The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Cell phones banned on college campuses

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Friday, Mar 11, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Cell phones banned on college campuses

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD, MARCH 10. The State Government has banned the use of cell phones by students on college premises and has decided to penalise those who violate the ban from the next academic year.

The Higher Education Minister, P. Venkateswara Rao, told the Assembly during question hour that orders to this effect were already issued. The Government was considering how much fine should be imposed in cases of violation and refused to concede the demand for debarring students as it was too harsh.

Responding to concerns expressed by members about obscenity over camera phones in educational institutions, the Minister said all types of mobile phones were banned in colleges.

Number plates

The Transport Minister, S. Santosh Reddy, said the State Government would introduce the high security number plates for vehicles from June 1. Responding to a question by J. Venkata Rao (Congress), Mr. Reddy said the decision was taken in compliance with a Supreme Court order.

The Minister said that the new number plates would eliminate the menace of fake number plates which resulted in considerable loss of revenue to Government.

Hospitals under scanner

The State Government proposed to constitute a monitoring committee to oversee the functioning of corporate hospitals in the backdrop of complaints that they are neglecting the poor.

The Finance Minister, K. Rosaiah, told the Assembly in reply to a short notice question, that a Bill was passed by the House three years ago to regulate the functioning of these hospitals but it was not implemented for lack of rules. The Government proposed to frame rules and give teeth to the legislation.

Rejecting the demand for a House Committee by Akbaruddin Owaisi (MIM) and some others to go into the affairs of these hospitals, Mr. Rosaiah said such a committee was in fact constituted in the past. It had submitted its report in 1995 but no action was taken on it.

Subsidy on Co-op loans

The Cooperation Minister, Kanna Laxminarayana, said the Congress Government had for the first time in the country given a subsidy of six per cent on interest payable by farmers for cooperative loans.

Farmers have to pay a net interest of only five per cent on the loans. The Government had disbursed Rs. 9,200 crore loans and some eight lakh new farmers availed loans, he said

SIs to check vehicles

The Home Minister, K. Jana Reddy, answering a question on fatalities in road accidents, said 3,000 Sub-Inspectors of police in the State would be empowered to check vehicles for over-speeding and other road violations.

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