Shiv Sena Panchayat Samiti member shot dead

Aurangabad,Maharashtra(Correspondent)May-19: Shiv Sena panchayat Samiti member, Sunil Lashkare was shot dead by unidentified assailants here last night.Forty-year-old Lashkare was in a car on way to the city, along with his wife and three sons, when another vehicle brushed aside his car and blocked it near the Nagar Naka at around 2100 hours.According to police, when Lashkare came out of his car and questioned them, two of the four assailants opened fire, hitting him on his head and throat. Lashkare's wife and three sons shouted for help but the assailants sped away from the scene Lashkare was rushed to the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), where he was declared dead on admission. The police have got some clues about the attackers and are in the process of tracking down the culprits, sources said Meanwhile, hundreds of his supporters reached the GMCH after learning about the incident. ===================================================

Govt to launch 'Indira Jana Prabha' welfare scheme

Hyderabad, May 18 : The Andhra Pradesh government will launch 'Indira Jana Prabha' welfare scheme shortly.The new scheme would be implemented by State Rural Development Department, Minister Dokka Manikya Vara Prasada Rao told reporters here today.The 'Indira Jana Prabha' scheme will be implemented with 50 per cent frunds from Employment Assurance Scheme (EAS) and another 50 per cent from NABARD funds.The Minister said under the Rs 1,600 crore scheme, irrigation facilities would be developed for ten lakh acres belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes people.
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ACB net in three cases in government official's

Hyderabad, May 18 : The sleuths of the Anti-Corruption Officials (ACB) have trapped three government officials including district social welfare officer and blood safety department of AIDS Control Society Consultant and arrested six officials in three different cases in the state today.Mr. P.Ravi Kumar(Consultant), Rajesh(Quality Manager) and Sreekanth( Quality Manager), who are working in Blood Safety Department, A.P.State Aids Control Society, Hyderabad, were arrested when they demanded bribe of Rs 4 lakhs from a Non-governmental Organisation CEO Mrs.L.Laxmi Reddy for doing official favour of supplying ''Elisa kits and other items'' regularly and also for giving camp permission and renewal of licenses without causing any problem to the complainant.On the request of the complainant, they agreed to receive the bribe amount to Rs.1 Lakh as an advance and the bribe amount was taken by Guna Sekhar, who also one of the Quality Managers, on the instructions of Consultant and he was caught red handed by the A.C.B officials at their office situated in the state capital, ACB said in a release here .The bribe amount was recovered after conducted chemical test yielded positive result.The Accused Officers were arrested and produced before the Principle Special Judge for SPE and ACB Cases in Hyderabad.
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Kiran kumar's appeals to Prime Minister to enhance MSP for paddy

Hyderabad, May 18 : Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy today once again appealed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to take a decision to enhance the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for paddy by atleast Rs 200 per quintal -- from Rs 1,030 to Rs 1,230 -- for fine variety and Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,200 for common variety.The Chief Minister has written letters to Prime Minister and Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar in this regard.The Chief Minister has also directed the Chief Secretary S V Prasad to review the 'Rabi Procurement' for Paddy purchase activities daily.Accordingly, the Chief Secretary reviewed the activities of 'Rabi procurement' programme at Secretariat with the officials concerned today.The Chief Secretary directed all the special officers appointed to oversee the paddy purchase activities by the Government Agencies and millers, District Collectors over phone to ensure MSP for the paddy, supply of suficient gunnies, movement of purchased paddy from the market yards and godown space, an official release said here.
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Mecca Masjid blast anniversary passes off peacefully

Hyderabad, May 18 : The fourth anniversary of the bomb blast at the historic Mecca Masjid here passed off peacefully amid tight security.The afternoon prayers at the 17th century mosque passed off peacefully as police made elaborate security arrangements in the old city and other communally sensitive areas.Rapid Action Force and other central paramilitary forces along with the city police and Andhra Pradesh Special Police were deployed to maintain law and order.Police have also banned meetings and rallies across the city for six days.Nine persons were killed and 58 others injured in the blast at the historic mosque May 18, 2007. Five persons were killed in the subsequent police firing on protestors near the mosque.Police had initially blamed Harkatul Jihad-e-Islami and other terror groups operating from Pakistan and Bangladesh and arrested scores of local youth for their suspected involvement.probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) revealed the involvement of Hindu terror outfits.The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which recently took up the investigations, Monday filed supplementary chargesheet against Swami Aseemanand for his alleged role in the conspiracy behind the blast.Nabakumar Sarkar, also known as Swami Aseemanand, who is also an accused in the Samhjauta Express bomb blast case, was arrested from Haridwar Nov 19, 2010.The NIA has also named Indresh Kumar, an associate of Aseemanand, in the charge-sheet. He is absconding. Earlier, the CBI had filed charge sheet against accused Devender Gupta and Lokesh Sharma. Both are in judicial custody.The Hyderabad police in July last year arrested terror suspect Viquaruddin and five others, who allegedly floated a terror outfit Tehreek Galba-e-Islam (TGI) in 2007 to avenge the police firing following the bomb blast at Mecca Masjid.The accused allegedly shot dead a police constable in the old city of Hyderabad May 13, 2010, five days before the third anniversary.In a similar attack on the second anniversary of the blast, they had shot dead a home guard and injured a policeman.United Muslim Forum (UMF), an apex body of Muslim organisations, has urged the government to speed up the investigations into the blast.It also demanded that the report of the Bhaskar Rao commission, which probed the police firing following the bomb blast, be made public.The commission submitted its report to the government last year.
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Village Revenue Officer in Anti-Corruption Bureau trap

Hyderabad, May 18: A Village Revenue Officer (VRO) K.M.Chenna Kesava Pillai working at Ramachandrapuram Mandal in Chittoor district was caught red handed by the Anti-Corruption Bureau(ACB) Officials at the Tahsildar office when he demanded and accepted an amount of Rs. 2,500 as bribe from the complainant for showing an official.The tainted bribe amount was recovered from the officer at his instance and chemical test conducted on his right hand fingers and yielded positive result, according to an ACB release here.
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Police register cases against Shrikrishna Committee members

Hyderabad, May 18:The Punjagutta police here has registered cases under various sections of the IPC against Srikrishna Committee Chairman Justice Srikrishna and its members--V Duggal, Abul Shareef, Prof Ravindar Kaur and Prof Ranbir Singh on a direction from a local court on April 15 last.The court had also asked to submit a report within one month after conducting a thorough investigation on the eighth chapter issue mentioned in the report of the committee.Advocates Telangana JAC Co-convenor T Sriranga Rao told here today that the 14th Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate of Nampally Court A Sudhakar passed the orders after one Vallivur Rehaman, a practising advocate and General Secretary of Telangana People's Forum filed a private complaint against Justice Srikrishna and four others under section 153 (A) for promoting enimity between Religious groups or regions, 418 (Cheating), 504 (Insult intended to provoke breach of peace) and 505 (false statement and rumour) circulated with intent to casue mutiny or offence against the public peace, false statement, rumour with intend to create enimity, hatred or ill-will between different classes. =======================================================

No Govt will survive if farmers are disregarded, Jagan

Guntur,May18, YSR Congress president and Kadapa MP Y S Jaganmohan Reddy today warned that no government would survive if they did not pay attention to the problems of farmers and described the regime of his father late Y S Rajasekhar Reddy as 'golden era'.Ending his two-day "Rythu Deeksha" here, he asked the government why it did not buy paddy from the farmers and sell it later to Food Corporation of India.He also asked the government why it did not export rice to other countries on its own by taking permission from the Centre.He said in Punjab, the State Government bought 130 lakh ton of paddy from farmers, constituting 94.2 per cent of total produce and later sold it to FCI every year.He asked the State Government to take cue from West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab."Any government which disregards the interests of farmers will submerge in the sea," he warned and alleged that Kiran Kumar Reddy-led State Government is concentrating on how to supress him politically while Telugu Desam president N Chandrababu Naidu 'was shedding crocodile tears' on the plight of farmers.He pointed out the government, after his two-day hunger strike in Vijayawada in January, announced Rs 2,400 input subsidy and waiver of interest on loans to farmers but it had not materialized so far
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Security up in Old City Area

Hyderabad, May 18 : Though the police had arrested Viquaruddin and some of his associates who carried out attacks on policemen in the last two years in the city, the Hyderabad Police have sounded a high alert and stepped up security in the Old city Area in view of the fourth anniversary of the bomb blast at the historic Mecca Masjid, today.Security has been tightened at the mosque, Charminar, monuments, places of worship and other public places in the Old City Area and patrolling intensified in and around Old City.There is no major threat this year as extremist Viquaruddin Ahmed alias Viqar and his associates who killed policemen are already behind bars, a senior police officer said adding the city police were on high alert for the past two days at Old city.Viqar and his associates had targeted policemen on duty on two consecutive anniversaries of the Mecca Masjid Blast by allegedly killing two policemen and injuring two others since December 2008. ''All precautionary steps had been taken to prevent any untoward incident besides checking all vehicles passing through Old City and monitoring the entire activities at the Old city by Task Forces, the senior officer added.
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QADIYANI'S condemns Owaisi statement

Hyderabad, May 18: The Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat (AMJ) today condemned the statement made by the Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi at a public meeting at Khilwat recently that the Qadianis (Ahmadie) and two editors of Urdu dailies were involved in the conspiracy behind the murder attempt on his younger brother and MIM legislator Akbaruddin Owaisi.Mr Owaisi was shot and stabbed by his rivals in Barkas on April 30.a release here, the Jamaat, while condemning the attack on the life of the MLA, refuted the allegations made by the MP and stated that it had no role to play either in paying a sum of Rs 1.5 crore for planning the assault on the MLA.In the entire history of the Jamaat, it had never indulged in any activity that was illegal or contrary to the law of the land, or any activity that went against the teachings of Islam."We would like to point out that the Jamaat is under continuous attack by a section of the Ulemas for the last four years by making false and malicious allegations against our teachings," the release said.
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After assassination attempt, MIM got strengthened: Asaduddin

Hyderabad, May 18: The failed assassination attempt on Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) legislator Akbaruddin Owaisi has led to outpouring of public sympathy and thus strengthened the party, says the outfit's chief Asaduddin Owaisi.As the young leader recovers in a hospital from bullet and stab injuries, the hoardings, banners and posters displayed outside and elsewhere in the city are a proof of the mass following the MIM has, said Asaduddin, a party MP and the victim's elder brother.Akbaruddin was injured when assailants stabbed and opened fire at him April 30. One attacker was killed and two others critically injured when security guards returned the fire. The incident sparked tensions in parts of the old area of the city that have been MIM strongholds for nearly four decades.The MP feels the prayers of the people gave a new life to his brother, who is leader of the seven-member MIM legislature party in the Andhra Pradesh assembly."People not only condemned the attack but also prayed for his recovery. Allah has answered their prayers and given him a new life. I don't think medical treatment alone could have helped him," Asaduddin told He sees the attack as a deep-rooted conspiracy against MIM."The attack was not because of a land dispute. It is the first step in this big unholy conspiracy by forces that could not defeat us in a democratic manner. They will be exposed."We want the government and police to conduct a comprehensive probe, especially into the conspiracy angle, so that the real culprits behind this are exposed and arrested," he said.After camping at hospital for a week when Akbaruddin was battling for life, the Hyderabad MP is back at Darussalam, the party headquarters.Asaduddin is facing the first major crisis after he took over the reins of the party following the death of his father Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi three years ago."Such cowardly acts will neither affect MIM's popularity nor hit the morale of its cadre. On the contrary, our belief in the almighty has gone up and it boosts our morale. It has given a new purpose to our life," said the London-educated barrister.Unlike leaders of other parties, the leaders of MIM always moved without security. Even the attack on Akbaruddin by a group of 12 armed assailants has not shaken Asaduddin."I will continue to be amidst people without security. As far as Akbaruddin is concerned, since he faced a serious incident, we can't take a chance. He will take security from the government and we will also take whatever precautionary measures required for him."The rest is in the hands of Allah. As long as we are here in this world we will live with courage and confidence, raise the issues of the community and try to find a solution to them," said Asaduddin.Established in 1928 with the aim of keeping the then Hyderabad State independent, MIM was banned after the state's merger with the Indian union in 1948. However, in 1958 it was revived with a new constitution by Moulana Abdul Wahid Owaisi, grandfather of Asaduddin Owaisi, to champion the cause of Muslims, who constitute 40 percent of the city's population.
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Minister of Welfare of Monorities -Ahemedullah addressing the International Youth Fellowship

Hyderabad,18th,May-(Deccansamachar) Ahmendulla Syed Mohammad - Honourable minister of Welfare of Minorities addressing the IYF hyderabad workshop attendees along with Mr Sudhir from Andhra Pradesh christian minorities finance, Mr Dongyeop Kim Director IYF Hyderabad and Hyderabad Coordinator - Dr Sarita. Minister with the IYF volunteers national as well as international members. Attendess participating in cultural dance. Cultural dance by the Iyf team. Workshop delegates, (photo by RSJ THOMAS)
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G. Srinivas (General Secretary SSS), addressing The press conference

Hyderabad,13,Dec, Telangana Samanvaya Samithi,Telangana Co-ordination Committee..press conference addressing G. Srinivas (General Secretary), Vidha Sagar Advocate (Adhikara Prathinidi), V. Venkat reddy (Advisor) (photo by RSJ Thomas)
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Andhra Pradesh govt sanctions Rs 430.98 cr as relief

Hyderabad, Dec 13 : The Andhra Pradesh Government has accorded administrative sanction of Rs 430.98 crore to various departments from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) for relief measures for the losses and damages due to the recent heavy rains, floods and 'JAL' cyclone.Out of Rs 430.98 crore, the agriculture department has been sanctioned Rs 170.77 crore, Horticulture department Rs 1.87 crore, Animal Husbandry Rs 15.88 crore, Fisheries Rs 1.84 crore. The remaining amount was for Sericulture, Handloom Textiles, Roads and Buildings, Rural Water Supply,Irrigation, Health, Panchayat Raj, Municipal Administration Departments.The government had sanctioned relief of Rs 8.83 crore for damaged houses, an offcial press release said here tonight.
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Former Mayor T Shakuntala resign, from Cong, join Jagan group.

Dec 13 : Former Mayor Tadi Shakunatala announced that she had resigned from the Congress Party and would join the new regional party being floated by Former Congress MP Y S Jaganmohan Reddy.However, Senior Congress leaders told that Shankuntala's move was not politically significant, as she had earlier defected from CPI to Join Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) and later joned the Congress. Meanwhile, Mr Jagan, son of former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhar Reddy continued his tour of Krishna district to console the rain affected farmers, He was given a warm welcome in many villages.At Patha Majeru village, Mr Jagan alleged that the state government had failed on all fronts in providing a helping hand to the affected farmers. The government was working against the ideals and wishes of former Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhar Reddy, he alleged and claimed that the government would ''fall'' soon.
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Andhra Pradesh universities act bill introduced in Assembly

Hyderabad, Dec 13 : Finance Minister Anam Ramanarayana Reddy today laid the Andhra Pradesh Universities Act (Amendment) Bill, 2010 on the table of the Hosue.After Deputy Speaker Nadendla Manohar asked the minister to present the Bill on behalf of Minister for Higher Education C Damodar Rajanarsimha, he introduced the Bill.Later, the Deputy Speaker announced that the motion has been carried and the Bill was introduced in the House. It could be taken up for discussion.Mr Manohar also announced that the Andhra Pradsh Micro Finance Institutions (Regulation of Money Lending) Bill 2010, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill 2010 and the Andhra Pradesh Self-Help Groups Women (Leasing of Agriculture Land) Bill, 2010, which were introduced in the House on Saturday would be taken up for discussion tomorrow evening along with today's Bills.
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Telangana stir: Andhra withdraws cases against students

13,Dec,2010, Buckling under opposition pressure, the Andhra Pradesh government Monday said it was withdrawing around a third of criminal cases against students and others who took part in the movement for a separate Telangana state.Making a statement in the state assembly, Home Minister P. Sabita Indra Reddy said 562 cases against 2,436 people were being withdrawn.A total of 1,667 cases were registered against 8,047 people during the protests between December 2009 and September this year.She said all cases were divided into two categories depending on their gravity. While petty cases like violation of prohibitory orders, road blockades and attempt to suicide were being withdrawn, cases like arson and attack on public and private property would be examined.“Of the total cases, 122 against 411 people were closed at the police station level during the course of investigation, while 383 cases against 2,500 people were pending in court,” she said.The statement came after the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) paralysed the state assembly Friday and Saturday over this demand. It forced an adjournment Monday as well.The main opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and TRS expressed dissatisfaction over the statement and demanded that all cases against the students in all the regions be withdrawn unconditionally.Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy assured the house that every case was would be thoroughly examined.“The government will take an appropriate decision at an appropriate time in respect of the cases which were not withdrawn,” he said.Reddy appealed to students not to resort to violence during protests.Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) leader Akbaruddin Owaisi demanded that the cases booked against 422 Muslim youths in the old city of Hyderabad in the aftermath of communal clashes this year be withdrawn as well.The chief minister told him that the two issues could not be clubbed. He, however, said the government was ready review these cases.(photo by RSJ THOMAS)
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Chandrababu Naidu stages sit-in in front of Andhra assembly

13,Dec,2010, Leader of Opposition N.Chandrababu Naidu Monday staged a sit-in on the road in front of the Andhra Pradesh legislative assembly building to protest the arrest of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) legislators and farmers’ leaders.Angry over the attitude of police, Naidu told reporters that he would not end his protest unless all the arrested legislators and leaders were freed.Earlier, TDP leaders claimed that Naidu had a narrow escape when a police vehicle carrying the arrested legislators almost ran over him. The former chief minister was trying to stop the vehicle but the driver did not apply the brakes and Naidu’s security guards pulled him back in the nick of time.“Is this the way you treat a former chief minister? Is it democracy or what?” an angry Naidu asked police officers when they tried to persuade him to end his protest.It all started when a group of leaders of some farmers’ organisations reached the assembly building to submit a memorandum to Chief Minister Nallari Kiran Kumar Reddy, demanding relief for farmers whose crops were damaged in recent heavy rains.When security personnel did not allow them inside, they sat on the road to lodge their protest.Meanwhile, legislators of the TDP, the Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) came out of the assembly and joined the protest. Police then bodily lifted the legislators and farmers’ leaders and took them to a waiting vehicle.On hearing about the arrests, Naidu too came out of the assembly and tried to stop the police vehicle.The TDP chief alleged that the government was not only running away from a debate on the farmers’ issues in the assembly but was also adopting “high-handed” attitude towards opposition legislators and farmers.(photo by RSJthomas)
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India, US to hold final agenda talks for Obama visit

Oct,19, US Undersecretary of State William Burns and chief pointperson for South Asia Robert Blake will hold two-day talks here starting Thursday, barely three weeks before President Barack Obama touches down in India.Topping a series of preparatory meetings aimed at firming up deliverables during the presidential visit, Burns and Blake, the US assistant secretary of state for South Asia, are expected to meet Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao and Indian officials Thursday-Friday, official sources said. They may also call on External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna.This will be the final round of agenda-setting talks before Obama comes on his maiden visit to India, likely Nov 5-8.The talks will try to iron out differences over contentious issues like the hike in H1B visa fees, curbs on outsourcing and the civil nuclear liability legislation.The two sides will focus on issues such as the easing of high-tech exports that could give a historic character to Obama’s visit to India.There will be talks on removing Indian firms from the banned ‘entities list’ that could signal the relaxation of much-needed high-tech exports to India, said informed sources.India is being denied technology in 11 of the 16 categories, just one short of both Pakistan and China, while most European nations figure in just four categories and Canada faces restrictions on just two counts.Krishna had last week said India would raise concerns expressed by its IT industry over the US curbs on outsourcing when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh meets the US president next month and will press for lifting restrictions on exports of high-technology.The visit by Burns and Blake follow a string of recent high profile visits from Indian ministers to the US.These include trips by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Defence Minister A.K. Antony and External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna.National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon and Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao too met top US officials in Washington to firm up agenda for Obama’s visit.Last week, Blake had announced that Obama was planning a landmark visit to India in November.“I foresee our great nations becoming ever closer in the years and decades to come. President Obama intends to make a landmark visit to India in November to help further grow the ties between our two knowledge societies, our economies, and our people,” he said at the San Diego World Affairs Council.
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Rosaiah defends university land for TIFR campus

Oct,19, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K. Rosaiah Monday defended the allotment of University of Hyderabad land to the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) for setting up its Hyderabad campus.

Rosaiah told reporters that TIFR was not a private company and that it was allotted 209 acres of surplus land of the university in accordance with the rules.Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will lay the foundation stone for the Hyderabad campus of TIFR Tuesday even as a section of students and faculty are opposing the land allotment.Rosaiah claimed that the state got the second campus of the prestigious institution after tough competition from other states. He pointed out that TIFR planned to invest Rs.2,500 crore in the campus and this would help in the state’s development.The chief minister promised to compensate the central university for the land by extending other assistance.Meanwhile, University of Hyderabad’s Vice Chancellor Seyed E. Hasnain also justified land allotment to TIFR. He pointed out that it is an institute of excellence wholly-funded by the Department of Atomic Energy and there was nothing wrong in giving it land.He said the opposition to the move from some sections was politically motivated. The VC hoped that the institute would help in making the campus a world-class research hub.TIFR director Mustansir Barma said the Hyderabad campus would start functioning from the next year. It will have world-class labs and facilities to put India in the forefront of research in the emerging areas of science.It plans to accommodate 200 permanent faculty, 1,000 students and 300 post-doctoral researchers.TIFR, which was founded by Homi J. Bhabha on June 1, 1945 with the support of Sir Dorabji Tata Trust, has already entered into memorandum of understanding with University of Hyderabad to facilitate collaborative research.Barma said this collaboration between the university and the institute would continue in future.
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