Andhranews

Kadapa, Oct. 1: The State government ordered all the municipalities to clear the pending dues. The decision was taken to make the municipal administration more effective and self-sufficient. The government issued clear instructions to municipalities to collect all the pending dues by March next year.

Orders to this effect were issued by the municipal administration officials after holding high-level meeting with Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy recently. The government also directed the municipalities to mobilise revenues to the tune of Rs 761 crores by March, 2007.

Municipalities were also directed to collect permission fee for construction of buildings, water charges, property tax and fixation charges and make changes if any to achieve the stipulated targets. Meanwhile, officials started taking steps to collect long-pending dues in five municipalities in the district. However, officials in Kadapa municipal corporation face a tough time in collection of dues due to the internal differences among the officials.

Some groups in revenue department who were opposed to tax collection were indulging in mudslinging against municipal officials. However, bill collectors said that they are only opposing the attitude of the officials and not the collection drive. A tough action is needed to set right the things and speed up tax dues collection.

However there is an acute shortage of staff in the municipalities of Rayachoti, Jammalamadugu, Pulivendula, Rajampet making it difficult for the officials to comply with the government orders. The State government failed to provide basic facilities in the newly-upgraded municipalities like Rayachoti. Except for Kadapa municipal corporation, Prodduttur and Pulivendula municipalities, other municipalities have no sufficient staff to speed up the tax collection drive.

Anantapur, Oct. 1: The district administration is busy collecting the details of various schemes being implemented by the State government following the decision of Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy to review the functioning of various departments in the district.

Officials are accused of submitting wrong figures to the government during review meetings. In an attempt to avoid this, ministers have already directed officials to present details of schemes particularly ta-ken up by the district rural development agency, district water management ag-ency and other welfare dep-artments at ground level.

The officials of the above departments were collecting details of beneficiaries and amount disbursed so far. It may be recalled that the ministers faced a tough time in the past when the figures given by officials during review meetings were found to be false. Also, intelligence reports proved that wrong figures submitted by officials were one of the reasons for the defeat of the Telugu Desam in last Assembly elections.

Large scale irregularities were detected in implementation of National Rural Employment Guarantee in the district. However, officials refute these allegations and claim that “everything was fine”. Records were being sent to the government for wo-rks not taken up. Irregularities have also come to fore in the programme being taken up by the SC and BC Corporations and in pension distribution. “We are making efforts to present at least 75 per cent actual figures,” an official said.

Ongole, Oct. 1: Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy’s announcement of setting up a medical college in Prakasam district was well received here on Sunday. The Chief Minister took a decision in this regard at a high-level meeting attended by minister for health and finance K. Rosaiah and senior departmental officials in Hyderabad.

Incidentally the district got a medical college when Mr Rosaiah, who reprsents Chirala constituency, of this district happens to be the health minister.The need for a medical college was felt in Prakasam district for the last three-and-a-half-decades since the district was one of the three which didn’t have any medical college either in the government or private sectors. Srikakulam and Adilabad were the other districts which were left without a medical college.

Though scores of professional colleges came up in the district and were offering courses like engineering, MCA, MBA and B.Ed the lack of medical college was acutely felt. Successive governments neglected the backward region in allocation of a medical college. Owing to lack of a medical college, students from this district are going to other districts and States to pursue medicine.

With the allotment of a medical college to this district it is expected that the government hospital will be upgraded and more medical amenities will be provided to patients. Infrastructure in the government hospital will also be upgraded.

Dr Durga Prasad, co-ordinator, government hospital said that with the decision to set up a medical college, medical services at the government hospital will be improved. “More specialist doctors would be appointed and the number of beds would also be increased,” he said. So far, two private educational institutions have been trying to set up medical colleges near Ongole. But due to legal problems the process is getting delayed.

Ongole, Oct. 1: Union Minister of State for human resources development D. Purandhareswari on Sunday unveilied the renovated lift irrigation scheme at Rangastha Naidupalem village in Karampudi mandal of this district.

Farmers contributed 50 per cent expenditure for the renovation of the lift irrigation scheme at Rangastha Naidupalem. Lift irrigation schemes in the region are owned by either the government or private parties. For the first time, both private parties and the government collectively funded the renovation of the lift irrigation scheme.

Speaking after unveiling the renovated lift irrigation scheme at Rangastha Naidupalem village in Karampudi mandal, Ms Purandhareswari said that Rs 4.16 crores was sanctioned for 20 lift irrigation schemes in Parchur and Martur Assembly constituencies of the district.

She disclosed that proposals were sent for a lift irrigation scheme on the Nallamala Jageru and Rs 3.5 crores were sanctioned for the Gollapalem lift scheme and Rs 25 lakhs for the Kadaleru lift irrigation scheme. She said that Rs 5.50 crores were sanctioned for the Devarapalli lift irrigation scheme.

Talking about insurance for farmers, she said that in Karamchedu mandal, paddy farmers were paid Rs 85 lakhs for crop loss. Parchur MLA Daggubati Venkateswara Rao and local officials attended on the occasion.

Tirupati, Oct. 1: It was a sea of humanity at the abode of Lord Venkateshwara. Thousands of devotees worshipped Lord Malayappaswamy Varu, as the idol was taken in a procession on the Suryaprabha (Sun) Vahanam on the seventh day of the Brahmotsav on Sunday morning.

Adorned with resplendent jewellery and bedecked with colourful flowers, the Lord was taken around the four Mada Streets between 9 am and 11 am.Malyappaswamy, the processional deity of Lord Venkateshwara gave darshan mounted on the vahanam to the devotees.

The sun is considered the cosmic effulgence that gives light and heat to us. The brightest star in the solar system, the sun is revered by people from a very ancient period. It is worshipped as one who cures illness, gives energy and controls climate.

Hence, propitiation of the sun god for good health and bumper harvests became part and parcel of our religious practices. Without the sun, life on earth will be impossible. When the sun god is displeased, natural calamities occur and plant and animal life withers.

According to the Puranas, Lord Sriman Narayana is the presiding deity of the Surya mandala. The sun god is invoked by chanting the famous Gayatri mantra at sunrise in order to ward off evil and for enlightenment.

Karimnagar, Oct. 1: Jagtial MLA and the likely Congress candidate for Karimnagar Lok Sabha seat by-election T. Jeevan Reddy charged Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) K. Chandrasekhar Rao with pursuing opportunistic politics.

Speaking to newsmen here on Sunday, Mr Jeevan Reddy alleged that Mr Chandrasekhar Rao had earned notoriety for using Telangana sentiment for selfish political gains. He was reacting to the adverse remarks made by the TRS president against the Congress MLAs of the region in Hyderbaad on Saturday.

Mr Chandrasekhar Rao reportedly said that the Congress MLAs were undermining the Telangana movement. “Mr Chandrasekhar Rao held the Union Cabinet minister post for two-and-a-half years in violation of his earlier statement that he would not accept any posts till the formation of Telangana State. His nepotism and anti-weaker section stand are quite evident through the appointment of his nephew T. Harish Rao as the minister even before his election as MLA,” Mr Jeevan Reddy alleged.

He accused the TRS supremo of totally neglecting his constituency. “Mr Chandrasekhar Rao resigned his post to save his party from disintegration and unleashed a misinformation campaign against the Congress to mislead the people,” the Congress MLA alleged.

Mr Jeevan Reddy asserted that the Congress was sincerely striving to evolve a consensus on Telangana State issue. District Congress Committee (DCC) president T. Santosh Kumar and AP Markfed chairman Ponnam Prabhakar were present.

Warangal, Oct. 1: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national secretary S. Hari Babu on Sunday demanded that the Eamcet in the State be cancelled. Stating that the present entrance test was only serving the needs of the corporate colleges, which were exploiting the parents to the hilt, Mr Hari Babu said: “The Eamcet now has no relevance as number of seats in engineering colleges were not getting filled. The test had got relevance when there were limited seats and less number of colleges. But now there are over 800 engineering colleges in the State and there were no sufficient number of students.”

The BJP secretary was addressing a press conference at the district party office here, where he came to coordinate with the party’s district unit on the party’s strategy for the legislative council elections. Referring to the Centre’s package for the State, he blamed the State government for its failure to get a good package for the farmers.

Though the State government had demanded Rs 51,000 crores, the Centre had only sanctioned a paltry amount of Rs 9,650 crores as a special package for the farmers of the State. He stated that around Rs 1,500 crores would go to the waiver of the interest on loans extended to the farmers and another major share would go towards the minor irrigation under the Integrated Rural Development Fund.

Senior BJP leader and former MP Ch. Janga Reddy said that BJP would emerge winner in the Karimnagar by-election as it was unequivocally supporting the formation of the separate Telangana State.

Khammam, Oct. 1: A large number of remand prisoners in the sub-jail here claim to have undergone a change of heart after practising yoga and meditation. When this correspondent spoke with some of them in the jail in the presence of jailer Devla Lakavat, they vowed to lead a peaceful life after being released from prison.

“I was implicated in a murder case, but I no longer feel any anger towards anyone,” said K.V. Rama Rao, a remand prisoner. “I have decided to lead a peaceful life after coming out”. Rama Rao, a resident of Paloncha, said that practise of yoga had changed his attitude.

There are about 61 remand prisoners in the jail. Majority of them were arrested for petty crimes such as theft of household articles and picking pockets. K. Sadasiva Reddy, resident of Parakala in Warangal, had been arrested for stealing a two-wheeler in 2001. “I had completed the jail term in the case but police charged me with another two-wheeler theft though I had not done it,” he said. “I have no hard feelings though,” he added.

Shaik Jani, an accused in a petty theft case, said that meditation had changed his life. “I want to lead a positive life now,” he said. Mr Lakavat said that Yoga and meditation classes were being regularly organised to change the attitude of prisoners. Prisoners Welfare Day is being observed on Gandhi Jayanti on Monday.

Vijayawada, Oct. 1: Arrangements for Teppotsavam to be held on Monday evening to mark Vijayadasami have been completed by the Kanaka Durga temple authorities. A special boat resembling a swan was decorated in which the utsav deities of Durga and Mallikarjuna Swamy will set sail.

One Town police personnel will bring down the deities in a palanquin from Indrakeeladri hill through Arjun Street to Durga Ghat. Tight security arrangements are being made for the occasion. District collector Navin Mittal, police commissioner Umesh Shraff, besides the temple priests will be allowed on the boat.

The VIPs will be allowed to view the Hamasavahanam from the Durga Ghat. Special passes are being issued to those who want to view Teppotsavam from the Ghat. There was difference of opinion between the temple officials and the committee members with executive officer E. Gopalakrishna Reddy proposing to collect Rs 50 for each VIP who wants to be at Durga Ghat. This was opposed and temple sources said such a move was cancelled this year.

After the ritual, the idols would be handed over to the police department to perform ayudha puja. The police department would be organising an exhibition of arms and ammunition as part of Vijayadasami celebrations. There was a heavy rush of devotees on Sunday and the darshan was allowed since 4 am.

The VIPs were not allowed into the temple till 12 pm. Special darshan was provided to them till 1.30 pm. During this period, the devotees who bought Rs 100 ticket faced severe inconvenience. At one stage, the executive officer had to visit the sanctum sanctorum to control the flow of devotees. More than 5,000 devotees had a free meal that was offered by the temple authorities.

Visakhapatnam, Oct. 1: Greater Viskahapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) commissioner N. Srikanth and district collector and special officer of the corporation A.K. Singhal allegedly violated an interim order passed by State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) by not restoring the drinking water supply to the apartments here on Sunday.

It may be recalled that the Corporation had disconnected the water supply to 45 apartment complexes in the city on September 26 for non-payment of water bills which amounted to lakhs of rupees.
The Visakhapatnam Apartment Residents Welfare Association disputed the huge bills and challenged the tariff pattern and refused to pay the bills till the issue was resolved.

On Sunday morning, the association led by its secretary A. Suresh met the SHRC commission chairman B. Subhashan Reddy and apprised him of their plight. The chairman summoned the collector and the commissioner and asked them to restore the supply with immediate affect. He also told the association members to pay one fourth of the billed amount by October 10 and pay the remaining amount after the dispute was resolved.

The chairman said the collector and commission would form a committee to study the entire issue. Officials from the corporation went to the apartment complexes and demanded cheques for one-fourth amount immediately though the SHRC chief fixed October 10 as a deadline. Till then no water would be restored, they said.

Mr Suresh told this correspondent on Sunday evening that the officials deliberately refused to resume water supply despite the commission’s order. When executive engineer A. Sharat Babu was contacted over phone, he demanded letters along with the cheques for immediate supply of water.

Mr Suresh said he would inform the commission on the violation of the chairman order by the collector and the commissioner. He was also surprised that the local Congress MLAs and Telugu Desam leaders failed to react on the issue.

Srikakulam, Oct. 1: The 196-km stretch of National Highway No. 5 from Paidibhimavaram to Itchapuram in the district claimed 631 lives and caused serious injuries to 2,524 persons in the last five years.
According to reports, 93 persons were killed from January to September this year alone.

Lack of awareness on traffic safety, alcoholism and rash driving are said to be the main reasons. A non-governmental orga-nisation (NGO), which conducted a survey on this stretch, found that alcohol was the main reason. The NGO also suggested to the police authorities to install breath analysers but it was not taken seriously.

The officials said the incomplete four-lane between Paidibhimavaram and Srikakulam could be the other reason for the head on collisions. According to reports, 82 persons died and 341 sustained injuries in 2001, 104 died and 426 hurt in 2002, 122 dead and 514 injured in 2003, 108 died and 390 injured in 2004, 122 died and 534 injured in 2005 and from January 2006 to September-end 93 were killed and 319 sustained injuries.

“We are making all efforts to prevent overspeeding and banned autorickshaws on the highway. But till the drivers realise the danger, nothing can be done,” a senior police official said.