The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Briefly

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Friday, Jan 07, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Briefly

Bank offer for tsunami victims

Hyderabad: Syndicate Bank has announced interest concessions on loans to tsunami-affected people. According to a press release, the interest rate on housing loan for them will be lowered by one per cent.

The interest rate on all other priority sector advances availed by them, including loans for agriculture, fishery, acquisition of boats, small businesses, retail trade, small and cottage industries, artisans and weaker sections will be reduced by 2 per cent across the board.

These rates will be applicable to both existing and fresh loans, it said. The bank has contributed Rs. 2.5 crores to the Prime Minister's Relief Fund for rehabilitation of tsunami victims.

Cotton farmer ends life

KARIMNAGAR: A cotton farmer, B. Kanakaiah (45), committed suicide by consuming pesticide in Kamanpur, a hamlet of Ramulapalli village of Karimnagar mandal, on Thursday.

According to sources, the farmer had one acre of land and he took three acres on lease and cultivated cotton. Due to bad weather conditions, the crops withered and there was no yield. Unable to clear the increasing debts, he resorted to the extreme act. He is survived with wife, a son and a daughter.

APCLC to launch padayatra

HYDERABAD: The Andhra Pradesh Civil Liberties Committee has that said it will launch a padayatra from Veldanda village in Bachannapet mandal of Warangal district on Friday demanding continuation of peace talks between the police and Maoists.

According to an APCLC press release on Thursday, the padayatra would cover Jagdevpur (Medak district), Turkapalli, Bommalaramaram (Nalgonda) and Nagaram (Ranga Reddy) on January 9 and 10 before arriving at Andhra Saraswath Parishat in Hyderabad where a meeting would be held.

Rally against ID liquor

KARIMNAGAR: In a unique move, the Mahadevpur police organised a massive rally against the illicitly distilled (ID) liquor in the Mahadevpur mandal headquarters on Thursday.

SHG members, youth associations, students and others participated in the rally under the guidance of the police. Participants vowed to weed out ID liquor dens in their villages by conducting raids and destroying the ID liquor. Members of the police cultural troupe also participated in the rally and rendered songs against the ID liquor and how it was destroying the lives of the rural masses.

Sankranti vacation

HYDERABAD: All the junior colleges and composite degree colleges will remain closed for Sankranti holidays from January 8 to January 16 (both days inclusive).

The Joint Secretary (Academic) Shashank Goel in a release said that colleges should not function during the vacation nor their premises be utilised for any other purpose. Any violation of the directive would be seriously dealt with, he added.

Cooperative official in ACB net

KHAMMAM: A divisional cooperative sub-registrar, who has taken money from a member of the Primary Agriculture Cooperative Society for showing official favour, has been convicted by the special court dealing with ACB cases.

According to the ACB Inspector, E. Madhusudhan Reddy, one Immidi Lakshmaiah, resident of Lachagudem village in Vemsoor mandal, wanted issue of orders appointing him as the single window chief

as was resolved by the society in March 1993. Two officials, including the sub-registrar, had reportedly demanded Rs.1,500 for issuing orders.

The sub-registrar was sentenced to two years of rigorous imprisonment in the case. Another official involved in the case died when the trial was in progress.

CPI(M) decries GO

HYDERABAD: The CPI(M) has sharply criticised the State Government for putting a ban on sanction of individual house-site pattas in Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy district.

Showing a copy of a letter from the office of the Ranga Reddy district Collector, which states that individual house-site pattas are henceforth banned by a Government Order, the CPI (M) State secretary, B.V. Raghavulu, has charged that this is a "devious method to help builders and developers grab prime urban real estate."

He said today that the Government's proposed plan to house slum-dwellers in four-storied flats would create many more problems and may not even be acceptable to those who were its intended beneficiaries.

He also opposed the Government's proposal to allow private companies to open agricultural marketyards of their own, stating that it would lead to entry of agri-MNCs and make the farmer more vulnerable to market forces.

`YSR bid to postpone civic polls'

HYDERABAD: Two TDP leaders, B.V. Mohan Reddy and Renuka have charged the Government with undermining the provisions of the 74th Constitutional Amendment by trying to postpone the municipal elections and forming nodal teams of officials headed by district Collectors.

Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, they found fault with the Chief Minister, Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, for holding direct consultations with Collectors and Municipal Commissioners and asking them to ignore the orders of Municipal Chairpersons elected by the people.

"It is highly undemocratic and brings out his hidden political agenda. The entire exercise is election- oriented", they added.

At a separate press conference, N. Janardhan Reddy, MLA, wondered the stand to be taken by the Telangana Rashtra Samithi leader and Union Minister, K. Chandrasekhar Rao, if the United Progressive Alliance's Sub Committee on Telangana also recommended Second State Reorganisation Commission.

Rangoli competitions

ADILABAD: Rangoli competitions, organised by the Pragati Educational institutions was inaugurated by the District Educational Officer, P. B. Narsinga Rao, at the Pragati Girls High School, Masood chowk on Friday. Over 90 students from 30 schools in the town participated in the competitions. The Correspondent of the Pragati Educational institutions, Adinath, was also present.

16 injured in

road mishap

NALGONDA: Sixteen persons were injured when the jeep in which they were travelling, collided with a tractor near Malkaram village in Turkapalli mandal this evening. According to the police, they were returning from Bommalaramaram when the mishap occurred. Of them, six were seriously injured. They were taken to the Government Hospital at Bhongir and later shifted to Gandhi Hospital at Hyderabad.

Donation

KHAMMAM: The Indian Medical Association's Kothagudem branch on Thursday donated Rs 51,000 in aid of tsunami victims. The branch secretary, M. Vijay Kumar handed over the cheque to the district Collector, R. N. Nimje. The Mamata Educational Society, which owns the Mamata medical college and Mamata dental college donated Rs 6 lakhs for the relief of the tsunami victims. The society chairman, P. Ajay Kumar will hand over the cheque to the Prime Minister's Relief Fund in Delhi.

24-hour Internet

access at SVU

Tirupati: The Sri Venkateswara University authorities have extended the Internet facility round-the-clock from January 1 to provide uninterrupted access to the students and faculty members. According to the Registrar, J. Pratap Reddy, SVU is the first varsity in the State to offer such a benefit to promote advanced learning and research.

24-hour Internet

access at SVU

BMS to stage

dharna

NELLORE: A meeting of the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), affiliated to APSRTC Karmik Sangh, held on Thursday, demanded immediate payment of ex-gratia to workers, which has been pending for the last 2 years. The meeting has decided to stage dharnas before all Collectorates on February 16.

Still-born baby

abandoned

NELLORE: A still-born baby was found abandoned in the bushes near the railway track of Kavali town, on Wednesday. It is presumed that somebody might have dumped the baby.

Students' gesture

ANANTAPUR: The students of Master of Social Work (MSW) and Master of Rural Development (MRD) courses in Sri Krishnadevaraya

University campus contributed Rs. 6,780 to the Prime Minister's Relief Fund in aid of the tsunami-hit people. The students of Narayana Junior College also contributed Rs. 9,300 to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund.

Labour scholarships

ANANTAPUR: The Andhra Pradesh Labour Welfare Council has invited applications from children of those employed in shops and commercial establishments, factories, motor transport organisations and cooperative societies in the district for sanction of scholarships. Applications should be submitted in the office of Assistant Commissioner of Labour here by February 15.

12 sheep perish

in mishap

CUDDAPAH: Twelve sheep perished and 20 others hurt when a tractor ploughed into a herd near Tilaknagar on Chinna Chowk bypass road on Thursday.

The tractor was proceeding from Ramanjaneyapuram to Cuddapah when the mishap took place. The Chinna Chowk police registered a case.

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