High alert in Andhra Orissa Border for Maoist bandh in AP

Visakhapatnam, May 22 : Security was beefed up across the Andhra Orissa Border (AOB) in three North coastal districts of Vizianagaram, Srikakulam and Visakhapatnam to control any untoward incidents in the 48 hour country-wide bandh.

According to Information reaching here, the bandh was largely effective in AOB areas, including Pedhabayalu and G K Veedhi and Sileru in the district, called by the Communist Party of India(Maoist).Second day of the bandh began amid high security and alert in five Naxal-infested states.The Iron ore transportation by National Mineral Development Corporation Limited (NMDC Ltd), India's largest iron ore producer and exporter in the public sector, was affected in Chhattisgarh on the second day of a Maoist shutdown, an official said.'The transportation of iron ore has been hit by upto 20 per cent of daily dispatches of some 48,000 tonnes because the railways have refused to provide rakes during night, fearing attacks by Maoists, a senior NMDC official told UNI here.The guerrillas had damaged tracks at two locations in Dantewada district yesterday which disrupted traffic for several hours between Visakhapatnam and KK Line Kothavala- Kirandul.The NMDC has several mines at Bacheli and Kirandul hilly areas of Dantewada, which produce 75-80 per cent of its total annual iron ore output.A part of the iron ore is also exported to Japan and other Asian countries through Andhra Pradesh's Visakhapatnam Port Trust(VPT).The outlawed CPI-M had called for a 48-hour shutdown in several central and eastern parts of the country yesterday to protest against the arrest of its three central committee members in Bihar last month.The rebels had killed a policeman and a civilian and also set three vehicles on fire yesterday in Bastar, a sprawling 40,000 sq km mineral-rich heavily forested area which has been a Maoist stronghold since the 1980s.Normal life was partially disturbed in the agency areas. The Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation(APSRTC) night halt services in the region and Malkangiri in Orissa were cancelled here this evening. The RTC authorities planned to divert the bus services to key destinations including temple town of Bhadrachalam here tonight, he added.
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Telangana forum warns Nagam for defaming party

Hyderabad, May 22: The Telangana forum of Telugu Desam Party (TTDP) today said its party would take stern action against its co-leader Mr Nagam Janardhan Reddy, who was defaming the party.Addressing a press conference, TTDP leader Raventha Reddy said, "We are not against Telangana agitation but against Nagam's ideology, who was taking his own decisions and commenting like an opposition party on TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu." Alleging that Nagam was taking Telangana agitation for his own image and maintaining anti-party activities, he said that the party would take stern action against him if needed.To intensify the Telangana agitation its forum would conduct a "Telangana Ranabari" on June 25, he added.In another press conference, Nagam Janardhan Reddy said he had acted against the party ideology and demanded the party chief to discuss the Telangana issue in the upcoming Mahanadu, and take an unambiguous stand supporting a separate Telangana.He also demanded that the Telugu Desam Party should write a letter thereafter to Union Home Minister P Chidambaram demanding the introduction of a bill for the formation of Telangana in the upcoming Parliament session.
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Former Govt Whip joins YSR Congress

Vijayawada, May 22 : In a big blow to the Congress in it its stronghold Krishna district, former Government Whip and senior Congress leader Saminani Udayabhanu resigned the Congress and joined YSR Congress along with Sarpanchas, MPTCs and ZPTCs at Jaggaiahpet in Krishna district, today.Samineni Udayabhanu is considered to be a popular leader in Krishna district. He was MLA and Government Chief Whip in the regime of late Y S Rajasekhar Reddy.He along with 38 Sarpanchas, 22 MPTCs and two ZPTCs joined YSR Congress, launched by former Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy’s son and Kadapa MP Y S Jaganmohan Reddy.Talking to reporters at Jaggaiahpet after joining the YSR Congress, Mr Udayabanu said he had joined YSR Congress party as per the wishes of the people of his constituency.He said he had met the leaders of the YSR Congress party in Hyderabad and informed about his decision.The YSR Congress party was gaining strength hour by hour, he said and claimed that it would become a major political party in the state soon.
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Chief Minister suggests dedicated team on Indiramma Housing scheme

Hyderabad, May 22 :Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy has instructed the officials to take the State Government's flagship programme of Indiramma Housing scheme as challenge and complete all the houses grounded."We have to put the scheme on a fast track and grounding lakhs of houses for benefit poor people on time, handed over to the beneficiaries and ensure their occupation," Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy said in reviewing programme meeting recently held on the the progress of the Indiramma housing scheme with the officials concerned here.He agreed with the officials that the very face of Andhra Pradesh will change when all the 46.97 lakhs are completed and all these houses are provided with basic amenities like drinking water, electricity and infrastructural facilities like roads and drainage, according to an official release here.Reddy pointed out the Indiramma Housing Colony layouts in his constituency and said these could be replicated elsewhere in the State.The Chief Minister suggested that the scheme should be taken up in a focussed manner.A team of officials should be constituted in each Mandal or constituency and this team should constantly monitor the progress of construction and resolve impediments if any, he said and asked the officials that a week should be dedicated as "Indiramma Housing Week" and the ministers, MPs, MLAs and other public representatives along with the officials concerned should concentrate on the Indiramma Housing Programmes grounded in their respective constituencies, the release said.
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