Aided college teachers' salaries to be paid soon

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, FEB. 26. The Government has promised to release funds for immediate payment of salaries to lecturers working in aided degree colleges who, according to the Opposition, have not received the same for three months now.

Making a statement to this effect in the Assembly on Monday in reply to a short-notice question tabled by Mr D. Dharma Rao and two other BJP members, the Minister for Higher Education, Mr. K. Ramachandra Rao, said against a budget of Rs 185 crores set aside for the purpose, Rs 136.28 crores had already been released and efforts were on to provide the balance within a few days.

On non-implementation of the Career Advancement Scheme by Osmania University, the Minister offered to settle the issue if specific cases were brought to his notice. He also announced the Government's decision to allow private aided degree colleges to fill the existing vacancies from next academic year.

The Government Degree College at Godavarikhani will have its own building ready within one year. Tenders for undertaking the work would be finalied within a month, Mr. Ramachandra Rao told members from Karimnagar district, including Mr M. Narsaiah, TD.

Hope for Koilsagar Project

The Major Irrigation Minister, Mr M. Venkateswara Rao, gave hope for survival of Koilsagar in Mahabubnagar district, stating that investigation would be taken up on how far diversion of Krishna waters could be possible to this "dying" project constructed in 1956 and modernised in 1978. The Minister agreed with Mr K. Dayakar Reddy, TD, representing Amarachinta in which the project was located, that only 1.40 tmcft of water was available in the project when full against an allotment of 3.90 tmcft under the Bachawat Award and that it was full only once in the last one decade.

Flood threat to Kurnool

Regarding flood threat to Kurnool from backwaters of Krishna, and two other rivers passing by the town, Thungabhadra and Handri, the Major Irrigation Minister said, estimates were being prepared for construction of a 4.5-km concrete wall from the railway bridge on the Guntakal-Secunderabad section, costing Rs 16.65 crores, and for lining of the right and left margins of the Handri river.

Bio-waste disposal

Under a new a policy, ``safe pits'' were being taken up at all Government hospitals to bury hospital waste, especially used sharp instruments.

The Minister for Health, Dr S. Aruna, said, the pit provided for the hospital at Golconda, Hyderabad, implemented by Sulabh International, was found to be "good" and appreciated even by WHO. The pits, costing Rs 4,500 each, were being taken up in all AP Vaidya Vidhana Parishad hospitals first and then in a phased manner for government hospitals and even in those attached to medical colleges but as a common facility in some cases.

Dealing with the complaint made by Mr K. Atchannaidu, TD, that syringes were being reused subjecting patients to AIDS risk, the Minister stated the Government, as a policy, was encouraging only disposable syringes and was trying to create awareness among the public on resisting reuse. The policy against reuse was pursued in the case of "injections" (needles) also with a budgetary provision of Rs 375 lakhs.

Bus depots/stations

The Transport Minister, Mr B. V. Mohan Reddy, offered to take up bus depots wherever five-acre site was available and touched by a minimum of 60-80 buses a day. As far as bus stations were concerned, he told Mr P. Ramulu, TD, and Mr Ch. Vittal Reddy, Congress, that under a proposal to have the facility at every mandal headquarters, work was launched at 223 places against 353 places identified. Work could not be started on many sites because of court litigation.

Rural Roads

The Panchayat Raj Minister, Mr P. Srinivasa Reddy, asked the Congress member representing Venkatagiri, Mrs N. Rajyalakshmi, to send in proposals for taking up link roads connecting Nagavolu and Mahasamudram via Pedayacha Samudram Girijanwada of Koneswara Batipalli and Daggavolu.

Reconstruction of causeways

Reconstruction of causeways at Lakshmipuram and Bastipadu in Kurnool district which were washed away in the 1996 floods, had remained elusive because the Panchayat Raj and Roads and Buildings departments wasted time, shifting responsibility on each other, Mr M. Sikhamani, Congress, said.

The Panchayat Raj Minister, responding on the issue which was also raised by Mrs B. Shoba, TD, said, the one at Lakshmipuram belonged to his department and that it would be taken up as and when funds were available. The Roads and Buildings Minister, Mr K. Vijayarama Rao, followed him, saying his department would take up the other.

Lands for distribution

The Agriculture Minister, Mr V. Sobhanadreswara Rao, told Mr Gummadi Narsaiah, (CPI-ML), that an extent of 80.41 acres out of the land belonging to Thangadancha seedfarm at Jupadu in Bangala mandal of in Kurnool district was being alienated in favour of ryots and poor people who had occupied it by cultivating crops and raising huts.

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