The Hindu : Briefly

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jan 21, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Briefly

`Save crop' scheme

CHITTOOR: The District Collector, Giridhar, has said that `save crop' scheme costing Rs.5.35 crores would be implemented in the constituencies of Sri Kalahasti, Satyavedu, Nagari and Puttur. Talking to reporters here on Tuesday, he said this amount would be pooled from drouhgt funds, the S.C.Corporation, the D.R.D.A., the S.T. Corporation and the BC Corporation. The amount would be sanctioned to farmers for purchasing electric motors on subsidy. He issued instruction to the concerned to purchase fodder from surplus eastern mandals of Satyavedu, Nagalapuram, Pichatur, B.N.Kandriga Thottambeddu, Varadaiah Palem and Yerpedu by constituting local committees and stocking it to supply to farmers in fodder-shortage mandals in the district.

Two killed in road mishap

Cuddapah: A coal merchant, Peddireddy Ramakrishna Reddy (48), and a tent supplier, Ibrahim (35), died when their two-wheeler was hit by an unidentified vehicle near the Cuddapah PG centre on Cuddapah-Pulivendula road last night.

Ramakrishna Reddy and Ibrahim, both of Pulivendula town, were coming to Cuddapah, when the fatal mishap occurred. The Pendlimarry police shifted the bodies to Cuddapah the Government hospital and registered a case.

Small savings target exceeded

NELLORE: Nellore district has been able to mobilise Rs. 29.16 crores in respect of small savings, as against a target of Rs. 19 crores. This was stated by the Joint Collector, N. Sreedhar, at a meeting arranged at the Golden Jubilee Hall on Monday, in connection with a special draw. The District Revenue Officer, P. Bhaskar, and the Special Tahsildar, small savings, Aruna Kumari, were present.

Health mela

NELLORE: The three-day mega health mela concluded at Venkatachalasatram on Monday. The District Collector, G. Anantha Ramu, who was chief guest, said more than 21,000 patients were treated at the mela where 150 specialists extended their services.

Tourism concession

KURNOOL: The Tourism Department has offered 10 per cent concession on all its services during the National Tourism week celebrations till January 25, according to a press note by the Divisional Manager, Umamaheswar Reddy.

Railway line

KURNOOL: The Municipal Minister, B.V. Mohan Reddy, said the Union Ministry of Railways was requested to include the Mantralayam-Kurnool railway line in the coming railway budget. Addressing a meeting at Yemmiganur in connection with distribution of assets on Tuesday, he said the Railways had earmarked Rs 10 lakhs for survey last year. The line costing Rs 130 crores would be linked to the main line at Adoni connecting Kurnool city with the Chennai-Mumbai line.

Ration coupons

KURNOOL: The Joint Collector, Ramsankar Naik, has asked ration card holders to collect coupons for the current year. Mr. Naik supervised distribution of coupons in One Town on Tuesday. In the first phase, the distribution would go on from January 20 to 25. In the city, 21,465 white coupons and 40,464 kerosene coupons would be distributed. In the district, 3,82,845 rice coupons and 1,03,000 kerosene coupons would be distributed.

Coast Guard station in Kakinada proposed

HYDERABAD: As part of stepping up its activities along the eastern coast, particularly the search and rescue operations, the Coast Guard has decided to set up a second station in Andhra Pradesh.

This was announced to reporters here on Tuesday by the Commander of the Coast Guard, Eastern Region, U.N. Chitnavis, after he called on the Governor, S.S. Barnala. Commodore Chitnavis, who assumed charge recently, said he had apprised the Governor about the activities and invited him to Visakhapatnam on Febraury 17 to see the work done by the organisation.

He said the Coast Guard already has a station at Visakhapatnam and the second one was proposed to be located at Kakinada. The new station would enable stepped up search, rescue and monitoring activities in the region, as the infrastructure would be augmented with more onshore and offshore patrol vessels. It would not only save time, but it was also not economically viable to send vessels from Visakhapatnam to render assistance.

`Surya jayanti' on January 28

TIRUMALA: The annual `Ratha sapthami' festival (Surya jayanti) will be celebrated in the famous hill temple of Lord Venkateswara, Tirumala, on January 28.

In connection with the festival, a procession of deities of Lord will be taken out on seven different `vahanams' at different intervals.

The festival will commence at 5.30 a.m. with the procession of `Surya pabha vahanam' and conclude with `Chandra prabha' in the night.

In view of the festival, the TTD has cancelled all the `arjitha sevas' performed inside the sacred hill shrine, including the pre-dawn rituals except the `arjitha brahmotsavam.'

Hike in scholarship demanded

HYDERABAD: The Andhra Pradesh Backward Classes' Welfare Association has asked the Government to increase the scholarship amount for Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe students by 75 per cent following the example set by the Central Government which recently raised the amount for college students.

R. Krishnaiah, president of the association, in a statement issued here on Tuesday said the Centre, after categorising the courses, had fixed the scholarship amount as follows: from Rs. 425 to Rs. 740 (for group "A" hostels), Rs. 190 to Rs. 330 (for day scholars), Rs. 290 to Rs. 510 (for "B", "C" group hostels), Rs.190 to Rs. 330 (for day scholars), Rs. 230 to Rs. 355 (for "D" group hostels), Rs.120 to Rs.185 (for day scholars), Rs. 150 to Rs. 235 (for "E" group hostels) and Rs. 90 to Rs. 140 (for day scholars).

Central official coming

HYDERABAD: The Comptroller and Auditor-General of India, V.N. Kaul, is arriving here on Wednesday evening on a three-day visit. He will call on the Governor, S.S. Barnala, and the Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu. He is expected to discuss matters pertaining to finances of the State Government.

Mr. Mr. Kaul will inaugurate the AG bungalows in Jubilee Hills on January 23. Later, he will lay the foundation-stone for residential buildings of the staff at the AG Colony, Yousufguda, according to a press release issued by the Accountant-General, Andhra Pradesh.

Three die in road mishap

KURNOOL: Three persons were killed and 18 others injured when a mini-lorry, in which they were travelling, collided with a truck near Allagadda in Kurnool district in the early hours of Tuesday. All the victims were migrant labourers from Mahabubnagar district who were proceeding to Dornipadu to work at the KC canal modernisation project site. Sayamma, 30, from Rekulapalli in Devarakhadra mandal, Anjaiah, 35, from Konnur in Kothakota mandal, the mini-lorry driver, Surendra Goud from Amarachinta Atmakur, died on the spot. The injured were shifted to General Hospital here after first aid at Allagadda.

Surrendered naxal shot dead

WARANGAL: Naxalites of the People's War shot dead a surrendered naxalite, Eeka Sambaiah alias Rajender (32) of Karlapally village in Govindaraopet mandal, last night stamping him a police informant.According to the Mulugu DSP, Aryan Ammi Reddy, a group of naxalites detained Sambaiah, who had worked with the Thandava Local Guerrilla Squad, and Banothu Venkanna, a PW sympathiser, when they had gone to the Saddimadugu forest area to collect firewood. Having worked with the PW for four long years, Sambaiah, a Koya tribe, surrendered before the police on February 18 last.

The naxalites reportedly tortured Sambaiah and Venkanna after detaining them in the forest area on January 17 and killed the former last night. They left the latter with a warning.

TTD official clarifies on hike in `seva' ticket price

TIRUPATI: The recent decision of the TTD to hike the price of `Archana Anantara Darshanam' (AAD) ticket in the hill temple of Lord Venkateswara, Tirumala, with effect from February 1, will not affect those who had already booked the tickets. A TTD press release issued by its Public Relations Officer, P. Ranga Rao, on Monday clarified that those who had already secured their AAD seva tickets either through Internet or through the Advance Reservation need not pay the revised price of Rs.200 each.

The ticket price was increased to contain the demand for the same which had a direct bearing on the time slot earmarked for the darshan time of ordinary pilgrims.

Dry weather prevails

Hyderabad: Nandyal in Kurnool district continued to be the coldest place in the State for the second day on Tuesday recording the lowest night temperature at 13 degree Celsius. Weather was dry in the State. The minimum temperature significantly fell below normal at a few places in Rayalaseema but it was above normal at one or two places in Telangana and normal in coastal Andhra.

The weather will be mainly sunny on Wednesday.

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Andhra Pradesh