Date:10/01/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/01/10/stories/2004011005850400.htm

The Associate Director of SHAR, P. Venkateswara Rao (second from right), going around the photo exhibition organized as part of the golden jubilee celebrations of Sri Venkateswara University, in Tirupati on Friday. The SVU Vice-Chancellor, P. Mural i, is also seen.

SVU golden jubilee expo inaugurated

TIRUPATI: P. Venkateswara Rao, Associate Director of Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SHAR), Sriharikota, inaugurated an exhibition to mark the golden jubilee of Sri Venkateshwara University (SVU) at a function here on Friday. The SVU Vice-Chancellor, P. Murali, presided over. The SVU College principal, S. Jayarama Reddy, the golden jubilee celebrations coordinator, D. Changal Raju, and the Registrar, T. Siddiah, were the guests of honour. The exhibition was aimed at showcasing the strides made by the varsity in its 50 years of existence. Spread over seven buildings on campus, the expo has a photo exhibition in the Glass House depicting the landmark events, while static models related to science, specially brought from the SHAR Centre and the Regional Science Centre, have been displayed at the engineering college. The exhibition also has books on ancient history as well as advanced technology. Students and academic members of various faculties are actively taking part in the expo by displaying models related to their subjects. B. Subramanyam, chairman of the University Community Interface Committee, is monitoring the exhibition.

Collector suspends three employees

KAKINADA: The East Godavari district Collector, K. S. Jawahar Reddy, on Friday issued orders suspending three employees -- D. Nageswer Rao (mandal revenue officer, Yeleswaram), J. Venkateswari (mandal revenue inspector, Upplaguptham mandal) and P. Venkatrao (panchayat secretary, S. Yanam village of Uppalaguptham mandal) for gross negligence in scrutinising applications received for inclusion in the voter lists during the electoral rolls revision. Dr. Reddy also served a show cause notice to Sirajuddin, an employee of the Irrigation Department, Dowleswaram, for not attending to the electoral revision work at Kalamuru village in Kadiyam mandal.

Panchaloha idol stolen

KAKINADA: Miscreants gained entry into the Bhavanarayana Swamy temple on Thursday night by breaking open the door and decamped with a panchaloha idol of Pathala Bhavanarayana Swamy. According to K. Nageswera Rao, Sub-Inspector of the Sarpavaram police station, the one-foot high idol was valued at around Rs. 25,000. It was presented to the temple a decade ago by the secretary of the then Prime Minister, P.V. Narasimha Rao. A case has been registered and investigation was on.

Two suspected weapon suppliers held

KHAMMAM: The police on Friday arrested two persons suspected to be weapon suppliers having links with extremist groups, at Manuguru. They seized a rifle of Czechoslovakia make with seven rounds of ammunition. The police said the duo -- Mandadapu Chittibabu and Md. Mahboob Ali - had procured the weapon from a Hyderabad-based source and was planning to pass it on to the Praja Pratighatana dalam. They had already received Rs. 50,000 from the extremist group for supply of weapons. Another member of the gang managed to escape. The Manuguru DSP, Mogilaiah, and the Inspector, Shravan Kumar, were investigating the case.

Five hurt in minor mishap at VSP

VISAKHAPATNAM: Five employees of the steel melt shop of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) sustained minor burns in its converter shop on Friday when a portion of the stag metal was spilt while the converter was being charged. According to a VSP spokesman, the injured one of whom sustained 14 per cent burns, were rushed to the Visakha Steel General Hospital. One of the five has since been discharged. An inquiry committee has been set up to investigate the cause of the accident and suggest remedial measures. Meanwhile, the converter's production has been normalised.

12 injured in Congress-TDP group clash ANANTAPUR: Eleven persons and a constable were injured at Kunukuntla in Tadimarri mandal today when activists of the Congress and the Telugu Desam Party clashed.

According to the police, there is a 50 KVA transformer outside the village with the capacity to provide six farm power connections. Apart from six regular connections there were illegal connections -- three each belonging to an upper caste group headed by Gopal Reddy (Congress), vice-president of the mandal parishad, and Dalits and backward classes group led by Yellappa (TDP), sarpanch of the village.

The two groups were on a collision course ever since the Dalits regularised their connections a few days ago. The Congress group had beaten up Narayanamma of the TDP group on January 6. The Congress group led by Gopal Reddy and Rammohan Reddy attacked the Dalit group this morning in which Y. Ramakrishna of the TDP group was hurt seriously. Ten persons of both sides and the constable, Srinivasulu, of Tadimarri police station were also injured.

The DSP of Dharmavaram, M. Srinivas, and the Circle Inspector of Bathalapalli, Ranganayakulu, rushed to the village and brought the situation under control. Cases were registered against 50 supporters of both sides.

Adilabad records lowest temperature

Hyderabad: Adilabad recorded the lowest night temperature in the State at 10 degrees Celsius on Friday. The weather otherwise was generally dry elsewhere in the State. It will continue to be dry on Saturday too according to the forecast issued by the State Met Office here.