80 Artisans for Kalamkari Fest in City

VIJAYAWADA: As many as 80 artisans belonging to Srikalahasti and Pedana style of Kalamkari will display their works at a Kalamkari Festival to be organised by The National Museum of Mankind - Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya (IGRMS), Bhopal, at Victoria Jubilee museum here from November 26 to 30.

The IGRMS aims at encouraging and promoting the Kalamkari art and artisans in Srikalahasti and Pedana through this art exhibition. The artisans will also conduct a workshop explaining the complete process of weaving the cloth used for Kalamkari art.

Speaking at a press conference at the museum on Monday, Andhra Pradesh archaeology department director GV Rama Krishna said that IGRMS is organising the festival for the first time in the city to promote Pedana as Heritage craft village in the state.

“The travel, food and lodging expenses of the artisans who are coming to exhibit their works will be sponsored by IGRMS,” said P Shankara Rao, Kalamkari festival coordinator and IGRMS assistant keeper.

Suicide Bomber Kills 45 At Volleyball Match

Afghanistan once again faced suicide bomber attack .A suicide bomber attacked a crowd who watching a volley ball match stadium and blew himself up.45 people were killed and 50 others wounded in the incident .the incident was happened in the Yahyakhil district of Afghanistan's southeastern Paktika province.

The bomber entered a large crowd, wearing a belt with explosives, and blew himself up in the middle of spectators and players.The incident  came just hours after Parliament approved agreements allowing US and NATO troops to remain in the country past the end of the year.

The Taliban and other jihadist militants have unleashed waves of suicide attacks in Afghanistan this year as foreign forces pull out after 13 years of war. Officials said it is the country's deadliest terrorist attack this year.

Volleyball is a popular sport in Afghanistan and the attacker is likely to have targeted the event to ensure maximum casualties.However, no group had taken responsibility for the attack.

Jeevitha Got Bail on Same Day

Star Couple Jeevitha, Rajasekhar hit headlines at regular interval of times for wrong reasons. Now, Erramanzil court has given big shock to Jeevitha over a cheque bounce case. After hearing the cheque bounce case filed by Co producer of Evadaithe Nakenti movie the court has ordered a jail term of 2 years and a fine of Rs. 25 lakhs for Jeevitha Rajasekhar.

Many thought that Police will soon arrest her and take into custody.But sudden twist here is nothing was happened and she was not taken into custody.Jeevuta managed to get the bail on the same day and she was very much safe now.

According to sources the case was related to Rajashekar Starrer Evadaithe Nakenti movie  which was an above grosser. Jeevitha co-produced the movie in association with  sekhar Reddy. Disputes occurred between them over financial matters.

Jeevitha has issued Rs 22 lakh Cheque to producer Shekar Reddy in connection with movie but the Cheque bouncedIt is learnt that, Jeevitha is planning to move High Court on this. She is expected to pay the fined amout of Rs 25 Lakhs.However, Jeevita Couple  are busy in the promotion and release activities of Rajasekhar’s upcoming film Gaddam Gang movie .

Man Killed Wife After Finding with Lover on Bed

Extra-marital affairs often lead to sticky situations between a husband and wife. While most affairs end in divorce some even goes worse and costs a life.A shocking incident was happened in Kakinada today and a person, who caught his wife in a compromising position with her paramour, axed her to death.

As per reports Appa Rao of Kirlampudi in Kakinada of East Godavari district who find home on late night stunned with seeing her wife in compromising position with her paramour Suribabu.

Angered with the incident Apparao immediately picked up an axe and did her to death. Later he tried to kill Suribabu but he managed to escapes from him.Appa Rao has since surrendered to the police. The body of his wife was sent for post-mortem. Apparao got married 9 years back. They even had two kids. With the father jailed and mother killed, the two children have now been orphaned.

Supreme Court brings in CSK conflict angle

The Supreme Court has added a dimension to the IPL spot-fixing case by bringing in the issue of N Srinivasan's alleged conflict of interest in being the head of the BCCI and the owner of the Chennai Super Kings franchise. The court made these observations today while hearing arguments from lawyers of the BCCI and Srinivasan, currently sidelined as the board president.

It also suggested that Srinivasan's return as BCCI president was not going to be a simple process. "You are assuming that the [Mudgal Committee] report has cleared you," the court of Justices TS Thakur and FM Kalifullah said. "You can't use BCCI rules to say that you will stand for elections, because the doctrine of public trust will apply."

The issue of conflict of interest between Srinivasan's two roles had been taken to the Supreme Court, which in 2011 delivered a split verdict on a petition challenging the right of Srinivasan - then the BCCI secretary - to hold a position in the board while also holding a stake in an IPL franchise.

On Monday, the court heard counsel for both sides, with Justice Thakur making frequent pointed observations about the need for the BCCI to be answerable to a larger public. The hearings - in a packed Court No 2, standing room only - took place as part of the arguments and objections of four non-playing officials, including Srinivasan, indicted in the final Mudgal Committee report presented to the Supreme Court earlier this month. The case will resume on Tuesday afternoon.

Responding to CA Sundaram's arguments on behalf of the BCCI stating that its working committee had "persons of standing" who could take a decision based on the findings of the report, Justice Thakur asked, "Should the BCCI use their administrative mechanisms in this matter? Several conflict of interest issues will arise and these questions can't be wished away."

He then went on to dissect Srinivasan's position in the matter, asking Sundaram one question after another with reference to the positions he holds in the BCCI and the IPL franchise. "Your duty as a president is to keep the show [IPL] running and to keep it clean. What is your duty as a team owner? To win the tournament. Is this not a conflict?"

Justice Kalifullah then stepped in and asked who had constituted the IPL committees and the BCCI president's role in their formulation. The BCCI counsel was asked, "You mean to say when a decision is taken in the BCCI, the president is a mute spectator in all this? That he has no say in the matter?

The court said, "You cannot make a distinction between the IPL and the BCCI. The IPL is a byproduct of BCCI," the court said, and described the IPL's original distribution of franchise ownerships as having been a "mutual benefit society."

Justice Thakur then pointed out to both lawyers that cricket was a religion in the country, with millions "who were passionate about the game without having any financial stake in it." It was this public trust, the judge said, that the BCCI needed to pay attention to. "Do you want to sit over the liquidation of the game in this country?" the BCCI was asked.

Srinivasan's lawyer Kapil Sibal argued about the recognition and importance given to Indian cricket in the global game to which Thakur said, "Recognition comes when one lakh [100,000] people turn up at Eden Gardens to watch a match. That recognition is not because of Srinivasan. The benefit of doubt must go to the game rather than the individual."

When Sibal said that Srinivasan had been "cleared" on counts of betting, fixing and stalling the investigation into corruption in the IPL, and he should be allowed to contest the upcoming BCCI elections, the court gave no assurance on the matter.

"Please don't go only by the report," Thakur said. "The report says you are not involved in betting or fixing or in stalling the investigation. But you have to ask whether, despite those findings, you are an owner of a team that is playing, you are related to an individual who is found in betting. Will that not affect your status as member of the BCCI?" The Mudgal committee counsel Raju Ramachandran, brought the court's attention to the fact that the both reports filed by the Mudgal committee - the first in February and the second in November - had to be read together, in terms of facts and findings, rather than using the November report findings in isolation with regard to the entire case.

The court said it expected that the indicted individuals would "challenge the report" and call it "useless." Thakur said, "We don't expect people to stand up and confess." But he said that there could be "corollaries and consequences" arising from the inferences contained in the report. "That you cannot escape."

These are observations of the court and they do not constitute any orders as of now.

Housing adds augmented reality feature to home booking

Real-estate listing portal Housing.com, run by Mumbai-based Locon Solutions Pvt Ltd, has added an augmented reality feature to its homes-booking feature. Named Slice View, it is basically a 3D rendering of the entire project that allows users to view the floor plan and check the views from inside the house, besides the details of the amenities inside the flat & the society.

“The way people buy a house has not changed for decades now. Millions still struggle for weeks, months or longer hunting for a home they would love to buy. Slice View brings the full home search experience online—from beginning to the booking,” said Advitiya Sharma, co-founder of Housing.

To start with, it has partnered with Tata Value Homes, a subsidiary of Tata Housing, to launch an online-only inventory across four projects. Earlier, Tata Value Homes partnered with Snapdeal to tap into its reach for booking flats, and it claims to have sold around 85 units within five days of the launch.

“In all, we have sold around 700 homes online and 45 per cent of our inventory online in the past one year,” informed Pawan Sarda, head (marketing and product development) at Tata Value Homes. “To date, most of these units were sold to migrants and non-resident Indians (NRIs).

Housing was set up in 2012 by a dozen IITians, of whom three have already quit the firm. Run by Mumbai-based Locon Solutions Pvt Ltd, Housing enables real estate brokers to upload unlimited listings on the site while users can search properties for free.

The firm operates in more 25 cities including Ahmedabad, Indore, Jaipur, Thiruvananthapuram, Visakhapatnam, Nashik, Vadodara, Mangalore, Surat, Mohali and Vijayawada. It claims to have mapped over 80,000 houses in Mumbai, and over 50,000 houses in Bangalore to date.

Early this year, Housing raised $19 million in funding from Helion Venture Partners, Nexus Venture Partners and Qualcomm Ventures. In June last year, the startup had raised $2.5 million in pre-Series A funding from Nexus Venture. Prior to that, it attracted two rounds of angel funding.

Housing.com is currently in advanced talks to raise $40 million in funding. Of this, half or $20 million (about Rs 123 crore) will be invested by DST Global founder Yuri Milner, who will be investing in his personal capacity.

Andhra Bank constructing toilets in rural schools

Andhra Bank general manager Krishna Prasad said the bank was constructing toilets in the

 schools in rural areas under the Swachha Bharat Abhiyan.

VIJAYAWADA: Andhra Bank BSE -1.24 % general manager Krishna Prasad today said the bank was constructing toilets in the schools in rural areas under the Swachha Bharat Abhiyan. 

The bank had already identified a Zilla Parishad high school in Krishna district, and some more high schools would be identified very soon, he added. 

The bank was also thinking of adopting a village in the district, he said. Prasad said the bank has opened about 15 lakh accounts under the Jan Dhan scheme. 

Naidu emphasises need to walk the talk on smart cities mission

Union Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu has emphasised that it is time to walk the talk on the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mission on smart cities.

Delivering the Keynote Address at the US–India Smart Cities Conclave, he said unless the leadership is smart with smart vision, smart commitment and smart courage to take reforms, the smart city mission cannot be realised. He highlighted that transparency and accountability is very important.

Naidu said that following the PM’s visit to the United States, the US has agreed to help develop the Indian cities of Visakhapatnam, Ajmer and Allahabad as smart cities. Also, Japan has come forward to help develop Varanasi as a smart city and Singapore has agreed to help develop the capital city of Andhra Pradesh between Vijayawada and Guntur. Barcelona has also come forward to collaborate with DDA and the Ministry of Urban Development in developing a smart city near Delhi.

He said that nature, culture and prosperity should go hand in hand and that smart cities in India should be developed keeping in mind the Indian culture and traditions and need not necessarily follow the western practices, and added that one size does not fit all.

Naidu maintained that smart cities should be people centric and should make life comfortable for the people. They have to be so planned as to have uninterrupted power, water, proper sanitation, efficient management of solid waste, decongestion of roads, last mile connectivity, effective use of ICT etc. He said that digitisation of records, online applications and sanctions would reduce delays and corruption. He also said that just building smart cities is not enough; sustainability has to be ensured. He suggested to the US-India Business Council to constitute sub-committees one for each of the three smart cities, go there and study and prepare an action plan and a blue print so that the mission could be taken forward.

Chemical conservation treatment to Kondapalli Fort begins

A view of the Kondapalli Fort near Vijayawada

After much dilly-dallying, the Department of Archaeology and Museums has finally begun chemical conservation treatment to the historic Kondapalli Fort to lend an aesthetic look to it.

The ‘gajasala’, ‘narthakasala’, arches, meeting hall and the front portion of the fort will be covered under the first phase of works which are expected to be completed in a fortnight. A 25-member team led by the Archaeology Department Assistant Chemist K. Rambabu are taking up the works at a cost of over Rs.7.5 lakh.

“We are using natural ingredients to prevent damage to the stone-structured citadel. We are carrying out the chemical treatment works, lacing chemicals with water to give a new look to the citadel. Scaffoldings were put up to cover every nook and corner of the fort,” he said. The fort was built by Prolaya Vema Reddy in the 14th century.

Shrubs that were developed on the fort walls were removed using iron and brass brushes before commencing the chemical treatment works. “We want to give an aesthetic look to the fort to draw the attention of tourists,” he said. The dilapidated structure, which is included in the mega tourism circuit proposed to be developed in this region, is 16 km from Vijayawada.

A few days back, Irrigation Minister Devineni Umamaheswara Rao assured to make it as a major tourist spot during ‘Vanamahostavam’ celebrations held on the fort premises. “More revenue could be generated if basic amenities are provided at the structure. Pending works would be completed through funds sanctioned under Provision of Urban Amenities in Rural Areas,” he said.

Senior officials from Tourism Department added that efforts were on to introduce package tours covering the prominent places, including Kondapalli fort in Vijayawada and surroundings.

Gang Wars between 2 hijra Groups in #Vijayawada

Actress jeevitha gets 2 years jail

Don Dawood Ibrahim to be shifted to safe base out of Pakistan by ISI?

New Delhi: Underworld don Dawood Ibrahim is hiding on Pak-Afghan border in northern Waziristan while Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency is looking for a safe haven for him, according to reports on Sunday.

Attempts to shift Dawood to a safe base are being made by ISI who tried to move him to Thailand, Nairobi, UAE and Bangladesh but plans were later changed the plan, sources further stated.

The decision to shift Dawood to UAE was cancelled at the last minute due to security concerns.

Bangladesh was also cancelled as the country shares a good relationship with India.

Senior officials of ISI and Pakistan Army have been reportedly entrusted with the responsibility of protecting Dawood.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh, while speaking on the issue, said that the government is making efforts and asked for more time.

While addressing a summit yesterday, Singh had yesterday blamed Pakistan for terrorism, saying terror in India was not home-grown but sponsored by the neighbouring country. 

Vijayawada to host star cricket on Dec. 7

Film star Srikanth and Vijayawada Central MLA Bonda Uma Maheswara Rao inspecting IGMC Stadium in Vijayawada on Sunday

Tollywood stars will be seen in action at Indira Gandhi Municipal Corporation Stadium in a fiercely-fought friendly-cricket match for State Cricket Trophy to generate funds for Hudhud victims on December 7 from 8 a.m.

Two teams led by Srikanth and Tarun, along with host of stars like Naresh, Rajeev Kanakala, Manoj, Nitin, Nani (Eega fame), Raghu and Nikhil will wield the willow to contribute to the Chief Minster’s Relief Fund. “The match will resemble India-Pakistan encounter as both skippers are known for their grit. We would like to make this match a grand success as it is the first mega event held after the bifurcation of the State for the noble cause,” said actor Srikanth.

He said Hudhud devastation of North Andhra region moved the hearts of the film industry and after a couple of meetings the fraternity gathered as one unit to contribute for the rehabilitation exercise taken up by the government.

He said there will be off-field entertainment as well such as a musical extravaganza by music director Thaman and comedy skits. “Top heroines will gyrate to the tunes making the match a memorable one for the film buffs”.

The event, organised by Sreemitra and Tollywood Cricket Association, will provide a platform for the business community to advertise their products and catch the attention of the hundreds of the spectators. “A vantage point will be selected to project the advertisements. The money generated will go to the CM’s Relief Fund,” said Central MLA Bonda Uma Maheswara Rao.

The organisers have priced the tickets at Rs. 200, Rs. 500 and Rs. 1.000, which will be the star gallery. The match will commence at 10 a. m. and will end around 4.30 a.m., after several breaks, with the prize distribution function.

Vijayawada MP Kesineni Srinivas, Gannavaram MLA Vallabhaneni Vamsi Krishna, Penamaluru MLA Bode Prasad, District Sports Development Officer P. Ramakrishna and several movie artistes took part in the meeting.

Steps for effective implementation of new sand policy on cards on cards

GUNTUR

Minister for Agriculture Prattipati Pulla Rao addressing to media on Sunday here said that effective steps are being taken to implement the new sand policy.

The Agriculture minister said that a district-level committee headed by the District Collector, Superintendent of Police, Joint Collector, Project Directors of DRDA, DWMA and Deputy Transport Commissioners as members for effective implementation. He said that it will monitor and ensure that sand is not sold above the price fixed by the government and will review the position from time to time.

Pulla Rao said that another committee headed by Deputy Transport Commissioner with Additional Superintendent of Police and Joint Collector will look into the transportation related issue and Vigilance and Monitoring committee will monitor any violations in implementation. He said that it will work under the supervision of Guntur Urban and Rural SPs.

He said that 24,657 cubic metres of sand worth over Rs. 5.34 lakh from five sand reaches in the district has been sold so far. The government had fixed the sand price at Rs.650 per one cubic metre of sand. There are 160 sand reaches in the State and it will go up to 200 likely in the coming days. He warned stern action would the taken against violators. He asked the people to inform officials about such incidents on toll free number 1800 121 2020.

Farm loan waiver:

On the issue of farm loan waiver, Pulla Rao said that the process is on and till date 60 lakh accounts of farmers have been found eligible and another 20 lakh accounts are being cross-checked. He added that 20 per cent of the assured loan waiver amount would be credited after return of Chandrababu Naidu from Japan tour. The accounts of those who do not have either ration card or voter card will be updated in another fortnight.

DWCRA Bazar to empower women:

Pulla Rao inaugurated a DWCRA Bazaar at Sri Venkateswara Vignayana Mandir here. As many as 25 stall were erected and a wide variety of products manufactured by the DWCRA groups were put for sale and the event will go on till November 25. He said that the efforts are on to bring down the sand price by more than 50 per cent, he said.

Tollywood to unite for Hudhud relief

Vijayawada: Sports and cinema buffs of Vijayawada can have a feast of their favourites at Indira Gandhi Municipal Stadium on December 7 as half of Tollywood would fly down to the stadium to play and entertain audience as part of Star Cricket Cup, a fund raising event for victims of Hudhud cyclone that recently battered North Andhra districts. 

 

Revealing the event details actor Srikanth in a press conference here said that in a bid to help Hudhud victims Tollywood Cricket Association has decided to do their bit and raise funds. 

Apart from the cricket match comedy skits, dances by heroines and music concert by music director S.S. Thaman will be a part of the day long event, he said. 

 

“Two teams led by actor Tarun and actor Srikanth will play cricket the match and it would be like any other serious cricket match”, said Srikanth. Tarun’s team will have players like Allari Naresh, Nithin, Prince, Vishwa, Sandeep Kishan among others and Srikanth’s team includes Naani, Nikhil, Sai Dharam Tej, Manoj, Sameer and others. 

 

Actresses Priyamani, Rakul Preet Singh, Adah Sharma, Rashi Khanna, Nikesha Patel will grace the occasion while other actresses Hamsa Nandini, Regina, Shanvi Srivastava and Kamna Jatmalani will perform dances. The organizers would charge Rs 200 for a normal ticket, Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 .

Staff Crunch at Govt Junior Colleges Costs Students Dear

VIJAYAWADA: Government junior colleges in the city are slipping into a crisis due to acute staff shortage in various departments. This has resulted in an increase in the student dropout rate.

There are three junior government colleges at Wynchpet, Krishnalanka and Payakapuram in the city. All of them are being run with only 25 per cent of the required staff on contract basis. The Krishna District Government Junior Lecturers’ Association (KDGJLA) members are demanding that the government immediately recruit the teaching and office staff required in these government colleges in the city.

“The Government Junior College at Payakapuram, which was sanctioned three years ago, does not have a single regular member of staff. The college is being run with contract lecturers and the office staff who are working on deputation. About 250 students are studying in MPC, BiPC, CEC and HEC groups in both Telugu and English media at the college, but there are only eight teaching staff working on contract basis, out of the requirement of 24. Similarly, the remaining two government colleges do not have 75 per cent of the staff required for teaching various subjects. Even the existing staff are taken from other colleges on contract basis,” explained KDGJLA secretary G Narasimha Rao.

As per the rules, every government junior college should have one lecturer for each subject in a group. A junior college offering four groups like MPC, BiPC, CEC, HEC in both English and Telugu media should have 20 lecturers, including the ones for teaching languages. But at these colleges, there are no lecturers to teach any subject for the students of BiPC and CEC groups. This has triggered a student drop-out rate of 20 per cent.

“In the government junior colleges at Payakapuram and Wynchpet, the Botany, Economics and Commerce departments do not have faculty at all. The staff at the Zoology and other departments in various government colleges in the district are being shuffled among the colleges. We approached the officials concerned but to no avail,” he added.

In addition to this, as the classes are being managed by the contract staff from other junior government colleges in the district, the students complain that there is no congenial atmosphere for studies.

Ramgopal Varma’s upcoming film Spot

After making a series of thrillers in Telugu, director Ramgopal Varma, who is best known for films on the underworld, will soon be back with his favourite  subject.

But for now, his upcoming film Spot is set against a Rayalaseema faction backdrop. “He made Rakta Charitra against the backdrop of Paritala Ravi and now this film too is on the same lines.

Most of the faces are new and the shooting for the film has already started,” says a source. The source added that the director has included the present political situation also in the film.

On completion of this film, Ramgopal Varma is moving to start another Telugu film with an underworld mafia backdrop, which will be produced by Ramesh Varma.

Plastic godown gutted in Guntur

Firemen douse flames at a plastic scrap unit at Auto Nagar in Guntur on Sunday

Fire could have been caused by sparks that emanated from transformer. The mishap has yet again exposed the poor safety measures at industrial units at Auto Nagar.

A plastic recycling unit was gutted in a major fire accident at the third phase of Auto Nagar around noon on Sunday. Fire personnel later brought the flames under control using four fire tenders. The loss of property was estimated at around Rs.1 crore.

The accident took place at Bhanu Enterprises where huge stocks of plastic scrap were stored. Though the exact cause for the fire has not been ascertained, Fire Department sources said the mishap could have been caused by sparks from a transformer. Godown workers said there could have been cash inside. A crushing machine and a machine used to make plastic granules were also destroyed.

The mishap has yet again exposed the poor safety measures at industrial units at Auto Nagar. Most units continue to flout fire safety norms while dealing with explosives and hazardous substances. The authorities are yet to take up a proposal for a fire station at Auto Nagar.

Capital: farmers seek 60 p.c. of developed land

Minister for Agriculture P. Pulla Rao

Even as the State government is preparing ground to begin the process of ‘land pooling,’ to acquire 30,000 acres in 17 villages in Thullur, Mandhadam and Mangalagiri mandals identified for proposed capital region, farmers have demanded 60 per cent of developed land.

Minister for Agriculture P. Pulla Rao said at the end of a Cabinet meeting in Hyderabad that farmers would be given 1,000 square yards of developed land, Rs. 25,000 per year as compensatory package and setting up of capital construction committee in place of existing VGTM. The proposed capital region would be divided into six sectors, he added.

Revenue and Survey Department personnel who had conducted ‘gram sabha’, (public meetings) in eight of 14 villages in Thullur mandals have sent a report listing out the demands from farmers.

“Farmers are demanding 60 per cent of developed land, allotment of 200 square yards in commercial zone, doubling of compensation per acre from the proposed Rs. 25,000 and issuing transferable fiscal bonds,’’ said Revenue Divisional Officer of Gurazala J. Murali, who along with RDO, Guntur Bhaskar Naidu conducted meetings in eight villages over the last two days. The farmers’ demands include a government job for every family and involvement of farm labourers in construction of capital.

The public meetings have turned volatile at Rayapudi, Mandadam and Nelaprolu villages where farmers have vociferously stated that they would not part with their lands unless the government comes up with a better package. Farmers at Thullur laid siege to village revenue office and at Modugulalanka palem, farmers staged a rasta roko.

“We are surprised at the veil of secrecy over the meetings by revenue and survey teams. Why is the district administration keeping the meetings under the wraps? We will continue to fight for farmers till they get the best deal,’’ said Rythu Sangham president J. Siva Sankar.

The Rythu Sangham is conducting meetings at Mangalagiri on Thursday and Friday.

What made the ‘Little Master’ upset

The visit of batting legend Sachin Tendulkar to his adopted village Puttamraju Kandriga near Gudur in Nellore district gave some embarrassing moments to the media personnel who had come to cover the event.

The scribes picked up an altercation with Joint Collector G. Rekha Rani after their entry pass was disregarded. But the latter clarified that she did not order anybody to disregard media passes. The media men then approached Municipal Administration Minister P. Narayana. Even as the impasse continued, Sachin arrived and the cameramen and videographers jumped the barricades and went close to him.

At one point, the swelling crowds around Sachin went unmanageable regardless of the presence of a rope party there.

The chaos prompted Sachin to cut short his visit and leave the venue abruptly. Failure of the authorities in crowd management during Sachin’s visit came in for sharp criticism.

Striking a chord

Expressing concern over the atrocities against women perpetrated by their spouses under the influence of alcohol, Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Nirmala Sitharaman said women needed an outlet to give vent to their anguish. Addressing a meeting in Pedamainavanilanka, one of the two villages she has adopted in Narsapur mandal of West Godavari district, the Minister promised a ‘Mahila’ community hall for the fisherwomen with round-the-clock power supply and web-enabled services to enable the victims share their problems. “The world would also know of the status of women in terms of the volume of gender-based crimes,” she said.

Responding to this, the Minister’s husband and Media Advisor to the State government Parakala Prabhakar, who was seated next to her interrupted to say that the size of the hall will have to be big suggesting that the move might result in a spurt in gender-based crimes as a result of backlash from their husbands.

“No, no... it should not happen. I assure the women that I’ll keep a hawk’s vigil sitting in Delhi and will swing into action whenever situation warranted,” she warned.

Reach-out game

Does the government exist only for those who had voted a particular party to power? This question dominates the mind of leaders across political spectrum in Prakasam district which has apparently been given a ‘raw deal’. TDP leaders from the district are facing embarrassing situation for not being able to get the Centre nod even for a single higher educational institution for Prakasam, which has lost the race in location of the new capital of Andhra Pradesh. In stark contrast, the shrewd YSR Congress leaders launched development and welfare initiatives to win the hearts of even those who did not vote for the party, recalls a senior YSR Congress MP. Now, is that not the best way to build a base?

BJP gears up for membership drive in State

The drive will be a major exercise aimed at consolidating the electoral gains that the party reaped in the general elections. Incidentally, opinion is being built against certain national issues which are considered to be affecting law and order and damaging the social fabric.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is all set to launch a fresh membership drive across the State on November 30, starting with enrolment of interested persons in Vijayawada with the active support of its frontal organisations like the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).

Union Minister for Urban Development M. Venkaiah Naidu is scheduled to inaugurate the drive. BJP State president and Visakhapatnam MP K. Haribabu will attend the event. The drive will be a major exercise aimed at consolidating the electoral gains that the party has reaped.

Meanwhile, activists of the BJYM, ABVP and other outfits have already fanned out in all the 13 districts to motivate people to join the party. The party had recently undertaken a membership enrolment drive online and through mobile phones, and it evoked encouraging response.

Meanwhile, party workers are also spreading awareness about its ideology and the goals set by its top brass to take it closer to people. Party leaders are visiting coastal districts to get the public’s feedback on BJP’s success and what it holds for the country’s future.

Incidentally, opinion is being built against certain national issues which are considered to be affecting law and order and damaging the social fabric. Due emphasis is laid on protecting the national culture and traditions, party sources said.

The aim of the party is to grow stronger in Andhra Pradesh for the next elections having staged a tremendous comeback in 2014 elections at the national level.

Successful heart transplant at Yashoda

Surgeons at Yashoda Hospitals on Friday said they had successfully conducted a heart transplant operation on a 39-year-old businessman.

Thanks to State-run organ donation programme Jeevandan, Dasari Srinivasa Rao received a donor heart from a 42-year-old brain dead patient.

On October 28, the hospital surgeons took up the transplant in a marathon surgery that lasted eight hours.

Three days after the surgery, Mr. Srinivasa Rao, a native of Tenali, was shifted to the hospital ICU, and discharged in another fortnight.

“We evaluated Mr.Srinivas Rao in August, and kept him in the organ donor waiting list. It was Jeevandan that found a suitable donor for the patient. After the surgery, we kept him on immunosuppressive drugs and he recovered very well with no complications,” said heart transplant surgeon A.G.K. Gokhale.

Jeevandan programme in-charge G. Swarnalatha said this was the third successful heart transplant performed under the programme.

“So far, 383 organs have been donated by 83 donors. The kidneys, liver, eyes, heart and heart-valves of brain-dead patients have given a new lease of life for many,” Dr. Swarnalatha said.

The team of doctors was headed by Dr. Gokhale and included J. Viswanath, V. Bharadwaj, Ravi Kiran (cardiothoracic surgeons) and Ravi Sankar, K. Sudhakar and Madhav (anaesthetists). It was the ninth successful heart transplant by the team.

Why Pawan Kalyan Changed GS Director?

As Sampath Nandi has announced that he will be direct Raviteja in his upcoming film, news has come out that he is out of Pawan Kalyan’s most hyped Gabbar Singh 2. While both the sides maintained poise about the whole happening, a close source of Pawan has now spilled the beans to a leading media about Sampath’s ousting. In fact, the reason is something people have been speculating already. 

Owing to Sampath Nandi’s unimpressive scripts, it is heard that Pawan has shown him the door. Story of GS2 was penned by Powerstar himself while the shooting of Attarintiki Daredi was going on. And when Trivikram in caning shoots in Spain, Sampath Nandi narrated a version to Pawan but the latter has disliked it. And then they have spent considerable time in Goa post release of AD, but that too didn’t yield a promising script from the young director. As rumors started spreading by then that Pawan has shelved GS2, the actor immediately gave nod to do a ‘muhurat’ shot, but script work wasn’t in full shape even then. And finally to not waste his time, Pawan moved onto Gopala Gopala, which otherwise he would have busy with GS2 shooting. 

And what led to exit of Sampath Nandi finally from the scene? Cinematographer Jayanan Vincent introduced writer-director Bobby after success of “Power” and the young man’s new script impressed Pawan to the core. So, Bobby was taken onboard to direct Gabbar Singh 2 and Sampath was rolled the carpet out. 

Naga Chaitanya-Kriti Sanon film Teaser!

First look teaser of Naga Chaitanya and Kriti Sanon's film has been unveiled Today on the eve of Akkineni Scion's Birthday. This Con Flick is being directed by Sudheer Varma of 'Swamy Ra Ra' fame.

The only dialogue in the promo - 'Prathi Mosam Venaka Iddaru Untaru - Mosam Chese Vaadu, Mosa Poye Vaadu. Nuvvu Rendovaadivi Kakudadante, Modati Vaadivi Ayi Theerali' is impressive.

Naga Chaitanya's look, Cute Looks of Kriti Sanon, Brahmi's reaction over title and Rocking Background Score are the positives. The first impression is that its going to be an intelligent thriller. May be, This Teaser is the best birthday gift Chaitu has ever received. Get ready for the roller-coaster ride...!

AP Ties up With Eros to Set up Entertainment City

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu is not in a mood to leave any chance that comes in his way to develop Andhra Pradesh state.Andhra Pradesh got a big boost in toursim as it struck a mega deal with Eros International on Saturday.

Andhra Pradesh (AP) state  government and the UK-based Eros Investments Limited (EIL), inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to set up a Entertainment City  in the resuidary state.Special Chief Secretary (Tourism) Chandana Khan signed the MoU from the government while Subodh Agarwal from EIL signed the deal in presence of Chief minister.

Speaking on the occasion Naidu stated that this would give a huge fillip to tourism and create employment, infrastructure and usher in investments into AP. The Entertainment City will comprise a media city, an amusement park, commercial and residential spaces, hotels and leisure and healthcare facilities.It  will also  have pre-production, production and post-production facilities for film, TV and advertizing industries.

The location of the city was not disclosed yet and it kept under wraps. 

Pregnant Genelia candid with Husband!

After a starry wedding at Hyderabad, newly-wed Arpita Khan and Aayush Sharma had a star-studded reception Friday evening in Mumbai.The event was graced by the who’s who from the film industry and the main attraction at the function are Heroine Genelia and her Husband Ritesh Deshmukh.

Genelia is out of action post her marriage with Riteish Deshmukh and we already known that actress is pregnant now and is expecting baby soon. Genelia and her hubby were spotted at Salman Khan sister Arpita Khan reception in Mumbai on Friday night and the cute couple has posed for some super adorable photos. Here is the candid moment of the star couple.

AP to soon get Marine University

Machilipatnam: A Marine University will be soon opened in Andhra Pradesh, Minister for Excise and BC Welfare K Ravindra said here.

Speaking on the occasion of World Fisheries Day yesterday, Ravindra said the state would get a Marine University to promote studies in interdisciplinary education in marine science and Fisheries.

He said at present Marine exports stand at Rs 17,000 crore in Andhra Pradesh and now the government is trying to raise it to Rs 75,000 crores.

The minister also said that the Central Government has sanctioned Rs 15 crore for fishermen housing scheme besides the state government sanctioning Rs 1.5 lakh for construction of new houses under the Model Fishermen Village Scheme.  

Fisheries Department Officials and Fishermen Co-operative Society members attended the event.

Vijayawada MP adopts village in AP's Krishna district

Vijayawada MP Kesineni Srinivas today said he has adopted Gollamandala village in Andhra Pradesh's Krishna district under the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana. 

The village has been adopted after following all norms laid by the Ministry of Rural Development in this regard, Srinivas told reporters here, adding that the major criteria for selecting the village was that it is a SC and ST community-dominated village. 

The village has a total of 54.7 per cent SC and ST population.

Most of the people from the community (SC/ST) are educated but unemployed and condition of primary school and anganwadi buildings is also dilapidated, he said. 

Among basic amenities, the MP said the village does not have proper drinking water facility and also lacks good healthcare services. 

The village has been adopted on the ground that there is a lot of scope for development and it will be done under the Yojna, he added. 

The village would be developed from MP Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) and other SC and ST welfare scheme funds. 

The MP said that very soon gram sabha would be conducted to discuss with the villagers their requirements on development.

Job mela on Nov. 25

The district employment officer has invited applications from those who completed technical and vocational courses along with degree and post-graduation courses for attending a job mela to be held on November 25. The mela will commence from 10 a.m. on the District Employment Office premises at ITI compound in Vijayawada. Aspirants with an experience of one to five years have to send their applications to the District Employment Office before November 25. Different private companies will be conducting the interviews for the aspirants.

Three private companies will be participating in the mela to recruit people for the posts of field and sales officers and sales trainees, according to a press release.

Smiling Buddha idol unearthed at Ghantasala

A smiling Buddha idol made of Dachepalli limestone was unearthed from an agricultural field falling under Penneramma mound, a Buddhist site, at Ghantasala village in Krishna district.

The idol, six inches in height and four inches width, was found by a local farmer while he was preparing land within the range of the mound, which witnessed flourishing Hinayana sect of Buddhism during the 2nd A.D and 3rd A.D. period.

“We found the Buddha idol in pure white colour four days ago. The Archaeological Survey of India, Hyderabad, authorities have responded to our written appeal to collect it for conservation. More historical facts are yet to be ascertained by the ASI”, G. Rama Krishna of Ghantasala told The Hindu. Mr. Rama Krishna kept the idol in his house, waiting for the ASI authorities.

Locals appealed to the ASI to keep the idol in the ASI museum, Ghantasala.

A team of Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage, Machilipatnam Chapter led by its Convener T. Ram Mohan Rao and revenue officials on Saturday documented the details of the idol.

“The idol is arguably belonging to the period of 6 A.D. or 7th A.D. period, when Buddhism was its peak state on the East Coast. It is rare to see smiling Buddha made of Dathepalli limestone”, said Historian Mohammed Silar. According to excavations by Alaxendar Rea and others in late 1880s, Penneramma mound was one of the mounds of the Buddhism in and around Ghantasala.

Other mounds where several Buddhist remains were unearthed earlier are Ernimpadu, Ghotakam Malapalli area and Museum site.

LPS students showcase talent on sports day

Students of Loyola Public School in action at the annual sports meet in Guntur

It was a day when the students of Loyola Public School (LPS) put their best foot forward as they marched to the drum beat, sprinted like a wind and danced with gay abandon at the annual sports day. The sports meet -2014 was held in memory of Father Y. Papaiah, founder of LPS, Nallapadu.

Be it the march past, or the track and field events and the colourful cultural events, the students displayed their multi faceted talents.

Everyone including children had their share of fun. Recreation games involving boys and girls in colourful dresses were a treat to watch while the juniors and seniors competed in track and field events. The cultural events showcased the country’s rich cultural diversity. Earlier, inaugurating the sports meet, Provincial, Andhra Jesuit Province, Fr. P.S Amalraj called upon the students to grab opportunities provided at the school and realise that all of them have equal opportunities to grow and become great men and women.

The LPS motto, “Born for greater things,” embodies the mission of Jesuit education to mould children to live ‘for others,’ and ‘with others.’

Stating that sports and games play a vital role in shaping lives, Fr. Amalraj said that all Jesuit institutions have laid emphasis on sports and games, and extra-curricular activities.

Senior Divisional Commercial Manager, SCR, Guntur, G. Sriramulu said that students of LPS should consider themselves as fortunate as the school had allotted spacious grounds .

Avail Tirumala tickets through ‘Sunayasam’: CPG

Chief Postmaster General B.V. Sudhakar participating in 'Swacch Bharat' campaign in Rajahmundry. 

Efforts are on to deliver parcels within 12 hours in Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam

Chief Postmaster General B.V. Sudhakar has said that 23 new services have been introduced in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana States under the ‘Sunayasam’ scheme under which people can obtain the darshan tickets of Tirumala shrine.

Speaking to the media after taking part in the ‘Swachh Bharat’ campaign, the CPG said that the people now could know the status of their letters through GPS system under the ‘Nanyatha’ scheme, adding that it was the first-of-its-kind service in the country that had been launched in the State.

He said that consultations were held with the Telangana government on sale of non-judicial stamps through Postal Department and response from the government was positive. Efforts were underway to obtain permission from the AP Government in this regard.

Mr. Sudhakar said that steps were being taken to deliver parcels within 12 hours and efforts were on to extend these services in Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam very soon.

He informed that insurance facility had been provided to RD accounts and insurance amount would be paid to the family in the event of the account holder’s accidental death.

He said that “My Stamp” was placed in the public domain. The CPG revealed that the department had earned Rs. 30 lakh by selling old records in Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam and East Godavari districts.

Earlier, Mr. Sudhakar took part in ‘Swachh Bharat’ campaign at postal quarters in Rajahmundry and planted saplings.

Junior doctors across the State begins strike

VIJAYAWADA

Junior doctors across the Andhra Pradesh State began their strike with token protests on Saturday at government hospitals demanding scrapping the on-year compulsory rural service condition to be imposed on them through GO.No.107.

Andhra Pradesh Junior Doctors’ Association (APJUDA) took a strong objection to the diversionary tactics of the Government. They warned of intensifying their strike from Sunday. Medical services at non-emergency were affected. Token protests by junior doctors in Guntur, Visakhapatnam, Kurnool and Tirupati have served 72 hour notice. Full-fledged agitation is on the cards from November 23.

Minister for Health Kamineni Srinivas speaking to media said that the government has promised to look into some of the demands but it could not act in haste on the rural service norm. He said that junior doctors are trying to corner the government without understanding its limitations, he said.

Gannavaram Medha IT Park's fate lies in Chandrababu Naidu's hands

A view of the Medha IT Park in Gannavaram which still remains partly occupied

Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh government’s new IT policy may decide the fate of Gannavaram Medha IT Park.

Even as the city surroundings are selected for the new capital and it has been getting importance from the ongoing developments the fate of the IT Park is uncertain.

L & T company designed the Medha IT Park at a cost of Rs 70 crore in 2010 under the special economic zone with a total of 11 lakh square feet floor area.

But in the first phase, only 2 lakh square feet floor was constructed. According to IT Park officials, only 25,000 square feet floor area has been occupied by various software companies.

Around 1,25,000 square feet floor area is vacant over the last four years.

The IT Park has advantages like a nearby airport and some industrialists, who belong to this area, may shift their offices for the AP capital. In this backdrop, the ready infrastructure is suitable for establishing offices without any delay.

No one has come forward for space in Medha IT Park. Earlier, several companies enquired about the space position and available facilities in the IT Park. But lately all of them have been silent.

According to sources, all companies are waiting for Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s IT policy.

Speculation is doing the rounds in IT circles that the Chief Minister would allot 500 acres of land for IT companies. If the land is allotted near the IT Park, it might get automatic response from IT companies, an official said.

On the other hand, recently a government team visited the IT Park for shifting offices from Hyderabad. But the proposal has not materialised so far, said Gannavaram Medha IT Park manager Krishna Rao.

Clogged Drains Draw Mayor's Ire

Vijayawada mayor Koneru Sridhar interacting with people during his visit to 

5th Division in Vijayawada on Saturday

VIJAYAWADA: Mayor Koneru Sridhar, who inspected the sanitation facilities in the city, expressed his displeasure over the plight of side drains, on Saturday. The mayor, who noticed the underground drainage connections from houses flowing into side drains at Durga Agraharam, gave direction to initiate disciplinary action against a sanitary inspector.

After inspecting the sanitation facilities at Seetharampuram, Durga Agraharam, Chaparalavari street, Dasarivari street, LB Road, Alluri Seetharamaraju vanthena and other places, Koneru Sridhar expressed his displeasure over the poor condition of the drains. He ordered officials to take up repair works of side drains at Chaparalavari veedhi, as rain water was getting stagnated on the roads.

He also ordered to expedite the road widening works on Nirmala Convent Road. The mayor also gave directions to conduct repair works on Seetharampuram drainage pumping station road as vehicle drivers were facing problems due to uneven manholes.

He also told officials to remove illegal encroachments at various places. councillors K Shesharani, K Sailaja, Ch Gandhi and sanitation and engineering officials also accompanied the mayor.