Andhranews

Hindupur, Sept. 18: Inefficient administration and im-proper decisions were the reasons behind the power problems in the State, alleg-ed Bharatiya Janata Party State president N. Indrasena Reddy. The farming community is facing several problems as the government failed to take a proper decision on the power supply and its timings.

Talking to reporters here on Monday, Mr Reddy said that unscheduled power cuts were giving tough time to the farmers, though there was plenty of water at several places. The crops were withering away as the farmers could not irrigate them due to power cuts, he said and added that drinking water has also become a problem due to severe drought in some areas.

Stating that power cut was not imposed in September in the past few years, he alleged that it is nothing but the failure of the Congress government. He pooh-poo-hed the State government’s inefficient administration for imposing power cuts to both the domestic sector and industry.

Had the government initiated steps to purchase power from other States in time, it could have saved valuable crops, he said. This shows the indifferent attitude of Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, he added. Though the Congress government boasts of farmer-friendly rule, it failed to do anything to safeguard the standing crops during kharif season due to improper power supply.

The government should prepare necessary plans readily to suit the needs of various seasons and the sho-rtage of power had cropped up because of the inefficient administration, he said.The BJP chief demanded that the government should take steps to ensure nine-hour power supply to all sectors.

Mr Reddy criticised that the Chief Minister vowed to provide water to over 16 lakh acres in two years but could not provide even to 2.5 lakh acres. Talking about the separate Telangana State agitation, he ruled out joining hands with the Telangana Rashtra Samiti for the purpose. The BJP would not join hands with the TRS as long as it remains friendly with the UPA. In case, by-election is necessitated in Karimnagar Lok Sabha, the BJP would put up a candidate, he added.

Kurnool, Sept. 18: The State government initiated steps to make efficient use of Tungabhadra waters by the Lower Level Canal (LLC) and the Kurnool-Cuddapah (K-C) canal. Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, reacting to the withering of crops under LLC and KC canal ayacuts despite floods to the Tungabhadra river, directed the officials to send proposals for the optimum use of floodwaters.

Following the directive, the engineers of the irrigation department became busy in preparing proposals for the alternative ways to provide irrigation water to the LLC and KC Canal ayacuts. The engineers are conducting a survey on constructions that can store at least eight tmc ft of water in Sunkesula barrage, besides widening of the LLC.

It may be mentioned here that there is about 42,000 acres of ayacut under the LLC, but the officials were able to provide water to only 6,000 acre this year. A piquant situation is prevailing on the 60,000 acres of ayacut between Sunkesula barrage and Lock-Insula. It may be recalled that irrigation facility is being provided to about 1,80 lakh acres under Lock-Insula through KC Canal, from the Pothireddypadu reservoir, which will draw water from Srisailam.

There is a necessity to improve the irrigation facilities to permanently resolve the drought situation under the riparian areas of Tunga-bhadra river in Kurnool district. The only way to re-solve the issue is to improve the facilities to utilise the Tungabhadra water to the maximum extent.Hence, the irrigation engineers are planning to propose the construction of balancing reservoirs under the LLC.

Ongole, Sept. 18: Officials in the district went on a mass leave for one day on Monday and staged a protest at the collectorate in protest against the abusive language used by Addanki MLA Karanam Balaram against district collector B. Udaya Lakshmi at the Mallavaram project site on Sunday.

Mr Balaram’s remarks sparked criticism and condemnation from various circles, including officials, peoples’ representatives, trade union leaders, NGOs and Congress leaders. Officials protested by wearing black badges at Prakasam Bhavan. They demanded that such incidents should not recur in the future.

Addressing officials, district revenue officer (DRO) Ramarao termed the incident unfortunate and added that the issue was taken to the notice of Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy and Chief Secretary J. Hari Narayan. Velugonda superintending engineer (SE) Suryanarayanababu criticised the MLA for misbehaving with project chief engineer Sivarao. He asked how employees could fulfil their duties without protection.

Ongole RDO Nagababu, Velugonda project land acquisition special deputy collector Subbarami Reddy, zilla parishad CEO Karunakar, Ongole municipal commissioner Challa Anuradha, Gundlakamma projects deputy special collector Srilatha and other officials condemned the behaviour of Mr Balaram.

Ongole MP Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy said that the legislator should tender an apology and rectify his mistakes. ZP chairperson Katam Arunamma said that women would get justice only when Mr Karanam Balaram was arrested.

Speaking to reporters at party office, she asked how the Mr Balaram could respect women when he could not give respect to the collector.

Gudur (Nellore), Sept. 18: Deputy Inspector General (Prisons), Kadapa region, B. Sunil Kumar said that proposals were sent for the construction of two more sub-jails at Atmakur and Sullurpet in the district.

Speaking to reporters after inspecting Gudur sub-jail here on Monday, Mr Sunil Kumar said that Central Jail works were going on at Buja Buja Nellore at a cost of Rs 9 crores on 35 acres. He said that government has released Rs 106 crores for repairs and other works in various jails in the State.

“Proposals are made to construct two sub-jails at Atmakur and Sullurpeta. The department is also considering to build another sub-jail at Venkatagiri in Nellore district,” the DIG said. He said that the department had been facing shortage of staff and efforts were on to fill up 250 posts.

Construction of second gate, repairs and other wor-ks would be taken up at a cost of Rs 9 lakhs at Gudur sub-jail. Women prisoners were sent to Nellore Central Jail as AP High Court objected to keeping women prisoners in sub-jails. He praised Gudur sub-jail officials for better treatment of inmates and maintenance.

Nellore, Sept. 18: A woman began a protest in front of her in-laws’ house alleging that they wanted to push her into the flesh trade.
Ms Rajarajeswari, an MCA degree holder and daughter of an ex-Army officer, sat on protest in front of the house of her mother-in-law Sunandamma at Jyothi Nagar near the Ayyappa temple in Nellore.

Ms Rajarajeswari said she had been thrown out of the house, and that her mother-in-law had separated her from her husband Satyam Sagar. Mr Sagar is reportedly untraceable. Ms Rajarajeswari married Mr Sagar, an engineer, on August 18, 2005. She said that her parents gave Rs.5 lakh cash, 150 sovereigns of gold and other materials.

She told police that the dowry and gifts were valued at Rs 25 lakh. She alleged that ten days after the marriage, her husband left to Hyderabad saying he would rejoin duty. After waiting for four months, Ms Rajarajeswari said she went to Hyderabad to live with her husband, but her mother-in-law and other relatives allegedly beat her.

When she tried to re-enter the residence of her mother-in-law, the latter reportedly did not allow her in. Ms Rajarajeswari alleged that Ms Sunandamma had been forcing her to enter the sex trade. When police and media personnel arrived at Ms Sunandamma’s house, she did not open it till evening.

Ms Rajarajeswari and her mother Ms Vijay Lakshmi said they wanted to get back their dowry. Fifth town police are investigating. Ms Rajarajeswari said that she had lodged a complaint with the former district SP Mr Sivadhara Reddy last year about the ill treatment by her mother-in-law.

Rajahmundry, Sept. 18: Most of the petitions received by the Lok Ayukta pertain to disputes of temple lands in the State. Disclosing this to newsmen here on Monday, Lok Ayukta Justice R. Ramanujam said that a large number of complaints were being received pertaining to temples. Some of temple lands were either encroached or registered under benami names or tenants who had taken land for some period paid only a meagre royalty in the form of kind.

He said that the Lok Ayukta conducted an inquiry on lands of a temple at Antarvedi recently and added that out of 800 acres belonging to the endowments, some part was given away on lease, while some part was registered on benami names and the remaining was encr-oached. Justice Ramanujam said that when he had sought clarification from the endo-wments regional joint director on the issue, the latter had sent a communication stating that the quantum of rice bags was increased to 15 from the 1.5 bags per acre to be given to temple authorities by the lease holders of temple land.

Justice Ramanujam exp-ressed displeasure that temple lands were neither beneficial to the temple authorities nor to the poor. He felt the need to stop encroachment of temple lands in the interests of the society. He said Ms E. Suvarna from East Godavari district had complained to the Lok Ayukta that lands of 17 temples were encroached. He added that an inquiry was being conducted to find out the facts.

The Lok Ayukta also said that when he had sought clarification from the endowments commissioner over the increasing tendency of encroachment of temple lands in the State, the commissioner sought some more time to give a reply stating that there was shortage of manpower in the department. He reiterated that the Lok Ayuktas in Maharashtra, Kerala and Karnataka were enjoying more powers and felt the need to give more powers in Andhra Pradesh also.

The justice said that he had already submitted a representation to the State government on the issue. He said that till September, about 2,306 cases were registered with the Lok Ayukta and added that 877 cases were dealt with while the remaining 1,429 were yet to be solved.

Kakinada, Sept. 18: Several peoples’ representatives expressed concern over the slow implementation of total sanitation, housing and protected water schemes in East Godavari. They anticipated people’s wrath if the implementation of these schemes was not speeded up in the near future. The issue was discussed at length in the vigilance and monitoring committee meeting on Monday at the district collectorate.

The meet was presided over by chairman and Bhadrachalam Lok Sabha member Dr Midiyam Babu Rao. Seven items were discussed in the meeting that lasted for more than three hours. The implementation of total sanitation and sanction of individual latrines, a facility lacking in several schools managed by the zilla parishad in the district, was discussed in detail.

Amalapuram MLA Kudipudi Chittabbyai and Kothapeta MLA Chirla Jaggi Reddy expressed concern over the snail’s pace of of the scheme in the district. Agitated over the replies by the Rural Water Supply superintendent engineer (EE) Eswara Rao, Peddapuram MLA Thota Gopala Krishna brought to the notice of the chair the sanction of this scheme in his constituency.

He expressed his displeasure that in two villages, community latrines were dismantled by officials without providing adequate assistance for the construction of individual latrines. Mr Gopalakrishna said that when officials implemented any government order, people should not suffer. Jaggampeta MLA Thota Venkata Narasimham also expressed similar views. The implementation of rural water supply was also found to be erratic by peoples’ representatives including the ZP chairman Ch. Venugopala Krishna.

Karimnagar, Sept. 18: The power consumption in the current kharif season has gone up drastically in the district due to vigorous agriculture operations brought about by good rains. According to official sources, the energy consumption in the district stood at 202.67 million units (MUs) as against the allotted aggregate revenue returns (ARR) target of 176.29 MUs in August. Similarly, 117.15 MUs of energy was consumed against the quota of 104.023 MUs. The cumulative energy consumption up to August is 847.59 MU against the allotted ARR target of 785.69 MU.

In sharp contrast, 686.26 MUs of power was consumed against the ARR target of 760.23 MU last year. Though power supply was disturbed in the first two weeks of this month resulting in power cuts in the towns, the situation gradually improved from September 13. Speaking to this newspaper, APTransco superintendent engineer (SE) Narsinga Rao said that seven-hour power was bei-ng supplied to the agriculture sector in three phases.

There was no interruption in po-wer supply from 132 KV substations since September 13 as power generation im-proved, he said and added that the load-monitoring cell was constantly supervising the power supply position round the clock. Meanwhile, collector M.V. Satyanarayana said that a strict vigil was being maintained at the sub-station level to ensure seven-hour power supply to the agriculture sector.

Mandal-level committees have been constituted with MRO, agriculture officer and Transco officials concerned to effectively monitor the power supply position and avoid interruptions. A total of 374 villages would be electrified in the district under the integrated novel development in rural areas and model municipal areas (Indiramma) scheme in 2006-07. Similarly, 56 wards in Karimnagar, Korutla, Metpalli, Jagtial, Sircilla and Ramagundam towns would be electrified under the scheme.

Warangal, Sept. 18: The Integrated Novel Development In Rural and Model Municipal Areas (Indiramma) scheme will bring light into a total of 1,669 villages in north Telangana region. The Northern Power Distribution Company Limited will take up the electrification of as many villages and 251 wards in municipal areas in the region under the scheme.

In the first phase, electrification will be taken up in 405 villages in Warangal district, 374 villages in Karimnagar, 302 villages in Khammam district, 275 villages in Nizamabad district and 313 villages in Adilabad district. There will be no house without power connection after the three years of the Indiramma scheme in the region.

In order to achieve this, the NPDCL will supply electric meter, one bulb, earthing terminal and service wire free of cost to those below poverty line. NPDCL chairman and managing director P. Anil Kumar said that the selected beneficiaries under the scheme could submit the application form at the power consumer centres in their respective districts.

Besides electrification and power connection, the Indiramma scheme envisages that all the selected areas have basic infrastructure and facilities like roads and houses. Every year one-thirds of the villages and municipal wards will be selected for the implementation of the scheme.

Guntur, Sept. 18: The district unit of the Andhra Pradesh Housing Corporation (APHC) is planning to outsource work inspectors to monitor the progress of projects such as the Indiramma housing scheme for the poor. Irregularities and delay in the implementation of the much-hyped pet project of the Chief Minister Y.S.Rajasekhar Reddy had provoked criticism from MPs and MLAs in the recent district review committee meeting.

They had criticised the zilla parishad chief and the district manager of the housing corporation for this. District in-charge minister Dharmana Prasada Rao found fault with the employees of the corporation and asked them to redress all problems within a week. Consequently, the corporation, which is suffering from staff shortage, decided to go for outsourcing.

The State government had planned to build 1.08 lakh houses in the district. But, only 1,880 houses have been finished so far. At present, there is only one work inspector for each mandal and this is hampering monitoring of the progress of work in the district. Stung by the criticism, the corporation hurriedly sanctioned 133 posts of work inspectors, and is taking steps to outsource personnel.

Khammam, Sept. 18: Students organisations, including the Progressive Democratic Students Union (PDSU), Students Federation of India (SFI) and the Telangana Students Union (TSU) are planning to step up their agitation against the decision of the government to close 11 junior and aided colleges in the district.
The students unions, which expressed anger over the decision, commenced an agitation.

The colleges to be closed in the district include government junior colleges at Naguloncha under Chintakani mandal, Siripuram under Madhira mandal and Nelakondapalli and the aided colleges such as Vivekananda Junior College, ASR College and Sarada College in Khammam.The State government set up these colleges 20 years ago with an aim to extend education to students in the rural areas.

PDSU district secretary K. Ashok Kumar alleged that a conspiracy was hatched to privatise education. Hence, the government is said to have taken the decision, he added. SFI leader G. Narasimha Rao said that the government listed the colleges which had good strength. He said that they would check the government plans by resorting to various agitations.

TSU district president P. Sampath said that the government was trying to treat the Telangana region as backward area with the decision. He urged the government to withdraw its decision to close the colleges.

Paderu (Visakhapatnam), Sept. 18: Commercial taxes minister Konatala Ramakrishna ordered a probe against panchayat raj executive engineer(EE) of Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) for dereliction of duty and for giving reckless replies to S Kota MLA K. Ravi Babu.

At the ITDA meeting held here on Monday, MLA Ravi Babu said the executive engineer Bhaskara Murthy not only neglected his duties but also behaved in an irresponsible manner with him. He said at least 76 borewells needed urgent repair in Araku Valley and Ananthagiri mandals under his constituency and a letter was sent to then collector Praveen Prakash. The former collector immediately issued orders for their repair.

When the executive engineer was asked to implement the collector’s orders, he bluntly said no. “It is unfortunate that the engineer gave such an irresponsible reply to an MLA,” Mr Ravi Babu told the meeting. When collector A.K. Singhal asked the engineer, he replied that the work was not taken up as the funds would be wasted if defunct borewells were repaired.

The MLA fumed with anger and said the peoples’ representatives understood the problems being faced by the tribals and not engineers who spend time indoors. Mr Ravi Babu told the engineer to quit his job and told the meeting that the meeting that the official was misleading the collector, MLA and the minister. He asked the minister to take action against the EE Minister Ramakrishna, who found fault with the executive engineer, asked the project officer of ITDA A. Sharat to initiate an inquiry against the EE.

The minister also asked the project officer to submit a report on the functioning of the 76 borewells as pointed out by the MLA. “Action will be taken against the EE if the inquiry found fault with him,” the minister told the reporters after the meeting.

Bobbili, Sept. 18: Peddapuram police arrested former chairman of Bobbili Urban Bank Rambarki Surya Rao and seized fake notes and original currency worth Rs 37,700 besides equipment for printing the fake currency from him here on Sunday night.

According to the police, one M. Mohana Rao, of Galavilli village in Balijipeta mandal in Vizianagaram district was arrested in Peddapuram and fake currency of various denominations was seized from him. During the interrogation, Mohan Rao revealed the name of former urban bank chief and a prominent Congress leader Surya Rao.

On Sunday night, Peddapuram sub-inspector (SI) B.V. Subba Rao and constables Babu Saheb and Krishna raided a printing press owned by Surya Rao near Rama Theatre. When they drew blank there, the team then raided his house where they found the computer and the printing equipment.

Surya Rao was earlier arrested for irregularities in the bank. The local people and the police were in a shock after the news of Surya Rao’s arrest spread. Bobbili DSP K. Sriramulu said the case would be investigated thoroughly and the guilty would be brought to the book. “We will check all the printing press units in the division,’’ the DSP said.

Denkada (Vizianagaram), Sept. 18: Lord Sitarama Swami temple in Chitti Gunkalam village under the limits of Amakam panchayat has turned into the mandal parishat primary school since April. As the old school building was in a dilapidated condition, the teachers as a last resort shifted their students to the nearby Sitarama Swami temple premises which was under construction. The total number of students up to Class-V was 50 of which daily about 45 attend.

The kitchen shed built to make mid-day meals near the school premises also is not useful because the students are now housed in a temple. Mandal parishat president Chandrasekhar said that Rs 2 lakh has been sanctioned recently from Sarva Siksha Abhiyan funds but the Panchayat Raj officials were delaying the construction work.

He said not only this school building, construction upper primary school buildings at Singavaram and Goddipalem and high school buildings at Akkivaram and Gunupurpet villages in the mandal were also stopped mid-way through, putting the teachers and students in trouble.

Makkuva (Vizianagaram), Sept. 18: The aqueduct in the left main canal of the Vengalarayasagar irrigation project on Gomukhi River collapsed on Sunday. This is the third time that the 15-metre aqueduct near Sambara village has collapsed since 2001.

It was built in 1987 at a cost of Rs 18 lakh by Rao and Rao Company of Hyderabad for providing water in Kharif season. With the aqueduct’s collapse, it is almost certain that farmers of the area will not get water for Kharif. Sources said that water had been leaking from the pillars in the aqueduct for a while and this had eroded the mud on its base. This led to the collapse. It had collapsed earlier in 2001 and 2003.

“The pillars were built with rocks and not with concrete mixture and this is the reason for the collapse,” said a local farmer. Crops in Sambara, Kaviripalli, Maripivalasa, Kavirivalasa, Thotavalasa and Ghaisila villages are likely to suffer damage because of this. District authorities have informed Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy and Irrigation Minister P. Lakshmaiah about the collapse of the aqueduct.
Meanwhile, low lying areas in Vizianagaram were submerged in the heavy rains that lashed the city on Monday.

Areas near the Clock Tower, municipal office and RTC complex were in knee-deep water, paralysing traffic. However, there have been no reports of damage to property. The district received 24.4 mm rain on September 18 and 26.8 mm on September 17.