The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Jittery police go into security overdrive

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jan 04, 2006

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Jittery police go into security overdrive

Special Correspondent

Delegates go without proper breakfast as caterers are prevented from entering campus

HYDERABAD : Against the backdrop of the terrorist attack at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore on December 28, security was more than tight at the venue of the 93rd Indian Science Congress which began at Acharya NG Ranga Agricultural University here on Tuesday morning.

The security was so tight that guests who were accommodated on the university campus had to go without proper breakfast as the police prevented caterers from bringing food and even water in vehicles to the guest houses and even to the media centre.

Media centre in dark

The media centre was plunged into darkness for more than two hours in the evening creating problems for the large contingent of mediapersons who had come from different parts of the country.

It sent journalists scurrying to other parts of the city in search of computers with Internet facility.

Sources said the power system was overloaded.

At the inaugural function itself, sparks were seen falling from the overhead wires giving anxious moments to the security personnel as the VIPs like the Prime Minister and Nobel laureates Amartya Sen and Richard R. Ernst were seated on the dais.

Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy pointed out an interesting aspect of the event.

He said the theme of the 24th Indian Science Congress, the first to be held in Hyderabad in 1937, was "The village: Its past, present and future."

The wheel had turned a full circle as the present Congress had for its theme `Science and Technology as the tools of Integrated Rural Development.' Seventy years later, "we again have village development under the scanner," he said.

Tributes to Naiduamma

The Prime Minister paid rich tributes to Dr. Y. Nayudamma as "a great son of Andhra".

He said Dr. Nayudamma was among the first to urge scientists to step in and help in integrated rural development.

He also referred to the Karimnagar project initiated by the late scientist which sought to bring together scientists, technologists, extension workers and community development staff.

Dr. Singh gave away awards to 23 eminent scientists including Amartya Sen, Richard R. Ernst, M.S. Swaminathan, R.S. Paroda, R.A. Mashelkar, R.K. Pachauri, V.K. Gaur, P.K. Iyengar, S. Nagarajan, N. K. Ganguly, Asis Datta, M. Vijayan and P. Balaram.

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