Politics

The YSRCP government published details after Chowdary, who recently quit the TDP to join the BJP, denied allegations of insider trading in Amaravati.

A day after former Union minister and Bharatiya Janata Party MP Y.S. Chowdary denied owning land in Andhra Pradesh state capital Amaravati, the state government on Wednesday revealed that he is in possession of over 623 acres of land. The YSRCP government released a statement giving details of Chowdary's land holdings. The statement said that Chowdary and his family members had bought 623.12 acres of land inside and around the capital area region skirting the land pooling zone. It said this proved the allegation that there was "insider trading" in the capital region. The state government came out with the details after Chowdary denied allegations by state Urban Development Minister Botsa Satyanarayana that he owns huge land in Amaravati. Chowdary, who recently quit the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) to join the BJP, on Tuesday visited some villages in Amaravati along with state BJP chief Kanna Lakshminarayana and denied that he holds any land in the capital region. He also denied that there was any insider trading. YSRCP has alleged that then Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and those close to him resorted to 'insider trading' by buying land at throwaway prices before deciding on Amaravati as the state capital. The government revealed that Chowdary who is locally popular as Sujana Chowdary, purchased 110.6 acres in Gudimetla village of Krishna district at Rs five lakh per acre before the announcement of Amaravati as the state capital."The land was bought by one Jatin Kumar, who heads one of the 120 shell companies of Chowdary," said an official statement."Chandrababu had leaked the information to his close aides about the proposed capital Amaravati. Many TDP leaders, including Y S Chowdary, purchased land at low cost from the Amaravati farmers. After all the lands were in the name of TDP leaders or their relatives, on September 4, 2014, Chandrababu Nadu announced Amaravati as the new capital city of Andhra Pradesh," the statement added. Giving survey numbers of the land, the state government said that the land is in the name of Shiva Satya Pigments Private Limited, which is one among the 120 companies established by Chowdary."The cost of the same land hiked to Rs 50 lakh per acre. By this, it is clear that he has made Rs 50 crore profit in the name of Amaravati." The statement said that Chowdary's nephew Yelamanchali Jathin Kumar also made huge profits by establishing Shiva Jyothi Flycon Blocks Private Limited in 11.56 acres of land. Chowdary had adopted Ponnavaram village, where he purchased 13.39 acres in the name of his father Y. Janardahana Rao. Another 3.5 acres was purchased by him in the name of his brothers Y. Shiva Ramakrishna, Y. Shivalinga Prasad, and his wife Y. Susheela Kumar. Chowdary also purchased land in the name of SJK Biotech Pharma Private Limited in Chandapuram village, the statement said. Read: Andhra’s Capital conundrum: Has too much been invested into Amaravati already? AP govt scales down plan for bridge connecting Amaravati with Hyd-Vijayawada highway

Body 2:

Crime

The police have arrested a 19-year-old boy for the attack.

TNM Staff

A teenager in Andhra Pradesh's Anakapalle town was brutally stabbed in broad daylight on Wednesday evening. The police said that 19-year-old Sai Sanga Rao allegedly attacked Yashoda Bhargavi, who is eighteen-years-old, outside Ramachandra theatre in Anakapalle, with a sharp object. According to Anakapalle Town police, Sai and Bhargavi had known each other for nearly five years. They were said to have been in a relationship, which their parents were also aware of. Police said that when Bhargavi, who is a B Com first year student, began talking to other boys in her class and failed to take Sai’s calls a few times, he began to suspect that she was interested in someone else. This led him to allegedly attempt to kill her, after which he planned to take his own life, the police said. Sai allegedly attacked Bhargavi with a sharp weapon, stabbing her in the neck and abdomen. He also allegedly stabbed her in the hand when she raised it in defense, police said. Bystanders who witnessed the attack immediately intervened, nabbed Sai, and called the police. Bhargavi was taken to NTR Hospital in Anakapalle as she had suffered considerable blood loss. Police said that her condition is now stable, and she has been referred to the King George Hospital in Visakhapatnam. The police have taken Sai into custody. An FIR has been registered under Section 307 (attempt to murder), Section 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and Section 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC. In another horrifying incident in Visakhapatnam district in April this year, a pregnant woman was allegedly cut with a blade by her husband and mother-in-law for dowry. They also attempted to force her to undergo an abortion. Last year in May, Visakhapatnam police arrested a man for murdering his live-in partner. Police said that the man, identified as R Satish, strangled his partner K Sujata and set her body on her fire, because she had objected to Satish's plans to marry someone else.

Body 2:

Politics

"The previous government already acquired land here. If there is a need to shift, we would have announced it by now," party spokesperson Ambati Rambabu said.

IANS

Image: Facebook/Ambati Rambabu

The Andhra Pradesh government has no plans to shift the state capital out of Amaravati but works will only resume after a probe into the scams that occurred during the previous government, said a top leader of the ruling YSRCP. Party legislator and spokesperson Ambati Rambabu told IANS that the opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) is spreading falsehoods that the government is planning to shift the state capital."Can we shift the state capital just because work was started by Chandrababu Naidu? We will set right the things and take action wherever there are allegations of corruption and irregularities. If we had any such plans (to shift) why would our Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy have built his house in Amaravati?" the senior leader asked. He said unlike Jagan Mohan Reddy, his predecessor N Chandrababu Naidu lacked sincerity in building the state capital and this is evident from the fact that the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief did not build a house in Amaravati."We have full confidence that Amaravati will remain the capital and that is why we have our house here. Why is Naidu not building a house here? He is living in somebody else's house," he said referring to Naidu's rented house. Rambabu disagreed that Amaravati is not a priority of the new government. "It is a a priority. It is the new state capital. Without developing a capital, how can we move forward?" he asked. After the YSRCP stormed to power in May, works on various projects in Amaravati launched during the TDP's tenure came to a grinding halt, triggering speculations that Jagan Mohan Reddy may have second thoughts about developing the state capital in Amaravati."What is the need to shift? The previous government already acquired 53,000 acres of land here. If there is a need to shift, we would have announced it by now," said Rambabu. He pointed out that works have stopped not just in Amaravati but on all projects. "We are looking into the irregularities committed by the previous government in awarding the works. Work will resume after reverse tendering wherever necessary," said Rambabu, who hopes things will become normal in six months. The YSRCP leader said their intention was not delay or cancel the projects. "We only want to see that the public money is not wasted." Slamming Naidu, Rambabu said they would not show graphics, make big statements like developing a magnificent city or hosting Olympics. During the poll campaign, Jagan Mohan Reddy had targeted Naidu for not going beyond unveiling graphics on Amaravati. "He is showing cinema to people by unveiling graphics after graphics. Even after four years, Amaravati is in initial stage. Nothing permanent has come up there," the YSRCP chief had told election rallies. Rambabu said the YSRCP government would not make tall claims like Naidu of building Amaravati like Singapore. "Nothing in our country will be like Singapore, China and Malaysia. Whatever we build will be Indian. It could be better than Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai or Mysore," he said. He alleged that Naidu has habit of boosting and uttering lies to mislead people and said this was the reason why people rejected him in the recent elections. Chandrababu Naidu had got the master plan for Amaravati prepared by Singapore. With nine theme cities, and 27 townships, it was planned in an area of 217 square kilometres as a world-class city. Designed not merely as an administrative capital but an economic and job creating hub and tourism centre, it was planned to be developed in three phases - seed area or core capital, the capital city and the capital region. Naidu's grandiose plans to build the state capital require an estimated Rs 1.5 lakh crore. Works worth Rs 38,000 crore on projects like roads and state secretariat complex were launched last year but went into a pause mode with the announcement of election schedule in March this year. The state secretariat, housing the office of the Chief Minister, ministers, top bureaucrats and various departments, legislature and high court are currently operating from temporary structures in Amaravati. (Mohammed Shafeeq can be contacted at m.shafeeq@ians.in) Read: YS Chowdary knew AP capital would come up in Amaravati, bought 623 acres of land: YSCRP

Body 2:

Prohibition

Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy has promised total prohibition, and has said that this will be implemented in a phased manner.

TNM Staff

The Andhra Pradesh government on Wednesday said it will allocate Rs 500 crore for setting up of de-addiction centres and for implementation of prohibition. Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy also directed officials to include lessons on ill-effects of liquor in school text books. The officials claimed liquor consumption fell drastically after the government cracked the whip on illegal outlets as a first step towards imposition of total prohibition in the state. The officials informed the Chief Minister during a review meeting that sale of liquor till July showed a decrease of 12 lakh cases compared to the previous year's figures. During 2018-19, the state registered sale of 125 lakh cases of liquor. Under the second phase to implement prohibition, the government will take over the liquor shops in a phased manner. It would initially open 503 liquor shops as a pilot project from September 1, the officials said. As per the route map towards total prohibition, the liquor outlets would be reduced from 4,380 to 3,500. On the whole, the shops will be reduced by 20 percent. The Chief Minister called for strengthening the enforcement and police departments. He asked officials to ensure that there is no smuggling of liquor. He asked the officials to take strict measures to check the flow of illicit liquor. He said women police should be employed in Village Secretariats for effective implementation of prohibition. The Chief Minister had promised total prohibition in the state during the election campaign. After coming to power in May, he announced that prohibition will be implemented in a phased manner. In June, he ordered a crackdown on 'belt shops'. The state Assembly last month passed a bill to provide for the government to take over liquor business. Read: Andhra may take over sale of alcohol in the state, but will it lead to prohibition? IANS inputs

Body 2:

Crime

Reports claimed that the boy was in a relationship with a women from another caste and is suspected to have been killed by her relatives.

TNM Staff

Image for representation purpose only.

An 18-year-old youth was found charred to death under mysterious circumstances in Madanapalle of Chittoor district in Andhra Pradesh. The incident took place in Tekulapalyam of Bommancheruvu Panchayat in Madanpapalle rural mandal limits on Wednesday, according to reports. According to a report in The Hindu, the deceased identified as Lokesh D was working as an auto driver and was living with his parents. Reports claimed that the boy was in a relationship with a women from another caste and is suspected to have been killed by her relatives. TOI report said that as per preliminary medical examination, the boy was electrocuted to death before being burnt. Police suspect that the fire could have resulted due to a short circuit in a socket near Lokesh’s bed. Madanapalle Taluk police have registered a case under Section 174 of CrPC (suspicious death). The body was sent for postmortem at a local hospital, while police are ascertaining the exact cause for his death. Police recorded the statements of Lokesh's father Adikeshavulu and mother Ademma, following the incident. According to reports in local media, the deceased was sleeping in one room while his parents were in another room. Reports state that he died even as his parents tried to rescue him. Lokesh had been sent to a juvenile home earlier this year over a dispute regarding relationship with a neighbouring girl from another caste. Both families had sparred over the issue. Police are suspecting that he was first electrocuted from a nearby wire box / junction box due to a short circuit and then the mobile phone could have blasted causing the flames to spread and eventually leading to his death. Police clues teams have claimed that there was no evidence of petrol or diesel being used for immolation.

Body 2:

Sports

The flex was erected near the Submarine Museum on Beach Road in Visakhapatnam, where the celebrations marking National Sports Day were taking place.

TNM Staff

Visakhapatnam district sports authorities found themselves in a tizzy after a flex put out for celebration of National Sports Day showed tennis player Sania Mirza erroneously mentioned as ace athlete P T Usha. The flex was erected near the Submarine Museum on Beach Road, where the celebrations marking National Sports Day were taking place. Soon, the erroneous poster went viral on social media causing a major embarrassment to the officials. The organisers who were tasked with arrangements of sports day celebrations seem to have mistaken P T Usha for tennis star Sania Mirza and erected a flex with a photograph of the latter bearing the name of the legendary athlete. Social media was soon abuzz pointing at the lack of basic knowledge about who our sports personalities are. Several flexes with the photographs of Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy and state Minister for Tourism, Culture and Youth Muttamsetti Srinivas Rao, were put out across the stretch. The posters which also depicted several other sportspersons were aimed at promoting the government’s "YSR Kreeda Protasahakalu". The flex that caught the eye of many and drew flak has the photograph of Sania Mirza under the category of 'Tennis' but the name was printed as P T Usha, 'Padma Bhushan, Padma Shri and Arjuna Award’. However, the flex that became a laughing stock for the authorities, was removed later. CM Jagan Mohan Reddy had announced cash awards for sportspersons who won medals at the national level in the name of 'YSR Kreeda Protasahakalu' and it was also decided to organise functions on the occasion of National Sports Day.

Body 2:

Nearly 2.5 lakh construction workers have been unemployed for months in Krishna district alone, according to the district building workers’ union.

Jahnavi Reddy

The Telugu Desam Party on Friday held protests across Andhra Pradesh, demanding compensation for the loss of livelihood for constructions workers over the past three months allegedly due to the state government’s delay in rolling out its new sand policy. According to media reports, a few TDP leaders, including former ministers Devineni Uma Maheswara Rao and Chintamaneni Prabhakar, and Krishna District party chief Bachula Arjunudu, were taken into house arrest, preventing them from taking part in the protests. Party workers were seen gathered outside Uma Maheswara Rao's residence, where he told local media, "We are trying to protest in a democratic way, but they're arresting leaders across the state. A tractor of sand which used to cost Rs 600 earlier, now costs Rs 6,800. They want to halt all the good work done by the Chandrababu Naidu government." Construction workers in Vijayawada had also held a demonstration at Dharna Chowk on Thursday. With sand quarries in the state remaining closed for the past few months, construction works in the region have almost come to a standstill, many workers said. According to the Krishna District Building Workers Union, nearly 2.5 lakh construction workers have been left without an income in Krishna district alone. Subbulu, a construction worker from Vijayawada, said, “We haven’t had a stable income for more than 3 months now. How long can we delay paying the rent and bills? It’s not easy to keep borrowing money either. It’s difficult to find other work because this is what we know. The Anna canteens are closed, so we don’t even have that option of affordable meals now.” She added that it has also been difficult to take care of medical emergencies, causing a strain on the family. Madhav, Vijayawada secretary, CITU, said that the workers must be given a compensation of Rs 10,000, as the state government was solely responsible for the lack of jobs in this period. K Polari, state chief secretary, Indian Federation of Trade Unions, said, “The government has announced financial assistance for different groups, like auto drivers, fishermen, handloom weavers, barbers (nayee brahmins), tailors and washer people (rajaka) communities. Some of them have been promised an annual financial aid of Rs 10,000. There are already funds for the workers under the state Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board. We are only demanding that the workers be compensated from the funds meant for their own welfare.” Polari alleged that although the welfare board earlier had funds amounting to nearly Rs 1,500 crore, the previous TDP government had diverted the funds for a few other welfare schemes, including the Chandranna Bima Yojana. “Nearly 10.5 lakh workers are registered with the board, but the funds aren’t being used properly for the schemes meant to benefit them, like maternity benefits, scholarships, cover for accidents, accidental and natural deaths,” Polari said. Madhav also alleged that workers are being made to run around government offices and banks to claim their rightful benefits. While the state government has been citing a shortage of funds, Polari alleges that the cess to be collected towards the welfare board from construction companies is not being done regularly. Bicchal, another construction worker who was at the demonstration, said, “Schools reopened just as work started to become scarce. I have been finding it difficult to send my three daughters to school.” The TDP held protests across the state, including Mangalagiri, Eluru and Vijayawada. Speaking to the media in Mangalagiri, Nara Lokesh, son of former Chief Minister and TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu, and party General Secretary said, “There are 20 lakh building workers. On behalf of the TDP, I demand the government to aid them by paying a compensation of Rs 60,000. They have said that they used to earn a daily wage of Rs 500 to 700. They have lost a monthly income of nearly Rs 20,000. For three months they’ve had no work. They are being driven out of their homes, unable to afford rent, food and children’s education.”

Body 2:

Administration

The TTD chairman YV Subba Reddy said it was not the TTD’s responsibility to use its funds to promote tourism in the state.

TNM Staff

The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) on Friday announced that it would reduce budget allocation for the construction of the Lord Venkateswara temple in Amaravati capital region from Rs 150 crore to Rs 36 crore. Speaking to reporters in Vijayawada, the TTD Chairman YV Subba Reddy said the budget cuts were being made to rein in additional and unnecessary financial burden on the TTD. Under the previous TDP government’s plan, the Lord Venkateshwara temple was to have a park, marriage halls and a few other amenities which the present government considers as excesses. The work for the project has already begun. "After the state government's directive, the then trust board appointed by the previous TDP government also gave a go-ahead to the project and had earmarked a sum of Rs 150 crore for the construction of Sri Venkateswara Divyakshetram at Venkatapalem village in Amaravati. Immediately, tenders were called for and works related to the construction of the temple had also commenced," said Subba Reddy who added that the present board felt certain additions made to the project escalated the project cost. "However, we strongly feel that though the construction of a new temple by the TTD in the capital region is justified, the previous trust board had included the construction of parks and Kalyana mandapams too which had escalated the project cost considerably, posing an additional and unnecessary financial burden on the TTD. Hence, we have decided to review the budgetary allocation made to Sri Venkateswara Divya Kshetram Project at Amaravati and the exercise will be taken up immediately after a new trust board is formed and after duly consulting the chief minister as well on the matter," said Subba Reddy, reported ToI. The chairman pointed at how the TTD had recently spent Rs 30 crore to build a Lord Venvethwara temple at Jubliee hills in Hyderabad. "The temple construction will not stop but will go on and it will come up in the same site allocated by the previous state government to TTD. We welcome former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu's decision to construct a temple in the capital region, but we are against overspending which is exactly what we are trying to curtail. There are hardly any people here in the capital region. We are not sure whether people will come or not and when this is the case why should we go ahead to construct parks or Kalyana mandapams," wondered the TTD chairman who also reiterated that the core responsibility of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams was to take Lord Venkateswara closer to the devotees by constructing temples across the country. Subba Reddy told reporters that promoting tourism was not the responsibility of the TTD but the state government. "Spending TTD funds for promoting tourism is also not correct and this is one of the major blunders committed by the previous TDP government," said Subba Reddy.

Body 2:

Theatre

EPIQ, the 656-seater cinema theatre, is touted to be one of its kind in India.

TNM Staff

Sullurpet, a small town in Andhra Pradesh, around 80 km from Chennai, is now home to South Asia’s largest movie theatre screen ‘EPIQ’. 100 ft wide and 54 ft in length, the first of its kind premium large format screen was unveiled by Chennai-based Qube cinemas on August 29. Qube Cinemas is one of India’s foremost providers of end-to-end digital cinema technology and solutions. The three-screen theatre is owned by acclaimed producer Vamsi Krishna, also the owner of V Celluloid chain of cinema theatres with over 50 screens in both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The 656-seater theatre was launched with the screening of Saaho on August 30, starring Prabhas and Shraddha Kapoor. “As the home of the largest screen in South Asia, right here in Sullurpet, we are proud to be at the forefront of revolutionising how India experiences cinema beyond the big cities. EPIQ will take our mission forward, bringing an extraordinary ambience and superior technological quality to more audiences than ever before,” Vamsi Krishna said while interacting with the media on Thursday. EPIQ, the state-of-the-art technology, has a big screen with a wall-to-wall 100-foot wide flat screen, plush ambience and stadium seating with every seat optimised for the best viewing experience. With 4K RGB laser projection and Dolby Atmos Immersive Audio, Qube Cinemas has also announced that it will create a special DCP (Digital Cinema Package) for select movies. Saaho became the first movie to be launched on EPIQ. The cinematographer of Saaho, R Madhi said during the launch, “EPIQ will have a terrific impact on the movie industry, giving us greater scope in how we produce feature films. Knowing that audiences can have an immersive experience such as this will greatly increase the creative possibilities for us in terms of visuals and sound.” While the owners of V-Celluloid have not disclosed the cost of this venture, the tickets for this EPIQ screen are priced at Rs 200 and Rs 100 for two classes.

Body 2:

Politics

Opposition parties in Andhra Pradesh have condemned the move and demanded that the government order be withdrawn.

Balakrishna Ganeshan

The Andhra Pradesh government’s order to repaint the existing Gram Panchayat offices to resemble the colours of the ruling YSR Congress Party and to put Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy’s photos on the name board has drawn severe flak from the opposition parties in the state. The principal opposition party, TDP, has condemned the decision and has demanded that the government withdraw the order immediately. On Wednesday, the Panchayat Raj and Rural Development department had issued a letter directing all the panchayat buildings in the state to be repainted. The letter reads, “All the District Collectors are requested to take necessary action for changing of colours to the existing Gram Panchayat Buildings in the state duly including the photograph of Hon’ble Chief Minister on one side of the Name Board.” The sample picture of the Gram Panchayat office issued by the government Speaking to TNM, TDP MLA Gorantla Butchaiah Chowdary said, “This is a really ridiculous thing to do.” He alleged that the YSRCP has hijacked several public places in the state and has painted them in YSRCP party colours illegally. “Overhead water tanks, school buildings and bus stops have all been painted with their party colours. Now they have officially taken such a decision. It is undemocratic. Public offices should be respected and not be used for political propaganda,” he said. “Most of the funds for the Gram Panchayat office come from the Centre, can the BJP paint these offices with their party colours then? Can the TDP do the same after coming to power?” he added. Slamming the CM, he said, “Jagan should realize that public offices are not his estate to paint whatever he likes. The TDP opposes this decision and demands the government to recall their plans.” Andhra Pradesh BJP chief Kanna Lakshmi Narayana said, “The public offices are not constructed with YSRCP’s money, so why are they being painted with the party’s colour? Public offices are not their party offices. The government should desist from such silly activities.”

Body 2:

Banking

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced that Andhra Bank would be merged with the Union Bank and Corporation Bank

IANS

Andhra Pradesh's ruling YSR Congress Party and opposition Congress have taken exception to the Centre's decision to merge Andhra Bank with two other banks, and said that it amounts to hurting the sentiments of the Telugu people. They demanded that the Centre withdraw its decision and if merger is inevitable the name of Andhra Bank should be retained. YSRCP MP Vallabhaneni Balashowry strongly opposed the merger announced on Friday. The Lok Sabha member from Machilipatnam also wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in this regard on Saturday. The MP pointed out that Telugu people have an emotional attachment with Andhra Bank. He said Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman should reconsider her decision to merge Andhra Bank with other banks. “At the same time, the headquarters of the three merged banks should be located in Andhra Pradesh," he added. Sitharaman on Friday announced merger of 10 public sector banks into four large entities. She said Andhra Bank would be merged with the Union Bank and Corporation Bank. Congress party leader and Rajya Sabha member KVP Ramachandra Rao has also urged the Centre to withdraw its decision to merge Andhra Bank. Rao wrote a letter to Sitharaman, opposing the move. He demanded that the process of merger should be stopped and Andhra Bank should be allowed to continue as a separate entity. He said the merger would hurt the sentiments of Telugu people. The MP also wrote that in case merger is inevitable, the name of Andhra Bank should be retained. “The government might have thought the merger of public sector banks was essential to strengthen the banking system, but merging a bank entangled with the honor of the Telugus and removing its name permanently has definitely hurt their feelings," he reportedly wrote in this letter. Rao said the name of Andhra Bank should be continued in memory of freedom fighter Pattabhi Sitaramayya, who founded it as a private bank in 1923 in Machilipatnam. Read: India to have only 12 public sector banks as Finance Minister announces mega merger

Body 2:

Controversy

The former MLA Chintamaneni Prabhakar has denied the charges and claimed political vendetta by the ruling YSRCP government.

TNM Staff

Image: Facebook/Chintamaneni Prabhakar

Former MLA and government whip Chintamaneni Prabhakar has found himself in the eye of a storm yet again as he was booked for allegedly insulting and attacking members from the Dalit community. The incident reportedly happened in Pinakamidi village in Pedavegi of Andhra Pradesh’s West Godavari district. However, the police did not confirm when the alleged incident took place. According to reports, a few members of the Dalit community filed a police complaint against Chintamaneni on Thursday, claiming that he and his allies had humiliated and attacked them over a sand excavation issue. A case was registered on Thursday night. “Several people from Pinakamidi filed a complaint alleging that Chintamaneni Prabhakar and few others publicly scolded them, humiliated them and attacked them. A case has been registered and an investigation is underway,” Pedavegi Police Sub-Inspector told TNM. The police also said that the case has been registered under SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act as well as other sections of the Indian Penal Code. This is not the first case booked against the MLA. Chintamaneni is known for his arrogance – from physically assaulting police constables and slapping a man over a torn poster of former CM Chandrababu Naidu to denigrating the Dalit community. Speaking to the media on Friday, Chintamaneni claimed that he was wrongly named in the case despite the fact that the clash broke out amongst the Dalits over the construction of a Dalit woman's house. He called the case ‘political vendetta’ by the ruling YSRCP government. He alleged that the case was filed to bar him from participating in protests against the Andhra government’s new sand policy. “We, the leaders and cadres of TDP, are not scared of your government just because you foist cases against us by influencing a few people," said Chintamaneni, lashing out at the ruling YSRCP government. Chintamaneni was one of the few TDP leaders who were placed under house arrest on Friday for protesting against the government, demanding a new sand policy. The TDP has alleged that due to unavailability of sand, several lakh construction labourers are being affected in the state. Also read: TDP protests unemployment due to alleged state govt delay in sand policy

Body 2:

Railways

The 6.7 km long tunnel was constructed at a cost of Rs 437 crore and connects Cherlopalli and Rapuru.

TNM Staff

Vice President Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday inaugurated the longest electrified railway tunnel in the country, in Andhra Pradesh. The 112-km long railway line project between Krishnapatnam port and Obulavaripalli was constructed to ensure smooth transportation of minerals and industrial goods to and from the port. As part of the project, two tunnels were constructed; one which is 6.7 km long and another, which is 1 km long."I am delighted to visit the country's longest electrified tunnel between Cherlopalli and Rapuru railway stations, constructed in a horseshoe design. This 6.7- km long tunnel constructed at a cost of Rs 437 cr has been rightly described as an engineering marvel. The tunnel opens viable rail connectivity between Krishnapatnam Port and its hinterland for goods train services and facilitates seamless freight transport," Venkaiah Naidu said after the inauguration. Built at a total cost of Rs 1,993 crore, the project acquired land spread across 1,900 acres and has 9 stations along the route. Officials said that the project reduces the distance between Venkatachalam and Obulavaripalle by 72 km. As part of the project, 23 major bridges and 123 minor bridges were constructed, besides 60 Road under Bridges (RUBs), officials said."I am overwhelmed with emotion as I have travelled on this newly commissioned Obulavaripalli Krishnapatnam line fulfilling my long-cherished childhood dream. The completion of the longest electrified tunnel in a record time has further enhance my happiness. I am emotional because it passes through my native village and ancestral home where I had spent my childhood. At that time nobody had even imagined that a train would be passing these hillocks one day," Venkaiah Naidu added. While at present, the railway line is catering only to the needs of goods trains, passenger trains are also expected to use the line soon."In addition to serving the freight customer needs, upon my suggestion the Railways Minister has agreed to operate passenger services also on this route, to give an added advantage to the general public of this region and to provide additional traveling facility for the people. Once passenger services start in this new line, it will provide safe and economic mode of transport for the people of this area," the Vice President stated. Read: Bifurcation of Waltair division: Will Vizag railway zone granted by Centre help AP?

Body 2:

Protest

The Gopalamitras, who provide doorstep livestock services, claim that they were promised Veterinary Assistant jobs, but have now been declared ineligible.

Jahnavi Reddy

The Gopalamitras of Andhra Pradesh, who provide doorstep livestock health services have been protesting for a month now over pending salaries and job security. The main concern of the Gopalamitras is being deemed ineligible for village secretariat posts. This comes after they were earlier promised that they would be given preference for the Veterinary Assistant posts under the Animal Husbandry Department. On Sunday, after a month, Minister for Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Mopidevi Venkata Ramana Rao visited their protest camp, heard their pleas and has promised to provide jobs to the workers in the second phase of recruitment to the village secretariats. The Gopalamitras also met with Jana Sena Party chief Pawan Kalyan in Mangalagiri on Saturday to voice their concerns over job security and pending salaries. According to the Gopalamitra Workers Union State Secretary Malleshwaram, who works in East Godavari district, the program has been in place in the state from the year 2000, with a required educational qualification of class 10. “Earlier, the government had declared that they would give preference to Gopalamitras in the village secretariat appointments. But last month, the Animal Husbandry Department officials declared that candidates would need to have a diploma or vocational course certificate in veterinary science to be eligible for the Veterinary Assistant post,” Malleshwaram said. Many workers said that they were unable to apply for the secretariat exams being conducted on September 1 following the announcement of the revised eligibility criteria. “They say that we don’t have the required technical training. But, we do undergo six months of technical and theoretical training for our jobs. Besides, many of us have years of experience. One of our workers recently won a national level award in 2018 for his work in livestock artificial insemination,” said Veeranjaneyulu, a Gopalamitra from Prakasam district. Workers claim that colleges in the state have been offering the veterinary science diploma only since 2010, some of them had started working as Gopalamitras even before that. Many of them said that several years of their work and experience is being undermined and that they are being denied an important job opportunity. According to union members, while there are nearly 9,800 posts of Veterinary Assistants, only about 6,000 applications have been received from eligible candidates. “There are about 3,000 Gopalamitras in the state. This means they still have sufficient openings for all of us. If they still think we are technically underqualified, they could provide training to bring us at par with the diploma candidates. They are denying us an important opportunity by disqualifying us,” said Veeranjaneyulu. Workers also said that years of their on-ground contribution to improving the livestock of the state is being ignored. “When the program was started in 2000, we were working as volunteers. Our only income was whatever the farmers would pay us on our visits. We started to get a monthly honorarium of Rs 1,200 only in 2008. It was slowly increased, and in November last year, it was made Rs 6,500. During the election campaign, the YSRCP had promised to raise our honorarium to Rs 16,500. But now, our payment is pending for the past seven months — since February. Our work-based incentives have been pending for 5 years,” said Malleshwaram. With the payment dues already pending, workers say that they were looking towards the Veterinary Assistant post for job security, which they have now been denied. Malleshwaram says that the Gopalamitras have been protesting at the district-level throughout the month. “Since August 1, we have been protesting outside the district collectorate offices. Not one official has responded to us in a month. Finally, we have all come to Vijayawada to protest, hoping the leaders will hear us,” he said. It was after this Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Mopidevi Venkata Ramana Rao visited the camp.

Body 2:

Protest

Owners of patta land were promised a developed plot of 1050 sq yards per acre of pooled land, but assigned landowners have only been promised 600 sq yards of developed plot.

Jahnavi Reddy

As Jana Sena Party Chief Pawan Kalyan was rounding up his visit to the Amaravati capital region in Andhra Pradesh, many farmers who had given away their land for the development of the capital arrived at the party office in Mangalagiri to talk about their grievances. Among the different groups present was the Rajadhani Assigned Rythulu Rythu Kooleela Samakhya (Capital Region Assigned Farmers and Farm Workers Association), who voiced their concerns and were assured support. Farmers from the group who had been cultivating assigned land (land allotted for livelihood to economically weak sections, particularly SC and ST), have been demanding fair compensation for a long time. According to Basavaiah, a representative of the group who came from Thullur, while the owners of patta land were promised a developed plot of 1050 square yards per acre of pooled land, in the case of land assigned land, the state has only promised 600 square yards of developed plot per acre. “One of the Chief Minister’s campaign promises was to give us a package with equal compensation as that of patta landholders. But so far, our concerns haven’t been addressed,” he said. While the annual lease amount for the pooled land, which had been delayed by a couple of months this year, was received by patta landowners on Friday and Saturday, Basavaiah claims that several assigned landholders haven’t received the lease amount this year. Confusion prevailed among a section of farmers since last week after statements made by state ministers and ruling YSRCP leaders about the possibility of shifting the state capital from Amaravati. Many farmers at the meeting expressed resentment towards Urban Development Minister Botsa Satyanarayana’s recent statement that Amaravati was not a safe place for the capital as it was flood-prone. Pawan Kalyan said that Chief Minister Jagan tended to choose people like Satyanarayana and Irrigation Minister Anil Kumar Yadav to deliver bad news, instead of his close associates and family members. “Opposing the development of the capital in Amaravati is the same as opposing Prime Minister Modi and Amit Shah,” he said. Pawan said that while releasing the lease amount is an important measure, farmers had given their land for the future of the state, which cannot be put in jeopardy. About 24,000 farmers are estimated to have given over 30,000 acres for the state capital under the land pooling scheme. Under the state’s Land Pooling Scheme (LPS), the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) government had promised to return a part of the land to them, as developed property, in addition to the lease amount. With uncertainty over the capital region and constructions having come to a standstill, farmers sought reassurance that the capital would continue in Amaravati. While various communities including women farmers, Dalit farmers and workers and Muslim farmers were represented at the meeting, some of the biggest and most powerful Kamma landowners who had pooled land for the capital gave the meeting a miss. Read: No plans to shift capital from Amaravati, TDP misleading people: YSRCP Andhra’s Capital conundrum: Has too much been invested into Amaravati already? 'Capital must be built in Amaravati or people will lose trust': Pawan Kalyan

Body 2:

Banking

It was on November 20, 1923 that freedom fighter Bhogaraju Pattabhi Sitaramayya founded Andhra Bank as a small private bank in Machilipatnam.

IANS

Image: Facebook/ Andhra Bank

After Hyderabad, it is now the turn of Andhra Pradesh to disappear from the list of public sector banks, depriving both Telugu states of their identity in the banking sector. Two years after State Bank of Hyderabad became history with its merger with the State Bank of India, it will soon be curtains down on another bank from Telugu states. The Centre's decision to merge Andhra Bank with Union Bank of India and Corporation Bank will snap the emotional link the people of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana had with this 96-year-old bank. With its merger with the State Bank of India (SBI), State Bank of Hyderabad (SBH) became part of the history in 2017. SBH was the identity and an integral part of the rich legacy of this historic city and one of the last remnants of the Asaf Jahi dynasty of the erstwhile Hyderabad State. The latest move by the Centre will cut the emotional connect of Telugu-speaking people with Andhra Bank."First it was SBH and now Andhra Bank. Telugus have lost both their banks," analyst Telakapalli Ravi told IANS. He pointed out that after bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, Andhra Bank continued its presence in Telangana."People had all the trust in the bank. It was another name for safety," he said. Leaders irrespective of party affiliations in Andhra Pradesh found fault with the Centre's move and said this would hurt the sentiments of Telugu people. Two MPs of ruling YSRCP and opposition Congress urged the Centre to withdraw the decision or at least retain the name Andhra Bank if the amalgamation becomes inevitable. People also took to social media to express their resentment over the merger move and shared their special bonding with Andhra Bank. It was on November 20, 1923 that freedom fighter Bhogaraju Pattabhi Sitaramayya founded Andhra Bank as a small private bank in Machilipatnam with a paid up capital of Rs 1 lakh and authorized capital of Rs 10 lakh. After attaining the status of a scheduled bank in 1943, the bank expanded its operations beyond Andhra Pradesh to open a branch in Tamil Nadu. Following the formation of Andhra Pradesh with the merger of Telangana with then Andhra State in 1956, Andhra Bank's headquarters was shifted to Hyderabad. After first phase of nationalized bank in 1969, Andhra Bank emerged as the largest private sector bank and remained so till 1980 when it was nationalised. With its foundations rooted in the freedom struggle, the bank enjoyed a special place in the hearts of Telugu people. Since inception, it had been the main source of finance for farmers, small scale industries and weaker sections of the society. Considered a pioneer in issuing credit cards, Andhra Bank also introduced kisan card for farmers and expanded its operations to rural and remote regions of Andhra Pradesh. With the merger, the bank will lose its identity and logo while the new entity will have its headquarters in Mumbai. The new entity is expected to emerge as the fifth largest bank with annual business of Rs 14.59 lakh crore. Interestingly it was in early last month that Andhra Bank had announced that it returned to profit in the first quarter which ended on June 30, by recording a standalone net profit of Rs 51.56 crore as provisions for bad loans came down. For the full year 2018-19, the net loss was Rs 2,786 crore, against Rs 3,413 crore in the previous financial year. According to its annual report for 2018-19, the bank had 6,687 delivery channels consisting of 2,885 branches, four extension counters and 3,798 ATMs spread over 26 states and three Union Territories. The bank had 21,403 employees as on March 31. Total business during the year grew by 6.95 percent to Rs.3,98,511 crore from Rs 3,72,605 crore in 2017-18. The turnover includes Rs 2,19,821 crore deposits and Rs 1,78,690 crore advances.

Body 2:

Krishna Floods

In his letter, the former chief minister also claimed that the YSRCP failed in the management and assistance of the Krishna floods.

TNM Staff

Following the recent flooding in the banks of Andhra Pradesh’s Krishna river, which affected around 90 villages and resulted in thousands being displaced from their homes, former state chief minister Chandrababu Naidu has written a letter to YSRCP Chief Jagan Mohan Reddy, accusing the latter for having allegedly ignored the precautions given by India's premier space agancy- ISRO. Naidu claimed that not only did the state government fail the Krishna Flood Management and Assistance Action, they had not paid any heed to the warnings issued by the Central Water Board and ISRO. “I was saddened after hearing the hardships by Krishna and Guntur district people. It appears almost as though the floods were deliberate. The YSRCP hasn’t shown as much interest in working for people as they have shown while playing with drones. The negligence of the government even resulted in the death of one person after a boat was removed. This can only be interpreted as deliberate damage and the expense for all such damage should be borne by the Government. Furthermore, the state should seek assistance from the Centre by writing a letter. Godavari flood victims too should receive assistance,” wrote Chandrababu Naidu in a letter to the YSRCP’s Jagan Mohan Reddy. As of Saturday, August 17 over 11,000 people had been shifted to relief camps in Guntur and Krishna districts in the state of Andhra Pradesh, after the Krishna river began flooding. Two people were killed in the floods which affected around 90 villages and inundated several other surrounding areas. The Krishna river crosses four states, and is in spate after the states of Maharashtra and Karnataka saw heavy rainfall over a span of two weeks. Several gates in dams across Maharashtra (where the Krishna river commences), Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh were opened after water levels in dams across the four states were nearly filled to their capacity.

Body 2:

Prohibition

Under the state’s new liquor policy, all existing liquor shops will be state-run and will be phased out over the next four years.

TNM Staff

The prohibition and excise department of Andhra Pradesh has opened 430 liquor shops on Sunday with another 44 openings in the coming two days. The shops being opened under the first phase are part of the state’s new excise policy of liquor sales expected to come into effect on October 1, reported ToI. Under the policy, the state would take control of all existing liquor shops in the state in stages and phase them out over the next four years. The 503 shops being opened as part of the first phase are shops that had earlier been shut for not renewing their liquor licence. The excise department is in the process of taking over liquor shops in the state and have identified 777 of them so far. The state intends to bring down the number of liquor shops from 4380 to 3500 and eventually phase them out. Once the policy comes into effect, all liquor shops in the state will be run by the Andhra Pradesh State Beverages Corporation Limited (APSBCL). The shops will operate from morning 10 am to 9 pm and will no longer be allowed to grant lodging facilities. The sale of unpackaged liquor will also not be allowed. The state will outsource the operations of these liquor shops and will recruit three persons for each shop. The state government is also expected to take over operations of another 3000 liquor shops and reopen them on October 1. The state government claims that the sale of liquor had come down since their crackdown on illegal outlets known as belt shops. A ban on liquor in the state was one of the poll promises of the ruling YSRCP. Liquor consumption in the state had come down since July by 12 lakh when compared to the 2018 figure, claimed officials at a review meeting with the state's Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. The state government, however, has allocated only Rs 500 crore for setting up de-addiction centres and to implement the prohibition. Andhra has taken control of 503 liquor shops. Will this really help in leading to prohibition? A story written by @NitinBGoode a few weeks ago in which he speaks to the strategist behind the govt's move https://t.co/G4PtcBrPgt— Dhanya Rajendran (@dhanyarajendran) September 2, 2019 Also Read: Andhra may take over sale of alcohol in the state, but will it lead to prohibition?

Body 2:

Governor

Narasimhan served as Governor for a little over 12 years making him the longest-serving Governor in India.

TNM Staff

With the Centre on Sunday appointing Tamilisai Soundararajan as the new Governor of Telangana, ESL Narasimhan's long stint as Governor comes to an end. In fact, the former chief of the Intelligence Bureau is the longest-serving Governor in India if his term as Chhattisgarh Governor is also taken into account. Narasimhan took office as Governor of Chhattisgarh in 2007 and in 2009, took additional charge of Andhra Pradesh after Narayan Dutt Tiwari, the former Governor, had to resign due to a sex scandal. In January 2010, he was formally appointed as Governor of combined Andhra Pradesh and after the formation of Telangana in 2014, he remained Governor for both the Telugu states. The 1968-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) official served as the Governor of undivided Andhra Pradesh during the turbulent period of the Telangana movement and following bifurcation of the state, of both the Telugu states. He was once heckled in the state assembly by the Telangana Rastra Samithi (TRS) party leaders who even uprooted his mike and took away the Budget paper. He was also attacked with paper missiles while reading out the Governor’s address at the Budget session of the assembly in 2011. His meeting in 2013 with Congress leaders in New Delhi had caused a political storm in Andhra Pradesh with the TDP, then in the opposition, questioning his action of briefing Congress leaders. He was often perceived as being against the bifurcation of the state, by the TRS and as a Congress agent by the TDP. However, after the formation of Telangana state, he reportedly enjoyed cordial relations with Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and up until last year, with N Chandrababu Naidu, the former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP chief. He would often in the past five years act as a mediator between the two warring parties to carry forward bifurcation related issues. For his vast experience and the rapport he had developed with different players in state politics, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) stuck with him for five years. He also enjoyed the full support of the Centre as he tried to resolve the outstanding issues between the two states. However, the Modi government in its second term decided to replace Narasimhan by appointing new Governors for both the Telugu states. (With IANS inputs)

Body 2:

The workers, who were from Tamil Nadu and Vizianagaram, died after being buried under the collapsed wall. A police investigation is underway.

TNM Staff

Image for representation / S. Lampkin, U.S. Air Force via Wikimedia Commons

Two building workers lost their lives to a fatal accident at a construction site in Visakhapatnam. According to reports, a compound wall collapsed onto them, killing them while they were at work on Monday night. The accident occurred in the Daba Gardens neighbourhood of the city. According to the Hindu, the two men, Siva and Shankar, had come from Tamil Nadu and Vizianagaram district of Andhra respectively. Another man called Selvam, who was with them, survived the accident with a few injuries. He is undergoing treatment at King George Hospital, according to the report. The police reportedly found that the workers had been using a drill near the compound wall of an adjacent building, when that wall collapsed and buried Siva and Shankar. Police have reportedly taken the responsible persons into custody and registered a case under relevant sections of the IPC. Local media reports said that the bodies were removed from under the debris. The under-construction building is reportedly meant to be a church congregation hall. According to ANI, while the third person was rescued by locals and taken to the hospital, another person was saved by members of the fire department and police who reached the spot after the accident. A police investigation is underway. According to the Hindu, the police found violations of safety norms at the site. In another case of alleged negligence, in June this year, a five-year-old boy died in Hyderabad after he drowned in a water sump at a neighbouring under-construction house. Police said that the boy was playing near his home when he found his way to the water sump at the neighbour's house, and possibly slipped and fell inside. A case of negligence was booked against the owner of the under-construction site.

Body 2:

YS Chowdary knew AP capital would come up in Amaravati, bought 623 acres of land: YSCRP

College student stabbed in broad daylight in Andhra over suspected ‘infidelity’

No plans to shift capital from Amaravati, TDP misleading people: YSRCP

Andhra to allocate Rs 500 crore for liquor de-addiction programmes

18-yr-old charred to death under mysterious circumstances in AP, kin suspect murder

AP officials left red-faced after flex shows Sania Mirza as PT Usha on Nat’l Sports Day

TDP protests unemployment due to alleged state govt delay in sand policy

TTD to trim excesses and reduce cost of Lord Venkateshwara temple project in Amaravati

Qube launches South Asia's largest theatre screen in AP, 'Saaho' first film screened

Opposition fumes as AP govt orders Panchayat offices to be painted in YSRCP colours

YSRCP, Congress oppose merger of Andhra Bank

Andhra TDP leader booked for allegedly humiliating, attacking Dalits

India's longest electrified train tunnel inaugurated in Andhra

Andhra Pradesh livestock workers demand village secretariat jobs, pending salaries

Amid uncertainty over Amaravati, marginalised farmers demand equal compensation for land

After State Bank of Hyderabad, Andhra Bank set to slip into banking history

State govt ignored ISRO cautions: Naidu writes to Jagan on Krishna floods

Andhra Pradesh govt takes control of 503 liquor shops as part of new policy

ESL Narasimhan's stint as India’s longest-serving Governor comes to an end

Two dead due to wall collapse at Visakhapatnam construction site