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Minister Skips Crucial Cabinet Meet Prior to Assembly Session

Lately, Handlooms and Textiles Minister Dr P Shankar Rao has been hitting the headlines by making controversial statements against Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and other cabinet colleagues. "Ways and whims of Shankar Rao are difficult to explain. He is most unpredictable and can't be said what he will do or say the next moment," this is the general opinion cabinet colleagues have about him. For reasons known better to him alone, Shankar Rao skipped the crucial cabinet meeting held at secretariat on Wednesday. According to sources, many cabinet ministers on Wednesday complained to the Chief Minister about Dr Shankar Rao's behaviour. The Chief Minister has reportedly assured the ministers that he would take up the matter with the Congress High Command. The cabinet meeting was held yesterday in the wake of the upcoming winter session of the Assembly . At the meeting, the Chief Minister has reportedly asked his ministers to gear up to face tough questions related to drought situation in the State during the assembly session starting from Thursday. The cabinet also reviewed the conduct of second phase of Rachabanda programme and the Rajiv Yuva Kiranulu job scheme. But, the textiles minister was nowhere to be seen, as he busied himself with a meeting of all parties' floor leaders to discuss weaver's problems at the Lake View Guest House.  

IAC Hyderabad Chapter Vows to Support Anna Hazare

The Hyderabad chapter of India Against Corruption (IAC) has decided to show full support for the proposed fast by Anna Hazare from December 11 for a strong Lokpal bill. P Rama Krishna, member of IAC Hyderabad and founder of an NGO 'It's Time to Make a Difference', said "We have decided to hold a dharna on December 11 and 12 in support of Anna Hazare at Dharna Chowk (Indira Park) in Hyderabad, where the previous dharna was held in August." In an e-mail waiting to be sent to members of the IAC, Manali, an active coordinator in Hyderabad, has called for large-scale mobilisation of people by roping in colony associations, NGOs and colleges. The organisation also plans to raise awareness on the Jan Lokpal bill over the next few days to ensure volunteers and participants at the dharna remain fully informed. On December 1, a Jan Lokpal awareness programme will be held at MVSR College, Saroornagar followed by another awareness programme at Malla Reddy Institute of Management, Kompally on December 2. There will also be an awareness programme and volunteers' meeting at Madhusudhan Nagar community hall on December 4. Although the decision on whether to fast or not will be decided only upon receiving a proper plan of action from Delhi, Rama Krishna said that similar to the earlier dharna, at least four to five people are expected to fast daily at the venue. "We have applied for permission for a peaceful protest, though the timings may be restricted to between 9 am and 5 pm", he added.  

Mayor Karthika Reddy Getting Ready to Step Down

The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation Mayor Banda Karthika Reddy of the Congress is likely to step down any day after the Standing Committee approves the GHMC budget for 2012-2013. Karthika Reddy completes two years in office on December 4 and she will submit her resignation to pave the way for the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen to take over the Mayor’s office. The Chief Minister has agreed to hand over the Mayor’s office to the MIM for the next two years. The special meeting of the Committee on budget proposals, which was scheduled for Thursday, has been postponed. She, along with about 140 corporators who happened to be in the city, came together at the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation office for a group photo on November 30. Though she said that the photograph is for publication in the GHMC souvenir being brought out, sources said she wanted a photograph with all the corporators before she steps down. Though some names of MIM corporators are under consideration, it is officially not yet been confirmed, who will succeed Ms. Karthika Reddy as the Mayor.  

AP Assembly Winter Session: TDP Plans No-trust Move

After attending the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting in the assembly, senior TDP leader Ashok Gajapathi Raju told the media that his party is planning to to submit a no trust motion on farmers issue and failure of the Government in the winter session of the state assembly. Later speaking on the issue, another senior leader of TDP Muddu Krishnama Naidu said that the no trust motion notice would be handed over to the speaker tomorrow (01-12-2011). He said the Kiran Kumar Reddy government was not keen to respond to peoples problems and also accountable to people. The TRS, BJP, CPI also demanded at the BAC meeting that the Telangana resolution should also be moved in the assembly and that the house should continue for a minimum of 15 days. At the BAC meeting the Government agreed to run a evening session of the house On Saturday to clear all pending new bills. The BAC also decided to conduct the evening session of the legislative council on Sunday to clear bills besides education, drought, welfare, education, prices and employment issues.      

Srilakshmi IAS Arrest: CBI Trying to Extract Crucial Information

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) arrested IAS officer Srilakshmi Monday evening in Obulapuram Mining case and produced her in Nampally court the same day. She is presently in CBI's custody and is being interrogated. According to sources in CBI, though Srilakshmi is not co-operating during questioning, the agency is trying its best to extract crucial information from her. The CBI is mainly trying to find out about properties acquired by her and her investments, if any. There are so many rumours doing rounds that while working as Secretary of the mines department, she has accumulated vast amounts of money with which she acquired properties and made several investments. So far she didn't divulge anything substantial, however, the agency is questioning her in the same line for the second day also, told the sources.      

T-TDP MLAs to Attend Only For No Confidence Motion

The T-TDP Forum headed by its convenor Yerrabelli Dayakar Rao met on Tuesday to discuss about forum's strategy to be adopted in the assembly. The meeting was attended by T Devender Goud, Uma Madhava Reddy, L Ramana, Mothkupalli Narasimhlu, Kothakota Dayakar Reddy, G Jayapal Yadav, Manchireddy Kishan Reddy, Sandra Venkataveeraiah, Gangula Kamalakar, KS Ratnam, Bodakunti Venkateswaraulu and several others. After the meeting, forum convenor Dayakar Rao told the media that through the no-confidence motion, we would expose the Congress party on how it has gone back on its word to give separate Telangana. "If TRS has any sincerity, they should put aside all 'Jendas and Agendas' and come forward to fight for the separate state. KCR, who earlier said that he would be the 'watch-dog' for Telangana, is now acting like a 'fox'. He, who colluded with congress for money at the time of MLCs, Speaker and Dy. Speaker's election, is to be seen how much he makes for no-confidence vote," Dayakar Rao  said.  

FDI Row: Parliament Adjourned For Tomorrow

The furore over FDI in retail is continuing in the ongoing winter session of the Parliament. Both the houses of the parliament have been adjourned for tomorrow, 1 December, 2011. No business is being conducted in Parliament for the past seven days since the starting of the winter session due to opposition parties demanding for a debate on the government proposed FDI in the retail market. In spite of repeated appeals by the Lok Sabha Speaker Ms. Meira Kumar to maintain calm, the opposition parties didn't relent and the din continued. Similar situation prevailed in the Rajya Sabha also. Eventually, both the houses have been adjourned for the day.

Bomb Blast in Imphal

As per the reports, a powerful bomb has just exploded around 11.30 AM 30 November, 2011 in a crowded market in Imphal in Manipur. Early reports say one person is dead in the bomb explosion so far and several others injured. A bomb went off at the Sangai festival in Imphal, Manipur, this morning just days before the Prime Minister's visit to the troubled state. Mr Manmohan Singh is scheduled to visit the state, which just lifted a 100-day blockade, on December 3. According to initial reports three people were injured, one critically, when the bomb went off at the gate of the festival venue on the closing day. However, sources inform that the casualities may increase further. Police sources say that the IED was carried to the venue in a rickshaw. The state governor is scheduled to attend the festival today. Had the explosion taken place in the evening, the casualty figures would have been hundreds if not thousands.   Video Source: snehatv.com  

Undavalli Arun Kumar Salvo Against Ramoji Rao

Once again Congress MP Undavalli Arun Kumar fired salvo against media baron Ramoji Rao. Speaking to media at New Delhi, the MP alleged that Ramoji Rao is deliberately trying to mislead the court. Mr. Arun Kumar objected to the statement of Margadarsi Chit funds general manager that Mr. Ramoji Rao has nothing to with the company. Arun Kumar said, not revealing the facts to the court is a crime under section 191 of the Cr.P.C. and the offenders may face imprisonment upto 7 years. He said that he would file a petition in the court for the trial of Mr. Ramoji Rao in the case.      

Former Minister Jupally Arrested

Former minister Jupally Krishna Rao was arrested this morning from his residence in Kollapur. He was taken into preventive custody in view of the state government's 'Rachchabanda' program scheduled to take place in Kollapur today, in which minister Smt. D K Aruna is participating.   Jupally Krishna Rao has resigned from Congress recently and joined the TRS party in protest against Center's delay in announcing a definite date for the formation of a separate Telangana state. He was taken into custody along with a hundred of his followers with the apprehension that they may disrupt the Rachchabanda program at Kollapur, the native village of Jupally Krishna Rao. He as taken to Mahboobnagar Police Station, whereas his followers were moved to Veepanagandla PS.     Former Minister Jupally Arrested                                                                                         Source : Sneha Tv

Gali Janardhan Reddy Judicial Custody Extended

A Nampally court on Monday extended the judicial custody of mining baron Gali Janardhan Reddy and his brother-in-law B.V. Srinivas Reddy by five days till December 3. G. Laxmipathi, I Additional Metrop-olitan Sessions Judge, extended the remand when the accused were produced before him through video conference on Monday afternoon.    The court extended the custody of Mr Janardhan Reddy and Mr Srinivas only by five days instead of 15 as the 90 day period for the chargesheet to be filed would be completed on December 4. The two accused were arrested on September 5. If the Central Bureau of Investig-ations fails to file the charge-sheet in the case within 90 days, the accused have the advantage of moving court for bail.

Chandrababu Naidu Files Vacate Petition in High Court

Telugu Desam Party supremo Nara Chandrababu Naidu yesterday (28-11-11) filed a vacate petition in the andhra pradesh high court seeking CBI enquiry on hold till the court heard his contentions to the PIL filed by YSR congress Working president Smt Vijayamma. In his vacation petition Sri Naidu asserted that the PIL has been filed with a political motive and goal to humiliate and malign him in public. It is already known that the High Court had ordered the CBI to conduct a preliminary probe on TDP president and 12 others including his family members and his social and political associates two weeks ago. But the CBI is yet to take up the probe. Meanwhile the CBI said that it was yet to get court documents to take up the investigations. Some of the associates of Chandrababu had approached the supreme court as the lower court had not issued any notices to them on the probe. The apex court had directed them to accept the petitions and also dispose it off within 15 days. Terming it as a 'mud-slinging exercise' and an 'instrument of the Congress and YSR Congress collusion' against him, the TDP president sought the court to vacate the CBI probe based on the petition filed by Vijayamma.

Srilakshmi IAS Arrest: 3 Days CBI Custody

Srilakshmi IAS Arrest : The Central Bureau of Investigation, which is probing the illegal mining activities of Obulapuram Mining Company owned by Gali Janardhan Reddy arrested Y Srilakshmi IAS, yesterday for violation of rules in awarding mining lease to the Obulapuram Mining Company was remanded by the special court to CBI custody for 3 days.   The CBI has produced Sri Lakshmi at the special court this morning and asked for her custody for 15 days. The court has however permitted custody for only 3 days and directed the CBI to produce her before it again by the evening of December 1. Earlier in the day, medical examination was conducted on Sri Lakshmi at the CBI office in Kothi.    

FDI Deadlock: No Breakthrough in All Party Meeting

The all party meeting convened today by the finance minister Pranab Mukhgerjee to put an end to the furore in the Parliament's winter session for the past five days, ended without a breakthrough. The meeting was held with a hope to find a way out to break the impasse over the government's move to allow Foreign Direct Investment or FDI in the retail market. After the meet ended, the Opposition reiterated it will not allow Parliament to function till the government withdraws its decision. The UPA's own allies like Mamata Banerjee and M Karunanidhi also want the decision withdrawn. Mr Mukherjee will now convey the opinion of different parties to the Prime Minister. "We told Pranab-da that we want a rollback and he said he'll consult the PM," said Sudip Bandyopadhyay of the Trinamool Congress, which is headed by Ms Banerjee and is the second-largest party in the coalition at the Centre after the Congress. There has been no business conducted in Parliament this session - opposition parties say that cannot happen till they are allowed an adjournment motion on the matter that would introduce a debate on FDI followed by a vote. The government is fine with a debate but has used technicalities to argue against a vote. The numbers - if it comes to that - could expose the UPA is in a minority on the decision to allow 51% FDI in multi-brand retail which would allow companies like Walmart and Tesco to India. 246 votes would be in favour of the government; parties like the Left and the BJP, added up together, would equal 290 votes against FDI.  

AP Speaker Rejects Resignations of 61 T- MLAs

The AP assembly Speaker N. Manohar accepted resignations of three legislators of the Congress and one of the opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP), all of them from the Telangana region but rejected resignations of 61 other legislators, including those belonging to the ruling Congress but loyal to the YSR Congress party. The legislators whose resignations were accepted include former minister J. Krishna Rao, G. Goverdhan and T. Rajaiah, who quit the Congress to join the TRS early this month. The resignation of TDP's Jogu Ramanna, who switched loyalty to the TRS, was also accepted.   A total of 81 lawmakers belonging to the Congress, the TDP and the TRS submitted their resignations for various reasons during the last three months. In a decision, which is likely to trigger uproar during the winter session beginning Dec 1, the speaker rejected resignations of 61 others but did not take any decision on the resignations of 14 others. In all, 53 lawmakers from the Telangana region, including 32 of the TDP, 12 of the TRS and four of the Congress, had submitted their resignations demanding separate statehood to the region. The speaker accepted the resignations of two rebel legislators of the TDP Nov 12 from the 294-member assembly.While N. Janardhana Reddy had resigned on the Telangana issue, Prasanna Kumar Reddy had joined Jaganmohan Reddy's group.

Gali Case: Srilakshmi IAS Arrested

The Central Bureau of Investigation, which is probing the illegal mining activities of Obulapuram Mining Company owned by Gali Janardhan Reddy arrested Y Srilakshmi IAS, today (28 November 2011). She was working as the Secretary, Mines department, when the mining lease for OMC was issued. The CBI during its probe, found found that Srilakshmi has committed many discrepancies in granting leases to Gali Janardhan Reddy's OMC mines. CBI has o far interrogated her twice and arrested her now on getting sufficient evidence.       Video Source: snehatv.com  

TDP Decided to Move No-trust Motion: Payyavula Keshav

Senior TDP leader Payyavula Keshav said that his party has decided to move no-trust motion against the government in the upcoming winter session of the AP Assembly slated to start from 1 December. He told that the no-trust notice will be given to the Speaker on coming wednesday. However, Mr. Keshav added that the party has yet no idea whether the Telangana TDP MLAs will attend the assembly or not. Meanwhile, the TRS floor leader Mr. Etela Rajender said that they would lend their support, if TDP moves no-confidence motion against the government.             Video Source: snehatv.com  

2G Case: Kanimozhi Finally Gets Bail

After spending six months in Tihar jail, DMK supremo Karunanidhi's daughter and Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi today granted bail by the Delhi High Court. She was not present in the Delhi High Court today which agreed to her request to leave jail. Kanimozhi was instead at the trial court headed by Judge OP Saini who is handling the telecom trial against Kanimozhi and 13 others, including her partyman and former telecom minister A Raja. It's  unlikely that Kanimozhi will be able to leave Tihar Jail today. The High Court order on her bail reportedly reached Judge Saini's court after he had left for the day. A bail bond has to be signed by the judge Saini and then dispatched to officials at Tihar. Mr Karunanidhi, who has repeatedly said he is worried about his daughter's health in prison, said she phoned him minutes after her bail was sanctioned. "We both shared our happiness," he said in Chennai. Along with Kanimozhi, Sharath Kumar, Asif Balwa, Rajeev Agarwal and Bollywood producer Karim Morani have also been granted bail.     Video Source: snehatv.com  

AP Land Allotments: CM Holds All Party Meeting

An all party meeting was held at the Secretariat today, 28th November 2011, to formulate a fool-proof policy for allotment of lands to the upcoming industries in the state. The meeting was presided over by the chief minister Kiran Kumar Reddy. The meeting was attended by PCC chief Botsa Satyanarayana, ministers Raghuveera Reddy, Vatti Vasanth Kumar, Shailajanath, Balaraju, Opposition leaders Dadi Veerabhadra Rao, Ravula Ramachndra Reddy, Bandaru Dattatreya, Jayaprakash Narayan, Raghavulu, Shravan and several others.