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Cylinder explosion kills three in Visakhapatnam, cops probing suicide angle

October 11, 2019, 8:35 pm
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Crime
While the police initially suspected that it was an accident, a preliminary enquiry revealed that it may have been a suicide case.
TNM Staff
Image for representation
Three members of a family were burnt alive and charred to death after the gas cylinder inside their home in Visakhapatnam's Sagarnagar area exploded after a gas leak late on Thursday night. The deceased were identified as Challa Umamaheswara Rao, a retired engineer who had worked with the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC), his son Satish Candra and daughter Lavanya.  “A fire broke out and thick smoke engulfed the house. The neighbours tried to help the inmates but in vain. The houses located nearby have also been partially damaged under the impact of the blast,” Arilova Inspector Kishore Kumar was quoted as saying. While the police initially suspected that it was an accident, a preliminary enquiry revealed that it may have been a suicide case.  Two LPG cylinders, which had exploded, were found in the living room and not in the kitchen, and investigation officials suspect that all three members of the family may have stood close to them during the incident.  Authorities also suspect that it may have been a suicide pact, as they said that they had found some notes. As far as the motive is concerned, the police said that the family was facing financial issues and that may have led to the extreme step. Forensic teams visited the spot and collected evidence as the police registered a case under Section 174 (Suspicious death) of the CrPC and initiated a probe. If you or anyone you know is feeling depressed or suicidal, consider reaching out to one of the following helplines: Telangana:  Telangana government suicide prevention toll free number - 104 Roshni- 040-66202000, 66202001 SEVA- 09441778290, 040 - 27504682 (between 9 AM and 7 PM) Andhra Pradesh: Life Suicide Prevention Helpline No.78930-78930 Roshni - Helpline 1: 9166202000 Helpline 2: 9127848584 Karnataka: Sahai : 24-hour helpline numbers: 080- 65000111, 080-65000222 Kerala: Maithri helpline - 0484-2540530 Chaithram helpline: 0484-2361161 Both are 24-hour helpline numbers. Tamil Nadu: State health department suicide helpline number - 104 Sneha Suicide Prevention Centre - 044-24640050  
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Chandrababu Naidu left behind financial mess in Andhra, says Jagan's govt

October 11, 2019, 8:59 pm
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Politics
Finance Minister Buggana Rajendernath said the financial indiscipline of the previous TDP government was spilling over and it would take time to 'undo the damage'.
IANS
With the State Bank of India raising concerns about Andhra Pradesh's rising outstanding debts and sovereign guarantees, the state's Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YSRCP government on Friday blamed the previous Chandrababu Naidu regime for the financial situation of the state. Finance Minister Buggana Rajendernath said the financial indiscipline of the previous Telugu Desam Party (TDP) government was spilling over and it would take time to 'undo the damage'"The previous government has left behind a legacy of huge debts stemming from off-budget borrowings and loans from various corporations and extravagant spending and clearing the dues of their favoured contractors while mounting the dues to public services and other utilities," he told reporters in Amaravati. On the news in a section of media about an SBI letter on the loan taken by Andhra Pradesh Power Finance Corporation (APPFC), Rajendernath said that it was part of regular correspondence. He said he had no knowledge as to how the letter was leaked. The SBI, in its letter dated September 30, questioned the veracity of the guarantees offered by the state government for Rs 3,000 crore term loan for APPFC. The Finance Minister said the ratings will be given by agencies like Crisil and Brickwork who have their own basis on assessing the credit worthiness. He pointed out that in January, Crisil gave A+ while Brickwork gave A- rating. Stating that the outstanding guarantees by the state rose from Rs 9,665 cores in 2017 to Rs 35,964 cores in 2018, he said this was the period of the previous government. Rajendernath alleged that the combination of then Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and then Finance Minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu always played truant with the state finances. He said it was the previous government which went out of the way to draw supplementary grants, took loans from all the corporations including Civil Supplies and has the dubious distinction of drawing Rs 5,000 crore on a single day. The minister said huge amounts were paid to their eight favoured contractors while public utility bills like mid-day meals, fees reimbursement, land acquisition, power distribution companies, hospital subsidies, and outsourcing employees' salaries were kept pending."The pending bills and amounts drawn before elections were piled up on us and their mismanagement was carried forward and has fallen on us to clear. Now it is the same TDP leaders who are talking about financial management," he said. Rajendranath said the previous government left the state finances high and dry with total dues to distribution companies to a tune of Rs 14,857 cores and signed Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) with companies with terms heavily loaded in favour of the latter's favour. He said was premature to judge the financial situation of the government which is just four montsh old and it takes at least one year to gauge the performance. On October 7, the government went for a routine borrowing of Rs 1,000 crore but it was oversubscribed at Rs 2,005 crores which shows the confidence Reserve Bank of India has in the state government, he said.
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Students of Andhra's Nannaya University allege sexual harassment, write to CMO

October 12, 2019, 1:53 am
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Sexual Harassment
The students alleged that the professor would conduct frequent 'special classes' as a ruse to harass them and threaten to fail them if they complained.
TNM Staff
The administration of the Adikavi Nannaya University in Andhra Pradesh has launched an investigation into allegations of sexual harassment against N Surya Raghavendra, Head of Department of English in the varsity. The incident came to light after three female students wrote to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy, alleging that the professor would frequently harass women and request sexual favours. They alleged that he would conduct frequent 'special classes' as a ruse to harass them and threaten that he would fail them in their subjects, if they attempted to complain against him. While the contents of the letter have not been made public in its entirety, sources in the CMO confirmed that the office received the representation and forwarded it to the Andhra Pradesh State Council of Higher Education. Following this, the university has begun a probe. Adikavi Nannaya University Vice-Chancellor Suresh Varma told reporters, "We received a letter from the AP State Council of  Higher Education earlier this week. Immediately as per due process, we handed over the complaint to the Women Cell on campus for investigation.""Generally, we receive complaints directly as students approach us. No matter what complaint we get, we take it very seriously. The Women Cell coordinator was on Dasara holiday. The students are back on Monday. We have called her back to begin investigation. As soon as she submits her report, we will take action accordingly," he added. The VC said that the English Department was established in 2006 and had 60 students in two classes, besides four permanent faculty members. Surya Raghavendra had been working at the university since 2008. He added that ensuring that the students have a safe environment to study was their utmost priority."We have never got such complaints in the past from the English Department, but we will take it seriously and ensure speedy action," the VC said. Meanwhile, East Godavari Collector Muralidhar Reddy also responded to the incident, telling reporters, "I have spoken to the VC. He said that he had referred it to the committee. As soon as the enquiry is complete, we will take action. We will monitor the case and ensure that a fair enquiry is conducted." Read:  One year since 'Me Too': How south film industries are addressing or ignoring the issue 1 year of 'Me Too': From Vairamuthu to Arjun, list of new projects signed by accused men
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V-C of Andhra's Nannaya University denies sexual harassment allegations against HoD

October 12, 2019, 8:31 pm
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Sexual Harassment
Three female students of the college had written to Andhra CM Jagan, alleging that the HoD would conduct frequent 'special classes' as a ruse to harass them.
TNM Staff
HoD, N Surya Raghavendra
A day after N Surya Raghavendra, the English Head of Department from the Adikavi Nannaya University in Andhra Pradesh was accused of sexually harassing his students, university Vice-Chancellor P Suresh Verma claimed that the allegations against the HoD were baseless. The V-C said that the complaint was a ploy to bring disrepute to the university. The allegation created a furore in the state as the students wrote to the Chief Minister’s office regarding the matter. In their letter, the complainants — three female students — alleged that Surya Raghavendra would invite students to his residence under the pretext of special classes and sexually harass them. Verma said that the women’s cell, which probed the complaint, found that there were missing links. He said that the preliminary inquiry proved that the allegations were baseless. Addressing the media on Sunday, Verma said that the complainants were three former students from the 2017-19 batch. According to the New Indian Express, he said, “I was not the V-C of the university during this period. Therefore, their contention that they did not approach me for help because Raghavendra and I were on friendly terms exposes their lies. How can these students who completed their studies and left the university make a complaint now?" He added that the complaint letter did not have a signature, which, he said, was grounds for something fishy.  The V-C said when the women's cell reached out to the complainants, their phones were not functioning. "We suspect there is some foul play behind the whole episode to tarnish the image of the university. Nevertheless, we will conduct a comprehensive inquiry to get to the bottom of this. We have asked the women cell to speed up the probe. After receiving a final report, we will initiate appropriate steps." A five-member committee has been constituted to probe the allegations, and a full report on the incident will be submitted by Monday. 
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Exit from NDA led to loss for TDP: Former Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu

October 13, 2019, 4:58 am
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The then-TDP government had exited the NDA in March 2018 over Andhra Pradesh not being granted Special Category Status.
TNM Staff
Telugu Desam Party chief and former Andhra Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu expressed regret over leaving the BJP-led NDA, according to local media reports. Addressing party workers during his two-day visit to Visakhapatnam for strengthening the party in the region, Naidu reportedly said that the party had clashed with the Centre for the people of Andhra, which led TDP’s loss in the recent elections.   According to Andhrajyothy, Naidu said, “Only for the benefit of the state we differed with the Centre. But because of that, the TDP is at a loss now, while there were no gains for the state. Things would have been different if we had not created those differences. We need to ensure that we do not make such mistakes in the future.”   The reports have led to speculation over the possibility of the TDP undoing its past actions, which Naidu now seems to regret.   A video clip from a party meeting in Visakhapatnam shows Naidu talking about plans for the party. “I had tried hard for benefits to the state, not for personal benefits. What rivalry is there between me and Modi? For the people of Andhra, I differed. That was it. We will analyse every factor. It’s a continuous process. Based on this we will create an action plan for the future,” Naidu said.    In March last year, the TDP government, which was in alliance with the NDA, exited the coalition over Special Category Status not being granted to the state and other promises made at the time of bifurcation not being fulfilled. After the TDP’s exit, Naidu had claimed that his party had an ideological difference with the BJP from the beginning, but had adjusted politically. Naidu had even said that anybody as Prime Minister would be better than Narendra Modi, blaming him for economic stagnation and social unrest in the country.   Although the BJP had fared very poorly in the recent Andhra Assembly elections, multiple leaders have defected from the TDP to BJP since then, and the BJP has continued its efforts to strengthen its presence in the Telugu states. 
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Around 700 tortoises being smuggled seized by Andhra police, two held

October 13, 2019, 8:21 pm
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Crime
A case was registered against the accused under relevant sections of the Animal Cruelty Act.
TNM Staff
The Andhra Pradesh police on Sunday arrested two people for attempting to transport close to 700 soft-shell tortoises in gunny sacks in the state's Krishna District."The police found two autos in which almost 700 tortoises were being smuggled to Odisha. The accused have been identified as N Anjaneyulu and P Nagabhushanam, who used to collect tortoises from nearby villages in large numbers and send them to Odisha," Kaikaluru police station sub-inspector T Ramakrishna told ANI. The tortoises were later handed over to Forest Department officials at Atapaka, and a case was registered against the accused under relevant sections of the Animal Cruelty Act. This is not the first such case to come to light as 1600 Indian soft-shell tortoises were rescued earlier this year from Kaikaluru in February. Indian soft-shell tortoises reside in the freshwaters of Kolleru lake and its neighbouring aquafarms. At the time, officials said that they were being smuggled to West Bengal and Odisha. Andhra Pradesh also witnesses frequent busts of smuggling rackets that involve transporting the rare Indian star tortoise. In July this year, officials of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized around 500 Indian star tortoises, after they conducted a raid at the Vijayawada railway station. Investigation officials said that the accused handed the tortoises at Kadiri in Anantapur district and was heading to Ahmedabad, from where the reptiles would be smuggled to various countries. An Indian star tortoise is one of the most expensive reptiles in the international pet market in a number of countries in Asia like Malaysia, Singapore, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, as well as in Europe and America. They are labelled 'endangered' under Schedule IV of India's Wild Life Protection Act, 1972 and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). 
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Chandrababu Naidu wants alliance with BJP to avoid bleak future: YSRCP leader

October 13, 2019, 9:38 pm
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"Naidu himself sent four of his MPs to BJP to forge an alliance with the BJP again," YSRCP leader Ummareddy Venkateswarlu alleged.
TNM Staff
Senior YSRCP leader and MLC Ummareddy Venkateswarlu on Sunday lashed out at Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief Chandrababu Naidu for his recent statement on exiting the BJP-led NDA."I think Naidu is frustrated because his party is staring at a bleak future. Naidu himself sent four of his MPs to BJP to forge an alliance with the BJP again. However, Naidu should digest the fact that the YSRCP, which contested the elections alone bagged more than 50% of the vote share. It was a clear mandate given by the people," Ummareddy told reporters in Visakhapatnam. He also lashed out at Chandrababu Naidu for his comments on the Jagan Mohan Reddy government and said that he was maintaining a 'double standard' on the issue of Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs). “The Uttar Pradesh government, under the BJP, also reviewed PPAs. Unfortunately, the Union Minister has found fault only with AP, though the State was within its right to do so. The TDP chief finds it convenient to ignore what the Uttar Pradesh government did,” Ummareddy was quoted as saying. Earlier this week, addressing party workers during his two-day visit to Visakhapatnam for strengthening the party in the region, Naidu had reportedly said that the party had clashed with the Centre for the people of Andhra, which led TDP’s loss in the recent elections. The TDP government, which was in alliance with the NDA, exited the coalition in March last year, over Special Category Status (SCS) not being granted to the state and other promises made at the time of bifurcation not being fulfilled. “Only for the benefit of the state we differed with the Centre. But because of that, the TDP is at a loss now, while there were no gains for the state. Things would have been different if we had not created those differences," Naidu reportedly said. Read: Exit from NDA led to loss for TDP: Former Andhra CM Chandrababu Naidu
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'Can we replace his absence?': Pawan Kalyan responds on Telangana RTC employee's death

October 14, 2019, 1:58 am
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Srinivas Reddy, who set himself ablaze in Khammam town and sustained critical injuries, breathed his last at the Apollo DRDO Hospital in Hyderabad.
TNM Staff
Actor-politician and Jana Sena Party (JSP) chief Pawan Kalyan on Sunday responded to the ongoing strike by employees of the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC), after a driver, Srinivas Reddy, succumbed to injuries after setting himself ablaze. Srinivas Reddy, who set himself on fire in Khammam town and sustained critical injuries, breathed his last at the Apollo DRDO Hospital in Hyderabad. The driver had resorted to the extreme step during a protest by TSRTC employees, whose indefinite strike entered the ninth day on Sunday. Stating that the death was 'heartbreaking' and 'unfortunate', Pawan said, "His life would have been saved if the people's representatives intervened and spoke to him. It is disheartening to note that he died in front of his wife and children." Videos of Srinivas undergoing treatment have also emerged on social media, where he can be heard saying, "All the labourers who are working for 40 years should get welfare, tell me where are my sister and mother.""It indicates how he is so worried about the threat of losing job and also indifferent attitude of the government. The incident is unfortunate even after the much anticipated formation of Telangana state. We can provide a compensation but can we provide him to his family? Can we replace his absence? The leaders in the government must think of it," Pawan wrote, while commenting on the video."The Telangana government must act immediately and set right the thing. It must take steps to instill courage among RTC workers. It is the responsibility of the government as well as the people's representatives to ensure that not even a life is lost further. The government must call the RTC unions for deliberations to withdraw their strike. I appeal to all the RTC workers not to take any extreme steps," he added. pic.twitter.com/XYFXciY24h — Pawan Kalyan (@PawanKalyan) October 13, 2019 Employee unions have alleged that the driver was depressed over losing his job as Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao had announced that over 48,000 employees dismissed themselves by not joining duty before the deadline set by the government. The Chief Minister has ruled out taking back the employees into TSRTC and has asked the officials to recruit new staff. Tension prevailed in Khammam district as incidents of stone pelting on TSRTC buses were reported since Saturday evening. Amid tight security, Srinivas Reddy's body was shifted to Khammam town, where his last rites were performed on Sunday night. TSRTC employee unions have called for a shutdown in Khammam on Monday to protest the death. Meanwhile, depressed over losing his job over the ongoing strike, a conductor, Surender Goud, also killed himself at his house in Karwan area in Hyderabad.  IANS inputs Read:  Another Telangana RTC employee kills self as strike continues, state refuses to budge Video: Temporary TSRTC driver attacked in Khammam, allegedly by striking employees CM KCR warns TSRTC against intensifying protest, extends school holidays till Oct 19
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17-yr-old AP girl found dead in suspicious circumstances after eloping with Dalit teen

October 14, 2019, 3:59 am
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Death
Though the parents of the 17-year-old girl claim that she took her own life on Saturday, civil society groups are alleging foul play in her death.
Jahnavi Reddy
A minor girl was found dead in Chittoor days after eloping with a Dalit teen, raising suspicions about the cause of her death. The parents of the girl, a 17-year-old from Reddlapalli village near Kuppam town, have claimed that she took her life on Saturday evening. However, with the family immediately cremating her body, civil society groups in the region have suspected foul play in her death.  According to Rallabudugur PS SHO Murali Mohan, the girl had been in a relationship with 19-year-old Nanda Kumar for about six months. The minor girl was from the Valmiki (BC) community, while Nanda Kumar, who lives in the Boddumudi hamlet close to Reddlapalli, belongs to the Mala (SC) community. Both of them were first-year degree students who went to a college in Kuppam. “Nearly 2 months back, the girl’s family had found out about their relationship and had even stopped her education. The two of them eloped on Friday and got married in a temple in Kuppam. On Saturday, Nanda Kumar’s father and a few other elders went and convinced them to separate as the girl was a minor,” said Murali Mohan.  After returning to their respective homes, the girl’s parents claim that on Saturday evening, they found that she had taken her own life. “The parents have said that they had to cremate her immediately, as the villagers believed that keeping an unmarried girl’s corpse was inauspicious for the village,” the SHO said.  Police have registered a case of suspicious death under CrPC section 174, as there is no circumstantial evidence or eyewitnesses, and the body has already been cremated. “We have booked a case based on an anonymous petition. The investigation is underway,” the police said.  In July, a 23-year-old woman called Hemavathi from the Kamma community was murdered in Chittoor district, barely a week after she had given birth to a child. Angered by the infant born from Hemavathi's marriage to a man from the Mala (SC) community, her family is alleged to have murdered her. Her body was found dumped in a well. Hemavathi's husband Kesavulu and human rights activists have alleged that she could have been saved if the police had responded to previous complaints that the couple had made. In another case in August, an 18-year-old was found charred to death under mysterious circumstances in Chittoor district’s Madanapalle. Reports had claimed that he was in a relationship with a woman from another caste, and was suspected to have been killed by her relatives. A few days ago, an inter-caste couple in Chittoor was attacked by the woman’s relatives, with a mob of nearly 200 people storming the SC colony where the couple was staying in Yerpedu.
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Actor Chiranjeevi meets Andhra CM Jagan, invites him to watch ‘Sye Raa’

October 14, 2019, 5:01 am
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Tollywood
Chiranjeevi and his wife Surekha met Jagan Mohan Reddy at the CM’s residence in Amaravati.
TNM Staff
Popular actor-politician Chiranjeevi and his wife Surekha met Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy at the YSRCP chief's residence in Tadepalli in Amaravati. Chiranjeevi and Surekha reached Vijayawada on Monday afternoon. The duo met for the first time after Jagan became the CM of Andhra Pradesh in May this year. Jagan's wife YS Bharati was also present at the meeting, where Chiranjeevi and YS Jagan honoured each other with silk shawls. The veteran actor also invited the Chief Minister to watch his latest film, Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy. Chiranjeevi’s historical flick is based on the life of 'freedom fighter' Uyyalawada Narasimha Reddy, who was a descendant of a dispossessed polygar family, a powerful feudal class of chieftains who looked after administrative matters in villages across the south. He is hailed as a hero for leading the first rebellion in Andhra Pradesh against British rule in 1846.   Earlier this month, Chiranjeevi met with Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan and invited her to watch his movie. The film was bankrolled by Chiranjeevi’s son and actor Ram Charan Teja under his home banner, Konidela Production Company, on a budget of Rs 200 crore. The movie is said to be doing well at the box office. The movie, which was released in three languages - Tamil, Telugu and Hindi - has Amitabh Bachchan, Vijay Sethupathi, Kicha Sudeep, Nayanthara and Tamannah in pivotal roles. R Rathnavelu is the cameraman for this film, with A Sreekar Prasad editing it and Amit Trivedi composing the music.  Read: ‘Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy’ review: Chiranjeevi dazzles despite thinly plotted history Chiranjeevi's 'Sye Raa': Why did Narasimha Reddy actually rebel against the British?
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Heavy rain and thunderstorm to lash coastal Andhra on Tuesday, IMD issues alert

October 14, 2019, 8:07 pm
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Weather
Thunderstorms are also expected over the state's Rayalaseema region, according to the IMD.
TNM Staff
Image for representation
Heavy rain is expected to lash coastal Andhra Pradesh over the next two days as the Indian Meteorological Centre (IMD) has issued an alert."Heavy rain is likely to occur at isolated places in the districts of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, East Godavari and West Godavari. Thunderstorm associated with lightning is likely to occur at isolated places over coastal Andhra Pradesh," the IMD alert for Tuesday stated. The weather agency said that thunderstorm with lightning was likely to occur at isolated places over coastal Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday as well. Thunderstorms are also expected over the state's Rayalaseema region - comprising the districts of Kurnool, Kadapa, Chittoor and Anantapur - on Wednesday and Thursday, according to the IMD. The IMD attributed the rain warning to the formation of Cumulonimbus clouds, as a result of an upper air cyclonic circulation over north coastal Andhra Pradesh and its neighbourhood. A weather warning was also issued for fishermen off the Andhra coast for a period of 24 hours, by the Cyclone Warning Centre (CWC) in Visakhapatnam, commencing from 6 am on Tuesday. Experts attributed the rain to the delayed withdrawal of the southwest monsoon. “Conditions are also becoming favourable for the withdrawal of monsoon from South India in the next two days,” an official was quoted as saying. The IMD has also issued a two-day alert for neighbouring Telangana. "Heavy rain very likely at isolated places over Telangana along with thunderstorm associated with lightning," the IMD alert, in place till 8 am on October 18, stated. During September, Andhra Pradesh received 229.1 mm rainfall against a normal of 152.5, an excess of 50 percent. Earlier this month, the IMD said that the rainfall was excess in East Godavari and Guntur districts while it was normal in the remaining eight districts. Read: 129 sheep charred to death by lightning bolt in Andhra Pradesh
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Andhra prof from Nannaya Uni suspended over sexual harassment allegations, probe on

October 14, 2019, 9:03 pm
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Sexual Harassment
The incident came to light last week after three female students wrote to the CM’s office about the alleged sexual harassment at the hands of the professor.
TNM Staff
Professor Surya Raghavendra
The Adikavi Nannaya University on Monday suspended Professor N Surya Raghavendra, the Head of English Department in the varsity, after an enquiry committee met to discuss allegations of sexual harassment against him. The incident came to light last week, after three female students from the University wrote to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy, alleging that the professor would frequently harass women and request sexual favours. They alleged that he would conduct frequent 'special classes' as an excuse to harass them and would threaten to fail them in his subjects if they attempted to complain against him. Screenshots of his messages to some of the students, where he is seen asking for pictures of the women, were also leaked to the media. The committee met on Monday and asked the students to appear before it. The panel is expected to meet again on Tuesday and may address the media. Vice-Chancellor Suresh Verma told reporters that action would be taken against the professor after the enquiry committee submitted its final report.  The Chief Minister's Office, which received the letter last week, forwarded it to the Andhra Pradesh State Council of Higher Education, which in turn, wrote to the university. The complaint was handed over to the Women Cell on the campus for investigation. At the time, the VC said that the English Department was established in 2006 and had 60 students in two classes, besides four permanent faculty members. Surya Raghavendra had been working at the university since 2008. East Godavari Collector Muralidhar Reddy had also responded to the incident last week, telling reporters, "The VC told me that he had referred the matter to the committee. As soon as the inquiry is complete, we will take action. We will monitor the case and ensure that a fair inquiry is conducted." Read: Students of Andhra's Nannaya University allege sexual harassment, write to CMO
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Gold worth Rs 3.45 crore goes missing from Andhra Bank, cops begin probe

October 14, 2019, 9:34 pm
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Crime
Police suspect an insider job behind the theft, as there was no sign of a break-in.
TNM Staff
At least 17 kg of gold and cash, estimated to be worth around Rs 3.45 crore, went missing after an alleged theft from the strong room of Andhra Bank’s Yadamarri branch in the state's Chittoor district. The bank was located close to the Bengaluru-Chittoor highway near Amara Raja Digital City and the police suspect an insider job behind the theft, as there was no sign of a break-in. Investigation officials also suspect that the strong room was opened by using the master keys. “We inspected the scene of offence and found that all the locks of the doors and even the shutter were intact. There was no sign of any break-in or forcible entry. The bank was closed on Friday evening. On Saturday, the manager was the only one who came to the bank, stayed till 1 pm before leaving for home. The bank was opened only on Monday morning,’’ Chittoor Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Eeshwar Reddy was quoted as saying. A forensic team was also pressed into action, to collect evidence from the scene of the crime. Investigation officials also said that the hard disc of the CCTV cameras was missing, thereby suggesting that the accused had planned the crime well in advance. A case has been registered and further investigation is underway. In July this year, a cashier working with the State Bank of India (SBI) was arrested in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh after he allegedly stole cash and gold amounting to over Rs 80 lakh from the locker of the branch where he worked. Srinivas Rao, who worked in SBI's Paritala branch under the jurisdiction of the Kanchikacherla police, had the keys to the bank locker and used to handle cash and gold transactions, in violation of the norms. The rules state that only the branch manager is allowed to keep the locker keys but Srinivas was reported to be close to the former branch manager, who gave him the keys. Read: SBI cashier held in Vijayawada for allegedly stealing cash, gold from bank locker
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7 dead, two critical as bus falls into gorge in Andhra Pradesh

October 15, 2019, 2:51 am
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Accident
The victims were tourists - 10 of them from Karnataka and two from Anantapur.
Balakrishna Ganeshan
Seven people died and two are in a critical state after a tempo traveller carrying 12 passengers fell into a gorge on the Maredumilli - Chinturu ghat road, East Godavari, Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday. The vehicle lost control and veered off the road. The incident occurred at around 12 noon. The victims were tourists - 10 of them from Karnataka and two from Anantapur. According to the police, the tempo was travelling from Bhadrachalam to Annavaram. Speaking to TNM, SP SV Sridhara Rao said, “Seven of them are dead; two are critical, while the other three suffered minor injuries.” The victims who are critical are being treated at Rampachodavaram and Kakinada Government Hospital. Police and locals helped in getting the victims out and shifted them to hospitals. The SP also left to the spot to examine how the accident occurred.  The SP said, “We are yet to determine what caused the accident. The preliminary investigation has begun already.” Two years ago, in a similar accident, 11 persons were killed and 30 were injured after a private bus travelling on the Hyderabad-Vijayawada highway fell into a culvert. The bus was owned by TDP leader JC Prabhakar Reddy, and the incident took place near Penuganchiprolu in Krishna district. Further details are awaited.  (This is a developing story, and will be updated.) 
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Jagan launches farmer incentive scheme YSR Rythu Bharosa with PM KISAN Yojana

October 15, 2019, 4:01 am
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Governance
The farmer welfare scheme was one of the nine key promises among the ‘Navaratnalu’ made by the YSRCP in its election campaign.
TNM Staff
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy on Tuesday inaugurated his flagship ‘Rythu Bharosa’ scheme, which provides a cash incentive for farm inputs, in Sarvepalli in Nellore district. Speaking at the event, Jagan said, “The scheme will change the history of farmers in the state. This is the maximum support offered to farmers out of all 29 states of India,” adding that the scheme has been launched 8 months earlier than promised. Inaugurating the scheme, Jagan released an amount of Rs 3,785 crore towards 38 lakh farmers in the state. With enrolments continuing till November 15, the number of beneficiaries are expected to increase. The amount will be deposited by Wednesday, Jagan announced. The farmer welfare scheme was one of the nine key promises among the ‘Navaratnalu’ made by the YSRCP in its election campaign. Jagan also announced that within this year farm input stores will be opened at the village level, where good quality seeds, fertilisers and pesticides will be made available so that farmers do not suffer losses due to adulterated inputs. The YSR Rythu Bharosa replaces the previous TDP government’s ‘Annadata Sukhibhava’ scheme, introduced in February this year in the run-up to the elections. Under Rythu Bharosa, land holder farmers owning up to five acres will be provided with an annual benefit of Rs 13,500. What the scheme entails Landless cultivators or tenant farmers from SC, ST, BC and minority groups are also eligible for the incentive. The amount includes the annual benefit of Rs 6,000 per family provided by the Centre under the PM KISAN Yojana. According to a government order issued on Monday, an amount of Rs 5,510 crore has been issued towards Rythu Bharosa. While the previous government’s beneficiary list included 43 lakh farmers, the CM has reportedly said that around 51 lakh farmers will be covered by Rythu Bharosa, apart from nearly 3 lakh tenant farmers. The scheme also assures drilling of borewells free of cost, a calamity relief fund of Rs 4,000 crore, 9 hours of free electricity during the day, and setting up of cold storage units and food processing centres. Responding to criticism over naming the scheme after YSR while using funds from the Centre, Minister of Agriculture Kanna Babu told the media that Jagan had instructed officials to include the name of the Centre’s scheme. While the YSRCP government had earlier promised an amount of Rs 50,000 in four annual instalments of Rs 12,500 each, the amount was increased to Rs 13,500 to be paid for five years, bringing the total up to Rs 67,500. The increment was reportedly made following demands from farmers’ representative at an Agriculture Mission meeting held one day before the launch. TDP scheme scrapped Under the TDP’s scheme, farmers were promised yearly financial assistance of Rs 4,000 in addition to the Rs 6,000 announced by the Centre. Farmers owning more than five acres of land and not eligible under the Centre’s scheme were promised Rs 10,000 per year. In September, the YSRCP government had scrapped the TDP scheme, though the previous state government had already waived loans in three instalments ahead of the polls, and two instalments were pending. Before coming to power in 2014, Naidu had promised the waivers to regain support from farmers. During his campaign for the 2019 elections, Jagan accused the Chandrababu Naidu government of cheating farmers with the false promise of waiving loans. Building a ‘farmer friendly’ image “My father inspired me to believe that only if farmers are happy, the state will move towards progress. Only if farmers have bharosa (assurance/security) will the state be secure,” Jagan said at the inauguration. The YSRCP has worked towards cultivating a farmer-friendly image, from the election manifesto to the recently announced budget, which allocated Rs 1,163 crore for the YSR Crop Insurance Scheme, and Rs 8,750 crore for Rythu Bharosa. Funds were also earmarked for the YSR interest-free loan scheme and for an agriculture price stabilisation fund. The Andhra assembly also passed a bill intended to benefit tenant farmers earlier in July. The Andhra Pradesh Corp Cultivator Rights Bill, 2019, seeks to provide amenities, such as banking and insurance benefits, to tenant farmers. The state government even observed ‘YSR Rythu Dinotsavam’ (YSR Farmers’ Day) on July 8, the birth anniversary of Jagan’s father and former chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy. The Navaratnalu also include ‘Jalayagnam’, a large-scale irrigation project conceived by YSR. The project has been criticised for being impractical and intended to benefit contractors. Two other welfare schemes were also launched in October – ‘YSR Vahana Mitra’, a cash incentive for auto and taxi drivers, and ‘YSR Kanti Vellugu’ which provides free eyecare. However, concerns have also been raised over the state’s financial situation and its ability to bear the cost of the YSRCP government’s welfare programmes. Read:  Navaratnalu scheme: Can AP’s fragile economy bear the burden of Jagan’s promises? AP Education Minister’s name appears on beneficiary list for farmer welfare scheme
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‘You failed on poll promises’: Nara Lokesh attacks Jagan over his farmer scheme

October 15, 2019, 6:39 am
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Politics
Rythu Bharosa, a scheme that provides a cash incentive for farm inputs, was one of the nine key promises among the ‘Navaratnalu’ made by the YSRCP in its election campaign.
TNM Staff
The YSR Rythu Bharosa scheme inaugurated by Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy has come under criticism from the TDP for multiple reasons. Nara Lokesh, TDP General Secretary and son of former CM Chandrababu Naidu, termed the scheme ‘YSR Rythu Nirasha (despair)’.  Lokesh accused the YSRCP government of going back on the incentive amount. “In the election promises, Rs 12,500 was promised under Rythu Bharosa. But now they’ve done reverse tendering for farmers by reducing the amount to Rs 7,500,” Lokesh tweeted, taking a jab at the YSRCP government’s decision to implement reverse tendering in various government projects.  వాయిదా పద్ధతి సీఎం @ysjagan గారూ, మీరు ప్రవేశపెట్టింది "వైఎస్ఆర్ రైతునిరాశ"కార్యక్రమం. ఎన్నికల హామీలో రైతుభరోసా కింద రూ.12,500 ఇస్తామని ప్రకటించి ఇప్పుడు కేవలం రూ.7,500 ఇస్తూ రైతులకూ రివర్స్ టెండరేశారు. 64 లక్షలమంది రైతుల్లో సగం మందిని తగ్గించుకుంటూ పోయారు.#JaganCheatedFarmers — Lokesh Nara (@naralokesh) October 15, 2019 Rythu Bharosa, a scheme that provides a cash incentive for farm inputs, was one of the nine key promises among the ‘Navaratnalu’ made by the YSRCP in its election campaign. Although the total annual incentive was increased in the last moment from Rs 12,500 to Rs 13,500, and the scheme period extended from 4 to 5 years, the TDP’s criticism stems from the fact that Rs 6,000 from the total amount comes from the Centre under the PM KISAN Yojana scheme.  Responding to similar comments over naming the scheme after YSR while using funds from the Centre, Minister of Agriculture Kanna Babu told media that Jagan had instructed to include the name of the Centre’s scheme.  During a two-day visit to Nellore, where Jagan inaugurated the scheme on Tuesday, Naidu also criticised the implementation of the scheme and accused Jagan of making false promises. Addressing party workers, Naidu reportedly said that the government’s decision to only include around 40 lakh farmers in the scheme shows that many eligible farmers had been eliminated from the list.   At the inauguration of the scheme, Jagan released an amount of Rs 3,785 crore towards 38 lakh farmers in the state. With enrolments continuing till November 15, the number of beneficiaries is expected to increase. While the previous TDP government’s beneficiary list for a similar scheme included 43 lakh farmers, the CM has reportedly said that around 51 lakh farmers will be covered by Rythu Bharosa, apart from nearly 3 lakh tenant farmers. Lokesh also said that the government had let down landless tenant farmers from the Open Category, or upper caste farmers, who were not covered under the scheme. The scheme covers landholding farmers who own up to 5 acres of land, and tenant farmers from SC, ST, BC and minority communities. In his inauguration speech, Jagan said that since most landless farmers belong to marginalised communities, around 3 lakh tenant farmers from these groups will be covered by the scheme.  కులాన్ని చూడము అంటూనే ఓసీలైన కౌలు రైతులకు మొండిచెయ్యి చూపారు. పెట్టుబడి సాయం ఒకేసారి ఇస్తామని మాటిచ్చి విడతల్లో ఇస్తూ మడమ తిప్పారు. మీ పార్టీ వాలంటీర్లకి నెలకు రూ.8000 ఇస్తూ.. ఆరుగాలం శ్రమించే అన్నదాతకు మాత్రం రూ.625 ఇవ్వడం న్యాయమా?#JaganFailedCM#JaganCheatedFarmers — Lokesh Nara (@naralokesh) October 15, 2019
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Doors closed for alliance with Chandrababu Naidu: Andhra BJP chief

October 15, 2019, 8:42 pm
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Politics
The BJP leader was responding to a statement made by Naidu, who said that it was the TDP, which was affected, after breaking off the alliance between the two parties.
TNM Staff
Andhra Pradesh BJP President Kanna Lakshminarayana on Tuesday reiterated Home Minister Amit Shah's stand that an alliance with Chandrababu Naidu and his Telugu Desam Party (TDP) was ruled out, stating that the 'doors were shut'. The BJP leader was responding to a statement made by Naidu, who said that it was the TDP, which was affected, after breaking off the alliance between the two parties. Speaking at an event after flagging off the 'Gandhi Sankalpa Yatra' with Rajya Sabha MP T G Venkatesh, Lakshminarayana said that the BJP would emerge as an alternative to the ruling party in the state. Speaking to reporters later, he said, "Chandrababu Naidu had allied with BJP the first time, after seeing the popularity of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Similarly in 2014, he approached Narendra Modi due to the latter's image.""If we were to look at it, it seems that his main aim is to stop the BJP from growing in the state. Today, since we are growing strong, again he has made a statement and is trying to do the same," he added. The TDP government, which was in alliance with the NDA, exited the coalition in March last year, over Special Category Status (SCS) not being granted to the state and other promises made at the time of bifurcation not being fulfilled. Earlier this week, addressing party workers during his two-day visit to Visakhapatnam for strengthening the party in the region, Naidu had reportedly said that the party had clashed with the Centre for the people of Andhra, which led to TDP’s loss in the recent elections. “Things would have been different if we had not created those differences," Naidu reportedly said. In April this year, addressing a party rally at Narsaraopet in Andhra’s Guntur district, Amit Shah had said referring to Naidu, "There are indications that he may again try to join NDA but now we have shut the doors forever." At the time, Shah alleged that Naidu indulged in corruption in construction of Polavaram project and development of new state capital Amaravati. He claimed that Naidu was not sincere to complete these projects.
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Four bodies found on railway tracks in Andhra, cops suspect 2 may have been murdered

October 15, 2019, 8:43 pm
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Deaths
The Hindupur railway police said that bodies of an elderly man and woman were found crushed and in a suspicious state near Kotiki railway gate.
TNM Staff
Four bodies were found in a mangled state on the railway tracks near Hindupur town in Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday. The bodies were found at different points on the tracks, a few kilometres away from each other. While the police have identified three of the dead persons, one person’s identity is yet to be ascertained, according to reports.  The body of one person, identified as Boya Adinarayana from Gollapuram, was found near Devarapalli railway station. Another body of an old man was found near Kotnuru, which is yet to be identified by the police.  Speaking to the media, the Hindupur railway police said, “We found that one man died as he was in a ‘mentally unstable’ state. We also found the crushed bodies of an elderly man and woman in a suspicious state near Kotiki railway gate. We are investigating the possibility of murders in their case.” The New Indian Express reported that the man and woman found near Kotiki gate were identified as Nagabhushan Rao (60) and Geeta Bai (55), a couple from Ahmed Nagar in Hindupur. The police reportedly said that Nagabhushan was a tailor, and Geeta Bai did embroidery work.  According to The Hindu, the legs of the woman were found tied together, raising suspicion about the death. Deccan Chronicle reported that the bodies seemed to have been dragged for a long distance before being left on the tracks.  According to TNIE, Hindupur Railway Sub-Inspector Balaji Naik said, “The couple’s son and daughter are residing in Bengaluru and our inquiries revealed that they are not having any financial problems or any other issues.”  The SI also said that the couple had left their home on Monday night around 8 pm.  However, according to reports, the police are suspecting the role of moneylenders or relatives over a financial transaction. The railway police have reportedly booked a case based on a complaint by the couple’s daughter.
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Andhra boat tragedy: Operation resumes to salvage sunken vessel from Godavari

October 15, 2019, 9:16 pm
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Accident
The Royal Vasista tourist boat capsized on September 15 near Kachuluru village, following which 38 bodies were retrieved.
TNM Staff
File photo
A month after a boat ferrying 77 persons capsized in the Godavari river in Andhra Pradesh, a private firm began the operation on Tuesday to pull out the vessel. Workers of Balaji Marines with the help of heavy machinery began efforts to salvage the boat from the water at Kachluru village in Devipatnam block of East Godavari district. The company had failed in its first attempt to pull out the boat earlier this month. The operation was called off after three days due to heavy flow of water. As the flood waters began to recede, it resumed the operation on Tuesday. The firm is using the services of expert swimmers, boats, raft, 1,500 metres of iron cable and hooks for the salvage operation. The Royal Vasista tourist boat, ferrying 77 persons to tourism spot Papikondalu, capsized on September 15 near Kachuluru village. While 26 tourists were rescued by villagers, the bodies of 38 others were retrieved later. As many as 13 people were still missing and their bodies are believed to be stuck in the sunken boat. The state government has already ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident. The state government has also set up a special committee to investigate the accident, which is headed by Special Chief Secretary (Irrigation). The Revenue Chief Secretary, Principal Secretary of Tourism, Additional DG of Law and Order and Collector of East Godavari are the other members on the committee. The boat owner and operator were arrested for operating the vessel despite a ban due to the floods. Read: ‘The boat was pulled into a whirlpool’: Godavari boat tragedy survivors recall horror Andhra boat mishap: Did loopholes in govt policy lead to a tragedy for many families?  
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Andhra govt moves HC against Centre over ongoing row on Power Purchase Agreements

October 15, 2019, 9:51 pm
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Controversy
The Centre has asked the state to open Letters of Credit (LCs) for purchase of power from wind and solar power producers by October 15.
TNM Staff
Image: Wikimedia Commons/IM3847
The Andhra Pradesh government on Tuesday moved the High Court, escalating matters with the Centre, over orders of the Union Power Ministry, which asked the state to open Letters of Credit (LCs) for purchase of power from wind and solar power producers by October 15. The Centre said that the LCs had to be opened, to ensure timely payments to the power companies. A lunch motion petition was filed in the High Court on Tuesday by the power distribution companies (DISCOMS) of Andhra Pradesh, who argued that it was not possible to issue LCs, as they were undergoing a financial crisis. They argued that such a move would only hurt their finances further.  “The Central government as a third party cannot interfere in the contract conditions of the Power Purchase Agreements (PPA). It has no judicial power to put a few Discoms out of the power exchange and short term open access that are governed by the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC),” the DISCOMS said in their representation. Following this, the court said that it was keeping the power ministry’s orders in abeyance for a period of three weeks and posted the case to November 5 for further hearing. Power generating firms in Andhra Pradesh are presently embroiled in a legal battle over the state government's decision to renegotiate power purchase agreements (PPAs). While the firms moved court, last month, they were asked to approach the state's Regulatory Commission to raise their objections, and the court directed the latter to resolve the issue within six months.   PPAs are agreements made between a company that generates electricity and a power purchaser. The Centre has repeatedly stated that the move would affect foreign investments in the renewable energy sector. Read: Andhra PPA row: HC scraps govt panel, asks firms to approach regulator
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