Date:24/04/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/04/24/stories/2006042409480400.htm

Former MLA injured in road accident

KADAPA: Former Rajampet MLA K. Madanmohan Reddy and two others suffered injuries when a lorry hit the car in which they were travelling near Sri Saneeswara Swamy temple at Kanumulopalle on outskirts of Kadapa town on Sunday. He was returning to Rajampet after Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy's programme, the police said. After receiving first aid at Kadapa Government Hospital, he proceeded in another car to Hyderabad. - Staff Reporter

Panchayat secretaries in protest mode

HYDERABAD: The executive committee of Andhra Pradesh Panchayat Secretaries' Association on Sunday finalised the agitation programme to protest against the Government's alleged indifference to their problems.

They would submit memoranda to district Collectors on May 2, stage black-flag demonstrations at offices of MPDOs on May 5 and 6, dharnas at the offices on May 8 and organise protest before Collectorates on May 12. - Special Correspondent

Suspension revoked

HYDERABAD: Telugu Desam Party president N. Chandrababu Naidu has decided to lift the suspension of A.V. Lakshmidevamma, who contested the 2004 Assembly elections from Thamballapalli constituency in Chittoor district after consulting party leaders.

A press release issued on Sunday by Bhooma Shoba Nagireddy, general secretary, said that Ms. Lakshmidevamma met Mr. Naidu and pledged to work for strengthening the party. - Special Correspondent

Girijana Sangham plea

HYDERABAD: The Andhra Pradesh Girijana Sangham has demanded sanction of essentiality certificates to run nursing colleges in scheduled areas of the State.

General secretary R. Sriram Naik and secretary K. Lakshman Rao, in a statement here on Sunday, stressed the importance of colleges in `girijan' areas in view of lack of heath care facilities. - Special Correspondent

Telugu pandit murdered

KADAPA: Rajeswaramma, 31, a Telugu pandit in the Zilla Parishad High School at Chagaleru in Vemula mandal, was murdered at her house in Vempalle town on Sunday.

She was murdered allegedly by a woman and her relative Ravi. Alleged illegal intimacy with the accused woman's husband was the motive, according to the police. - Staff Reporter

Three youths drowned

VIZIANAGARAM: Two youths working with a contractor, who is executing Peddagedda reservoir project works, were drowned in Kodikalavalasagedda in Pachipenta mandal on Sunday morning. The police identified them as Y. Santosh, 22, of Pachipenta and K. Sankar Rao, 23, of Mosuru.

Palli Kunche Babu, 23, was drowned in Biccavolu canal near Biccavolu bridge in East Godavari on Saturday. The body was retrieved on Sunday. - Correspondent

Two die as lorry overturns

Kakinada: Two persons, including a woman, were killed on the spot when the lorry in which they were travelling from Vaddigudem to Gokavaram went out of control, hit a roadside tree and overturned near Ramannapalem on Sunday. The deceased were identified as Gadi Lakshmi, 45, and Anakonda Appanna, 30, of Z. Ragampet village. - Correspondent

Dies of snakebite

Kakinada: A farm worker Marri Sattiraju, 60, died of snakebite at his house in Pamarru village on Sunday. - Correspondent

Counselling postponed

HYDERABAD: Director of Medical Education, in a press release, said that counselling for doctors with DGO qualification scheduled on April 24 was postponed. Fresh date would be informed later. - Staff Reporter

Six held for teacher's murder

ANANTAPUR: The police arrested six persons here on Saturday in the murder case of a teacher Shankar Naik here on March 13. The alleged conspirator in the case is, however, still at large.

The arrested persons were Venugopal Naik, Chowdappa, K. Srinivasulu, Y. Ramanjaneyulu, G. Narayanaswamy and P. Nagendra. All were from Dharmavaram. Staff Reporter

Mother, child commit suicide

KURNOOL: A mother and her three-year-old daughter committed suicide by drowning themselves in a well at Bollavaram in Mahanandi mandal of Kurnool district on Sunday. The deceased were Lakshmi Devi (40) and her daugher Syamala. Domestic problems were said to be the reason for the step. — Staff Reporter

Permits sought for rice procurement

Five employees dismissed

HYDERABAD : Five employees of the Transport Department working in RTO, Anantapur -- three senior and two junior assistants -- were dismissed from service for misappropriating Rs. 4.87 lakhs between April 1999 and August 2000. A press release issued by Andhra Pradesh Vigilance Commission here on Friday said the dismissed employees were Ranganadham, U. John Paul, Mahaboob Khan (all senior assistants), Naga Raja Reddy and P. Venkata Prasad (junior assistants). They were dismissed following an inquiry. Special Correspondent.

Grievance meet cancelled

KADAPA: ` Dial your Collector' and grievance cell meetings at the Collectorate have been cancelled on Monday in view of Praja Patham programme, Collector G. Asok Kumar said on Sunday. The meetings will be held on May 1, as scheduled, he said in a statement. Staff Reporter

Ex-servicemen's panels come together

TIRUPATI: The two `Ex-servicemen Welfare Associations' in Tirupati have decided to bury the hatchet and cobble up a single association to realise their common goals. The election of the new body `The Ex-servicemen Welfare Association, Tirupati', was conducted at the Sainik Bhavan site near Kapila Theertham here on Sunday. Staff Reporter

Clarification

HYDERABAD: Responding to a report in these columns Road Transport Corporation officials clarified that they had to run the Garuda bus from Gooty to Hyderabad due to pressure from passengers though its windscreen collapsed. The windscreen of the bus got damaged in stone pelting in Bangalore following the death of Kannada thespian Rajkumar. The RTC authorities gave Rs. 1,000 cash award to the Garuda driver for positively responding to the needs of passengers.

VIP visits

ADILABAD: April 26 would be a politically hectic day in Adilabad district with Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy and Telugu Desam Party president N. Chandrababu Naidu coming on visits. According to an official release the Chief Minister would visit the temple town of Basar to take part in the Praja Patham programme. He would make a 4-hour stay at Basar after arriving at 11.30 a.m. Meanwhile, according to a tentative programme, Mr. Naidu would arrive at Utnoor divisional headquarters on April 26 to conduct constituency-wise review of the party. On that day, he would review Chennur and Luxettipet. The next day he would review the remaining constituencies starting with Adilabad at 10 a.m. After halting for the night he would leave on the morning of April 28. Staff Reporter

Awareness meeting on GO 610

KARIMNAGAR: Telangana Employees Association district unit has decided to conduct an awareness meeting on the implementation of GO 610 on April 30 at Kalabharathi in Karimnagar town. Disclosing this to newsmen here on Sunday, association district convenor K. Prabhu Vinay Kumar said that Congress legislator P. Janardhan Reddy, Government Whip D. Sridhar, district legislators T. Jeevan Reddy and E. Rajender, BJP State vice-president G. Ramakrishna Reddy, State BJP general secretary Laxman, BJP district president P. Sugunakar Rao and others of Telangana region would also participate in the meeting. The meeting would deal only on the implementation of GO 610 and employment of the locals in the Government. Staff Reporter

Rasta roko staged

KHAMMAM: A group of Dalits staged a rasta roko in Kistaram village as an employee was allegedly manhandled by an elected representative on Sunday. The incident resulted in a confrontation between two communities thus calling for the intervention of the police. The Dalits demanded an apology from that elected representative. No complaint was lodged by them so far. Staff Reporter

Office-bearers elected

VIZIANAGARAM: In the elections held to the Vizianagaram Press Club on Sunday the following were elected unanimously: E. Suresh Kumar, president, B. Chakravarti, vice-president, V. Satyanarayana, general secretary and K. Shanker, treasurer. Eight others were elected executive members. - Correspondent

Huts destroyed in fire

VIZIANAGARAM: Eight huts were destroyed in a fire accident at Gurrapuvalasa village in Salur mandal on Sunday morning when the inmates were away to a shandy. The fire reportedly started from the house of one Chodipalli Butchaiah and spread to other huts, according to fire office sources. - Correspondent

SI trapped by ACB

VIZIANAGARAM: Sub-Inspector of Kothavalasa police station A.S. Chakravarti was trapped and arrested by Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) officials on Saturday night.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (ACB) P. Madhusudhana Rao said the SI reportedly demanded and accepted Rs. 10,000 from one P. Suryanarayana of Kotha Sunkarapalem for doing a favour. The SI was taken to the ACB court, Visakhapatnam on Sunday for remand, the DSP added. On March 24, SI of Bondapalli police station K. Koteswara Rao was arrested by the ACB while accepting Rs. 10,000 for not registering a case against a truck driver, who was responsible for the killing of 5 people. - Correspondent

Drama competitions

Rajahmundry: The four-day 18th State-level invitation drama competitions will be held at Ramavaram village of Anaparti mandal in East Godavari district from Monday. Nallamilli Moolareddy Kalaparishat will organise the competitions scheduled to be inaugurated by Akkineni Nageswara Rao. Eight selected dramas with social subject will be staged during the four days. - Staff Reporter

Press Club office-bearers

Huts destroyed in fire

SI trapped by ACB

VIZIANAGARAM: Sub-Inspector of Kothavalasa police station A.S. Chakravarti was trapped and arrested by Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) officials on Saturday night. DSP (ACB) P. Madhusudhana Rao said the SI reportedly demanded and accepted Rs. 10,000 from one P. Suryanarayana of Kotha Sunkarapalem for doing a favour. The SI was taken to the ACB court, Visakhapatnam on Sunday for remand, the DSP added. On March 24, SI of Bondapalli police station K. Koteswara Rao was arrested by the ACB while accepting Rs. 10,000 for not registering a case against a truck driver, who was responsible for the killing of 5 people. - Correspondent

Six held for teacher's murder

ANANTAPUR: The police arrested six persons here on Saturday in the murder case of a teacher Shankar Naik here on March 13. The alleged conspirator in the case is, however, still at large.

The arrested persons were Venugopal Naik, Chowdappa, K. Srinivasulu, Y. Ramanjaneyulu, G. Narayanaswamy and P. Nagendra. All were from Dharmavaram. Staff Reporter

Permits sought for rice procurement

KURNOOL: The office bearers of Rice Millers Association have urged the civil supplies officials to issue permits for procurement of rice by the Food Corporation of India for rabi season in Kurnool district. They said as against the procurement target of 20,000 tonnes this year, only 5,200 tonnes were procured so far. If the authorities issued permits to traders, arrangements would be made for procurement of paddy, which was ready for harvesting. Since only premium quality Kurnool Sona was cultivated in the khariff season, the procurement target could not be changed. Now, farmers cultivated coarse varieties like Hamsa and IR 64, the authorities should make arrangements for early procurement. Delay in preparation would affect farmers who could not sell their produce. Staff Reporter

Five employees dismissed