Date:22/07/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/07/22/stories/2005072209870400.htm

Jayendra Saraswathi

visits Tirumala

TIRUMALA: Sri Sankara Jayendra Saraswathi — the chief pontiff of Kanchi Mutt, offered prayers at the hill temple of Lord Venkateswara, Tirumala, in the wee hours of Thursday. Soon after the darshan, the Seer motored down to his Mutt at Tirupati, to participate in the Vyasa pooja ceremony. Sri Sankara Vijayendra Saraswathi — the junior pontiff who is also at Tirupati along with his senior for a Chaturmasa Deeksha, also visited the temple on Wednesday night. - Staff Reporter

APRSC dissolves

Hyderabad branch

HYDERABAD: The Andhra Pradesh Revenue Services Association (APRSC) dissolved its Hyderabad district branch and appointed an adhoc committee. This decision was taken at the Executive Committee meeting held on July 17. A statement from the association said S. Jaganmohan Rao has been appointed as the Chairman, while N. Chalama Reddy would be the Convenor. - Staff Reporter

RTC conductor shot

by highway robbers

ADILABAD: An RTC bus conductor suffered an injury on his jaw when suspected highway robbers fired at him on Wednesday night near Lokari village in Narnoor mandal. The conductor B. Vilas Reddy was on duty on the night halt bus between Adilabad and Gadiguda. At Lokari village, three persons refused to purchase tickets and when Vilas Reddy insisted, they beat him up and tried to snatch away his money bag. Then, they fired one round with tapancha on his right jaw and fled the scene. The conductor was later shifted to NIMS, Hyderabad for treatment. - Staff Reporter

One killed, seven

injured in accident

VIZIANAGARAM: Pilla Chinnodu (21) of Garikivalasa village in Gurla mandal died on way to district headquarters hospital and seven other labourers escaped with injuries when boulders loaded in a truck fell on them at a quarry near Kondavelagada on Thursday. - Correspondent

Two killed by lightning

VIZIANAGARAM: Two shepherds — Kolli Gangaiah (48) and Barla Sankara Rao (18) were killed when lightning struck them at Dungabhadra in Vikrampuram panchayat of Komarada mandal in the agency region of the district on Wednesday. - Correspondent

DGP holds sessions

with top officials

HYDERABAD: T he Director-General of Police, Swaranjit Sen, has begun having brainstorming sessions with his officers from the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police to Additional Director-General on using IT tools for better planning, coordination, effective management and delivery of service to the people at large. As part of this exercise aimed at making police on hi-tech, the DGP invited all IPS officers in the department in 10 groups, each with 15 members, for interaction on various core functional areas. The sessions will last till August-end.

- Staff Reporter

Allotment of cottages

at Tirumala disrupted

TIRUMALA: Allotment of cottages at Tirumala was disrupted on Thursday, following strong galeson Wednesday night. Pilgrims were forced to wait for long hours, with the computers at various accommodation counters developing technical snags. As a temporary measure, the authorities issued manual allotment receipts to the pilgrim parties. - Staff Reporter

IVRS for pension, GPF

suspended temporarily

HYDERABAD: Pensioners and those wishing to get details about their pension and General Provident Fund through the Interactive Voice Response System at the office of the Accountant General (A & E), Andhra Pradesh, will be inconvenienced as it has been suspended. A press release said the service was suspended temporarily due to civil maintenance works. - Staff Reporter

TDP demands

Botcha's dismissal

ELURU: TDP activists staged a rasta roko at the fire station centre here on Thursday demanding dismissal of the Cabinet Minister, Botcha Satyanarayana, for his alleged involvement in the Volkswagen scam. They burnt an effigy depicting corruption in the Congress rule. Addressing the protesters, the TDP leaders, Maradani Ranga Rao and Uppala Jagadeesh Babu, urged the voters to teach a lession to the "corrupt'' Congress in the coming municipal elections. - Staff reporter

Felicitated

CHIRALA: To mark Guru Pournami on Thursday, Annam Satyanarayana Charitable Trust, Kothapeta, Chirala honoured Shaik Babu Saheb of Ponnuru, P. Anandarao, retired headmaster Perala High School, Ponnai Subba Rao (Balaswami) and Govinda Rao, retired teacher and his wife Adiseshamma under "Manchiki Satkaram" programme. Dr. R. Hanumantha Rao participated as chief guest and A. Satyam presided. - Staff reporter

Two killed in

road accidents

Rajahmundry: Two persons died on the spot in separate road accidents in Alamuru on Thursday. In the first accident, M.. Suri Babu (30) died when an autorickshaw hit him from behind when he was going to his workplace on a bicycle. In the second accident, one youth aged about 25 years died on National Highway-5 near Choppella village in the same mandal. - Staff Reporter

Illicit liquor seized

Rajahmundry: The Prohibition and Excise Department seized 368 litres of illicit liquor on Thursday. According to sub-divisional officer, P. Vasudeva Rao, the excise police raided Raghunathapuram and Korukonda mandals and arrested three persons and seized a scooter. The excise police also seized 7100 litres of fermented black jaggery wash. - Staff Reporter

CII appointment

Two killed in road accidents

Illicit liquor seized

CII appointment

Rajahmundry: R. Rajendera Prasad, deputy manager (PR) in AP Paper Mills Limited, was appointed a member of the Social Development Panel of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Andhra Pradesh chapter. The AP chapter convenor, Manoj Kumar, convened this to Mr. Prasad through a letter on Thursday. - Staff Reporter

TDP demands

Botcha's dismissal

Course in industrial

biotechnology

TIRUPATI: Sri Padmavathi Mahila Viswa Vidyalayam (SPMVV) has secured a nod from the State Government to conduct a B. Tech course in Industrial Biotechnology, considered a specialised area with a huge job potential. As the admission for the four-year course will be through EAMCET, the varsity is planning to start the course from the academic year 2006-07. According to vice-chancellor Veena Noble Dass, University Grants Commission (UGC) has agreed in principle to fund the course under its `Technology for Women' scheme. - Staff Reporter

Pawnbrokers's

shop burgled

Nellore: Unidentified culprits, who gained entry into a pawnbroker's shop in Kovur town, took away gold and silver ornaments. The `Clues' team visited the place on Thursday and commenced investigations. In another incident at Venkateswarapuram area, on the outskirts of Nellore town, equipment worth about Rs. 30,000 was stolen from a welding shop. Incidentally the shop commenced work only three days ago. - Staff Reporter

Abhishekam

performed

CUDDAPAH: One hundred and eight `kalasams' brought by devotees from various temples in 51 mandals in the district were installed and abhishekam performed at Sri Vijayadurga temple on the auspicious `Maha Ashada Suddha Guru Porunami' on Thursday. The 108 kalasams were offered poojas at different temples for 41 days, before being brought to Vijayadurga temple. - Staff Reporter

House destroyed in fire

Nellore: A thatched house was destroyed in fire in Poolatotamitta village of DV Satram mandal on Thursday. In another incident, several bundles of haystacks were destroyed in fire in Vellaturivaripalem village of Kondapuram mandal. - Staff Reporter

BJP activists

stage dharna

KARIMNAGAR: Bharatiya Janata Party district Mahila Morcha activists staged a dharna in front of the Collectorate on Thursday demanding distribution of white ration cards to all the eligible persons in the district. BJP district president P Sugunakar Rao, town president P Sugunakar Rao, Mahila morcha town president I. Prasanna, and others participated in the dharna. - Staff Reporter

Tribals to protest at

ITDA office tomorrow

ADILABAD: Tribal organisations in Adilabad district will stage a dharna in front of the Integrated Tribal Development Agency office (ITDA), Utnoor, demanding a regular project officer (PO). The tribals also demanded protection for students of tribal Ashram schools, inclusion of health education in syllabus etc. District president of the Gondwana Panchayat Rai Centres (tribal elders' councils) Sidam Shambhu said the State Government was sacrificing the interests of tribals by not appointing a regular PO. - Staff Reporter

Call to increase use

of Telugu, Urdu

Sangareddy: Kalva Mallaiah, member of official language implementation committee, has called for increased usage of Telugu and Urdu in the day-to-day correspondence of all Government offices. He said this after visiting several offices in Sangareddy mandal on Thursday. He has requested the district Collector, B. Venkatesam, to take up implementation of Telugu in Medak district as a pilot project. Earlier, Mallaiah launched the second version of Telugu operating system `Swetcha.' - Staff Reporter

Collector holds review

meet on civic polls

Sangareddy: The Medak district Collector, B. Venkatesam, has asked municipal commissioners to speed up the preparation of electoral rolls for the forthcoming municipal elections. Venkatesam said this at a review meeting. - Staff Reporter