Disabled persons call on Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy

Hyderabad, May 26: Physically challenged people and their representatives today called on Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and voiced their long pending demands.The Chief Minister patiently heard them and directed the officials to look into the issues and resolve them, a release from Chief Minister's Office here said.The Chief Minister announced hike in marriage incentive to those marrying a physically-challenged person from Rs 10,000 to Rs 50,000.The Chief Minister also announced that the economic support scheme or subsidy for them had been increased from Rs 3,000 to Rs 30,000 on par with SCs and STs.The Chief Minister said that Aarogyasri Scheme will be extended to all the physically-challenged and he also agreed to positively consider Indiramma houses and agricultural lands for them.The Chief Minister also agreed to consider bus travel concessions for them within the districts and promised stringent action against harassment of physically-challenged women.
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TRS, YSR Congress woo suspended TDP leader

Hyderabad, May 26 : After being suspended Tuesday from the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), the party's politburo member and senior leader Nagam Janardhan Reddy is mulling his future action as opposition parties are wooing him.

Nagam began consultations with his colleagues and followers Thursday as Telanga Rashtra Samiti (TRS) and YSR Congress party initiated efforts to woo him to their ranks. But the former minister is keeping his cards close to his chest.With the TDP also planning to urge assembly Deputy Speaker N. Manohar to disqualify Nagam as legislator, the senior leader from Mahabubnagar district is contemplating to quit the assembly.Two TDP legislators from the Telangana region, Harishwar Reddy and Jogi Ramna, have already thrown their weight behind Nagam. Harishwar has even claimed that 25-30 legislators would join hands with them.Nagam, who served as minister for 12 years in the Andhra Pradesh cabinets led by the late N.T. Rama Rao and Chandrababu Naidu, told reporters that he would decide on his future action after consultations with other like-minded leaders and followers.At its emergency meeting Tuesday night, the TDP politburo suspended Nagam for what it called anti-party activities.For the last few days, the senior leader had been targeting party president Chandrababu Naidu for his "u-turn" on the demand for separate Telangana state. He even organised two public meetings without party flag."I only want Mr. Naidu to abide by the stand taken by the party before last elections," said Nagam.Continuing his tirade against Naidu, he said by suspending him Naidu had proved himself a leader of seemandhra (Rayalaseema and Andhra regions).He said if Naidu goes on suspending leaders for raising the demand for Telangana, the party would have no future in Telangana.Meanwhile, TRS leader Jitender Reddy called on Nagam and reportedly requested him to join the party. YSR Congress party leader Gone Prakash Rao also called on the suspended TDP leader to join the newly-floated outfit.
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Chief Minister directs steps cut down to IMR, MMR

Hyderabad, May 26: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy directed the officials to take steps in a focussed manner to reduce the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) and Maternity Mortality Rate (MMR) in the State.The Chief Minister said the IMR and MMR, which is comparatively high in the State, has to be brought down and all steps towards this taken immediately, a release from Chief Minister's Office said here.Mr Reddy said steps like motivating institutional delivery and providing nutritional food to pregnant woman should be taken up on a mission mode throughout the State and in a fast expanding progressive State like Andhra Pradesh, "there is no reason why we cannot cut down the IMR and MMR drastically." The Chief Minister held a detailed review of the Women, Child Welfare and Disabled Welfare Departments, functioning of the Juvenile Welfare and Women Cooperative Finance Corporation and AP Foods with the head of the departments and said that large scale Skill Development and Job Training programmes should be taken up with the Women Coop Corporation as the nodal agency.The Chief Minister said huge funds could be leveraged from the Centre as the Finance Commission is very much focussed on Skill Development and job training to various sections of the people
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Railway booking clerk attacks woman passenger

Vijayawada, May 26: A petty altercation over issuing of a railway ticket led a railway booking clerk to attack a woman passenger in which she sustained head injury at the railway station here.police said the victim, Varalakshmi, tried to take ticket to Palasa in Srikakulam district in general queue which led to the altercation with booking clerk Mohan Babu.The booking clerk, in a fit of rage, hit on her head with a wooden plank 'She received injury and was shifted to the railway hospital'.The Divisional Commercial Manager suspended the accused and the railway police took the clerk into custody.
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Adilabad TDP MLA says will sail with Nagam

Hyderabad, May 26: TDP MLA of Adilabad District Jogu Ramanna said he would sail along with TDP leader Nagam Janardhan Reddy who was suspended from the Telugu Desam Party (TDP).talking to the newspersons after meeting Dr Nagam here, Mr Ramanna said that suspending the senior leader was an arbitrary action of the TDP and criticised the party leadership saying that they had suspended Dr Nagam, a senior man in the party, without even serving him a showcause notice.alleging that the TDP leadership had chosen to suspend Dr Nagam simply because he raised the Telangana issue boldly, Mr Ramanna said that Ranga Reddy District Parigi MLA Hareeshwar Reddy also would be with Dr Nagam.
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'T'TDP Ranabheri a big success

Hyderabad, May 26:The Telangana Telugu Desam party (TTDP) Convener and TDP senior leader Yerrabilli Dayakara Rao today said that his party would fight for Telangana till the end.Addressing at a press conference here, he thanked the party cadres who made the Telangana Rranabheri at Karimnagar held yesterday a big success.He called upon all those who were cheated by the TRS to join on a single platform to achieve Telangana.He said that he was ready to participate in any debate on any issue with Nagam stating that attacking each other could not help achieve Telangana.
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