TD for probe on CM

Hyderabad Jan. 13: The Telugu Desam president, Mr N. Chandrababu Naidu, on Tuesday demanded the Central government to order a probe against the Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, for his role in the Satyam episode. “I don’t know why the Chief Minister is showing keen interest in Maytas affairs. The Congress-led UPA government should decide quickly on whether to continue with Dr Reddy as the Chief Minister. His role must be probed,” he demanded. Mr Naidu denied any role in influencing the Income Tax department investigation against Satyam Computers during the NDA rule. He was speaking to the media on Satyam’s affairs at his Jubilee Hills residence. The TD president, who initially avoided media in view of his close friendship with the former Satyam chairman, B. Ramalinga Raju, during his rule, launched a scathing attack on the Chief Minister. Mr Naidu alleged that immediately after the abortive Satyam-Maytas deal, Dr Rajasekhar Reddy spoke to GMR and Gammon India representatives which indicated his business interests in the two companies. “Maytas properties and infra companies which have little experience in executing major projects, were awarded contracts worth Rs 38,000 crore in the last four years. For his selfish interests, Dr Reddy damaged the reputation of the state and the country,” the TD president alleged.

Chiru doles out power incentive

Hyderabad Jan. 13: The Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy’s estate in Idupulapaya village will get 50 percent concession on domestic power tariff if the Praja Rajyam comes to power. Apart from that, the native homes of the Telugu Desam chief, Mr N. Chandrababu Naidu at Naravaripalli, and the Telangana Rashtra Samiti chief, Mr K. Chandrasekhar Rao, at Chintamadaka will also get this benefit. The PR chief Chiranjeevi on Tuesday announced that his party would supply domestic power at 50 per cent discount to all villagers including landlords across the state if the PR was voted to power. “The 50 per cent subsidy will be borne by the government,” he added. The PR chief also promised that apart from continuing the “free power” to farmers, the facility will be extended to powerlooms, salons and other shops being run by artisans like weavers, goldsmiths, carpenters and barbers across the state including those who live in urban areas. When asked to clarify about his earlier resistance to populist schemes, Chiranjeevi replied: “People in the state are not in a position even to celebrate festivals because of rising prices. The government is not taking any measures so that essential commodities are affordable.” He said that his “50 per cent tariff” scheme would be beneficial to 1.75 crore households in the state. The PR chief did not clarify how he would offset the additional burden on the exchequer.

Water board to lease land

Hyderabad Jan. 13: Faced with the task of executing multi-crore projects like the Godavari drinking water supply among others, the cash-starved Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board has decided to test its “fortunes” by marketing its open lands located in prime areas in and around the city. The water board plans to provide its lands in prime areas for development to private parties and share the revenues in return. It also plans to raise money by giving the lands on lease or on monthly rentals. The board earns a revenue of Rs 25 crore per month from water bills and other sources against an expenditure of nearly Rs 30 crore. Moreover, this expenditure is only increasing. Recently, the board got a survey conducted by a private agency which identified lands at 171 locations within the Greater Hyderabad limits. Of these, lands at 19 locations like the water filling station in Banjara Hills and Airport Road were listed as the ones with “potential” to raise revenues worth crores of rupees for the board. In Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy districts alone, the board has nearly 500 acres of land. The survey, which also included the “business offers to be made,” stated that if lands at 19 locations could be marketed, the water board can earn Rs 30 crore per annum towards revenue sharing, lease and rents. Encouraged by the report, the water board officials have sent the proposal to the state government for a final approval. Though the real estate market has taken a beating in the last two years, officials are hopeful of success, as its lands are located in prime areas in the core city. When contacted, the water board managing director, Mr G. Asok Kumar said that the survey has been completed and the Board was waiting for government’s approval. Sources said, the government is likely to give a “go ahead” after the elections to the state Assembly.

Woman gives birth on road due to traffic jam

Hyderabad Jan. 13: A pregnant woman, who was on her way to hospital, delivered a baby on the road at Langer Houz after her vehicle was stuck in the traffic jam. Shobha, a resident of Chevalla, was on her way to Puranapul Government Maternity Hospital. She experienced labour pains and delivered the baby on roadside with the help of local residents from nearby slums, according to the Langer Houz SI, Mr Santosh Kumar. Mr Kumar said Shobha was later rushed to the hospital in 108 service ambulance. Vehicular traffic came to a standstill around 6.30 pm on the Langer Houz main road after a pipeline of the water board at Moghal Ka Nala burst open. “The pipeline burst was due to the power cut imposed at the pumping station of a water board at Sahebnagar. When the power supply is cut, the water flow gushes back towards the pumping station and the sudden surge of water in reverse direction resulted in pipeline burst,” said the water board director (projects), Mr Gautam Reddy. According to the police, motorists had a harrowing time as there was knee-deep water on the main road for more than an hour. Even after the water board officials took up pipeline restoration works, traffic congestion continued beyond 10 pm.

Erratic rates for medical papers

Hyderabad Jan. 13: Government and private hospitals in the state are charging erratic rates for issuing medical fitness certificates for new recruits in government jobs. This is happening because of the state government’s tardiness in revising and rationalising the rates. As per rules, which have been prevalent for the last three decades, a candidate has to pay only Rs 16 to get a medical certificate. Of this, Rs 4 goes to the hospital development committee. Medical authorities, who felt the rates were unfeasible, had petitioned the government to increase it to Rs 400 or Rs 600 for each candidate. But the proposal is yet to get the nod from the government. Thanks to this, the hospital authorities have taken to charging whatever rates they deem fit. The amount to be paid to get a medical certificate ranges between Rs 300 and Rs 800 now. As many as 300 police recruits examined by the medical board at the Gandhi Hospital were charged Rs 500 each for a medical fitness certificate. Other government hospitals in the city are charging Rs 800 per person. Candidates who obtained medical fitness certificates at Gandhi Hospital also got receipts. However, other government hospitals failed to issue even a receipt after taking Rs 800. Fund allotted for obtaining medical certificates also vary from department to department. While recruits in the police department are entitled to get Rs 800 to obtain a medical fitness certificate from a government hospital, the forest department allots only Rs 300. At the same time, those seeking jobs in private firms don’t get any compensation from their employer and have to pay from their own pocket. “There should be some uniformity of rates to get medical fitness certificates,” said the Gandhi Hospital superintendent, Dr B. Balraj. He added that rates would be higher if special tests had to be done for certain candidates to clear doubts raised during the general check-up. Authorities of government hospitals say that even if they charge Rs 800 for a medical certificate, around Rs 500 goes to the HDC and is used for bettering the amenities in the institution.

Officials can’t withhold info on private property

Hyderabad Jan. 13: The Andhra Pradesh High Court held that a public authority cannot deny information to an individual about a private body, if it has access to that information. Dealing with a writ appeal filed by the chief commissioner of land administration against the orders of the chief information commissioner of AP, Justice V.V.S. Rao directed that the CCLA provide a copy of Muntakhab to one Ms Gousinnisa Begum. Muntakhib (in Arabic), is an abstract of the revenue records. The court ruled that a third party, who has no direct interest in Muntakhab, who might have bought property from heirs/successors of original grantee, is also entitled to seek a certified copy. Ms Gousinnisa Begum filed an application under the RTI Act, to the public information officer of the CCLA to provide a copy of the Muntakhib. The authority refused on the ground that her name does not figure in Muntakhib nor did she produce a legal heir certificate issued by a competent civil court establishing her succession. The judge observed that “even if a Muntakhib is considered as a privileged document, a public authority cannot refuse.”

Fight for MLC seats intensifies

Hyderabad Jan. 13: The fight for seats to the Legislative Council has intensified as many sitting legislators whose terms were curtailed to two years are seeking a re-entry. The Congress lost a majority of the seats in the two-year term. Eight Congress members elected from local body constituencies, 11 elected by the MLAs and four nominated by the Governor are retiring under the two-year term clause. The Congress is set to win only eight seats out of the 11 seats which will be vacated, while the TD is set to win two seats on its own. A tough fight is imminent for the 11th seat as no party has a clear majority. Film actors who joined the Congress recently are also demanding seats this time. The former film development corporation chairman and film actor Krishna’s brother G. Adiseshagirir Rao, film actor Jayasuda are in the race for Legislative Council tickets. Former APIIC chairman Ambati Rambabu, former TD minister K. Pushpaleela are also presenting their case before the Chief Minister. Sources close to Dr Reddy said that the final list would be out only after Sankranthi.

AP plans to sell disputed land

Hyderabad Jan. 13: The state government is trying to sell 880 acres of land near the International Airport at Shamshabad but cases regarding the ownership of this land worth Rs 900 crore are still pending in the High Court and the Ranga Reddy district civil court. However, the Ranga Reddy district collector has cleared the land sale, informing the Chief Commissioner of Land Administration (CCLA) that “no court cases and litigations are pending over land in Mamidipalli village, Saroornagar mandal, with survey number 99/1” in a letter numbered LC2/3467/07. Based on this letter, the CCLA has recommended to the government to mark the land to the Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation which can sell it for resource mobilisation. The CCLA assesed the value of the land to be Rs 1 crore per acre. Some part of the land is owned by private parties too though the major chunk is owned by APIIC. Despite this, the CCLA proposed formally to the government to mark the entire land for sale. Sources said the empowered committee recommended allotment of land to APIIC “subject to receipt of Ranga Reddy district collector’s report regarding pending court cases and other litigations” in a meeting held on December 18, 2008. The collector sent his report on December 31, 2008. It seems the government has learned nothing from the problems which occurred in the past auctions of lands at Kokapet and Raidurg. Three years ago, the state sold land to various developers and hoteliers ignoring litigation. When the buyers knew the truth after paying the initial amounts, they refused to pay up the subsequent instalments. The state is yet to get Rs 500 crore from the deals. People who have been fighting cases in Ranga Reddy civil court over the land had made the Ranga Reddy revenue authorities the respondents. In cases before the High Court, the Principal secretary Revenue, APIIC and the Ranga Reddy district collector are respondents. The next hearing of the case in HC is scheduled on January 19. A senior APIIC official admitted that there are cases pending on the land in question. But he added that the government got the land from the Nizam through a Supreme Court order in 1962. APIIC was given the land in 2005. “The government has a strong case,” he added.

EMRI to be independent

Hyderabad Jan. 13: An independent agency will look into the financial and operational aspects of the Emergency Management Research Institute (EMRI) which was supported by Satyam Computers. The present board of directors in the EMRI were in favour of a takeover by the government if it was willing. “We have resolved to go for an inquiry by an independent agency. A decision on this will be taken in the next board meeting,” EMRI lead partner, Mr Srivatsan Raghavan, said. Former president Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and other directors had resigned from the EMRI after the Satyam fraud was exposed. The present board of members, Mr K. Krishna Raju, of Suchitra group, Prof. Raj Reddy of Carnegie Mellon University and Dr Jayaprakash Narayan have decided to continue. “There are unfortunate developments in Satyam Computers. Under the circumstances the easiest course of action for the remaining board members is to quit as directors and let the event take its own course. We are doing this service voluntarily. The remaining members on the Board have decided to continue. If the Centre or the state feel that emergency relief can be best provided by taking over the EMRI, we will do that,” they said.

Power utilities in jitters

Hyderabad Jan. 13: With winter coming to an end, power companies are making moves to purchase electricity to feed the expected demand from the agriculture sector. It is believed that the demand for power from farmers will scale new heights this time and the companies are wary of the prospect. The state energy coordination committee on Monday floated tenders to buy 3 lakh Mega Watt power in five months starting from January 20. This means that the companies will be buying around 2,500 MW of power every day. While January is projected to have a demand-supply gap of 2,058 MW every day, February and March will witness an unprecedented gap of 2,625 MW and 2,695 MW daily. “The power demand would reach an all-time high this year,” said a senior energy official. “It may even cross 218 million units, which would create problems for the entire system.” Taking this into account, the energy coordination committee asked the AP Transco to purchase power from all sources even at a rate of Rs 10 per unit and above. But this is not an easy task for APTransco and the four Discoms that are yet to be paid the subsidy amount by the state government.

Raju resists probe

Hyderabad Jan. 13: The ex-chairman of Satyam, Mr B. Ramalinga Raju, is resisting CID investigations and has decided to file a counter petition for keeping him in police custody. The defence counsel of the Rajus has sought time from the sixth additional chief metropolitan magistrate court to file a counter petition against the police custody and Sebi interrogations. Sebi in it’s petition in the court had stated, “Mr Ramalinga Raju and his brother Mr Rama Raju, are accused of jointly committing gross financial irregularities such as fraudulent, unfair trade practice, inside trading and substantial acquisition of shares.” Criminal Investigation Department officials and legal experts have alleged that Mr Raju is trying to avoid grilling by the CID and Sebi by protesting against the petitions of investigators. Senior criminal advocate Mr C. Mallesh Rao said, “By issuing a letter he admitted that he has committed fraud and cheated people. He came forward and informed that he is ready to go by the law. Based on solely documentary evidence, his cooperation is a must. Mr Raju has to tell investigators how he manipulated the balance sheets. But In order to escape interrogation, he is resisting all attempts.” The defence counsel, Mr Bharat Kumar, when asked about the counter petitions said, “Anything can be done in a voluntary atmosphere. In police custody, how can something be voluntary? There will be no legal assistance. There will be no access to legal books. Therefore, we are resisting the Sebi and CID petitions,” he added.