Date:11/03/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/03/11/stories/2005031107190400.htm

Borlaug award for two scientists

HYDERABAD: The prestigious Norman E. Borlaug award instituted by Coromandel Fertilizers, will be given to two Indian scientists -- S. Nagarajan and Rattan Lal -- for their research and contributions in the field of agriculture, environment and extension. Dr. Nagarajan, a leading wheat scientist and currently director of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) in Delhi and Dr. Lal, who is a professor of soil science at the Ohio State University in Columbus, USA will be presented the award on March 16 at IARI. Dr. Borlaug, in whose name the award was instituted in the early 70's, will present the award.

Selected for prestigious medal

HYDERABAD: K. Srinath Reddy, Padma Bhushan awardee and Head of the Department of Cardiology, All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, has been selected for the prestigious Queen Elizabeth medal, 2005, instituted by the Royal Society for Promotion of Health, UK, of which the queen is the patron. The medal would be presented to him at London on June 13.

According to an AIIMS press release, the chairman of the society, Andrew Banfield, has announced the decision of the awards committee stating that the selection of Dr. Reddy has been made from a worldwide field of impressive contributors to health promotion.

Factory reactor blast toll five

Sangareddy: Ramakoteswar Rao, assistant production manager of the Matrix pharmaceuticals limited at Khajipally village of Jinnaram mandal, who was severely hurt in the reactor blast on Saturday, succumbed to his injuries on Thursday at Apollo hospitals. With this, the total number of deaths rose to five.

Jailed for abetting wife to suicide

ADILABAD: The Adilabad Second Additional Sessions Judge, K.V. Vijay Kumar, on Thursday sentenced Velthuri Santosh (25) of Vemanpalli village in Kalva Srirampur mandal in Karimnagar district to undergo 10-year imprisonment and pay a fine of Rs. 1,000 for harassing his wife Krishnaveni who committed suicide on March 29, 1998.

The prosecution conducted by the Additional Public Prosecutor, C. Mryutyunjaya, contended that Krishnaveni was living with her parents under the Ramakrishnapur police station limits of Adilabad district for two years before she committed suicide. She was necked out by her husband who demanded an additional dowry of Rs. 50,000.

Re-post mortem plea adjourned

HYDERABAD: A writ petition filed seeking re-post mortem of two of the bodies of the naxalites killed in Manala encounter has been adjourned to Friday.

Varavara Rao, revolutionary writer and representative of the CPI (Maoist), to interact with the Government filed the writ petition. He sought a direction to register a case under Section 302 against the police who participated in the encounter. He alleged that this encounter was administrative murder. While levelling serious allegations against the police and the State administration, he sought a re-post mortem. It was taken up as an urgent case and heard by the Bench comprising Chief Justice Devinder Gupta and Justice B. Sesha Sayana Reddy. The Bench adjourned the matter to Friday and directed the authorities to file counter affidavit stating facts about the viscera taken from the bodies, method and results of post mortem and other details.

Tobacco growers to meet Sonia

ONGOLE: The UPA chairperson, Sonia Gandhi, has agreed to meet tobacco growers from the State at her office in Delhi on March 15 and hear their grievances relating to lack of remunerative prices for their produce, said the Ongole MP, Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy.

In a statement here today, Mr. Sreenivasulu Reddy said that a delegation of 50 tobacco growers from Andhra Pradesh would meet Mrs Sonia Gandhi and also the Union Commerce Minister, Kamal Nath.

Imprisonment for assault

ANANTAPUR: The Additional District and Sessions Court on Thursday sentenced Kotha Chenna Reddy of Pylaboyalapalli village in the district to undergo two-and-a-half year imprisonment for attacking and insulting a Dalit woman in 2002. Chenna Reddy beat up the woman as her husband owed some money to him and did not repay it.

Dentist returns home safe

NALGONDA: Ragala Ravinder Reddy (35), the dentist who had been missing since March 6, returned to his house in Hyderabad on Thursday. The Nalgonda Deputy Superintendent of Police, G. Anantha Reddy, said he returned to his flat in Ameerpet at 10 a.m. On the request of his family, the police did not grill him.

110 booked for malpractice

HYDERABAD: The Board of Intermediate Education (BIE) booked 110 students for malpractice during the conduct of second language examination on Thursday.

An official press release said that candidates were allowed even if they were late by a few minutes keeping in view the bandh call given by some organisations in the State.

`Cuddapotsavalu' on Doordarshan

CUDDAPAH: Excerpts of the third `Cuddapotsavalu' festival, held here from January 28 to February 1, will be telecast on `Sapthagiri' channel by Doordarshan Hyderabad from 12 noon to 1 p.m. on March 12, the Collector, Jayesh Ranjan, said on Thursday.

Rain forecast

Hyderabad: Parts of Telangana received rain on Thursday due to the combined impact of a trough extending from Marathwada region to interior Karnataka and `local thunderstorm situation.' Hakimpet Airport recorded 6 cm, Dundigal 4 cm, Medak, Nalgonda 3 cm each, Hyderabad Airport, Dubbak, Pargi, Yemmiganur 2 cm each and Mahbubnagar and Nizamabad one cm each. The rain was isolated in Rayalaseema while weather was dry in Coastal Andhra. Maximum and minimum temperatures fell at a few places in Telangana and changed a little in Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema. The highest day temperature for the day was reported by Cuddapah at 38 degree Celsius and the lowest night temperature by Hakimpet Airport at 16 degree Celsius.

Forecast for Friday is light to moderate rain/thundershowers at a few places in Telangana and isolated rain in Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema.

Sarpanch quits

CUDDAPAH: Gampa Ramanaiah, sarpanch of Thangedupalle in B. Kodur mandal, resigned from his post on Thursday.

He sent copies of his resignation letter to the district and divisional panchayat officers and B. Kodur MPDO, citing personal reasons for his decision.

No-trust move fails

CUDDAPAH: A no-confidence motion against the Somuvaripalle vice-sarpanch, Ramasubbamma, in Proddatur mandal failed on Thursday, for want of quorum. Eight panchayat ward members urged the Proddatur RDO. Y. Ramachandra Reddy, last month to hold a special meeting for moving the no-trust move. The RDO and MRO, Khader Basha, announced the result.

Effigy burnt

Cuddapah: AITUC members burnt an effigy of the Union Finance Minister, P. Chidambaram, in Proddatur town on Thursday decrying hike in FDI and the alleged bid to weaken public sector units. Employees should resist the anti-people decisions in the telecom and insurance sectors, said the AITUC town secretary, Siva Reddy.

`Dandi' to be

remembered

CUDDAPAH: In a bid to make the present generation recall a historic event, Dandi march and salt satyagraha, undertaken by the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, the Congress will hold a commemorative meeting, take out a rally and pay tributes at Gandhiji's statue here on March 12.

A similar programme would be undertaken at district headquarters all over the country on the AICC directions to remember the historic event, that united the masses 75 years ago, the District Congress Committee president, Shaik Hussain, and official spokesman, N. Thulasi Reddy, told a press conference here on Thursday. Congress leaders, activists and people of the present era need to recall the event and draw inspiration for furthering national integration, they said.

Dharna

staged

NELLORE: Functionaries of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) staged a dharna in front of the municipal corporation office here on Thursday in protest against the increase in water tax and tap connection deposits. The town secretary of the CPI(M), M. Mohana Rao, spoke. Functionaries of town committee of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) staged a dharna before the Food Corporation of India (FCI) office at Brindavanam, demanding gate passes to workers at the FCI Kakutur godown.

ZP panels

to meet

NELLORE: The standing committees of the Zilla Parishad will meet here on March 20 as per the following schedule.

While the Planning and Finance committee will meet at 10 a.m. the Rural Development committee will meet at 11 a.m, followed by the Agricultural committee at 12 noon.

The Medical and Health committee will meet at 2 p.m, the committee on Women Welfare at 3 p.m, the Social Welfare committee at 4 p.m. and the Works committee at 5 p.m.