Thursday, August 03, 2006
Hyderabad City News Aug 3rd,2006
SPF men to protect VIPs from Maoists
Hyderabad, Aug. 3: Public representatives and VIPs seeking security against the Maoists may be provided with gunmen from the Special Protection Force (SPF), senior police officials said. The police department has received scores of applications from public representatives including former legislators and political leaders especially after the killing of Madhav, the State’s top extremist, in the Nallamala encounter.
“Demand for personal security has gone up after the Nallamala encounter on July 22. Though it is difficult to provide gunmen to all applicants, the government is trying its best to ensure security for all,” a senior officer told this correspondent. He said that the number of persons who had sought security was not readily available.
The police is yet to decide if the gunmen will come for free or be deputed for a charge, the officials said. Two developments are sure to add to the rush of applicants seeking security. On Wednesday, the Maoists killed Congress activist T. Prasada Reddy in Kanchepalli village in Giddalur mandal in Prakasam district. Political party activists are expecting more such attacks as the Maoists have vowed to avenge the killing of their comrades.
On Thursday there were reports that an action team of Maoists led by Asanna was on the prowl in Hyderabad and other places, which has put police on tenterhooks and increase security at vital installations including State Secretariat. Home minister K. Jana Reddy discussed the large number of applications at a meeting of senior officials on Thursday. The meeting decided to provide gunmen to applicants based on threat perception. The applications will be scrutinised by senior officers.
Security has been beefed up for ministers, legislators, advisers to government. They have been given do’s and don’ts while on camps. Police has increased surveillance at ministers’ and MLAs’ quarters in the city. Though the police did not for see a Chhattisgarh-type of raid in AP, the home minister asked police not to take chances and keep a tab on Maoist activity.
No Ganesh on Tank bund
Hyderabad Aug. 3: The High court on Thursday made it clear that it would not permit immersion of Ganesh idols in Hussainsagar. The division bench comprising Chief Justice G.S. Singhvi and Justice G.V. Seethapathy directed the State government to file an affidavit within seven days on protecting the lake and its obligation to implementing recommendations made by the Rajamani Committee constituted by the Supreme Court.
The bench was dealing with a public interest litigation complaining of pollution of water bodies. The judges declared that the court was not prepared to countenance a situation where the government would refuse to implement law enacted by Parliament. Immersion of idols is scheduled for September 6, giving the government a month to sort out the issue. Our correspondent reports that principal secretary, political, C.R. Biswal without going into the specifics, said, “We are confident that the issue will be solved in due course of time. We will have a meeting with all senior officials from various departments.”
Ganesh Utsav Committee members said that they had wanted the State government to create a “restricted bund” or a pond in Hussainsagar. Committee secretary G. Hanumantha Rao said, “In our last meeting with the chief secretary we told him that the government should construct a bund in Hussainsagar for Ganesh immersion. It is now up to the government to find out a solution for it.”
Officials from the municipal corporation and Buddha Poornima Project Development Authority said that it would be a Herculean task to rig up a bund to prevent harmful chemicals from the paint of Ganesh idols from mixing with the Hussainsagar waters. A top official from BPPA said, “Officials from different departments will need to chalk out a strategy. We have always maintained that an immediate ban on immersion of Ganesh idols in Hussainsagar is a tough task.” Our legal correspondent reported that the High Court bench made it clear that the State government was bound to implement the recommendations made by the Supreme Court committee. It expressed hope that people would abide by the Act to protect the environment.
The court observed that it was the duty of the every citizen under Article 51A of the Constitution to protect the environment. The bench said that it was only interested in protecting the environment by implementing the law enacted by Parliament. The HC bench at one stage commented that if the environment was not protected it (the environment) would take revenge in one form or the other.
The court had earlier called for a decision of the government in banning the immersion of Ganesh idols in Hussainsagar. State advocate-General C.V.Mohan Reddy informed the court that it was not feasible to impose an immediate ban on immersion of Ganesh idols in Hussainsagar but it would be done in a phased manner. Mr Reddy said that banning immersion would create law and order problems. The bench did not appreciate the stand and made it clear that court would not permit immersion of any material into the lake which would create environment pollution.
KCR meets big 3 after CPI complaint
New Delhi, Aug. 3: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, accompanied by Union defence minister Pranab Mukherjee held a half-an-hour long meeting with Union labour and employment minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, also the president of Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) at the Prime Minister’s residence, 7, Race Course Road, on Thursday morning.
Neither the TRS sources nor the Prime Minister’s Office were willing to state what transpired at that meeting, the first time that Mr Rao managed to have a discussion with all three main persons involved in the decision-making on Telangana. Mr Mukherjee heads the three-member UPA sub-committee looking into the TRS’ demand for separate Telangana.
However, the meeting assumed importance on the account of formal complaints from an important Left constituent, the Communist Party of India (CPI), that Mr Rao has been completely ignoring his ministry work. On Wednesday, a CPI delegation led by the lone CPI Lok Sabha member from Andhra Pra-desh Sudhakar Reddy is reported to have met the Prime Minister and requested him to at least change Mr Rao’s portfolio, if he could not be dropped altogether.
A similar demand was made publicly by CPI parliamentary party leader and veteran trade union leader Gurudas Dasgupta at a press meet earlier last week. He had alleged that the trade unions are not able to communicate their several grievances to the government due to the non-availablity of the labour minister. The Prime Minister is reported to have explained to them the constraints of coalition politics and his limitations vis-a-vis the members of his council of ministers. However, he is reported to have assured the CPI leaders that he would discuss this matter with Mr Rao.
The meeting at the Prime Minister’s residence is being seen in this context. The presence of Mrs Gandhi, who heads the UPA, gives credence to this viewpoint.After the meeting, Mr Rao refused to entertain journalists at his residence and was incommunicado. Sources close to the TRS said that the presence of Mr Mukherjee at this meeting indicated that the Telangana issue also came up for discussion.
The meeting assumes significance in view of the recent threat of the TRS that they would raise the Telangana issue in a big way in Parliament before August 15, through their MPs. In the same context, Mr Mukherjee had said earlier that the UPA sub-committee meeting would be held on Au-gust 3 or 4. But so far there was no confirmation of the schedule.
Rains ravage north coastal AP
Hyderabad, Aug. 3: Heavy rains triggered by a cyclonic storm in the Bay of Bengal on Thursday left a trail of death and destruction in many parts of the State, particularly in north coastal Andhra Pradesh. Three persons were killed in Srikakulam district and a four-storey building collapsed in Visakhapatnam. Air services to Visakhapatnam were cancelled due to poor visibility and entry of water into the airport. The RTC cancelled buses services to Hyderabad but train services are not affected.
Standing crop spread over thousands of acres of land in Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam districts lay beneath a sheath of water. However, farmers in Telangana and Rayalaseema rejoiced as the rains revived their crops wilting under a prolonged dry spell.
Weather officials predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall all over the State in the next two days, particularly in north coastal Andhra, East Godavari, Khammam, Warangal and Karimnagar districts. Hyderabad meteorological department director M. Satya Kumar told this newspaper that rains could continue up to 48 hours in almost all parts of the State. Elsewhere, the south-west monsoon in the catchment areas upstream of the Krishna river have brought copious amounts of inflows into the Srisailam and Nagarjunasagar reservoirs.
Authorities opened seven gates of Srisailam reservoir, letting out 4.53 lakh cusecs of water into Nagarjunasagar dam where 18 gates were opened to five feet. The total discharge into Prakasam barrage in Vijayawada was 1.64 lakh cusecs.A 13-year-old ashram school student Sunoj Kumar slipped into a canal and died in Duppalavalasa under Etcherla mandal in Srikakulam. A report said 92 villages in Srikakulam district were marooned and 48 plunged into darkness as gales snapped power lines. Officials set up relief camps in several mandals and evacuated thousands of villagers to safer places.
In Vizianagaram district revenue officials sounded the red alert and evacuated people from Naviri, Thotavanivalasa and Markundaputti. Vizianagaram district averaged 102 mm of rain by 6 am on Thursday, with Vizianagaram mandal registering 213.6 mm in 48 hours of torrential rain. Work was stopped on the Peddagedda reservoir, wh-ich Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy is scheduled to visit on August 12. Karimnagar district’s Mahadevpur mandal recorded 49.6 mm of rain. Normal life was disrupted in the remote villages in the far-flung areas of Manthani division. Water stagnated in low-lying areas in Karimnagar town.
AP has secret RTC plan
Hyderabad, Aug. 3: After putting the Congress government on the mat on the issue of public sector reforms, the CPI(M) on Thursday produced more evidence of what it said was the government’s plans to privatise the AP State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC). The party also claimed that the government wanted to make the RTC profitable so that it could sell off the corporation easily. State CPI(M) secretary B.V. Raghavulu released a letter purportedly written by RTC Kha-mmam regional manager to depot managers in the region to conduct a survey of routes which could be handed over to private operators. In the proforma for joint survey of routes, the regional manager reportedly wanted to know from depot managers the “gap to be filled by APSRTC private operation.”
“This is sufficient proof to show the ill intentions of the government. It wants RTC officials to give information on routes to be privatised. This is just the beginning. There’s no need for the officials to include a clause on private operations,” Mr Raghavulu said. Referring to the State government’s proposal to give Rs 450 crore as financial assistance to the ailing corporation, Mr Raghavulu alleged that the government wanted to turn the RTC into a profit-making body so that it could sell it easily. “There will always be buyers for a profit-making PSU.
The idea is first to make RTC a profit-earning corporation and then privatise it,” Mr Raghavulu said. “Finance minister K. Rosaiah said the GO (GO Ms 5) was fake, aimed at disciplining employees. In case the government wants to issue fake and genuine GOs, then it should introduce a colour code like for ration cards. A GO issued on pink paper will be taken as a fake one and on a white paper will be considered green,” he said.
Treat Gulf students as locals, says panel
Hyderabad, Aug. 3: Nearly 25,000 students from Andhra Pradesh pursuing school education in Gulf countries should be treated on par with domicile students for college education because they have nowhere to go except their own State, a member of the NRI study group said on Thursday. Mr Afsar Faheem, member of the group set up the State said that there were about 50,000 Indian students in schools in the Gulf. He said that AP students from the Gulf were being denied admission in AP colleges on the plea that they were non-locals.
Hyderabad Central told to follow fire norms
Hyderabad Aug. 3: A division bench of the AP High Court on Thursday asked the management of Hyderabad Central to comply with the conditions governing fire safety norms under the National Building Code within two weeks. The bench was taking cognisance of an advocate commissioner’s report which stated that there was a construction on the terrace. The bench on Wednesday had appointed a committee comprising the director-general, fire services, and two advocate commissioners to inspect Hyderabad Central to verify whether the alleged illegal construction on the terrace of the building was existing or had been demolished.
The bench was informed by director-general, fire services, Alok Srivastava that the illegal construction of an office room on the terrace of Hyderabad Central had not been demolished in spite of notices issued by the Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad. The management of Hyderabad Central in its affidavit stated that the illegal construction had been demolished. However the report of the commissioner found that there were RCC columns and beams still existing on the terrace. The bench granted two weeks to remove the structures which were contrary to the sanctioned plan.
Cable operators block channels
Hyderabad, Aug. 3: Some cable operators with Hathway/C-Channel are reportedly blocking popular channels to force customers into buying a Rs 2,500 digital set-top box. The trend of blocking channels like Gemini, Surya TV, Sun TV and Sony has been reported from places like Kapra, Uppal, Saroornagar, Erragadda and Sanathnagar. Several distressed subscribers complained to this newspaper that their cable operator was not giving them the channels.
Hathway had recently launched a digital set-top box which is basically a signal enhancer. C-Channel operators in various places of the twin cities are asking customers to pay about Rs 2,500 for the box apart from Rs 180 to 200 monthly rental. “They have blocked Sony and Gemini. A few days back when they blocked the channels, we complained to them and they resumed the signal. Now once again they have done this. Even regional channels like Surya and Sun are being blocked,” said a member of Kapra Welfare Colony Association.
Mr David Raj, a resident of Erragadda, said, “I am an avid watcher of regional channels. However, the operator has taken these channels off air for the last one week. He says that if we do not purchase the digital box then he would stop other channels also.” When asked about the complaints, Hathaway’s AP incharge Ch Rajasekhar said, “We don’t want to arm-twist anybody to purchase our digital box. We will definitely take action against operators who are doing this.”
“Since I have received some information about this, I will personally see that this thing never happens again,” Mr Rajasekhar said, adding, “We don’t want to pressurise our customers.” Officials of the Hyderabad Cable TV Operators Association admitted that operators were forcing viewers to purchase digital boxes. Their solution was not to crack down on such operators but to ask viewers to shift cable services. Talking to this correspondent a senior member of the association on condition of anonymity said, “We have tried to put some sense into these operators. Consumers have only one option. They should come together and insist that the operator switches their service to other service providers.”
Maoist hit-men on prowl in city
Hyderabad, Aug. 3: An action team of the CPI (Maoist), led by naxalite leader Vasudeva Rao alias Asanna, is reportedly in the city to strike at a prominent target to avenge the July 22 Nallamala encounter, police intelligence sources said. The sources said that Asanna was spotted at Punjagutta in the city a couple of days back. The team might carry out a high-profile strike in the run-up to Independence Day, they said. Their target could be a prominent person or installation, sources said.
DGP Swaranjit Sen confirmed that the police intelligence had put out an alert about the action team. “The issue came up at the meeting convened by the home minister. We informed him that all steps are being taken to trace the team and foil their plan,” Mr Sen said. Photographs of Asanna and other naxalites suspected to be part of the team were circulated to all police stations and special teams formed to hunt them down, police said. The security of Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy is on high alert.
Sources said Hyderabad city and Cyberabad police had formed special teams. Some of these teams are in mufti, and others were posing as petty traders, drivers and even as anti-social elements. These teams have mingled with people near suspected hideouts of the Maoists in and around the city, the sources said. “The intelligence wing is trying to find out the exact target of the action team,” sources said.
Home minister K. Jana Reddy held an emergency meeting with principal secretary, home, DGP Sen and senior IPS officers and instructed them to intensify the surveillance at places of worship and suspected Maoist hideouts. The State-wide bandh called by the Maoists on Thursday passed off without major incidents. On Wednesday night, a Congress activist in Bayyanapalli village of Giddaluru mandal in Prakasam district was killed by Maoists.
Chilli gang strikes again
Hyderabad, Aug. 3: After a brief lull, the chilli powder gang struck at Gaddiannaram near Kothapet on Thursday, blinding their target and stabbing before robbing him of Rs 12 lakh, according to Cyberabad police officials. Witnesses told the police that the thieves crossed the road and rode away on a two-wheeler. The victim, Chandrasekhar, 40, a munshi with Syndicate Fruit Company at Kothapet, was admitted to hospital in critical condition.
Police suspects that the thieves are part of the chilli powder gang that was busted in the old city about one-and-a-half years ago. “Some of the gang members are out on bail and we suspect that it could be their handiwork,” Cyberabad additional commissioner of police, crimes, Rajiv Trivedi told this correspondent. Saroornagar police said the incident occurred at around 1 pm in front of Gaddiannaram municipal office, when Mr Chandrasekhar and his colleague Mohan were parking their two-wheeler to go to their office located opposite the municipal office.
They were carrying Rs 12 lakh given by company proprietor Md Karimullah to be paid to suppliers and farmers. Police said three unidentified persons, who it suspected were following Chandrasekhar and Mohan, came near them and threw chilli powder at their faces. One of the thieves drew a sword and stabbed Chandrasekhar, police said.
Officials blame Ponnala in scam
Hyderabad, Aug. 3: The multi-crore payments sc-am in Devadula lift irrigation project in Warangal is all set to push major irrigation minister Ponnala Lakshmaiah into deep trouble. During the day-long inq-uiry conducted by irrigation department joint secretary Padmaja into the scam in Devadula phase-I and phase-II, the engineers said that they had acted on the oral instructions from the minister in clearing the bills to the contractors without completing the work.
Sources said Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Red-dy also obtained preliminary report on the involvement of Mr Lakshmaiah in making excess payments to the contractors of Dev-adula project. “That the Chief Minister ordered inquiry into the scandal and sending Ms Padmaja to the work spot without informing Mr Lakshmaiah itself is an indication that he has suspected some foul play by the minister,” sources said. “If the irregularities are confirmed, the minister might even lose his berth in the Cabinet,” they said.
AP plans to auction 900-acre occupied mutt land
Hyderabad, Aug. 3: Encroachers have occupied about 929.72 acres of lands owned by Hath-iramji Mutt in the State, mostly in Tirupati. Lands owned by the mutt in other States have also been encroa-ched upon. The mutt owns 2,432.85 acres of land in four States. Besides 2,007.65 acres in Andhra Pradesh, it has 128.39 acres in Tamil Nadu, 296.81 acres in Maharashtra and 4,795 square yards in Karnataka.
However, the annual income derived from these assets is a meagre Rs 55 lakh.The government has now decided to set up a special task force to identify and protect the mutt lands and take steps to auction them off wherever possible.In Maharashtra, the mutt has 35.73 hectares in Karanjada village of Panvel, 39.03 acres in Ravalgaon in Nasik, 8 buildings and 10 shops in Mumbai.
Swami Hathiramji Bhavoji, a mahant of North India established the mutt centuries ago at Tirumala to provide food and shelter to pilgrims. As his name and fame grew, scores of people donated land and buildings to the mutt. Management of the lands ran into rough weather after Independence and the endowments department appointed an assistant commissioner in 1968 to look into the issue.
Devender Dasji and Surma Dasji, who were deputed by the mutt to look after the land, got embroiled in corruption charges. The lands were being looked after by the endowments department deputy commissioner since 1980. “But the attempt to identify and protect the lands from encroachers has proved to be difficult,” said Mr Diwakar Reddy. He denied allegations that Panvel lands were sold by his close relatives. “We are taking steps to remove encroachers.”
Out of the total 2,007.65 acres in the State, the mutt is in possession of only 97.14 acres. As many as 929.72 acres have been encroa-ched and 101.87 acres are under lease. The Telugu Desam government had auctioned off 521.37 acres, 112.20 acres were sold through private negotiations and 245.35 acres were acquired.
Hyderabad, Aug. 3: Public representatives and VIPs seeking security against the Maoists may be provided with gunmen from the Special Protection Force (SPF), senior police officials said. The police department has received scores of applications from public representatives including former legislators and political leaders especially after the killing of Madhav, the State’s top extremist, in the Nallamala encounter.
“Demand for personal security has gone up after the Nallamala encounter on July 22. Though it is difficult to provide gunmen to all applicants, the government is trying its best to ensure security for all,” a senior officer told this correspondent. He said that the number of persons who had sought security was not readily available.
The police is yet to decide if the gunmen will come for free or be deputed for a charge, the officials said. Two developments are sure to add to the rush of applicants seeking security. On Wednesday, the Maoists killed Congress activist T. Prasada Reddy in Kanchepalli village in Giddalur mandal in Prakasam district. Political party activists are expecting more such attacks as the Maoists have vowed to avenge the killing of their comrades.
On Thursday there were reports that an action team of Maoists led by Asanna was on the prowl in Hyderabad and other places, which has put police on tenterhooks and increase security at vital installations including State Secretariat. Home minister K. Jana Reddy discussed the large number of applications at a meeting of senior officials on Thursday. The meeting decided to provide gunmen to applicants based on threat perception. The applications will be scrutinised by senior officers.
Security has been beefed up for ministers, legislators, advisers to government. They have been given do’s and don’ts while on camps. Police has increased surveillance at ministers’ and MLAs’ quarters in the city. Though the police did not for see a Chhattisgarh-type of raid in AP, the home minister asked police not to take chances and keep a tab on Maoist activity.
No Ganesh on Tank bund
Hyderabad Aug. 3: The High court on Thursday made it clear that it would not permit immersion of Ganesh idols in Hussainsagar. The division bench comprising Chief Justice G.S. Singhvi and Justice G.V. Seethapathy directed the State government to file an affidavit within seven days on protecting the lake and its obligation to implementing recommendations made by the Rajamani Committee constituted by the Supreme Court.
The bench was dealing with a public interest litigation complaining of pollution of water bodies. The judges declared that the court was not prepared to countenance a situation where the government would refuse to implement law enacted by Parliament. Immersion of idols is scheduled for September 6, giving the government a month to sort out the issue. Our correspondent reports that principal secretary, political, C.R. Biswal without going into the specifics, said, “We are confident that the issue will be solved in due course of time. We will have a meeting with all senior officials from various departments.”
Ganesh Utsav Committee members said that they had wanted the State government to create a “restricted bund” or a pond in Hussainsagar. Committee secretary G. Hanumantha Rao said, “In our last meeting with the chief secretary we told him that the government should construct a bund in Hussainsagar for Ganesh immersion. It is now up to the government to find out a solution for it.”
Officials from the municipal corporation and Buddha Poornima Project Development Authority said that it would be a Herculean task to rig up a bund to prevent harmful chemicals from the paint of Ganesh idols from mixing with the Hussainsagar waters. A top official from BPPA said, “Officials from different departments will need to chalk out a strategy. We have always maintained that an immediate ban on immersion of Ganesh idols in Hussainsagar is a tough task.” Our legal correspondent reported that the High Court bench made it clear that the State government was bound to implement the recommendations made by the Supreme Court committee. It expressed hope that people would abide by the Act to protect the environment.
The court observed that it was the duty of the every citizen under Article 51A of the Constitution to protect the environment. The bench said that it was only interested in protecting the environment by implementing the law enacted by Parliament. The HC bench at one stage commented that if the environment was not protected it (the environment) would take revenge in one form or the other.
The court had earlier called for a decision of the government in banning the immersion of Ganesh idols in Hussainsagar. State advocate-General C.V.Mohan Reddy informed the court that it was not feasible to impose an immediate ban on immersion of Ganesh idols in Hussainsagar but it would be done in a phased manner. Mr Reddy said that banning immersion would create law and order problems. The bench did not appreciate the stand and made it clear that court would not permit immersion of any material into the lake which would create environment pollution.
KCR meets big 3 after CPI complaint
New Delhi, Aug. 3: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, accompanied by Union defence minister Pranab Mukherjee held a half-an-hour long meeting with Union labour and employment minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, also the president of Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) at the Prime Minister’s residence, 7, Race Course Road, on Thursday morning.
Neither the TRS sources nor the Prime Minister’s Office were willing to state what transpired at that meeting, the first time that Mr Rao managed to have a discussion with all three main persons involved in the decision-making on Telangana. Mr Mukherjee heads the three-member UPA sub-committee looking into the TRS’ demand for separate Telangana.
However, the meeting assumed importance on the account of formal complaints from an important Left constituent, the Communist Party of India (CPI), that Mr Rao has been completely ignoring his ministry work. On Wednesday, a CPI delegation led by the lone CPI Lok Sabha member from Andhra Pra-desh Sudhakar Reddy is reported to have met the Prime Minister and requested him to at least change Mr Rao’s portfolio, if he could not be dropped altogether.
A similar demand was made publicly by CPI parliamentary party leader and veteran trade union leader Gurudas Dasgupta at a press meet earlier last week. He had alleged that the trade unions are not able to communicate their several grievances to the government due to the non-availablity of the labour minister. The Prime Minister is reported to have explained to them the constraints of coalition politics and his limitations vis-a-vis the members of his council of ministers. However, he is reported to have assured the CPI leaders that he would discuss this matter with Mr Rao.
The meeting at the Prime Minister’s residence is being seen in this context. The presence of Mrs Gandhi, who heads the UPA, gives credence to this viewpoint.After the meeting, Mr Rao refused to entertain journalists at his residence and was incommunicado. Sources close to the TRS said that the presence of Mr Mukherjee at this meeting indicated that the Telangana issue also came up for discussion.
The meeting assumes significance in view of the recent threat of the TRS that they would raise the Telangana issue in a big way in Parliament before August 15, through their MPs. In the same context, Mr Mukherjee had said earlier that the UPA sub-committee meeting would be held on Au-gust 3 or 4. But so far there was no confirmation of the schedule.
Rains ravage north coastal AP
Hyderabad, Aug. 3: Heavy rains triggered by a cyclonic storm in the Bay of Bengal on Thursday left a trail of death and destruction in many parts of the State, particularly in north coastal Andhra Pradesh. Three persons were killed in Srikakulam district and a four-storey building collapsed in Visakhapatnam. Air services to Visakhapatnam were cancelled due to poor visibility and entry of water into the airport. The RTC cancelled buses services to Hyderabad but train services are not affected.
Standing crop spread over thousands of acres of land in Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam districts lay beneath a sheath of water. However, farmers in Telangana and Rayalaseema rejoiced as the rains revived their crops wilting under a prolonged dry spell.
Weather officials predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall all over the State in the next two days, particularly in north coastal Andhra, East Godavari, Khammam, Warangal and Karimnagar districts. Hyderabad meteorological department director M. Satya Kumar told this newspaper that rains could continue up to 48 hours in almost all parts of the State. Elsewhere, the south-west monsoon in the catchment areas upstream of the Krishna river have brought copious amounts of inflows into the Srisailam and Nagarjunasagar reservoirs.
Authorities opened seven gates of Srisailam reservoir, letting out 4.53 lakh cusecs of water into Nagarjunasagar dam where 18 gates were opened to five feet. The total discharge into Prakasam barrage in Vijayawada was 1.64 lakh cusecs.A 13-year-old ashram school student Sunoj Kumar slipped into a canal and died in Duppalavalasa under Etcherla mandal in Srikakulam. A report said 92 villages in Srikakulam district were marooned and 48 plunged into darkness as gales snapped power lines. Officials set up relief camps in several mandals and evacuated thousands of villagers to safer places.
In Vizianagaram district revenue officials sounded the red alert and evacuated people from Naviri, Thotavanivalasa and Markundaputti. Vizianagaram district averaged 102 mm of rain by 6 am on Thursday, with Vizianagaram mandal registering 213.6 mm in 48 hours of torrential rain. Work was stopped on the Peddagedda reservoir, wh-ich Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy is scheduled to visit on August 12. Karimnagar district’s Mahadevpur mandal recorded 49.6 mm of rain. Normal life was disrupted in the remote villages in the far-flung areas of Manthani division. Water stagnated in low-lying areas in Karimnagar town.
AP has secret RTC plan
Hyderabad, Aug. 3: After putting the Congress government on the mat on the issue of public sector reforms, the CPI(M) on Thursday produced more evidence of what it said was the government’s plans to privatise the AP State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC). The party also claimed that the government wanted to make the RTC profitable so that it could sell off the corporation easily. State CPI(M) secretary B.V. Raghavulu released a letter purportedly written by RTC Kha-mmam regional manager to depot managers in the region to conduct a survey of routes which could be handed over to private operators. In the proforma for joint survey of routes, the regional manager reportedly wanted to know from depot managers the “gap to be filled by APSRTC private operation.”
“This is sufficient proof to show the ill intentions of the government. It wants RTC officials to give information on routes to be privatised. This is just the beginning. There’s no need for the officials to include a clause on private operations,” Mr Raghavulu said. Referring to the State government’s proposal to give Rs 450 crore as financial assistance to the ailing corporation, Mr Raghavulu alleged that the government wanted to turn the RTC into a profit-making body so that it could sell it easily. “There will always be buyers for a profit-making PSU.
The idea is first to make RTC a profit-earning corporation and then privatise it,” Mr Raghavulu said. “Finance minister K. Rosaiah said the GO (GO Ms 5) was fake, aimed at disciplining employees. In case the government wants to issue fake and genuine GOs, then it should introduce a colour code like for ration cards. A GO issued on pink paper will be taken as a fake one and on a white paper will be considered green,” he said.
Treat Gulf students as locals, says panel
Hyderabad, Aug. 3: Nearly 25,000 students from Andhra Pradesh pursuing school education in Gulf countries should be treated on par with domicile students for college education because they have nowhere to go except their own State, a member of the NRI study group said on Thursday. Mr Afsar Faheem, member of the group set up the State said that there were about 50,000 Indian students in schools in the Gulf. He said that AP students from the Gulf were being denied admission in AP colleges on the plea that they were non-locals.
Hyderabad Central told to follow fire norms
Hyderabad Aug. 3: A division bench of the AP High Court on Thursday asked the management of Hyderabad Central to comply with the conditions governing fire safety norms under the National Building Code within two weeks. The bench was taking cognisance of an advocate commissioner’s report which stated that there was a construction on the terrace. The bench on Wednesday had appointed a committee comprising the director-general, fire services, and two advocate commissioners to inspect Hyderabad Central to verify whether the alleged illegal construction on the terrace of the building was existing or had been demolished.
The bench was informed by director-general, fire services, Alok Srivastava that the illegal construction of an office room on the terrace of Hyderabad Central had not been demolished in spite of notices issued by the Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad. The management of Hyderabad Central in its affidavit stated that the illegal construction had been demolished. However the report of the commissioner found that there were RCC columns and beams still existing on the terrace. The bench granted two weeks to remove the structures which were contrary to the sanctioned plan.
Cable operators block channels
Hyderabad, Aug. 3: Some cable operators with Hathway/C-Channel are reportedly blocking popular channels to force customers into buying a Rs 2,500 digital set-top box. The trend of blocking channels like Gemini, Surya TV, Sun TV and Sony has been reported from places like Kapra, Uppal, Saroornagar, Erragadda and Sanathnagar. Several distressed subscribers complained to this newspaper that their cable operator was not giving them the channels.
Hathway had recently launched a digital set-top box which is basically a signal enhancer. C-Channel operators in various places of the twin cities are asking customers to pay about Rs 2,500 for the box apart from Rs 180 to 200 monthly rental. “They have blocked Sony and Gemini. A few days back when they blocked the channels, we complained to them and they resumed the signal. Now once again they have done this. Even regional channels like Surya and Sun are being blocked,” said a member of Kapra Welfare Colony Association.
Mr David Raj, a resident of Erragadda, said, “I am an avid watcher of regional channels. However, the operator has taken these channels off air for the last one week. He says that if we do not purchase the digital box then he would stop other channels also.” When asked about the complaints, Hathaway’s AP incharge Ch Rajasekhar said, “We don’t want to arm-twist anybody to purchase our digital box. We will definitely take action against operators who are doing this.”
“Since I have received some information about this, I will personally see that this thing never happens again,” Mr Rajasekhar said, adding, “We don’t want to pressurise our customers.” Officials of the Hyderabad Cable TV Operators Association admitted that operators were forcing viewers to purchase digital boxes. Their solution was not to crack down on such operators but to ask viewers to shift cable services. Talking to this correspondent a senior member of the association on condition of anonymity said, “We have tried to put some sense into these operators. Consumers have only one option. They should come together and insist that the operator switches their service to other service providers.”
Maoist hit-men on prowl in city
Hyderabad, Aug. 3: An action team of the CPI (Maoist), led by naxalite leader Vasudeva Rao alias Asanna, is reportedly in the city to strike at a prominent target to avenge the July 22 Nallamala encounter, police intelligence sources said. The sources said that Asanna was spotted at Punjagutta in the city a couple of days back. The team might carry out a high-profile strike in the run-up to Independence Day, they said. Their target could be a prominent person or installation, sources said.
DGP Swaranjit Sen confirmed that the police intelligence had put out an alert about the action team. “The issue came up at the meeting convened by the home minister. We informed him that all steps are being taken to trace the team and foil their plan,” Mr Sen said. Photographs of Asanna and other naxalites suspected to be part of the team were circulated to all police stations and special teams formed to hunt them down, police said. The security of Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy is on high alert.
Sources said Hyderabad city and Cyberabad police had formed special teams. Some of these teams are in mufti, and others were posing as petty traders, drivers and even as anti-social elements. These teams have mingled with people near suspected hideouts of the Maoists in and around the city, the sources said. “The intelligence wing is trying to find out the exact target of the action team,” sources said.
Home minister K. Jana Reddy held an emergency meeting with principal secretary, home, DGP Sen and senior IPS officers and instructed them to intensify the surveillance at places of worship and suspected Maoist hideouts. The State-wide bandh called by the Maoists on Thursday passed off without major incidents. On Wednesday night, a Congress activist in Bayyanapalli village of Giddaluru mandal in Prakasam district was killed by Maoists.
Chilli gang strikes again
Hyderabad, Aug. 3: After a brief lull, the chilli powder gang struck at Gaddiannaram near Kothapet on Thursday, blinding their target and stabbing before robbing him of Rs 12 lakh, according to Cyberabad police officials. Witnesses told the police that the thieves crossed the road and rode away on a two-wheeler. The victim, Chandrasekhar, 40, a munshi with Syndicate Fruit Company at Kothapet, was admitted to hospital in critical condition.
Police suspects that the thieves are part of the chilli powder gang that was busted in the old city about one-and-a-half years ago. “Some of the gang members are out on bail and we suspect that it could be their handiwork,” Cyberabad additional commissioner of police, crimes, Rajiv Trivedi told this correspondent. Saroornagar police said the incident occurred at around 1 pm in front of Gaddiannaram municipal office, when Mr Chandrasekhar and his colleague Mohan were parking their two-wheeler to go to their office located opposite the municipal office.
They were carrying Rs 12 lakh given by company proprietor Md Karimullah to be paid to suppliers and farmers. Police said three unidentified persons, who it suspected were following Chandrasekhar and Mohan, came near them and threw chilli powder at their faces. One of the thieves drew a sword and stabbed Chandrasekhar, police said.
Officials blame Ponnala in scam
Hyderabad, Aug. 3: The multi-crore payments sc-am in Devadula lift irrigation project in Warangal is all set to push major irrigation minister Ponnala Lakshmaiah into deep trouble. During the day-long inq-uiry conducted by irrigation department joint secretary Padmaja into the scam in Devadula phase-I and phase-II, the engineers said that they had acted on the oral instructions from the minister in clearing the bills to the contractors without completing the work.
Sources said Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Red-dy also obtained preliminary report on the involvement of Mr Lakshmaiah in making excess payments to the contractors of Dev-adula project. “That the Chief Minister ordered inquiry into the scandal and sending Ms Padmaja to the work spot without informing Mr Lakshmaiah itself is an indication that he has suspected some foul play by the minister,” sources said. “If the irregularities are confirmed, the minister might even lose his berth in the Cabinet,” they said.
AP plans to auction 900-acre occupied mutt land
Hyderabad, Aug. 3: Encroachers have occupied about 929.72 acres of lands owned by Hath-iramji Mutt in the State, mostly in Tirupati. Lands owned by the mutt in other States have also been encroa-ched upon. The mutt owns 2,432.85 acres of land in four States. Besides 2,007.65 acres in Andhra Pradesh, it has 128.39 acres in Tamil Nadu, 296.81 acres in Maharashtra and 4,795 square yards in Karnataka.
However, the annual income derived from these assets is a meagre Rs 55 lakh.The government has now decided to set up a special task force to identify and protect the mutt lands and take steps to auction them off wherever possible.In Maharashtra, the mutt has 35.73 hectares in Karanjada village of Panvel, 39.03 acres in Ravalgaon in Nasik, 8 buildings and 10 shops in Mumbai.
Swami Hathiramji Bhavoji, a mahant of North India established the mutt centuries ago at Tirumala to provide food and shelter to pilgrims. As his name and fame grew, scores of people donated land and buildings to the mutt. Management of the lands ran into rough weather after Independence and the endowments department appointed an assistant commissioner in 1968 to look into the issue.
Devender Dasji and Surma Dasji, who were deputed by the mutt to look after the land, got embroiled in corruption charges. The lands were being looked after by the endowments department deputy commissioner since 1980. “But the attempt to identify and protect the lands from encroachers has proved to be difficult,” said Mr Diwakar Reddy. He denied allegations that Panvel lands were sold by his close relatives. “We are taking steps to remove encroachers.”
Out of the total 2,007.65 acres in the State, the mutt is in possession of only 97.14 acres. As many as 929.72 acres have been encroa-ched and 101.87 acres are under lease. The Telugu Desam government had auctioned off 521.37 acres, 112.20 acres were sold through private negotiations and 245.35 acres were acquired.
