Andhranews

Anantapur, Sept. 10: Several irregularities have come to the fore in the ongoing District Selection Committee-(DSC)-2006 examination to recruit teachers in the district. Sources alleged that some persons formed a syndicate and tried to leak questions well in advance and supply answers to certain candidates. They allegedly collected huge amounts of money from aspirants. The irregularities have come to light as some of the victims who didn’t get the questions had disclosed the attempts to leak the question papers.

Sources alleged that the main culprit behind the episode is an office clerk in the education department. However, officials ruled out any irregularities in the DSC. Speaking to reporters, in-charge district educational officer (DEO) Krishnamachari said that except for allegations of one or two copying incidents, examination was peaceful in the district.

When the issue of mass copying was brought to his notice, he said that effective steps were taken to prevent malpractice in the examination.
He advised candidates not to believe in rumours. On Sunday, the DSC-2006 examination concluded in the district. A total of 14,100 candidates appeared for the test out of the 14,757 candidates for 855 teacher posts in the district.

Authorities would release the examination key in another four days. Sources said that the government would release the DSC final key September 26 and declare the results on October 10. Incidents of mass copying were reported from several centres in the town. While 5,928 applied for the school assistant posts, 242 were absent for the test held on Sunday.

Ongole, Sept. 10: For the first time in two-and-a-half-years of the Congress rule, lakhs of people in the district have been facing hardships due to irregular power cuts during the past few days. As the maximum temperature is still ranging between 34ºC to 38ºC in the district, people are not able to bear the high humidity levels. In spite of having fans and coolers, people are not able to utilise them due to the power cuts ranging from four to eight hours per day in both rural and urban areas.

APTransco sources said that 3.6 crore units of power per day are supplied to the district. If consumption increases, APTransco implements power cuts ranging between four to eight hours during day or night in two or three phases. People are expressing displeasure over the decision taken by APTransco to impose power cuts in urban areas in order to fulfill the government’s pre-poll promise of supplying free power of seven hours to farmers.

Children, the elderly and the sick are not able to bear the heat during the day due to the power cuts. During night, people are not able to sleep due to the mosquito menace. Even after summer, the district is witnessing high temperature. Ongole town registered a maximum temperature of 34ºC to 38ºC during the past 10 days.

On September 1, the town recorded temperature of 38.4ºC. On Sept 2 it was 37.9ºC, 3rd 37.5ºC, 4th 38.5ºC, 5th 33.1ºC, 8th 36.1ºC and 9th 36.4ºC. Generally, the temperature in September ranges between 30ºC to 35ºC in the district. Unfortunately, due to poor monsoon and continuous dry spell conditions, the normal temperature is above 35ºC even in September. The problem is same in towns like Kandukur, Chirala and Markapuram.

In spite of having plenty of rainfall this rainy season and major reservoirs full of water, lakhs of people in the district are facing the power cut problem. When this correspondent tried to contact APTransco superintending engineer Ram Singh on the power cuts, he was not available.

Ongole, Sept. 10: The AP State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) Prakasam wing registered Rs 2.67 crores profits during the first four months of 2006-2007 financial year. Prakasam APSRTC has eight depots in Ongole, Markapuram, Podili, Kanigiri, Chirala, Kandukur, Giddalur and Addanki. The occupancy ratio was 67 per cent during the previous year. Now, in the first four months of this financial year, it rose to 71 per cent.

“Increase in occupancy ratio, introduction of double stop services (express bus services which stop at only two places between two destinations) on important routes and improved performance of the staff are the main reasons for the success,” APSRTC regional manager N. Solomon Raju said.

During the first four months of 2005-2006, Prakasam APSRTC suffered a loss of Rs 3.63 crores. But this financial year, the scenario has changed. “The State government is also giving subsidies to the APSRTC and this helps the corporation to recover from losses,” Mr Solomon Raju added.

Owing to drought conditions, thousands of people are migrating to cities like Hyderabad and Bangalore. Most are travelling either by express or luxury buses. The APSRTC is thus getting income from migrant labourers and small farmers.

Introduction of double stop services between Ongole-Kandukur, Ongole-Markapuram, Ongole-Addanki, Ongole-Podili, Ongole-Kanigiri also helped the corporation to increase the occupancy ratio. Between Podili-Kanigir many people used to travel by jeeps. Now, most of them have switched over to APSRTC buses due to double stop f services.

Tirupati, Sept. 10: Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) employees decided on Sunday to intensify their agitation, demanding that the TTD management concede their wishlist. The TTD employees, under the banner of the joint struggle committee met here on Sunday and discussed ways and means to intensify the stir. Employees decided to hold a general body meet on September 13.

As part of the agitation, conveners of the united front would stage a half-naked protest on September 14, obstruct people from entering the TTD administrative office on September 18 and stage a dharna on September 19 in front of their respective departments.

If the board failed to concede their demands by September 19, they would decide on taking up a fast unto death the same day. Nine conveners and 40 sub-committee members took part in the discussions on Sunday.
Speaking on the occasion, leaders of the struggle committee said that the TTD board had assured to provide house sites to the employees and failed to fulfill its promise.

They said that they had hoped that the board would take a decision on Saturday on the allotment of house sites to employees in the areas asked by them. But the board had failed to do so. Struggle committee leaders demanded that the TTD employees be allocated house sites at Pallevaripatteda, daily wage workers be promoted as permanent employees, GO No. 375 should be scrapped and transfers be made without bias.

Kakinada, Sept. 10: Poultry litter is among the many waste materials that are being used to generate power in East Godavari. Over Rs 10,000 crore is being invested in power generation alone in both the public and private sectors.The AP Power Generation Corporation leads the list with an investment of Rs 4,400 crores with a power plant at Vemagiri in the suburbs of Rajahmundry.

With the SEZ land acquisition process picking up momentum, more entrepreneurs are concentrating on the power sector. Apart from thermal, hydel, wind and from garbage, power generation from poultry litter is also being taken up. A private concern (Rau’s Power Limited) has come forward with this proposal by submitting an industrial entrepreneur memorandum (IEM) which was cleared by the industries department at the Centre.

The concern will start power generation by this process at Duppulapudi village in Anaparti Mandal of East Godavari, where a power plant is being established with an investment of Rs 17.58 crores and will produce 28.98 mw power per day initially. It is also expected to produce employment to 85 persons.

The poultry industry of AP in general, and East Godavari in particular stands first in production in the country. With the expected raw material input to the needs of industry, power generation is expected to exceed targets. Already, cattle dung and hotel and restaurant waste are being used for the production of cooking gas in East Godavari.

The process of manufacturing of alcohol from paper slurry and extracted rice bran is expected to go for commercial production in the next few months in the district. With this process of power generation from poultry litter, the material which was considered as waste till now, will be utilised for industrial production.

East Godavari district industries centre General Manager V.R. Vijaya Raghava Naik said the IEM was sent to them by the industries department for providing infrastructure facilities for the said unit at Anaparti Mandal.

Denduluru, Sept. 10: The district administration assured employment to those affected by Operation Kolleru. Participating in a loan distribution programme arranged at the mandal parishad office on Sunday, district collector Luv Agarwal said that a rehabilitation package with Rs 12,000 crores was prepared. He said that in addition to financial assistance, youth would be provided training in self-employment.

The collector said that youth from 500 families were selected for training in fish-farming, vehicle driving and other related fields of employment. He also assured employment to educated unemployed youth. He distributed cheques to three beneficiaries to the tune of Rs 81 lakhs.

MLA Maganti Babu said that the State government was dedicated to the welfare of the Kolleru displaced. He said that the collector had taken special interest in providing rehabilitation. The collector also handed over a cheque for Rs 75,000 to a person suffering from a heart ailment. Eluru Mayor K. Babu Rao, DRDA additional project diretor Ch. Sridhar and others attended.

Karimnagar, Sept. 10: Indian Idol runner up and Hyerabad-based Karunya plans to compose an international music album. “It is my dream to bring out an international music album and also sing songs in all Indian languages,” he said in a chat with newsmen on Sunday.

Karunya, who was here to perform in Karimnagar music concert said, “Music is my passion. I started singing when I was three-years-old. I got encouragement from my grandfather Krishnamacharyulu, who himself is a music exponent. My ambition is to prove the calibre of Indian singers at the international level.”

Karunya, who is scheduled to perform in the US in October, said: “I am very fortunate to get the admiration of music lovers at a very young age.” Hard work as well as adaptability to the changing trends in the music holds the key to the success of singers, said Karunya.

Vijayawada, Sept. 10: Pradesh Congress Committee president K. Kesahva Rao here on Sunday said the Congress was dedicated for the welfare of the Other Backward Castes (OBCs) in the country. Speaking at a meeting organised by the Krishna district and Vijayawada city Congress OBC cell, Dr Keshava Rao said no other political party in the country has given importance and encouragement to the BCs, SCs and STs at all levels as the Congress did. He, however, asked the party cadre to put in sincere and efforts to reach top positions in the party by rendering services for the welfare of the people.

“Work hard for the welfare of the Congress and its development and your services will not go unrecognised. I always believe in being honest and sincere, committed to the party ideology. Develop leadership qualities instead of lobbying for various posts,” he said.
Dr Keshava Rao asked the party cadre to give wide publicity to the welfare schemes being implemented by the State government for the welfare of the weaker sections and help them benefit from them.

The MPs, MLAs and other party members who attended the meeting requested the party president to nominate senior co-chairman of State OBC cell Ilapuram Venkaiah to the post of MLC from Krishna district in recognition of his services to the party and also to instill confidence among the BC leaders in the district. He said the party would never ignore the sincere workers but told the party members not to recommend names in the public meetings.

“The MLAs, MPs and other party cadre present here are quite aware about the services of other party members and it is always better to approach them with the list of aspirants for party posts,” he said. Addressing the meeting, Vijayawada MP Lagadapati Rajagopal said the government should extend loans to the weaker sections at a subsidy to encourage them to start industries. The PCC chief said the government was already extending loans to them.

Khammam, Sept. 10: The officials of the Freedom Fighters Cell have decided to process the pension applications of freedom fighters as soon as possible. In all, 5,597 people applied for freedom fighter’s pension by claiming that they fought the Nizam during the freedom movement.

The district screening committee, after thorough examination of the documents, recommended the names of 2,874 people for the pension. Out of them, 1,416 people received sanction orders and the proposals of 1,458 people are still pending with the State and Central governments.

Many people were lured by middlemen to submit their applications and they have managed to get through the screening committee. But, they failed to prove their involvement in the freedom movement when the officials checked all the documents produced by them. The applications of 2,967 people have been rejected by the officials on various grounds, including tampering with the age and producing false documents.

The middlemen who took money from gullible people by convincing the latter that they would get pension, are continuing to deceive others. Recently, the State government issued a statement that freedom fighters who filed cases in the AP High Court should meet a committee appointed on the court orders from September 11 to 14 at freedom fighter pension office in the Secretariat. In all, 46 people from the district who filed cases in the court can meet the committee with their documents.

District revenue officer Sankar Chowhan told this correspondent that there was no question of reviving the rejected cases and the government asked only 46 people to meet the committee. The DRO asked people not to believe in the vicious campaign being made by middlemen.

Guntur, Sept. 10: The usage of excessive fertilisers has been posing problems for soil fertility in the district, particularly in Palnadu region.
Agronomists cautioned on the excessive usage of chemical fertilisers and on the depleting levels of zinc in the district, particularly in Narsaraopet division.

Guntur is known for its highest usage of fertilisers and obviously has the dubious distinction of originating and using spurious fertilisers. Spurious fertilisers contributed to the suicide spree by the farmers of the district. The farmers of the district got used to using huge quantities of fertilisers in order to get a bumper crop. Besides 15 branded companies, there are nearly 30 more small companies and more than 200 fertiliser production units in the district.

The usage of fertiliser has increased from 436 tonnes in 2003-04 to 572 tonnes during 2004-05. However, there is a decline in the usage of chemical fertilisers due to the propaganda of the agriculturalists. Bio–fertiliser has become the buzzword in the present scenario to address the fertiliser problems.

A gang is exploiting it too, while processing the compost-mixing ash with black- soil under ‘bio-fertiliser’ label. According to the specifications suggested by the scientists of ANGR Agricultural Research Centre, Lam, every acre of land requires 32 kgs of nitrogen, 24 kgs of phosphorous and 16 kgs of potash. Getting carried by the advertisements, farmers are hastening to use fertilisers at an early stage of cultivation. The district agricultural officials are lagging behind in conducting awareness workshops in rural areas.

Joint director of agriculture Ajit Kumar denied the allegations against the department and agreed that there was zinc deficiency in the soils. “There is a marked zinc deficiency in the soil in the Palnadu region. Especially, paddy needs lots of zinc,” Mr Kumar said. Use of fertilisers directly without the use of organic manures leads to zinc deficiency, he added.

V. Madugula, Sept. 10: Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy came down heavily on the Opposition and other political parties for resorting to legal battles on various irrigation projects which the Congress government planned to construct in the coming years.

Speaking at a public meeting here on Sunday, the Chief Minister, while crticising the political parties for creating legal hurdles in completing these projects, expressed confidence that the government would overcome all the obstacles like in the case of Pulichintala irrigation project and finish all of them on time.

“Some political parties are intentionally creating legal hurdles. But I vow that our government would certainly overcome these hurdles and will finish all the proposed projects in the State for the sake of farmers who are the backbone for the country,” he said. He said the State government had emerged victorious in Pulichintala issue and resumed the works. “The same thing will happen in the case of Polavaram also and the works will be resumed in two or three months,” he said amid applause from the huge gathering.

Dr Reddy also asked the political parties to understand the loss the government incurs once the work stops midway. Speaking about the agitations on the relief and rehabilitation (R&R) packages at various projects, Dr Reddy said there was no need for such agitations.

“These parties are making a hue and cry over the welfare of the displaced of various irrigation projects. There is no need for them to resort to such agitations. The R&R packages that were announced by the government are the best in the whole country,” he said.

The Chief Minister opined that nowhere in the country such packages were announced till now. He urged the oustees to accept the packages “happily”. He reiterated that the Congress government was committed to complete all the pending and new irrigation projects at a cost of around Rs 45,000 crores to provide water to 65 lakhs acres in the State.

He lambasted the Telugu Desam saying that the party which was in power for nine consecutive years had completely ignored the need for irrigation projects.

Srikakulam, Sept. 10: Telugu Desam Parliamentary Party (TDPP) leader K. Yerrannnaidu expressed anger after his bullet proof car was deployed in the convoy of Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy who visited Vizianagaram and the city on Sunday.

Addressing a press conference here on Sunday, Mr Yerrannaidu said the Visakhapatnam police took away his bullet proof car and he was dropped in his office in Vizag SP’s car. “Such incidents should not happen as senior TD leaders are facing threat to their lives from the Maoists,” the TDPP leader said.

He also condemned the decision of the State government to reduce the security cover of party president N. Chandrababu Naidu. Three bullet proof cars allocated for Srikakulam were withdrawn for the security of the Chief Minister. Mr Yerrannaidu said he needed the car to visit Maoist-dominated areas of Mandasa, Uddanam, Palasa, Tekkali and Kotturu under his Parliamentary constituency.

The home department should have brought more bullet proof cars rather than withdrawing the security cover of the TD leaders, he said. “It is not good that TD leaders are made sitting ducks till the Chief Minister completed his tour,’’ he said.

Pachipenta (Vizianagaram), Sept. 10: Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy dedicated Peddagedda reservoir project to nation here on Sunday amid protests by project oustees.The project was built on the river Vegavathi with an estimated cost of Rs 67.67 crore to cater to the irrigation needs of Pachipenta, Ramabhadrapuram and Salur mandals in the district by providing water for 12,000 acres of ayacut.

With the escalation in the project cost, the government had sanctioned Rs 73.19 crore for the purpose. Addressing the meeting, Dr Reddy said that the Congress government has taken up irrigation projects worth Rs 840 crore to irrigate 1.42 lakh acres in the district. He said Peddagedda would provide water for only 8,500 acres as the construction work is still in progress.

“The project oustees need not fear or doubt the government in implementing the relief and rehabilitation package,” he said. He appealed to the opposition parties not to provoke or instigate the oustees when the government was fullfilling all mandatory norms.

There were heated arguments between the villagers and the DSPs N. Sriramulu and Sudarsana Rao when they were forcibly detained at Neelayamma Cheruvu. A large number of oustees led by CPM district secretary M. Krishna Murty squatted on the road demanding that the police allow them to the meeting.

Later, addressing a public meeting after inaugurating the new buildings of Government College for Women at Old Jail Complex crossroads in Visakhapatnam, Dr Reddy said that women’s colleges in the State would have only woman teachers and the process would begin in a phased manner