national capital Saturday, officials said.

The prime minister is also likely to hold a meeting of his senior ministers Saturday, sources added.

Hyderabad, October 08: Finally, Delhi got down to serious business on the Telangana issue as it summoned chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, Pradesh Congress Committee president Botcha Satyanarayana and former PCC chief D Srinivas in a bid to find a way out of the three-week-long Sakala Janula Samme.

Hyderabad, October 08: Chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy’s remarks against IIT coaching institutions have kicked off a row. Though the chief minister is learnt to have referred to the institutions run by well-known educationist Chukka Ramaiah as an example, the statement is being viewed differently by educationists, including Ramaiah who felt that Kiran Kumar was targeting him.

New Delhi, October 08: As the Sakala Janula Samme entered its 25th day, the Congress High Command on Friday discussed the Telangana issue here.

Amid mounting pressure on the High Command for an early decision on the issue, the Congress core committee members – finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, home minister P Chidambaram, defence minister AK Antony, health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and political secretary to Congress president Ahmed Patel met at Mukherjee’s office and discussed the issue for 45 minutes.

Warangal, October 08: Police on Friday registered cases in connection with the attack on the commandant, assistant commandant and two others by APSP 4th battalion cops at Mamunur near here. Mamunur DSP Venkateswara Rao said that investigation has been taken up to identify the accused.

He said that cases were registered for attacking the seniors and vandalising their houses.

Two days ago (October 5), constable M Sampath (35) died on the spot while two others suffered minor injuries during demolition of an old building on the 4th battalion camp premises.

Sangareddy, October 08: Chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy said that six more global educational institutions would come up in addition to the existing prestigious ones in Hyderabad soon. The chief minister inaugurated the first phase works of the IIT on the 600-acre campus at Kandi in Sangareddy mandal on Thursday.

Addressing students, he said that India was ahead of developed countries like America in the technological education.

Hyderabad, October 08: Train services will come to a halt from October 12 to 14 in Telangana region, as the TJAC has called for a 3-day rail roko.

The rail roko in Telangana region would also badly hit the train movement in the state and also disrupt interstate train services.

In a strategic move, the TJAC on Friday suddenly announced postponement of the proposed three-day rail roko agitation originally scheduled to be held on October 9, 10 and 11. This is the third rail roko by the TJAC in the recent past.

It has successfully organised 48-hour rail roko twice so far.

Hyderabad, October 08: An elderly person hanged himself to death in Saroornagar mandal on Thursday evening leaving behind a suicide note stating that his last rites should be performed by a Telangana supporter.

The deceased, V Rama Sharma (57), was a resident of Shakti Nagar in Jillelaguda gram panchayat of Saroornagar mandal.

He was a native of Gotur village in Mahabubnagar district and came to the city seven years ago.

Rama Sharma told his family members on Thursday that he would go to his brother’s house at Sahara Estates but later changed his mind and remained in the house.

Hyderabad, October 08: The state government has transferred 13 IPS officers. Two separate GOs were issued by chief secretary Pankaj Dwivedi on October 5 in this regard.

Nalgonda SP N Siva Sankar Reddy has been transferred and posted as ACB joint director. His transfer comes in the wake of violent incidents leading to damage of buses by T activists during the road blockade on the NH 9.

Hyderabad, October 08: Election to the lone vacancy in the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council will be held on November 4. The election has been necessitated due to the resignation of former chief minister K Rosaiah who has since been appointed as governor of Tamil Nadu.

An election notification, it is learnt, would be issued on October 17 and the last date for filing of nomination papers is 24.The nominations will be scrutinised on October 25 and the last date for withdrawal of candidature is October 27.

–Agencies

Nizamabad, October 08: Congress candidate Sangem Srinivasa Goud faced the wrath of people in Valabhapur in Kotagiri mandal during election canvassing on Friday.

According to sources, when Goud entered the village to seek votes for the Congress, villagers and TRS activists prevented his entry.

They blocked the roads preventing the Congress candidate and police. Villagers opposed Goud’s campaign in the village. However, the police entered the village and took Goud safely out of the village.

Goud returned home without campaigning in the village.

Hyderabad, October 08: Chief secretary Pankaj Dwivedi on Friday directed the senior officials concerned to take stringent action against trouble makers on national highways and steps to provide adequate protection to vehicles and passengers travelling on the highways.

He wanted the RTC authorities to advise the employees to call off their strike and join duty immediately to save the corporation.

Following a direction from chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, the chief secretary held a detailed review meeting on the strike situation with the top officials concerned at the Secretariat.

Bhadrachalam, October 08: Four youths drowned in the Godavari river on Thursday. As part of Dasara celebrations, villagers of Venkataraopeta went to the river for immersion of Bathukamma.

V Krishna (22), V Satyanarayana (16), T Sandeep (15) and P Sivakrishna (15) accidentally drowned. The bodies of Krishna, Sandeep and Sivakrishna were found on Thursday. Satyanarayana’s body was found at Kondayagudem on Friday.

–Agencies

Hyderabad, October 08: A notorious robber gang from Uttar Pradesh, which is having links with local offenders, is suspected to be behind the shoot-out with the police at Madhapur on Thursday night. Though no policeman was injured in the attack, one robber was injured in retaliatory fire and is being treated while two others fled away.

The gang is suspected to have planned yet another robbery when one of the member was nabbed. Police said the gang fired at least four rounds from countrymade weapons on the police who encircled them.

Warangal, October 08: Doctors at the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial (MGM) Hospital here launched a flash strike on Friday and boycotted duties in the casualty and in-patient wings.

A patient, Yadagiri (50), died while undergoing treatment for chest pain in the wee hours of Friday and doctors gave a certificate to his family members confirming his death. Soon they took away the body but returned to the hospital after an hour alleging that Yadagiri died due to negligence.

Hyderabad, October 08: Causing embarrassment to the Kiran Kumar Reddy government, textiles minister P Shankar Rao has criticised the state government’s decision to recover the Rs 740 crore spent on buying power during the Sakala Janula Samme period from people by way of power surcharge.

“I strongly object to such a decision. The Rs 740 crore spent on power purchase is a very meagre amount compared to the losses incurred on account of pilferage, transmission and distribution. The proposal to levy service tax to make up the loss must be withdrawn immediately,” he said.

Panaji, October 08: The Central Bureau of Investigation on Friday made their first arrest in the police-politician-drug mafia nexus by arresting a police sub inspector attached to the Goa police’s elite anti-narcotics cell (ANC).

A CBI spokesperson said that Sunil Gudlar was arrested under the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act Friday.

Gudlar was being probed for his links to Israeli drug dealer David Driham alias Dudu, who was arrested by the ANC last year. He was already under suspension from duty.

New Delhi, October 08: Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra, known for her simple yet stylish wardrobe, has been given the title of India’s Best Dressed by People magazine.

Annually, the magazine honours style icons with the Best Dressed edition. This year, Priyanka has featured on the cover of its India edition.

About being chosen as the face of People’s special issue of India’s Best Dressed for 2011, Priyanka said: “I’m excited because I never thought I would get this title.”

Talking of the one style accessory she has at all times, she said: “I wear confidence.”