The Hindu : Briefly

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jan 29, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Briefly

Pacific Fleet Commander visits ENC

VISAKHAPATNAM: A review of the ongoing defence and bilateral cooperation between the navies of India and the US was conducted here on Wednesday by the visiting Commander of the Pacific Fleet, Walter Doran, and the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Naval Command (ENC), O.P. Bansal.

The two Flag Officers exchanged notes on the impact of the recent joint naval exercises, apart from the level of cooperation in protecting sea-lanes and executing anti-piracy and rescue operations.

Admiral Doran also had an interaction with senior officers of the ENC. He later visited INS Ranvir, a frontline warship, the Naval Dockyard and INS Kurusura Submarine Museum on Beach Road.

On arrival at the Naval Air Station, INS Dega, the Admiral and Virginia Doran were given a warm welcome. Ms. Doran interacted with the president of the Naval Wives' Welfare Association, Renu Bansal, and its other members.

Mahajan's effigy burnt

Hyderabad: Congress activists burnt the effigy of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, Pramod Mahajan, here on Wednesday, decrying his alleged remarks against Priyanka and Rahul Gandhi.

A group of party workers, led by the general secretary of the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC), P. Sudhakar Reddy, and the City Congress president, M. Anjan Kumar Yadav, gathered at the Kothi crossroads and raised slogans against Mr. Mahajan. Later, the police detained them for some time.

APCOB drought relief package

TIRUPATI: The Andhra Pradesh State Co-operative Bank (APCOB) has announced a Rs. 500-crore drought relief package, which is expected to cover 20.5 lakh beneficiaries.

Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, the bank's Chairman, T.D. Janardhana Rao, announced a 5 per cent subsidy on interest to farmers who pay back the loan amount in time. Also, those repaying their dues before March 31 would be eligible for a further subsidy.

Expressing satisfaction over the performance of the Tirupati branch, he said that the branch was ahead of the rest with a deposit base of Rs.108 crores. "The same is targeted to touch Rs.120 crores by the end of this financial year,'' he said.

Irrigation staff plea granted

Hyderabad: The Government has agreed to consider elevation of one post of Superintendent to gazetted rank in each of the 70 irrigation circles in the State.

According to a press note issued by the Irrigation Department NGOs' Association here on Wednesday, the Government, following talks with the Irrigation Principal Secretary, C.V.S.K. Sarma, also agreed to release sufficient funds for completing the construction of `Jalasoudha' at Errum Manzil.

A word of thanks from Iranian Government

Hyderabad: The Iranian Government has expressed thanks and gratitude to people, associations and NGOs who contributed cash and goods and extended moral support in the aftermath of the earthquake that hit Bam city on December 26 last year.

A statement issued by the Consulate General's office here said that the people and the Government of Iran would not forget the gesture and sympathy that was shown by the people of Andhra Pradesh in their time of need.

Pensioners to form

pressure groups

Hyderabad: The A.P. State Government Retired Employees' Association has decided to form coordination committees at district-level for showing solidarity with those political parties promising to clear the arrears due to pensioners in the State.

The association, through a press note issued here on Wednesday, asked all district-level associations to convene meetings inviting political leaders to extract the promise.

Three held, Diazepam seized

HYDERABAD: A special team of the Prohibition and Excise Department raided a house in Kattelmandi, Abids, and another in the harijanwada in Sidashivpeta and seized over 100 kg of Diazepam worth Rs. 5 lakhs. Three persons were arrested in this connection.

A press release said that P. Arvind Goud (25) and N. Ramanjaneyulu (32) were allegedly in the business of procuring Diazepam and supplying it to toddy shops in the twin cities. About 52.5 kg of the chemical was seized from them. While the former is the Managing Partner in Krishna Chit Funds, the latter is his employee. The duo had been sent for judicial remand.

The other case involved the arrest of Malreaddygudem Madhu Goud and seizure of 50 kg of Diazepam. He was said to be in the business of dealing with the chemical for over a year now. He had also been sent for judicial remand.

World Spice Congress from today

HYDERABAD: Over 380 delegates from India and 31 countries will attend the three-day Seventh World Spice Congress beginning here from January 29.

The Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, will inaugurate the Congress, which is being organised jointly by the Spices Board of Government of India and the All India Spices Exporters' Forum. The theme of the Congress is `Spices, flavours and beyond', the Chairman of Spices Board, C.J. Jose, told reporters here.

Isolated rain in coastal Andhra, Telangana

Hyderabad: There was isolated rain in Coastal Andhra and Telangana on Wednesday while weather remained dry in the rest of the State.

Vijayawada Airport recorded a rainfall of 4 cm, Ongole 3 cm and Jagtial 1 cm during the 24-hour period ending this morning. There was little change in the minimum temperatures in the State. They were above normal at many places in Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema and at one or two places in Telangana. The lowest night temperature of 14 degree Celsius was recorded in Adilabad.

Weather is likely to be mainly dry in the State on Thursday.

RTC union against ticket machines

NELLORE: The APSRTC Karmik Sangh, affiliated to Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, has opposed the introduction of ticket issuing machine system (TIMS) in the RTC network. The sangh says that the system will result in delay in journey time, thereby causing inconvenience to passengers.

Refresher programme

NELLORE: A three-day refresher programme for biology teachers of all high schools of the district would be held at the D.K.W. College, Nellore, from January 30. The programme would be held under the joint auspices of District Science Centre and Jana Vignana Vedika in co-ordination with the Education Department. Senior lecturers of the college, doctors of JVV and the director of National Green Corps, Hyderabad, would act as resource persons.

Pension for old aged

NELLORE: Old age pension for three months at Rs.75 per month will be paid to the deserving in all the 44 wards of Nellore municipality on January 30 and January 31. It would benefit 2,040 persons.

SVU excels in sports

TIRUPATI: The tennis (men) team of Sri Venkateswara University, which is currently playing the South West inter-university tennis tournament hosted by Anna University, Chennai, has entered the semi-finals by defeating the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Karnataka. With this, SVU has now become eligible for all India inter-university tourney which is to begin from January 31. According to a release issued by C.S. Prasad Babu, the varsity's physical education director, it is for the first time that the varsity's tennis unit has ever got qualified to play at the national level.

Ongole bulls donated to TTD

TIRUPATI: Two Ongole bulls, each costing Rs.1 lakh, were donated to the TTD's Sri Venkateswara Dairy Farm by the West Godavari District Co-operative Central Bank (DCCB) chairman, Satyanarayana Babu, at a brief function in the temple of Goddess Padmavathi at Tiruchanur here on Tuesday. The bulls, both aged three years, are meant to be used as part of procession paraphernalia during the annual Brahmotsavams in the Tirumala temple and other TTD temples.

Examination dates

WARANGAL: The BP Ed., MP Ed. (I semester) and LLM III year and M Sc (Environmental Sciences) examination of the School of Distance Learning and Continuing Education (SDLCE), Kakatiya University, would be held from January 30 to February 7. According to a press release, the first year supplementary examinations of BA/B.Com. and B.Com. (Computers) would be held from February 9 to 14.

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Andhra Pradesh