Election Commission censures Andhra Congress chief

New Delhi, July 14 : The Election Commission has warned D.Srinivas, the Congress president in Andhra Pradesh, to be more cautious and not violate the model code of conduct in the July 27 by-election in Telangana region. Srinivas is the Congress candidate from the Nizamabad Urban assembly constituency. "Violating the provisions of model code of conduct for guidance of political parties and candidates by making an appeal to the voters of a particular community to vote for him on the ground that he also belongs to that community...the commission has decided to censure Sh D. Srinivas, of Indian National Congress and decided to warn him to be more cautious and observe the model code of conduct in letter and spirit," the order issued Tuesday night said. The commission acted upon the complaint lodged by K. Kavita, daughter of Telangana Rashtra Samiti chief K. Chandrasekhara Rao and president of Telangana Jagruti Samiti. It said Srinivas had violated the model code of conduct by making a provocative speech against certain communities in the last general elections to Lok Sabha and Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly last year.
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Andhra Pradesh CM Rosaiah New charge as Vice Chairman of SZC

Hyderabad, Jul 13 : Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Dr K Rosaiah has been nominated as the Vice Chairman of the Southern Zonal Council (SZC) by the Government of India.Dr Rosaiah who, assumed charge as Vice Chairman, thanked the Centre for the gesture. The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Nadu.M Karunanidhi was holding the post of Vice Chairman till now, according to a release from the Chief Minister's office here today. The Southern Zonal Council comprises of the States of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Puducherry.The Union Home Minister is the Chairman of each of these Councils.The Chief Ministers of the States included in each zone act as Vice-Chairman of the Zonal Council for that zone.The Zonal Councils provide an excellent forum where irritants between Centre and States and amongst states can be resolved through free and frank discussions and mutual consultations. The main objectives of setting up of Zonal Councils are (a) Brining out national integration; (b) Arresting the growth of acute State consciousness, regionalism, linguism and particularistic tendencies; (c) Enabling the Centre and the States to co-operate and exchange ideas and experiences; (d) Establishing a climate of co-operation amongst the States for successful speedy execution of development projects.The idea of creation of Zonal Councils was mooted by the first Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru in 1956.
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Rosaiah turn tables on TDP on river projects

Hyderabad, July 13 : Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K Rosaiah today lashed out and ridiculed Opposition Leader N Chandrababu Naidu for demanding his resignation in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly today.Mr Rosaiah lambasted Mr Naidu for bringing Andhra Pradesh to this stage as all the illegal constructions on the River Krishna and River Godavari by the Karnataka and Maharashtra Governments were done during tenure of TDP Government.''Is it fair on your part to demand my resignation for all that the TDP Government did?'' he asked. ''Were you sleeping when the Karnataka government raised the height of the Almatti and the Maharashtra took up construction of Babli?'' the Chief Minister asked as Mr Naidu raised the temperature in the House forcing Speaker N Kiran Kumar Reddy to chide him for not controlling his temper.
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Names of ministers, ex-ministers and MPs to monitor AP bypoll

Hyderabad, Jul 13 : The AICC Secretary and Incharge of the Andhra Pradesh state affairs M Veerappa Moily today attached responsibilities of by-elections to the party leaders.Mr Moily wrote letters to the party leaders asking them to work for the party's victory. He named the incharges of each of the 12 Assembly segments where by-elections are being held now. The Sirpur segment is attached to the Minister Komatireddy Venkata Reddy, followed by Chennuru for Mukhesh Gowd, Manchiryala for Danam Nagender, Yellareddy for Sudarshan Reddy, Warangal West for Ponnala Lakshmaiah, Siddhipet for Geetha Reddy and Sarve Satyanarayana, Korutla for T Jeevan Reddy and R Venkata Reddy, Huzurabad for Ponnam Prabhakar, Dharmapuri for Jupalli Krishna Rao, Sirisilla for D Sridhar Babu, Sabita Indra Reddy and Damodara Raja Narasimha, Vemulavada for D K Aruna and Sunitha Lakshma Reddy and Nizamabad for Madhu Yashki. Mr Moily wanted them to stay in the respective constituency and work for the success of the party candidates. He wanted these leaders to take up the responsibility immediately and monitor the campaign, according a release from APCC here today. In addition to these leaders, Moily also named the campaign committees for each of the Assembly segments.
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Opposition's allegation on land allotment to poor

Hyderabad, Jul 13 : Amid noise in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly today, State Revenue Minister Dharmana Prasada Rao rejected the Opposition's allegation on injustice to the poor asserting that only solid work for landless poor was done over the last six years of the Congress regime.The House witnessed sharp exchanges over the regularisation of the habitations of the poor both in the rural and urban areas with the Oppositon parties allegeing the government discriminting against the poor and favouring ''big people.'' Speaker N Kiran Kumar Reddy who found Opposition members a bit uncontrollable on the issue, adjourned the House briefly then again for about 30 minutes later and called for a meeting of all the Floor Leaders in his chambers to enable completion of business in the House as its current session would end tomorrow with still ''a lot of business remaining''.However, when the House reassembled, J Ranga Reddy (CPI(M), Narsimlu (TDP) and G Kishen Reddy (BJP) alleged the government was deliberately showing bias towards the big and influential and was treating the poor with contempt rejecting their plea for regularisation of the land on which they have been living for a number of years.Majlis Members Rasool Khan and his party colleague alleged the minorities were being discriminated in the allocation of free sites for poor contending that not even three per cent of the allottees were from the minorities. They also cautioned the governemnt against giving wakf properties to the influential at the cost of the minorities.Minister Dharmana Prasada Rao, however, rejected the Opposition's contention, claiming that possibly for the first time in Andhra Pradesh the Rajasekhara Reddy Government brought two orders which were the most liberal and biased deliberately towards the poor.
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Jagan's tour evokes good response

, Andhra Pradesh, Jul 13 : The tour of Kadapa MP Jaganmohan Reddy has evoked good response today compared to yesterday with people gathering in good numbers at all the places he visited in Tuni, Kotanandur and Routhulapudi Mandals.Party workers, especially the youth, enthusiastically greeted Jagan throughout the tour by shaking hands. Party sources said Bhooma Nagireddy, former MP of Nandyal and PRP Leader, called on Mr Jagan during his second day of the tour of East Godavari and greeted him at Annavaram.He told the mediapersons that being a family friend and relative, he came all the way to greet Jagan.` `The response to Jagan's tour is very good, Mr Nagireddy said. 'The criticism against Jagan by his adversaries and the strong rebuttals from his supporters is purely the internal affair of Congress. ''I don't want to comment', he said while replying to their queries. Addressing a meeting at Kotanandur, Jagan said whether any one followed him or not , his belief was that people were behind him. ''I owe a lot to Tuni MLA Raja Ashok Babu for sincerely following me in the tour,'' he added. Contrary to yesterday, Mr Dwarampudi Chandrasekhara Reddy, Kakinada MLA, a die hard supporter of Jagan, was the only person seen moving busily all along the tour supervising the arrangements. Notable among the leaders accompanying Jagan during the second day include Former MLAs Mudragada Padmanabham and Varupula Subbarao-both Kapu leaders. Jagan started his second day tour two hours behind schedule and was able to cover Tuni and Kotanandur Mandals in full and Routhulapudi Mandal partly till evening. He unveiled former Chief Minister YSR's statues at 14 places and consoled four bereaved families.
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Rosaiah appointed Southern Zonal Council's vice chief

Hyderabad, July 13 : The central government has nominated Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K. Rosaiah as the vice chairman of the Southern Zonal Council, which comprises Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and the union territory of Puducherry.Rosaiah, who succeeds Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.Karunanidhi, thanked the central government for the gesture, said a statement from the chief minister's office here Tuesday. The zonal councils were set up to bring out national integration, arrest the growth of acute state consciousness, regionalism, linguism and particularistic tendencies and enable the centre and the states to co-operate and exchange ideas and experiences.
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