The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Briefly

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Friday, May 20, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Briefly

Relay fast by RTC staff

CUDDAPAH: The APSRTC Employees Union members launched a relay hunger strike in front of the RTC regional manager's office here on Thursday demanding scrapping of a new transfer policy.

The union's zonal president, I. Adinarayana, and the zonal secretary, M.N. Reddy, demanded expeditious clearance of benefits to retired and deceased employees. They demanded better facilities in garages. The union members also sought payment of overtime for duties performed on Sivarathri. The union's regional secretary, S.N.M. Reddy and divisional secretary, B.C. Rayudu, also took part. - Staff Reporter

SSC student dies in mishap

CUDDAPAH: An SSC student, Pavan Kumar (14), of Vempalle ZP High School, who was seated atop a lorry cabin, died on the spot on being hit by a low-lying tamarind tree branch near Rayachoti on Thursday. The mishap occurred when the deceased, along with his relatives, were returning in a lorry to Rayachoti after attending a marriage at Guvvalacheruvu. The police have registered a case. - Staff Reporter

PMF unit revival welcomed

CUDDAPAH: The Government's decision to revive the Proddatur Milk Foods (PMF) factory with assistance from the National Dairy Development Board was welcomed by the DCC official spokesman, N. Thulasi Reddy, on Thursday. Decision to increase the plant's capacity from three lakh litres to five lakh litres and pay Rs. 2 more per litre to farmers would provide succour to the drought-hit ryots, Dr. Reddy said at Vempalle. Revival of PMF was an electoral promise of the Chief Minister, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, he said. - Staff Reporter

Red sanders worth Rs. 5 lakhs seized

NELLORE: The forest officials in Venkatagiri area of Nellore district have seized red sanders worth Rs. 5 lakhs. Based on information, the authorities laid a trap at Daggavolu village of Dakkili mandal and seized 150 logs, kept ready for transport, along with a lorry. While the driver of the lorry was taken into custody, search is on to nab the kingpin and three others said to be behind the operation. - Staff Reporter

House gutted

NELLORE: Household articles, including a television set, were burnt in a fire accident in a house in Pottepalem village of Nellore rural mandal on Thursday. Fire service personnel from Nellore rushed to the spot and put out the fire. - Staff Reporter

Four die of sun stroke

KURNOOL: The soaring temperature played havoc in Kurnool district on Thursday with four persons dying of sun-stroke and 50 houses getting reduced to ashes in a major fire accident. The deceased were identified as Nagamma of Kotapadu in Kolimigundla mandal, Dastagiri of Uyyalawada, Sumiri of Chagalamarri and Ramudu of Veldurthi. - Staff Reporter

50 houses gutted

KURNOOL: In a major fire accident at Krishna Nagar in Pamulapadu mandal, 50 houses were gutted and twelve cattle heads perished and eight haystacks were reduced to ashes. The loss was estimated at Rs. 20 lakhs. Fire tenders rushed to the place to control the fire. - Staff Reporter

Five hurt in blast at Rudrampur mine

KHAMMAM: Five persons were injured in a blast at the work site in the 5 B mine at Rudrampur, near Kothagudem, on Thursday. The blast occurred when workers engaged by a contractor were cutting open an empty oil container using a gas-cutter. Two persons -- Ailaiah and Krishna -- were seriously injured while others escaped with minor injuries. - Staff Reporter

15-day remand for Maoist courier

NELLORE: The police arrested D. Prabhakar, said to be a Maoist sympathiser, in the forest area of Urlakonda village and produced him before the Junior Civil Judge Court, Atmakur, on Wednesday evening. He was sent for 15 days remand. He belongs to Cheemakurti of Prakasam district and is said to be working as a courier for Maoists. - Staff Reporter

Congress-TDP group clash: 11 injured

NELLORE: In a free-for-all between two groups belonging to the Congress and the TDP, 11 persons were injured at Vaddipalem in Pellakur mandal on Wednesday night. Old feud was said to be the reason for the clash. Both groups on Thursday filed complaints with the police and a special police picket had been set up in the village. - Staff Reporter

Trains diverted, cancelled HYDERABAD: Several trains were either diverted or cancelled owing to derailment of a goods train between Vikarabad and Sadasivpet Road on the Vikarabad-Parli Vaijnath section of South Central Railway on Thursday. Train no. 7664 Kachiguda-Manmad express was diverted through Nizamabad-Mudkhed-Purna section. Train no. 349 Hyderabad-Aurangabad passenger was partially cancelled between Hyderabad and Zaheerabad. Train no. 348 Purna-Hyderabad passenger was also partially cancelled between Zaheerabad and Hyderabad and will return as train no. 349 from Zaheerabad to Aurangabad. - Staff Reporter

Sahitya Award-winning Urdu poet dead

CUDDAPAH: A State Sahitya Academy Award-winning Urdu poet, Shaik Khader Basha (68), popularly known as Barkh Cuddapahvi, who passed away at CMC, Vellore, on Thursday was laid to rest at Yakub Saheb Masjid burial ground here in the evening. A retired Urdu Munshi in the Municipal Urdu High School here, he received the best Urdu Munshi award. - Staff Reporter

State claims Rs. 85 crores from Centre

HYDERABAD: The State has claimed Rs. 85 crores from the Centre as compensation against the revenue loss for one month of VAT implementation so far. The collections for April 2005 under VAT regime amounted to Rs.573 crores as against Rs. 570 crores of the corresponding month last year through sales tax. As for the formula adopted for paying compensation for the revenue loss, the Centre would have to pay Rs. 85 crores. - Special Correspondent

Five-year jail for two youths in kidnap case

ONGOLE: The District and Sessions Judge, Ramanaji Rao, on Thursday convicted two youths for kidnapping a girl and sentenced them to five years' rigorous imprisonment, and pay a penalty of Rs. 1,000 each. Three youths -- Somasekhar, Ravi and Madhu - had kidnapped two girls, Sai Keerthana and Sai Deepthi, seventh class students, on June 4, 2004.

While Deepthi escaped, the kidnappers took away Keerthana. When the police went to rescue her, the kidnappers made good their escape. As the girl named the accused persons, the police registered a case against them. - Special Correspondent

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