Kodad upgraded to municipality

HYDERABAD: The State government on Thursday decided to upgrade Kodad in Nalgonda district into a municipality, thus fulfilling a long-cherished ream of the people in this town.

With this, the total number of municipalities in the State will go up to 109.

At the same time, 12 gram panchayats will be upgraded into nagara panchayats, a step towards making them municipalities in future, if necessary.

The panchayats are -- Gollaprolu, Ravulapalem, Mummadivaram (East Godavari district), S. Kota (Vizianagaram), Banaganapalli, Gudur (Kurnool), Alluru (Nellore), Ieeza (Mahabubnagar), and Jammikunta, Vemulawada, Peddapalli and Huzurabad (Karimnagar).

There are already seven nagara panchayats in the State which.

Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy gave his approval to upgrading the gram panchayats after a meeting with officials on Thursday.

‘Centre lacking political will on Lokpal bill'

RAJAHMUNDRY: Bharatiya Janata Party leader M. Venkaiah Naidu on Thursday said the Union Government was lacking the political will to introduce the Lokpal bill and had not taken the Opposition into confidence on the issue.

Addressing a press conference, he said the Government was now arguing that Anna Hazare and Baba Ramdev were not elected members of any legislature and therefore no dialogue with them was warranted. He said the Lokpal bill was more important than any other matter. So, the bill should be tabled in Parliament in the coming winter session, he said.

He said their party would support any one willing to fight against corruption and seeking tabling of the Lokpal bill without dilution. Mr Venkaiah Naidu said all scams -- from 2G to KG basin - should be probed and everyone, including the Prime Minister, should be brought within the purview of the Lokpal. Their party would launch an anti-corruption agitation for four days from June 23 all over the country.

The BJP leader said the government was not showing accountability on farmers' demand for increase of minimum support price and purchase of their produce directly by the government. He said farmers themselves declaring ‘crop holiday' was a dangerous signal. It would mean a food crisis looming on the country, he said.

He demanded that the State government release white paper on several issues pertaining to farmers. He asked the government to give details of the compensation paid for crop loss caused by cyclones Jal and Laila. He demanded district-wise statistics of paddy procurement, details of purchase of discoloured paddy etc. He asked the Union Government to send a team with Agriculture, Food and Finance Secretaries to study the farming crisis in the State and assess the situation of farmers who declared crop holiday. BJP senior leader Somu Veerraju participated.

Utilise services of anganwadis for verification of electoral rolls: CEO

ONGOLE: Chief Electoral Officer Bhanwar Lal on Thursday urged Prakasam district poll officials to make best use of the services of anganwadis to remove any discrepancies in the photo electoral rolls before publication in the draft electoral rolls on October 1.

Holding a review meeting here with the poll officials in Prakasam district, the CEO said “despite low pay, anganwadis are doing a great work at the grass-root level.”

“The services of anganwadis, who were thorough with each of the 200 to 300 households at the booth level, should be utilised after training to prepare a flawless photo electoral rolls in each and every booth,” he said, adding “every door should be tapped to prepare a flawless photo electoral rolls.”

He said a pilot project would be taken up to link the electoral rolls with the biometric Aadhaar cards and based on its success, it would be extended to other places.

He said the booth level officials would be provided Rs. five per each EPIC card for correction of any mistakes in the name of the voter and other particulars including age and address. He urged the officials concerned to rectify mistakes if any after door-to-door survey. “Even letters received by an individual can be considered as address proof for the purpose of registration of voters,” he said.

Address ryots' issues immediately: TDP

show of solidarity:TDP leaders staging a dharna on behalf of farmers in Ongole on Thursday.

ONGOLE: Hundreds of activists of the main opposition Telugu Desam Party staged a dharna in front of the Prakasam Bhavan to press for immediate action by the State government to address the serious issues concerning farmers.

Leading the protest, TDP District President D. Janardhan said “it is unfortunate that the farmers in the state are neither getting farm inputs, including seed and fertilizers at right time nor remunerative price for their produce due to the Congress government's indifference to peasants plight.”

The “inept” Kiran Kumar Reddy Government should immediately step down “as it is not in a position ensure the welfare of farmers,” TDP Farmers wing President K. Venkaiah said. “The days are not far off when the people teach a fitting lesson to the ruling Congress,” he added.

Party Ongole constituency in-charge E. Haribabu said, “not only the paddy growers, but also cultivators of tobacco, subabul and other crops who are struggling to get a fair price for their produce.”

‘Shameful'

The Congress government should hold its head down in shame for the current unfavourable market condition leading to announcement of crop holiday by farmers, he felt.

The TDP leaders and activists who have come from different parts of the district later submitted a memorandum to the state government through district Collector Kantilal Dande demanding immediate attention to resolve various issues concerning farmers.

Centre urged to reduce price of petrol

Protest mode: Left activists staging demonstration in front of the Collectorate in Kurnool on Thursday.

KURNOOL: The activists of CITU and AITUC staged a demonstration in front of the Collectorate here on Thursday urging the Centre to reduce the prices of petroleum products.

CITU president E. Pulla Reddy, AITUC president Makbool said the prices could be brought down if duties on the products were reduced.

Intervention sought

The government had never talked of the taxes it imposed on the essential petroleum products but went on harping on revision of prices in the international market. The government could intervene to absorb the hikes in the crude prices.

They alleged that the Congress government policies were helping the rich while the poor were subjected to exploitation.

The government had no control over the rich and their finances. The number of millionaires present in the Parliament were increasing year after year.

They said the millionaire politicians used the government resources for furthering their economic interests.

They alleged that Reliance Company made a profit of Rs. 2 lakh crore from the KG Basin Gas.

They said the prices of essential commodities would not come down unless the government reduced the duty rates and rolled back the fuel prices.

CITU leader M. Gopal and AITUC leader Subbarayudu presided over the meeting while AITUC senior leader Manohar Manikyam and others spoke.

547 classrooms will be built in State: Minister

KADAPA: The UPA government enacted Right To Education Act with an objective to ensure compulsory education of all children between six and 14 years of age, Minister for Minority Welfare Mohd. Ahmedullah said on Friday.

Five hundred and forty seven additional classrooms would be built in the State with an outlay of Rs.21 crore, the Minister said. In all, 107 additional class rooms were being inaugurated in 60 schools in Kadapa district with an outlay of Rs.4.28 crore, he added.

Inauguration

Mr. Ahmedullah inaugurated 12 additional classrooms, built at a cost of Rs.47.04 lakh in five schools in Kadapa. He opened four additional class rooms, built with Rs. 15.04 lakh in in the Municipal Urdu high school at Nakkash, one classroom each in the mandal parishad high school at Bachumpalle Harijanawada and municipal primary school at Bhagatsingh Nagar and three rooms each in A.P. Residential School for Girls in Chinna Chowk and YSR regional sports school at Putlampalle.

Uniforms

The Central and State governments were according utmost priority to the education sector, the Minister said. Eighty five per cent of textbooks were distributed among students in the district, which was allotted the highest quota of books, he said. Textbooks with new syllabus would be distributed soon. Each student was being given a pair of uniforms.

The Minister disbursed scholarships of Rs.1.15 lakh among 115 minority students besides, textbooks and notebooks in the Urdu high school at Nakkash. He promised to strive for educational development of minorities and urged them to study. The Urdu schools at Nakkash, Kagithalapenta and Nandalur were upgraded, he said.

He inspected the quality of food supplied in mid-day meals scheme in the school at Bachumpalle and directed Transco SE Lakshminarayana to provide electricity to Bachumpalle Harijanawada within a day.

He told Kadapa Municipal Commissioner D. John Samson to take steps to resolve the drinking water and street lighting problems in the area.

On finding students studying in the verandah in the social welfare residential school, he admonished the principal Sainath for seeking additional classrooms without utilising the existing ones.

Collector V.Anil Kumar, Rajiv Vidya Mission Project Officer Suryanarayana Reddy, Regional Sports School Special Officer Ramachandra Reddy, Kadapa MEO Parimala Sujana, DE Murahari Reddy, GCDO Anupama, teachers and students participated.