Monthly Archives: July 2014

Hyderabad to have `litter-free’ zones

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Green Initiatives / Environment, Travel

Littering on eight roads in the city will soon make a dent in your pocket with a hefty fine, and if caught doing so too often, it will lead to the jail.

HydlitterTELAN31jul2014
Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation today said it was going to bring out a notification making littering punishable with a fine.

The notification declaring `litter-free’ areas will come into force from August 1 and cover eight roads in the city including one in Jubilee Hill, commissioner Somesh Kumar said.

“It shall be the responsibility of generator of waste to avoid littering and ensure delivery of waste in accordance with the system to be notified by the municipal authority,” he said.

The corporation will make arrangements for collection of garbage through garbage collectors on these eight roads. The owners and occupiers of all premises on these roads including the street vendors shall store their garbage in own premises.

If any garbage is found in front of a shop or a push-cart it will be presumed the culprit is the owner or the vendor.

“If any person is found dumping or throwing the garbage or litter on these eight stretch/ roads after the notification comes into force, he/she will be fined Rs 500 for first violation, Rs 1,000 for second violation, Rs 3,000 for third violation and Rs 5,000 for fourth violation. Fine of Rs 10,000 will be imposed besides cancellation of trade license and criminal prosecution will be initiated against such violators (on the fifth occasion),” the GHMC commissioner said.

On conviction, he/she will be liable for imprisonment which may extend to three months or a fine which may extend to Rs 10,000, the release added.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> LifeStyle / PTI / Hyderabad – July 30th, 2014

Hyderabad to host meet on business women

Business & Economy, World Opinion
Picture for representational purpose (Photo: DC archives)
Picture for representational purpose (Photo: DC archives)

Hyderabad:

Confederation of Women’s Entreprenuers (COWE), one of the leading women business associations, would organise a three-day international conference on women entreprenuership in Hyderabad from October 18 to 20.

“It would be an opportunity to promote Indian women entreprenuers globally and showcase our infrastructure facilities to the world. We are expecting atleast 1,500 women entreprenuers to particiapate in the upcoming conference,” said COWE president Soudhamini.

She said that COWE has started work on 30 acres of land alloted in Medak district some time back. Already four units have been constructed and 10 more firms showing interest in setting up their units.

Speaking on the sidelines of COWE India’s annual awards ceremony, Soudhamini said, “We have been alloted 30 acres in Medak district where engineering and auto units are running and apart from that, in Pocharam village, we have been alloted 12 acres where we are planning a food park.”

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Business> Latest / DC Correspondent / July 29th, 2014

Metro sets a record, 1,000 viaducts built

Uncategorized
Picture for representational purpose
Picture for representational purpose

Hyderabad:

The Hyderabad Metro Rail completed the construction of its 1,000th viaduct at the S.R Nagar bus stop on Sunday. A total of 2,665 viaducts are required for the 72 km Metro Rail.

The 1,000th via duct came up in just 20 months. Mumbai took seven years to complete the 11 km stretch for viaducts, Bengaluru and Chennai took five years to complete 25 km.

N. V. S. Reddy, managing director, HRM, said, “The biggest precast yards at Uppal and Qutubullahpur helped us to finish on time.”

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Nation> Current Affairs / DC Correspondent / July 28th, 2014

Singareni Collieries: Telangana’s Ladder to Uninterrupted Development

Business & Economy, Science & Technology

Hyderabad :

The recent decision of the Telangana CM to buy the 49 % share of the Government of India in Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) is to be welcomed. In 2012-13, SCCL had revenues of `10, 129 crore, realised a net profit of Rs. 401 crore and paid Rs. 140 crore in income tax. It paid a dividend of `86 crore and royalties of Rs. 3,500 crore to the State and Centre. It also owns Andhra Pradesh Heavy Machinery Corporation (APHMCL) at Kondapalli, Krishna. SCCL operations are spread across four North Telangana districts — Khamman, Warangal, Karimnagar and Adilabad — where SCCL is the largest employer. SCCL, founded by the Nizam’s Government, has been in existence for over a hundred years and owns the only coal deposits in South India.

It also possesses large tracts of rural and urban land. SCCL’s non-mining activities such as schools, colleges, clinics and hospitals should be spun off to a taxexempt Singareni Foundation. Right now the top management of SCCL does not have expertise in education and health care. The Foundation will be run by experts who are wholly and solely dedicated to these specific tasks who will manage them more efficiently. An annual grant by SCCL will maintain existing services to SCCL workers and families. Moreover, the Foundation can generate additional resources from the State and Central Government and other sources to extend these services to the rest of the population of North Telangana.

The towns of Bellampally, Kothagudam, Munguru, Ramagundam, Mancherial and Yellandu are SCCL townships heavily dependent on expenditures of SCCL and its workers. Much of the land surrounding these towns is owned by SCCL. Singareni Foundation can take responsibility for developing these towns by providing sturdy roads and efficient drains, water and sewerage supplies and power. Funding can be sought from State and Central Government’s urban plan allocations In rural areas, the vast land owned by SCCL needs to be protected, as present and future mining operations will be conducted below these lands. However, these areas can be developed as fruit-bearing and fuelwood plantations.

These orchards and trees would stabilise the overburden and make underground mining less dangerous and improve the environment. These plantations could be developed on 3-5 acre plots leased from SCCL with the Foundation providing the initial costs of grafts, etc and the farmers providing the necessary labour and care. Preference should be given to SCCL workers either as post-retirement benefits or as a part of VRS package. Some land should be kept for future employees. Once the Foundation takes over all its social and development services, SCCL’s strategy should be to transform itself from a coal-mining operator to a power-generating one. SCCL should not sell any coal at all but convert all its mined coal to power and sell that power. This would increase its valueaddition and profitability.

This focused operation will enable SCCL to tap additional loan and equity funds from the market for expansion of mining and also for setting up pithead power plants. As for SCCL’s subsidiary APHMCL, this company holds vast extent of land in Kondapalli, Krishna district of residual Andhra Pradesh and it can perhaps dispose the same at a good price or develop the same. With all the suggested restructuring, purchase of 49% Central shares, hiving off the social services to the Foundation, disposal of APHML, raising of fresh equity and loans and setting up of pithead power plants , the future for the people of Telangana will take a new turn . Singareni Collieries Company already a gem, will then become the “Kohinoor” in the crown of the Telangana State.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Telangana / by Gautam Pingle / July 29th, 2014

Belarus Keen to Partner Telangana in Medical Education

Education, World Opinion

Hyderabad :

Belarus has shown keen interest to coordinate efforts with Telangana in the realm of medical education including research, student exchange programmes and also conducting international conferences, the government said.

A delegation from the east European nation comprising Sergei Trotsyuk, First Secretary in the Embassy of Belarus, Alena Beliakova, Vice Dean of Vitebask State of Medical University along with V Rajaram, Authorised Representative of Medical University of Belarus today called on the Telangana Deputy Chief Minister T Rajaiah at the Secretariat here, an official release said.

During the discussions, the delegates expressed keen interest on student exchange programmes besides research and coordination in academic programmes in medicine with Telangana, it said.

Rajaiah expressed his happiness at the offer made by the delegates and directed State officials to follow up the proposals for the benefit of Telangana students keen to pursue higher studies abroad, the release added.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Telangana / by PTI / July 30th, 2014

Metro creates record; completes 27 km, 1,000 spans in 20 months

Business & Economy, Records, All, Science & Technology, Travel
Hyderabad Metro Rail project created an all India construction record on Sunday with erection of the 1000th viaduct span and completion of 27 KM of Metro viaduct in just 20 months. The 1000th span near S.R. Nagar Bus stop was erected on Sunday. Photo: By Arrangement
Hyderabad Metro Rail project created an all India construction record on Sunday with erection of the 1000th viaduct span and completion of 27 KM of Metro viaduct in just 20 months. The 1000th span near S.R. Nagar Bus stop was erected on Sunday. Photo: By Arrangement

The significance of record can be measured by the fact that Mumbai Metro Rail took about seven years to complete 11 km of metro viaduct; Bangalore and Chennai took over five years to complete about 25 km of viaduct each. Delhi took more than three years to achieve the same.

City’s ongoing elevated metro project has created a construction record by completing 27 kilometres of metro viaduct in just 20 months.

While the first between two pillars was erected near Genpact in Habsiguda in December 2012, the 1,000th was done on Sunday near S.R.Nagar bus stop, thus completing 38 per cent of viaduct works.

A total of 2,665 spans are required for 72 km of viaduct spread over three corridors: Miyapur to L.B.Nagar, JBS to Falaknuma and Nagole to Shilparamam/Raidurg.

The significance of record can be measured by the fact that Mumbai Metro Rail took about seven years to complete 11 km of metro viaduct; Bangalore and Chennai took over five years to complete about 25 km of viaduct each. Delhi took more than three years to achieve the same.

Engineering feat

HMR’s engineering feat of fast construction in congested roads of Hyderabad with a good safety record was possible due to a number of proactive measures taken by the State Government and the engineering capabilities of L&T, said Managing Director N.V.S. Reddy.

As on date 1,473 foundations (56 per cent), 1,370 pillars (52 per cent) are completed.

The Government too had facilitated setting up of the country’s two biggest precast yards, one at Uppal in 70 acres and another one at Qutbullahpur in 62 acres where L&T Metro Rail Hyderabad had established factory-like precast yards with sophisticated machinery such as automatic steel cutting and bending machines to produce precast segments each weighing about 40 tons, he said.

Precast segments are being transported in the night on low-bedded trolleys to various metro construction sites and erected between metro pillars with the help of “launching girders”. In all, 15 launching girders are being used to carry out these erection works simultaneously at several spots.

General length between two pillars is 100 feet, bridged by 11 precast segments. They are then glued and tied with a bunch of iron strands from inside, elongated and permanently grouted. The viaduct spans can withstand heavy loads plus heavy gales or earthquakes.

CM’s pat for HMR

Meanwhile, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao congratulated HMR & L&TMRH engineers for the achievement on being informed by the MD.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / Special Correspondent / Hyderabad – July 28th, 2014

Race among Anglo-Indians hots up for nominated post

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Leaders, Records, All

Decision of the Telangana government to put on hold nomination of Anglo-Indian community member to the Legislative Assembly it had selected has raised the hopes of other aspirants.

The 10,000 strong Anglo-Indian community in the new State expressed surprise when Telangana government backed Royden Roach for the nominated MLA’s post. It is said that the community associations have written to the government objecting to his nomination.

Maureen Hatch, a social activist, Warren Latouche, president of All-India Anglo-Indian Association, Secunderabad-Hyderabad branch and Gerard Charles Carr, Treasurer of Federation of Anglo-Indian Association of India are hopeful of nomination.

Initially, the TRS government had recommended the name of Maureen Hatch, a social activist and former employee of AP Industrial Development Corporation.

However, a ‘small technical error’ in the covering letter and not her bio-data had resulted in the file recommending Ms. Maureen Hatch as the nominated MLA being returned from Governor’s office for ‘relook’.

Ms. Maureen told The Hindu that when she was requested to give a copy of her bio-data to the Telangana Legislature Secretary. The covering letter addressed to Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao was given, but the body of the letter contained YSR Congress party’s name. The error was brought to her notice, correction was made and a fresh letter submitted and accepted. She appealed to the TRS government to consider her candidature.

Wing-commander Peter de Padua, Vice-president of All India Anglo Indian Association Hyderabad-Secunderabad branch said that country head of the association Neil O’Brien and the governing body has recommend the name of Warren Latouche, president of the City branch for the post. “Mr. Latouche has demonstrated in many ways, genuine concern for the members of Anglo Indian community,” he said.

Mr. Carr is also in the race hoping that his association with the TRS and the community service he had done would get him the nomination.

Anglo-Indian Association general secretary Hilary Platel clarified that Elvis Stephenson was not the vice-president of the Association.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Hyderabad / Special Correspondent / Hyderabad – July 26th, 2014

Bathukamma is made Telangana state festival

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All
Bathukamma festival in Telangana. ( Photo:DC/File)
Bathukamma festival in Telangana. ( Photo:DC/File)

Hyderabad:

The famed Bathukamma will now be a Telangana State festival. The government has declared “Bathukamma Panduga” to be the state festival on the lines of recently declared Bonalu Jatra. This is the second festival in Telangana to be declared a state festival after Bonalu, which was celebrated with state-backing in Secunderabad and Hyderabad in a big way recently.

Youth advancement tourism and culture department issued orders on Thursday in this regard. Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao held a meeting with officials of the department of culture and others on June 16 and decided that Bonalu, Bathukamma be declared state festivals and celebrated in a big way across the state.

The Telangana Jagruti, headed by TRS MP Kavitha, had promoted Bathukamma in a big way during the Telangana movement along with Telangana cuisine. “Bathukamma Panduga is an important festival, which is celebrated across Telangana.

It is also an important cultural event of Telangana state, wherein large number of people, particularly women, participate with devotional fervour. Therefore, it is decided to declare the “Bathukamma Panduga”, as state festival duly providing assistance from different government departments and agencies for celebrating the festival,” said principal secretary to Telangana government B.P. Acharya.

Government asked the Department of Culture to take necessary action to celebrate the festival in a befitting manner. Bathukamma is one of the unique festival of Telangana region celebrated during Dasara Navarathri by women. Dressed in the best, the women sing songs in praise of Goddess Gouri during the nine day festivities.

Women seek the blessings of mother Goddes seeking prosperity and a good year. Colours, flowers and water are all intrinsic to the festival and the goddess herself is not one rooted in a shrine but turmeric and placed on top of conical flower arrangements that signify both life and eternity in their colours.

The flowers are immersed in tanks and rivers water on the 10th day. Local flowers like Gunuka, Tangedi, Lotus, Alli, Katla, Teku flowers which bloom in this season in various vibrant colours all across the uncultivated and barren lands are used to create flower arrangements.

Immersion of Bathukamma (Bathukamma visarjan) in water bodies is celebrated with utmost devotion and enthusiasm through out Telangana region.

source: http://wwww.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Nation> Current Affairs / DC Correspondent / July 25th, 2014

7-year Norm to Determine ‘Local’ Tag

About Telangana, Records, All

Hyderabad :

Seven years of education immediately preceding the qualifying examination has been taken as the basis for determining the ‘local candidature’ in accordance with Andhra Pradesh Public Employment Order 1975 for the division of government employees between Telangana and the residuary state of Andhra Pradesh in the draft guidelines issued by CR Kamalanathan Committee.

The committee issued the guidelines on Friday for allocation of the state services employees, who are around 51,000, between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh and published the same on the public domain – www.reorganisation.ap.gov.in.

As per the 19 pages of guidelines, Article 371-D of the constitution will continue to remain in force in relation to the states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

All the state-level posts (non-territorial) in departments would be equitably apportioned between the two states in the ratio of population (58.32 for AP and 41.68 for Telangana) or on the basis of geographic intensity of activity in the two states. State governments will determine the departments, state-level posts that are to be divided on the basis of geographic intensity of activities of the departments.

All sanctioned civil services and civil posts that existed immediately prior to the appointed day (June 1, 2014) shall be allotted to both the states. However, sanctioned posts do not include posts approved to be filled-in on contract or by outsourcing.

State services employees (allocable posts) will be given option to indicate their preference to service in either of the two states and allocations will be made after taking their option into consideration. However, it shall be open to the central government to allot the person to any successor state in the administrative interest or in the exigencies of public service. The allocation shall be done in order of seniority as available on June 1, 2014.

Those who have opted, who are ‘local candidates’ relatable to the state to which they have opted, shall, in order of their seniority, be considered for allocation first. If allocable posts in that category remain, others will be considered in reverse order of seniority by allotting the junior most.

Employees who are not local in relation to both states will be allocated on the basis of nativity or domicile based on due verification and certification of nativity or domicile by the head of the department concerned. Employees belonging to SC/ST communities shall be considered for allocation on the basis of their option, if they are local candidates or domicile. In the event an SC or ST employee has not exercised his option they will be allocated to the State of their domicile, as determined on their service register.

Class IV employees and drivers of light vehicles shall be allocated on the basis of option or local candidature, as far as possible. Spouse of All-India Services officers who is a state government employee shall be allocated, where so desired by the spouse, to the state to which AIS officer is allocated. Spouses in state government and related state government institutions shall as far as practicable be allocated to the same state, after considering their options.

Cases of alleviation of extreme personal hardship of state government employees will be exception to the principle. Widowed, legally separated and divorced women employees may be considered for allocation to the state to which option is exercised. Handicapped persons of more than 40 per cent disability may be allocated on the basis of option, subject to the procedure prescribed by the state government. Employees facing serious medical hardships (cancer, by-pass surgery, kidney transplantation of failure) be considered for allotment on special ground on priority on the basis of their option, subject to strict proof of verification.

Employees have to exercise their options in the prescribed proforma published along with the guidelines and submit the same to the Member-Secretary, Advisory Committee, GA State Reorganisation Department, AP Secretariat electronically and through the proper channel indicating their preference for either of the states within two weeks from the date of public notification calling for options.

Scrutiny of statements made in the option forms shall be done and factual accuracy of the statements made therein certified by the head of the department under whom the employee is working. If no option is received within the prescribed time, or where an employee is willing to be allotted to either of the two states such person shall be allotted based on the other criteria. Options once exercised cannot be changed.

After the distribution of posts is finalised, a tentative allocation list for all employees will be drawn up.Any objections by employees should be made within two weeks from the date of the publication of the tentative list.

The ambiguity over their temporary allocation among the employees has been finally put to rest with the issue of draft guidelines by Kamalanathan Committee. We are mostly satisfied by the guidelines though we have certain reservations pertaining to ‘local status’. We will submit our representations, if any, to the committee as advised.

— KV Krishanaiah, AP Gazetted Officers Assocation president

The draft guidelines issued by the CR Kamalnathan Committee lack clarity on several counts. In spite of our representation to the committee through our Chief Minister and Chief Secretary, none of the objections and suggestions were considered. We will decide our future course of action in the meeting with employees on Saturday and submit our objections to the committee as stated within 10 days. — G Deviprasad Rao, TNGO president

371-D in force

Seven years of education immediately preceding the qualifying examination basis for ‘local candidature’ in accordance with Andhra Pradesh Public Employment Order 1975

Committee draft guidelines posted on website www.reorganisation.ap.gov.in

Article 371-D of the Constitution will continue to remain in force in relation to the states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh

State services employees (allocable posts) will be given option to indicate their preference to service in either of the two states

Employees belonging to SC/ST communities shall be considered for allocation on the basis of their option if they are local candidates or domicile

The allocation shall be done in order of seniority as available on June 1, 2014

Options once exercised cannot be changed under any circumstance

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Telangana / by Express News Service / July 26th, 2014

Chekuri Rama Rao, a Versatile Literary Personality

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Hyderabad :

In the death of Chekuri Rama Rao (1934-2014), popularly and affectionately called CheRaa, Telugu literature has lost one of its finest literary critics and a highly respected mentor of poetry in particular and literature in general. He was a versatile literary personality spread across poetry, linguistics, poetry appreciation, literary criticism, teaching, public speaking and editing.

Born in an agricultural family in Illindalapadu near Madhira in Khammam district, he had his education in Sattenapalli, Narsaraopet, Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam. While in high school in Narasaraopet, he began writing romantic poetry under the influence of Nayani Subba Rao, a harbinger of romantic poetry in Telugu. Studying BA in Nizam College in the early 1950s when love for Telugu language and literature were in the air, he got interested in Telugu and went to Andhra University to do his masters in Telugu. Acquaintance with Bhadriraju Krishnamurthy, forerunner Lingusitics discipline in this part of the world, inspired Rama Rao to take up his masters in Linguistics from University of Wisconsin and doctoral study at Cornell University, US. Returning from the US in mid 1960s, he joined Osmania University as a lecturer and worked there in various positions for about 30 years.

The hallmark of Chera was that he was a blend of a rigorous, trained analyst and sensitive, emotional dreamer. These two essential characteristics inform all his writings and speeches as well as his inter-personal relationships. All through he sailed with revolutionary trends in Telugu, so much that he was considered as a member of Revolutionary Writers’ Association without membership in technical sense. He might have attended and spoke at hundreds of meetings of revolutionary literary, students and cultural associations. Yet, that did not prevent him from sharing dais with traditionalists and speaking about and appreciating non-revolutionary trends. He was democratic to the core in all his personal and professional relations though being very strong in his views.

His name stands tall among the Marxist literary critics in Telugu, but his approach was a bit inclusive of taste and rasa, unlike traditional Marxist literary criticism. He published more than a dozen standard texts of literary criticism and linguistics including Telugu Vakyam (1975), Vachana Padyam – Lakshana Charcha (1978), Telugulo Velugulu (1982), CheRaathalu (1991), CheRaa Peethikalu (1994), Mutyala Saraala Muchchatlu (1997), Smriti Kinaankam (2000), Bhaashaanuvartanam (2000), Bhashaantarangam (2001), Sahitya Vyasa Rincholi (2001), Kavitvaanubhavam (2001), Vachana Rachana Tatvaanveshana (2002), Sahitya Kirmeeram (2002) and Bhasha Parivesham (2003).

He also published his poetry of youth after 20 years with the same title – Rendu Padula Paina (1982). Besides these published books and collections, there might be hundreds of uncollected research papers, essays, prefaces and introductions.

He will be remembered more for at least three significant works:

He created a sort of sensational interest among poets and poetry lovers in the mid-1980s with a weekly column of poetry appreciation in the Sunday supplement of Andhra Jyothi. The column, CheRaatalu was a rage in those days with almost all poets aspiring to be written about and all the poetry lovers seeking Rama Rao’s recommendations and analyses.

Any Telugu reader would thank Hyderabad Book Trust for creating and feeding the urge for good reading in Telugu society with its hundreds of titles since late 1970s. The credit for making HBT such an enduring brand goes to Rama Rao for helping HBT as its editor.

Andhra Pradesh Open University was able to attract thousands of neo literates to become graduates not only because of its ease of admission but also of the great style it used in all its text books. Rama Rao was one of the architects of the style.

The legacy Chekuri Rama Rao leaves behind is immense and in a way death cannot take him away from Telugu literary lovers.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Telangana / by N Venugopal / July 26th, 2014