ISNA Condemns Israeli Massacre On Board of Gaza Freedom Flotilla, Calls for End of Illegal Blockade

(DECCAN SAMACHAR SERVICE) June,01, The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) condemns the unwarranted deadly use of force by the Israeli military against unarmed humanitarian ships in international waters. The ships, Gaza Freedom Flotilla, were bringing badly needed supplies to the people of Gaza who have been under a choking and illegal blockade by Israel for the last three years. Over 700 peace activists of all faiths, from America and around the globe including academicians, law makers, and Nobel Prize winners were aboard 6 ships carrying over10, 000 tons of humanitarian supplies to the people of Gaza. Turkish customs, who inspected the ships prior to departure from Turkish ports, assert that no weapons were on the ships.The international community and the United Nations have condemned the irresponsible actions of Israeli commandos and the flagrant violation of international humanitarian law by Israel. However, many rights groups assert that the lack of any real consequences for the continuous violation of international law has given Israel a sense of impunity and has made any progress towards peace and justice in the Middle East more distant. ISNA calls on president Obama and Congress to demand an end to the illegal and inhumane blockade of Gaza and to launch an investigation into the massacre in order to hold those responsible accountable for the murder of at least 19 (according to many media outlets) and the injury of over 60 civilian peace activists. ==============================================

India cheers as monsoon arrives in Kerala

june,1, Southwest monsoon, often called one of the most dramatic wind movements on earth that brings over two-thirds of India’s rainfall and accounts for over half of its farm sector’s water needs, has arrived in Kerala.After some highly technical and hard-to-understand jargon, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said in its much-awaited statement Monday that it was satisfied to declare that the monsoon had finally arrived in India, albeit a week later than last year.In the mainland, monsoon is generally expected to hit Kochi June 1.“Conditions are favourable for further advance (of) monsoon into some parts of central Arabian Sea, coastal and south interior Karnataka and Goa during the next 48 hours,” said the department.It expects the rainfall to be 98 percent of the 50-year long-term average this year.So over the next four-and-a-half months this annual phenomenon will travel northward along the Western Ghats and then spread over to the northeast and finally retreat towards south India before disappearing into the Bay of Bengal.In the process, Indians will hope it brings enough rainfall to refill reservoirs, irrigate the fields and lift the underground water beds, and at the same time pray it does not result in floods, which are known to claim lives, uproot trees and destruct entire villages.In fact, the weather department has already warned of an impending cyclone off the coast of Gujarat from Wednesday or so and asked fishermen not to venture into the Arabian Sea.A failure of monsoon last year – which saw the worth precipitation since 1972 — resulted in a sharp drop in India’s food output that sent prices of grain, lentils, fruits and vegetables soaring – the effects of which people face even today.For the tourism industry in Kerala, monsoon is big business. Ayurvedic centres are overjoyed – since practitioners believe the therapy is most effective during this season as it boosts the immunity.At a broader level, the Indian government has predicted a higher growth of 8.5 percent for this fiscal as opposed to 7.4 percent for the previous year, mainly on the hope that monsoon rains would be normal.“The agricultural output for next year is likely to be better given the positive forecast of the IMD with respect to this year’s monsoon,” said Shanto Ghosh, principal economist with consultancy firm Deloitte.The farm output last fiscal grew a mere 0.2 percent.Little wonder Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee says monsoon is the real finance minister of the country and not he, while Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said his prediction of a 8.5 percent economic growth for this fiscal depended on good monsoon.
===============================================

Andhra Pradesh CM refuses to comment on Jagan's charge;Ministers back CM

Hyderabad, Jun 1 : Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K.Rosaiah today refrained from commenting on Mr Jaganmohan Reddy's allegation that he was responsible for the aborted ''Odarpu Yatra' even as the entire Cabinet came out in the open, backing him against the Kadapa Lok Sabha MP.After inaugurating the Rs 600-crore US-based Wave Rock Complex at the IT SEZ here, the Chief Minister said peace was necessary for bringing investments to the State. He did not react to Mr Jagan's allegations that he (Rosaiah) was responsible for the May 28 Mahbubabad Firing.Elsewhere, the entire Cabinet came out in support of the Rosaiah Administration, denouncing Mr Jaganmohan Reddy's charge.At a joint press conference here, Information and Public Relations Minister J Geetha Reddy, talking on behalf of the Cabinet Ministers, ridiculed Mr Jagan for making ''wild and baseless allegations''.Asserting there was no groupism in the Congress and the Ministers will go by the advise of the Congress high command, they maintained Mr Jaganmohan Reddy was unnecessarily levelling charges against the Chief Minister for Mahbubabad Firing.Home Minister P Sabitha Indra Reddy said action will be taken against erring policemen if the CID investigation into the firing revealed any wrongdoing on their part.
=================================================

Indian-American SMEs plan Rs.1,500 crore IT facility

Hyderabad,June 1: Small and medium enterprises owned by Indian-Americans plan to set up an IT incubation facility here with an investment of Rs.1,500 crore.Small and Medium Enterprises Consortium (SMEC) made the announcement when Andhra Pradesh Minister for IT K. Venkat Reddy, currently on a visit to the US, met CEOs of SMEs. According to an official statement issued here Tuesday, SMEC chairman Mahender Musuku told the minister that SMEs would invest Rs.1,500 crore in three phases. The CEOs expressed keen interest in making Hyderabad the first choice for their operations provided they get equal playing field, incentives in taxation and infrastructure. An incubation centre, to be set up in two years for administrative and front offices, is expected to provide employment to 2,000 people. While the centre will be set up in a leased facility in Hitec City, a permanent campus would be set up later with an investment of Rs.1,500 crore. This is expected to provide direct employment to 10,000 people and indirect employment to 40,000 people.
==============================================

Andhra ministers back Rosaiah after Jagan's attack

Hyderabad,June 1: A day after Congress MP Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy blamed Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K. Rosaiah for last week's violence in Warangal district, state ministers Tuesday came together to defend the chief minister.

The ministers said they were with the chief minister and condemned the allegations made against the government. "We are with the chief minister, the Congress high command and party president Sonia Gandhi," Information and Public Relations Minister J. Geeta Reddy told reporters in the presence of almost all the ministers. They denied the allegations that the government failed to deal with the situation and defended the action taken by it. Geeta Reddy said there were no differences among ministers over the issue. Jagan, son of former chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, Monday blamed Rosaiah for the violence at Mahabubabad town in Warangal district May 29. Nine people were injured when gunmen of two Congress legislators loyal to Jagan opened fire on pro-Telangana activists protesting against his visit. The same day police arrested Jagan in Nalgonda district when he was on his way to Mahabubabad as part of his yatra to console families of those who died of shock or committed suicide after his father's death last year. The MP from Kadapa is currently in Delhi to convince the party's central leadership that his yatra was not political. He told reporters in the capital that the government allowed people to attack Congress leaders who had taken refuge in waiting room of Mahabubabad railway station. Sounding defiant, the young leader said he would continue his yatra as it was personal and had no political motives. Meanwhile, Home Minister P. Sabita Indra Reddy announced a probe by the Crime Investigation Department (CID) into the violence and firing. "We will take action if any policeman is found guilty during the inquiry." A majority of the ministers loyal to YSR wanted Jagan as the chief minister following YSR's death in helicopter crash Sep 2. They gave up the demand after the Congress leadership turned it down.
============================================

Heat wave prevails in Telangana despite isolated rain

Hyderabad,Jun 1: Heat wave conditions prevailed over Telangana today even as isolated rain occurred over Telangana and Rayalaseema.The maximum temperatures changed little over the state. They were significantly above normal at a few places over Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema. The highest maximum temperature of 47 degrees Celsius was recorded at Rentachintala, Met Department said today.The chief amounts of rainfall recorded in cm are Punganur (Chittoor district) five, Kuppam and Venkatagiri Kota (both Chittoor districts) two each and Chilamattur (Anantapur district) one.Heat wave conditions would continue to prevail over Telangana during the next two days. Isolated rain/thundershowers may occur over Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema, the Met Department said.Sky condition may be partly cloudy in the city. Maximum and Minimum temperatures would be around 43 and 28 degrees, respectively.
============================================

Tishman Speyer opens its first IT park in India

Hyderabad,June 1: Tishman Speyer, one of the world's leading developers of real estate, Tuesday unveiled its first property in Asia, commissioning the first phase of the Waverock IT Park here.The US-based developer also launched the second phase of the project, a joint venture between Tishman and ICICI Ventures, which has come up at a special economic zone at Nanakramguda, Gachibowli, an IT district on the city's outskirts. Comprising two phases, Waverock has come up on 12 acres of land for providing 2.46 million square feet IT office space to provide employment opportunity to 25,000 people. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K. Rosaiah commissioned the first phase, comprising 700,000 square feet with 10 floors to seat 7,000 professionals. The first phase, built at a cost of Rs.600 crore, began partial operations in February. Waverock phase II is estimated to cost Rs.700 crore. When completed, it will provide 1.65 million square feet office space. It will be developed in three sub-phases and will be 15-19 storey-high with a total area of 650,000 square feet each. TCS has begun its operations in Waverock while Accenture and Invesco will start their offices shortly. Tishman had signed a memorandum of understanding with the Andhra Pradesh government in 2006 to build the facility. ICICI Ventures is 50 percent partner in the joint venture. Company officials said 80 percent of the phase I capacity at Waverock was committed. "This is the first building our company has finished in Asia," said Jerry Speyer, chairman and co-chief executive, Tishman Speyer. India is the 11th country where Tishaman has launched operations. Tishman, which raises and manages private equity funds for real estate across the world, currently has USD 50 billion of assets under management. Rosaiah said Hyderabad had made a mark in the world IT map with manpower and world-class IT infrastructure. He said the state aimed to achieve IT export turnover of Rs.70,000 crore and additional direct IT employment generation of 125,000 by 2015. The IT export turnover from the state in 2009 was Rs.32,500 crore. There are over 1,200 companies providing employment to 251,786 people.
==============================================

Jaganmohan says Congress has allowed him to continue Telangana yatra

New Delhi,June 1: Congress MP and the son of late Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YSR Reddy, Jaganmohan Reddy met Law Minister Veerappa Moily on Tuesday and said all issues regarding his ongoing state tour (yatra) had been sorted out.Talking to reporters after the meeting, Reddy said: "My tour was widely appreciated, and I have been given a clear indication to go ahead and do what I was doing. If at all, you can call it a misunderstanding, I would say things have been cleared,"He claims that Moily expressed appreciation for his tour and permitted the tour to resume. He said he had told Moily that the yatra purely personal and not political motive aimed at visiting the families of those who had died of shock or had allegedly committed suicide after hearing the news of his father''s deathCongress sources say the permission comes with some basic guidelines, including staying away from the politically-sensitive Telangana region.On Monday, Reddy had said he was ready to quit as Kadapa MP if it was proved that he had politicised the visit even as he insisted on continuing with the yatra.He had defied the party high command''s directive and gone ahead with his yatra of the sensitive Telangana region on last Friday. However, he was forced to abandon the yatra after violence erupted in Mahaboobabad town in Warangal district.
===============================================