Strike, bandh hit normal life in city February 29, 2012 16:18
Normal life was disrupted in the city on Tuesday due to the nationwide strike called by the Central trade unions to protest against the anti-labour policies of the UPA government. The impact of the general strike accentuated with the Left parties organised a State bandh parallel to the strike. The strike hit all kinds of commercial activities with shops and other business houses, including banks, joining in the strike expressing solidarity with the striking trade unions which are seeking a host of demands. The schools, shops, business establishments and other educational institutions remained closed. Many bank customers were left at sea as employees of PSU banks refused to conduct transactions as part of the protest. The functioning of the government offices was also badly hit with employees of many government institutions like Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) participating in the strike.
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CPI(M) activists against ‘irregularities' in temple February 24, 2012 15:08
A woman dressed up as goddess Kanaka Durga was quivering in anger against the alleged irregularities in Kanaka Durga temple here. “The corruption in the temple will not be tolerated anymore,” she roared, even as the people tried to pacify her. It was part of a novel protest by CPI(M) activists near Durga ghat against alleged irregularities in Kanaka Durga temple, here on Thursday. The party activists led by city secretary Ch. Babu Rao submitted a memorandum to the woman who acted as goddess Kanaka Durga. The temple was turning out to be a haven for corrupt officials. The public representatives were doing their level best to turn the temple as source to plunder, they said. Mr. Babu Rao said the temple was mired in many controversies. Not a single day passes without hubbub over irregularities and corruption in the temple, which was one of the biggest temples in the state. Recently, a sack of coins created a flutter. None knew how the bag appeared all of sudden. The bribe at tonsuring hall was also rampant. If kickbacks from kesa khandanasala alone were Rs. 1 lakh per month, one could imagine the height of corruption in the temple, he said. The irregularities in construction of the retaining wall were hushed up. Now, none were speaking about it. Crores of rupees were being misused under the garb of development, he alleged. CPI(M) west zone-2 secretary N. Prasad, ex corporator B. Satya Babu and others were present.
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‘Speaker behaving like Congressman' February 17, 2012 15:34
Communist Party of India (CPI) State Secretary K. Narayana on Thursday said that Assembly Speaker Nadendla Manohar was acting like a partyman and has brought “disrespect” to the post by resorting to “opportunistic politics” to protect his party's as well as his self interests. Speaking at the inauguration of party district office here, Mr. Narayana said the Speaker, instead of disqualifying the legislators showing allegiance to YSR Congress Party, had allowed them into the House. “It is surprising to see Praja Rajyam Party legislators occupying the same seats even though the party had merged with the Congress,” he added. ‘Make names public' Expressing his views on the ACB report on persons who received amounts from liquor syndicates, Mr. Narayana demanded that the names of those involved in the scam were made public immediately. “The names of the Congress leaders, ministers and their kith and kin should be disclosed,” he demanded. Kiran criticised He also said that Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy was continuing the corrupt activities of late chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy and found fault with the Government for allotting the Polavaram tenders to an unqualified company. He advised the Opposition leader N. Chandrababu Naidu to fight on the issues concerning the people on the floor of the House instead of boycotting it. He also asked the people to take part in the strike on February 28 against the Government policies. Member of Legislative Council Jalli Wilson, former legislator K. Subba Raju, CPI leaders S. Nageswara Rao and E. Nageswara Rao were present.
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Privatisation of Bhavani Island violation of SC order February 14, 2012 15:05
A Supreme Court order based on the judgment of a case related to Haryana on January 28, 2011, sent to Andhra Pradesh government along with other State governments, prohibits it from giving away public property for development or utilisation circumventing the ‘Doctrine of Public Trust'. The proposed development of Bhavani Island in the middle of Prakasam Barrage reservoir in the River Krishna in Public Private Partnership mode through a 33-year lease will be a clear violation of the Supreme Court order, alleged former Union Energy Secretary E.A.S. Sarma. The right to access the public property of a commonman will be curtailed as the ‘high tariff barrier' to reach the island would become the basic impediment. This interference in the right of the commonman has been sited by the court as creation of a socio-economic barrier for accessing the natural resources of the country. The former Energy Secretary told The Hindu that the act of the State government to give it to the influential people such as Minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao was not legal and large-scale development proposed would meddle with the ecology of the area. Natural islands “We are bestowed with some such beautiful natural islands close to the densely populated city, which should be protected at all costs leaving it in its present form with minimal intervention by not constructing any infrastructure there,” said Mr. Sarma. Works A copy of the proposed works to be taken up by the Pratyusha Associates Shipping Private Limited of Visakhapatnam as a part of the lease gives jitters to the people as it stipulated construction of hotels, resorts, amusement parks, construction of 25 additional cottages in addition to existing 24, a conference hall to hold 200 people, new restaurant, a golf course, a swimming pool, health spa, yoga and meditation centre, a water treatment plant, jetties, on shore parking facility at Berm Park, and water treatment plant. All this is being done even before getting a clearance from the River Conservator from the Irrigation Department. The ‘Doctrine of Natural Justice' specifies that majority people should be able to access the facility, but the APIIC, which had been given the job of developing infrastructure, was involved in promoting luxury tourism and villa culture, said the Opposition parties. Pollution of the river due to this activity is another aspect which needs to be taken into consideration as the fresh water resources would be completely destroyed.
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Revenue officials take over running of GGH February 14, 2012 14:50
Revenue officials took over the running of the Government General Hospital (GGH) here on Sunday. Joint Collector Gaurav Uppal visited the GGH and reviewed the availability of doctors in different wards. Two Revenue Inspectors had been posted at the hospital to monitor the situation on a case-to-case basis. Mr. Uppal visited the causality, trauma care unit, and the acute medical ward and interacted with patients and their relatives to find out about the ground situation. “In all, 107 junior doctors are on strike. About 70 senior and junior doctors have been drafted on a temporary basis from private medical colleges and PHCs in the district to attend to the emergency medical services,” Mr. Gaurav said. Students doing their post-graduation were also temporarily put on duty at the GGH. Three teams of doctors, comprising a senior doctor, an orthopaedic surgeon, and eight other doctors, had been constituted to work in shifts to take care of the patients, Mr Gaurav said. The Joint Collector said that district Collector S.A.M. Rizvi ordered an inquiry into the death of a woman in the GGH. He said the inquiry report said that the woman was admitted to the hospital by relatives in a very critical condition and she died despite the doctors attending to her immediately. Revenue Divisional Officer S. Venkata Rao, Vijayawada Urban tahsildar J. Srinivas, hospital superintendent P. Ramababu, RMO Savitramma, and DMHO Saraseejakshi were at the hospital when the Joint Collector visited it. Services hit The junior doctors' strike had a serious impact at the Government General Hospital here. Some 20 persons have died in the last couple of days which is said to be normal by the hospital authorities. The Medical & Health Department has posted 80 doctors, some of them from NRI Medical College & General Hospital at Mangalagiri, and primary health centres on deputation in important wards of the GGH. The focus is on intensive care units, paediatric, cardiology, and other wards. GGH Superintendent Ch. Mohan Rao is submitting shift-wise reports to the In-Charge Collector N. Yuvaraj and keeping him informed of the situation. DMHO M. Gopi Naik and Guntur Medical College Principal K.S. Vara Prasad are monitoring the services being rendered at GGH.
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Vijayawada to be free of Malaria by 2014 January 31, 2012 16:07
The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) has declared a war against malaria, one of the major communicable diseases affecting the mankind. With an aim to eradicate malaria completely from the city by 2014, the VMC has embarked on a mission, in association with Cinergy Company, a Mumbai-based nonprofit organisation. For the effective implementation of the mission, the VMC has decided to seek the help of NGOs and citizens of the city. Vijayawada with a population of 11 lakh, has 111 slums. Many of the slums are on the banks of Bandar Canal, Eluru Canal and Ryves Canal and on hill slopes. Due to poor sanitation in the slums, the incidence of malaria, dengue and other diseases is quite high in the city during rainy season. Malaria is caused by plasmodium parasite. It gets transmitted by the bite of infective female Anopheles mosquito. There are four plasmodium species - P vivax (Pv), P falciparum (Pf), P malariae (Pm) and P ovale (Po). In India, P vivax species is the commonest (60-70%), followed by P falciparum. P malariae species is rarely found and P ovale is not found in our country. P falciparum is a malignant variety of malaria as in 0.5 to 2 per cent of cases, its gets complicated if timely treatment is not given. In some cases, it may be fatal. All malaria mortality cases in the country are due to Pf species only. A single dose of chloroquine may save the life of the patient by averting severe complications. “Malaria is curable and preventable. Yet we are suffering from the disease due to lack of proper awareness about malaria,” says Dr Lakshmi Kumari, additional medical officer of health (AMOH) of VMC. As part of its mission to eradicate malaria completely from the city, the VMC has adopted a four-pronged strategy. In the first phase, the VMC will take up a malaria awareness campaign, in association with Cinergy. Later, it will collect blood samples of people residing in the limits of all 22 Urban Health Centres in the city. In the third phase, the blood samples will be tested at six medical sub-centres in the city. If the blood sample of anyone is tested positive, he will be given treatment by a special district medical officers team. Simultaneously, a team of biologists will take up fogging and anti-larval operations in slums and vulnerable areas to prevent the growth of mosquitoes. Desiltation of canals and proper maintenance of hygiene in slums will also be taken up by the VMC as part of the mission. “We have a mission to make Vijayawada a malaria free city by 2014. The mission has already begun in January. After reviewing the results of the mission, another strategy will be adopted next year to eradicate malaria. We will involve NGOs and citizens in a big way in the war against malaria,” Lakshmi Kumari told.
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Farmers in tears as onion price crashes January 30, 2012 16:03
Even as the onion farmers claim that there is no demand for their produce, arrival of huge quantities from neighbouring states has resulted in further fall of price of onions. Farmers, who sold one kg of onions at Rs.30 in January last year, are now selling it for Rs.2.50 and the second and third quality produce at Rs.2 per kg at the ‘kallams' (fields) in Krishna and Guntur districts. Farmers cultivate onion mostly in Guntur, Krishna, Kurnool and other districts in the State. The growers raised onion in about 5,000 acres in Penumaka, Kistaipalem, Vundavalli, Venkatapalem, Yerrapalem, Mandadam, Nidamarru and in some villages in Krishna district. “The wholesale traders and commission agents buy the produce from the farmers at ‘kallams' and market it in Tamil Nadu, Nellore, Visakhapatnam, Jangareddygudem and other places at higher price. But, there were no takers in the market this year,” said a commission agent Muppera Srinivasa Rao of Vundavalli village. “As there was no ban on export of onions within the country, farmers from Karnataka and Maharashtra are marketing their produce in Andhra Pradesh. Some thousands of quintals of onions are arriving from Hubli and Bagdal regularly,'' said onion farmer Palagani Krishna. “Maharashtra and Karnataka governments are procuring the produce through MARKFED and shifting the stocks to Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and other states, which is one of the reasons for fall in prices,” said Mr. Krishna. “We have to invest about Rs.70,000 per one acre for purchasing seed, fertilizers, pesticides, labour and other charges. We are getting 5 to 7 tonnes yield per acre, and if we sell onions at Rs.2 per kg, how can we sustain,'' said farmer P. Sambasiva Rao of Penumaka village. “This year, the cost of fine quality onion has not even touched Rs.5 per kg. As we can't stock onions like paddy and commercial crops, we request the government to procure the produce directly and provide MSP for onion farmers,'' said Mr. Rao.
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Kaleswara Rao Market in the list of mortgaged VMC assets January 14, 2012 13:06
The prestigious market that has been named after the first Speaker of Andhra Pradesh Ayyadevara Kaleswara Rao will join the list of Vijayawada Municipal Corporation assets that are to be mortgaged for procuring loan. Vastralatha, I.V. Palace and K.B.N. Shopping Complex have already been mortgaged to the HUDCO for a loan of Rs.100 crore. The Municipal Corporation that is cash strapped has now approached the Corporation Bank for a fresh loan. The Municipal Corporation offered assets like the Ajitsinghnagar Sewage Treatment Plant and the Makineni Basavapunnaiah Municipal Corporation Stadium as collateral, but the bank wanted something with some real estate value and remunerative and selected the Kaleswara Rao Market which is now known as “K.R. Market”, mainly because the APSRTC always abbreviates names on its name boards. Columnist and authority on the history of the city Andavalli Satyanarayana told The Hindu that the Kaleswara Rao Market was in existence in 1946. “The Netaji Statue was unveiled in 1947 and by then the market was already there,” he added. Without touching the old building the Municipal Corporation pulled down sheds that were used for sale of vegetables, groceries and other household items and built a commercial complex when the Left parties were at the helm of affairs. An underground cellar was created for parking. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) has already gone to the public about the VMC's proposal to mortgage the “landmark”. The party said that it was completely against mortgaging of buildings to raise funds. The CPI(M) state executive member Ch. Babu Rao said that the VMC was due nearly Rs.180 crore grants from State and Centre under various schemes. The officials who were not doing anything to collect that amount were more interested in going for a bank loan. In 10 years the amount the VMC owes to the bank would double and then it would become a big burden to repay. Then the corporation would have no option but to let go of the assets, Mr. Babu Rao pointed out.
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Vijayawada Book Festival gets under way January 02, 2012 17:16
Books gave him a view of the whole world and through books he got an insight into the hearts and minds of the people, said veteran Telugu writer Kalipatnam Rama Rao. Inaugurating the Vijayawada Book Festival along with Kannada writer A.R. Mitra at the Swaraj Maidan here on Sunday, Mr. Rama Rao said that the number of rich people in the world had increased but the number of happy people in the world diminished. This was mainly because of a decline in the reading habit. Kalipatnam Rama Rao said that his life-long relationship with books began at the tender age of 10. He started reading after he came to Visakhapatnam and the library where he read was called the ‘Hindu Reading Room'. It was from here that he discovered the world of books. He ended his speech saying ‘pustakam parabrahma swaroopam' (books are a form of God). Professor Mitra said that Telugu and Kannada were sisters and the daughters of ‘Bharathamatha'. He said the world was a poorer place today because the value of books had diminished and a very few had the reading habit. ‘Winged horses' Comparing books with ‘winged horses', Prof. Mitra said that they help people's hearts to get closer, while the heads stop people from getting together. Crores of rupees were being spent on construction, but there was no room for libraries and books. Prof. Mitra spoke at length about the close relations between Telugu and Kannada writers had down the ages. Vijayawada Book Festival Society president R. Ramaswamy said that from 84 stalls in the first book festival, the number of stalls in this exhibition had increased to 310. This was a testimony to the success of the exhibition. Society secretary D. Ashok Kumar said that the organisation was running a library to promote the reading habit, but more land was needed to start a children's section. Treasurer Rama Kotaiah proposed a vote of thanks.
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Railway police identified vulnerable thefts December 28, 2011 15:02
Railway police identified several trains vulnerable to passenger luggage theft in the Vijayawada division. They intensified patrolling in night running trains and introduced a passenger luggage tag system to control suitcase robbery. Over 292 passenger trains pass thro-ugh Vijayawada railway st-ation daily, including hundred trains during night. Most luggage thefts occur during the early hours while passengers are asleep. More theft cases are reported in air-conditioned classes, where passengers do not lock their suitcases with a chain, according to railway authorities. To prevent increasing suitcase thefts in running trains, railway police conducted an analysis from 2009 and identified trains vulnerable to luggage thefts in the division. These include the God-avari Express bound for Hyderabad and Visakhap-atnam, Gowtami express, Inter-city express, Falakn-uma express, Yeswantpur express, Konark express, GT express, Seshadri, Krishna, East Coast, Simhapuri, Narsapur, Mac-hilipatnam, Janmabhoomi and Visakhapatnam-Nizamabad special trains. Railway police have stepped up patrolling in these trains as most proceed at night. Railway police introduced the tag system for passengers’ luggage in AC compartments on November 16 last year to prevent theft of luggage during the early hours. They ask passengers for luggage tags when they get down from the compartments in the early hours to prevent theft of luggage. Speaking to this paper, the Railway SP, Dr M. Naganna, said that there was an improvement in awareness among passengers after introducing the tag system for luggage in AC compartments. He said that results after introducing the new system were encouraging. In addition, patrolling in night trains was increased.
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Best city Award for Vijayawada Municipal Corporation December 14, 2011 18:57
The city has been adjudged the ‘best' at the national level for providing housing to the poor in the public-private partnership (PPP) mode under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) programme. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh gave away the award to Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister M. Mahidhar Reddy and Vijayawada Municipal Commissioner G. Ravi Babu at a programme organised at New Delhi on Tuesday. Mr. Manmohan Singh congratulated the Municipal Commissioner for taking up Jakkampudi housing under the PPP model. Involving the farmers in providing housing for the poor was an innovative concept. The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) developed the land at Jakkampudi on 60:40 ratio. The farmers received 60 per cent of the developed land while the corporation constructed 8,800 houses on its share of land, the Commissioner said. Union Minister of Urban Development and Housing Kumari Selja was present.
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Fund crunch affects development works December 13, 2011 12:25
Development works are crippled in Vijayawada Municipal Corporation lim as funds have not been released by the state government as per the norms of Finance Commission. Besides, the central government is also delaying release of JNNURM funds. As per the Finance Comm-ission recommendations, the VMC has to get Rs.1,276 crore from the state government from 2005-2006 to 2010-11. The government is not releasing these funds. Prof-essional tax dues are Rs.65.40 crore from 2005-2006 to 2010-11 and Motor Vehicle Tax dues are Rs.80.40 crore for the same period. Development works like underground drainage, laying of new roads, construction of bridges, water reservoirs, sewage water treatment plants, etc are going at a snail’s pace. The VMC had started JNNURM 20 projects five years ago with an estimated cost of Rs.1,422 crore. Though the share of the Union government is Rs.989 crore, it released only Rs.571 crore till now. The JNNURM term will conclude in March 2012. The Union government bears 50 per cent share, the state 20 per cent and the remaining 30 per cent by the VMC. The CPM city former floor leader Mr Ch. Babu Rao has said that the VMC has to bear an additional burden of Rs.421 crore as funds were not released and escalation of projects cost. When this newspaper asked the central MLA Mr Malladi Vishnu about the pending funds, he said he along with the west MLA Mr Velampalli Srinivas are going to Hyderabad to meet the Chief Minister, Mr N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, to request for the release of funds. The VMC spent Rs.60 crore additionally for housing. Municipal commissioner, Mr G. Ravi Babu, said representations have been made for the release of pending funds.
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