| Hyderabad, Aug. 9: The Centre on Wednesday announced assistance of Rs 200 crores to the State government to take up relief measures in areas ravaged by floods, even as Congress president Sonia Gandhi told Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy to speed up his Jalayagam programme to prevent floods. Union home minister Shivraj Patil made the announcement after visiting the floodhit areas along with Mrs Gandhi and Dr Reddy. The team flew over affected areas and spoke with people in relief centres at the temple town of Bhadrachalam and the nearby village of Mothe and in Amalapuram. Mrs Gandhi specially reached out to the people in the relief camps, and Dr Reddy translated for her. It was while returning from their tour that Mrs Gandhi reportedly told the Chief Minister to complete the 30 dams in the Jalayagam programme soon speedily. Mrs Gandhi reportedly told Dr Reddy on board the IAF helicopter that she understood the importance of irrigation projects in view of the floods in the Krishna and the Godavari rivers. “You (Chief Minister) have been talking about irrigation projects with me and the Prime Minister. Dr Manmohan Singh too had discussed them with me,” she said. Dr Reddy briefed Mrs Gandhi on the status of the irrigation projects and sought her support for sanction of Rs 4,000 crores from the Centre this year to construct irrigation projects. Earlier, at a media conference, Mr Patil said he had sought a comprehensive report on the actual losses on account of floods in the Godavari. He assured that the Centre would extend all possible financial assistance after obtaining the report from the State. The Chief Minister said that the Centre could submit only an interim report as it would take some more time to assess the actual loss. Both Mr Patil and Dr Reddy avoided mention of Central assistance other than the Rs 200 crore, which was part of the Calamity Relief Fund. The State, which is scheduled to get Rs 180 crore as the second instalment of CRF, will receive the same in advance. “Though the State’s share in CRF is less, the Centre has decided to release Rs 200 crore,” Mr Patil said. The State government submitted an interim report to Centre seeking assistance under various sectors. The government made it clear that the assessment was only preliminary and detailed report would be submitted in due course. Significantly, Mr Patil responded to Dr Reddy’s appeal to provide necessary assistance to take up permanent measures to prevent repeat of the damage due to floods. Accepting the need to strengthen bunds all along the Godavari, Mr Patil wanted the State to send detailed plans in the regard. 5,680 villages in 447 mandals in 16 districts were affected by floods and rains. About 2,61,203 families were affected. * 106 persons died and 56 injured, and 15,457 houses damaged. About 13,372 livestock died
* Crop loss in districts where water receded is reported in 2,12,499 hectares causing damage of 25,96,876 metric tonnes of food grains and horticulture produces and a financial loss of Rs 525.66 crore.
* State requires Rs 44.73 crore as input subsidy.
* Immediate restoration works in panchayat raj department requires Rs 16 crore and roads Rs 127.27 crore
* Urban infrastructure requires Rs 118.63 crore including Rs 28.48 crore in twin cities.
* Irrigation department requires Rs 37 crore for immediate works and the housing department, Rs 176 crore. Meanwhile, flood waters began receding and the raging Krishna and Godavari rivers began easing up. The National Highway 7 was opened to traffic after five days when the Penganga river began flowing below the bridge. However, over 1 lakh people are still housed in relief camps in the northern parts of the State where they are being provided food and drinking water. IAF and Navy personnel continued their relief missions. | VP writes for T-State as KCR holds back | | |
| | New Delhi/Hyderabad, Aug. 9: Even as Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) president K. Chandrasekhar Rao has dropped the idea of addressing a letter to UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi demanding an announcement on separate Telangana, former prime minister V.P. Singh has written simultaneous letters to Mrs Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. According to TRS sources, Mr Rao was supposed to writing a “strong-worded” letter to Mrs Gandhi, seeking an explanation for the dilly-dallying tactics of the UPA on the Telangana issue. “But, it looks like our president has dropped the gun before firing a single bullet,” a TRS leader said. Even the Maha Sainik Sammelan of Telangana Jagarana Sena, scheduled at Warangal on August 12 has been postponed indefinitely. At the same time, Mr V.P. Singh has taken up Telangana’s cause. The contents of the two letters he wrote are the exactly the same. According to reports Mr Chandrasekhar Rao had recently met Mr V.P. Singh along with his four MPs and urged him to intervene. This letter is an outcome of that. In the letter Mr V.P. Singh has said that, “formation of a Telangana State would be to fulfill the commitment made to the people of the region through the Common Minimum Programme. I am given to understand that the sub-committee constituted by the UPA under the chairmanship of Shri Pranab Mukherjee has already ascertained the views of all political parties represented in Parliament on this score. I am also given to understand that the opinion expressed by the political parties is overwhelming in support of Telangana State. “This consensus expressed in favour of formation of Telangana state is unique and unprecedented. It has, thereby made the formation of State an inescapable necessity for the UPA. Any delay in clinching the issue will not only cause erosion of credibility of the present government but will also force the people of Telangana to go back to the agitation mode. “I therefore, earnestly feel that steps should be taken to form the State of Telangana without any further loss of time,” concluded Mr V.P. Singh. Mr Chandrasekhar Rao’s cooling down has been attributed to talks with UPA sub-committee chairman Pranab Mukherjee and AICC incharge of AP affairs Digvijay Singh who prevailed upon the TRS president not take any hasty step. Mr Rao wanted the Congress to make a positive announcement before the conclusion of Parliament session. Otherwise, he said, he would step out of the UPA government, along with his colleague A. Narendra. But he received no definitive answer. “Going by the indications, no hard decisions can be expected before August 24, when the Parliament session ends,” party sources said. | | Babu stranded on boat on Godavari | | |
| | Ainavilli: Telugu Desam supremo N. Chandrababu Naidu was stranded on a boat, in the middle of Godavari for some time as the boat developed some technical snag and water started seeping in. Mr Naidu accompanied by PAC chairman Yanamala Ramakrishnudu, TD vice-president Metla Satyanarayana and media representatives boarded a boat at Muktheswaram to travel to Veeravallipalem of this mandal to visit the flood affected people. While they were on their way, their boat developed a snag. Mr Naidu’s security men had to shifted him to another boat that was trailing behind them, reports our correspondent. |
| | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| | |
|
Land deals boost booze sales | | |
| | Hyderabad, Aug. 9: The real estate boom in the city outskirts has also triggered an unforeseen boom in sales of liquor. Liquor sale in the suburbs up to June was 200 to 300 per cent more than the sales recorded in the same period last year. The highest sales were recorded in Rajendranagar that includes Shamshabad, Maheswaram, Ibrahimpatnam and Chevella. Fast-paced development in the area had jacked up land prices making farmers and small land-holders rich overnight. These nouveau riche of the outskirts have bid goodbye to country liquor and have started drinking popular brands. This has triggered a huge increase in sales.Added to this was the ‘bonanza’ during the local bodies’ polls, when the sale of liquor and beer touched an all-time high. For instance, in Maheswaram sales of branded liquor and beer rose up to 359.64 per cent in June this year when compared to June 2005. Saroornagar Prohibition and Excise superintendent Nagi Reddy said that people of Maheswaram consumed liquor worth Rs 2.87 crore in June 2006 as against Rs 62 lakh worth of liquor in June 2005. “Maheswaram ranked first in Saroornagar divison followed by Ibrahimpatnam which saw an increase of 181.08 per cent. This was followed by Hayatnagar, Ghatkeswar and Saroornagar,”said Mr Nagi Reddy.
Interestingly, the real estate boom has been bad news for illicit brewers who have disappeared from the area. “There is no demand for country made liquor now,” said Mr Nagi Reddy. Rajendranagar Prohibition and Excise superintendent Mastan Vali said that liquor sales had gone up in Chevella too. |  |
|
Gang removes clips from rail track | | |
| | Hyderabad, Aug. 9: RPF cops averted a derailment of passenger train on Tuesday and arrested two blacksmiths who had stolen Elastic Rail Clips (pendrol clips), the removal of which can cause major derailment of trains. According SCR Chief Security Commissioner B. Kamal Kumar, removal of pendrol clips is very dangerous as the rails will move out of the track without those clips. The accused had removed the clips from the track in between Safilguda and Ramakrishnapuram. In order to ensure the safety of the trains passing through this track RPF alerted the divisional control room of SCR. Passenger train number 523 which was about to pass through this section was stopped at Malkajgiri and a possible derailment was averted. Engineering personnel along with RPF personnel rushed to the spot and rectified the track. The arrested were identified as N.Nagesh Chary, 37, and M. Sudarshan Chary, both resident of Jagadgirigutta in Qutbullapur. The accused had removed the pendrol clips by hitting with boulder and their expertise helped them to remove many pendrol clips within a span of two hours. The clips are of high quality mild steel which can be used for making knives, chisels and other agricultural implements. The accused are being prosecuted under Railway Act. | |
|
Court nod for Kosaraju test | | |
| | Hyderabad, Aug. 9: The metropolitan sessions judge court on Wednesday issued directions to conduct the narcoanalysis test on Krushi Bank chairman Kosaraju Venkateswara Rao who allegedly drove the bank to its ruination. The court allowed the petition of the Crime Investigation Department and granted permission for conducting the test on September 5 and 6 of September. The test will be conducted at the forensic science laboratory at Ahmedabad, Gujarat. A CID investigation officer said, “Rao may spill beans regarding the case.” Mr Rao’s lawyer Ashok Reddy said, “We will go for appeal in the higher court regarding the direction.” Mr Rao’s counsel had opposed the CID petition in the court, citing several reasons why the narcoanalysis test should not be done on the banker. He said there could be a danger to Mr Rao’s life during the injection of drugs for the test. | |
|
Pseudo Naxal gang held | | |
| | Hyderabad, Aug. 9: A pseudo Naxal gang involved in dacoities and robberies was arrested by the special operation team of Cyberabad police. The gang used toy pistols and the printed letterhead of an extremist organisation to intimidate and rob their victims. Police arrested five members of the pseudo Naxal gang including the leader K. Veera Brahma Chari, 23, who had escaped from custody twice earlier. Property worth Rs 15 lakh was recovered from the gang. Cyberabad Commissioner M. Mahendar Reddy said that apart from Chari, police arrested G. Raju, 25, and G. Sudhakar, 19, brothers staying in Old Bowenpally, and Sadanandam, 21, and Shravan Kumar, 15, residents of Warasiguda. Three other gang members are absconding. The gang had looted the house of Murali Krishna in Alwal on July 20. The offence took place a few days after his driver Sadanand had left the job. Police picked up Sadanand who confessed his role in the robbery and also gave leads about the other gang members.The gang committed had offenses in places like Kukatpally, Keesara, Jinnaram, Balanagar, Medchal and Sanga Reddy since February this year. | |
|
Help ordered to woman | | |
| | Hyderabad Aug. 9: A division bench of A.P. High Court comprising Chief Justice G.S. Singhvi and Justice G.V. Seethapathy on Wednesday directed the authorities of Central Prison, Warangal, to provide medical treatment to a woman HIV positive inmate who is languishing in the jail. The bench passed the orders responding to a letter written by a woman inmate from Rajahmundry Central Prison complaining that she was languishing in jail inspite securing bail as she failed to furnish sureties as ordered by the court. It was also informed that many persons were languishing in jails inspite of getting bails as they did not have proper means to furnish required sureties |
|
