| Hyderabad, Aug. 21: All government doctors, about 10,000 of them, will strike work from Tuesday to press for the arrest of a mob which had attacked and critically injured a doctor in Visakhapatnam after a patient died on Sunday. Junior doctors will decide on joining the strike on Tuesday. “Except emergency cases, all services including outpatient services will not be delivered, Dr D. Ranganath, secretary-general of the AP Government Doctors Association said while announcing the decision. “Doctors and medical staff cannot function unless police protection is provided. We want police outposts in civil hospitals,” the association demanded. It demanded that the government grant immunity to doctors against arrest when they are charged with negligence. The association has decided to approach the human rights commission to explain the “inhuman” attacks on doctors. The doctors were protesting the murderous assault on Dr P. Bangarayya, casualty medical officer at Visakhapatnam’s King George Hospital, on Sunday. A mob had assaulted Dr Bangarayya after an accident victim whom he was treating, Parasuram Srinivas, 26, died in the hospital. Medical education director Dr I.V. Rao flew to Visakhapatnam to enquire into the incident. Doctors at any places including Visakhapatnam and Nizamabad, stopped work on Monday itself. At Vizag’s KGH, an underweight baby and an old woman died in the morning after doctors stopped work at midnight. KGH officials denied that the deaths were due to lack of medicare. People began shifting patients from the KGH to private hospitals. The police arrested one person and identified four persons responsible for the attack on Dr Bangarayya. Dr Bangarayya was hospitalised after the attack at the KGH itself and superintendent Prof. G. Ravi Raju said on Monday that his condition had turned critical. There have been several incidents of mobs attacking doctors and hospitals after patients died there. The most prominent among them was the 2004 attack on Gandhi Medical Hospital by engineering students after one of their colleagues died. On Thursday last, medical superintendent Haris Ibrahim of Surajbhan Hospital in Hyderabad was arrested after a patient died there. “In Surajbhan Hospital, patient Surekha died after internal bleeding. Dr Ibrahim tried his best. Dr Bangarayya is not a neurosurgeon and cannot be expected to operate upon the patient with head injuries.” said Dr N. Ravi Kumar. Timeline October, 2004: Engineering students attack Gandhi Hospital after death of their classmate G. Mahender Reddy.
November 10, 2004: Super Speciality Hospital in Khammam was attacked by angry relatives after patient K. Rambabu’s death
February 26, 2005: Saroja, a college student, died and her doctor was attacked in Anantapur
August 14, 2006: Dr Haris Ibrahim was arrested after patient Surekha died at the Suraj Bhan Maternity Hospital, Hyderabad. | Bill to tax old cars presented in Assembly |
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| | Hyderabad, Aug. 21: The State government has proposed to impose “green tax” on automobiles which are more than 15 years old, dropping the earlier plan to ban such vehicles. If the move is okayed, owners of personal vehicles which are 15 years old or more will have to pay the prescribed annual “green tax” after ensuring that their vehicles are tuned up and the engine emission is within the prescribed limit. The green tax for motorcycles is proposed at Rs 1,000 per annum and for non-transport vehicles other than motorcycles at Rs 5,000 per annum. However, transport vehicles which have completed seven years from the date of their registration will attract the green tax at the rate of Rs 5,000 per year.
The government on Monday introduced a Bill in the Assembly to amend the AP Motor Vehicles Taxation Act, 1963, by incorporating the provision of “green tax.” At present, for non-commercial personal vehicles, tax is taken for a duration of 15 years at the time of registration. The proposed Bill also seeks to introduce life tax on road rollers and high-end maxi cabs instead of the present form of quarterly tax. “With the number of vehicles on road going up, air pollution levels are also on the rise. There is a need to discourage people from using old vehicles. The proposal to impose a green tax is a disincentive to non-transport vehicles which are more than 15 years old and commercial vehicles which are more than seven years,” the State government said in the in the “statement of objects and reasons” attached to the proposed Bill. The provision, if enacted, will fetch the government an additional revenue of Rs 61.13 crores per year. Motor dealers have welcomed the proposal but are sceptical about the implementation. “Who will decide whether a particular vehicle is in proper condition or not? If the legislation is implemented effectively, the problem of pollution can be solved to a large extent,” said Vinay Saboo of RKS Motors Private Limited. The proposed legislation, some fear, is also likely to open the doors of corruption as Section 3-B is not specific about the exact condition the vehicles should be in. It simply says, “motor vehicles suitable for use on roads,” but there is no definition of the term “suitable.” Since officials are authorised to decide the “suitable or otherwise” condition of a vehicle, there are chances of corruption creeping in. Senior advocate G. Ashok Reddy feels that the State government cannot shy away from its responsibility of environmental protection by simply levying a tax. “This proposal of a ‘green tax’ can be challenged in a court of law. Old vehicles should be scrapped in the interest of environment,” he points out.
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Pervez says umpire Hair ‘insulted’ Pak |
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| | Islamabad, Aug. 21: Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf had telephoned the Pakistan cricket team management in Britain and backed skipper Inzamam-ul Haq’s decision to keep his team off the field in the chaos-hit fourth Test against England at The Oval. According to the Pakistan cricket management, President Musharraf said that umpire Darrell Hair “insulted Pakistan” and the Pakistani skipper’s decision to stage a dressing room protest over ball-tampering charges was right. However, President Musharraf was not quoted directly by the News daily or by anyone in the cricket management. “We have indicated clearly that we were willing to go out and that we want the match to continue,” Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Shaharyar Khan said. “The team were deeply upset at the implication they had been cheating. They wanted to protest by just waiting a few minutes and then come out to play,” he added. England was on Sunday awarded the Test after a controversy erupted over the allegation that Pakistani players had tampered with the ball and the team refused to continue with the game. | |
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Poll: Pak moving in wrong direction |
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| New Delhi: Pakistan is moving in the wrong direction, according to 50 per cent of the voters polled in a yet-to-be-released survey conducted by the Washington-based International Republican Institute on “voters’ perceptions” in Pakistan, reports our correspondent. At the same time, it places President Gen. Pervez Musharraf on top of the list of those “who can efficiently handle Pakistan’s problems”.
| State digs out 311-cr dam scam |
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| | Officials find abnormal cost escalation in Sriramsagar project works under TD rule Hyderabad, Aug. 21: The irrigation department has unearthed a Rs 311 crores scam in the World Bank-funded third AP irrigation scheme (AP-3) of Sriramsagar project. The project was taken up during the Telugu Desam regime between 1999 and 2004. The scam came to light during an official review meeting on Monday. The estimate for the project which took up modernisation and repairs of Kakatiya canal as part of Sriramsagar project was Rs 951 crores. The project was divided into 38 packages and contracts were awarded to various agencies by signing agreements with them on July 5, 1999. The works were completed in July 31, 2004. The irrigation department officials, while clearing the bills, were astonished by the fact that the total cost of works had escalated from the original agreement value of Rs 951 crores to Rs 1,260 crore. The cost escalation in many packages was between 35 to 140 per cent. In the case of package No. L3-01/A1, the agreement value for improvements to the main canal, including structures and slip rectifications was Rs 10.93 crores. By the time the works were completed, the cost had gone up to Rs 24.90 crores, an increase of 140 per cent. In fact, the contractor should have completed the work by January 1, 2002, but he was given extension till July 31, 2004. The department is yet to clear the final bill in this case. Similarly, in package No. N4-11/A pertaining to rehabilitation and modernisation of distributory systems from D-5 to D-29, the agreement value was Rs 26.25 crores, but the cost went up to Rs 40.72 crores — an increase of 90 per cent. Here too, the final bill has not been cleared. So is the case with package No. L6-13/A with regard to modernisation of distributory system D-83, the agreement value of Rs 20.43 crores went up to Rs 29.19 crores. Sources in the department said that payments had already been made for 22 packages and for the remaining, the bills were under process. “It is expected that the project cost can go up by five to 10 per cent over a period of five years, but the records show that cost escalation in these projects have been abnormally high. We are inq-uiring into how the costs went up so much. If any lapses are found on the part of officials, action will be taken,” sources said. | |
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World will remember him: YSR |
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| | Hyderabad, Aug. 21: The State Assembly on Monday mourned the death of she-hnai exponent Ustad Bismillah Khan. Members cutting across partylines paid rich tributes to the maestro saying that his death has created a void in the music world. Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy desc-ribed him as a legendary and towering personality. “Despite his achievements, Bismillah Khan was a simple, humble and loving personality. The world will re-member him for his contribution to music,” he said. In a separate message issued at Raj Bhavan, Governor Rameshwar Thakur said, “Bismillah Khan was a towering personality in the music world. He encouraged the youth to emulate his simplicity and devotion for national integration through music.” | |
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State told to remove encroachments |
| | In AP Court | | Hyderabad, Aug. 21: The AP High Court on Monday directed the State government to remove all encroachers who have occupied footpaths within two weeks in the municipal areas of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. A division bench of the High Court passed the orders as the State government had not taken effective action to remove the encroachers despite the earlier directions of the court. With regard to book-sellers at Koti, the government informed the High Court that the shop-owners had been allotted an alternative site and municipal officials were issuing allotment letters on Monday. The bench was not inclined to entertain the claim of the book vendors for more time.The bench was dealing with a public interest litigation filed by advocate Wasim Ahmed Khan complaining of traffic chaos in the twin cities. The bench adjourned the matter to September 11. Give defiant medicos list
A division bench of the AP High Court on Monday dire-cted Dr C.L. Venkat Rao to submit a list of junior docto-rs who participated in the st-rike in April, despite having given an undertaking to the court that they would not resort to strikes in future. The bench made it clear that the omission of the petitioner to furnish the names would result in dismissing the writ petition with punitive costs. The bench also directed State advocate-general C.V. Mohan Reddy to get in touch with all medical colleges and obtain a list of doctors who abstained from duty during the strike. The bench was dealing with a public interest litigation filed by Dr Rao challenging the strike call given by the junior doctors. The bench adjourned the case to September 4. Board acts on bio-waste
Member secretary, AP Pollution Control Board, Raj-esh Tiwari informed the Andhra Pradesh High Court that the board had taken necessary steps for collection and treatment of bio-waste in compliance with the rules of 1998. The court adjourned the case to August 28 to consider the desirability of directing the prosecution of the managements of hospitals which violate the rules. | |
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Opposition unites on ORR |
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| | Hyderabad, Aug. 21: The State government on Monday was singled out by the Opposition on alleged irregularities in the Outer Ring Road project.The Opposition members raised an united voice and stalled the proceedings for about an hour demanding that the issue should be debated upon. Significantly, members of Telugu Desam, TRS, Left and Majlis rushed to podium and shouted slogans pressing for debate. The trouble started as soon as the House assembled for the day and Speaker K.R. Suresh Reddy rejected adjournment notices given separately by the Opposition parties. | |
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TD now under counter-attack |
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| | Hyderabad, Aug. 21: The State government on Monday launched a counter offensive against Telugu Desam in the controversial Poppalaguda evacuee property case. The issue of former revenue secretary D. C. Rosaiah issuing orders handing over 200 acres in Poppalaguda in favour of one Malani, who claimed himself to be a migrant from Pakistan, came up for discussion in the question hour in the Assembly. Revenue minister Dharmana Prasada Rao turned tables against TD and wanted its leader N. Chandrababu Naidu to explain whether he was instrumental in former Chief Commissioner of Land Administration C. Arjuna Rao issuing orders in favour of Mr Malani. He was reacting sharply to the TD criticism that people who matter in the Congress government were instrumental in Mr Rosaiah issuing orders giving away Rs 3,000 crore worth lands to the private party. “If you attribute motives to the government for Mr Rosaiah’s decision, don’t you think the same logic will apply to Mr Naidu who was chief minister when Mr Arjuna Rao issued orders,” he said. He also wanted Mr Naidu to explain whether he believed that the State government issued orders in favour of Malani. | |
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It will be Latchanna Barrage |
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| | Hyderabad, Aug 21: The State government has agreed to name the Thotapalli Barrage in Vizianagaram district after freedom fighter and veteran Parliamentarian Sardar Gouthu Latchanna. Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy on Monday agreed in the State Assembly to the proposal of the main Opposition Telugu Desam that the Thotapalli Barrage be named after the late leader. He also agreed to the demand for installation of a statue of Gouthu Latchanna. | |
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Automen to fix digital meters |
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| | State orders installation of tamper proof meter Hyderabad, Aug. 21: The State government will issue a notification within a month making it compulsory to fix digital meters for autorickshaws in the twin cities. Announcing this during question hour in the Assembly, transport and cooperation minister Kanna Lakshminarayana said one year time would be given from the date of notification for switching over to the digital meters. He also made it clear that the studies conducted by the State officials revealed that digital meters were tamper-proof. Maintaining that the government issued an order (GO Rt 601) on June 2, 2006, on fixing digital meters, the Minister said a notification was issued on June 5 inviting objections on the government decision. “Only four people raised objections and we clarified their doubts,” he said adding that the government would proceed with issuing notification in a month. Mr Lakshminarayana said an official team was sent to Chennai, Delhi and Pune to verify the authenticity of the digital meters and it was found that the meters cannot be tampered with. He also informed the House that for the first time teams with police, legal metrology and transport officials who booked 3,118 cases of tampering of meters during 10-day special drive. Earlier, Congress MLA from Malakpet M. Ranga Reddy raised the issue of tampering of autorickshaw meters and fleecing of passengers in the question hour. | |
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Terror suspect in judicial custody |
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| | Hyderabad, Aug. 21: Alleged terror suspect Mohammed Ayoob of Hafeezbabanagar was remanded to judicial custody by the additional chief metropolitan magistrate at Secunderabad on Monday. Deputy commissioner of police, North, Shika Goel said that terror suspect Shaik Shakeel alias Amer of Noorinagar had confessed that he along with LeT operative Ibrahim had handed over an American-make pistol with five rounds to Ayoob a year ago. After Ibrahim was arrested by the Task Force on August 6 last year, Ayoob allegedly threw the pistol and ammunition into a well near his residence, Ms Goel said. Ayoob, 24, a tailor, was subsequently arrested and on his confession the weapon was recovered from the well, Ms Goel said.
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Crowd lynches suspected thief |
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| | Hyderabad, Aug. 21: An angry mob at Surya Nagar in Alwal beat a man to death in the early hours of Monday suspecting him to be a burglar. R. Kumaraiah, 24, was dragged out from his house in Surya Nagar, stripped, tied up and beaten mercilessly with iron rods and boulders. He died in the midst of the beating. His tearful wife R. Saraswathi said that her husband was innocent and was needlessly murdered by the mob. “He was working as a watchman and was no thief,” she said. Police sources said that the mob was ‘inspired’ by the awards given by Cyberabad police to citizens who nabbed criminals. The mob also caught four other persons of whom one was admitted in the Gandhi Hospital with injuries. The others were taken into custody by the police. Interestingly, police were not informed of the incident till 7.45 am though the hunt for thieves started at 12.30 am. Colony leader R. Chandrasekhar said that a gang tried to break into the house of one Venkatesam with the intention of robbery at 12.30 am. After the people in the household started shouting, neighbours woke up and caught one of the fleeing thieves, Mutyalu.One being beaten up, he agreed to identify the other three suspects and took them to the house of Kumaraiah. “The mob caught him and three others too and all were beaten up,” said Mr Chandrasekhar.
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‘Make Right to Education a law’ |
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| | Hyderabad, Aug. 21: If all laws were acted upon, the world would be a different place. One such law which concerns the right to primary education for approximately 250 million children was brought to the spotlight with activists at a consultation here on Monday, who pressed for the enforcement of the Right to Education. The 86th Amendment of the Constitution guarantees the Right to Education as a Fundamental Right. Article 21 A provides for “free and compulsory education of all children in the age group of 6 to 14 years”. Until the Right to Education Bill is passed by Parliament, it cannot not be enforced. The Centre has decided to transfer this Bill to States. The Bill has been in its drafting stages for four years. The Planning Commission and the Finance Committee have cited lack of financial resources — an estimated additional allocation of Rs 64,000 crore would be needed — as reasons for keeping the Bill at bay. A Model Bill enforceable at the State level was prepared in place of the draft Central legislation and sent to the State governments for action. Expressing concern at such action, Mr Venkat Reddy, one of the organisers of the consultation, pointed out that education was a subject on the Concurrent List; by transferring it to the States, the Centre was abdicating its responsibility. Mr Reddy asked the Centre to consider it an investment rather than an expense. The State level consultation involved participants from teachers unions, non-governmental organisations, civil society members and academics who agreed to devise an action plan working towards the passing of the Bill. This would be done by holding national level conferences and by mobilising people, Mr Reddy hopes to gather enough public opinion so that the Bill is presented in the Winter Session of Parliament. The consultation was jointly organised by the Campaign Against Child Labour (CACL AP), Child Rights Advocacy Foundation (AP CRAF), Jana Vignana Vedika, AP Alliance for Child Rights and the MV Foundation. | |
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Jilted lover kills girlfriend |
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| | Hyderabad: A 27-year-old jilted lover hacked his 20-year-old girlfriend to death with a sword at Ramyawadi in Karwan on Monday evening for allegedly not talking to him for 10 days.The deceased was identified as K. Rani Singh, daughter K. Tulasi Das of Ramyawadi under Tappachabutra police station limits. The accused, Kannaiah Singh, an electrician working on contract basis at AC Guards Electricity station, was taken into custody by the police on Monday night. Tappachabutra inspector M.S. Venugopal Rao said: “Kannaiah, who embraced Sikhism one-and-half year back, used to visit the Gurudwara situated in front of Rani’s house. They fell in love eight months ago, but Rani’s father was looking for wedding proposals for his daughter for the past one month. Angered by this Kannaiah resorted to killing.” Tulasi Das, an ice-cream vendor, said, “I didn’t go out for work today. But was sitting in the same bazaar. When neighbours raised an alarm that Kannaiah was attacking Rani, I rushed to her rescue but found her in a pool of blood as Kannaiah Singh fled.” Police registered a case against Kannaiah, son of Bhikshapati. “I loved her so much. She too was in love with me. But suddenly for the past 15 days she was not talking to me and avoiding me. I couldn’t’ bear this desertion,” Kannaiah said. “So after coming out of Gurudwara around 6.30 pm I killed her,” Kannaiah confessed to the police,” he added. | |
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Jealous husband tonsures wife for looking beautiful |
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| | Hyderabad, Aug. 21: A man tonsured his wife allegedly because he felt that she was looking beautiful to others.Twenty-year-old Shamee-ra, wife of Mohammed Yousuf of Hakeempet in Banjara Hills, complained to the police on Monday that her husband had tonsured her. Banjara Hills inspector E. Shankar Reddy said that Shameera and Yousuf, 25, a car mechanic, were married eight months ago. “Yousuf felt that she was not dressing herself up for him but was doing so for others,” Mr Reddy said. “He, his brother Saleem and mother Ghousia tonsured her on August 20 and sent her off to her parents’ house. On Monday she came to the police station and lodged the complaint,” Banjara Hills inspector said. “Shameera’s parents gave Rs 35,000 cash and 1.5 tolas of gold as dowry to Yousuf. However Yousuf and his family were harassing her to get Rs 50,000 more,” Mr Reddy said.
Police registered a case of dishonouring a person by using criminal force under Section 355 IPC and for dowry harassment 498 A IPC against Yousuf, Saleem and Ghousia.
Banjara Hills police are questioning Yousuf but he is yet to be arrested. | |
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MLA’s car injures youth |
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| | Hyderabad, Aug. 21: A speeding car bearing the car pass of Chittoor Telugu Desam legislator A.S Manohar injured two youth badly at Baghlingampally on Monday morning.
Saifabad sub-inspector G. Venkatesh said that the vehicle (AP 16 Q 2736) heading towards the Narayanguda flyover hit the motorcycle at about 6.30 am. Motorcyclists Shiva Rama Krishna, 25, and Kapoor Anirudh of Nallakunta were injured. The car driver fled the spot, the SI said. Narayanguda inspector Chandrashekar Reddy said the legislator was not in the vehicle at that time. “He may have used the car earlier. It need not be registered on his name,” he said. Saifabad police informed the legislator of the accident. |
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