FRIDAY 26 AUGUST 2011

STATE 5

Tobacco farmers to observe crop holiday

OUR BUREAU Khammam: Tobacco farmers in Khammam district are now planning to observe crop holiday on the lines of paddy farmers of the delta in West Godavari district. The decision comes in the wake of the disastrous conditions caused by damage of crop leading to a price crash and increasing labour cost, natural calamities and the governments lack of cooperation. Tobacco crop is raised mainly in Ashwaraopet, Dammupeta and its surrounding mandals in Khammam district and these areas will come under the Jangareddy Gudem Tobacco Auction centre of West Godavari district. Last year, farmers cultivated hundreds of acres in the district. However, due to series of cyclones and natural calamities occurred between November 2010 and January 2011, crop size has come down and its major portion damaged that leads to a price crash. Most of the farmers suffered losses and the yield has come down to about 1015 quintal per acre. When the crop was at harvesting stage, the tobacco price was between Rs 165 and Rs 150 per kg. However, after the district witnessed with heavy rains, its price rate come down steeply and stood at on an average between Rs 60 and Rs 100 per kg. While some of the farmers stocked their produce in their homes due to poor remunerative price, some sold at the lowest price unable to meet the debt taken from money lenders. On the other hand, with the State government failing to take adequate measures either in giving an assurance or providing good MSP to farmers, the latter are in dire straits unable to sell their produce and repay their mounting debt. We are left with no option but to observe crop holiday this time, a farmer of Ashwaraopet said. In this background, majority of farmers are reluctant to raise the tobacco freshly again and are now opting to observe the crop holiday this season.

Govt has majority: Governor

OUR BUREAU New Delhi: Andhra Pradesh Governor ESL Narasimhan said on Thursday that the Congress Government in Andhra Pradesh had the majority. The Speaker had not yet taken any decision on the resignations submitted by 29 MLAs, the Governor said. He further clarified that nobody had complained to him about the majority issue thus far. Mr Narasimhan met Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee. After the meeting he told newsmen that he had discussed the political situation in the state. Mr Narasimhnan is also reported to have met AICC general secretary in-charge of AP affairs Ghulam Nabi Azad. When asked about resignations submitted by Congress MLAs owing allegiance to YSR Congress party chief YS Jaganmohan Reddy, the Governor said that he did not have much information about the resignation issue. It appears that the status quo would be maintained.

Paritalas murder: 8 get life term

Anantapur: A local court on Thursday convicted eight persons in the 2005 TDP legislator Paritala Ravindra murder case and acquitted four others. The District Sessions Court sentenced Panduga Narayana Reddy, Vallupalli Rekhamaiah, Ranganayakulu, Vadde Konda, Vadde Seena, Medimi Obi Reddy, Peddi Reddy and Vanna Hanumantha Reddy to life imprisonment. Former minister and TDP MLA Paritala Ravi from Penukonda, was gunned down by the followers of Gangula Suryanarayana Reddy alias Suri at the TDP office in Anantapur on January 24, 2005. The CBI's chargesheet named 13 persons, with Suri, a gang leader, as the prime accused. But on January 3 this year, Suri himself was shot dead in Hyderabad. According to the chargesheet, Suri hatched the conspiracy while he was undergoing life imprisonment for attempting to kill Ravindra in November 1997, it said. According to CBI, Julakanti Srinivasa Reddy, Narayana Reddy and Rekhamaiah shot Paritala Ravindra inside the TDP office, whereas Ranganayakulu, Vadde Seena and Vadde Konda hurled bombs outside to facilitate escape of the shooters afterwards. The other accused provided logistical support, before and after the murder. Apart from Suri, co-accused Srinivasa Reddy and T Konda Reddy died during the trial. Another accused, Rama Mohan turned approver. Reddy,

Bapiraju new TTD chairman

Continued from Page 1 The tenure of the TTD chairman is two years. The term of the TTD Specified Authority chaired by Mr. J Satyanarayana expired on Tuesday. Till the last moment, the government debated whether to continue the authority or form a full-time board. Finally, it decided on the latter option and nominated Mr Bapiraju as the chairman. There had been protests in Tirupati against the continuation of the Specified Authority. Mr Bapiraju had earlier served as the minister for excise, endowments and commercial taxes. He recently hosted a lunch for the President of India, Ms. Prathibha Patil, on his own at Sri Vengamamba Annadana complex, which signalled that he would become the chairman of Trust Board. The new chairman has to face several challenges such as master plan for the hill shrine, pollution threat, handling of huge crowds of devotees, management of Dharmagiri Veda Patasala ethically, Srivari Single Window Project and Divya Bharathi project. Annual Brahmotsavams beginning September 29 will be the litmus test for him.

Sunita happy
Ravindras widow, MLA Sunita expressed joy over the judgement. She accused YSR Congress Party chief YS Jaganmohan Reddy responsible for Paritalas murder. She said that if his name was included in the murderers list, he also might be sentenced for life imprisonment. She hoped that if not in this case, God will certainly punish him in another case.

Governor ESL Narasimhan coming out after meeting Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee in Delhi on Thursday.

Reforms will start from TD, says Naidu

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT Vijayawada: Telugu Desam Party chief N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday promised that his party would start implementing the anti-corruption reforms from the next round of elections. However, he felt that the reforms could be implemented effectively only if there was a constitutional body that supports the initiative. Interacting with the students of VR Siddhartha Engineering College here, Mr Naidu also asserted that he was ready to make his properties known to the people shortly. He threw an open challenge to the Congress leaders and his critics that he would give all his properties if they paid him only Rs 1,000 crore. They say that I have started my political career with two acres and have made Rs 2,500 crore worth of properties today. My challenge to them is that I am ready to give all that to anyone who pays me Rs 1,000 crore. My family members will sign the papers and hand over the properties. I am also getting the details of my properties ready now and they would be made available to the people through media shortly, he said.When a student, Nivedita, asked Anti-Corruption Bill proposed by Lok Satta chief N Jayaprakash Narayan, the TD chief said Lok Satta cannot bring change in the existing system with a single legislator. He asked the students not to be carried away by the misleading speeches of the politicians. Instead, he wanted the youth, particularly the students, to be realistic and rally around the leaders and parties which have strength and will power to change the system. Mr Naidu said corruption had taken root in all systems, including politics and media, and wanted a total change which was possible only if students wanted it. He asked the students to play key role in the politics to make India corruptionfree. He said he was ready to contribute all his strength and resources to make India corruption-free and wanted people to support him. He said he had initiated several reforms during his tenure as chief minister and also as convenor of the United Front and active player in the National Democratic Alliance in the past. The TD chief later addressed the people at Kanuru, Patamata, Satyanarayanapuram and other areas in the city and sought their support in the battle against corruption.

Decide on T by Sept 17: T Cong ultimatum to high command

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu interacting with students of VRS Engineering College in Vijayawada on Thursday. (Hans Photo)

whether the TD was ready to bring out the black money available with the party leaders before asking the Central government to bring the black money from the Swiss bank, Mr Naidu said he was ready to bring out the black money from his party leaders but wanted a source that would tell him which leader was having what amount of money. He said his intentions and those of others could be possible only if the Lokpal Bill was made a law for which he was supporting Anna Hazare. Another student, Vamsi, wanted to know whether the TD chief was ready to advise his party leaders to

stop indulging in any sort of corruption. Responding to this question, Mr Naidu said a political party has some compulsions in the existing system. Unless the system is changed, he said he would not be able to do much in preventing corruption. He wanted the youth to support Mr Hazares demand for Jan Lokpal Bill that would address all the problems. The TD chief also invited the youth to enter politics to change the situation. He asked them to influence their parents and relatives against indulging in any sort of corruption. When his attention was drawn to the

New Delhi: Worried over the Lokpal agitation by Anna Hazare clouding the Telangana issue, the Congress MPs hailing from the region have urged the party high command to take a favourable decision on the contentious statehood issue latest by September 17, the Telangana Liberation Day. In a letter to the AICC general secretary in-charge for AP, Ghulam Nabi Azad, the MPs cautioned that should the Centre fail to take a decision by the deadline, they would be forced to press for acceptance of

their resignations by the Speaker, Ms Meira Kumar. Briefing the reporters on the contents of the letter, Mr Ponnam Prabhakar said: The people of Telangana are posing a question to us. When 26 MLAs have resigned just for one person, Mr Jaganmohan Reddy, cant the leaders of Telangana do so to uphold the cause of separate Telangana? It is becoming difficult for us to withstand public pressure in view of the latest developments. He warned that the Telangana leades would intensify

their agitation, if nothing came out by September 17.

Clean chit to Lagadapati Sridhar flayed

Mr Prabhakar demanded that the CBI should include in its ambit of investigation Mr L Sridhar, younger brother of Congress MP Lagadapati Rajagopal. Citing reports that Mr Sridhar has invested in a group venture of YSR Congress leader Jaganmohan Reddy, he found fault with Mr Lakshmi Narayana, the j. director of CBI, for giving a clean chit to Mr Sridhar.

Storage facility for tribal produce soon

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT Hyderabad: Tribal development is all set to get a big boost as a massive cold storage facility with a capacity to store up to 10,000 MT is coming up at Tallarevu in Visakhapatnam district. Being taken up by the state-owned Girijan Cooperation Corporation (GCC), the Rs 8.8 crore godown is first of its kind and will be exclusively meant for storing the forest produce of the tribals in the State. The Corporation is also constructing 74 godowns, storages and other salecum-storage points across the tribal-dominated districts in the State. While the Rs 4.2 crore civil works have already been completed, the refrigeration and other works are being taken up and are estimated to cost around another Rs 3.6 crore. Some of the godowns are in a dilapidated condition and some need renovation as they were built several years ago. At some places, there are no godowns causing hardship to the tribals, Principal Secretary (Tribal Welfare) Dr A Vidyasagar told The Hans India. He said that the tendering process would begin soon and the facility would be commissioned by early next year. The tribals had been storing their produce like tamarind and honey in large quantities in private godowns in Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and twin Godavari districts. GCC Managing Director B Trinatha Rao said that the facility would be in two parts of 500 MT each and would be coming up on a two acre site. The loans were being availed from National Cooperative Development Corporation. The tribals produced around 50,000 quintals of tamarind and three lakh kg of honey every year. The Corporation had already procured 1.8 lakh kg of honey so far, Mr Trinatha Rao said.

WEATHER
occur in parts of city. Maximum and Minimum temperatures would be around 32 & 24 degrees Celsius respectively. Weather Report for 26 Aug 2011 Hyderabad: Generally cloudy sky with possibility of rain or thundershowers in parts of city. The maximum and minimum temperatures would be around 26 and 22 degree Celsius respectively. Visakhapatnam- Moderate to rather heavy rain or thundershowers. The maximum and minimum temperatures would be around 30 and 25 degree Celsius respectively. Vijayawada: Moderate to rather heavy rain or thundershowers. The maximum and minimum temperatures would be around 30 and 25 degree Celsius respectively. Tirupati: The maximum and minimum temperatures would be around 31 and 25 Degree Celsius. Warangal: The maximum and minimum temperatures would be around 29 and 24 Degree Celsius.

Anna has his way

Continued from Page 1 Race Course and Jor Bagh that adjunct these two residences. On a day that witnessed a positive forward movement, following the Prime Ministers magic formula to break the impasse, Union Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh met Anna, making it the first highest level direct contact between the government and Anna Hazare. In a day filled with fastpaced developments, the establishment showed remarkable alacrity in seeking to reach out to Anna and assuage his hurt feelings. Congress Spokesman Manish Tewari, who referred to Anna being steeped in corruption in the wake of the indictment of the Justice P B Sawant Commission, tendered unconditional apology to Anna and described his remarks as inadvertent. The Prime Minister also roped in the Congress Youth Brigade Union Ministers Sachin Pilot, Jitin Prasada and Milind Deora for talks. Earlier in the day, Mr Mukherjee for the first time addressed the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP), in the absence of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, briefing the party MPs on the course of developments and on engaging the Team Anna in the regard. In his reply to the debate under Rule 193 in the Lok Sabha on the situation arising out of the widespread corruption in the country, the Prime Minister said, It has been mentioned to be that Shri Anna Hazare and his colleagues are very keen that their Bill should be discussed in parliament. I have not thought over this matter in great depth, but a thought comes to me that perhaps we could have a debate in this House on all the Bills that are in the public domain and have a discussion what are the weak points of various Bills and at the end of that debate, send the whole record for consideration of the Standing Committee of Parliament. I have a feeling that this will meet the point that Shri Anna Hazare and his colleagues have been making that parliament must have a chance to give its views on their Bill before sending it to the Standing Committee and, therefore, I submit to this august House that this is one via media, enable to take on broad ideas contained in the Lokpal Bill.

Nation in morass of corruption

Continued from Page 1 The Army Chief was speaking at an interaction with members of the entertainment industry organised by former MP Santosh Bhartiya in suburban Juhu on Wednesday night. Gen. Singh further said, "If the youth are channelised, if they are given the type of value system, I think we can get out of this great 'daldal' (morass) that we are in." The situation that exists today seems disappointing making us wonder where have we come, he added and equated corruption to a hydra-headed monster. "When the Naxalite movement (issue) was presented to us,we were very clear in our minds that it is a socioeconomic problem, a problem created by bad governance," Gen Singh said. He said, "Army is not the answer (to Naxal problem)... Army has a role in preventing external aggression. Army has a role in assisting in humanitarian crisis. "But beyond that, in our country, at least the way the Army has come up, we do not think that we have a role," he said.

Congress out to get back MLAs from Jagan camp

D CHANDRA BHASKAR RAO Hyderabad: Contrary to the public posture adopted by the state Congress leadership, all out efforts are being made in the party to win back at least half the MLAs who had switched their loyalties over to the Kadapa MP, Y S Jaganmohan Reddy. A team of important functionaries has been entrusted with the task of assuaging the ruffled feelings of these members as part of the special mission. Positive indications have been received from at least ten of the party MLAs , claimed the party sources. These MLAs had reportedly admitted to have tendered their resignations under pressure and wanted time to review their decision to quit. The Assembly speaker is expected to take a decision on their resignations after interacting with each one of them personally. Those likely to come back to the party fold are to be given ample time to make up their mind. The resignations of the MLAs who are firm on quitting their membership of the legislative Assembly, are likely to be considered immediately. The election commission is likely to issue election notification for Banswada constituency in Nizamabad district in October next. The seat fell vacant following the resignation of Pocharam Srinivasa Reddy, who had quit the TDP to join the TRS. The Congress party seem to be favouring early election, if possible along with the Banswada constituency. The party had already taken up an exercise for appointment of persons incharge for the constituencies concerned. They are likely to be nominated after the finalization of the party candidates for the bye-elections. The Congress leadership has also focused on the possibility of disqualifying some of the rebel MLAs under the anti defection laws. Complaints are pending against the PRP MLA who joined YS Jagan camp and they are likely to be taken up for review after one to one interaction of the speaker with the members concerned.

Summary of observation recorded at 8.30 hours IST 25 Aug 2011 Southwest monsoon has been vigorous over Telangan and active over Coastal Andhra Pradesh. Rain occurred at most places over Telangana and at many places over Coastal Andhra Pradesh. Isolated rain occurred over Rayalaseema. Forecast & Farmers' weather bulletin valid until the morning of 26 August 2011 Moderate to rather heavy rain or thundershowers would occur at many places over Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Light to moderate rain or thundershowers would occur at a few places over Rayalaseema. Forecast for Hyderabad District and Neighbourhood: Sky condition would be generally cloudy. Rain or thundershowers would

Centre removes curbs on cotton exports

OUR BUREAU Hyderabad: As per the request of the Chief Minister Mr N Kiran Kumar Reddy, the Centre on Thursday removed all restrictions on cotton exports. In a letter to the Chief Minister, the Union Minister for Commerce, Industry and Textiles Mr Anand Sharma said that cotton exports have been placed under the Open General Licence without any quantitative limits. Notification to this effect had been issued by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade. The Union Minister for Commerce Anand Sharma stated that with the removal of export restrictions, the price of cotton would increase in the coming days.