Andhra Pradesh announces new industrial policy

Hyderabad, June 18 :Andhra Pradesh Friday announced a new industrial policy for the next five years, aiming to attract Rs.15,000 crore investment annually and create 500,000 jobs every year.The policy has set a target of 17 percent growth in manufacturing and increased investment subsidy for micro and small enterprises from Rs.15 lakh to Rs.20 lakh. The state cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister K.Rosaiah, approved the policy for 2010-2015, which offers a series of incentives, especially for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Information and Public Relations Minister J.Geeta Reddy told reporters that it was the best industrial policy in the country with potential to transform Andhra Pradesh into the top investment destination. The policy, which comes into effect from July 1, focuses on MSMEs and food processing units. It is also aimed at facilitating reduction of regional and sub-sectoral imbalances. The government will promote industries along the gas pipeline laid in the state to take advantage of the availability of natural gas. The policy has also changed the definition of a mega project by enhancing the existing limit of Rs.100 crore investment to Rs.250 crore. "However, any project creating employment for more than 2,000 persons is also proposed for consideration of special package of incentives under mega projects," said a government statement. The policy offers 75 paise reimbursement of power cost for each unit. The present electricity tariff for industry is Rs.3.53 per unit, the lowest compared to other industrially developed states. The government will provide Rs.100 crore every year for promotion of industrial infrastructure for micro and small enterprises. The other highlights of the new policy includes 25 percent of VAT (value added tax) reimbursement for large and medium enterprises, 50 percent VAT reimbursement for small enterprises, 5 percent additional subsidy to women entrepreneurs, 10 percent of plots to women entrepreneurs in the new industrial estates, special incentives for entrepreneurs belonging to scheduled castes and scheduled tribes.
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Assets worth Rupees 1.63 crore seized from APIIC Dy Zonal Manager

Hyderabad, Jun 18 : ACB sleuths today unearthed assets worth Rupees 1.63 crore during simultaneous raids at the office and residence of Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation Limited Deputy Zonal Manager (Shamshabad Zone) K Gopal Reddy.The sleuths registered a case of disproportionate assets against the accused after conducting simultaneous searches at different places covering his office and residence at Maruthi Nagar, Kothapet and Hyderabad and unearthed movable and immovable assets possessed by the accused in his name and in the names of his family members worth about Rs 1.63 crore, a release here said. The immovable assets include Two G+2 houses (one each at New Maruthi Nagar and L B Nagar in Hyderabad), one Flat at Saroornagar, Eight house plots in and around Hyderabad city. The official value of these immovable properties is to the tune of Rs 1.33 crore. The searches also unearthed Rs 96,000 in Cash, four gold biscuits and gold ornaments weighing about 887 gm worth about Rs 13 lakh, two kg of silver ornaments worth about Rs 50,000, bank balances of Rs 4.18 lakh, one Ford car worth Rs six lakh, one Maruti car worth Rs 1.50 lakh, one Pulsar Motorcycle worth over Rs 40,000 and household articles worth about Rs 3.20 lakh.The total value of the movable assets was about Rs 29.74 lakh. The total recorded value of movable and immovable assets possessed by the accused was about Rs 1.63 crore though the market value of the assets would be more than Rs five crore. The searches were in progress. The accused was arrested and produced before Principal Special Judge for SPE and ACB Cases, Hyderabad, the release added.
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Andhra Pradesh Wakf Board CEO caught taking bribe

Hyderabad,June 17: Andhra Pradesh State Wakf Board Chief Executive Officer (CEO) B.S. Farooq Ahmed was Thursday caught red handed while taking a bribe.Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) officials said the CEO was caught when he was taking Rs.1 lakh from a person who wanted a job in the Wakf Board. An official said Farooq had demanded Rs.2 lakh from Arshad, a youth from Kadapa district, to appoint him as a security guard. Farooq was caught while taking Rs.1 lakh. ACB officials raided Farooq's house to conduct a thorough probe into his assets. Wakf Board, run by the state government, looks after movable and immovable properties dedicated by Muslims for religious and charitable purposes.
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Man arrested for marrying minor

Hyderabad,June 17: A 58-year-old man was Thursday arrested in Andhra Pradesh's East Godavari district after he married a minor girl, police said.
The bridegroom, an employee of the state-owned Road Transport Corporation, married a girl - said to be 14 years old - at a temple in Rajahmundry town of the district this morning. However, protests by local people forced him to leave the place in a hurry with his bride. The man, who hails from Vemulawada in West Godavari district, was arrested later on charges of kidnapping and cheating as the marriage reportedly took place without the consent of the girl. Police said they would send the girl for medical examination to establish her age as her parents have claimed that she is 18 years old.
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Two blast accused brought to Hyderabad

Hyderabad, June 17: Two activists of a Hindu terror group accused in the October 2007 blast in the Ajmer Sharif dargah were Thursday brought here by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for questioning in the Mecca Masjid bombing in May the same year.Devender Gupta and Lokesh Sharma, both members of Hindu terror group Abhinav Bharat, were produced before a court, which sent them to judicial custody for two weeks. CBI sources said the two were later shifted to Chanchalguda Central Jail amid tight security. This is the first time that the accused have been brought to Hyderabad after their involvement in the Mecca Masjid blast came to light in April. Nine people were killed in the blast during Friday prayers at the mosque May 18, 2007. Five more people were killed in the subsequent police firing on protesters outside the mosque. The CBI, which brought the two accused on transit remand, will move a petition to seek their custody for interrogation. The investigating agency will try to find out if they received any local help in carrying out the blast at the 17th century mosque here. On a petition by the CBI, 14th additional chief metropolitan magistrate court had last week issued a warrant to present them in the court. The CBI had informed the court that two other accused, Sandeep and Ramchandra, were absconding and efforts to nab them were on. Hyderabad Police Commissioner A.K.Khan told reporters that the city police would provide all assistance to the CBI. Gupta and Sharma were arrested by Rajasthan Police in April this year in connection with October 2007 blast at Khwaja Moinuddin Chisthi dargah in Ajmer, which had claimed one life and injured 30 others. The CBI believes that both the blasts were the handiwork of the same group.
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Congress to submit views on Telangana before Srikrishna panel

Hyderabad,June 17: The Justice Srikrishna Committee, looking into the demand for separate statehood for the Telangana region, will hear the views of the ruling Congress party in Andhra Pradesh on the issue next month. The Congress is the only party that is yet to present its views on the contentious matter.Srikrishna told reporters Thursday that the committee has invited the Congress party to submit its arguments on July 5, 6 and 7. Though all the parties, including the main opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP), have submitted their arguments before the panel during last three months, the Congress had been avoiding a meeting. As the party is divided on the statehood issue along regional lines, two to three groups are likely to meet the committee separately to put forth their views. "We don't know how many groups from the Congress party will come to meet us," said Srikrishna, who is heading the five-member committee. The Srikrishna committee had last month heard different groups of the TDP on the Telangana issue. The Congress had postponed its scheduled meetings with the panel on two occasions in the past. Leaders of both TDP and Congress from Telangana support the demand for a separate state while their counterparts from Rayalaseema and Andhra regions are opposed to it. To a query, Srikrishna said the committee would meet TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu, if necessary, to elicit his views. The committee met 100 groups and 1,000 individuals during the last three months. "We are in the process of gathering information and inputs. We are sure that the train is progressing on time and will reach the destination on time," he said. The committee, formed by the central government in February after violent protests for and against a separate Telangana, has been asked to submit its report by December 31. The committee, which heard the views of various sections of the Telugu diaspora through video conference, has almost completed its process of consultations with various political and non-political groups. The panel will begin region-wise visits next month to elicit the people's opinion. It held a meeting with Chief Secretary S.V. Prasad as part of the preparations for regional visits and also to seek region-wise information from various departments. The committee's member secretary, V.K. Duggal, said they would not visit those Telangana districts where by-elections to 12 assembly constituencies are scheduled in August. He denied that the committee had urged the Election Commission to postpone the by-polls.
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Hyderabad artist makes 16-foot long pen for Manmohan Singh

Hyderabad, June 17 : To spread the message of compulsory education for every citizen of India, M. Srinivasa Acharya, an artist from Hyderabad, has created a 16-feet long fountain pen for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.A teacher by profession, 50-year-old Acharya wants to spread the message of compulsory education for every citizen of India through his pen."Education must be made compulsory. That right shall be given to all the Indians. To remove the hurdles in the development of the nation, the illiteracy shall be uprooted. I dedicate this pen on behalf of all Indians to Honorable Prime Minister," said Acharya,Made of brass with a width of a foot, the pen weighs 40 kilograms.The pen has been named "Bharatiya Pali," which means India''s Pen. It took 56 days and about 450 man hours to shape the sheets of brass into pen and to carve the whole structure with illustrations of Indian culture. The entire project cost Acharya Rs 2.5 lakh.
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Send 'child goddess' to school: AP Commission

Hyderabad, June 16 : The Andhra Pradesh State Human Rights Commission has ordered that Sambavi, an eight-year-old girl hailed as a child goddess and a devotee of the Dalai Lama in her previous incarnation, should go to school.

Justice B.Subhasan Reddy,chairman of the Commission, directed the collector of Kurnool district in Andhra Pradesh to get her admitted in school if her parents failed to do so, media reports said on Wednesday. Sambhavi is almost worshipped as a god in Kurnool as "she can foretell the future". People are flocking to visit this "child goddess".Sambhavi's parents are, however, upset with the direction and are planning to move court against the direction.The state human rights commission earlier banned a reality TV show involving children in Andhra Pradesh.
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Suven gets 2 product patents from Japan

Hyderabad, Jun 16 : Suven Life Sciences Limited (Suven) today announced that the Japanese Patent Office (JPO) has issued two product Patents to their New Chemical Entities (NCE's) for treating disorders associated with Neurodegenerative diseases.The patents -- 4455992 and 4473120 -- were valid till 2022. With this, a total of three Japanese product patents were granted to Suven, a company release said.The granted claims of the patent include the class of selective Serotonin receptor affinity compounds discovered by Suven and were being developed as therapeutic agents. According to the invention 4460446 patent disclosure, the compounds were useful in the treatment of cognitive impairment associated with neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimers, Attention deficient hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Huntington's disease, Parkinson and Schizophrenia.Suven had secured intellectual property protection for several of its NCEs in major markets like US, Canada, Europe, China, Russia, India, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil and Mexico. These patents were exclusive intellectual property of Suven and achieved through the internal drug discovery research efforts. Products from these inventions would be outlicensed at the stage of clinical Phase-I or Phase-II.''We are very pleased by the grant of these patents to Suven by Japanese Patent Office for our pipeline of molecules in CNS arena that are being developed for cognitive disorders which has an estimated market potential of 20 billion US Dollars globally,'' Suven CEO Venkat Jasti said.
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Instant Money Order system at 257 centres in AP circle

Hyderabad,Jun 16: Chief Postmaster General, Andhra Pradesh Circle, K V Sundar Rajan today said Instant Money Order (IMO), launched by India Post for customers to remit large amounts of money within India, was taken up by 257 centres in Andhra Pradesh.Addressing a press conference here, he said the number of IMO centres was growing very fast in the state.He said IMO, which was instant, convenient, reliable, safe and affordable, was a web-based transfer offered by India Post between two individuals within India.Mr Rajan said the money booked through IMO could be disbursed the very next minute with a facility to send a message along with the money.Money Order Videsh (MO Videsh), another facility launched by the India Post, was available in 95 head post offices in Andhra Pradesh.Both inward and outward remittances were possible with this facility and maximum value per transaction was 5000 US Dollars.He said for outward remittances, the minimum amount one could send was 100 US Dollars while the maximum limit was 5000 US dollars at a time and for inward remittances, maximum 12 transactions were allowed in a year, with 2500 US dollars per transaction. He said 95 head post offices in Andhra Pradesh were identified as Point of Presence Service Provider for accepting New Pension Scheme (NPS) of the Government of India.He said the NPS was available to all citizens of India, both resident and non-resident, with effect from May last year to promote old age income security. The Scheme was flexible and the member could prefer pension fund manager and keep changing investment pattern through active choice option. He said the scheme was regulated by Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority with transparent investment norms and regular monitoring and performance review of fund manager by NPS trust.
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Rain in coastal AP, Telangana, isolated rain in Rayalaseema

Hyderabad, Jun 16 : Rain occurred at a few places over Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, while isolated rain occurred over Rayalaseema.The chief amounts of rainfall recorded in cm are Kaleswaram (Karimnagar district) 5, Bapatla 4, Ongole and Dummagudem (Khammam district) 3 each, Nizamsagar (Nizamabad district) 2, Adilabad, Bhadrachalam, Kakinada, Jurala Project (Mahabubnagar district) and Kunavaram (Khammam district) one each, Met department said today. Light to moderate rain or thundershowers may occur at a few places over Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Isolated rain or thundershowers may occur over Rayalaseema.There are chances of rain in parts of the city. Maximum and Minimum temperature would be around 35 and 24 degree celsius.
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Andhra Congress chief meets Sonia

New Delhi, June 15 : Andhra Pradesh Congress chief D. Srinivas Tuesday met party president Sonia Gandhi to discuss the upcoming assembly by-elections in the Telangana region of the state.Srinivas, who also met Law and Justice Minister M. Veerapa Moily, told reporters that the high command had asked the state party unit to prepare for the assembly by-elections. He said that strategy for the by-elections will be decided in due course. The meeting comes in the backdrop of Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) urging the Congress and the Telugu Desam Party not to contest the polls in response to the call given by Telangana Joint Action Committee. Twelve legislators - ten from the TRS and one each from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) - had resigned in February in support of the demand for creation of Telangana.
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Media scribe taken under custody for selling tickets

Tirumala, Jun 15 : Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Vigilance officials have taken into custody a media scribe for enquiry here tonight in connection with selling seva tickets.While checking the tickets of pilgrims, a four-member pilgrim party from Thadepallegudem in West Godavari district stated that they had purchased two Archana, four Suprabhatam and two Astadala Pada Padmaradhanamu seva tickets from a leading electronic media scribe, working in Tirumala.The tickets were taken under discretionary quota from Joint Executive camp office in Tirumala for Rs 40,000 against the actual price of Rs 6,840, a TTD vigilance official said.After receiving the recorded statement from the pilgrim party, the scribe and former APUWJ district secretary Mr Reddy, who is also state executive member for APUWJ, were taken into custody for investigation, the official added.However, TTD Executive officer Mr I Y R Krishna Rao has not confirmed the custody of Mr Reddy.
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Demand for Andhra minister's resignation embarrasses Congress

Hyderabad, June 15: The ruling Congress in Andhra Pradesh is facing an embarrassing situation with a section of party leaders from Telangana demanding that Irrigation Minister Ponnala Lakshmaiah resign for alleged irregularities in 'Jalayagnam', a massive irrigation programme.Senior Congress leader P. Goverdhan Reddy Tuesday claimed he had evidence to prove his allegations against the minister. Defending his remarks, he offered to provide the evidence if the government holds a meeting on the issue. He told reporters that he would also meet the governor and submit a memorandum on the matter. M.S. Rajalingam, a member of the Legislative Council belonging to Congress party, has also levelled allegations against Ponnala and said he had no right to remain in the cabinet. Ponnala, who also hails from Telangana, has dismissed allegations against him as baseless and rejected the demand for his resignation. On Sunday, a group of Congress leaders from Telangana, including three MPs, held a meeting and demanded Ponnala's resignation. They also decided to take up the issue with Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. As the division in the party became public, a group of ministers from Telangana came to the defence of their colleague and suggested that the leaders demanding Ponnala's resignation raise their objections at a proper forum in the party. The main opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) demanded that the minister be sacked forthwith. "If the minister fails to tender his resignation, the chief minister should sack him immediately to prove that he has zero tolerance for corruption," TDP chief N. Chandrababu Naidu told reporters here Tuesday.
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Court dismisses plea to defer Andhra Pradesh by-polls

Hyderabad, June 15 : The Andhra Pradesh High Court Tuesday dismissed a petition seeking postponement of by-elections to 12 assembly constituencies in the Telangana region.A division bench dismissed the petition, saying the court will not interfere in the functioning of the Election Commission of India. It suggested to the petitioner to move the commission if he had any objections with regard to the elections. Elections to 12 constituencies are likely to be held in August and the poll schedule is expected to be announced by month-end. Lawyer J. Narayanswamy, who belongs to Anantapur district, filed the petition seeking court orders to the commission against issuing the poll notification. The petitioner argued that the situation in Telangana was not conducive to holding polls. The petition had assumed significance in view of the pressure on both the ruling Congress and the main opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) from groups seeking a separate state of Telangana not to contest the by-polls.
The by-elections were necessitated by the resignation of all 10 legislators of Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) and one legislator each of the TDP and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to press the demand for separate Telangana state. The TRS, BJP and other pro-Telangana parties and groups have appealed to the Congress and TDP not to enter the fray and ensure the unanimous election of the legislators who resigned for the cause of Telangana. A section of Congress leaders in Telangana region have also urged the party leadership not to field candidates. State Congress chief D. Srinivas met party president Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi Tuesday to discuss the developments. Congress sources said the central leadership would take a decision on the issue after deliberations with all sections within the party.
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PM-handig over the "GHILAF-E-MUBARAK"to DARGAH SHAREEF KHAJA GHARIB NAWAZ,

(PIB NEWS) June,15, The Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh handing over the ‘Chaadar’ to be offered at the dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, Ajmer Sharif to the Minister of State, Prime Minister’s Office and Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions and Parliamentary Affairs, Shri Prithviraj Chavan, in New Delhi on June 15, 2010. (Photo by PIB No.CNR - 32061)
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TDP to launch agitation against indiscriminate sale of liquor

Vijayawada,Jun 15: Telugu Desam Party (TDP) will launch a state-wide agitation to protest against the indiscriminate sale of liquor and setting up of belt liquor shops across the state, Senior TDP leader and MLA Devineni Umamaheswara Rao announced here today.Addressing a press conference here, he alleged that the Andhra Pradesh Government had given green signal for the sale of liquor and setting up of belt liquor shops.He alleged that the government had ignored all norms in issuing licences to the liquor shops in the state.Mr Rao said the TDP would launch a state wide-agitation by staging 'dharnas' in front of all the Collector Offices in the state, demanding the government to take steps to regularise the sale of liquor and do away with belt liquor shops.The liquor traders were selling liquor at an exorbitant prices, he claimed and demanded the government to ensure that liquor was sold at Maximum Retail Price (MRP).
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APSHRC directs admin to get Sambhavi admitted to school

Hyderabad, Jun 15 : The Andhra Pradesh State Human Rights Commission has directed the Kurnool district administration to get Samhavi, proclaimed 'god child', enrolled to a school by June 21.Human Rights Commission Chairman B Shubhashan Reddy, acting on petitions filed by NGOs and human rights activists, yesterday ordered that the eight-year-old girl be enrolled in an elementary school and not be restrained at home.The APSHRC also directed the District Collector for compliance of its order and report to the Commission by June 21. It also prohibited her parents from propagating of ''her super natural powers''.
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Realty sector revives in Hyderabad after political crisis

Hyderabad,June 15: The Realty sector in Hyderabad has bounced back after the recent political crisis, as demand for residential and commercial properties is growing.The trend is growing evidently in Tier I and Tier II areas, as these are high-demand markets."Market is improving as of now because of these developments happening in the Hyderabad areas like outer ring road area, Infosys campus and many other areas, so this is the right time to invest and to buy a customer," said Prabhakar, Sales Officer in Real Estate Company.Some customers feel that Hyderabad is the right place for investing money in the realty sector."NRIs, doctors and Information Technology (IT) people are coming forward for the investment and even some of the central government employees are also coming forward. Now a days comparing with the facilities what we are giving on what rates we are giving, people are seeing benefits and on these bases they are coming forward for investments and showing interest," said Raj Kumar, Marketing Manager in Real Estate Company.The realty sector is anticipated to grow at the rate of 30 percent annually over the next decade, which will attract foreign investment worth 30 billion dollars.The sector is one of the largest employers in the country, and has backward and forward linkages with about 250 industries, such as cement, brick, steel, building material and many more.
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Monsoon update

(PIB NEWS) JUNE,14, Southwest monsoon has further advanced into some more parts of Konkan & Goa, Madhya Maharashtra, and Marathwada, Vidarbha, most parts of Telangana, some parts of Chhattisgarh, remaining part of Coastal Andhra Pradesh, some more parts of Orissa and some more parts of Gangetic west Bengal. Condition are favorable for further advance of southwest monsoon into remaining parts of central Arabian Sea, some parts of north Arabian Sea and south Gujarat, Maharashtra, of Madhya Pradesh, f Chhattisgarh, Orissa and West Bengal and some parts of Jharkhand and Bihar. Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) Guidance states that Monsoon flow over Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal is likely to intensify during next 2-3 days. The western disturbance will affect western Himalayan region and adjoining plains during next 3-4 days. A major feature of weather forecast for next 3 days as per midday bulletin of India Meteorological department suggests widespread rain/thundershowers would occur over Kerala, Lakshadweep, Coastal Karnataka and Konkan & Goa. Fairly widespread rain/thundershowers would occur over Interior Karnataka, Madhya Maharashtra, Marathwada, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, West Bengal & Sikkim and northeastern states and scattered over Andhra Pradesh, Tamilnadu, Vidarbha, Bihar, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh. Scattered rain/thundershowers would occur over Jammu & Kashmir and isolated over Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand during next 48 hours and increase thereafter. Isolated dust storm/thunderstorms may occur over Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. Rainfall activity would increase over Uttar Pradesh after 48 hours. Isolated rain/thundershowers would occur over Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh during next 24 hours and increase thereafter. Maximum temperature will increase by about 1-2°C over parts of northwest and Central India during next 48 hours.
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