Governor's straight talk floors industry

HYDERABAD: Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan has asked the industry captains to contribute higher chunk of funds for the development of the State in which their establishments are located.
“The profit the industry is making in spite of recession is huge. But, what percentage of it is being ploughed back to the State?” he asked exhorting the industry to devise corporate social responsibility programmes that would have lasting impact on the State. “I am not deriding your work, but we plant trees at the same venue every year calling it tree plantation and the same set of people turn up for blood donation”, he said in a lighter vein.
Stressing the need for the industry to go to ground for understanding the reach of programmes, he said organisations like the Confederation of Indian Industry were not expected to just prepare papers, but had the responsibility of ensuring implementation of at least few programmes. In this direction, he wanted the industry to come out with a vision document outlining plans it had for bringing investments into the State. “Each one of you should bring investments to the State,” he said.
CII meeting
He was addressing a public session on “sustaining inclusive growth in a challenging economy” organised as part of the annual meeting of State chapter of the CII here on Saturday. Mr. Narasimhan wanted all sections and segments of people, including rural population, to be taken together in the growth process as confining growth to a section would “deepen the divide”. The Governor who touched upon key segments of development including infrastructure and healthcare in his address wondered how planners were ‘looking at just tomorrow, not days beyond'. “The climate change for instance. Are we taking any steps or confining the issue to board room discussions?” the Governor questioned.
Accolades pour in
His speech won instant accolades from the audience comprising leading industrialists. CII-AP chairman Y. Harish Chandra Prasad remarked “we are, for the first time, seeing a no non-sense Governor”.
Responding to complaints of acute power shortages, he said the State was exploring a merchant power policy as well as measures to augment the generation capacity.
Indian School of Business dean Ajit Rangnekar said the first phase of globalisation was dominated by developed countries like the US and the second saw emerging economies like India and China supplying goods and services to developed world. Globalisation 3.0, the next phase where affordable business where high quality of goods and services would be provided at reasonable costs, was on the anvil.
Asserting that enough work had not been done in this direction, he wanted the Indian industry to evolve affordable solutions that would also make work profitable.
Small Scale Industries Minister D.K. Aruna, CII southern region chairman C.R. Swaminathan and others also spoke.

JAC expulsion: TDP blames Chandrasekhar Rao

HYDERABAD: The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has blamed Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) president K. Chandrasekhar Rao for its expulsion from the political Joint Action Committee (JAC) and said the action was a sequel to the refusal of the party to toe his line.
The TDP discussed the JAC's decision announced around midnight on Friday at a meeting of the party leaders from Telangana here on Saturday. Convener of Telangana TDP forum Nagam Janardhan Reddy told reporters that the JAC had become the family concern of Mr. Rao. “Kodandaram presides and KCR & family decides” matters pertaining to JAC, he added.
He saw no logic in JAC's argument that it decided to expel TDP because the party got JAC supporters arrested during its president N. Chandrababu Naidu's tour of flood-hit parts in Mahabubnagar on Friday. “The JAC should have questioned the Congress which is in power rather than target the TDP.”
JAC convener Kodandaram and Mr. Rao were silent when the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government declared that it was not possible to reach an understanding on separate Telangana. However, Mr. Kodandaram and Mr. Rao colluded to get rid of the TDP on the issue of arrests which had nothing to do with the party, Mr. Reddy observed.
He also said the TDP had observed all the conditions laid down by the JAC while participating in its activities. It was Mr. Rao who violated the conditions. Yet, the TDP continued to be associated with the JAC in the interest of strengthening the separate Telangana movement.
The TDP contributed immensely to the growth of the JAC as a powerful organisation. However, the committee was now reduced to a single-party entity comprising TRS because of poor leadership of Mr. Kodandaram and KCR, he alleged.
Speaking to journalists earlier, Mr. Kodandaram justified the expulsion because the party failed to condemn the arrests and did not apologise for the attack on Telangana lawyers recently.

Telugu Desam Party leaders attacked in Chirala

HYDERABAD: Supporters of local Congress MLA, Amanchi Krishna Mohan, allegedly attacked Telugu Desam leaders and disrupted their meeting at Chirala on Friday.
Public meeting
The public meeting was held as part of the TDP and Left parties' campaign against alleged irregularities by Chirala MLA and his brother, according to a party spokesman here.
The meeting was progressing when Congress workers started throwing chilli powder packets, tomatoes and eggs. A clash ensued between Congress and Telugu Desam workers and police had to resort to mild lathicharge to disperse them.
Some workers from both parties received bruises.
Senior Telugu Desam Party leaders, K. Yerran Naidu, Umareddy Venkateswarlu, Lal Jan Basha and Kodela Sivaprasada who addressed the largely attended meeting , however managed to escape unhurt.
Condemn attack
In a statement, Yanamala Ramakrishnudu, Polit Bureau member condemned the attack as undemocratic.
He blamed the Chief Minister, K. Rosaiah, for the incident.
Mr. Rosaiah had represented Chirala constituency earlier and it was he who was instrumental in getting Mr. Krishna Mohan elected.
The senior Telugu Desam Party leader said the Congress was afraid as the meeting evoked tremendous response from the local people.

Telangana leaders get ‘no' from MLAs in Hyderabad

HYDERABAD: Efforts of Telangana Congress MLAs to convince their city colleagues to sign a memorandum to be submitted to the Srikrishna Committee have failed, as a majority of them refused to support them.
Signatures sought
Sources said Health Minister Danam Nagender turned down the plea, to sign a memorandum, of former Home Minister K. Jana Reddy on Friday on the ground that the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president would submit his report to the Committee.
“Unless the Central leadership directs us, we will not append out signatures to the memorandum”, he is reported to have told Mr. Jana Reddy.
Another MLA P. Vishnuvardhan Reddy also rejected the request stating that none of the present leaders had backed his late father P. Janardhan Reddy when he took up the separate Telangana cause.
Mr. Vishnuvardhan Reddy maintained that he would submit his views on the Statehood issue directly to AICC president Sonia Gandhi.
It may be mentioned here that Backward Classes Welfare Minister M. Mukesh Goud had already said the city legislators would hold a meeting and then prepare a report to be submitted to the Committee separately.
Priority
He maintained that the status of Hyderabad was high on their agenda.
Sources said except for B. Raji Reddy (Uppal), Bhikshapati Yadav (Serilingampally) and Kuna Srisailam Goud (Qutbullapur), other party legislators – Marri Sashidhar Reddy, T. Manemma, P. Shankar Rao and Jayasudha have not signed the memorandum.

Rayalaseema MLAs pitch for united State

Core issues:Rayalaseema legislators meeting in Hyderabad on Wednesday. J.C. Diwakar Reddy is also seen.
HYDERABAD: Divergent voices favouring merger of Rayalaseema with Telangana and creation of Greater Rayalaseema forced a meeting of Congress legislators here on Wednesday to unanimously pitch for maintaining the present status of Andhra Pradesh.
The meeting, attended by about two dozen MLAs and MLCs of Congress and Praja Rajyam from the Rayalaseema region, saw former Minister J.C. Diwakar Reddy while supporting a united Andhra Pradesh, gave an altogether new dimension to the statehood issue by saying that Rayalaseema would suffer the most if the State was bifurcated.
“If the State is divided, Andhra region has nothing to lose but Rayalaseema will have to depend on Telangana for every drop of river water. In such a scenario, it is better to merge Rayalaseema with Telangana,” he observed.
‘Humiliation'
He was joined by Yemmiganur MLA K.C. Keshava Reddy who wanted a full stop to humiliation of Rayalaseema people in Hyderabad by branding them as settlers.
Srisailam MLA Erasu Pratap Reddy wanted creation of Greater Rayalaseema, if bifurcation became necessary.
But, after a two-hour meeting where PR legislators were also present, the leaders stuck to their opposition to carving out a new State. Telugu Desam Party legislators skipped the meeting.
Leaders recalled the sacrifice made by Andhra/Rayalaseema by way of shifting the State capital from Kurnool and High Court at Guntur to Hyderabad in the overall interests of Telugu-speaking people.
Instead of bifurcation, they wanted the Central and State governments to identify most backward areas in all the three regions for sustained development.
Government Whip Sake Sailajanath said the need to maintain present status of united Andhra Pradesh and ensuring all-round development of the State would form part of their report to the panel. Kurnool MLA T.G. Venkatesh said another meeting would be held on March 18 to fine-tune the report. Congress MLC Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy wanted the legislators to fight to protect the rights of Rayalaseema, while PR MLA Shoba Nagi Reddy said her party was always in favour of united AP.

Telugu Desam targeting KCR: Harish Rao

SANGAREDDY: Former MLA T. Harish Rao alleged that the Telugu Desam (TDP) has been targeting TRS president K. Chandrasekhar with ulterior motives under the guidance of the party president N. Chandrababu Naidu.
Asking why Chandrasekhar Rao became a target of TDP leaders from the region and wondered whether it was just because he prepared himself to sacrifice his life for the cause of Telangana.
Speaking to reporters here on Wednesday, Mr. Harish Rao said that TDPP leader Nama Nageswara Rao, TDLP deputy leader Nagam Janardhan Reddy and MLA E. Dayakar Rao has been attacking Chandrasekhar Rao for the past four days with an intension to throw mud on him.
“People had already understood the sincerity of the political parties and who resigned to the elected posts and who are sticking to them. Had TDP leaders been committed for the Telangana cause, why they did not resign?'' he asked.
He said that the formation of separate Telangana State, which was almost made possible with the fast taken up by Chandrasekhar Rao, has been put on back burner because the TDP had changed its decision on resignations.
He said that the pressure on the ruling party had been increase if the opposition MLAs had also resigned from the elected posts.
“Congress will prove or perish from the region by its act on Telangana. Let the TDP clarify its stand on Telangana. Will the party want to survive in Telangana?” he asked.
Finds fault
Finding fault with Janardhan Reddy's comments on TRS resignations, the former MLA said that they had resigned only after taking a decision in the joint action committee (JAC) and in fact waited for one more day for the decision of the TDP leaders.
Former MLA M. Padma Devender Reddy, former MLC R. Satyanarayana and party district president M. Raghunandana Rao were also present.

Telangana activists mob Chiru

Mild tension:Pro-Telangana activists gheraoing PR president Chiranjeevi's vehicle when he came to protest against power cuts at Vidyut Soudha in Hyderabad on Tuesday.
HYDERABAD: Praja Rajyam (PR) president K. Chiranjeevi had a first-hand experience of facing Telangana activists on Tuesday, perhaps for the first time since the movement intensified in December last, during the party's dharna against power cuts in front of the Vidyut Soudha here.
A large number of employees of AP Genco and Transco under the aegis of Telangana Electricity Employees Joint Action Committee (TEEJAC) surrounded Mr. Chiranjeevi and other leaders of the PR, when they were coming out of the AP Transco Chairman's office and insisted upon him to express support for Telangana.
However, Mr. Chiranjeevi and other leaders told the sloganeers that it was not proper on their part to press for such things. They were escorted out of the office by the police without precipitation of the situation.
Mr. Chiranjeevi blamed the State government for severe power crisis even before the onset of peak summer. He attributed the problem to lack of foresight by the government.

Rosaiah, Naidu hail passage of Women's Bill in Rajya Sabha

HYDERABAD: Chief Minister K. Rosaiah has complimented women in the country for the historic Women's Reservation Bill being passed in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.
Addressing a hurriedly convened press conference in the Secretariat, Mr. Rosaiah flanked by his colleagues – J. Geetha Reddy, D.K. Arunda, Botcha Satyanarayana and P.Viswaroop – said: “It is victory for Indian women”.
“The credit for the historic Bill getting the acceptance of the Upper House goes to the relentless effort put in by the UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh,” he said. He said Ms. Gandhi did not succumb to the pressure tactics by some parties and a determined government ensured that the Bill was passed as a gift for the International Women's Day.
He hoped that the Bill would also be passed in the Lok Sabha without any difficulty. He said the passage of Women's Quota Bill reminded him of the elation Indians felt on achieving Independence.
Greatest event
Geetha Reddy said women became part of history with the Bill getting the nod of Upper House. “Even though, the greatest event came a day late, we do not regret it. If late Rajiv Gandhi gave us reservations in the local bodies, today his wife Sonia Gandhi saw to it that women enjoyed reservation in legislature,” she pointed out. “The historic event will be written in golden letters,” she remarked.
Ms. Aruna said Andhra Pradesh always gave due weightage to women. “Late Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy inducted as many as six women as Ministers while Mr. Rosaiah has made Geetha Reddy as the Congress Legislature Party leader,” she said.
Hailing the passage of the Women's Reservation Bill in Rajya Sabha, Telugu Desam Party president N. Chandrababu Naidu hoped that political parties would continue the same spirit in ensuring its passage in Lok Sabha too.
Asserting that the TDP was extending its full support to the Bill which was a major step towards empowerment of women, he said the party would, however, work for ensuring representation to OBCs and minorities. Admitting that several concerns were being expressed in terms of reservation of constituencies and other issues, he said parties should work for finding amicable solution to such problems.
Meanwhile, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) too, welcomed the passage of the Bill in the Upper House. Members of the All India Democratic Women's Association celebrated the historic moment by distributing sweets at M.B. Bhavan, the CPI (M)'s State headquarters, on Tuesday evening.
The CPI (M) State committee exhorted the political parties to carry on the same spirit and see that the Bill was passed in Lok Sabha and reservation to women became a reality.

Women's Bill: on to the Lok Sabha

New Delhi: Almost all political parties agree that the task to get the Women's Reservation Bill approved by the Lok Sabha would be far more difficult than it was in the Rajya Sabha. For, the three Yadav leaders — Mulayam Singh, Lalu Prasad and Sharad Yadav — who together constitute the staunchest opposition to the legislation, are all members of the House of the People.
Although the numbers in the Lok Sabha are stacked up nicely in support of the Bill, it seems the government may prefer to get the urgent financial business of this budget session through before giving the final push to women's reservation in Parliament.
It is also equally clear that with the Congress floor strategy worked out successfully in the Rajya Sabha — if the same were to be applied in the Lower House — the supporters of the Bill would together comfortably meet the constitutional requirement of numbers for the historic constitutional amendment.
Enough majority The Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Left parties, United Progressive Alliance partners (minus the Trinamool Congress which abstained in the Rajya Sabha), the Biju Janata Dal, the Akalis, the Shiv Sena, the Telugu Desam Party and other smaller groups between them have more than the two-thirds majority required to see the Bill through comfortably.
On Tuesday, the message has been sent home to those opposing the Bill that they will not be allowed to subvert the will of the House, even if that means suspension of members and use of marshals to take them out.
That is expected to have the desired effect as some of them may prefer to remain inside the House during the debate, speak their mind and cast their votes against it rather than disrupt proceedings.
Politically disastrous For at least one party, the Janata Dal (United), opposition to the Bill has proved to be politically disastrous leading to a vertical split in its ranks.

Sonia powers women’s victory

Tags: Bill, Fourteen years, Lok Sabha, Pranab Mukherjee, Rajya Sabha, RJD, SP, Trinamul Congress, UPA, Women's Reservation Bill

New Delhi, March 9: History was created when the Women’s Reservation Bill, which seeks to set aside 33 per cent of seats in the Lok Sabha and state legislatures, was passed in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

Fourteen years after the first attempt and repeated opposition, the 108th Constitution amendment bill was adopted with a majority with 186 members voting in favour and one against after two days of bitter hostility.

While UPA ally Trinamul Congress, with two members, kept away from voting, the 15-member BSP, opposing the bill in its present form, staged a walkout. In the 245-member House, with an effective strength of 233, the bill required the backing of at least 155 members.

It was a victory for the UPA chairperson and Congress chief, Mrs Sonia Gandhi who, despite stiff and unrelenting opposition from Mr Lalu Prasad Yadav and Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav, masterminded the passage of the bill.

A justifiably overjoyed Mrs Gandhi said the women’s quota Bill was a dream of Rajiv Gandhi.

“We have been waiting for years — because you know that it was my husband Rajiv Gandhi’s vision. And Panchayati Raj was in fact going to be the beginning. So I am really happy, of course, for my party but also for all the women of the country.”

She said the government had taken a huge risk in taking up the bill, but “We have taken such risks before.”

“Politics is always full of risks. There will be impact on one side or the other but the larger picture of women empowerment has to be kept in mind.”

Ms Gandhi took a potshot at the SP and the RJD for their opposition to the bill, saying: “Who is preventing you from giving tickets to Muslims, OBCs within the reserved 33 per cent seats?”

She said she was not sure whether the Bill would be brought before the Lok Sabha during the current session of Parliament.

She appeared confident of the stability of the government and wished the UPA’s “former partners” were with the government for passing the legislation.

“Of course we understand their compulsion, their problems. I hope they will understand and they will look at the larger picture. Why can’t women after all be in power,” she said,

Tuesday’s voting exposed the split in the JD(U).

Hyderabad ‘strongly down', says report

HYDERABAD: Employment generation in manufacturing, IT, infrastructure and construction are all down in Hyderabad with companies putting their plans on hold due to political uncertainty.
The city is put in the ‘Strongly Down' category compared to other major cities in the country like Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Kolkota, according to Ma Foi Employment Trends Survey released here. Ma Foi is an international HR service provider servicing top companies across the globe.
The survey was conducted among 1,000 companies across 11 industry segments – Banking and Financial Services (BFSI), Education, Energy, Health, Hospitality & Travel, IT, ITES, Real estate & Construction, Trade, Transport and Manufacturing. These companies were queried about their hiring intentions in the next three months and over the next year.
The survey reveals a very positive picture for Ahmedabad, Pune and Chennai and a moderate picture for Kolkota and Bangalore. Delhi is also hit but not in the same league as Hyderabad. Manufacturing and IT segments see a positive growth in the cities where positive growth is projected.
Ahmedabad seems to be the biggest gainer with an uptrend noticed in all the sectors and new investments flowing into Gujarat.
The survey outcome says the organised sector in India is set to create close to a million new jobs in the year 2010-2011 and the overall picture looks bright for the year. .
Health Care industry seems to be biggest beneficiary with 2,95,000 jobs projected in the sector.
Over the last 18 months, when most industries were busy restructuring operations, Indian pharmaceutical and healthcare industry was adding manpower and giving salary increases. Education and Consultancy, IT and ITES and Manufacturing sectors will be other major job providers.

Ministers hopeful of passage of Women's Bill

HYDERABAD: Ministers -- J. Geeta Reddy and P. Sabitha Indra Reddy and Secunderabad MLA and former actress Jayasudha on Sunday hoped that under the leadership of UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, the Women's Bill would be passed in the Lok Sabha on Monday.
They were addressing a gathering of women journalists at a meeting organised by the local chapter of Network of Women in Media-India (NWMI) on the eve of the 100 {+t} {+h} International Women's Day. Speakers declared that whatever steps were taken for women's empowerment, their safety and encouragement to become leaders took place only during the Congress rule. While calling for stricter implementation of laws and also for amendments to be made, Dr. Geeta Reddy said there was no cause for alarm.
Ms. Geeta Reddy said women were administrators by birth and in the past proved that they could take the reins of leadership when situation demanded. She cited as examples President Pratibha Patil, Sonia Gandhi and Hyderabad Mayor Banda Karthika Reddy. She said women will never forget former Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy's pro-active role and his initiatives in proposing to the Centre amendments to laws pertaining to attacks on women.
Ms. Sabitha Reddy explained how YSR had suggested a 10-year imprisonment for those involved in acid attacks, compensation of Rs. 10 lakh for the victim/family and the need for making section 509 CrPC non-bailable so that people would think twice before picking up an acid bottle.
The section dealt with cases registered against men for any word/gesture insulting women.
Ms. Jayasudha said atrocities against women could be curbed only if laws were strictly implemented, apart from new amendments put in place. Recalling the line that ‘behind every successful man, there is a woman', she said the reverse was also true to a large extent.

Congress MPs concerned over Manmohan's remark

Clear stand: MPs Madhu Yaskhi Goud, M. Jagannath and G. Vivekananda after a meeting in Hyderabad on Sunday.
HYDERABAD: Three Telangana Congress MPs have said the remark by the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that consensus was needed to create Telangana was a matter of serious concern.
Congress MPs – Madhu Yaskhi Goud (Nizamabad), Manda Jagannath (Nagarkurnool) and G. Vivekananda (Peddapally) – who met here on Sunday said they were surprised by the statement made by the Prime Minister in Parliament. “We will meet him and try to get clarification about the statement,” the three MPs said talking to reporters after the meeting.
They pointed out that there was no mention about consensus in the December 9 and 23 statement made by Union Home Minister P. Chidamabaram. Mr. Vivekananda said Telangana Congress MPs would not hesitate to resign their Lok Sabha membership if the Srikrishna Committee report was against the interests of Telangana region.
“All the MPs are confident that Centre would concede Telangana,” he said adding that the Congress MPs from the region would submit a report to the panel in support of separate State. The MPs hoped that APCC chief D. Srinivas in his report would certainly make mention about the Congress election manifesto and the stand it had taken on the statehood issue.
Attack condemned
They condemned the uncivilised attack on the advocates when they were staging a protest at a meeting organised by the TDP. They wanted criminal cases to be filed against the culprits.
Meanwhile, Anantapur MP Ananta Venkatrami Reddy said people who were in support of united Andhra Pradesh could send their reports to him. He gave two email addresses for communication. The email IDs of the MP are mpanantapur@yahoo.com and mpanantha@gmail.com. He said there are people in all the 23 districts who are still in favour of integrated State. The data sent by various people would be compiled and the same would be submitted to the Srikrishna Committee, he added.

Copter assembly unit for Hyderabad

BIG BREAK: Agusta Westland helicopter at the Aviation expo in Hyderabad on Friday.
HYDERABAD: Italian helicopter manufacturer Agusta Westland and Tata Motors which recently signed joint venture for setting up a final assembly unit of AW 119 have finalised Hyderabad as location for the proposed unit. “We have finalised Hyderabad for the helicopter project owing to its closeness to several special economic zones and we are on the look out for suitable piece of land. We are hopeful of rolling out the first copter from this facility by 2011,” a senior official of Agusta Westland said. Once operational, the new unit would enhance the country's presence in the growing rotocraft market.
The unit would take up final assembly and fly test of the copters before they are delivered to the customers. The joint venture is engaged in preparing designs to ensure a capacity to produce 30 units a year, catering not only to requirements in domestic market, but also markets abroad.
Rotocraft market
The Italian chopper major produces a range of military helicopters from the single engine AW 119, three-engine AW 101 in addition to two combat copters, AW 129 and Apache AH.
The copters that are proposed to be assembled at the new facility are primarily intended for defence purposes, but they could be used for civil and public services including executive transport, emergency medical services, the official said.
Agusta Westland, he said, was planning to tap the high potential in rotocraft market in India where the requirement was expected to be around 800 copters in the next decade. The company was one among the three firms in the race for a recent tender from the Indian Army for 197 copters to replace the older fleet.