AP Politics News

Will Modi save Andhra Pradesh?

This remains to be seen, but the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has taken pity on AP’s power crunch and agreed to mediate with Gujarat and Maharashtra for gas to run its idle capacity.

If the chairman of Central Electricity Authority (CEA), AS Bakshi, is successful in his attempt, Andhra Pradesh can tide over its power crisis for the time being. “We will hold a meeting with the CMs of Gujarat and Maharashtra shortly,” Bakshi stated, confirming the news.

The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has reportedly agreed to mediate with Gujarat and Maharashtra for a novel swapping arrangement, wherein AP would get 6.5 MMSCMD of natural gas to run about 1,500MW of idle gas-power capacity. Returning the favour, AP will offer similar quantity of power to these states by purchasing from the surplus states, including the eastern region. AP has come up with this alternative as it cannot draw power directly from the surplus regions of the country due to corridor load constraints. Earlier, AP used to swap natural gas with re-gasified liquefied natural gas (RLNG) to run the idle capacity when the KG-D6 gas was available for power generation. This option is now closed.

This plan is the only fast remedy to improve the sagging supply position in AP.

In March, the supply-demand mismatch was about 65 million units per day in AP. About 6,000MW of installed capacity in hydro and gas-based projects was kept largely idle due to low reservoir levels and stoppage of gas from the KG-D6 fields. Gas-based power generation is now limited to capacities tied up with natural gas supplies from State-owned oil company ONGC.

AP is faced with shortage of not only coal and gas and a bad monsoon, but also by corridor transmission problem. New transmission corridors — with 2,000MW load — connecting the southern region with the rest of India are expected to be ready by January next year, which will ease the situation, CEA sources pointed out.

Commissioning of the Kudankulam nuclear power plant expected next month would also ease the situation a bit as Tamil Nadu’s dependence on inter-regional transmission corridor would come down. This, in turn, could be utilised by other states in the region. Also, about 300MW of unallocated power from the Kudankulam project would be recommended for AP, sources said.

CBI likely to file supplementary chargesheet in Jagan disproportionate assets case

HYDERABAD: The CBI, probing the alleged disproportionate assets case involving YSR Congresschief Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, today said it could file a supplementary chargesheet in the case by tomorrow. 

The central agency made this submission before a special CBI court here while seeking extension of judicial remand of Jagan and other accused. 

The supplementary chargesheet is likely to be filed against three pharma companies after the CBI during its investigation collected more details against them. 

The court, in the meanwhile, extended the judicial remand of Jagan, former Andhra Pradesh Excise Minister Mopidevi Venkata Ramana Rao, industrialist Nimmagadda Prasad, IRAS officer K V Brahmananda Reddy (all accused in Vanpic aspect of Jagan assets case) till April 8, after they were produced before it through video-conference from Chanchalguda Central Prison where they are currently lodged. 

Andhra Pradesh Roads and Buildings Minister Dharmana Prasada Rao, also an accused in the case, appeared before the Principal Special Court for the CBI cases. 

Jagan was arrested by CBI on May 27 last year on corruption charges and has been lodged in Chanchalguda Jail since then. 

Meanwhile, the court also extended till April 1 the judicial custody of former Karnataka minister Gali Janardhan Reddy, his brother-in-law B V Srinivas Reddy and Gali's close associate K Mehfuz Ali Khan- all accused in the Obulapuram Mining Company (OMC) scam case, till April 15. 

It also extended the judicial remand of Sunil Reddy, an accused in the Emaar scandal till April 8. 

The CBI has accused Jagan of getting huge investments from various individuals and firms into his businesses as quid-pro-quo for the favours granted by the then government headed by his father and chief minister (late) Y S Rajasekhara Reddy. 

The CBI has so far filed four chargesheets against Jagan and others. 

The investigating agency has accused that Jagan and his late father hatched a conspiracy to defraud the state government, wherein Jagan influenced the senior Reddy in doling out certain favours to various stake-holders, who made investments of several crores into Jagan's businesses (at very high premium) as a quid-pro-quo.

Andhra Pradesh Government launched Online Services named Parishkaram for Entrepreneurs

Andhra Pradesh Government on 1 April 2013 launched the AP Industrial Infrastructure Corporation’s online services for entrepreneurs and grievance redressal system. 

The platform is proposed to be a link between the APIIC and entrepreneurs   which would make the process of application and registration of land for setting up industries a paperless one. 

Use of the online service

• The online services for entrepreneurs will enable them to file their request for sale endeavor, change in line of activity or change in the name of firm. Information about the status of their application will be sent through Email and SMS. 
• The online grievance redressal system, Parishkaram, is a 24x7 service, facilitating entrepreneurs in tracking grievances, including infrastructure issues and maintenance of industrial parks. 

With this, the Minister also launched a Citizen Charter of APIIC, which is meant to provide a stipulated period of response for 13 different requests. 

The response include 
• finalisation of action on valid applications for allotment of lands (within 45 days),
•  issue of provision allotment letter (seven days), 
• execution and registration of Agreement of Sale (21 days) and execution 
• Registration of sale deed on receipt of documents (45 days). 

The corporation was in the process of setting up industrial parks in the 14 revenue divisions in the State that do not have this infrastructure.

Hardcore Maoist Sriramulu Srinivas arrested in Andhra Pradesh

Malkangiri (Odisha): Hardcore Maoist Sriramulu Srinivas, wanted in several cases in Odisha, has been arrested, about two years after he was released on bail during the abduction of the thenMalkangiri district collector R Vineel Krishna, police said on Sunday.

"Sriramulu was arrested by Andhra Pradesh police in Khammam district in the neighbuoring state yesterday on the basis of certain information provided by us," Malkangiri Superintendent of Police Akhileswar Singh said.

Sriramulu, against whom some cases related to Maoist activities are pending in Malkangiri, would be brought on remand by Odisha police soon, he said.

A key leader of Andhra-Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee of CPI (Maoists), Srinivas and his wife Vimla, also a hardcore and most wanted Maoist, were followed by police following information about their presence in Kalimela area of Malkangiri a few days ago, the SP said.

However, the rebel couple managed to flee and entered Andhra Pradesh through Chhattisgarh in a jeep, Singh said adding that Malkangiri police which chased the ultras up to the border, informed the police in Andhra Pradesh.

Finally, the Maoists were intercepted and Srinivas was arrested at a place in Khammam district of AP after an encounter but Vimla managed to escape, he said adding steps would be taken soon for bringing the arrested ultra on remand as some cases are pending against him here.

Srinivas, whose release was demanded by abductors of Vineel Krishna in February 2011, had been freed on bail in the wake of the hostage crisis while other cases are pending against him, police said.

Andhra Pradesh rivers being polluted by sugar factories, paper mills

Hyderabad: Rivers across Andhra Pradesh are getting polluted as more than half the Grossly Polluting Industries are not complying with the set standards. 

There are nine defaulters of the 16 GPIs in the state whose effluents are entering the rivers on whose banks they are situated. Those to blame include paper mills, sugar factories, a thermal power station and chemical units.

Amongst the water bodies getting polluted by these industries are the river Godavari at various points in Rajahmundry, East Godavari District, Chittoor, Adilabad and Warangal; the river Krishna at Ibrahimpat-nam in Krishna District; the rivers Pennar and Swarnamukhi in SPSR, Nellore district; the Pedda-cheruvu water tank at Nacharam and Nallacheruvu lake at all leading to the river Musi in Ranga Reddy district.

In 1997, Andhra Pradesh had 60 such GPIs, of which only seven were identified to be flouting norms under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1974 and they were various private sector units, co-operative sector units, sta-te government undertakings and state public units. 

The Union ministry of environment and forests has directed that polluting ind-ustries have to install eff-luent treatment systems or face closure. Nine of the 16 identified GPIs in AP do have such plants but they are a mere eye-wash and the units have been found to be ‘not complying with standards’ set by the APPCB. The Central Pollu-tion Control Board is supposed to be monitoring the implementation of its programme launched way back in 1993-94 for identification of GPIs and compliance for pollution control.

Toll in explosion at house in Andhra Pradesh town rises to five

Hyderabad: The toll in the Friday's explosion at a house in Vikarabad town rose to five today, with the death of a nine-year-old boy and a woman, who were undergoing treatment at a city hospital, police said.

The deceased, identified as Iliyas and Amina Begum (aged around 21), were among those who sustained grievous burns in the explosion. The two succumbed to their injuries at a hospital here, they said.

"Ten others are still undergoing treatment at different hospitals," an investigating officer told PTI.

The explosion occurred due to leakage of a domestic LPG cylinder on Friday night in a residential complex in Vikarabad town of neighbouring Ranga Reddy district claiming the lives of two persons, identified as Vasantha (aged about 40) and Karthik (4).

Another boy, identified as Sai Charan (6), who had suffered severe burns, succumbed while undergoing treatment yesterday.

68 Million Indians Living In Slums: Government Census

Releasing the first such census report on slum households prepared by the Registrar General of India, Union Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Minister Ajay Maken today said that majority of them were located in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

Presenting the highlights of the report, Census Commissioner C Chandramouli said, "In all 1.73 crore census houses have been reported in houselisting blocks, categorised as slums in India, comprising 1.37 crore slum households."

He also noted that in 19 cities with million-plus population, 25 percent of households live in slums.

"A majority-71 percent- of these are located in six states of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, west Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh," Chandramouli said.

90 percent of slum households use electricity, 70 percent slum households have television, 72.7 percent have telephone facility while 10.4 percent households have computer or laptop in their house.

Maken said, "In 2001, there were 23.5 percent of households in urban areas which were living in slums. It has now come down to 17.4 percent. But there are still 17.35 million slum houses, 13.74 million slum households and we have 68 million people living in the slum areas as 2011 census."

The slum household census report says that 74 percent of these households use tap as the main source of drinking water followed by hand pump ortube which is used by 20.3 percent.66 percent households have toilet facility within the premises, but 18.9 percent slum households defecate in open and 15.1 percent use public facilities, according to the report on 'Housing Stock, Amenities And Assets in Slums Based on House Listing And Housing Census'.

Ten places in the country also claimed to be 'all-slum towns'.

Interestingly, 90 percent of slum households use electricity as the main source of lighting and 8.2 percent used Kerosene. Only 0.5 percent households have no lighting in the slum areas.

Also, 70 percent slum households have television in their houses for entertainment while 18.7 percent possess radio and transistors.

Also 10.4 percent households have computer or laptop in their house, out of which 3.3 percent have internet connection as against 9.3 percent in non-slum areas.

Telephone facilities are availed by 72.7 percent slum households, out of which 4.4 percent have land line connection, 63.5 percent mobile and 4.8 percent have both. In non-slum areas this percentage is 83.9.

10 places in the country also claimed to be 'all-slum towns', out of which five exist in Jammu and Kashmir. These towns with a population of around 4000-5000 are Magam, Berwah, Hajan, Quimoh and Frisal in J&K.

UP has reported to have three all-slum towns at Ugu, Safipur and Nyotine. West Bengal and Sikkim have claimed to have one all-slum towns.

Chandramouli also said that the data has been prepared by the RGI on a survey conducted in the Statutory Towns only having a municipial corporation or a similar body.

Two Maoists from Chhattisgarh held

The Karimnagar police arrested two Maoists belonging to the neighbouring Chhattisgarh State and recovered explosive material such as 20 gelatine slurry sticks, 20 detonators, 3 kg of ammonium and wires used for making landmines, from them.

Disclosing this to newsmen here on Monday, Superintendent of Police V Ravinder said that on credible information, the police launched combing operations in the forests of Kammampalli village of Mahadevpur mandal along the shores of river Godavari adjoining Chhattisgarh. The police saw two persons moving under suspicious circumstances and when they sought to know their identity, they tried to escape into the jungles. However, the police caught them and during interrogation, they confessed that they were Maoist dalam members based in Chhattisgarh. The arrested naxalites were Dumpa Raghupathi alias Prashanth alias Daya (25) and Vasam Kamala (36), both hailing from Annaram village of Thallagudem taluk of Chhattisgarh.

Raghupathi alias Daya joined the ranks of the Maoists in 2006 and worked as Narsampeta-Kothaguda area committee dalam member and was now a dalam member under the leadership of central organiser Pushpakka. He was involved in several killings, including that of a RMP and some others, branding them as police informers. He was also involved in setting fire to an RTC bus at Devadula of Eturunagaram mandal of Warangal district in 2010.

Vasam Kamala was providing shelter to Maoists in her house in Annaram village since the last 10 years. She was made village women’s sangham president by the Maoists and was involved in the killing of people branding them as informers and also planting of landmines.

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22 injured after ropeway collapses in Andhra Pradesh

Rajahmundry: At least 22 labourers were injured when a ropeway, on which they were walking on their way to work, collapsed today in Kindra village of Rajavommangi mandal in the East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh, 93 kms away from Rajahmundry.

The labourers left their village to cross Munneru rivulet through the ropeway which was constructed nearly 20 years ago, sub-collector of Ramachandrapuram Gandham Chandrudu told PTI.

He said 12 tribals labourers, fell immediately after losing their balance while 10 others hung on for five minutes, after which they too fell into the rivulet, he said.

Five out of the 12 received serious injuries and were rushed to the Kakinada Government General Hospital for treatment, he said, adding that the others were admitted in the Rajavommangi Government Hospital.

Oklahoma University signs MoU with Andhra Pradesh

The Oklahoma State University Monday signed a MoU with the Andhra Pradesh Society For Knowledge Network (APSFKNW) to explore offering joint certificate programmes.

Under the pact, Oklahoma University will explore the opportunities for offering joint certificate programmes in analytics, data mining, decision support system and business intelligence through the Jawahar Knowledge Centres (JCKs) run by state-owned APSFKNW.

The MoU was signed in the presence of President of Oklahoma University Burns Hargis and Andhra Pradesh IT Minister Ponnala Laksmaiah.

"We expect this MoU to yield great results for both," said Hargis, who is leading a delegation of university officials including from business school and the departments of engineering and agriculture.

"We have benefited from talent, analog and the work ethics of people from this part of India and we want to do much more," he added.

Laksmaiah, a graduate from Oklahoma University, said the MoU was aimed at enhancing the employability of the graduates through JKCs. 

Said Ramesh Sharda, director, Ph.D. in Business for Executives, Spears Schools of Business, Oklahoma University, told IANS: "We get lot of students from India, especially from Andhra but we don't have a formal set up here with any university. We are exploring that option."

Vishakhapatnam: Navy helicopter crashes near Vizag, two personnel missing

New Delhi: A naval helicopter, with four personnel on board, crashed off the Vishakhapatnam harbour on Tuesday. Two crew members were immediately rescued while two others were missing and a search was underway for them, Navy officials said. The Chetak helicopter crashed at around 1500 hours during a routine training sortie, they said.

Navy has pressed into service its helicopters and ships to search for the missing personnel. The Navy has ordered a Board of Inquiry to investigate the reasons behind the crash of the light utility chopper, they said. The Cheetah and Chetak choppers are the vintage of the 60s and the 70s and are the mainstay of the armed forces for ferrying small groups of personnel and light loads.

The Navy has already initiated the process for acquiring 56 new light choppers with twin-engines for replacing the vintage choppers. The IAF and the Army are also in the process of replacing their fleet of such choppers. In a similar crash in October last year in Panaji, three naval personnel including two pilots had died when their machine crashed at the Dabolim airport while landing there.

Before that incident, a Navy light helicopter crashed in 2005 when a chopper from Goa met with the accident near Belgaum in Karnataka on its way to Vishakhapatnam.

Hyderabad blasts: Andhra government hands over case to NIA

Hyderabad: The Indian Mujahideen (IM) is still being considered the main suspect in the Hyderabad twin blasts case. Meanwhile, the Andhra Pradesh government has handed the case over to the National Investigation Agency. With that, the state government essentially admitted that the Andhra Pradesh police have made no breakthroughs in the investigation.

Sixteen people were dead and more than 100 were injured in the blasts on February 21. Investigations into the twin blasts in Hyderabad appear headed the way of a string of similar terror probes - a dead end.

Based on similarities in the method of the blasts, investigators are still treating terror outfit Indian Mujahideen as the collective suspect. NIA sources say they have reasons to believe IM's shadowy leader Yaseen Shahbandari, better known by his suffix Bhatkal, may have personally planted the bombs.

A Ravishankar, IG of NIA in Hyderabad, said, "We can't reveal much since investigations are on. We are questioning Maqbool and Imran. We are also looking at the larger perspective in this probe. Questioning is on."

The reference is to two men, Syed Maqbool and his aide Imran Khan, both lodged in the Tihar Jail since October 2012 on charges of being Indian Mujahideen operatives who were involved in the Pune serial blasts. Maqbool had named Hyderabad's blast site Dilsukhnagar as an area he had recced before his arrest.

Sources said the NIA showed CCTV footage to Maqbool and Imran took him around Hyderabad. The CCTV footage from shops near the blast shows two people placing cycles and walking away. Maqbool and Imran were shown the footage, but lack of clarity in the visuals has yielded no strong lead.

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Andhra police rescues teenage Odisha girl

Malkangiri (Odisha): A 15-year-old girl from Malkangiri district of Odisha, who was found wandering in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh after apparently being separated from her parents, was brought back here, officials said today.

The girl, hailing from Kalimela area, was rescued by the Vijaywada police on February 9, womens' wing chief of Malkangiri District Welfare Committee (DWC) Jayanti Bairagi said.

Andhra Pradesh police and the Child Welfare Line then informed Malkangiri district administration and the police about the girl.

After confirmation, a team reached Malkangiri with the teenager and handed her over to the district administration, Bairagi said.

The girl, now lodged in an orphanage, would undergo medical examination, she said.

Though the exact circumstances that led to the incident were not known immediately, the girl said she had gone to Andhra Pradesh with her parents recently for work but got separated from them.

The girl's brother has been informed and till her return to the family, she will stay in the orphanage, Bairagi said.

Telangana is no appadam or dosa: Vayalar Ravi

Dropping enough hints that the central government as well as the Congress high command have kept the Telangana issue in cold storage, AICC emissary for the state Vayalar Ravi has again tried to play down the intensity of the issue, saying, “Finding a solution to Telangana is not as simple as preparing appadams or making dosas.”

Continuing his “casual approach” towards the Telangana issue, Vayalar said that it was not that much easy to take a decision on the issue of bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. 

Talking to reporters in Delhi on Monday, the AICC point man said that he could not say how much time it needed to resolve the issue.

When mediaperson asked him whether the Congress high command would arrive at a decision on the Telangana issue soon as it was holding consultations, Vayalar replied that the process of consultations was going on. But, he could not say when exactly the process would end.

Seemingly to rub salt into the wounds of Telangana people, the AICC point man said, “Media is more interested in the Telangana issue than the political leaders.” Also he fired at the media time and again for posing questions repeatedly on the Telangana issue.

When reporters wondered at his casual remarks on the Telangana issue, he replied, “If you pose routine questions to me on the Telangana issue, my reply will also be routine only.”

Exactly five months back also Vayalar tried to make light of the Telangana issue, by questioning, “Telangana? Where is it?”

On September 26 of last year, just four days before Telangana March, which held on Sept 30, the high commando made this sarcastic remark when reporters asked him whether the Congress Working Committee (CWC) had given any thought to Telangana.

Meanwhile, turning to the issue of the sufferings of Telugu people from Telangana region who are languishing in jails in Gulf countries, Vayalar, who is also the Union minister of overseas Indian affairs, said that his ministry had not received any memoranda from Andhra Pradesh in this regard.

He also made it clear that his ministry had no information about the Telugu people who were facing ordeals in prisons in Gulf countries. “If you have any information regarding this. Please provide us information so that our ministry will act upon it,” he told the mediapersons.

The TRS promptly came down heavily on Vayalar for making such “non-serious” remarks on the Telangana issue.

“Vayalar should apologise to the people of Telangana for insulting them with his casual remarks. If Congress leaders continue insulting our region, they will have to face dire consequences from the people,” TRS Legislature Party leader E Rajender warned.

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Andhra Pradesh government shuts down 42 sex determination centres.

Andhra Pradesh government has shut down 42 sex determination centres recently to check the declining child sex ratio in the state, Andhra Pradesh Health and Family Welfare Minister D L Ravindra Reddy told reporters on Monday.

Government officials conducted 173 decoy operations, 6,560 inspections, 226 search and seizures so far, to implement the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostics (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act, he said.

Stressing that the state government is committed to implement the PC & PNDT Act in a foolproof manner, he said any complaints about violations could be made on toll free number '104'.

The child sex ratio in the six-year-old category has worsened from 961 in the 2001 census to 943 in the 2011 census, he said.

In Warangal, the ratio is alarming, as it deteriorated from 955 in the 2001 census to 912 in the 2011 census, he said.

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Babli verdict: Andhra Pradesh to file review petition in SC if farmers suffer loss.

Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy on Friday said the government would not hesitate to file a review petition in the Supreme Court if the farmers under Sriramsagar Project (SRSP) suffer any loss, even while contending that its order on Babli might not harm the State’s interests as sufficient safeguards were provided.

During a media interaction here, he said Major Irrigation Minister P. Sudarshan Reddy, Irrigation Department, and other Ministers have been asked to study the implications of the judgment and give feedback, enabling him to take suitable action.

He affirmed that the utilisation of 2.74 tmcft of Godavari waters by Maharashtra through Babli as cleared by the court was within the 60 tmcft to which the State was entitled.

The safeguards contained in the judgment and cited by the Chief Minister included the stipulation to open Babli gates during the monsoon period (July to October ) to allow inflows to SRSP, constitution of a committee with representatives from Central Water Commission, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh to see that utilisation under Babli did not exceed the permitted quantity. “I am confident that the judgment will not prevent waters from flowing into SRSP.”

The Chief Minister, nonetheless, admitted “we have failed to get Babli demolished” despite engaging the best legal team.

On Polavaram project, Mr. Reddy said the Union Ministry of Environment & Forests had “suspended” operation of its letter through which it had asked Andhra Pradesh to stop construction of Polavaram and offered to conduct public hearings in Orissa and Chhattisgarh over the likely submersions under the project, if the State failed to undertake the exercise in six months. He spoke of the huge benefits that would accrue once Polavaram was completed, including prevention of loss of crops worth Rs.5,000 crore annually due to October cyclones in Coastal Andhra.

He hoped that power supply situation would improve soon as AP Genco and Hinduja projects under construction would be ready by October, adding 3,000 MW capacity to the grid. A sum of Rs.300 crore was being provided a month now to buy RLNG fuel and operate 500 MW out of the capacity at idle gas-based project. He ruled out possibility of the government intervening to stop collection of FSA charges by distribution companies.

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Hyderabad blasts: Arrested suspects Maqbool and Imran reveal details

New Delhi: Investigating agencies have been able to collect more information about the Hyderabad twin blasts from two alleged terrorists who have been sent to police remand by a special court in Delhi. The two terrorists - Maqbool and Imran - have reportedly revealed that the plan was to target Hyderabad on a big scale and a detailed reconnaissance of almost a dozen places had been carried out in the city.

Both of the terrorist have recognised and given details of seven places in Hyderabad where blasts were to be carried out. IBN7 earlier revealed that NIA has identified the bombers as Wakaash and Tabrez. The investigators are not now trying to piece together all the information.

According to sources, Wakaash and Tabrez belong to the core team of terror group Indian Mujahideen and had camped for five days in Hyderabad before the twin blasts were carried out. They took full advantage of the lax security in the area and executed the blasts in Dilsukh Nagar. Maqbool and Imran were allegedly taken to areas in Dilsukh Nagar where the blasts were carried out along with all the places which they had surveyed. Their interrogation has also revealed details about a few other people who had helped the terrorists.

Meanwhile, security agencies raided several places in Nanded and Ahmed Nagar in Maharashtra and nab people associated with Indian Mujahideen. The investigators say the Indian Mujahideen leader Riyaz Bhatkal and Yashin Bhatkal had hatched the plan to bomb Hyderabad.

At least 16 people were killed in a series of explosions on February 21 in Hyderabad's Dilsukh Nagar area. The two explosions took place in the Andhra Pradesh capital at around 7 pm.

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AP police Bomb Blast Searching

Hyderabad: The reason why 7 pm is the chosen hour for the Indian Mujahideen to carry out its bomb blasts is still an unanswered question for anti-terror agencies.

None of the interrogation reports of the IM accused arrested so far has revealed why the terror outfit chooses to explode its bombs at 7 in the evening.

In most of the cases, including in the Gokul Chat and Lumbini Park bombings in August 2007, and Dilsukhnagar’s twin blasts last Thursday, the bombs went off at 7 pm.

In last week’s attack, the first bomb near Venkatadri theatre at Dilsukhnagar went off around 6.58 pm. The second one near Konark theatre exploded at 7.02 pm.

An official associated with the investigations into the Dilsukhnagar bomb blasts said: :We are browsing through the interrogation reports of the known terror suspects so far but none of them has explained this.”

He reasoned: “If it is to target the maximum number of people, it could have been anywhere between 6 pm and 9 pm in cities like Hyderabad, Mumbai and Pune. There is something more to it.” 

The Indian Mujahideen has so far been accused in several blasts in Hyderabad, Delhi, Mumbai, Surat, Pune, Jaipur, Varanasi and Bengaluru.

In every case the IM cadre is said to be improvising the technology of bomb making. The outfit has used between 1.5 kg and 5 kg of ammonium nitrate in most cases.

The bombs have been put in pressure cookers, boat-shaped wooden frames and, like in Dilsukhnagar, in plastic tiffin boxes.

Hyderabad blast: NIA seeks custody of suspected IM operatives

New Delhi: The NIA has moved a Delhi court seeking custody of two alleged operatives of banned terror outfit Indian Mujahideen to interrogate them in connection with the twin blasts in Hyderabad which claimed 16 lives.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) moved a plea before District Judge I S Mehta, who issued production warrants for tomorrow against Syed Maqbool and Imran Khan. The two are lodged in Tihar Jail under judicial custody after being arrested by the Special Cell of Delhi Police in connection with the August 2012 Pune blasts.

The court has directed the Tihar Jail authorities to produce both the alleged IM operatives before it tomorrow when it will hear the NIA’s plea seeking their custodial interrogation.

According to NIA, Maqbool and Imran had in July, 2012 allegedly recced Hyderabad’s Dilsukhnagar, where the blasts took place, on the instructions of IM’s Pakistan-based founder Riyaz Bhatkal and their interrogation will help them to know the exact plan envisaged by Riyaz.

NIA prosecutor Ahmed Khan said they require the custody of the duo to interrogate them regarding the recent Hyderabad blasts as they are suspected operatives of IM and could give them details and more clues about the executors of the blasts.

On February 21, Hyderabad was rocked by two blasts in the crowded Dilsukhnagar area. The blasts triggered by Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) took place outside a roadside eatery near Konark and Venkatadiri theatres in the area.

South Central Railway gets many projects in Railway Budget 2013

Scene from a rail track at the Secunderabad railway station in Hyderabad.

 Hyderabad: The South Central Railway, especially Andhra Pradesh, got a good share of projects during the Railway Budget 2013-14 presented by Railways Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal in the Parliament on Tuesday.

The major announcements that would benefit the South Central Railways include, setting up of a Coach Mid-Life Rehabilitation (MLR) Workshop at Kurnool in collaboration with the State Government, setting up of an exclusive centralized institute for the Finance officers at Secunderabad - Indian Railways Institute of Financial Management (IRIFM), setting up of a Rail Neer Bottling Plant at Vijayawada and imparting skills to the youth in Railway related trades at Kazipet under the National Skill Development Programme.

The New Line Projects, to be taken up on Socio-Economic consideration after obtaining necessary approvals/clearances include Cumbum-Proddatur, Kondapalli-Kothagudem, Manuguru-Ramagundam and Srinivasapuram-Madanpalli.

The New Lines to be completed in 2012-13 are Devarakadra-Krishna (Part), Gulbarga-Sultanpur, Marikel-Makhtal and Raichur-Pandurangaswamy (Part). The New Lines to be completed in 2013-14 are Kadapa-Pendlamarri and Mortad-Armoor-Nizamabad.

The New Line Surveys to be taken up during 2013-14 are Dornakal-Miryalguda, Mancherail-Adilabad via Utnoor, Siddipet-Akkanapet and Washim-Mahur-Adilabad. The Doubling Surveys to be taken up during 2013-14 are Dharmavaram-Pakala, Mahbubnagar-Gooty, Parbhani-Manmad, Secunderabad-Mudkhed-Adilabad and Tirupati-Katpadi.

According to the SCR, the Doubling Works to be completed in 2012-13 are Esivi-Kupgal, Kosgi-Mantralayam, Manchiriyal-Mandamari and Venkatachalam-Nidiguntapalem. The Doubling Works to be completed in 2013-14 are Nidiguntapalem-Krishnapatna and Raghavapuram-Peddampet.

The Sections to be electrified in 2012-13 are Kondapuram-Vemulpadu and Gooty-Taticherala.

As many as eight new trains services will be introduced. The Originating Express Trains are Chennai – Nagarsol (For Sai Nagar Shirdi) Express (Weekly) Via Renigunta, Dhone, Kacheguda; Kakinada – Mumbai Express (Bi-weekly); Kurnool Town – Secunderabad Express (Daily); Mangalore – Kacheguda Express (Weekly) Via Dhone, Gooty, Renigunta, Coimbatore; Nizamabad – Lokmanya Tilak (T) Express (Weekly); Tirupati – Puducherry Express (Weekly); Tirupati – Bhubaneswar Express (Weekly) Via Visakhapatnam and Una / Nangaldam– Hazoor Saheb Nanded Express (Weekly)Via Anandpur Saheb, Morinda, Chandigarh, Ambala.

Further, there will three Originating Passenger Trains from Nandyal – Kurnool Town Passenger (Daily), Purna-Parli Vaijnath Passenger (Daily) and Chennai-Tirupati MEMU Service.

The SCR division also got eight Pass Through Mail/Express Trains. They are Ajni (Nagpur) – Lokmanya Tilak Terminus Express (Weekly) via Hingoli; Bikaner – Chennai AC Express (Weekly) Via Jaipur, Sawai Madhopur, Nagda, Bhopal, Nagpur; Gandhidham – Visakhapatnam Express (Weekly) Via Ahmedabad, Wardha, Ballarshah, Vijaywada; Howrah – Chennai AC Express (Bi-weekly) Via Bhadrak, Duvvada, Gudur; Kamakhya (Guwahati) – Bangalore AC Express (Weekly); Jabalpur – Yesvantpur Express (Weekly) Via Nagpur, Dharmavaram; Patliputra (Patna) – Bangalore Express (Weekly) Via Chheoki and Visakhapatnam – Kollam Express (Weekly).

As many as six orginating trains have been extended. They include 17005/17006 Hyderabad-Darbhanga Express to Raxaul after gauge conversion; 17011/17012 Hyderabad- Belampalli Express to Sirpur Kaghaznagar; 22107/22108 Mumbai CST-Latur Express to Hazoor Saheb Nanded; 57502/57503 Bodhan-Kamareddi Passenger to Mirzapalli; 67277/67278 Falaknuma-Bhongir MEMU to Jangaon and77676/77677 Miryalguda-Nadikudi DEMU to Piduguralla.

Two Pass Through Trains - 12577/12578 Darbhanga-Bangalore Express to Mysore and 12507/12508 Guwahati-Ernakulam Express to Thiruvananthapuram have got extension. The frequency of five originating trains has also been increased. They are 22615/22616 Coimbatore-Tirupati Express (3 to 4 days); 17213/17214 Narsapur – Nagarsol (Near Sainagar Shirdi) Express (2 to 7 days);  18509/18510 Visakhapatnam – Hazoor Saheb Nanded Express (2 to 3 days); 18309/18310 Sambalpur  – Hazoor Saheb Nanded Express (2 to 3 days) and 12751/12752 Secunderabad – Manuguru Express (3 to 7 days).

The frequency of two Pass Through Trains has also been increased. They are 12687/12688 Madurai – Dehradun/Chandigarh Express (1 to 2 days) and 22819/22820 Visakhapatnam – Lokmanya Tilak (T) Express (2 to 7 days).

Besides these measures, the Railway Minister has allocated Rs.124 crore towards Passenger Amenities, as against the revised grant of Rs 100 crore. for 2012-13. As much as Rs 281 crore. have been allotted towards construction of New Lines, which is at the same level of allotment in last year.

Did suspect stay at room no.303 of Shilpi lodge?

Hyderabad: Did the terrorists who carried out last week’s twin blasts stay at Shilpi Classic Court Lodge near the Dilsukhnagar bus depot?

Records of the lodge state that a man named Raju had checked into Room No. 303 on Thursday, February 21 at around 5.30 pm and had hurriedly vacated the room on the same day after the blasts at about 8 pm.

Counter Intelligence and city police teams have seized the hotel’s records and the ID card proof produced by Raju. Investigators have also collected CCTV footage of the lodge.

Receptionist at Shilpi Classic Court Shekar Reddy said, “Cops have taken the registers and video footage of February. On February 21, one person by the name of Raju produced a Voter’s ID card stating that he was a resident of Miryalaguda in Nalgonda.

He checked in at around 5.30 pm and went out. He came back at 8 pm and left the hotel. He ad paid the tariff for a day when he had checked in. Before him, one Vijay and Subhan had stayed in the same room on February 2. Around six to seven people had checked in and vacated.”

PM visits blast sites, hospitals; appeals for calm

Hyderabad, Feb 24: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today visited Thursday's blast sites and hospitals where the injured are being treated to express "solidarity" with the people of the city and appealed for peace and calm. He lauded the people of the city for refusing to be provoked by the "nefarious" act. Singh visited the twin blast sites and Omni and Yashoda Hospitals where he met some of the injured and their families, assuring them of all help. "I have come to share the grief of people of Hyderabad. I express condolence for the families of the bereaved and wish speedy recovery for the injured," Singh said after meeting the blast victims at the hospitals. He also said the state government has assured all medical help for them. "The state government has assured all help will be given for treatment," Singh, who flew in here from Delhi by a special IAF plane, said. Making an appeal for peace, he said, "I call upon the people to maintain calm in this hour of grief. I am happy that people of Hyderabad have refused to be provoked by this nefarious incident." Singh had yesterday strongly condemned the blasts, saying those responsible for the "dastardly" act would not go unpunished. The Prime Minister was told that certain "clear clues" were obtained based on footage of the closed-circuit cameras at the scene and also questioning of some terror suspects lodged in jails here. "We are working in close coordination with the National Investigation Agency and are hopeful of cracking the case soon," the DGP was said to have told the Prime Minister. The Chief Minister informed Singh during his nearly three-hour-long visit that about 3500 closed-circuit cameras were being installed across the state capital to step up surveillance. Union Ministers Balram Naik, Sarvey Satyanarayana, Panabaka Lakshmi, Deputy Chief Minister Damodara Rajanarasimha, state Home Minister Sabita Indra Reddy and senior officials were among others who received and saw off the Prime Minister.

5 mistakes Sushil Kumar Shinde will be remembered for.

Hyderabad has been bombed once again, this time by twin blasts, leaving 16 dead and more than 100 injured. What is even more astonishing is that Centre had prior intelligence about this attack and in spite of that, did nothing except alerting the States. According to Home Ministry officials, alerts were sent to all States that Pakistan-based terrorist groups may carry out attacks in a major city to avenge the hanging of 26/11 terrorist Ajmal Kasab and Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.

But should informing the States be the only responsibility of the Central Government?

Why did the Home Ministry not act along with the Andhra Pradesh Government to avert this ghastly attack? Why this passing-the-buck approach?

It seems our Home Minister was quite happy with himself after sending the two terrorists to the gallows. But more than credit under his belt, it is his failures that will come to identify him.

Here is the list of Shinde’s 5 failures:

1. The ‘Hindu terror’ remark (January, 2013): The Home Minister accused Opposition party BJP and volunteer organisation RSS of conducting ‘terror training camps’ to spread ‘saffron terrorism’ in the country at the Congres’s Jaipur Chintan Shivir. Later, upon facing flak he retracted his statement and expressed ‘regret’ even as Congress maintained that he was not wrong.

2. The Telangana promise (December, 2012): Shinde announced that a decision on the Telangana stalemate would be taken within a month, putting the Government in a tough position. Now, months after the statement, the solution is still nowhere in sight.

3. Mismanagement of Delhi protests (December, 2012): Shinde was also the one responsible for Centre’s hamhanded treatment of the Delhi protests against the gruesome gang rape that happened in the national capital on December 16. Police were ordered to lathicharge upon peaceful protestors. And as if this was not enough, Shinde even termed the protesting students Maoists while talking to a TV channel.

4. The electricity blackout (July 2012): The country witnessed its largest ever power blackout while Shinde was at the helm of affairs as Power Minister. The whole northern grid failed throwing almost all of North India into darkness.

5. Afzal Guru’s Execution (February, 2013): Questions were also raised about the shroud of secrecy surrounding the execution of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. In addition, Afzal’s family alleged that were not informed about his execution. The Home Minister kept saying that they had been informed. It later turned out the letter was delivered two days after Afzal’s execution.

Hyderabad bomb blasts: why the bombs exploded with such force.

Hyderabad: The bombs used in the powerful blasts that ripped through Hyderabad's Dilsukhnagar last evening were improvised explosives devices or IEDs built for maximum damage, forensic experts have said.

No RDX or Research Department Explosive was used. Instead, ammonium nitrate was mixed in a small quantity of an explosive chemical and packed with iron nails and nuts and bolts and 3 to 9 volt batteries. Investigators said only small quantities of ingredients are typically used in such IEDs to avoid detection. The first bomb had 300 gm of ammonium nitrate, the second, about 700-800 gms.

This was then tied at several places with copper wire to ensure big damage and then packed in an aluminium container and placed on bicycles parked in the strategic places about 150 metres apart.

Timers were used to trigger the blasts within five minutes of each other. Such was the impact that splinters hit people 30 feet away. The forensic experts said no inflammable material was used in the bombs. The flames seen in the aftermath of the blasts were from petrol in vehicles parked in the area.

Investigators say the bombs used in the twin blasts in the city in 2007 had large amounts of ammonium nitrate, but also contained neogel, an inflammable explosive, and were packed in wooden not aluminium boxes.

The police said the second bomb to explode yesterday was placed near a foot overbridge very near the spot that an unexploded bomb had been found and defused in 2007.

Ammonium nitrate was also used in the bombs used in the serial blasts in Pune in August last year. There are other striking similarities between the Pune blasts and the ones in Hyderabad yesterday. In Pune too the four bombs that exploded were placed on bicycles in a busy marketplace, about 150 metres apart.

In October last year, the Delhi Police said it had solved the Pune blasts case with the arrest of five men, two of whom had allegedly done a reconnaissance of Dilsukhnagar and other crowded Hyderabad markets as possible terror targets in July 2012.

The trainer among these men, who the Delhi Police alleged were Indian Mujahideen terrorists, was arrested in Hyderabad.

Kiran Govt All Out To Foil TRS Sadak Bandh!

The Congress government headed by chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy is going all out to thwart the attempts of the Telangana activists to hold “Sadak Bandh” (highway blockade) on February 24 on Hyderabad-Bangalore national highway.

Already, thousands of leaders belonging to Telangana Rashtra Samithi and Telangana Joint Action Committee have been taken into preventive custody in the name of “bind-over” so that they would not lead the highway blockade. Attempts are being made to take top leaders including TRS legislators and TJAC leaders into preventive custody a day before the programme. The cops are keeping an eye on the leaders who are mobilizing crowds on to the streets to participate in the bandh programme.

Naturally, the TRS leaders are angry. “Why is the government obstructing us, when we want to do a peaceful demonstration? Have we swindled crores of rupees or resorted to any scandal? We have made elaborate arrangements for the Sadak Bandh. The police are only instigating the peaceful people and we are not responsible if there are any violent incidents on this occasion,” TRS legislator T Harish Rao said.

Viveka threatens to commit suicide!

YSR Congress party president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy’s uncle and former minister Y S Vivekananda Reddy created ripples before the Kadapa district collectorate on Wednesday by threatening to commit suicide if elections to the District Cooperative Central Bank were not held as per the schedule.

Reacting strongly to the attempt of the Congress party to bulldoze the elections and getting them postponed, Viveka demanded that DCCB elections should be held without any delay.

“The Kiran Kumar Reddy government is trying to postpone the elections on the pretext that there are no officials, so that the Congress party can usurp the DCCB chairman and vice-chairman post though the Congress party does not have the majority. If the elections are not held as per the schedule, I will commit suicide in front of the Collector’s Office,” he said.

Earlier, a tense atmosphere prevailed at the Kadapa DCCB officer when the Congress and YSR Congress party workers clashed with each other. The YSR Congress leaders including party MLAs staged a protest in front of the Kadapa DCCB office demanding that the elections be held immediately.

When Congress MLA G Veerasiva Reddy also reached the place, the YSRC activists hurled chappals at his convoy and the enraged MLA got down from the vehicle and dared those who threw them to face him. Later, he lodged a complaint with the police that he was being prevented by the YSRC from coming to DCCB office.

Aadhaar duplication to be probed, 2 from Andhra Pradesh blacklisted

People get their credentials recorded to get the Aadhaar card registered at Chanchalguda Junior college in Hyderabad. (File)

New Delhi: The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has directed inquiry into complaints of alleged duplication of Aadhaar numbers.

“The contact centre of UIDAI had received two complaints dated July 25, 2012 and July 31, 2012 regarding duplication of Aadhaar. The complaints were forwarded to the respective authorities for taking necessary action. Since it is related to some other residents it cannot be shared,” the UIDAI said in reply to an RTI query.

The UIDAI is also looking into six complaints regarding alleged misuse of personal data while issuing the Aadhaar numbers to individuals. The complaints were received between May 2011 and February 2012, it said, adding that authorities concerned were looking into it.

The UIDAI is mandated to issue every citizen a 12-digit unique identification number ‘Aadhaar’ linked to the resident’s demographic and biometric information, which they can use to identify themselves anywhere in the country, and to access a host of benefits and services.

The authority said that it has also blacklisted an operator and a supervisor in Andhra Pradesh for their alleged involvement in fictitious enrolment for Aadhaar.

“UIDAI has not received complaints about fake Aadhaar number. However, UIDAI initiated inquiry with reference to a news article published in a local daily about fictitious enrolment of Aadhaar. UIDAI has suspended and blacklisted culprit operator — Boosi Veeranjaneyuda — and supervisor — Mala Anand Kumar. An FIR has already been lodged against the aforesaid employees by the enrolment agency concerned in the Anantpur district of Andhra Pradesh,” the authority said in reply to the RTI query filed by PTI.

The UIDAI has framed information security policy and guidelines to ensure safety of individual data being collected in the form of security handbooks, it said. About 10.19 crore Aadhaar numbers have been issued between January and October, 9 2012 by the UIDAI.