Month: February 2012

Guntur tops the list of HIV patients

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Minister for Indira Kranthi Patham Sunita Laxma Reddy informed State Legislative Council that a total of 6,01,393 people were detected/identified as HIV patients during 2002-2011.

Replying to a question raised by CPM member C Seetha Ramulu during Question Hour, the minister stated that Guntur district has the maximum of 68,867 HIV patients followed by East Godavari with 62,984, Hyderabad with 61,316 and Krishna district with 55,392 patients. She said Adilabad has the lowest 6,065 HIV patients in the State.

Council chairman rejects adjournment motions

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State Legislative Council chairman Dr A Chakrapani on Thursday rejected the adjournment motions moved by different members.

TRS MLC N Laxman Rao demanded that the State Government honour the promises that it made with the employees to make them withdraw the 42-day long general strike. Moving an adjournment motion in the Council, he said that in the agreement it was promised that the 42 days strike period would be counted as leave, half salary for the strike days would be given and cases against the employees would be withdrawn. However, nothing concrete has been done yet.

YSR Cong seeks Spl Chamber in assembly

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YSR Congress honorary president and Pulivendula MLA Y S Vijayamma on Thursday appealed to Speaker Nadendla Manohar to allot a special chamber for her party in the premises of State Legislative Assembly.

In this connection, the supporters of YSR Congress MLAs—Shobha Nagireddy, Mekapati Chandrasekhar Reddy, Gurnath Reddy and Balreddy on Thursday handed over a letter written by Vijayamma to the Speaker in his chamber. In her letter, Vijayamma appealed to the Speaker to allot a special chamber for YSR Congress party apart from a quarters for her stay.

CPI demands rise in candidates’ age limit

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Communist Party of India Floor Leader Julakanti Rangareddy on Thursday stated that his party has appealed to government to increase the age limit of candidates appearing for various competitive examinations in the State from 36 to 39.

Talking to media persons at Assembly media point, Julakanti Rangareddy said that his party has raised this issue in the House and appealed to the government to consider this sympathetically as many candidates have crossed the age limit for appearing in those examinations.

Cases on ‘T’ students to be lifted in three days

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Minister for Law and Courts Erasu Prathap Reddy on Thursday stated that the government would complete the process of lifting of police cases against students and other activists, who took part in the statehood agitation, in two-three days time.

Talking to media persons at Assembly media point, the Law Minister said that the government has already lifted 500 cases on students and had issued a GO in this regard. He said remaining 200 cases on students would be lifted soon. He said that the matter got delayed as the government has to issue orders after studying them on case-by-case basis.

Allot funds for Gouda community, demands KE

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Gouda Sangha president and Telugu Desam party MLA K E Krishnamurthy on Thursday expressed serious concern over the State Government not allotting funds in the Budget 2012-13 for the welfare of Gouda community in the state.

Talking to media persons at Assembly media point, Krishnamurthy said that though two cabinet ministers and eight MLAs represent the community in the House, the government has failed to allot a single paisa in the State budget this year for toddy tappers community and labour welfare.

Govt to set up thermal plant in SPSR Nellore

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The State Government is planning to set up a 14,460 MW thermal power station in SPSR Nellore district.

Replying to a question raised by MLAs M Sridhara Krishna Reddy and B Durga Prasad Rao, Information Technology Minister Ponnala Laxmaiah said that the power station would be set up with final environmental clearances from the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests.

Govt to develop Hyderabad and Tirupati Zoo Parks

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The State Government is planning to develop Nehru Zoological Park in Hyderabad and Sri Venkateswara Zoological Park in Tirupati at the international level.

This was announced by Forests Minister S Vijayarama Raju in the State Legislative Assembly during Question Hour on Thursday while replying to a question raised by Congress MLAs D Sudheer Reddy, M Vijaya Prasad, M Shahjahan Basha and others. The minister said that both the zoos would be developed on par with other zoological parks at the international level, especially in view of the tourists that they attract every year.

Minister admits of 350 malaria cases in agency areas

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Health Minister Kondru Murali Mohan informed the State Legislative Assembly that the government has supplied 10 lakh mosquito nets to the tribals in the agency areas of the State.

Replying to a question raised by MLAs Malladi Vishnu, M Vijaya Prasad, Dronamraju Srinivasa Rao and Perni Venkatramaiah during Question Hour in the House on Thursday, the minister admitted that about 350 cases of malaria were reported from the agency areas. Therefore, with the financial assistance of World Bank and Central Government, about mosquito nets were provided to the tribals, at free of cost.

TDP MLA threatens hunger fast over drinking water to Mahabunabar

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Telugu Desam Party MLA Ramulu has threatened to launch indefinite hunger strike if the State Government fails to provide adequate drinking water to Mahbubnagar district.

Raising the matter during Zero House in the State Legislative Assembly on Thursday, Ramulu said that the district has received deficient rainfall by almost 77 per cent. Further, the ground water levels too have drastically gone down. He said the district’s leaders have made a representation to Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy in this regard. However, no action has been taken to resolve the problem.

Dr Shankar Rao wants Ambedkar’s statue in Assembly premises

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Former minister Dr P Shankar Rao on Thursday demanded the installation of Dr B R Ambedkar’s statue in the premises of State Legislative Assembly.

Raising the issue during Zero Hour in the House, Dr Shankar Rao said that the government immediate steps be taken to install Ambedkar’s statue in assembly premises. He also demanded that the government take stern action against those involved in the incidents of desecration of Ambedkar’s statues that were reported in the last few weeks.

TDP’s SC, ST MLAs meet CM over funds

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SC and ST MLAs of Telugu Desam Party on Thursday submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy appealing him not to divert the funds being allotted for SC/STs welfare.

Talking to media persons at Assembly Media point, TDP MLA Motkupalli Narasimhulu stated that the Chief Minister has been requested not to divert the SC/ST sub-plan funds being allotted for their welfare to other departments. He said that the Chief Minister assured the MLAs that he would look into the issue.

Dharmana offers to quit politics, if proved guilty

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Minister for Roads and Buildings Dharmana Prasad Rao on Thursday accepted the challenge of Communist Party of India state secretary K Narayana for a public debate over the change in VRO examination centre in Srikakulam for his son’s marriage.

Talking to media persons at Assembly media point, Dharmana Prasad Rao denied the charges of Narayana that he had misused his official position to change the venue of VRO examination in Srikakulam for his son’s marriage, which forced the local candidates to travel long distance.

Iran radars spot mock enemy aircraft

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The radar network of Iran’s air defense units have successfully detected and tracked a hypothetical enemy’s manned stealth aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) during the third phase of the Iranian Army’s ongoing defense exercises.

On Wednesday, the radar network stationed at the operations area transmitted the information about the altitude, range and speed of the mock enemy’s manned stealth aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles to the country’s integrated network of air defense.

US soldier charged with ‘aiding the enemy’

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Former US Army intelligence analyst Bradley Manning has been formally charged with involvement in the largest leak of classified information in American history.

A military court at Fort Meade, Maryland, on Thursday charged Manning with 22 counts, the most serious of which is “aiding the enemy.”

The charge is an offense that could bring the death penalty, but the prosecution has said it intends to seek a maximum of life in prison for Manning.

Seven US Marines killed in helicopter collision

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Seven US Marines were killed in a mid-air collision of two US military helicopters in southern Arizona, CNN reported Thursday.

The crash took place during routine training operations Wednesday night along the California-Arizona border, the Marine Corps said in a statement.

The collision, which occurred near the Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, involved an AH-1W “Super Cobra” attack helicopter and a UH-1Y “Huey” utility chopper.

“The circumstances are being investigated,” it said.

Saif is sorry, says provoked

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A day after being involved in a scuffle in the Taj Mahal hotel, actor Saif Ali Khan said he was “sorry” and regretted he didn’t resort to “Gandhigiri” – but insisted it was definitely not a publicity stunt for his upcoming film “Agent Vinod”!

The actor said he reacted only after friends of South Africa-based Indian businessman Iqbal Sharma misbehaved with his women friends.

Amitabh discharged from hospital

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Megastar Amitabh Bachchan was discharged from the Seven Hills Hospital here late Thursday after a 12-day stay post two abdominal surgeries.

He was discharged at 9.30 p.m. and was accompanied home by his wife Jaya Bachchan.

The 69-year-old actor, who was admitted to the hospital Feb 11, was kept under observation following complaints of pain post the surgeries.

He was feeling restricted in his movements but kept his fans updated about his activities and progress through social networking mediums.

“Bomb ka badla Bomb” Samjhuta bomber Chauhan

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It all happened under the nose of police and it tokk 5 years for Delhi police and 2 year for NIA to find out the real intention of Samjhuta Express bomber.

The arrest of Kamal Chauhan, a former RSS worker, five years after the Samjhauta Express blast, shows that the investigators may still have a lot of ground to cover. The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which took over the Samjhauta blast case in 2010, took almost two years to identify Chauhan as one of the bombers who planted explosives on the train.

US girl made to ‘run to death’ over candy bar

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The grandmother and stepmother of a nine-year-old US girl who died after allegedly being forced to run around her family house for hours as punishment for lying about taking a candy bar have been charged with murder, police said.

“Joyce Hardin Garrard, 46, and Jessica Mae Hardin, 27, were both arrested and charged with murder in connection to the death of Savannah Hardin,” the CNN quoted Capt. Jeremy Walker saying in a release issued by the Etowah County Sheriff’s Office.

The girl died Monday.

British mother, son jailed over dogs’ deaths

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A British mother and her son have been jailed for starving two dogs after imprisoning them in an attic and nailing it shut.

A court heard how the dogs — Rottweiler Axel and Staffordshire bull terrier Bully — were starved, denied water and exercise for weeks before they died in agony, emaciated and dehydrated, the Daily Mail reported.

Jamie Taylor, 31, and his mother Julie, 50, were each jailed for 16 weeks and disqualified from keeping animals for life after causing “horrendous suffering” to the pets.

Girl died after drinking soft drink

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Girl dies after drinking soft drink in college canteen
The president of a students’ union died Thursday apparently due to food poisoning after she had a cold drink from her college canteen, police said.

Kanika Sharma, 20, a resident of Ghaziabad on the outskirts of Delhi, had had a cold drink from the canteen of Vivekananda College where she was studying in BA third year and was and heading the students’ union.

SC pulls up Delhi Police, Ramdev for violence

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The Supreme Court Thursday came down heavily on Delhi Police for the midnight crackdown on Ramdev and his followers here last year in which a woman was killed but said the yoga guru was also guilty “of contributory negligence”. Police said they would act against the erring officers and Ramdev vowed to launch more protests.

The court awarded ad hoc compensation of Rs.5 lakh to the family of Haryana woman Rajbala who suffered spinal injuries and died after police assaulted scores of sleeping men and women at Ramlila ground here on the night of June 4-5, 2011.