Month: March 2012

People of twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad can now look forward to cheap and fast local railway services with the Government today approving phase II of multi-modal transport system for the two cities involving a total cost of Rs 632.68 crore. The Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure approved the upgradation of Railway Infrastructure for introduction of the multi-modal transport system at its meeting held here, Minister for Petroleum and Natural gas Jaipal Reddy told reporters after the meeting.

Central Haj Committe has informed that the Haj forms to the intending Haj pilgrkms will be issued from March one free of cost. In a release here today, Andhra Pradesh Haj Committee Executive Officer Prof S A Shukoor said the application forms will be issued and accepted from March one to April 16 on all working days at AP Haj House here.

He said Haj forms and guidlines could also be downloaded from the official website of Haj Committee–www.hajcommittee.com. No Haj form will be accepted without international passport valid upto March 31, 2013 with self attested photo, Prof Shukoor said.

The opposition Telugu Desam Party today demanded a judicial inquiry on the allotment of government lands in the surrounding areas of Hyderabad to private persons and institutions during the period from 2006-2010. TDP senior legislator M Narasimhulu alleged that the then Revenue Minister Dharmana Prasad Rao in the late former chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy’s regime was involved in the land scam along with some ruling party legislators. Demanding a judicial inquiry into the issue, Mr Narasimhalu said he was qutoing the report appeared in English and Telugu dailies today.

Andhra Pradesh Health Minister D L Ravindra Reddy today informed the Assembly that there was no shortage of doctors and staff in the Community Health Centres of Ramannapet and Nakrekal in Nalgonda district. Replying to a notice given by Congress MLA C Lingaiah during Question Hour, the Minister said there was no proposal to upgrade Ramannapet Community Health Centre from 50 to 100-bedded Health Centre.

Andhra Pradesh Tourism and Culture Minsiter Vatti Vasant Kumar today informed the Assembly that 21 new tourist places have been identified for development of tourism, which included five places in East Godavari district. Replying to notice given by PRP MLA K Kannababu to this effect during Question Hour, Mr Kumar said there were plans to develop the Koringa forest area into tourist attraction.

The Cabinet committee on Infrastructure has approved upgradation of Railway Infrastructure for introduction of multi-modal transport system (Phase II) in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secundrabad. The upgradation will be able to serve the habitated areas of the rapidly-expanding twin cities, it was officially announced here today. Of the total expenditure amounting to Rs 632.68 crore, two-thirds of this, which is Rs 421.79 crore, will be borne by the Andhra Pradesh Government and the rest will be funded from the gross budgetary support of Indian Railways.

Cyberabad Sub-Inspector of Police G Srinivas working at Chitanyapuri police station was caught red-handed by the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) officials when he was accepting bribe from the complainant for doing an official favour, near Ashtalamsi temple in Vasavi Colony at Chaitanyapuri in Ranga Reddy district today. The accused accepted the bribe of Rs 10,000 from the complainant for deleting the names of other accused in one case, ACB said in a release here. Teh tainted amount was recovered from the accused officer.

Countering the remarks made against the Congress government by TDP legislator Rama Rao in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly today, Minister for Animal Husbandry P Viswarupu said it was his government which had established the Nodal Agency for SC, ST Community. Making a clarification to the TDP member’s remarks during the discussion on the the demands for grants for 2012-13, he said the Congress government was instrumental to enhance the monthly pension to physically challenged persons from Rs 50 (during TDP’s regime) to Rs 500 now.

State Minor Irrigation Minister T G Venkatesh today said that every vote to YSR Congress party candidate Prasanna Kumar in the Kovur by-election to be held on March 18 will led to the bifurcation of the state. Welcoming the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) President K Chandrasekhar Rao to Nellore for poll campaign in favour of his party’s candidate, he advised the TRS Chief not to make any provocative statements. He was ready to campaign in the six assembly constituencies in Telangana region if the party high command gave permission, he said.

Mualana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU) here will hold its 4th Convocation at Global Peace Auditorium, Gachibowli on March 3. Union Minister of Human Resource Kapil Sibal will deliver convocation address, a release from MANUU said here today. The release said former Chief Justice of Supreme Court, Justice A M Ahmadi, UGC former Chairman Prof Sukhadeo Thorat and renowned film maker and lyricist Janab Gulzar and founder Vice-Chancellor of Urdu University Shamim Jairajpuri will be awarded D.Lit (Honoris Causa).

The opposition parties on Thursday alleged that the health and medical services were in coma in the State.

The opposition party MLAs slammed the State Government for lack of doctors, medicines and other infrastructure in the public hospitals. TDP deputy floor leader Gali Muddukrishnamma Naidu said that the vacancy of doctors in government hospitals was at least 80 per cent. He said either doctors were not attending the regular duties or the posts have been lying vacant. In some hospitals, he said there was no para-medical staff.

Tourism Minister Vatti Vasanth Kumar on Thursday informed the State Legislative Assembly that the State Government was making efforts to identify and develop new tourists destinations in the State.

Replying to a question raised by PRP MLA K Kannababu during Question Hour, the minister said 21 new tourist places have been identified for development of tourism including five places in East Godavari district. He said that the government has asked the East Godavari collector for a report on the development of Kakinada beach.

Former minister and Congress Coordination Committee member Mohammad Ali Shabbir on Thursday came down heavily on Telangana Rashtra Samithi for lodging a complaint with the Election Commission over the release of funds for the drinking water facility for 214 villages in Kamareddy mandal.

Tourism Minister Vatti Vasanth Kumar on Thursday said that there was no proposal to develop Osman Sagar and Himayath Sagar as tourists’ spots.

Replying to a question raised by MLC Shabbir Ahmed, he said presently, there was no proposal to develop the city’s reservoirs. However, Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation Limited has already developed Sagar Mahal Resorts at Gandipet through PPP method in the year 2001 and the project has commenced commercial operations on January 1, 2006, he said. (INN)

Home Minister P Sabitha Indra Reddy informed the House that 15,100 people were killed in road accidents during the year 2011 across the State.

Replying to a question raised by TDP MLCs A Narsa Reddy, Ibrahim bin Abdullah Masqati and Dadi Veerabhadra Rao, she said that 42,869 accidents that took place in 2011 and 55,812 persons got injured. In the GHMC limits, 6,491 accidents took place in which 1,717 persons died and 6,144 persons were injured.

Minorities Welfare Minister Syed Mohammad Ahmedullah admitted in the State Legislative Council on Thursday that the APIIC has allotted hundreds of acres of Wakf land for the construction of airport without informing the State Wakf Board.

The minister informed the House that 2,131.38 acres of land belonging to Dargah Hazrat Baba Sharfuddin in Pahadishareef was allotted for the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at Shamshabad. Replying to a question raised by MLC Mohd Jani he said that the Wakf Board’s consent was not taken before the allotment.

Leader of Opposition Dadi Veerabhadra Rao on Thursday placed adjournment motion in the State Legislative Council seeking to know the status of Sujala Sravanthi Project.

Veerabhadra Rao said that when the project was announced it was stated that it would provide water to Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam districts. But now reports are coming that the government has decided to stop the project. He said that the people of above mentioned districts were concerned by the government’s decision.