Rousing reception to Jagan

In limelight:YSR Congress Party president Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy greets the crowd at Valluramma temple centre on the outskirts of Ongole on Saturday.

ONGOLE: Fresh from victory in the by-election to the Kadapa Lok Sabha seat, YSR Congress Party president Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy was accorded a rousing reception in the town on Saturday night.
Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy was offered a traditional welcome on the outskirts of the town at the famous Valluramma temple, where he offered special puja to the goddess.
Congress MLAs Balineni Srinivasa Reddy and B. Sivaprasada Reddy were among the large number of leaders and activists who welcomed the youth leader.
Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy paid floral tributes to the statue of his father Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy before entering the town. A large number of cars and motorcycles carrying frenzied youths followed him. Hundreds of YSR Congress Party activists turned euphoric as they danced on the streets to the drum beats. Vehicular traffic on the arterial Chennai-Kolkata highway came to a grinding halt between Valluramma and Pelluru for several hours.
The emotionally-charged youth burst crackers and hailed the record-breaking win of Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy from Kadapa and his mother Vijayamma from Pulivendula Assembly constituency.
Slogans such as ‘Y.S. Jagan future CM, ‘Y.S. Jagan zindabad' rented the air as the roadshow continued till late in the night.

Naidu asks ryots to topple government

On a mission:A woman showing damaged tobacco leaves to TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu at a public meeting held at Thakkellapadu in Guntur district on Saturday

SATTENAPALLI (GUNTUR DT.): Telugu Desam president N. Chandrababu Naidu has exhorted farmers to topple the government if it continues to be ‘indifferent' to their plight.
The government should purchase huge stocks of paddy lying in farmers' houses and private warehouses for minimum support price, pay compensation for the crops damaged due to unseasonal rain late last year, and take other steps to make agriculture profitable. Otherwise, there is no point in allowing the government to stay in power.
“You have seen how people in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu voted corrupt regimes out of power. If your problems are not to be solved, you also should come on to the roads and dislodge the government, the TDP will support you,” Mr. Naidu asserted.
Addressing farmers at the agricultural market yard here during his one-day tour of the district on Saturday, Mr. Naidu said wherever he went farmers have the same sordid tales to narrate but the government was apparently more worried about its survival in the wake of the latest political developments.
Most of the farmers were burdened by debt and their woes were compounded by the bank's reluctance to extend fresh loans and waive interest. The loss incurred by them due to natural calamities was a major blow to their livelihood.
Renowned agricultural scientist M.S. Swaminathan suggested a slew of remedial measures but none of them had been implemented till date. The prices of farm inputs, mainly fertilizers, and labour charges increased steeply making it extremely difficult for farmers to meet the rising expenditure.
Land acquisition
Mr. Naidu took objection to acquisition of about 460 acres of agricultural land around Atmakur, Tadepalli, Penumaka and Vundavalli in Mangalagiri Assembly constituency by the VGTM-UDA for townships and other projects. Instead of sitting at home, farmers should revolt against the injustice, like what happened in Singur and Nandigram. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi took up the cause of farmers in Greater Noida while the same atrocities were being committed in this Congress-ruled State, he observed. Training guns on the government, Mr. Naidu said Ministers were ‘playing musical chairs' to cling to power. Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy could do nothing significant for farmers' welfare except giving statements to the media. He had no time for governance as he was preoccupied with the Congress' battle with Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy.
Both the parties spent huge sums for purchasing votes in the Kadapa by-elections. Sympathy and money power tilted the scales in favour of Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy and his mother in the by-elections, he alleged.
Narasaraopet MP Modugula Venugopala Reddy, Chilakaluripet MLA and district party president Pratthipati Pulla Rao, MLAs K. Sridhar, G.V. Anjaneyulu, Nakka Anand, former MP Lal Jan Basha, Umareddy Venkateswarulu, and Kodela Sivaprasada Rao were present.

KCR warns of Telangana agitation peaking again

Future strategy:Telangana JAC chairman M. Kodandaram with TRS president K. Chandrasekhar Rao and TNGO's Central Union president K. Swamy Goud at a meeting in Hyderabad on Saturday.

HYDERABAD: Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) president K. Chandrasekhar Rao has said that the issue of separate Telangana will get focussed at national and international levels by June 10 when the region will “boil” with agitations.
He also said an overdose of the agitation in the coming days was justified because the prime targets this time would be MPs and MLAs of Congress and Telugu Desam who have played mischievous games on the slogan of Telangana. He asked the supporters of Telangana to keep the missiles ready for Congress MPs if they did not resign, as promised, in the event of Statehood not being granted by the first week of June.
Mr. Rao was addressing a meeting of the steering committee of Telangana joint action committee (JAC) here on Saturday. Targeting the TDP, he asked the JAC to give a call to the cadre of that party in Telangana to quit and join the TRS, BJP or the JAC itself. Already 7 to 8 lakh activists of TDP had joined the TRS.
The JAC should also vacate its office housed in the quarter of TDP MLA E. Dayakar Rao at the New MLA quarters here. Mr. Dayakar Rao often insulted the JAC publicly saying it worked from his accommodation.
Mr. Rao also took the JAC to task for deliberating on whether or not to attend the rally of another TDP leader Nagam Janardhan Reddy at Nagarkurnool recently. Mr. Reddy and Minister Jupalli Krishna Rao, both of whom claimed to champion the cause of Telangana, carried out “duplicate” activities which the JAC should not have considered.
He took a dig at JAC chairman M. Kodandaram's remark earlier that the Telangana agitation passed through a stalemate recently and said it was an irresponsible one. In this context, he said a movement did not mean that people should take to streets everyday.
Mr. Kodandaram said the targets of agitation by JAC after June 1 would be Congress leaders since they dilly dallied on separate Telangana for over a year.

Jagan launches fast for farmers

In limelight:YSR Congress Party president Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy at the ‘Rythu Deeksha' in Guntur on Sunday. To his left is Nellore MP Mekapati Rajamohan Reddy.

GUNTUR: YSR Congress Party president Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy began a 48-hour hunger strike “Rythu Deeksha” in support of distressed farmers at the sprawling ground near Agricultural Market Yard here amid large presence of YSR loyalists, party leaders and farmers.
Savouring the success of the by-polls, Mr. Jagan launched the fast in the presence of six Congress MLAs – Balineni Srinivasa Reddy (Ongole), Konda Surekha (Parkal), Pinnelli Ramakrishna Reddy (Macherla), M. Sucharita (Pratthipadu), G. Srikanth Reddy (Rayachoti) and B. Sivaprasad Reddy (Darsi) and TDP MLA N. Prasanna Kumar Reddy (Kovur). Congress MP from Nellore Mekapati Rajamohan Reddy also joined the protest. Party MLCs - Jupudi Prabhakar Rao, Pulla Padmavati and Desai Tippa Reddy were among the loyalists, who participated.
Disqualification notices served on rebel Congress MLAs did not deter his supporters from marking their attendance. Indications available suggest the number of MLAs joining the protest would go up by the time the MP-elect ends his fast on May 17.
Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy first paid floral tributes at his father's statue and greeted the crowd before taking his seat on the stage.
Though, Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy, who sat on an elevated dais surrounded by large number of his supporters, did not address the gathering, other leaders described his protest as an indication of his commitment and dedication to the cause of resolving problems of the farmers. They asserted that in fighting for people's problems, Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy was the only true inheritor of late YSR's legacy and none could dare to stake claim.
Speakers wondered why AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi was not taking up the cause of farmers in Congress-ruled States like Andhra Pradesh, where the farmers' plight was worsening because of the total failure of the government.
The party top brass however maintained that it was an event aimed at exerting pressure on the Central and State governments to not merely show concern for the plight of farmers' but to take concrete measures to alleviate their suffering.
Addressing the large gathering which comprised farmers and general public, Ms. Surekha said Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy's fast was not to rope in MLAs of other parties to his side but to highlight the grievances of farmers.
Among others, NTR TDP president N. Lakshmi Parvathi and former TTD Trust Board chairman B. Karunakar Reddy were present.

Naidu for increase in MSP for paddy

Symbolic protest: TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu and CPI (M) MLA J.Ranga Reddy ride bicycles to protest increase in petrol price, at Miryalaguda on Sunday.

MIRYALAGUDA: Telugu Desam Party president N. Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday strongly criticised the government, describing it as ‘inefficient' and failing to protect the interests of farmers. He threatened to make it a national issue by raising in Parliament and other fora.
Talking to press persons, after undertaking a whistle-stop tour of Miryalaguda constituency, visting local IKP centre, Thungapahad market yard and interacting with farmers, he demanded increased minimum support price for paddy, implementation of M.S. Swaminathan Committee recommendation, scrapping of the token system at market yards. Mr. Naidu wanted the government to undertake procurement of paddy lying in market yards, IKP centres and ryots' rented premises.
Shortage of bags
He pointed out that paddy in lakhs of tonnes was lying unsold. There was severe shortage of gunny bags. Stocks at IKP centres could not be transported. Millers and traders were colluding to deny MSP to farmers. He cautioned the administration against complacency in view of the monsoon and threat of rats/pests damaging stored paddy, debt burden of ryots. This would force farmers to resort to distress sale.
Mr. Naidu flayed both the Centre and the State for failing to check prices and raising petrol price. He feared that the price rise would have cascading effect with transport becoming dearer and inflation rising.
Earlier, the TDP chief and local legislator Julakanti Ranga Reddy (CPI-M) rode bicycles to protest price hike of petrol. Telugu Desam MLAs Uma Madhav Reddy and M. Narasimhulu, accompanied him. Several TDP and CPI (M) activists, waving flags, marched in a rally from Miryalaguda Revenue Divisional Office to local bus-stop.
At Kishtapuram, Mr . Naidu handed over a cheque for Rs.25,000 to the family of farmer Krishnaiah who died of a heart attack last year due to damage to paddy. V Swamy Goud, Nalgonda district TDP president, V. Chander Rao, Kodad MLA, among others, accompanied Mr. Naidu.

BJP says other parties are giving it publicity

KADAPA: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday reacted in a sarcastic manner and thanked Congress, Praja Rajyam (PR) and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leaders for giving vast publicity to the party all over the country, which it would not have got even by spending a few crores of rupees.

Rather than chanting the BJP mantra day in and day out, Praja Rajyam president K. Chiranjeevi, TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu and leaders of the Congress should have devoted the time to salvage their parties, which could go into oblivion in future, BJP district general secretary Gummalla Dhananjaya Reddy said. He also thanked the media for giving more publicity to the BJP than expected.

Mr. Dhananjaya Reddy also criticised YSR Congress Party president Y.S. Jaganmohana Reddy for alleging in the road show in Chennur that the BJP had failed to secure even 1,800 votes in Kadapa Lok Sabha constituency in the last election. Mr. Jaganmohana Reddy, who was making his followers assert that he would become Chief Minister, should realise his lack of comprehension of how many votes the BJP had secured in the last poll.

Jagan violating code of conduct: PCC

HYDERABAD: The APCC leaders have requested deployment of sufficient armed forces to provide security in the Kadapa LS constituency in view of disturbances in some areas.

In a representation to the Chief Electoral Officer Bhanwarlal, the PCC leaders Rudraraju Padma Raju, G. Rudraraju and M. Gangadhar here on Wednesday, said that Muslim minority colonies in Jammalamadugu and Pulivendula were sensitive areas and disturbances were already witnessed in Lingala and Simhadripuram mandals. They also complained that Kadapa LS candidate Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy was using government and public places to display his symbol in violation of model code.

He was also availing the services of Christian preachers including his brother-in-law Anil Kumar in the campaign against the code, they said.

Jagan should back separate Telangana, says Jeevan

HYDERABAD: Former Minister T. Jeevan Reddy has said that if YSR Congress Party president Y.S.Jaganmohan Reddy claims to be heir of former Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, he should support the demand for separate Telangana.

At a press conference here on Wednesday, Mr. Jeevan Reddy referred to the stand announced by YSR on the floor of the Assembly in February 2009 on the statehood issue. He hoped that Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy would abide by his father's statement in the Assembly.

Mr. Jeevan Reddy said it was time the Congress took a decision on Telangana. “Only if the party creates a separate State, can it retain its respect,” he said and added that this would make people repose faith in the ruling party.

The former Minister urged Chief Minister N.Kiran Kumar Reddy to press for national project status for Pranahita Chevella irrigation scheme during his meeting with the Planning Commission. He said the project would be a lifeline for the backward areas in Medak, Karimnagar, and Ranga Reddy districts.

YSR's legacy belongs to Congress: Purandeswari

KADAPA: Former Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy's legacy belongs to the Congress, but not to YSR Congress Party president Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy, Union Minister of State for Human Resources D. Purandeswari asserted on Wednesday.

During her campaign in Lingala mandal in Pulivendula segment, she stated that YSR sentiment would not help Mr. Reddy's party and the Congress candidate for Pulivendula Assembly segment Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy, who is a good-natured leader, would win over his sister-in-law Y.S. Vijayamma. She would be pleased if any of her family member got a political position, the Union Minister said and remarked that she would not feel chagrined like Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy did.

Ms. Purandeswari denounced YSR Congress Party President Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy's contention that the by-election in Kadapa LS constituency was between UPA chairperson's betrayal and the self-respect of people of Kadapa.

Selfish interest

The elections were necessitated due to the selfish interest of a leader, she alleged. She deplored an attack on Praja Rajyam president K. Chiranjeevi during his campaign in Pulivendula town.

She appealed to people to elect Congress candidate for Pulivendula Assembly constituency Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy to ensure development of Pulivendula segment. Ms. Purandeswari, who canvassed in Pulivendula town, said she came to campaign on Mr. Vivekananda Reddy's request. She exuded confidence that Mr. Vivekananda Reddy would win and pave way for the development of Pulivendula. Twenty-Point Programme Implementation Committee Chairman N. Thulasi Reddy and others participated.

TRS MLAs concentrate on development works

ADILABAD: The current lull in the separate Telangana movement has made Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) MLAs from Adilabad district to concentrate on development of their respective constituencies. Moreover, they are not paying a heed to the raised eyebrows of party colleagues when meeting Ministers or Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy for sanction of developmental works.

Mancherial MLA G. Arvind Reddy has sought an appointment with the Chief Minister on Thursday to request him for a change in alignment of the four-lane Rajiv Rahadari in Karimnagar district so that it benefits his constituency and neighbouring Bellampalli. He does not seem to mind even if party leaders view the meeting from a different perspective.

The MLAs, including Kaveti Sammaiah, the suspended incumbent from Sirpur, apparently are not confident of the movement gaining momentum in near future. “It is difficult to sustain an agitation for longer periods,” says the Mancherial MLA about the ground reality.

He feels that initiating development activity is the right thing to do under the given circumstances. “I should be able to answer the people in my constituency,” he adds.

A segment of TRS leaders in the district is of the view that the movement is not left with sufficient steam. “We are searching for new ideas to revive the movement to keep up the pressure on the government,” a party leader commented sarcastically, apparently worried about the current lull phase in the movement.

Mr. Arvind Reddy also seems to subscribe to this theory as he does not sound very optimistic about the future of the agitation. His contention about the movement losing steam is based on the lack in lustre of the TRS formation day which was celebrated recently.

Rythu Chaitanya Yatra from May 17

KAKINADA: Arrangements are being made to conduct ‘Rythu Chaitanya Yatra' in the district from May 17 to June 2 and ‘Rythu Sadassu' from June 7 to 11. Addressing a review meeting with the officials of the agriculture department here on Wednesday, district Collector M. Ravi Chandra said the programmes were aimed at creating awareness among the farmers about the latest technologies available in the market for cultivation and related activities. Referring to the yatra, Mr. Ravi Chandra said mandal agriculture officer concerned would act as team leader for the tour in each mandal. The agriculture officer had the responsibility of covering all the villages in the mandal during the prescribed period. He said the yatra teams must gather at the office of the Tahasildar or Mandal Development Officer at 7.30 a.m. daily and cover the villages as per the schedule. Officials of the Rural Development, Horticulture, Fisheries, Marketing, Sericulture, Animal Husbandry, Irrigation, Forest, and Electricity departments were the members of the team. The teams were expected to cover at least two to three villages a day, Mr. Ravi Chandra said.

A control room was set up in the office of the Joint Director of agriculture to monitor and coordinate the yatra and the details could be had on phone number 0884-2378794, he explained.

Referring to the ‘Rythu Sadassu,' Mr. Ravi Chandra said the programme would be held in all revenue divisions and higher officials of agriculture and related departments would interact with the farmers. Joint Director of Agriculture P. Atma Ramulu was present.

Insurance schemes

VIZIANAGARAM: At a meeting with Agriculture, Horticulture, Animal Husbandry, Irrigation, and Transco officials, Collector M. Veerabrahmaiah asked them to make the programmes a success by involving farmers in large numbers.

They were also told to draw a schedule for each habitation. During the programme, the farmers must be informed about the quality seed processing, importance of vermi compost, and the adverse effects of organic manure. These apart, they should also be informed about crop and livestock insurance schemes.

Joint Director (Agriculture) Guravayya said that publicity material would be despatched soon. He asked model farmers to mobilise farmers and invite bankers and elected representatives to the meetings.

Route map

SRIKAKULAM: Addressing local officials through videoconference, Commissioner of Agriculture Vijayalakshmi asked them to accord top priority to the yatra. Assistant Director of Agriculture S. Muralikrishna and other officials were advised to submit a route map to the head office.