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Tuesday, Jan 18, 2011
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Deserving reward for bandsmen

There's no dearth of good Samaritans! If intentions are good, then applauds will follow. Moved by the music show ‘Suswagatham 2011' performed by musicians from various battalions of AP Police on December 30, 2010 at Lumbini Park, retired IPS officer and Padmashri Dr. S. Subramanian presented a cheque for Rs. 5,000 to the bandsmen.

“The show was innovative and of very high standard. I am aware of how much efforts would have gone in to make this such a great success. The bandsmen deserve encouragement and I am enclosing the cheque as my part of the reward for the wonderful men,” Dr. Subramanian wrote to Additional DGP (Sports) Tejdeep Kaur Menon.

In his letter, the retired IPS officer also came up with a suggestion. “A thought occurred to me while watching the performance. Why not create a Mahila Police Pipe Band? I am sure you will be able to do that and it will be the first one in India. You can adopt the pattern of ‘Pilani Girls Band', which performs at Republic Day in New Delhi every year,” he said. A constructive suggestion indeed!

Age is just a number. While, most people, particularly film stars say this to cover up their wrinkles and to boast their performances or achievements in old age, RTC authorities seem to have also learnt the trade in making best use of this popular adage. Recently, the new APSRTC Greater Hyderabad Zone Executive Director A. Purushotham held a press conference to announce his plans for improving RTC services. When a reporter questioned the Executive Director about operating old and rickety city buses in twin cities, he replied saying “Age is just a number. Amitabh Bachchan and Rajinikanth are over 60, yet they are superstars. They keep working to stay fit. We are also repairing our old buses for the convenience of commuters. In a couple of months there will be no rickety buses in city.”

Of late, conversations begin with the question that Srikrishna Committee left unanswered or partly answered -- “Will the Telangana State happen?”

In an informal chit-chat, it was pointed out that the committee included the cultivable land under bore-wells too in its estimate of total irrigated area in the region. It left one wondering if bore-well irrigation rampant in Telangana region can be compared with surface irrigation of coastal Andhra. However, timely repartee by an officer left everybody in splits.

“Along with surface irrigation, coastal Andhra also has cyclones which claim a crop every year. Should we argue that the cyclones too should be distributed uniformly?”

Who prepares the GHMC budget? “It is not I but the Standing Committee which prepared the proposals,” sprang up Commissioner Sameer Sharma seeking to deflect barbs directed from all corners. It was pounced upon by the Majlis corporators. “They are your proposals, they came to the Standing Committee where they were debated before put coming to the general body,” said MIM floor leader Mirza Mustafa Baig. “It is mine and the committee's. It was implied,” Mr. Sharma, conceded.

Curiously, his party colleague, former Mayor and Standing Committee member Zulifiqar Ali appeared more eager in getting budget proposals cleared. He was also seen urging Mayor B. Kartika Reddy to see it through as it was “discussed threadbare” in the committee meetings.

He also prevailed upon MLC Syed Amin Jafri to withdraw his “these budget proposals are “unacceptable” to “demand tax dues from the government” when it was realised the suburbs are to get more funds in contrast to the core city.

There were jeers when MLC Prabhakar hailed “a great budget”…. “I am talking of the proposed plans,” he sought to clarify when TD members demanded he raise the pending government grants issue in the Legislative Council. Such was mood of the council that BJP floor leader B. Prakash had to cry aloud: “Brother, I am only following your footsteps,” when Congress floor leader and fellow members tried to shout him down on the critical remarks.

M. SAI GOPAL, S. SANDEEP KUMAR, SWATHI.V,

V. GEETANATH

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