Date:14/01/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/01/14/stories/2005011405810400.htm

Plan for better power supply

HYDERABAD: To ensure quality and reliable supply to the 1.6 crore power consumers, the AP Transco has prepared a Rs. 3,000-crore and three-year investment programme to establish a "high voltage distribution system" in the State. The expenditure will be Rs. 1,000 crores annually.

Announcing this as a `Sankranti gift', the AP Transco CMD, Rachel Chatterjee, said on Thursday that the implementation of the programme would bring down the distribution & transmission and commercial losses to 18 per cent by 2007 as against the present 22 per cent. The programme would consist mainly of upgradation of low voltage distribution lines into high voltage ones. A pilot scheme had already been implemented at Tirupati under the Southern Power Distribution Company Limited.

The CMD expressed satisfaction at the performance by the four Discoms during the calendar year ended last month, and hoped that they would strive similarly to implement the scheme and ensure the final benefit to the consumer.

Quoting details, Ms. Rachel Chatterjee said that the performance during the year was better than that of last year.

Makarjyoti puja

NELLORE: The `Makarjyoti' festival will be observed at Sri Ayyappaswamy temple, Tummagunta, Vidavalur mandal, on Friday. Dhanurmasa poojas and special poojas will be performed on the occasion.

Supreme Court ruling hailed

NELLORE: The district unit of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), has hailed the Supreme Court ruling barring convicted candidates from contesting polls, according to a statement issued by the town unit, general secretary, M. Radhakrishna, on Thursday.

Office-bearers

CUDDAPAH: A Congress leader, Kothuru Reddaiah, was sworn in as Chairman of Sri Vrushabhachaleswara Swamy temple at Vempalle on Thursday.

The temple committee members--S. Raghunatha Reddy, B. Subbarayudu, Raghavendra Prasad, S. Anjaneyulu, K. Nagaraju, Subrahmanyam, Rathnaiah and T. Venkatesh, were also sworn in.

Nod for

drought pension

CUDDAPAH: Cuddapah district was sanctioned an additional 17,357 drought pensions, under which each beneficiary would be given 10 kg of rice.

The Collector, Jayesh Ranjan, said on Thursday, that 1,736 quintals of rice was allotted for disbursing drought pension to SC/ST, BCs, aged and disabled persons in rural areas. The pensioners included 5,906 in Cuddapah division, 5,254 in Jammalamadugu and 6,198 in Rajampet division, he said in a statement.

Reddy Sangham gesture

CHITTOOR: The Reddy Jana Sangham president, Rajendra Reddy, along with officer-bearers--Raja Reddy, Narasimha Reddy-- presented a draft for Rs.10,000 to the district Collector, S. S. Rawath, on Thursday towards Chief Minister Relief Fund for the welfare of the tsunami victims.