Republic of Tataristan of the Russian Federation Delegation met With Dr.Geetha Reddy,

A delegation of Republic of Tatarstan of the Russian Federation to Hyderabad led by Ms Valeeva Zilya, Deputy Prime Minister of Culture of the Republic of Tatarstan met with Dr.J. Geetha Reddy, Minister of Information & Public Relation,Government of Andhra Pradesh at his office at Secretriate, Hyderabad. (Photo by R.S.J.Thomas) ======================================================

Defence Investiture Ceremony at Rashtrapathi Bhawan

The President, Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil, the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, the Defence Minister, Shri A. K. Antony and the Minister of State of Defence, Shri M.M. Pallam Raju with the Awardees, at the Defence investiture ceremony, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi on April 09, 2010.  (Photo by PIB No:CNR-31163)
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Smt. Ambika Soni presenting GPS Media Award's,

The Union Minister of Information & Broadcasting, Smt. Ambika Soni presenting the Global Punjabi Society Media Award to Shri Vikram Chandra,CEO, NDTV Convergence, at the Global Punjabi Society Media Awards function, in New Delhi on New Delhi on April 09, 2010.
(Photo by PIB No:CNR-31170)
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Curfew timings cut short in riot-hit parts of Hyderabad

Hyderabad, April 9 : With further improvement in the situation in riot-hit parts of Hyderabad, the police Friday said curfew relaxation was being extended from 12 to 17 hours.Police Commissioner A.K. Khan told reporters that curfew would remain in force from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. in areas under 25 police stations. The decision, which will come into effect from Friday, was taken after Friday prayers passed off peacefully. "The prayers were offered in a peaceful atmosphere and no untoward incident was reported from anywhere," Khan said. Elaborate security arrangements were made at the Mecca Masjid in the old city and hundreds of other mosques to maintain law and order. For the last three days, the curfew timings were from 6 p.m to 6 a.m. Though the situation had almost returned to normal, police continued with the restriction in view of the Friday prayers. The police commissioner said a decision on lifting the curfew totally would be taken in a day or two. The riots, which broke out March 27, following a dispute over putting up of religious flags, left three people dead and over 150 injured. The police commissioner said 181 cases were registered in connection with the violence and 250 people have been arrested. Special teams have been formed to identify and arrest those who were spreading rumours through SMSes.
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Sania-Shoaib wedding postponed

Hyderabad, April 9 : Controversies continue to haunt Indian tennis star Sania Mirza and Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik as their high-profile marriage scheduled for Friday evening has been postponed.With police not yet returning Shoaib's passport, the qazi expressed his inability to perform the nikah and the two families had no option but to postpone the ceremony, sources close to the families said. Earlier, the qazi told reporters that nikah would be performed at 7 p.m. Sania Mirza's family members made hectic efforts to get back Shoaib's passport, which was seized by police Monday after grilling him in connection with a criminal case filed by his first wife Ayesha Siddiqui, also of Hyderabad. Sania's father Imran Mirza met senior police officers, including the one who was handling the case against Shoaib, but they told him that since the passport was deposited with the court, Shoaib would have to retrieve it from there after some formalities.Qazis in Hyderabad do not perform marriages of foreigners without verifying the passport and no-objection certificates from their respective governments. Though Ayesha, who was divorced by Shoaib Wednesday, has informed the police that she is withdrawing her complaint, Shoaib would get back his passport only after completing some legal formalities. Sources said the nikah would now be possible any day before April 15, the day when Sania's family has planned to host a wedding reception at Taj Krishna hotel here. Sania's family has also sought security for three-day marriage ceremonies at the house, beginning April 13. Sources in 'Qazat', or a section of Wakf Board, which deals with Muslim marriages, told media that the nikahnama or the marriage document to be signed by Sania and Shoaib will clearly mention this is Shoaib's second marriage. It was only Wednesday that Shoaib divorced his first wife Ayesha, a resident of this city, following mediation by Sania's family members and community elders. Ayesha had filed a police complaint against Shoaib, accusing him of cheating. The divorce came after the former Pakistani skipper constantly maintained that he did not marry Ayesha Siddiqui but another girl whose photographs she had sent her. Ayesha claimed the marriage took place over phone in 2002 and even produced a nikahnama with Shoaib's signature on it to prove this. She had even claimed that they stayed as man and wife. Ayesha also said she became pregnant and had a miscarriage. The Qazat Wednesday issued 'talaqnama' or divorce certificate after Shoaib signed the papers and paid Rs.15,000 to Ayesha towards her maintenance for three months as per Islamic sharia. It was only to save Sania from being called his second wife that Shoaib continued denying the marriage but crumbled when Ayesha produced "solid proof" and he faced arrest in the criminal case, sources said.
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Friday prayers peaceful, day curfew relaxed till 2200 hrs

Hyderabad, Apr 9 : As Friday prayers in the old city area here went off peacefully, the authorities decided to relax the day time curfew till 2200 hrs today.This was followed by improvement in the situation in 25 police station limits, where the indefinite curfew was clamped in the wake of killing of three people since March 27.Tight security was provided for Friday prayers at all mosques.Senior police officials, including city Police Commissioner A K Khan, were constantly monitoring the situation in the curfew-clamped areas, including the old city.Mr Khan, who toured the entire old city, told media that in view of the peaceful situation and Friday prayers, the curfew would be relaxed by another four hours today and it would be resumed from tomorrow.The final decision on total lifting of the curfew would be taken after review meeting with the authorities in a day or two, he added.He said the police would take action against persons involved in violent incidents with definite proofs.The situation was ''peaceful and fully under control,'' he said, adding no untoward incident had been reported during the curfew relaxation period.
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Sania-Shoaib marriage today,

Hyderabad, April 9 : Indian tennis star Sania Mirza will tie the knot with Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik here Friday.Qazi Azmatullah Jafari, one of the qazis of the area in which Sania's house is located, told reporters that the nikah would be performed after the 'maghrib' prayers after sunset. Sania's parents, Shoaib's mother and close relatives of the duo would attend the simple nikah at Sania's house in Jubilee Hills. The ceremony has been kept a closely guarded secret in view of the row over Shoaib's first marriage and divorce with a resident of this city. Since Shoaib has given divorce to his first wife Ayesha Siddiqui, the nikahnama to be signed Friday will clearly mention that it is second marriage of the Pakistani star. Shoaib had Wednesday divorced Ayesha following mediation by Sania's family members and community elders after Ayesha filed a police complaint against him. There were also speculations that Shoaib's marriage with Sania could be postponed as he has not yet got back his passport which was seized by police after they questioned him Monday. Though Ayesha has informed the police that she is withdrawing her complaint, police told Shoaib that he would get back his passport after completing the formalities in court. Qazis in Hyderabad do not perform marriages of foreigners without passport and no objection certificates from their respective governments. Sania's family will be hosting the wedding reception at a star hotel here April 15. ======================================================

Lok Satta warns against adopting casual approach to T demand

Hyderabad, Apr 9: Warning against adopting a casual approach to the demand for Telangana, the Lok Satta party today stressed the need to have a national, tangible and universally-acceptable criterion to reorganize states.Releasing its 117-page report to Justice Srikrishna Committee on situation in Andhra Pradesh to media, party president Jayaprakash Narayan said, ''Language has been such a marker (criterion) so far, and all non-Hindi states are formed on the basis of one language - one state.'' ''Now we need to carefully examine other markers before setting out to reorganise our states. Neither history nor geography nor development is sufficient as a marker. Once language ceases to be a marker for state formation, we should decide what a rational criterion for the division of states is...Any ad hoc approach in one part of the country will lead to escalating demands and a cascading effect elsewhere. Therefore, a rational and deliberate approach based on consensus and longterm interests is critical.'' Tracing the present crisis in Andhra Pradesh to ''genuine grievances of political disempowerment and a sense of lack of regional autonomy'', the report said, ''the local governments in Andhra Pradesh lost dynamism because they did not enjoy functional freedom, suffered from paucity of funds and, and bureaucracy was strengthened at their cost. Despite the passing of the 73rd and the 74th Constitutional amendments, real empowerment of the local governments has not taken place in Andhra Pradesh. A trend of over-centralization of political power coupled with the abolishment of the empowered, constitutional forum of Andhra Pradesh Regional Committee in 1973 has deepened the sense of political disempowerment and political alienation.'' The report recommended that institutional arrangements be made immediately to address the concerns and aspirations of Telangana and other backward regions in Andhra Pradesh. ''The arrangements can be taken up complementary to any efforts towards evolving a final settlement of the regional aspirations in Andhra Pradesh.''
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Chidambaram accepts ‘full responsibility’ for Dantewada

Home Minister P. Chidambaram said Friday that he has written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh accepting full responsibility for the massacre of 76 security personnel in Chhattisgarh, the worst Maoist attack since the insurgency started four decades ago.“I accept full responsibility for what happened in Dantewada,” said Chidambaram, adding that he has no hesitation to accept that the buck stops at his desk.“I have been asked directly or indirectly where the buck stops after the attack. The buck stops at my desk,” Chidambaram said at a CRPF function here.Chidambaram said he had given this in writing to the prime minister, immediately after his return from Chhattisgarh Wednesday, a day after the massacre.“Let me not elaborate,” the home minister said, three days after the attack in the forests of Dantewada district that killed 75 troopers of the Central Reserve Police Force and one Chhattisgarh policeman.The families of the slain personnel would be given full compensation before the end of this month, Chidambaram said.He also offered a job for a family member of each of the slain personnel.

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PM rejects Chidambaram resignation offer

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh “fully backs” Home Minister P. Chidambaram and had rejected his offer of resignation following the Maoist massacre of 76 security personnel in Chhattisgarh, government sources said.“PM has declined to accept the home minister’s offer for resignation. The PM fully backs his senior cabinet colleague,”The home minister had written to the prime minister and Congress president Sonia Gandhi accepting blame for Tuesday’s attack that led to the killing of 75 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel and a Chhattisgarh policeman in a Bastar forest, the worst Maoist assault since the insurgency began more than four decades ago, an official privy to the letter added.He said there was “no question” of Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi accepting the resignation offer as Chidambaram, who took over as home minister after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, has largely been hailed for his role in handling internal security management.According to sources, Chidambaram wrote the letters Wednesday soon after returning from Chhatisgarh.Chidambaram had set the ball rolling earlier in the day when he said at a CRPF function that he accepted “full responsibility” for the massacre and that the “buck stops at my desk”.“I have been asked directly or indirectly where the buck stops after the attack. The buck stops at my desk,” Chidambaram said at a function to mark Valour Day for the CRPF.“I accept full responsibility for what happened in Dantewada. I called the prime minister and gave in writing that I accept full responsibility for what happened,” he said, adding: “Let me not elaborate.”Referring to the many reports on how the men were poorly trained, Chidambaram went guns blazing defending the security personnel.“It has been written that the 62nd battalion was poorly trained or lacked adequate weapons and equipment which is not true,” Chidambaram said.“I ask everyone humbly that if you can’t go on the front, please don’t disrespect our jawans.”“We have addressed issues pertaining to salaries, allowances, pensions, compensations and rehabilitation. More needs to be done, and they will be done,” said the minister.The families of the slain personnel would be given full compensation before the end of this month, Chidambaram said. The government had announced a compensation of Rs.38 lakh for the next of kin of each slain security personnel, with the central government contributing Rs.15 lakh to the kittyHe also offered a job for a family member of each of the slain personnel.“I am proud of the CRPF and its work. I salute all those who laid down their lives. The families who lost their member in the Dantewada attack will be compensated by the end of this month,” the minister assured.
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PM meets chief ministers over price rise

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, his senior cabinet colleagues and chief ministers of 10 states began their deliberations on containing price rise here Thursday amid fears of inflation crossing the double digit mark.The meeting is being held even as the Left parties went ahead with their nationwide agitation during which they courted arrest to protest rising prices.The core group of chief ministers, set up in February, comprises Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, West Bengal, Punjab, Gujarat, Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Food and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia are also attending the    meeting.Inflation soared to 9.89 percent during February and is feared to cross the double-digit mark in March – the data for which is likely to be released next week. Food inflation has been ruling at over 16 percent.The prime minister on the eve of the significant meeting had said: “The country has a problem and I would like all political parties to pool their knowledge, wisdom and experience to evolve practical, pragmatic solutions to these problems.”
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Toll in Hyderabad riots rises to three,

Hyderabad, April 8: The tension was back in the old city of Hyderabad Thursday with a person, stabbed during communal clashes last fortnight, succumbing to his injuries in a hospital. With his death, the toll in the communal riots has risen to three.Narasimha, 54, a resident of Lal Darwaza area, who was stabbed by unidentified people in Hussaini Alam police station area on the night of March 28, died at the Osmania Hospital Wednesday night. As news of his death spread, police went on high alert in Shahali Banda and adjacent areas near the historic Charminar to prevent any untoward incident. Even curfew-pass holders were stopped from entering into the old city. Elaborate security arrangements have been made as some groups are reportedly preparing to take out a funeral procession. After initial confusion, police relaxed the curfew in these areas along with other-riot hit parts of the city. The 12-hour curfew relaxation began at 6 a.m. in all 25 police station areas but the movement of people in Shahali Banda and surrounding areas was restricted. Shops and schools remained closed. Though the day curfew was lifted last Monday, the police are continuing with the night curfew as a precautionary measure. The riots, which broke out March 27 in the old city following a dispute over religious flags, also left over 150 people injured. Police said they have registered 152 cases and arrested 200 people in connection with various incidents of violence.
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Now it's celebration time at Sania Mirza's house

Hyderabad, April 8: A day after Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik divorced his first wife Ayesha Siddiqui, preparations began Thursday for his marriage to Indian tennis star Sania Mirza.The mood of tension and anxiety prevailing at Sania's house at Jubilee Hills for the last few days turned into that of celebrations Thursday as the arrival of relatives and friends began. Though the divorce to Ayesha would make Sania the second wife of Shoaib, the two families were relieved over an amicable end to the bitter row. The two families no longer fear Shoaib's arrest, the visits of police officials to the house for questioning and the wild accusations from Ayesha's family which had dampened the celebrations. With the arrival of Shoaib's mother and other family members Wednesday night, hectic activity was seen at Sania's house Thursday. Preparations began to treat the Pakistani guests with biryani and other lip-smacking Hyderabadi dishes. As Sania's family feared postponement of the marriage, scheduled for April 15, due to the controversy, it was only on Thursday that dozens of workers were seen bringing basmati rice, mutton and other provisions to the house. The family members were also seen driving in and out of the house to the market to do the shopping. While Sania's wedding dress is being designed in Delhi, the family would buy the other bridal wear in Hyderabad. Shoaib and Sania preferred to remain indoors ever since the Muslim community leaders Wednesday announced that the former Pakistani skipper has divorced Ayesha. They came out to receive Shoaib's mother Sultana Farooq and other family members. The guests include Shoaib's brother Adil Malik, sisters Shazia Imran and Sadaf Imran, nephew Mamoon Imran and niece Zainab Imran. Shoaib's brother-in-law Zafar Imran, who had arrived in Delhi Tuesday to consult lawyers, is likely to arrive here later in the day. Some more relatives and friends of the bridegroom are also expected to arrive from Pakistan. Sania's family has already distributed invitation cards for the wedding. About 500 guests have been invited to the reception to be held at Taj Krishna hotel. Interestingly, it was at the same hotel that Sania was engaged to her childhood friend Sohrab Mirza July 10 last year amid much fanfare. The tennis ace called off the engagement Jan 28 this year citing "incompatibility". It was on March 29 that the Pakistani media reported that Shoaib would be marrying Sania, who confirmed this the next day. However, the past returned to haunt Shoaib as Ayesha Siddiqui demanded divorce before he married Sania. While Shoaib landed here much early to clear his name, Ayesha filed a complaint with the police, queering the pitch for the cricketer. While Ayesha alias Maha claimed that Shoaib married her over phone in 2002 and they even lived together as wife and husband, the latter said he married the girl whose pictures were sent to him. As the row took a dirty turn threatening Shoaib and Sania's marriage, a compromise formula was arrived at following mediation by some community leaders and well wishers of the families of Sania and Ayesha.
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Left leaders arrested as part of 'Jail bharo' programme

Vijayawada, Apr 8 : CPI(M) Central Committee member V Srinivasa Rao, CPI National Council member E Nageswara Rao, among 200 left parties workers, were arrested today as part of their nation-wide 'Jailbharo' programme in protest against the price rise of essential commodities.Earlier, the activists staged a 'dharna' in front of the Sub-Collector's office and raised slogans against the government's failure in controlling the prices.Mr Srinivasa Rao, addressing the gathering, said the government should control rise in prices or leave the power. He alleged that the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government at the Centre, which had promised before elections that it would take steps to check prices of essential commodities, after coming to power had failed to control the hike in prices.Claiming that lakhs of tonnes of foodgrains were kept in government godowns, he said the foodgrains should be released and distributed among the people to curb the price rise.Alleging that the Congress Government was cancelling lakhs of ration cards in the state in the pretext of bogus cards and resorting to opportunistic politics after winning elections, he demanded that essential commodities be supplied on minimum prices to the below and above proverty line poor.He alleged that the Congress government was encouraging Maoists and Trinamool Congress workers in West Bengal to attack Left party workers and making conspiracy to throw the CPI(M)-led government from the power.The speaker's demands included reduction of prices of essential commodities, release of 4.25 lakh tonnes of foodgrains kept in government godowns, strengthening of public distribution system, revoking of hiking prices of petrol and diesle and implementation of Employment Guarantee Schemes in urban areas too.The arrested were shifted to Suryaraopet Police Stataion and later released on station bail.
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Paternity suit: Court orders Tiwari's reply in 4 weeks

New Delhi, April 7: Former Andhra Pradesh governor N D Tiwari was Wednesday directed by the Delhi High Court to file his response in a paternity suit against him within four weeks.The court of Justice J.R.Midha asked Tiwari, 86, to file a written reply in the suit filed by 34-year-old Rohit Shekhar within four weeks, failing which he will have to appear before the court personally. The veteran politician, who was also the chief minister of Uttaranchal, has been asked to respond to the photographs submitted by Shekhar, showing both of them together on different occasions, and also on Shekhar's plea for a DNA test. The court, while allowing an application by Tiwari seeking more time, said that this would be the last chance for him and if Tiwari failed to furnish the reply in the stipulated time, he will have to come personally on May 20, the next date of hearing. The court had on March 17 dismissed Tiwari's plea challenging the paternity suit and said that it may consider ordering a DNA test if the issue of maintainability was raised by him. Shekhar has claimed that Tiwari began neglecting him and his mother Ujjawala Sharma after 1995 and refused to meet him after becoming the Uttaranchal chief minister. He now wants a DNA test to confirm his biological father.  Tiwari's five-decade-old political career came to a virtual end after a news channel last year showed clippings of an elderly man purported to be Tiwari in bed with three young women. A few days later, Tiwari resigned as the Andhra Pradesh governor citing health grounds.
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Day after deadly Maoist ambush, troopers scared to enter forest

A day after 76 troopers were massacred in the worst ever Maoist attack, hundreds of para-military men and state police personnel assigned to track down the killers are scared to enter the jungles of Chhattisgarh Wednesday fearing a repeat of the ‘bloody Tuesday’ incident.The shell-shocked police incumbent here have ordered nearly 40,000 policemen deployed in the restive Bastar region to retaliate.But officials posted in the interiors of the region say: “The Tuesday attack has rattled the entire police force engaged in the anti-Maoist operation and they are now reluctant to enter the landmine protected jungle terrain”.“It’s easy for everyone to dictate to us from New Delhi and Raipur sitting in air-conditioned chambers, but here the situation is completely hostile because Maoists rule the roost in jungles. The forces in Bastar now need urgent motivation,” a police officer based in Dantewada said on phone.Police officers posted in the sprawling 40,000 sq km Bastar terrain made up of five districts — Bijapur, Narayanpur, Bastar, Kanker and Dantewada where the Maoists staged a bloodbath in the Chintalnar hilly area say — “policemen are suffering high casualties because of an absolute lack of co-ordination between state forces and para-military men who are put in difficult terrains in Chhattisgarh”.“Despite all efforts at the police headquarters and at the state government level, the CRPF is not taking local police and special police officers (SPOs) along while entering the Maoists’ den and are thus getting killed without a fight,” noted a senior official here.He remarked that CRPF men are all outsiders and know nothing about the difficult jungle terrain. They were reminded several times by officers at the police headquarters to take along at least the SPOs who are locals but the CRPF men neither followed this suggestion nor did they stick to the 48-point guerrilla warfare manuals.
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There is no ‘Operation Green Hunt’: Chidambaram

Home Minister P.Chidambaram Wednesday insisted that there was no “Operation Green Hunt” against Maoists — as has been widely reported.“There is no Operation Green Hunt,” Chidambaram told reporters here. Chhattisgarh police officials say they had coined the term for one successful drive against the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) in the state.But former Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) director general A.S.Gill said it was wrong to call the current campaign against the Maoists by the same name.“It is a media creation and continues till date,” Gill said.Chidambaram’s clarification came a day after Maoist guerrillas massacred 76 security personnel in Chhattisgarh Tuesday in the worst attack since the Maoist movement erupted over four decades ago.
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Armed forces not trained to combat Maoists: air chief

Indian Air Force chief Air Marshal P.V. Naik Wednesday said he did not favour using armed forces in operations against Maoist insurgents.“All the armed forces – air force, army and the navy – are trained for lethal operations. We are not trained for limited lethality. Use of the air force in such situations like Naxals… I am not in favour. But it is a state prerogative,” Naik said during the inauguration of Commenders Conference here.“At present we must leave it to paramilitary forces as they have trained manpower and intelligence,” he added, a day after the massacre of 76 Central Reserve Police Force personnel in Chhattisgarh Tuesday.
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Curfew to be relaxed for 12 hrs tomorrow; situation peaceful

Hyderabad, Apr 7: Giving relief to the people of old city falling under various zones affected by communal violence, the authorities have decided to relax day curfew from dawn to dusk tomorrow as no incidents of violence were reported during the 12-hour-long relaxation period today.Police decided to relax indefinite curfew clamped in Hyderabad since March 27 for 12 hours from 0600 hrs to 1800 hrs tomorrow in 25 police station limits, as there was 'tremendous improvement' in the situation in the city and in view of essential needs of people, according to City Police Commissioner A.K.Khan.Normalcy is returning to the area after posting nearly 30 companies of paramilitary forces, besides state police personnel, including the elite OCTOPUS personnel who were closely monitoring the situation round-the-clock to maintain law and order. The situation was peaceful and fully under control and no untoward incidents were reported during the 12-hour curfew relaxtion period today. ''If the present situation continues, curfew could be lifted fully in a couple of days,'' he added.People came out from their houses for purchasing essential commodities. As a precautionary measure, prohibitory orders were promulgated in the entire city. The situation was ''peaceful and fully under control,'' the sources said, adding no untoward incidents were reported during the curfew relaxation period.
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Andhra Pradesh to bring umbrella legislation to regulate money lending

Hyderabad, Apr 7: The Andhra Pradesh Cabinet today approved a Bill to bring under one umbrella all State Acts for effective regulation of money lending as suggested by Reserve Bank of India and curb high lending rates charged by unscruplous private money lenders.The Cabinet Meeting, chaired by Chief Minister K Rosaiah, at the Secretariat this evening, gave its nod for the Andhra Pradesh Money Lenders and Accredited Loan Providers Act, 2010 on the lines of the model bill suggested by the RBI.The Bill envisaged to bring under public officers all money lenders in an area and make them maintain books of accounts.Any loan in respect of which money lender or accredited loan provider had realised from debtor an amount equal to or more than twice the amount of principal should stand discharged and the amount, if any, so realized should be refunded, an official note here tonight said---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------