Andhranews

Scientists have found cases of virtually untreatable tuberculosis across the globe including in the US, Eastern Europe and Africa.Researchers are worried about the emergence of TB strains that are resistant to drugs, reported the online edition of BBC News. TB, a disease of the respiratory system spread by coughing and sneezing, causes about 1.7 million deaths a year worldwide.

Extreme drug resistant TB (XDR TB) is defined as strains that are resistant to not only frontline drugs but also three or more of the six classes of second-line drugs. A recent survey of 18,000 TB samples by the US-based Center for Disease Control and the WHO between November 2004 and November 2005 found 20 percent of them were multi-drug resistant and a further two per cent were extreme drug resistant.

Further detailed analysis of several countries found the prevalence was even higher. In the US, four per cent of all multi-drug resistant TB (MDR TB) cases met the criteria for XDR TB; in South Korea, the figure was 15 percent, according to WHO expert Dr Paul Nunn. In Latvia and other areas of the Baltics and the former Soviet Union, 19 percent of all multi-drug resistant cases were extreme drug resistant too.

XDR TB was present across several strains, Dr Nunn said, but added it was not yet clear how transmissible it was or whether it was limited to isolated pockets. “XDR TB is very serious - we are potentially getting close to a bacteria that we have no tools, no weapons against.” He added that it was key that new drugs were developed in future and said work was underway looking at new drugs, including research into TB vaccines. TB experts have convened in Johannesburg, South Africa, to discuss how to address the problem.

Regularly eating a handful of nuts, including peanuts, could keep your heart healthy, says a major study spanning 10 countries. But scientists warn that it would not make up for an unhealthy lifestyle. Just two portions of nuts a week cuts the risk of dying from a heart attack by 11 per cent, said British researcher Elio Riboli, who along with others studied almost 400,000 people from 10 countries, including 90,000 from Norfolk and Oxford.

The participants were asked to complete food questionnaires, reported the online edition of Daily Mail. The participants gave blood samples in the early 1990s, which were followed up to establish links between dietary habits and disease. In the latest analysis, nut consumption was studied in 1,200 people who died of a heart attack and compared with people who are still alive. The study found that a small amount of nuts in the diet could help beat heart disease.A classic aperitif accompanied by a dish of nuts at least twice a week would be an ideal combination, Riboli said.

The results were presented this week at the World Congress of Cardiology in Barcelona. Riboli, professor of cancer epidemiology at Imperial College, London, said all nuts were counted in the assessment, including peanuts, which are actually legumes. Earlier studies have found eating nuts was linked to a lower risk of bowel cancer. Studies have also shown that nuts can lower cholesterol, reduce inflammation and improve the functioning of arteries. “The important thing is that very modest consumption is associated with protection. A small plate of nuts with a glass of wine would be a healthy amount,” Riboli said.

He believes the benefits come from the high concentration of Omega-3 fatty acids in nuts and says that unsalted nuts are best. He, however, warned that there was no point sitting in front of the TV, being obese and having high blood pressure, and expecting a handful of nuts to protect you from heart disease.

There’s more to food than its calorific value. Calorie counting is a very superficial way of looking at food. Instead of looking at its calorific value, look for its health benefits. One should choose food based on its positive attributes such as colour, flavour, nutrients, fibre and hundreds of other compounds that take the food and health connection to an exiting new level.

For example, garlic contains sulphur compounds that act as a natural antibiotic and helps get rid of worms. It also helps improve the bacteria flora in the intestines. It is usually children who suffer from worms. Therefore, it is a good idea to give them garlic toast in the morning for their breakfast. Use whole wheat bread. You could lightly sauté crushed garlic (1-2 cloves) in one teaspoon of butter or olive oil and pour it on toasted whole grain bread. In this way it becomes highly palatable.

Methi seeds: The seeds of methi can be taken in the sprouted form and mixed with a salad or they can be roasted powdered and added to curries. They contain phytoestrogen (plant estrogen), which is beneficial for menopausal women. During menopause the body reduces its production of estrogen. This affect calcium uptake by the body and eventually leads to osteoporosis if the body’s calcium supplies have been poor over a long period of time.

Soya bean, most whole pulses, and methi seeds contain plant estrogen, which help prevent osteoporosis if other lifestyle factors are followed correctly. Folklore suggests that if you take one cup of sprouted methi seeds during your teens they may even help in breast enlargement. This is because methi contains diosgenin a compound which is used in making synthetic estrogen. The naturally occurring estrogen in methi seeds has many effects on the body. One of them possibly is breast enlargement. About 50 per cent of the methi seed is fibre.

This fibre contains about six compounds that can help regulate blood sugar. Methi sprouts should be consumed by diabetics. In addition, it helps to reduce cholesterol and prevent cardiovascular disease.

Turmeric: Fresh, raw turmeric is rich in vitamin C, E, beta-carotene and other carotenoids. It is used for its medicinal properties in a whole lot of disorders. It is known to help prevent cataracts, strokes; it is used for treating amenorrhea (lack of menstruation). It contains a compound called curcumin that increases solubility of bile, which helps prevent gallstones.

About 1-2 teaspoons of the powder in a curry may also help reduce gallstones. Turmeric helps reduce pain and swelling and helps protect the liver. It has an anti-parasitic action and helps get rid of worms. It is also a potent antibiotic. The best way to take turmeric is in the form of curries. You could also make a tangy soup or rasam with 1-2 teaspoons of turmeric powder to make use of its healing benefits. One should eat a variety of foods as each has its own set of known and unknown nutrients, which work in subtle ways to help our bodies become healthy.

New Delhi, Sept. 15: A total of 66 companies, including 35 foreign and 31 Indian companies, have bid for the 55 oil and gas blocks offered under the sixth auction of the New Exploration Licensing Policy (NELP).
ONGC has bid for a maximum number of oil and gas blocks — 45 blocks. Three deepwater blocks KK-DWN-2004/2, KK-DWN-2004/3 and AN-DWN-2004/1 have not received any bid. For 13 blocks, only single bids were received and out of these, ONGC is the single bidder for seven blocks and Essar for two. Thirty-nine blocks attracted multiple bids. One block, CB-ONN-2004/3, received 10 bids.

“The government has received 165 bids for 52 blocks by the closing date on Friday,” said Mr Anil Razdan, additional secretary, petroleum and natural gas ministry. “One of the major achievements of NELP-VI has been that besides having received bids for 21 deepwater blocks, bids have been received for all the 12 frontier on-land blocks,” said Mr Razdan. He further said that the renewed interest of multinationals BG, BP, Petronas, ENI and TOTAL augurs well for the oil and gas exploration activity underway in India.

The government had offered 55 exploration blocks under the sixth round, this year on February 23, covering an area of 3.52 lakhs sq kms. Out of the 35 foreign companies, who have bid for the blocks, 20 are new companies. Malaysia’s Petronas bid for one shallow water block in prospective Krishna Godavari basin. Cairn Energy of UK made lead bids for seven blocks on its own and was junior partner in five others.

However, big players Chevron, ExxonMobil and Conoco Philips of US, who were expected to partner Reliance Industries, did not participate. “ “As India is new to these companies, they require more work to convince their boards to invest here,” said V.K. Sibal, DG Hydrocarbons. ONGC was the lead consortium bidder in 35 blocks and a junior partner in 10 blocks while state-owned Oil India Ltd (OIL) was leader in 9.

Reliance Industries have bid for 21 blocks. RIL bid for 17 deep-sea and blocks each in shallow water and onland. It took state-owned Oil India Ltd as partner in one Mahanadi basin deep-sea block. The Anil Ambani Group firm, Reliance Natural Resources Ltd, tied with Naftogaz of Ukraine to bid for 9 blocks.

Hyderabad, Sept. 15: Strong economic growth in South Asia is creating “political space” for much-needed policy and institutional reforms to accelerate and sustain growth, and tackle long-standing social and economic problems, according to a World Bank report. The report, to be discussed on Saturday at the World Bank/IMF Annual Meetings in Singapore, says strong growth has created an unprecedented opportunity: a chance of ending poverty in a generation in South Asia, the region with the world’s largest concentration of poor people.

“This is an opportunity that cannot be missed,” said Mr Praful Patel, World Bank vice-president for South Asia. “For the leadership of South Asia it is the chance of a lifetime. And for the poor people of South Asia, it is a real chance to emerge from destitution.” The report obse-rves that recent economic growth has made it possible for South Asian countries to address politically-difficult reforms.

“More info-rmed public debate about what works and what doesn’t combined with global experience is emerging as an important force for change in South Asia,” said Mr Shantayanan Devarajan, co-author of the report and World Bank Chief Economist for South Asia.

New Delhi, Sept. 15: World Bank president Paul Wolfowitz’s assurance of Singapore agreeing to reconsider the blacklisting of 27 activists, including Indians, at the September 19-20 World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) meetings, came a little late in the day. More than 160 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) declared a boycott of the meetings to protest against a clampdown on free speech.

“On Thursday night, the Prime Minister said that based on the Bank and the Fund vouching for these people, that they would look at each case individually and open the door to let them in,” Mr Wolfowitz said. “I hope that will happen expeditiously and completely and we’re waiting for further developments.” Mr Wolfowitz said he raised the matter during a meeting with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Thursday.

“It is really unfortunate that the government of Singapore seemed not to be honouring the memorandum of understanding to admit delegates that were accredited,” he said. The organising committee on Thursday said they had “security and law and order concerns” over the 27 individuals, some of whom had been involved in violence at other international meetings. The activists had been accredited as part of an official dialogue which the Fund and the Bank engage in with their critics.

“In solidarity with those denied entry into Singapore, we will stay away from all meetings and seminars at the World Bank and IMF 2006 annual meetings in Singapore,” they said. The Singapore government also deported an Indian activist who had come here in connection with the annual meetings. Meanwhile, the IMF was confident that its proposal for ad-hoc increase in powers of China, South Korea, Mexico and Turkey in the fund’s board would be carried through, but India, Brazil and 50 other developing nations opposed the move saying it was based on a “flawed” formula.

“What is clear is that there was a very clear majority in the board to endorse the resolution, if not, it would not have been brought here,” IMF managing director Rodrigo de Rato told reporters here in Singapore. He, however, said that he cannot definitely say anything until the countries have expressed their votes. “I have to keep some respect, if you want silence in that respect, for the time being.”

Mumbai, Sept. 15: The Sensex ended marginally higher up 36.57 points after a choppy session, but closed above the 12,000 mark for the first time at 12,009.59. It is not a convincing close and the performance of the index next week will show whether it can sustain above the 12,000 mark. It had hit an intra-day low of 11,847.61 and a high of 12,041.70. The Nifty closed at 3478.60, up 7 points after touching a low of 3434.55 and a high of 3487.45 intra-day. The turnover on both the exchanges was Rs 33,353 crores with the F&O sector accounting for Rs 23,045.57 crores.

Mumbai, Sept. 15: In a precursor towards consolidation of banks, three medium-sized public sector banks — Oriental Bank of Commerce, Indian Bank and Corporation Bank — have come together to share infrastructure and explore opportunities. A memorandum of intent to this effect was signed by the chairmen of the three banks here on Friday.

This alliance, christened Oriental Indian Corporation (OIC), aims to mitigate the disadvantage of size which medium-sized banks suffer from, while sharing benefits of economies of scale and provide all forms of money and financial services under one roof. Addressing reporters here, the chairmen of the three banks, K.N. Prithviraj (OBC), K.C. Chakrabarty (Indian Bank) and B. Sambamurthy (Corporation Bank) emphasised that “this alliance is not a merger and the three banks retained their independent legal entities.”

The alliance, which will work out the operational details in the next few months, will broadly focus on sharing treasury and IT resources, building an e-payment system, besides creating a new capital markets machinery, which ultimately will include an Asset Management Company, Venture Capital, wealth management and equity brokerage. The banks will be “preferred partners” of each other, the chairmen said, adding that in business syndication, for example, “This alliance will facilitate us taking exposures to big-ticket deals which as individual bank we might not have been able to.”

The three banks will also share training resources, economic research and marketing besides engaging in common procurement of IT and other assets, wherever feasible. The alliance has also identified bancassurance as an area where there could be collaboration and co-operation. “We will also look at any other mutually acceptable and beneficial areas,” they said.

The alliance was the next best option to a merger, which, in the present circumstances was a difficult proposition, Mr Chakrabarty of Indian Bank said. According to him, with this alliance, geographies of the three banks would become integrated and there will be considerable savings in both time and costs.

Hyderabad, Sept. 15: The first challenger to Tata Ace’s supremacy in the mini pick-up segment is out on the roads from the Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) stable. Christened MaXX Maxi Truck, the new variant fills the gap between large three-wheeler and big pick-ups, and senior company executives claim that the “vehicle is going to shake-up the small cargo segment.”

Major players, including Bajaj Auto, Force Motors and Atul Auto, are developing vehicles that can take on the Tata Ace even as M&M has made the first move. The segment, growing at 22 per cent per annum, is 1,50,000-vehicle strong and is primarily dominated by the Tata Ace.
Mr Vivek Nayer, vice-president (marketing), M&M Auto, is confident of the superiority of both the vehicles in terms of power, speed, fuel economy and load-carrying capacity.

“The MaXX Maxi Truck is a much better entry-level product and it is better equipped with the ability for more turnarounds in a day which is important for the customer,” Mr Nayer said here on Friday. While the MaXX Maxi Truck is priced at Rs 3,40,900, the Bolero Pick-Up FB will be sold for Rs 4,52,200 and has been positioned to cater the higher-end cargo segment. With these two vehicles, Mahindra & Mahindra expects to increase its share in the small cargo segment to 50 per cent from the current 35 per cent, Mr Nayer said, without mentioning a timeframe.

On the other vehicles of the M&M group, Mr Nayer said, “After the upgradation of the Scorpio early this year, sales have jumped significantly. We sold 3,500 Scorpios last month when the competition managed sales in 100s for their SUVs.” Further, in a clear departure from the region specific launch model adopted by Tata Motors for its Ace, M&M has decided to launch the MaXX Maxi Truck throughout the country within 10-15 days. After evaluating the sales in the local market, the company is also open to export the vehicle, Mr Nayer added.

Shiva
Cast: Mohit Ahlawat, Nisha Kothari, Upendra Limaye and others
Director: Ram Gopal Varma
Rating: **

Ram Gopal Varma’s latest Shiva is neither a remake of his old film of the same name, nor is it a remake of James as was the rumour. It is a new film about a cop turned vigilante, but everything about it has such a been there-done-that look. It doesn’t have that slightly provocative effect that all RGV films do. It’s as if the enfant terrible of Hindi films was trying to become teacher’s pet, but not doing a very good job of it.

Varma’s earlier films made heroes out of men like Bappu (he is a much less classy Sarkar), now Varma tells us that men like Bappu ought to get whipped. In a touch of irony, all Bappu’s men die violent deaths in the film, but he lives to tell the tale (pretty much like Arun Gawli on whom the character is allegedly based). Shiv Kumar (Mohit Ahlawat) joins the police force as a sub-inspector, and is annoyed by his superiors’ open camaraderie with Bappu and his bunch of thugs.

Varma adds some quirkiness to Bappu’s (Upendra Limaye) character — he rules from a swing, drinking nariyal pani, and asking peremptory questions to a near-comatose old woman. Shiva falls in love with a courageous crime reporter (Nisha Kothari) and marries her when she is attacked by Bappu’s men out to get him. When the home minister (Dilip Prabhavalkar) also turns out to be corrupt, Shiva and a few good cops quit the force and turn into independent crime fighters. Not clear what the film is getting at, but Varma has said in interviews that he was inspired by the films of Amitabh Bachchan. If an under-developed (but technically polished) Shiva is the result, then it’s back to school for Mr Varma.

Bas ek pal
Cast: Juhi Chawla, Urmila Matondkar, Sanjay Suri, Jimmy Shergill, Rehaan Engineer
Director: Onir
Rating:**

Onir has been inspired by Pedro Almodovar’s Live Flesh, but his turgid melodrama Bas Ek Pal is far from being a masterwork. He has created a bunch of sophisticated urban characters, whose lives intertwine in destructive ways, but his story-telling is too heavy-handed. During a nightclub fracas, Rahul (Jimmy Shergill) is accidentally shot by his friend Nikhil (Sanjay Suri). The former ends up a cripple in a wheelchair, the latter goes to jail for three years and has a hellish time.

When he emerges from prison on bail, with the help of Ira (Juhi Chawla), the wife of their alcoholic, wife-beating buddy Steve (Rehaan Engineer), Nikhil finds that Rahul is engaged to Anamika (Urmila Matondkar), the girl over whom the barroom brawl had taken place. The characters go from antagonistic, to confessional, to accusatory, to suicidal mode, as the film, in the style of a stage play engineers conversations between the five characters in various permutations and combinations. Then, it goes on long after the audience’s patience over this endless emotional wrangling and self-flagellation has worn out. And you can’t sympathise much with any character, though feelings for them swing from mild sympathy (for Rahul) to rabid dislike (for Ira).

Sanjay Suri and Jimmy Shergill are the best of the lot, natural and restrained. The film may have started out as a study of relationships under conditions of sturm and drang, but all it does is tire the audience with its relentless grimness.

Pyaar ke side effects
Cast: Rahul Bose, Mallika Sherawat, Sophie Chaudhary and others
Director: Saket Chaudhary
Rating:***

Pyaar Ke Side Effects tries to take a witty, urbane look at modern relationships, but first-time director Saket Chaudhary achieves a juvenile, but intermittently funny, comedy inspired by Trust The Man, Meet the Parents and other such Hollywood romcoms. Sid (Rahul Bose), a DJ, meets runaway bride Trisha (Mallika Sherawat), and falls in love with her. They squabble good-naturedly in a pub, sure that they will never date, but three years later they are together. Sid is absorbed in a cricket match when Trisha proposes to him (in three years she doesn’t know about his passion for the game?) and finds that he doesn’t want commitment.

But on the verge of a break-up, he says yes, and has to suffer her nesting instincts that include cooing over kids and avid shopping. There’s also the gargoyle of a father-in-law to please, who doesn’t think a bandwala is a suitable match for his daughter, particularly when she is taller than him and earns more than him. (You’d also think the same, but then it’s just a movie, anything is possible).

Sid keeps sharing his anguish with the audience looking straight at the camera and listing various “pyaar and engagement ke side-effects.” It’s all out of joke books and the internet-forwards kind instant research that passes off for psychological insights into the behaviour of males and females. The supporting cast consists of nitwits also having relationship problems — like Sid’s sexually frustrated flat mate Nanoo (Ranvir Sheorey— hilarious), and his more experienced brother-in-law (Aamir Bashir), who is not ready for fatherhood. On Trisha’s side are her frighteningly outspoken friend (Suchitra Pillai) and her rejected groom (Jas Arora) now back in her life. Even as she moves on smoothly, Sid’s potential romance with a sexy ‘item girl’ Tanya (Sophie Chaudhary) never takes off.

In the film’s funniest scene, the four meet for dinner, which of course, goes terribly wrong, as neither Sid nor Trisha can avoid jealousy. After all the complications, if the film actually had headed for an offbeat end, its many faults would have been forgiven, but no, the ending is as predicted. Rahul Bose, scruffily dressed, tries too hard to be cool, Mallika Sherawat doesn’t get to turn on the heat (no push-up bras and micro minis), so the comedy turns out to be tepid at best.

Kate Moss’ earnings have rocketed to £30 million since her cocaine scandal last year. Speculation was rife that the catwalk queen’s career could be finished after pictures of her snorting the Class A drug were published last September. The supermodel was immediately dropped by a number of top fashion houses, including H+M and Roberto Cavalli, in the wake of the scandal.

However, Kate has managed to bounce back from the incident with vigour, tripling her salary to £30 million. She is now the face of 14 brands, including Versace, Calvin Klein and Stella McCartney, and has even set a new record for having the highest number of advertising deals at one time of any celebrity. Advertising expert Francesca Newland said, “I can’t think of any other celebrity who has been the face of so many campaigns at once.”

Sheryl Crow says the spirit of her dead dog is “still with her”. The singer had her pet Labrador mix, named Scout, for a decade until his death last April. She revealed to the USA Today newspaper, “It was devastating but he’s still with me in spirit. We still call our tour company Scout Tours, and my dressing room still has his name.” She added, “Scout and I used to stare into each other’s eyes longingly, it was like a sick love affair.”

Sheryl, who is currently in the middle of a tour, also insists she is back on top after her split from her cycling legend fiancée Lance Armstrong and being diagnosed with breast cancer. She said, “I feel the best I’ve felt in a long time, mainly because I’ve changed the way I treat my life. I needed to feel like things were getting back to normal. A tour is a reminder of what my life is about. This one’s more celebratory than other tours have been, and at the same time it’s gotten me back to a sense of normalcy.”

The singer has also explained how a key part of her new life was a healthier diet. Sheryl revealed, “I’ve been eating plain, organic food. I probably haven’t had a doughnut for eight months. That’s a big thing for me, since those were the only sweets I would really eat.”

Heath Ledger has revealed that he hates comic book movies, just weeks after signing up for the Batman Begins sequel. The Brokeback Mountain star, who has a daughter with his actress fiancée Michelle Williams, has been cast as super-villain “The Joker” in the follow-up to the 2005 blockbuster, entitled The Dark Knight. He is quoted by website darkhorizons.com as saying, “I actually hate comic book movies. They bore me and they’re just dumb.”
Ledger claims he only agreed to star in the sequel because he liked director Chris Nolan’s work.

The actor explained, “I thought what Chris Nolan did with Batman Begins was actually really good, really well directed, and Christian Bale was really great in it.” Ledger insists his portrayal of “The Joker” was going to very different to Jack Nicholson’s critically acclaimed interpretation in the original 1990 movie Batman. He said, “My Joker is going to be less about his laugh and his pranks and more about just him being just a sinister guy.”

Mariah Carey solves all her problems with a little help from God. The millionaire pop star, famed for her outrageous diva-like demands, claims her entire life has been a “struggle” but insists her faith in the Lord has helped her overcome any adversity she has experienced. She said, “My whole life has been some form of struggle that I’ve had to go through. And I think the main thing is if you’re in a good place, you put your trust in God and focus on your spirituality, everything will turn out the way it’s supposed to.”

Although she has seemingly enjoyed a charmed life Mariah has suffered some upheaval. She has often described her marriage to Sony records boss Tommy Mottola as a “disaster”. The singer was 23 when she first met Tommy, then 43, at a party in 1988. The pair eventually wed in June 1993. They separated in 1997 and divorced a year later. After their split, the Butterfly singer complained her husband had been so possessive and jealous during their marriage he would even spy on her when she had friends over to their house.

Kurnool, Sept. 16: The ensuing visit of the All-India Congress Committee president Sonia Gandhi may be embroiled in a controversy. It is alleged that a section of Congress leaders are not keen on the success of Mrs Gandhi’s visit. It may be mentioned that Mrs Gandhi is visiting the district on September 27 to inaugurate the Kisan Ghat constructed on the banks of Handri river in memory of former chief minister Kotla Vijayabhaskara Reddy and a park. After inaugurating the Kisan Ghat she is expected to participate in a public meeting here.

However, rumours are do-ing rounds that many distri-ct Congress leaders are tur-ning a blind eye towards the arrangements as if it is the responsibility of Kurnool MP Kotla Suryaprakash Reddy to make the public meeting a success. Especially, those who differ with the Kurnool MP are showing disinterest on Mrs Gandhi’s interest. District minister M. Mareppa and a majority of MLAs are not in good terms with Mr Suryaprakash Reddy.

Recognising this, Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy had sent district in-charge minister Konathala Ramakrishna to set things right, but to no avail, it is learnt. Mr Ramakrishna is not able to garner support of the Congress leaders for mobilising crowds to Mrs Gandhi’s public meeting. Ironically, Mr Mareppa, Nandyal MP S.P.Y. Reddy and five MLAs were conspicuous by their absence at the meeting. It is learnt that they abstai-ned from the meeting due to the differences they had with Mr Reddy.

There is another talk that Mrs Gandhi’s visit would benefit only the Kotla family, others are not enthusiastic over the programme.
Mr Reddy is facing a charge that he had failed in garnering the support of Congress leaders in the district. At the same time, he is unable to get the support of Congress leaders even in his constituency.

Moreover, the Congress MLAs are differing over the choice of place for the public meeting. While a majority of leaders including the district superintendent of police favoured the APSP II Battalion ground, Mr Suryaprakash Reddy is firm on holding the meeting in STBC grounds.

Visakhapatnam, Sept. 16: Andhra Pradesh Rythu Sangham president and former MLA from Anantapur, K. Ramakrishna on Saturday criticised the State government’s policy on acquiring lands belonging to farmers for the proposed Outer Ring Road (ORR) project in Hyderabad.

Addressing a press conference, Mr Ramakrishna said that most of the displaced persons due to the land acquisition for ORR were farmers. He demanded that the government adopt ‘land for land’ policy while paying compensation to the farmers. “Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy had assured in the Assembly that the government will stop acquiring lands for the ORR and also said that a Cabinet sub-committee would be appointed to look into all the issues relating to the ORR, including the land acquisition. But to our surprise the State government had released a notification for further land acquisition,” he said.

Mr Ramakrishna came down heavily on the government saying that it was taking all the lands belonging to farmers without paying adequate compensation in the name of development of special economic zones and industrial corridors. The farmers’ leader pointed out that around 1,500 farmers committed suicide after the Congress government under Dr Rajasekhar Reddy came to power two-and-a-half-years ago. “Nowhere in the country have so many farmers committed suicide like in Andhra Pradesh.

But the AP government still claims theirs is a farmers’ friendly government. If the government is really committed to farmers’ welfare it should wipe off Rs 1 lakh loans which farmers have availed,” he said. The AP Rythu Sangham would devise a strategy to launch an agitation in protest against the alleged anti-farmer policies of the State government at its State council meeting to be held in Tirupati on September 20.

Member of Parliament and president of the All-India Kisan Sabha, K. Chandrappan and general secretary Atul Kumar Anjan would take part in the State council meeting. “We will also discuss about the issues relating to the coconut, groundnut farmers and also the problems faced by the farmers in the drought-hit areas in the State” Mr Ramakrishna said.

Ongole, Sept. 16: About 10 acres land adjacent to the Gundlakamma river diversion channel was eroded due to flash floods near the Gundlakamma river project site in Maddipadu mandal of Prakasam district on Saturday. Owing to heavy rains in the upper reaches of the Gundlakamma river, more than 15,000 cusecs of floodwaters gushed though the river near the project site on Saturday.

As a result, the canal bund eroded causing property loss of Rs 10 lakhs. Chinna Mallavaram villagers are concerned that in case of heavy rain the village would be badly affected by floodwaters. They blame irrigation officials for ignoring their pleas not to construct a diversion channel as sandy soil could not check the flow of water. They suggested that officials release floodwaters near the spillway area. But officials ignored their pleas and preferred the diversion channel.

It is expected that Saturday’s incident would further delay the construction of the project. As the gorge works are underway, irrigation officials have dug the diversion canal to the south of the Mallavaram hill and diverted river water towards the sea. They constructed canal bunds that could withstand flow of 5,000 cusecs of water.

However, on Saturday over 15,000 cusecs of water gushed through the Gundlakamma river. As a result, about 10 acres land was eroded adjacent to China Mallavaram village. Mango, subabul, teak trees and fodder were washed away. Gundlakamma reservoir special deputy collector Sri Latha visited the project site and spoke to project officials. She said that the loss was estimated at Rs 10 lakhs. A total of Rs 1.30 crores was spent for the diversion channel.

Anjan Rao, a villager, criticised officials for ignoring their pleas. Ongole RDO Naga-babu, Veligonda project SE Surya Narayana, special deputy collector, Gundlakamma project Srilatha visited the site and spoke to villagers. They assured compensation to the loss suffered due to flash floods.

Rajahmundry, Sept. 16: Farmers from the upland areas would benefit from the rainfall in the last three days under the influence of a depression in terms of taking up transplantation of paddy during the kharif in areas where floods washed away crops in certain pockets in both East and West Godavari districts.

In East Godavari district, paddy is being grown in about 1.6 lakh hectares in the delta area and over about 50,000 hectares in upland areas. Floods in the Godavari river affected the crops which were in the primary stage over several thousand hectares in the district. Farmers who lost their crops in the floods raised paddy nurseries, especially in Tuni and other areas in the upland.

With the continuous rainfall in the last three days, farmers have taken up transplantation. In other parts of the district like the delta area, paddy crop is at the active tillering stage as of now. It will be premature to predict the yield at this stage. The district received an average rainfall of 16.2 mm on Saturday.

Under the influence of rains and floods, crops over about 30,000 hectares was lost in Amalapuram and some parts of Rampachodavaram divisions. Far-mers in areas like Mamidi-kuduru, Katrenikona and Uppalaguptam suffered crop loss. The government provided seeds at 50 per cent subsidy to the affected farmers, besides input subsidy to the tune of Rs 1,875 per hectare.

The affected farmers managed to take up replantation on about 24,000 hectares and are benefitted immensely with the current rainfall. The government has provided Rs 3,125 per hectare to farmers whose fields suffered sandcast, with about 6,000 hectares affected in the district.

East Godavari agriculture deputy director I. Rama Krishna Murthy said, “In certain areas, farmers have started to raise casuarina as their fields were badly affected. Such farmers can go for early raising of crops for rabi. Farmers in upland areas are being given seeds of pulses and maize at 50 per cent subsidy to help them overcome the crisis.”

The situation is same in West Godavari where farmers from upland mandals will be benefitted with the rainfall. The district registered 492 mm rainfall against the average normal rainfall of 784 mm on Saturday for the season showing some amount of deviation. West Godavari agriculture joint director MR C. Rameswaraiah said, “The current rainfall helps farmers to get rid of Nalli disease to paddy crop.”

Kakinada, Sept. 16: A change in the attitude among farmers and government support has promoted many to take up innovative methods of farming. Under this backdrop, farming under micro-irrigation has gained momentum during the last four years. The basic idea of effective water management, better cultivation for higher returns with less water resources has gained significance.

Irrigation by means of drip, sprinkler and rain gun has gained popularity among farmers, especially from upland areas. In places where there is water shortage and groundwater availability is low, the process is found to be more viable with good financial returns.

The AP Micro Irrigation Project (APMIP) under the District Water Management Agency (DWMA) has taken up the project for farmers in an effective way in East Godavari district since 2003. The process was extended to horticulture, oil palm, agriculture, sugarcane and mulberry in the district in an extent of 6,000 acres in the first phase in November 2003.

It was completed successfully by March 2006. The entire project was financed by Nabard at acost of Rs 5.26 crores. A fresh target of 5,250 acres was taken up for 2006-07 at an estimated cost of Rs 7.80 crores in several mandals. The process was extended even to the delta areas where water is available in abundance when compared to upland areas. This process is being extended depending on water resources and the needs of individual farmers.

DWMA project director, Dr R. Amarendra Kumar, said the focus is on conservation of water resources with effective management. “We extend subsidy to farmers upto 60 per cent on drip and 50 per cent on sprinkler irrigation,” Mr Amarendra Kumar added.

Warangal, Sept. 16: The Warangal municipal corporation (WMC) has come up with a novel scheme, ‘Fund Your City,’ in order to raise money through public contribution for the city development.
The money raised through the contributions from interested individuals and the business groups will be used for the city’s beautification and other developmental activities.

As a first step, various traffic junctions were identified for the beautification and plans are afoot to give a new look to the traffic islands. The Mulug Road Junction was earmarked for beautification in the first phase and a couple of business houses in the city have already responded and contributed funds under the new scheme.

“Beautifying junctions, laying roads, setting up of glow sign boards and even sponsoring the street name display boards were part of the Fund Your City scheme. There is no limit for the contributions from the people,” said municipal commissioner Smita Sabharwal. The main objective is to make the citizens partners in development and make them feel proud about their city.

Talks are also going on with many interested people and shopkeepers regarding the use of their proposed contributions in the city. Initially, it was planned to develop the lower tank bund area of the Waddepally Tank, which is turning out to be an important outing spot in the city. There were also plans to erect foot-over-bridges at busy junctions like Jeevanlal Complex, Chowrastha and other areas to facilitate easy movement of pedestrians.

Many people have already sponsored the signboards which indicate the street names and the lane markings.During the next one month, the projects to be undertaken under the Fund Your City would get a definite shape, municipal officials said.

Karimnagar, Sept. 16: The stage is set for the celebration of the Telangana Liberation Day on Sunday. All the major political parties, including the Congress, CPI, TRS and the BJP have planned separate ceremonies to pay tributes to the martyrs who laid down their lives in the Telangana armed struggle for the liberation of the Hyderabad State from the Nizam’s rule. The CPI has already been observing the Telangana Liberation We-ek all over the district from September 11.

Both the TRS and the BJP, which have been spearheading the separate Telangana movement, have proposed to organise different programmes in connection with the Telangana Liberation Day. While, the TRS has planned to conduct a meet at the Telangana martyrs memorial in Karimnagar, the BJP has proposed to organise mandal-level programmes.

The District Congress Committee has decided to hold a meeting at the party office in the morning. The district freedom fighters association will organise a flag hoisting ceremony at Swarajbhavan in the city.

Nizamabad, Sept. 16: Bodhan police busted a women trafficking racket and rescued minor girls belonging to Nizamabad, Anantapur and coastal districts. Police rescued 55 girls from a red light area at Chandrapur of Maharashtra and arrested five organisers, all belonging to Bodhan mandal at Chandrapur.

Speaking to mediapersons on Saturday, district superintendent of police Mahesh Chandra Laddha said that Bodhan police had conducted the raids on Friday night with the help of Maharashtra police. “The raids were conducted because a girl, who escaped from the brothel, telephoned the SP’s office on September 14,” he said.
The arrested were identified as Peeru Bai, 60, kingpin of the racket, Vasanth, Krishna, Gangadhar and Lavanya.

The superintendent of Police said that their modus operandi was to visit villages, identify poor girls and trap their parents by giving them false promises of jobs. and later transport them to Chandrapur for trafficking. The organisers would harass the girls, assault them and sprinkle dry chilli powder in their eyes, if the girls refused to coply with their orders.

The Maharashtra police made arrangements to enable the rescued girls to be sent back to their repective native places. The orphan girls will be sent to the Women and Child Welfare Department to rehabilitate them, Mr Laddha said. He said that they suspect the involvement of some more persons in the racket. A special team with five senior police officers has been formed to bust the racket. “We will arrest the other organizers, who are linked to the racket very soon,” the SP said.

Nizamabad, Sept. 16: About 150 farmers of Talla Rampur of Morthad mandal of this district thronged the 33/11 KV sub-station situated on the outskirts of their village and operated the equipment themselves by fixing electric fuses on Saturday morning.

Sources told this correspondent that the farmers reached the sub-station, displaying the dried crops to grill the three APTransco employees present there over irregular power supply. The farmers protested in front of the sub-station for about four hours. They forcibly entered the sub-station and detained the employees there.

On hearing the news, Morthad police arrived there and sub-inspector Rajesh tried to enter the sub-station to release the detained staff, but the farmers locked the gate. Farmers then took electric fuses, fixed these to the sub-station’s board.

Vijayawada, Sept. 16: Members of the newly constituted city Congress committee were sworn in at a ceremony held at Tummalapalli Kshetrayya Kalakshetram on Saturday . The city Congress committee was formed almost after a decade to appease the local party cadre by allotting them a suitable place. The strength of the committee finally crossed 230.

Hectic activity was witnessed at the venue as the members, along with their supporters, raised slogans and folk artistes presented a cultural programme. Pradesh Congress Committee general secretary and in-charge of city unit D. Satyanaranayana Rao presided over the function.

City Congress president Pyla Sominaidu said, “The city Congress committee members should work towards bridging the gap between the government officer and the public.” He said, “For instance, we will utilise their services at the government hospital to see that necessary medical care is available to the people. Similarly, they will also publicise the various government schemes to the needy.”

The Congress MLAs, MPs and others asked the newly elected members to take keen interest in highlighting the government schemes. Kankipadu MLA Devineni Rajasekhar Nehru, minister for sports and youth affairs M. Satyanarayana Rao, minister for higher education Pinnamaneni Venkateswara Rao and local MP Lagadapati Rajagopal were among those who spoke.

Khammam, Sept. 16: Union Minister of State for Women and Child Welfare Renuka Chowdary lost her temper after being gheraoed by activists of the Students Federation of India (SFI) and Progressive Democratic Students Union (PDSU) here on Saturday.

The student activists who assembled at the Road and Buildings guest house were waiting for finance and health minister K. Rosaiah but when Ms Chowdary reached the spot and got down from her car, they surrounded her and started shouting slogans.

Ms Chowdary, who was taken aback, told the student leaders angrily that their behaviour was deplorable and asked them to apologise. “Is it the way to seek justice?” she asked. “I don’t mind if you submit a memorandum but this is not the way to do it,” she added.

But, the irate students ignored her and continued to raise slogans against the government. SFI leader Y. Kishore said that the government was closing down colleges indiscriminately and was denying scholarships to poor students.The angry union minister refused to take a memorandum from the students and reiterated that they should apologise first.

The students, however, raised slogans and insisted that she should take the memorandum. In the end, police had to undertake a mild lathi-charge to make way for the union minister.

Visakhapatnam, Sept. 16: Cracking the whip against those theatres which were violating stipulated norms, the district administration has ordered stoppage of screening in five theatres in the city on Saturday. The theatres which were ordered not to screen were Leela Mahal, Poorna Picture Palace, Sri Rama, Sri Suryamahal and Rajkamal.

A team of revenue department officials headed by revenue divisional officer (RDO) M. Venkateswara Rao conducted surprise checks upon 14 theatres. The orders were issued for violating the conditions of B-form licenses and for not providing basic facilities to the cine goers. The RDO said that it was found that the owners of the theatres were not providing drinking water, not maintaining required space between the screen and the first row of seats, selling soft drinks at more than the normal price and have not fixed price board.

“The theatre managements did not fix the meters showing the temperature levels in the halls which is mandatory. We have ordered them to stop screening until further orders. Normally we will give the nod for screening after they rectify the defects detected by us. We will again go to those theatres, check them and will give screening orders,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Visakhapatnam Cinema Theatre Owners’ Association has decided to close down all the 125 theatres in the district on Sunday. The move is in protest against the raids on some theatres and subsequent issuance of orders to stop screening of films in five theatres for not providing basic amenities to the spectators. The association members after holding a meeting in the evening informed that the raids were an act of vendetta and demanded that the authorities stop harassing the managements.

Visakhapatnam, Sept. 16: Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanams (TTD) chairman B Karunakar Reddy on Saturday denied that propagation of non-Hindu religions was going on the Tirumala Hills.He said some parties are levelling such allegations to gain political mileage, malign the TTD board and tarnish the image of the State government.

Speaking to reporters at Sri Sarada Peetham in China Mushidivada, 20 kms away from here, Mr Reddy said that even the Pejawar seer had complimented the board after going through the steps taken by the TTD to protect the sanctity of Tirumala Hills.

He denied allegations levelled against the TTD, for its inaction in the issues related to non-Hindu religious propaganda in various educational institutions in and around Tirupati, including Sri Venk-ateshwara and Sri Padmavathi Mahila Universities.

Sarada Peetham seer Swamy Swaroopanandendra suggested that the TTD board must provide medical facilities in the tribal areas of the State with the funds intended to construct TTD kalyanamandapams in rural areas.