Andhra bridge comes up in five hours!

A concrete block for the road under bridge being put in place by a giant crane on Saturday.
ADILABAD: Building bridges has invariably been time consuming, but this one on a railway line was laid in under five hours, without causing any dislocation of running of trains.
A 16-metre wide road under bridge (RUB) was put into place under the BG line connecting Adilabad with Pimplakuti on Saturday in such a quick time.
The site of the bridge is located close to the Ganesh mandir by the side of NH 7. This structure with a four-metre wide passage was constructed for the convenience of residents of Mahalaxmiwada and Chilkuri Laxminagar for gaining access to Adilabad town.
A five-hour ‘line break' was taken soon after the Nandigram Express crossed the site.
The rails were removed to make way for excavating the ramp to clear a portion roughly five metres in length. It took just over one hour to accomplish this job including dumping cement concrete dry mix to act as basement for the bridge.
The actual structure of the bridge consists of six square blocks each measuring 4x4 metres and weighing about 45 tonnes. These blocks were moved into respective position by two huge cranes that consumed another two hours. The gaps on either side of the blocks were closed and the rails were refitted in the remaining time. About 70 officials, labourers, operators and technicians were deployed for the task.
This is the second RUB after the one at Bhoraj on the same line to be constructed in this fashion. Two more near Gimma in Jainad mandal and one at Kosai in Talamadugu mandal will be laid shortly, according to South Central Railway officials.

Praja Rajyam abuzz with activity after long gap

Hogging the limelight: Praja Rajyam chief Chiranjeevi with Firoz Khan, the newly-appointed president of the party's Greater Hyderabad unit,
HYDERABAD: After a lull for about three months, the Praja Rajyam party headquarters here was abuzz with activity on Saturday with the announcement of party committees for its Greater Hyderabad unit. It wore a festive look with the party activists gathering in large numbers and celebrating the occasion.
The activity brought back the elusive smile on the face of party president K. Chiranjeevi, as except some intermittent activities like agitation on electricity problems the party was almost pushed into a slumber after the Telangana movement picked up in December last and the party had taken pro-united AP stand.
Speaking after announcing the 120-member jumbo committee for Greater Hyderabad, Mr. Chiranjeevi said: “We never though we have so much strength in Hyderabad, particularly after the discouraging Assembly and municipal election results.” Irrespective of its strength, the party is committed to take up issues concerning people, he said with enthusiasm.
Firoz Khan was named the president of party's Greater Hyderabad unit. The committees of women's wing of Mahila Rajyam and youth wing Yuva Rajyam were also announced. Hyderabad has many civic problems like sanitation, drinking water, bad roads, pollution and problem of garbage dumping and the Greater Hyderabad committee would take up all such issues and would try to resolve them by exerting pressure on the government.
On the management of garbage dumping, Mr. Chiranjeevi said the government had given contract only to one firm, Ramky, making it difficult to manage the problem efficiently.
He suggested engaging more contractors to ease the work burden citing the example of Mumbai, where five contractors were engaged. The PR president reiterated confidence that the party would reach its goal one day with the support they still enjoyed among people.

A.P. Ministers seek separate Telangana

United they stand: TDP delegation led by Yerran Naidu (third from left) giving a report to Srikrishna panel Member-Secretary V. K. Duggal (fourth from left) on Telangana issue in New Delhi on Saturday.
NEW DELHI: A group of three Ministers from ruling Congress in Andhra Pradesh, who claimed to represent the Telangana Ministers in the Cabinet, told the B.N. Srikrishna Committee that only a separate Telangana “will set right the socio-economic and cultural inequalities and injustices suffered by the Telangana people for over five decades under the onslaught of Andhra rulers”.
The Ministers – D. Sridhar Babu (Higher Education), elected from Manthani, J. Krishna Rao (Food), Kollapur and Komatireddy Venkat Reddy (Information Technology), Nalgonda – in a memorandum titled “the perception of the common man of Telangana” said small States helped the people/representatives to govern their regions with greater level of participation. This would give better governance.
The present scenario in Telangana was not an overnight development and was a culmination of the feelings of distress, deprivation and disillusionment of the people of the region with the continued legacy of neglect and step-motherly treatment by the successive government controlled by the other regional counterparts.
The Minsters alleged that the cultural imperialism of the other regional counterparts had dealt a severe blow to the self-respect of the Telangana people resulting in complete emotional chasm and discord up to the grassroots level. “The damage is irreversible and irreparable and any attempt to the contrary will only accentuate the problem and further divide the deep-rooted malaise between the regions,” they warned. TDP leaders led by K. Yerran Naidu and U. Venkateswarlu and MLC D. Veerabhadra Rao, in their memorandum, opposed division of the State “at any cost” and also wanted the issue to be considered as a national issue and sought a countrywide debate.
Another set of TDP MLAs under the banner “TDP legislature forum for united AP” and led by P. Kesav gave another memorandum opposing creation of Telangana and pointed out that the region was given more funds.
They wanted the government to come out with statistics on the amount spent for Telangana development so far.
Meanwhile, Committee member-secretary V.K. Duggal said there was no question of further extension for receiving petitions from stakeholders beyond Saturday (April 10) and the Committee had enough material to go into the Terms of Reference (ToR).
He said the Congress, AIMIM and CPI (M) had sought some time to present their views which the Committee had accepted.

Jagan calls on Rosaiah

HYDERABAD:Congress MP Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy, son of former Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, called on Chief Minister K. Rosaiah at the latter's camp office on Tuesday night, putting an end to speculation over their alleged differences.
It was after a gap of close to four months that Mr. Jagan came face to face with the Chief Minister. He was accompanied by Advisor to Government (Public Affairs) K.V.P. Ramachandra Rao, a close aide of the late Rajasekhara Reddy. His meeting with Mr. Rosaiah comes ahead of his ‘Vodarpu' (Consoling) programme to call on the families of persons who died or committed suicide on hearing the death of Rajasekhara Reddy in a helicopter crash last September. The Kadapa MP is stated to have briefed him about his proposed tour from April 9.
Sources said the meeting was significant as several Ministers who were close followers of Rajasekhara Reddy were worried about their continuation in the Cabinet. Mr. Jagan could take up the issue with the Chief Minister.
In a related development, the APCC was gearing up to hold the maiden meeting of the reconstituted Coordination committee headed by AICC general secretary M. Veerappa Moily at Gandhi Bhavan.
According to sources, Mr. Moily would arrive in the city at 7.45 a.m. and attend the marriage of Home Minister P. Sabitha Indra Reddy's son Karthik Reddy. Later, he would proceed to Gandhi Bhavan to attend the coordination committee meeting.
 

KCR flayed for remarks on Naidu

HYDERABAD: Deputy Leader of TDLP Nagam Janardhan Reddy has suggested Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) and its president K. Chandrasekhar Rao to stop criticising Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and its president N. Chandrababu Naidu as it will not help the Telangana movement in any way.
Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday he said neither the TDP nor Mr. Naidu had changed their stance on Telangana issue and the party had not taken back its letter given to Pranab Mukherjee committee supporting Telangana. Besides, Mr. Naidu had never spoken against Telangana.
It was Mr. Naidu who had insisted on the government adopting a resolution in the Assembly on Hyderabad as sixth zone for employment issue after pacifying the sentiments of party legislators from Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions.
The TRS president's repeated criticism of Mr. Naidu would make it clear that it was the only agenda the former had and also smacks of his match-fixing with Congress.
At a separate press conference, party leader T. Srinivas Yadav sought to know whether Mr. Rao had participated in any movement for Babli, Rajolibanda Diversion Scheme, Pranahita-Chevella, Gulf victims and development of Telangana.
He dared the TRS to attack Congress as it was the ruling party that could either give or deny Telangana and not the TDP.
The Telangana movement had picked up with the sacrifices of students and not due to the ‘fasting drama' of Mr. Rao, Mr. Yadav noted. Further, he criticised Mr. Rao for making the 10 party legislators scapegoats by making them resign their seats. By doing so, he had also stifled the voice of Telangana in the Assembly.

HMDA proposes to construct satellite towns

HYDERABAD: In its budget proposals for 2010-2011, the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) has planned satellite towns along the growth corridor, decided to offer incentives for green buildings and develop a Medtech Valley for medical devices at Jawaharnagar.
Among others, proposals that came up at the executive committee meeting of the HMDA also include residential development on 83 acres at Miyapur and an International Business Hub and Financial District (Phase-2) at Tellapur. Also figuring in the list of proposed land development for the year, are IT/ITES SEZ at Kokapet and logistics hubs at Pedda Amberpet.
Under the Planning wing, the budget proposals make a mention about Extended Area Master Plan for 4,900 sq. km. that is projected as triggering growth and development of townships and urban agriculture. Environmental protection by way of green belts and water bodies and creation of open space zones finds its way to what the HMDA appended to its to-do list for the year.
Engineering works worth Rs.387 crore make it to the HMDA list and the works proposed include completion of Hitec City flyover by May and the ROB at Kukatpally by September this year. It also looks at completing two roads, P1 and P7, in HADA area while taking care of approach roads for the Medtech Valley, finishing ramps for the PVNR Expressway and providing what it plans as major infrastructure facilities at Miyapur, Tellapur and Kokapet.
On the Outer Ring Road project front, the HMDA looks at making the eight-lane carriage way from Gachibowli to Pedda Amberpet operational by June and commencing works for phase 2 between Shamirpet and Pedda Amberpet. This prestigious project will also get central lighting with an outlay of Rs.30 crore and greenery development between Gachibowli and Shamshabad for a stretch of 22 km. With an outlay of Rs.200 crore, the HMDA propose to implement Intelligent Transport System too on the project.

Plan panel proposals bode ill for ryots, poor: TDP

HYDERABAD: Polit Bureau member of Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Yanamala Ramakrishnudu on Tuesday observed that recent statements and directions of the Planning Commission and proposals of Eleventh Five Year Plan were indicative of letting down agriculture sector and the poor by cutting subsidies. It was a bad news for the poor and majority people in the country indeed, he said.
The former Finance Minister also found fault with the ruling party leaders including Ministers for criticising the CAG report. It was a constitutional body and its reports would be binding on any government. The government should give explanation to people on the remarks of CAG, he suggested.
Addressing a press conference here, he mentioned that subsidies during 2009-10 amounted to Rs. 1.9 lakh crore, while the same was proposed to be reduced by about 50 per cent as per the budget estimates.
The constant increase in oil prices would also have a cascading effect on other prices, but the government appeared to have no plans to control and bring down the prices, he felt.
He attributed the abnormal increase in the food prices during the last one year to slashing of about Rs. 55,000 crore subsidy on fertilisers. The resultant increase in input costs and lack of government control on hoarding and black marketing had led to heavy price rise, Mr. Ramakrishnudu alleged.
As per a government report the percentage of poverty was 27.5 in the country, but Vijay Tendulkar Committee appointed by it had put it at 37.2 per cent. In spite of huge population still being below poverty line, the government decision to cut the subsidies was unfathomable, he noted. He mentioned that the Planning Commission had recognised that poverty in the State had come down when TDP had implemented welfare schemes like subsidised rice and housing.
However, the present panel led by economist M.S. Ahluwalia had suggested the State government either to reform or scrap most of the welfare schemes as they had failed to have a positive impact on poverty.