The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Visakhapatnam News : Some lung space please!

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jan 25, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Visakhapatnam

Some lung space please!

RAZING OF the old Central Prison buildings and walls has opened up a rare opportunity for the Government and authorities. No city can expect to get such a vast expanse of land at its nerve centre. The million-dollar question is to what use it would be put. Praja Spandana, a forum for common cause and promotion of public interest, spearheaded a stir for converting the site into lung space and got an assurance from the powers-that-be to the effect. Now come reports that an I-Max theatre and a commercial complex will come up on the site. The city, facing a severe pressure on land, is blessed with a chance to develop a park. With multi-storeyed complexes coming up on available land and the density of population increasing, everybody would love to have a park with enough parking. None can, however, object to widening of the road, which will ease traffic congestion.

* * *

THE CPI (Maoist) is now a political party and, therefore, cannot be satiated, according to the APCC president, K. Kesava Rao. "Do you think the TDP would keep quiet even if we implement the entire TDP manifesto? Same is the case with Maoists. They won't leave us just because we concede their demands," he said during an interaction with scribes last week.

On the reported statements of its emissaries, Varavara Rao and Kalyana Rao, that the Government was bent on wrecking the talks with naxals and the peace process, Dr. Kesava Rao quipped: "They have the poetic licence to talk whatever they like. I am a politician and can think on realistic lines only."

Regarding the separate Telangana issue, the PCC chief, while admitting that he had advocated the cause of the Telangana people on the latter's demand in the past, hastened to add that "people's desire would be fulfilled."

* * *

THE FIRST Lok Nayak Foundation award function at Kalabharathi recently to honour the writer duo of N.R. Chandur and Malati Chandur witnessed many hilarious moments.

The first was when M.V.V.S Murthi referred to himself the Visakha-I MLA, Dronamraju Satyanarayana, and the Mayor, Rajana Ramani, as permanent artistes on stage for any function.

The second was when Mr. Satyanarayana did not get the name of actress and Rajya Sabha member, Shabana Azmi, right.

He referred to Shabana as Shobana Nazmi and Shibana Nagma before actress-turned MP, Jayaprada, helped him get it right.

The third was from Gananpeeth awardee C. Narayana Reddy, who chided Jayaprada for trying to explain the gist of his speech in Telugu to the chief guest, Karan Singh. He said, "Jayapradaji, hame bhi thoda bahut Hindi aata hai -- leave the explanation to me."

But the finale was when Dr. Singh reminded the organisers that despite being a literary function, it did not begin with a prayer. He concluded his speech by rendering Saraswati Vandana.

By G.V. Prasada Sarma,
B. Prabhakara Sarma and Sumit Bhattacharjee

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Some lung space please!