Andhranews

Hyderabad, Sept. 3: “Ek dum se bus khada kar daale. Bus mein se mardo’n ku uthar daale. Humna maloom bhi nai hua ke kya ho raha tha (They stopped the bus all of a sudden, they forced the men to get down. I did not understand what was happening).” Racked by sobs and still in shock, this was how Ms Masooma Khatoon recalled Thursday’s killing of three Shia pilgrims from Andhra Pradesh and 11 from Pakistan near Karbala in Iraq by suspected Sunni extremists.

Ms Masooma Khatoon’s husband Zafar Mahshadi of Nagaram, East Godavari district, was killed by the extremists, along with Dr M.M. Baig of Ghatkesar and Muhammad Ahmed Ali of Hyderabad. The bodies of the three victims were buried in Karbala on Sunday. The attack took place around 4 pm Iraq time on a lonely highway about 100 km from Karbala. In all, the incident lasted about four minutes, from the time the attackers stopped the bus to the time they allowed it to proceed after robbing the passengers and forcing the men to get down. The men were found shot dead later.

This correspondent spoke over telephone with Ms Khatoon, Dr Baig’s wife Zahera Begum and the AP group leader Zainab Fathima on the incident. This reconstruction emerged from those conversations. Zahera Begum, wife of Dr Baig, said: “They did not allow me to speak to my husband before our bus began to move away. After reaching Karbala, we waited for them to come back but they never came back.”

“We were not told until Friday evening that they were shot. I kept praying to the Almighty for the safety of my husband and other pilgrims,” Ms Zahera Begum said. Team leader Zainab Fathima, recalling how it all started, said: “We were all chanting verses from the holy Quran, our bus was going to Karbala which was about 100 km away. Then we saw a car coming towards our bus and forcing it to stop. Suddenly four men got out and shouted to open the door. They said they were policemen. They had guns and their faces were covered.”

“Three of the men were in Arab attire and one was in jeans and tee-shirt. They were speaking in Arabic but some words they said in English. They repeated the word police twice in English,” Ms Zahera Begum said. “One of them headed towards the driver and broke the window pane after the driver refused to open the door. He pulled out the driver. Two others stood outside on either side of the bus. Another man barged into the bus and pointed a gun at me.”

“He ordered me to hand over everything. He shouted ‘money, money’ and then ‘fulus, fulus’ (money in Arabic). It took me a couple of moments for me to take the courage to say ‘fulusmaafi, fulusmaafi’ (no money, no money),” Ms Zahera Begum said. “We were all terrified. They asked us to remove and give them our jewellery, besides money and other valuables.”

“Then the man who was pointing the gun at me asked all the women to get down. We started to get down, but the other two who were outside appeared to have told him not do so. He asked us to sit down, and told the men to get down.” “The four men then got the driver to open the luggage compartment. They took away all our baggage, our passport, clothes, money, tickets, travel documents and jewellery. They took away $4,000 I was carrying on me. They took away even the Ehram (attire to perform Umra at Mecca) of the women.”

“They asked the driver to move on. The men (pilgrims) were still on the ground. The men told us would be released after verification. We went away. Later we came to know that they were shot dead.” “Indian Embassy officials have assured that duplicate passports would be prepared for us. At this point, we are not sure whether all the remaining 12 women members would like to proceed to Iran and then to Mecca and Madina as we had planned before leaving Hyderabad. We have decided to go by what Zahera and Masooma decide.”

New Delhi, Sept. 3: The Enforcement Directorate has issued notices to former external affairs minister K. Natwar Singh and his son Jagat Singh, and three others, in connection with the UN oil-for-food scam in Iraq. They have been given time till September 14 to reply to these showcause notices.

Mr Natwar Singh said his lawyers would give a befitting reply. “This is very unfortunate state of affairs, that a department of the Central government is harassing me and trying to defame me,” he said. The showcause notice mentions some letters purportedly written by Mr Natwar Singh to Iraqi officials in the Saddam Hussein regime, introducing businessman Andaleeb Sehgal, a friend of his son Jagat Singh, and recommending him for contracts under the UN-sponsored oil-for-food programme in Iraq.

Those served the showcause notice have been allegedly abetting violations under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA). Under FEMA, abetment is also construed as violation of the law. After they file their reply, the matter will go for civil adjudication, and financial penalties would be imposed on them, if found guilty. The ED began its probe in October last year.

According to sources, the Enforcement Directorate has also sent notices to Mr Andaleeb Sehgal of Hamdan Exports, Mr Aditya Khanna and Mr Vikas Dhar. The Justice Pathak Inquiry Authority report had found that neither Mr Natwar Singh nor his son Jagat had received any money in the oil-for-food scam. This move by the ED assumes significance as the government had forwarded the Pathak report to three agencies, the Enforcement Directorate, the Central Board of Direct Taxes and the Central Board of Customs and Excise, for necessary action.

The showcause notices hint at the culmination of the probe by the Enforcement Directorate. On February 17 and 18, the ED had questioned Mr Natwar Singh after the agency had received a set of bank documents from Iraq and Jordan in the oil-for-food scam probed by the Paul Volcker Committee. The Centre decided to hand over the Justice Pathak Report in its entirety to the three Central agencies for followup action. After the Justice Pathak Inquiry Authority submitted its report, the government, in a record time of 72 hours, prepared the Action Taken Report (ATR) and tabled it in both Houses of Parliament.

New Delhi, Sept. 3: In a startling and clear case of class bias, the Italian national airline Alitalia refused to allow a Delhi resident to fly business class to Milan, on his way to Brazil to attend an international conference, despite the fact that the passenger had a valid ticket and all his travel documents were in order. The reason: Santraj Maurya, who made a living out of collecting waste on Delhi’s streets, and whose streetsmart leadership skills had attracted the attention of an NGO which was sending him to attend a conference on the impact of privatisation on waste pickers worldwide, did not — in the airline’s view — fit the profile of a businessman or an international traveller.Santraj’s dreams of travelling to Brazil came crashing when he arrived at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport on August 22 to check in for the Alitalia flight to Milan.

A delay in getting his visa had resulted in no economy class tickets being available, but Chintan, the Delhi NGO which was sending him to the conference, went ahead and bought him a business class ticket. The seminar at Belo Horizonte in Brazil was too good an opportunity for Santraj, and the NGO did not want to spoil his chances. On reaching the airline’s check-in counter at the airport, he was asked for his passport and tickets. When Santraj produced the documents, he was questioned on how he had managed to get a business class ticket.

“There was a gentleman named Nishant Sood who was on duty at that time. He asked me why I wanted to go to Brazil, and I explained it was for the conference. Then he told me that I would not be allowed to travel business class because I did not look like a businessman. I was told I should refund the money for the ticket and go home,” recalls Santraj. The story does not end there. When Santraj tried to convince the airline officials that they could check with Chintan’s coordinator Lavanya Marla about his credentials, the request was turned down. “They told me that I should leave the airport and asked a lady to come and take me out. She wrote my name down in a register and literally forced me out,” added Santraj.

Chintan says that such behaviour by the airline was completely unacceptable. “If the airline had given us a logical reason why this man was being turned out, we would have understood. Alitalia officials were rude and reluctant to talk. Even after I explained the matter to them, they refused to hear us. The point is: if there is a policy on who they want to fly and who they don’t, why is this not made public,” asked Ms Marla. When contacted, Alitalia’s Nishant Sood refused to come on the phone line, and the staff at the airline’s IGI counter said they were not authorised to comment on the matter.

Despite repeated attempts by this newspaper to obtain Alitalia’s account of what had happened, no senior airline official could be contacted. For Chintan, an NGO which is involved with the lives of 10,000 waste recyclers in and around Delhi, the fight is far from over. It is considering taking legal action against Alitalia, and wants the airline to make public its code of who can fly and who cannot. Santraj, the man in the middle, has, however, lost hope. “What does it matter what they say now. The conference is over anyway. I guess it was just not in my destiny. So let it be that way,” he said.

Patna, Sept. 3: The Comptroller and Auditor-General of India (CAG) has indicted Union coal minister and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha supremo Shibu Soren for “misuse” of funds under the Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS). The civil and commercial report compiled by the office of the CAG has found that Mr Soren, then a member of the Rajya Sabha, had sanctioned over Rs 1.6 crore from his MPLADS funds to one Birsa Research Institute for Medical and Bio-Medical Studies (BRIMBMS) at Bokaro Steel City in Jharkhand, of which he is chairman, between 2001 and 2003.

[Speaking to this newspaper in New Delhi on Sunday, Mr Soren said he had not violated any rule in recommending that MPLADS funds be allotted to the Bokaro institute and another NGO. It was the district collector, he said, who actually released the money after checking the rules and procedures, and added that MPs could only make recommendations. “Hamne koi rule ka violation nahi kiya... wo (the two NGOs) acchhe kaam kar rahe hain (I have not violated any rule, and the two NGOs are doing good work),” he said when his attention was drawn to the CAG report.]

The CAG report has also indicted “another member” of the Rajya Sabha for sanctioning over Rs 50 lakhs to BRIMBMS between February 2001 and November 2003. Interestingly, in its report, the CAG has not mentioned the names of either Mr Soren or his Rajya Sabha colleague, who had sanctioned more than half a crore rupees to a registered society owned by him. Mr Shibu Soren is chairman of the managing committees of BRIMBMS and the Council for Agriculture Industrialisation and Rural Employment (CAIRE), the society that had conceived the idea of BRIMBMS. The office of CAIRE operates from the residence of the Union minister at House No. 14 in Sector 1C of Bokaro Steel City.

The CAG has raised objections on two points. First, the amount released to any registered society from the MPLADS funds should not exceed Rs 25 lakhs; and, second, an MP should not release funds to any registered society in which he or she is chairman or member of the managing committee. The CAG has sought a detailed report from the Bokaro district administration on why funds were released under MPLADS violating financial norms.

Well-placed sources in Jharkhand told this newspaper: “Of the total Rs 2.20 crores granted to BRIMBMS, Mr Shibu Soren and ‘another Rajya Sabha member’ released Rs 1.65 crore and Rs 54.94 lakhs respectively from their MPLADS funds.” The audit reports reads: “The scrutiny of records provided by the Bokaro district administration reveals that on the recommendation of a Rajya Sabha member (read Shibu Soren), the then DC had sanctioned Rs 1.23 crore between March and July 2001 for setting up a medical college and hospital (Birsa Research Institute for Medical and Bio-Medical Studies) at Bokaro under the Council for Agriculture Industrialisation and Rural Employment.”The CAG report has also revealed: “Two ambulances worth Rs 5.50 lakhs were purchased in December 2001 for BRIMBMS on the recommendation of Mr Shibu Soren.”

Hyderabad, Sept. 3: The rigid caste hierarchy of India has had a genetic impact, a study claims. The genetic makeup of people belonging to the upper castes is similar, when compared with people from lower castes. Brahmins, who occupy the top position in the Indian Varna system, are genetically closer to the next group, Kshatriyas, than they are to people of lower castes.

Similarly, the genetic distance between Kshatriyas and Vysyas is closer than the genetic distance between Vysyas and Brahmins. Muslim groups such as Dudekula and Shaik resemble other lower-rung communities in their genetic makeup. These findings emerged from a study on “genetic stratification versus social stratification” of people in Andhra Pradesh conducted by the Biological Anthropology Unit of the Indian Statistical Institute, in collaboration with the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology.

The results of the study were published in Human Biology magazine in the United States. Interestingly, the study also revealed that people of the State, irrespective of caste or socio-economic status, were genetically closer to one another than they were to people elsewhere. For instance, Brahmins from Andhra Pradesh were found to be genetically closer to people of other castes in the State than they were to Brahmins in other States.

As part of the study, DNA samples of 948 individuals belonging to 27 caste groups in Andhra Pradesh were analysed. The nature and extent of genomic diversity was examined with reference to socio-economic and geographic affiliations. Andhra Pradesh boasts a population of tremendous variety, with members of several castes, tribes and religious groups living here.

The castes or socio-economic categories studied by the researchers included: Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vysya, Akuthota, Kamma, Kapu, Pokanati, Panta, Vanne, Balija, Ekila, Kurava, Thogata, Yadava, Ediga, Gangla, Jangam, Chakali, Mangali, Vaddi, Madiga, Mala, Erukala, Sugali and Yanadi. Two Muslim groups, Dudekula and Shaik, were also included in the study.

“Compared to other Indian and world populations, the population of AP forms a clearly separated cluster,” said Prof. B. Mohan Reddy of the Indian Statistical Institute, who was the project leader. The other populations appeared to be aligned on broad geographic, ethnic or linguistic affiliations. Prof. Mohan Reddy pointed out that although genetic distance tended to increase with increasing difference in social hierarchy, the differences were not statistically significant.

Even this trend disappears when average distances for different pairs of populations between different hierarchical groups are computed. However, the genetic distances between these hierarchical groups do correlate with the social distance, suggesting genetic isolation and differentiation of the tribes and castes over centuries.

“When we computed the distances for the hierarchical caste groups, treating the three Varna categories in the upper castes (Brahmins, Kshatriyas and Vysyas) separately, the genetic distances did not always adhere to the implicit hierarchy,” said Prof. Mohan Reddy added. However, researchers discovered a semblance of genetic stratification with respect to socio-economic hierarchy in the upper, middle and lower castes.

Minister wants commission for kids

Hyderabad, Sept. 3: Union minister of State for HRD D. Purundeswari said on Sunday that the setting up of State level commission for the protection of child rights would strengthen the hands of those working on that front. While interacting at a national seminar on ‘Stop Child Abuse’ organised by the Centre for Inquiry-India she said that the Right to Education Bill makes education compulsory only for children between 6 to 14 years, leaving out 160 million children. The Anganwadi Development Centres should ensure that the educational needs of such children are taken care of. It was emerged in the seminar that atleast 40 million children are involved in child labour. This number could be as high as 100 million, said Ms Chandana Chakrabarthy, a social activist. The seminar participants also felt that child abuse is a by-product of religious indoctrination. Child abuse takes place in various forms — physical abuse, mental abuse, negligence, child labour, sexual abuse, trafficking, gender discrimination and forceful inclusion in armed conflicts. Dr T. Himabindu Singh, a paediatrician, said that in India one in every four girls and one in every seven boys were likely to face sexual harassment. She enlisted over-exposure to media and lack of effective parenting skills as the main causes for child abuse. Ms. Purundeswari pointed out to the the initiatives taken by the government to combat harassment of children. “India had adopted the National Charter for Children in 2000 and was a signatory in the Convention on the Rights of the Child,” she said. “Children under the age of 14 were also banned from working in the domestic sector,” she added. Alleviation of poverty and raising the standards of living alone would help to reduce child abuse, according to Ms. Purundeswari. She endorsed the provision of vocational education at school levels so that more employment opportunities are guaranteed for children.

CM gives ex gratia to kin of victims

Hyderabad, Sept. 3: Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy announced ex gratia of Rs 2 lakhs each to the family members of Md Ahmed Ali of Chanchalguda and Dr M.M. Baig of Ghatkesar, who were killed in Iraq on Thursday. Their families called on Dr Reddy who promised employment for Ahmed Ali’s son Yusha Hyder. The family of Jafar Mahshadi, the third victim, is expected to meet Dr Reddy. Meanwhile, the Passport Office, Hyderabad, cleared the formalities related to the issuing of temporary passports to the stranded pilgrims in Iraq whose passports were stolen in the same attack.

SRC, a Pandora’s box: Advani

Hyderabad, Sept. 3: Senior BJP leader L.K. Advani on Sunday said the constitution of a States Reorganisation Commission (SRC) will open a Pandora’s Box . Addressing a press conference here, Mr Advani said there had been demand for separate States even from small districts. If another SRC was set up it would have to deal with scores of demands from various quarters. This will serve no purpose, he explained. He made it clear that the BJP was for a separate Telangana and it would strive for it. “The BJP never made the issue of separate Telangana a poll promise. But the Congress promised Telangana during the last Assembly elections and won people’s mandate. The BJP, though it was for separate Telangana, did not press it when it was in power because one of the key allies (the Telugu Desam) had opposed it. The case with the Congress was different. It made Telangana a poll issue and after winning elections it had betrayed the people of the backward region,” he pointed out. The senior BJP leader said Andhra Pradesh had become famous for three things — murders, suicides and betrayal — adding that the State had been witnessing murders by Naxalites, suicides by farmers and betrayal by the Congress. When his attention was drawn to the statement of the Congress leadership that it could not take a clear stand on Telangana because of the Opposition from the Left parties, Mr Advani said the Left had joined the Congress after the elections but the Congress had made Telangana a poll issue. The Congress did not inform Parliament or the people on Telangana after the withdrawal of the Telangana Rashtra Samiti from the UPA. Advani said the BJP had anticipated that the Congress would backtrack on Telangana. Referring to the MIM’s demand for Union Territory status for Hyderabad in case of division of the State, Mr Advani said there should be no division of States on communal lines. There have been similar demands in Uttar Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. On the Vande Mataram controversy, Mr Advani said there should not be any issue over its rendition. Way back in 1950 it was made clear by the Constituent Assembly that Jana Gana Mana would be the National Anthem while Vande Mataram would be the National Song and both of them would enjoy equal status. Earlier, addressing the valedictory of the India Travel Congress, Mr Advani emphasised the need for security to boost tourism. He also wanted infrastructure to be improved to attract foreign tourists.Mr Advani, who was held up at the Delhi airport from 9 am to 2 pm because of a technical snag in a private aeroplane, said India should overcome such hitches.

Man held with CD of hate speeches

Hyderabad, Sept. 3: Police arrested Mo-hammed Sh-akeel, 25, of Akbar Bagh, who along with two others, it said, was planning to create communal tension. Shakeel was arrested by a joint team of task force and city crime station. The two others are still to be arrested. The task force personnel found a copy of summons dated September 3, 2004, and a CD containing highly provocative speeches in his possession. Shakeel said he was working as a driver and had been arrested twice earlier. On his confession, six more CDs containing containing provocative speeches encouraging youth to take up the path of violence were recovered. Police have launched a hunt to nab the other conspirators.

Traffic curbs for imersion on 6th

Hyderabad, Sept 3: The Hyderabad traffic police has announced traffic diversions for the Ganesh immersion procession on September 6. The government has declared a holiday in twin cities and Ranga Reddy district on that day. Additional commissioner of police, traffic, A.K. Khan said that except for the one at Narayanaguda, vehicles carrying idols would not be allowed on any of the flyovers, Mr Khan said. Traffic diversions for Wednesday, September 6: Hyderabad: * To Kandikal Gate: Diversion at Keshavagiri to Santoshnagar, Champapet: 6 am to 1 pm. * Diversion at Keshavgiri at Mahbubnagar crossroads to Falaknuma, Rythu Bazar, Engine Bowli, New Shamsheergunj, Kalapather and Bahadurpura: 6 am to 2 pm. * Chatrinaka to Kandikal: Diversion to Uppuguda: 6 am to 1 pm. * To Aliabad: Diversion to Jahanuma, Engine Bowli: 6 am to 2 pm. * Charminar to Laldarwaza: Diversion at Nagul Chinta T-junction to Sudha Talkies, Mir-Ka-Dayara, Talab Katta: 6 am-2 pm. * Charminar to Shalibanda: diversion to Motigalli, Himmatpura T-junction or Moghalpura at Haribowli T Junction: 6 am-4 pm. * To Shalibanda: Diversion at Asra junction: 6 am to 4 pm. * To Shalibanda and Charminar: Diversion to Fire Station Moghalpura at Paris Cafe T junction: 7 am to 5 pm. * Kotla Alijah, Chowk Maidan Khan to Charminar: Diversion to Miralam Mandi: 7 am to 5 pm. * Moti Galli to Charminar: Diversion to Chowk Murgan, Chela Pura at Motigalli Jn: 8 am-5 pm. * Mitti ka Sher to Gulzar House: Diversion to Ghansi Bazar and Chela Pura: 8 am to 6 pm. * Etabar Chowk to Gulzar House: Diversion to Mandi Mir Alam from 8 am to 6 pm. * New Bridge via High Court: Diversion to Begum Bazar at Muslim Jung Bridge: 9 am-7 pm. * Madina crossroad to Charminar: Block between 9 am-7 pm. * Lakkadkote to Madina: No traffic from 9 am to 7 pm. * To New Bridge: Diversion via Gowliguda from Dar ul Shifa crossroads: 9 am to 7 pm. * Afzalgunj to Madina: No traffic from 9 am to 7 pm. * I.S.Sadan to Nalgonda Xroad: Diversion to O.P. Edibazar. * Moosarambagh to Nalgonda Xroads: Diversion to Amberpet. * Saidabad to Nalgonda crossroads: Diversion to Chanchalguda Jail at Rotary. * Muslim Jung Bridge to Afzalgunj: Diversion via Hospital Road: 9 am to 8 pm. * State Library to Afzalgunj: No traffic from 9 am to 8 pm. * Shanker Sher Hotel to Taxi Stand Afzalgunj: No traffic. * City College to Afzalgunj: Diversion to Puranapul. * To S.A. Bazar Mosque: Diversion to Putlibowli crossroads at Shanker Sher: 10 am-8 pm. * From Gowliguda Chaman to Seena Hotel: Traffic blocked. * To MJ Market: Diversion to Gowliguda exchange: 10-10 pm. * Andhra Bank to Putli Bowli crossroads: Diversion to DMHS: 10 am to 10 pm. * Machli Market to Afzal Gunj Taxi Stand: Diversion to Muslim Jung Bridge: 10 am to 10 pm. * Salarjung Bridge to Rang Mahal: Diversion to Putli Bowli . * Jummerat bazaar to Siddiamber Bazar: Diversion to Muslim Jung Bridge: 10 am to 10 pm. * Kachiguda to Rang Mahal: Diversion to Chaderghat Bridge. * Feelkhana to old PS Begum Bazar: Diversion to Dar us Salam at Tope Khana Mosque: 10-10 pm. * From Feelkhana to MJ Market traffic police station: Diversion to Dar us Salam from Alaska T junction: 10 am to 10 pm. * From Nampally to MJ Market crossroads: Diversion to Taj Ice Cream Island at Ajanta Gate: 10 am to 10 pm. * From Chapel Road to Taj Ice cream Island: Diversion to Ek Minar Mosque: 10 am to 10 pm. * Hanuman Tekdi and Boggul Kunta to Abids via Reddy Hostel: Diversion to Ram Koti or King Koti: 10 am to 10 pm. * Troop Bazar to Jambagh: Diversion to Andhra Bank, Koti. * King Koti to Taj Mahal Hotel, Basheerbagh crossroads: Diversion to New Science College, Christian Cemetery: 11-11 pm. * Emerald Hotel to Abids: Traffic barred from 10 am to 11 pm. * Chirag Ali Lane/Chapel Road to Chermas/John’s Corner, Abids: Block from 10 am-11 pm. * SBH to All Saint’s lane, Gunfoundry: No traffic from 10 am. * SBH crossroads to Sujatha High School, Chapel road: Diversion to Abdul Rahman Petrol Pump: 10 am to 11 pm. * Abdul Rahman petrol bunk to BJR Statue: Diversion to Nampally/Ravindra Bharathi: 10 am. * SBH, Gunfoundry Road to BJR Statue: 1 pm to midnight . * Gunfoundry to Lepakshi: No traffic from 10 am to midnight. * Ritz Hotel to Police Control Room: Diversion to Nampally: 1 pm to midnight. * Basheerbagh Xroads from Skyline: Not traffic from 1 pm. * Himayatnagar to Liberty: No traffic from 11 am to midnight . * Sadhu Ram Eye Hospital, to Liberty: Diversion at Bharat Scouts & Guides: 11 am. * Secunderabad to Hyderabad: Upper Tank Vund blocked; diversion at Sailing Club towards Kavadiguda and Musheerabad xroad: 11 am to 1 am next day. * Saifabad to Secretariat: Diversion to Ravindra Bharathi from Iqbal Minar: 11 am to midnight. Nampally to Secretariat: Diversion to Lakdi ka Pul at Ravindra Bharathi crossroads: 11 am to 1 am next day. * Panjagutta, Raj Bhavan to via Khairatabad flyover: Diversion from Vishweshwariah Statue: 10 am to 5 am next day Secunderabad: * SBH crossroads to Patny: Diversion to SP Road or St Mary’s road: 1 pm to midnight. * CTO to Paradise: Diversion to SBH or Rasoolpura: 1 pm. * Minister’s road to Ranigunj: Diversion at Nallagutta crossroads: 1 pm to midnight. * Rasoolpura to Ranigunj: Diversion to Begumpet or CTO. * RP Road to Karbala Maidan: Diversion to Kavadiguda crossroads.

Huda protestors ‘stop’ salary of ORR staff

Hyderabad, Sept 3: The staff of Huda took revenge against Outer Ring Road project director Piyush Kumar for opposing their strike by ensuring that he and his staff do not get their salary for August! The Huda staff was angry because Mr Piyush rebuffed them when they had gone to get the ORR personnel to join their protest. They were planning a pen down strike to protest the government’s move to shift Huda to accommodate the US Consulate. “Mr Piyush shouted at us that ORR has nothing to do with Huda,” a staff member said. In revenge, the Huda staff processed their own salaries but not that of the ORR staff. The salaries are usually worked out at the end of each month.

Teacher accuses principal of molest

Hyderabad, Sept. 3: A schoolteacher, aged 19, on Saturday night lodged a complaint with Banjara Hills Police that her school principal-cum-correspondent had made unwanted advances at her. Banjara Hills sub-inspector Vidyasagar told this correspondent that in her complaint, the teacher accused Mr Altaf Hussain, principal-cum-correspondent of National Convent School, Mini Brindavana Colony, Toli Chowki, of asking her to see him in his room to discuss the issue of a lost cellphone belonging to another teacher. The teacher said that the principal, after calling her into his room, told that the other teacher actually suspected her of stealing her cellphone. He then made indecent advances towards her stating if she wanted to continue her job as a teacher then she must oblige him. However, she escaped. The police are investigating the case.

Officials plan to boost meat production in AP

Hyderabad, Sept. 3: The department of animal husbandry has come out with a sheep health improvement programme to increase the meat content of sheep. The programme, being taken up in coordination with Confederation of Kisan Organisations, a voluntary organisation, involves introduction of improved healthcare systems for sheep and providing modern training inputs for sheep growers. According to department sources, Andhra Pradesh has the second highest sheep population in the country with an approximate number of 2.17 crore, generating an income of Rs 86 crores, including Rs 80.62 crores through meat production and Rs 5.45 crores thro-ugh sale of hides and fur. Most of the shepherds follow traditional system of sheep rearing, having no access to proper healthcare for the animals. As a result, the meat content in each sheep is very low — ranging from 25 kg to 40 kg. Under the programme, representatives of CKO and department officials visit villages to administer vaccines to the sheep.

CM for better water policy

Hyderabad, Sept. 3: Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy on Sunday called upon scientists and agriculture officials to work for a better water management policy and transfer of technology particularly in dry land areas. Reviewing the role of scientists in agriculture at a meeting with senior officials, the Chief Minister said that there was an urgent need to focus on technology that would reduce the cost of cultivation and improve farm productivity. The research, instead of confining to shelf, should help farmers in improving their living standards. “More innovative technologies that help farmers get higher yields with minimum water utility should come up,” he said adding that the ultimate objective of research should be ensuring more income to small and marginal farmers in the rainfed and drought prone areas. On the seed policy, Dr Reddy said efforts should be made to popularise among farmers the advantages of using quality seed. Maintaining that paddy is not the lone crop that should get attention to improve the agrarian economy, the Chief Minister said that high-yielding methods on the lines of “Sri” type of cultivation should be taken up in pulses and cereals.