Monday, July 31, 2006
Andhrapradesh Regional news July 30th,2006
Circar linked to new Guntur
Guntur, July 30: With the diversion of Chennai-Kakinada Circar Express, the new Guntur railway station will get a new link with Kakinada soon. As the objective of the new railway station was to facilitate the diversion of some trains from Chennai to Vijayawada that pass through Tenali, at present only Chennai- Jammi Tavi- No 6031, Jammu Tavi – Chennai- No. 6032, Chennai to Luknow and its correlative trains are being run through this station.
Thus, Circar Express would be the third train to be diverted via the New Guntur railway station, though the exact date is yet to be announced. However, the station lacks minimum facilities like drinking water and sanitation. The bore meant for water never functions. There is no sufficient shelter for the passengers.
Moreover, there is no approach road to the station as it is located in the remote Nehru Nagar. Keeping the criticism on the infrastructure of the station in view, the authorities of Guntur division decided to take all steps to transform the station along with four more stations into model ones.
According to an official, passenger amenities will be improved at Guntur, Nalgonda, Nandiyal, Nadikudi and Narsaraopet to provide travellers with an entirely different experience. The official said that the stations are to be decked up.
CPM calls for protection of coast from port
Visakhapatnam, July 30: The district CPM requested the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board to take steps to protect the seashore at Gangavaram and also to take action against the management of Gangavaram Port Ltd for violation of environmental laws.
In a letter to the chairman of the APPCB, CPM district secretary Ch. Narasinga Rao said the phenomenon of sea waves entering Dibbapalem village washing away two houses a few days ago was due to the bad planning and unsatisfactory construction of the port by the management.
“Any obstruction caused in the natural course of the sea which is predominantly north-flowing from south by way of construction or sea bed dredging will definitely have an adverse affect on environment in general. This was earlier told by the experts,” said Narasinga Rao.
He added that the port management has not followed any of the alternative measures in constructing the port, which is causing severe erosion to the north coast around Dibbapalem by the diffracted waves and the associated strong, long-shore currents.
The CPM also asked the board officials to visit the Gangavaram port site and take action on the management. The party also urged it to take steps to stop the work until alternative methods of construction were taken up to protect the lives and property of Dibbapalem villagers.
Auctions fail to impact elections
Adilabad, July 30: It seems that there is not much influence of auctions for sarpanch posts in the gram panchayat elections as the number of unanimously elected sarpanches has come down compared to the last elections.
As many as 62 sarpanches have been elected unanimously in the present gram panchayat elections while 86 were elected so in the last elections. Even the announcement of the government reward for gram panchayats which had unanimously elected their sarpanches and ward members did not attract a majority of gram panchayats in the district.
Only 49 gram panchayats were selected for the government reward as it is necessary that both the sarpanch and ward members should be elected unanimously. The State government announced Rs 15 lakhs and Rs 5 lakhs as reward for major and minor gram panchayats respectively for unanimous elections.
Maoist rules out internal rivalry
Atmakur (Kurnool), July 30: CPI-Maoists Nallamala division secretary Sudershan denied talk of internal differences among the partymen. Speaking to reporters from Atmakur over phone on Sunday, the Maoist leader said that the police are resorting to false campaign and portraying the Madhav encounter as the outcome of internal rivalry.
He said that they would resolve the differences, if any, through discussions and would not kill their leaders. Police launched this ‘campaign’ only to confuse people, he said. He said that Madhav encounter was a fake one.
The eight Maoists, including Maoist State secretary Madhav were shot dead when they were not alert and while his body-guards were attending to nature’s call. Only eight Maoists were present at encounter spot and firing took place at 8.30 am and not in early hours as claimed by the police, he said.
Sudershan said that woman Maoist Rama was alive and was not killed in the encounter. He warned that the SPs of Prakasam, Mahbubnagar and Warangal districts would face defeat in the hands of People’s Guerrilla Army. He called upon the people to support the bandh call given by the party on July 31 and August 3 in protest against the Nallamala encounter.
Tunga reservoir gates opened
Kurnool/Anantapur, July 30: Krishna and Tungabhadra rivers continue to receive huge inflows of floodwaters due to heavy rains in Karnataka. Officials lifted 10 gates of Tungabhadra river and were releasing 22,000 cusecs water downstream.
Kurnool district collector Dhana Kishore on Sunday cautioned the people living in Tungabhadra river catchment areas to be alert. Tungabhadra Dam High Level Canal superindenting engineer Somi Reddy said that officials opened four gates in the morning and later opened another six gates.
He said that the dam was receiving an inflow of 45,334 cusecs and 7,000 cusecs was being released into canals and another 15,000 cusecs into river. Water level stood at 1,632.5 ft against the full water level of 1,633 ft and 101.26 tmc ft of water is being stored against the maximum storage capacity of 104 tmc ft. He said that the gates were opened as a precautionary measure.
It was estimated that it would take another three days for the dam to reach the maximum storage capacity and officials planned to open the gates only after two days. However, officials opened the gates as water level reached danger mark on Sunday. Remaining gates would be lifted if inflows increase, officials said.
Tungabhadra dam superindenting engineer Yella Reddy is monitoring the situation. Last year, the dam gates were opened in the second week of August. eanwhile, water level at Srisailam dam rose to 877 ft and the storage level to 216.651 tmc ft on Sunday evening.
The reservoir receives 2,13,264 cusecs water and 50,840 cusecs water is being released into Nagarjunasagar after power production. Another 8,000 cusecs water is being released into Srisailam Right Bank Canal through Pothireddypadu head regulator.
Officials estimate that the present inflows would increase to 2.5 lakh cusec on Monday. They said that the gates would be opened in the next two days. Srisailam dam has the full water level of 885 ft and total water storage capacity of 263 tmc ft.
The reservoir requires another 44 tmc ft to reach the maximum storage point and it would achieve this in another two days if the present inflows continue.
Nellore MLAs get clean chit
Nellore, July 30: Local legislator Anam Vivekananda Reddy on Sunday clai-med that he and his brother and Rapur MLA Anam Ramanarayana Reddy were cleared of the charges of holding the offices of profit.
Speaking to reporters he-re, Mr Vivekananda Reddy said a communication issu-ed by Governor Rameswar Thakur informed him that the charges levelled against them by Telugu Desam leaders Kadiam Srihari and Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy were not maintainable under Article 192(1) of the Constitution.
The Governor issued the communication after taking the opinion of the Election Commission of India on the petition of TD leaders. On March 31, the Telugu Desam leaders petitioned the Governor seeking disqualification of the legislators for holding offices of profit while referring to the legislators’ occupying adm-inistrative posts in V.R. Educational Institutes in Nellore.
Mr Vivekananda Reddy is secretary and correspondent of the managing committee and his brother Ramanarayana Reddy is the president of the committee. Criticised Telugu Desam leaders for levelling allegations against them, Mr Vivekananda Reddy said the TD leaders were resorting such tactics against them unable to come to terms with their electoral defeat.
Accusing the Telugu Desam was daydreaming of coming back to power, he said that the Telugu Desam leaders should learn to accept both defeat and victory.
Netas sneak into snake fest
Karimnagar, July 30: The Naga Panchami festival came in handy for the women contestants of the prestigious Vemulawada major gram panchayat elections as contestants for the sarpanch post reserved for BC women vied with each other to garner support of women voters who thronged the temple at Bheemeshwaralayam on Sunday.
In a bid to cash in on the sentiments of the women devotees, the contestants, clad in traditional attires, campaigned for their cause. Even as scores of women thronged the famous anthill at Bheemeshwaralayam to offer milk and special poojas in the early morning, the Congress-TRS combine backed candidate Narala Sattamma and the TDP supported contestant Polasa Padmaja spearheaded an intensive campaign in front of the temple from the early hours of the day.
Armed with public address systems and pamphlets, the contestants continued their election canvassing while the devotees busily engaged in the rituals. The candidates greeted the devotees personally in their attempt to swing the votes.
Another contestant, D. Sridevi, also vigorously campaigned in the vicinity of the temple in an effort to garner support of the devotees. The area surrounding the temple virtually a public meet venue.
Man dies of snake bite
Karimnagar, July 30: A 42-year-old man died of snakebite at Raikal in the wee hours of Sunday. Sources said a snake entered the house of P. Rajesham in the midnight and bit him on his ear while he was fast asleep. His family members took him to a local private hospital and later shifted him to the Jagtial government area hospital where he died.
Congress march slows down
Ongole, July 30: The Congress party, which won a landslide victory in the ZP polls last month, has failed to maintain the same tempo in the village panchayat polls held in Ongole division on July 29.
The Congress won 51 ZPTC seats out of 56 and defeated its rival with a huge margin in June. However, within one month, the political scenario has changed. Voters have rejected Congress party supporters in over 55 villages in Ongole division and opted for TD supporters for the post of village sarpanches. Polls were conducted for 272 village panchayats.
Congress supporters won about 165 village sarpanch posts, TD supporters won 95, CPI supporter 1, CPM 1 and independents won in 13 village sarpanch posts. Telugu Desam leaders and cadre have fully utilised the anti-incumbency factor in villages.
Soaring of prices of essential commodities and hike in petrol and diesel prices six times within two and half years have definitely affected the winning prospects of the Congress supporters. TD leaders have on numerous occasions conducted agitations in various parts of the district and highlighted the plight of people due to skyrocketing prices.
All these factors have led to the tilting of voters towards the TD. TD leaders also vigorously campaigned to register victory. Meanwhile, results of some villages were declared late on Friday night. Chimakurthy and Addanki village results were declared late last night. Congress supporters won both major panchayat sarpanch posts.
Speaking to this newspaper, district Telugu Desam president Karanam Balaram said on Sunday that people had realised that Congress leaders had made only promises and failed to fulfill them.
He pointed that there was a huge differences between the statements made by ruling party leaders and their actions. District Congress Committee president G.V. Seshu claimed that the supporters of the Congress party had won impressive victories in the village panchayat polls.
He pointed out that many voters in the villages were confused as the Congress party symbol was not found on the ballot paper. This was one of the reasons for the poor performance of the Congress party, he added. The party had lost badly in Assembly, municipal and ZP polls during one-and-a- half years.
Officials fear poll duty in Agency areas
Ongole, July 30: The government employees deputed for polling duty in Markapuram division for the village panchayat polls are unwilling to attend duties fearing attacks by Maoists in the backdrop of death of eight Maoists, including State committee secretary Madhav, in the encounter on July 23.
The polling officials should attend the duty in the interior areas in the deep Nallamala forests in Y. Palem, Pullalacheruvu, Dornala, Peddadornala and Tripuranthakam mandals. According to information, at least 40 employees, including teachers, are not willing to attend to the polling duty. On the other hand, huge number of police force will be deployed in the sensitive areas to prevent any untoward incident.
In recent years, no untoward incident took place during the polls whether it was for Assembly, Parliament or local bodies. Several hundred officials have been deputed for polling duty for the last many years in the remote areas.
The Election Commission has given clear instructions that the officials attend to their poll duties without fail. At least 40 employees are reportedly not willing to take polling duty orders from the officials and are trying to cancel the orders. They are seeking help from senior officials.
Speaking on the issue, one of the senior officials in the district on condition of anonymity said that the rules relating to poll duties would be strictly implemented. Action would be taken against those officials, who abstain from poll duties, he added.
The police officials provide extra security in the sensitive village for the peaceful conduct of polls. Grey hound forces have been conducting combing operations in the forest areas. Besides, police personnel from Tamil Nadu also deployed for poll duties in the district.
AP staff shun duty in Maoist areas
Ongole, July 30: Government employees deputed for conducting panchayat polls in Markapuram division refused to attend the duty fearing a Maoist attack in retaliation to the July 23 encounter.The polling staff were supposed to attend to duty in the interior areas like Y. Palem, Pullalacheruvu, Dornala, Peddadornala and Tripuranthakam mandals in the deep Nallamala forest.
According to sources, at least 40 employees, inclu-ding teachers, were unwi-lling to attend to the election duty as the fear of Maoist attack grew after police killed top Maoists leaders including State secretary Madhav in an encounter on July 23.
They had reportedly app-roched senior officials for the cancellation of orders.A senior official on condition of anonymity told this correspondent that the rules will be strictly implemented as the Election Commission had given clear instructions that the polling staff should attend the duty without fail. He said that action would be taken against the staff as per the rules if they fail to perform their duty.
“In recent years, no untoward incident has occured during either Assembly, Parliament or local bodies election,” he said. Apart from Grayhounds personnel combing the forest, a large number of State and Tamil Nadu police personnel will be deployed in the interior areas of the district to foil any attempt by the Maoists to disrupt the election process.
City traders allege harassment
Rajahmundry, July 30: Traders alleged harassment from officials of the the Commercial Tax and Legal Metrology departments. A traders’ meet held under the aegis of the Rajahmundry Chamber of Commerce here on Sunday passed several resolutions. Taking part in the meet, traders alleged that commercial tax officials, under the guise of VAT verification, were imposing fines and harassing them for other fees.
They also found fault with legal metrology officials for booking cases against traders even on issues not related to them. They said that cases were being booked for imported packing and alleged that though the fees prescribed for giving a seal for electronic weighing machine was fixed at Rs 350, officials were collecting an additional fees of Rs 350 unauthorisedly. The traders’ meet asked officials to stop such practices.
They said that non-availability of C-forms and other bills was causing hardship to them. Traders referred to the government order imposing made-up tax on cloth merchants having a turnover of Rs 1 crore and suggested to the government to categorise traders based on towns and cities into A,B,C and D. This could help the government get more revenue, they felt.
The meeting resolved that if essential commodities were removed from online trading, their prices would come down and suggested halting forward trading of these commodities. The meeting was chaired by the Chamber president Bommana Rajakumar. They plan to meet Chief Minister Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar during his scheduled visit on August 9 to submit a representation.
Do away with percentage culture: MP
Kakinada, July 30: The newly elected ZP meet on Sunday concluded without transacting any business. The meet started about 15 minutes behind schedule at 11.15 am. ZP chairman Chelluboyina Srinivasa Venugopalakrishna took oath of office first followed by vice-chairperson Sakuri Krishnaveni.
The oath was administered by district collector M. Subrahmanayam. On behalf of the opposition Telugu Desam, Thota Navin welcomed the new chairman and promised to extend constructive cooperation in developmental activities.
Speaking on the occasion, Rajahmundry MP Undavilli Arun Kumar advised the new body to keep away from the percentage culture. This had a telling effect on the previous body, he observed. He said that many speakers before him had advised the ZP chairman and the new body on ways and means to develop the city.
He told the body and the ZP chairman to completely do away with percentages in various works that are being taken up from the ZP. This was the big disease which spoilt development, he observed. Earlier, Mr Venugopal sought the cooperation of all members in developing the district.
MLAs Tetali Rama Reddy, Alluri Krishnam Raju, Pilli Subhash Chandra Bose, Chinnam Babu Ramesh, Pamula Rajeswari and others spoke.
TD corporators fault call centre
Warangal, July 30: The Telugu Desam municipal corporators blamed the Warangal Municipal Corporation authorities for their “indifferent” attitude in convening the council meet to discuss the outbreak of chikungunya epidemic.
TD corporation floor leader Gundu Sudha Rani alleged that the authorities failed to organise the council meet to discuss the serious issue of epidemic outbreak.
She said that hundreds of people were down with chikungunya and there were a couple of deaths in the city. The council should have been convened much earlier to work out the strategy to prevent the disease outbreak in new areas.
The TD floor leader also took serious exception to the authorities asking the elected public representatives to meet them on specified timings. “For the people in public service, there should not be any hard and fast timings to serve the needy. As and when the problem arises, they should be given audience by officers like commissioner,” the irate TD corporators added.
Surprisingly, the opposition corporators also found fault with the Commissioner’s Grievance Cell and Call Centre facility stating that the corporators were being ignored by their ward people as their grievances were being attended promptly through the grievance cell and call centre facility.
The authorities were perplexed by the demand from a section of the corporators to do away with the call centre and grievance cell facility by the commissioner. The corporators afraid that they would lose their base with the division people, who are getting their grievances redressed on their own.
The TD corporators also found fault with the authorities for ignoring the council’s resolution to develop the Bhadrakali Bund and instead showing “undue” haste in calling for the Rs 80 lakhs tenders for the Waddepally tank beautification works.
Agitated TD corporators including Pola Sharvani, Bathini Vasundara, Munni, A. Murali Manohar, Nagapuri Kalpana and others also threatened to go on agitation if the authorities failed to give due respect to the elected corporators.
Nominees campaign at temples
Karimnagar, July 30: The Nagula Panchami festival came in handy for the women contestants of the prestigious Vemulawada major gram panchayat elections. The women contestants of the sarpanch post, which is reserved for BC women category, vied with each other to enlist the support of the voters at Bheemeshwaralayam in the temple town on Sunday on the occasion of the festival.
In a bid to cash in on the sentiments of the women devotees, the contestants clad in traditional dresses applied tilak and sought the support of voters. Even as scores of women thronged the famous anthill at Bheemeshwaralayam to offer milk and special pujas in the early morning, Congress-TRS combine backed candidate Narala Sattamma and TD supported contestant Polasa Padmaja launched poll campaign in front of the temple from the early hours of the day.
Armed with public address systems and pamphlets, the contestants continued their election canvassing while the devotees were busily engaged in the rituals. The candidates greeted the devotees as they come out of the temple. Another contestant D. Sridevi also vigorously campaigned in the vicinity of the temple in an effort to garner the support of the devotees.
The area surrounding the temple virtually turned into a public meet venue as a large number of the supporters including the family members of the contestants camped in front of the temple.
SRSP to release water to save crops
Karimnagar, July 30: The State government has decided to release 8,500 cusecs of water from the Sriramsagar Project (SRSP) from August 1 to 10. According to sources, the decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by minister for major irrigation Ponnala Laxmaiah with engineers and local MLAs in Hyderabad.
The minister decided to release 5,500 cusecs of water from the SRSP to the Lower Manair Dam to supply drinking water as well as to save the standing crops. The remaining 3,000 cusecs of water would be stored in the LMD reservoir in Kari-mnagar. Of the water stored at the reservoir, about 1,500 to 2,000 cusecs would be released to the catchment area under the LMD.
Meanwhile, district collector M.V. Satyanarayana reviewed the arrangements to ensure effective utilisation of the water to be released from the SRSP. The collector called upon the farmers to cooperate with the officials.
Adilabad gets ready for contest
Adilabad, July 30: The State government’s decision to reward unanimous election of sarpanches has had no effect in the district with the number of unanimous election coming do-wn compared to last year.
As many as 62 sarpanches have been elected unanimously in the present panchayat elections in co-mparision to 86 sarpanches in the last elections.
Of 62 gram panchayats, which witnessed unanim-ous election, only 49 will get the government reward since it requires unanimous election of sarpanch and ward members. The State government had announced a reward of Rs 15 lakh for major gram panchayats and Rs 1.5 lakh for minor gram panchayats.
KTPS pollution hits Paloncha
Khammam, July 30: The people of Paloncha town are planning to launch an agitation against the poor environmental maintenance by the Kothagudem Thermal Power Station.
They expressed concern that the KTPS was releasing various affluents in the air. Many people in Paloncha and its surrounding villages have been facing severe br-onchitis and other lung inf-ections due to air pollution.
Hundreds of tonnes of ash particles are being released into the air through the chi-mneys of the KTPS. Air is being polluted though the KTPS has been taking various safety measures.
V. Ramesh Babu, a doctor from Kothagudem, said that bronchitis cases are increasing every year in Paloncha town. The KTPS has been generating 1,220 mw power in its five phases of power stations and it proposed to set up the sixth stage with the capacity of 500 mw.
The government sanctioned Rs 2,125 crores for the purpose and allocated Rs 245 crores for safety measure. The KTPS is not giving any importance for plantations in its budget and this time too it neglected the plantation programme.
It allocated Rs 49 crores for ash clearing, Rs 75 crores for cooling towers, Rs 80 crores for ash plants, Rs 2.5 crores for the purchase of environment implements and Rs 5 crores to avoid water pollution. Interestingly, it allocated only Rs 12.5 lakh for the plantation programme which is very important to protect the environment.
Manasa Academy director K. Prabhu Kumar said that the government has done in-justice to the people of Paloncha by allocating less funds for plantations. He sa-id that he would meet Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy and request him to release funds to raise plants in the 26 sqkm of Paloncha surrounding areas.
Carbondioxide used to be released in the air in the coal burning process and trees would check its influence by releasing oxygen. Paloncha area has been identified as the most polluted area with the presence of Sponge Iron India Limited, Navabharat Ferro Alloys unit and other units.
“The sixth stage of the KTPS would make the lives of Paloncha people miserable if the management does not take comprehensive measures to check pollution,” T. Rama Rao of the town said.
NRI alumni takes control of auditorium
Guntur, July 30: With the recent GO M.S. No. 237, the State government allowed the Guntur Medical College alumni of North America to take control of the prestigious auditorium in the college. For the gigantic auditorium constructed in a site that costs more than Rs 1.7 crores, the government allotted Rs 1.72 crore and the Gmcana donors contributed Rs 2.3 crores.
Though the lion’s share in the construction was of the government, giving up control over the maintenance of the auditorium drew flak and a report was also published in these columns in January 2005.
According to the GO, the maintenance of the auditorium is not handed over to college development committee, but given to a nine-member committee in which only three members are from the medical college. Since the remaining six members are Gmcana representatives, they obviously have their say on the affairs of the auditorium.
The auditorium was inaugurated during the global alumni home-coming programme in January 2005. In fact, their involvement in the project was dubbed as an intrusion into the administrative affairs of the GMC. Before the construction itself, the Gmcana asked for constructing rights.
Since the lion’s share in the construction was of the government, their plea was not allowed. But, being donors, they were allowed to execute the rest of the work other than the structure. The structure was built by engineers of the AP Medical and Health Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation.
While planning to take over the reins of the auditorium, the Gmcana planned to allot the auditorium to private parties with certain changes, like opening a new gate.
CPM, Congress clash on Polavaram
Bhadrachalam (Khammam), July 30: The Central Empowered Committee appointed by the Supreme Court visited Bhadrachalam division on Sunday to study the submergence of wildlife Sanctuary areas due to the construction of Polavaram project. Congress and CPI(M) activists raised slogans for and against the project causing tension in the area and forcing police to intervene.
Activists and tribals mobilised by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Congress ass-embled in front of Punnami Guest House, where the committee members were staying, to present their case before it.
The CPI(M) fielded Bhadrachalam MP Mediam Babu Rao, MLA Sunnam Rajaiah, party district secretary Pothineni Sudarshan to meet the committee along with ZPTCs, mandal parishad chairman and newly elected sarpanches to explain their stand against the Polavaram project.
The CPI(M) leaders staged dharna in front of the guest house and sought audience with the committee. The Congress managed the show by bringing in people from affected areas in an attempt to project that they wanted the Polavaram project at any cost.
Congress Sattupalli legislator Jalagam Venkat Rao, Kothagudem legislator Vanama Venkates-wara Rao and AICC secretary Ponguleti Sudhakara Reddy met the committee and submitted me-moranda in favour of the project.
However, the committee led by P.V. Jayakrishnan asked the leaders to give their opinion in writing and not to explain orally. The other members on the panel were N.K. Joshi, Mahendra Vyas, Siddhartha Chowdary, A.D.N. Rao and Pranam Waghre.
CPI(M) district secretary P. Sudarshan accused the Congress of trying to ruin the lives of people by turning the project into a real estate business. He said that the government is doing business with every project and is treating Polavaram as a real estate project. He said that the lives of tribals are not at all being taken into account by the government.
At one stage, tension prevailed as both parties shouted slogans against each other forcing police to intervene and disburse the agitating mob. Later, the committee members went to Koheda under Velirpad mandal and took representations from locals. At Kukkunoor, some people tried to intercept the convoy of the committee, but the members ignored them and proceeded to Koheda.
Youth killed over affair
Visakhapatnam, July 30: The mystery over missing youth has been solved by city task force accidentally when it arrested two of his friends on Sunday evening. Kolluru Vijay Kumar, 26, of Durganagar under Pendurthy mandal was hacked to death, cut into pieces and carried in a TV carton to Vizianagaram and buried on the banks of Champavathi river.
According to task force sources, Vijay Kumar had an affair with a sex worker at Kancharapalem and two of his close friends wanted to join him with the same woman. Vijay kumar refused to introduce her to his friends claiming he had an emotional attachment with her.
On June 14, Vijay Kumar during his regular visit to her found his friends there and became furious. A quarrel ensued and his friends strangled him to death in the same house. Later, they cut him into pieces and packed the body in a TV carton. They took the carton in a taxi to Denkada mandal in Vizianagaram district and buried the carton on the banks of Champavathi river the following day.
The family members of Vijay Kumar did not file any complaint with the police though he has been missing for more than a month. The task force police arrested the two youths in one small robbery case and the culprits assuming they were taken into custody for the murder confessed to the killing.
The parents who came to know about the brutal death of their son launched a formal complaint with the Pendurthy police on Saturday evening and a case of missing was registered. The police left for Denkada on Sunday evening along with the arrested persons to retrieve the body from the river bank.
The task force personnel refused to reveal the identity of the killers saying the case was still under investigation. “Though the youths confessed to killing, more details would be known after retrieving the body,” task force official told this correspondent. The sex worker is missing.
AU union urges regularisation
Visakhapatnam, July 30: The Andhra University United Staff Union requested the chairman, Andhra Pradesh State Council of Higher Education, Prof K.C. Reddy to regularise the services of the non- teaching staff who joined on daily wage basis before November 25, 1993 and have been working without break.
Representatives of the union said that the university made some daily wage appointments before 1993 to cope up with the increased workload in the examination branches as well as other units. These staff has been continuously working in the units till date without regularisation of their services though they have put in 13 years of continuous service.
They have also said that according to the GO No 212 of April 22, 1994, the university regularised the services of some of the daily wage staff leaving some others. In this regard, union members here on Sunday, requested Prof. Reddy to look into the matter personally and regularise the services of the rest.
Guntur, July 30: With the diversion of Chennai-Kakinada Circar Express, the new Guntur railway station will get a new link with Kakinada soon. As the objective of the new railway station was to facilitate the diversion of some trains from Chennai to Vijayawada that pass through Tenali, at present only Chennai- Jammi Tavi- No 6031, Jammu Tavi – Chennai- No. 6032, Chennai to Luknow and its correlative trains are being run through this station.
Thus, Circar Express would be the third train to be diverted via the New Guntur railway station, though the exact date is yet to be announced. However, the station lacks minimum facilities like drinking water and sanitation. The bore meant for water never functions. There is no sufficient shelter for the passengers.
Moreover, there is no approach road to the station as it is located in the remote Nehru Nagar. Keeping the criticism on the infrastructure of the station in view, the authorities of Guntur division decided to take all steps to transform the station along with four more stations into model ones.
According to an official, passenger amenities will be improved at Guntur, Nalgonda, Nandiyal, Nadikudi and Narsaraopet to provide travellers with an entirely different experience. The official said that the stations are to be decked up.
CPM calls for protection of coast from port
Visakhapatnam, July 30: The district CPM requested the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board to take steps to protect the seashore at Gangavaram and also to take action against the management of Gangavaram Port Ltd for violation of environmental laws.
In a letter to the chairman of the APPCB, CPM district secretary Ch. Narasinga Rao said the phenomenon of sea waves entering Dibbapalem village washing away two houses a few days ago was due to the bad planning and unsatisfactory construction of the port by the management.
“Any obstruction caused in the natural course of the sea which is predominantly north-flowing from south by way of construction or sea bed dredging will definitely have an adverse affect on environment in general. This was earlier told by the experts,” said Narasinga Rao.
He added that the port management has not followed any of the alternative measures in constructing the port, which is causing severe erosion to the north coast around Dibbapalem by the diffracted waves and the associated strong, long-shore currents.
The CPM also asked the board officials to visit the Gangavaram port site and take action on the management. The party also urged it to take steps to stop the work until alternative methods of construction were taken up to protect the lives and property of Dibbapalem villagers.
Auctions fail to impact elections
Adilabad, July 30: It seems that there is not much influence of auctions for sarpanch posts in the gram panchayat elections as the number of unanimously elected sarpanches has come down compared to the last elections.
As many as 62 sarpanches have been elected unanimously in the present gram panchayat elections while 86 were elected so in the last elections. Even the announcement of the government reward for gram panchayats which had unanimously elected their sarpanches and ward members did not attract a majority of gram panchayats in the district.
Only 49 gram panchayats were selected for the government reward as it is necessary that both the sarpanch and ward members should be elected unanimously. The State government announced Rs 15 lakhs and Rs 5 lakhs as reward for major and minor gram panchayats respectively for unanimous elections.
Maoist rules out internal rivalry
Atmakur (Kurnool), July 30: CPI-Maoists Nallamala division secretary Sudershan denied talk of internal differences among the partymen. Speaking to reporters from Atmakur over phone on Sunday, the Maoist leader said that the police are resorting to false campaign and portraying the Madhav encounter as the outcome of internal rivalry.
He said that they would resolve the differences, if any, through discussions and would not kill their leaders. Police launched this ‘campaign’ only to confuse people, he said. He said that Madhav encounter was a fake one.
The eight Maoists, including Maoist State secretary Madhav were shot dead when they were not alert and while his body-guards were attending to nature’s call. Only eight Maoists were present at encounter spot and firing took place at 8.30 am and not in early hours as claimed by the police, he said.
Sudershan said that woman Maoist Rama was alive and was not killed in the encounter. He warned that the SPs of Prakasam, Mahbubnagar and Warangal districts would face defeat in the hands of People’s Guerrilla Army. He called upon the people to support the bandh call given by the party on July 31 and August 3 in protest against the Nallamala encounter.
Tunga reservoir gates opened
Kurnool/Anantapur, July 30: Krishna and Tungabhadra rivers continue to receive huge inflows of floodwaters due to heavy rains in Karnataka. Officials lifted 10 gates of Tungabhadra river and were releasing 22,000 cusecs water downstream.
Kurnool district collector Dhana Kishore on Sunday cautioned the people living in Tungabhadra river catchment areas to be alert. Tungabhadra Dam High Level Canal superindenting engineer Somi Reddy said that officials opened four gates in the morning and later opened another six gates.
He said that the dam was receiving an inflow of 45,334 cusecs and 7,000 cusecs was being released into canals and another 15,000 cusecs into river. Water level stood at 1,632.5 ft against the full water level of 1,633 ft and 101.26 tmc ft of water is being stored against the maximum storage capacity of 104 tmc ft. He said that the gates were opened as a precautionary measure.
It was estimated that it would take another three days for the dam to reach the maximum storage capacity and officials planned to open the gates only after two days. However, officials opened the gates as water level reached danger mark on Sunday. Remaining gates would be lifted if inflows increase, officials said.
Tungabhadra dam superindenting engineer Yella Reddy is monitoring the situation. Last year, the dam gates were opened in the second week of August. eanwhile, water level at Srisailam dam rose to 877 ft and the storage level to 216.651 tmc ft on Sunday evening.
The reservoir receives 2,13,264 cusecs water and 50,840 cusecs water is being released into Nagarjunasagar after power production. Another 8,000 cusecs water is being released into Srisailam Right Bank Canal through Pothireddypadu head regulator.
Officials estimate that the present inflows would increase to 2.5 lakh cusec on Monday. They said that the gates would be opened in the next two days. Srisailam dam has the full water level of 885 ft and total water storage capacity of 263 tmc ft.
The reservoir requires another 44 tmc ft to reach the maximum storage point and it would achieve this in another two days if the present inflows continue.
Nellore MLAs get clean chit
Nellore, July 30: Local legislator Anam Vivekananda Reddy on Sunday clai-med that he and his brother and Rapur MLA Anam Ramanarayana Reddy were cleared of the charges of holding the offices of profit.
Speaking to reporters he-re, Mr Vivekananda Reddy said a communication issu-ed by Governor Rameswar Thakur informed him that the charges levelled against them by Telugu Desam leaders Kadiam Srihari and Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy were not maintainable under Article 192(1) of the Constitution.
The Governor issued the communication after taking the opinion of the Election Commission of India on the petition of TD leaders. On March 31, the Telugu Desam leaders petitioned the Governor seeking disqualification of the legislators for holding offices of profit while referring to the legislators’ occupying adm-inistrative posts in V.R. Educational Institutes in Nellore.
Mr Vivekananda Reddy is secretary and correspondent of the managing committee and his brother Ramanarayana Reddy is the president of the committee. Criticised Telugu Desam leaders for levelling allegations against them, Mr Vivekananda Reddy said the TD leaders were resorting such tactics against them unable to come to terms with their electoral defeat.
Accusing the Telugu Desam was daydreaming of coming back to power, he said that the Telugu Desam leaders should learn to accept both defeat and victory.
Netas sneak into snake fest
Karimnagar, July 30: The Naga Panchami festival came in handy for the women contestants of the prestigious Vemulawada major gram panchayat elections as contestants for the sarpanch post reserved for BC women vied with each other to garner support of women voters who thronged the temple at Bheemeshwaralayam on Sunday.
In a bid to cash in on the sentiments of the women devotees, the contestants, clad in traditional attires, campaigned for their cause. Even as scores of women thronged the famous anthill at Bheemeshwaralayam to offer milk and special poojas in the early morning, the Congress-TRS combine backed candidate Narala Sattamma and the TDP supported contestant Polasa Padmaja spearheaded an intensive campaign in front of the temple from the early hours of the day.
Armed with public address systems and pamphlets, the contestants continued their election canvassing while the devotees busily engaged in the rituals. The candidates greeted the devotees personally in their attempt to swing the votes.
Another contestant, D. Sridevi, also vigorously campaigned in the vicinity of the temple in an effort to garner support of the devotees. The area surrounding the temple virtually a public meet venue.
Man dies of snake bite
Karimnagar, July 30: A 42-year-old man died of snakebite at Raikal in the wee hours of Sunday. Sources said a snake entered the house of P. Rajesham in the midnight and bit him on his ear while he was fast asleep. His family members took him to a local private hospital and later shifted him to the Jagtial government area hospital where he died.
Congress march slows down
Ongole, July 30: The Congress party, which won a landslide victory in the ZP polls last month, has failed to maintain the same tempo in the village panchayat polls held in Ongole division on July 29.
The Congress won 51 ZPTC seats out of 56 and defeated its rival with a huge margin in June. However, within one month, the political scenario has changed. Voters have rejected Congress party supporters in over 55 villages in Ongole division and opted for TD supporters for the post of village sarpanches. Polls were conducted for 272 village panchayats.
Congress supporters won about 165 village sarpanch posts, TD supporters won 95, CPI supporter 1, CPM 1 and independents won in 13 village sarpanch posts. Telugu Desam leaders and cadre have fully utilised the anti-incumbency factor in villages.
Soaring of prices of essential commodities and hike in petrol and diesel prices six times within two and half years have definitely affected the winning prospects of the Congress supporters. TD leaders have on numerous occasions conducted agitations in various parts of the district and highlighted the plight of people due to skyrocketing prices.
All these factors have led to the tilting of voters towards the TD. TD leaders also vigorously campaigned to register victory. Meanwhile, results of some villages were declared late on Friday night. Chimakurthy and Addanki village results were declared late last night. Congress supporters won both major panchayat sarpanch posts.
Speaking to this newspaper, district Telugu Desam president Karanam Balaram said on Sunday that people had realised that Congress leaders had made only promises and failed to fulfill them.
He pointed that there was a huge differences between the statements made by ruling party leaders and their actions. District Congress Committee president G.V. Seshu claimed that the supporters of the Congress party had won impressive victories in the village panchayat polls.
He pointed out that many voters in the villages were confused as the Congress party symbol was not found on the ballot paper. This was one of the reasons for the poor performance of the Congress party, he added. The party had lost badly in Assembly, municipal and ZP polls during one-and-a- half years.
Officials fear poll duty in Agency areas
Ongole, July 30: The government employees deputed for polling duty in Markapuram division for the village panchayat polls are unwilling to attend duties fearing attacks by Maoists in the backdrop of death of eight Maoists, including State committee secretary Madhav, in the encounter on July 23.
The polling officials should attend the duty in the interior areas in the deep Nallamala forests in Y. Palem, Pullalacheruvu, Dornala, Peddadornala and Tripuranthakam mandals. According to information, at least 40 employees, including teachers, are not willing to attend to the polling duty. On the other hand, huge number of police force will be deployed in the sensitive areas to prevent any untoward incident.
In recent years, no untoward incident took place during the polls whether it was for Assembly, Parliament or local bodies. Several hundred officials have been deputed for polling duty for the last many years in the remote areas.
The Election Commission has given clear instructions that the officials attend to their poll duties without fail. At least 40 employees are reportedly not willing to take polling duty orders from the officials and are trying to cancel the orders. They are seeking help from senior officials.
Speaking on the issue, one of the senior officials in the district on condition of anonymity said that the rules relating to poll duties would be strictly implemented. Action would be taken against those officials, who abstain from poll duties, he added.
The police officials provide extra security in the sensitive village for the peaceful conduct of polls. Grey hound forces have been conducting combing operations in the forest areas. Besides, police personnel from Tamil Nadu also deployed for poll duties in the district.
AP staff shun duty in Maoist areas
Ongole, July 30: Government employees deputed for conducting panchayat polls in Markapuram division refused to attend the duty fearing a Maoist attack in retaliation to the July 23 encounter.The polling staff were supposed to attend to duty in the interior areas like Y. Palem, Pullalacheruvu, Dornala, Peddadornala and Tripuranthakam mandals in the deep Nallamala forest.
According to sources, at least 40 employees, inclu-ding teachers, were unwi-lling to attend to the election duty as the fear of Maoist attack grew after police killed top Maoists leaders including State secretary Madhav in an encounter on July 23.
They had reportedly app-roched senior officials for the cancellation of orders.A senior official on condition of anonymity told this correspondent that the rules will be strictly implemented as the Election Commission had given clear instructions that the polling staff should attend the duty without fail. He said that action would be taken against the staff as per the rules if they fail to perform their duty.
“In recent years, no untoward incident has occured during either Assembly, Parliament or local bodies election,” he said. Apart from Grayhounds personnel combing the forest, a large number of State and Tamil Nadu police personnel will be deployed in the interior areas of the district to foil any attempt by the Maoists to disrupt the election process.
City traders allege harassment
Rajahmundry, July 30: Traders alleged harassment from officials of the the Commercial Tax and Legal Metrology departments. A traders’ meet held under the aegis of the Rajahmundry Chamber of Commerce here on Sunday passed several resolutions. Taking part in the meet, traders alleged that commercial tax officials, under the guise of VAT verification, were imposing fines and harassing them for other fees.
They also found fault with legal metrology officials for booking cases against traders even on issues not related to them. They said that cases were being booked for imported packing and alleged that though the fees prescribed for giving a seal for electronic weighing machine was fixed at Rs 350, officials were collecting an additional fees of Rs 350 unauthorisedly. The traders’ meet asked officials to stop such practices.
They said that non-availability of C-forms and other bills was causing hardship to them. Traders referred to the government order imposing made-up tax on cloth merchants having a turnover of Rs 1 crore and suggested to the government to categorise traders based on towns and cities into A,B,C and D. This could help the government get more revenue, they felt.
The meeting resolved that if essential commodities were removed from online trading, their prices would come down and suggested halting forward trading of these commodities. The meeting was chaired by the Chamber president Bommana Rajakumar. They plan to meet Chief Minister Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar during his scheduled visit on August 9 to submit a representation.
Do away with percentage culture: MP
Kakinada, July 30: The newly elected ZP meet on Sunday concluded without transacting any business. The meet started about 15 minutes behind schedule at 11.15 am. ZP chairman Chelluboyina Srinivasa Venugopalakrishna took oath of office first followed by vice-chairperson Sakuri Krishnaveni.
The oath was administered by district collector M. Subrahmanayam. On behalf of the opposition Telugu Desam, Thota Navin welcomed the new chairman and promised to extend constructive cooperation in developmental activities.
Speaking on the occasion, Rajahmundry MP Undavilli Arun Kumar advised the new body to keep away from the percentage culture. This had a telling effect on the previous body, he observed. He said that many speakers before him had advised the ZP chairman and the new body on ways and means to develop the city.
He told the body and the ZP chairman to completely do away with percentages in various works that are being taken up from the ZP. This was the big disease which spoilt development, he observed. Earlier, Mr Venugopal sought the cooperation of all members in developing the district.
MLAs Tetali Rama Reddy, Alluri Krishnam Raju, Pilli Subhash Chandra Bose, Chinnam Babu Ramesh, Pamula Rajeswari and others spoke.
TD corporators fault call centre
Warangal, July 30: The Telugu Desam municipal corporators blamed the Warangal Municipal Corporation authorities for their “indifferent” attitude in convening the council meet to discuss the outbreak of chikungunya epidemic.
TD corporation floor leader Gundu Sudha Rani alleged that the authorities failed to organise the council meet to discuss the serious issue of epidemic outbreak.
She said that hundreds of people were down with chikungunya and there were a couple of deaths in the city. The council should have been convened much earlier to work out the strategy to prevent the disease outbreak in new areas.
The TD floor leader also took serious exception to the authorities asking the elected public representatives to meet them on specified timings. “For the people in public service, there should not be any hard and fast timings to serve the needy. As and when the problem arises, they should be given audience by officers like commissioner,” the irate TD corporators added.
Surprisingly, the opposition corporators also found fault with the Commissioner’s Grievance Cell and Call Centre facility stating that the corporators were being ignored by their ward people as their grievances were being attended promptly through the grievance cell and call centre facility.
The authorities were perplexed by the demand from a section of the corporators to do away with the call centre and grievance cell facility by the commissioner. The corporators afraid that they would lose their base with the division people, who are getting their grievances redressed on their own.
The TD corporators also found fault with the authorities for ignoring the council’s resolution to develop the Bhadrakali Bund and instead showing “undue” haste in calling for the Rs 80 lakhs tenders for the Waddepally tank beautification works.
Agitated TD corporators including Pola Sharvani, Bathini Vasundara, Munni, A. Murali Manohar, Nagapuri Kalpana and others also threatened to go on agitation if the authorities failed to give due respect to the elected corporators.
Nominees campaign at temples
Karimnagar, July 30: The Nagula Panchami festival came in handy for the women contestants of the prestigious Vemulawada major gram panchayat elections. The women contestants of the sarpanch post, which is reserved for BC women category, vied with each other to enlist the support of the voters at Bheemeshwaralayam in the temple town on Sunday on the occasion of the festival.
In a bid to cash in on the sentiments of the women devotees, the contestants clad in traditional dresses applied tilak and sought the support of voters. Even as scores of women thronged the famous anthill at Bheemeshwaralayam to offer milk and special pujas in the early morning, Congress-TRS combine backed candidate Narala Sattamma and TD supported contestant Polasa Padmaja launched poll campaign in front of the temple from the early hours of the day.
Armed with public address systems and pamphlets, the contestants continued their election canvassing while the devotees were busily engaged in the rituals. The candidates greeted the devotees as they come out of the temple. Another contestant D. Sridevi also vigorously campaigned in the vicinity of the temple in an effort to garner the support of the devotees.
The area surrounding the temple virtually turned into a public meet venue as a large number of the supporters including the family members of the contestants camped in front of the temple.
SRSP to release water to save crops
Karimnagar, July 30: The State government has decided to release 8,500 cusecs of water from the Sriramsagar Project (SRSP) from August 1 to 10. According to sources, the decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by minister for major irrigation Ponnala Laxmaiah with engineers and local MLAs in Hyderabad.
The minister decided to release 5,500 cusecs of water from the SRSP to the Lower Manair Dam to supply drinking water as well as to save the standing crops. The remaining 3,000 cusecs of water would be stored in the LMD reservoir in Kari-mnagar. Of the water stored at the reservoir, about 1,500 to 2,000 cusecs would be released to the catchment area under the LMD.
Meanwhile, district collector M.V. Satyanarayana reviewed the arrangements to ensure effective utilisation of the water to be released from the SRSP. The collector called upon the farmers to cooperate with the officials.
Adilabad gets ready for contest
Adilabad, July 30: The State government’s decision to reward unanimous election of sarpanches has had no effect in the district with the number of unanimous election coming do-wn compared to last year.
As many as 62 sarpanches have been elected unanimously in the present panchayat elections in co-mparision to 86 sarpanches in the last elections.
Of 62 gram panchayats, which witnessed unanim-ous election, only 49 will get the government reward since it requires unanimous election of sarpanch and ward members. The State government had announced a reward of Rs 15 lakh for major gram panchayats and Rs 1.5 lakh for minor gram panchayats.
KTPS pollution hits Paloncha
Khammam, July 30: The people of Paloncha town are planning to launch an agitation against the poor environmental maintenance by the Kothagudem Thermal Power Station.
They expressed concern that the KTPS was releasing various affluents in the air. Many people in Paloncha and its surrounding villages have been facing severe br-onchitis and other lung inf-ections due to air pollution.
Hundreds of tonnes of ash particles are being released into the air through the chi-mneys of the KTPS. Air is being polluted though the KTPS has been taking various safety measures.
V. Ramesh Babu, a doctor from Kothagudem, said that bronchitis cases are increasing every year in Paloncha town. The KTPS has been generating 1,220 mw power in its five phases of power stations and it proposed to set up the sixth stage with the capacity of 500 mw.
The government sanctioned Rs 2,125 crores for the purpose and allocated Rs 245 crores for safety measure. The KTPS is not giving any importance for plantations in its budget and this time too it neglected the plantation programme.
It allocated Rs 49 crores for ash clearing, Rs 75 crores for cooling towers, Rs 80 crores for ash plants, Rs 2.5 crores for the purchase of environment implements and Rs 5 crores to avoid water pollution. Interestingly, it allocated only Rs 12.5 lakh for the plantation programme which is very important to protect the environment.
Manasa Academy director K. Prabhu Kumar said that the government has done in-justice to the people of Paloncha by allocating less funds for plantations. He sa-id that he would meet Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy and request him to release funds to raise plants in the 26 sqkm of Paloncha surrounding areas.
Carbondioxide used to be released in the air in the coal burning process and trees would check its influence by releasing oxygen. Paloncha area has been identified as the most polluted area with the presence of Sponge Iron India Limited, Navabharat Ferro Alloys unit and other units.
“The sixth stage of the KTPS would make the lives of Paloncha people miserable if the management does not take comprehensive measures to check pollution,” T. Rama Rao of the town said.
NRI alumni takes control of auditorium
Guntur, July 30: With the recent GO M.S. No. 237, the State government allowed the Guntur Medical College alumni of North America to take control of the prestigious auditorium in the college. For the gigantic auditorium constructed in a site that costs more than Rs 1.7 crores, the government allotted Rs 1.72 crore and the Gmcana donors contributed Rs 2.3 crores.
Though the lion’s share in the construction was of the government, giving up control over the maintenance of the auditorium drew flak and a report was also published in these columns in January 2005.
According to the GO, the maintenance of the auditorium is not handed over to college development committee, but given to a nine-member committee in which only three members are from the medical college. Since the remaining six members are Gmcana representatives, they obviously have their say on the affairs of the auditorium.
The auditorium was inaugurated during the global alumni home-coming programme in January 2005. In fact, their involvement in the project was dubbed as an intrusion into the administrative affairs of the GMC. Before the construction itself, the Gmcana asked for constructing rights.
Since the lion’s share in the construction was of the government, their plea was not allowed. But, being donors, they were allowed to execute the rest of the work other than the structure. The structure was built by engineers of the AP Medical and Health Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation.
While planning to take over the reins of the auditorium, the Gmcana planned to allot the auditorium to private parties with certain changes, like opening a new gate.
CPM, Congress clash on Polavaram
Bhadrachalam (Khammam), July 30: The Central Empowered Committee appointed by the Supreme Court visited Bhadrachalam division on Sunday to study the submergence of wildlife Sanctuary areas due to the construction of Polavaram project. Congress and CPI(M) activists raised slogans for and against the project causing tension in the area and forcing police to intervene.
Activists and tribals mobilised by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Congress ass-embled in front of Punnami Guest House, where the committee members were staying, to present their case before it.
The CPI(M) fielded Bhadrachalam MP Mediam Babu Rao, MLA Sunnam Rajaiah, party district secretary Pothineni Sudarshan to meet the committee along with ZPTCs, mandal parishad chairman and newly elected sarpanches to explain their stand against the Polavaram project.
The CPI(M) leaders staged dharna in front of the guest house and sought audience with the committee. The Congress managed the show by bringing in people from affected areas in an attempt to project that they wanted the Polavaram project at any cost.
Congress Sattupalli legislator Jalagam Venkat Rao, Kothagudem legislator Vanama Venkates-wara Rao and AICC secretary Ponguleti Sudhakara Reddy met the committee and submitted me-moranda in favour of the project.
However, the committee led by P.V. Jayakrishnan asked the leaders to give their opinion in writing and not to explain orally. The other members on the panel were N.K. Joshi, Mahendra Vyas, Siddhartha Chowdary, A.D.N. Rao and Pranam Waghre.
CPI(M) district secretary P. Sudarshan accused the Congress of trying to ruin the lives of people by turning the project into a real estate business. He said that the government is doing business with every project and is treating Polavaram as a real estate project. He said that the lives of tribals are not at all being taken into account by the government.
At one stage, tension prevailed as both parties shouted slogans against each other forcing police to intervene and disburse the agitating mob. Later, the committee members went to Koheda under Velirpad mandal and took representations from locals. At Kukkunoor, some people tried to intercept the convoy of the committee, but the members ignored them and proceeded to Koheda.
Youth killed over affair
Visakhapatnam, July 30: The mystery over missing youth has been solved by city task force accidentally when it arrested two of his friends on Sunday evening. Kolluru Vijay Kumar, 26, of Durganagar under Pendurthy mandal was hacked to death, cut into pieces and carried in a TV carton to Vizianagaram and buried on the banks of Champavathi river.
According to task force sources, Vijay Kumar had an affair with a sex worker at Kancharapalem and two of his close friends wanted to join him with the same woman. Vijay kumar refused to introduce her to his friends claiming he had an emotional attachment with her.
On June 14, Vijay Kumar during his regular visit to her found his friends there and became furious. A quarrel ensued and his friends strangled him to death in the same house. Later, they cut him into pieces and packed the body in a TV carton. They took the carton in a taxi to Denkada mandal in Vizianagaram district and buried the carton on the banks of Champavathi river the following day.
The family members of Vijay Kumar did not file any complaint with the police though he has been missing for more than a month. The task force police arrested the two youths in one small robbery case and the culprits assuming they were taken into custody for the murder confessed to the killing.
The parents who came to know about the brutal death of their son launched a formal complaint with the Pendurthy police on Saturday evening and a case of missing was registered. The police left for Denkada on Sunday evening along with the arrested persons to retrieve the body from the river bank.
The task force personnel refused to reveal the identity of the killers saying the case was still under investigation. “Though the youths confessed to killing, more details would be known after retrieving the body,” task force official told this correspondent. The sex worker is missing.
AU union urges regularisation
Visakhapatnam, July 30: The Andhra University United Staff Union requested the chairman, Andhra Pradesh State Council of Higher Education, Prof K.C. Reddy to regularise the services of the non- teaching staff who joined on daily wage basis before November 25, 1993 and have been working without break.
Representatives of the union said that the university made some daily wage appointments before 1993 to cope up with the increased workload in the examination branches as well as other units. These staff has been continuously working in the units till date without regularisation of their services though they have put in 13 years of continuous service.
They have also said that according to the GO No 212 of April 22, 1994, the university regularised the services of some of the daily wage staff leaving some others. In this regard, union members here on Sunday, requested Prof. Reddy to look into the matter personally and regularise the services of the rest.
