Monthly Archives: February 2013

Chiranjeevi wants Nizam jewels housed in Hyderabad

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence

Hyderabad:

Union tourism minister K. Chiranjeevi is keen to have the famous jewellery of the Nizams displayed in a museum in Hyderabad.

The fabulous jewellery, rated among the world’s priceless collections, was purchased by the Central government in 1995 for Rs 217 crore (the value would be 10 times more now) after long negotiations between the trustees and government.

The jewellery is currently stashed away in the RBI vaults, after it was exhibited a few times, because the Centre is undecided over where to display it.

Sources said Chiranjeevi plans to meet the PM and the CM to push for Hyderabad’s claim to host the collection.

His close aide said Chiranjeevi wanted the jewellery to stay in Hyderabad since it belongs to the erstwhile rulers of the then Hyderabad State. “He will take up the issue with the state and Central government,” the aide said.

source: http://www.DeccanChronicle.com / Home> News> Politics / by C. R. Gowri Shanker / DC, February 14th, 2013

Mary Matha festival concludes

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Vijayawada Catholic Diocese in-charge Bishop Govind Joji addressing a prayer session organised as part of the valedictory of the Mary Matha festival at Gunadala in Vijayawada on Monday. /  Photo: Ch. Vijaya Bhaskar / The Hindu /

Vijayawada Catholic Diocese in-charge Bishop Govind Joji on Monday said Mother Mary is the Mother for not just Christians but she is the universal Mother. Addressing scores of devotees on the premises of Bishop Grassi High School at Gunadala at the valedictory session of the three-day Mary Mata festival, the Bishop underscored the significance of the Holy Cross. He said the Holy Cross was a powerful tool for every Christian and one must make effective use of it to ward off evil forces.

He said the house of every Christian was a church and presence of the Holy Cross in it would protect members of the household from all kinds of harm.

“Mary comes to us with the infinite love of a mother and moved by her extraordinary power of intercession through her Son Jesus. She is beautiful, triumphant, resplendent and merciful. She comes to us, surrounded by the celestial court, to untie the knots of our lives. Her love and the love of her Son for us is immense. The Mother wants us to discover this love that will dry the tears from our eyes,” he said.

Later, the holy mass was conducted by Bishop Joji, the Mary Matha Shrine Rector Fr. Chinnappa, Social Service Centre Director M. Prasad, Chancellor Fr. J. Johnraj and other pastors Fr. G. Vijay Kumar, Fr. P. Jaquim, Fr. P. J. Stephen, Fr. A.V. Jairaj, Fr. Lavu Jairaj, Fr. B. L. Francis and others.

Later, Bishop Joji and Fr. Cherian Kunnal were felicitated and students were given scholarships.

source:  http://www.TheHindu.com / Home> Cities> Vijayawada / by Special Correspondent / February 12th, 2013

Nellore rice, a rage among AP farmers

Business & Economy, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature

Picture for representational purpose only.

Nellore:

A rice variety, NLR 34449 (Nellore Masoori), developed by NG Ranga Agriculture Research Station in Nellore and introduced in the market after successful trials a few years ago has become popular not only in AP but also in neighbouring Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Maharashtra.

It is preferred because of high yields to the extent of three to five puttis (one putti is equal to 850 kg of paddy) an acre as against three puttis for other varieties. It is also blast resistant, non-lodging and suitab-le for machine harvesting. The size of the grain is thin and it is among the fine varieties in the market.

Interestingly, farmers of Nellore district are vary of this variety, especially developed for local climatic conditions, because rice traders and millers discourage them by offering meagre price, under the pretext that the quality is poor after cooking, though it was not true.

The traders prefer BPT 5204 (Bapatla) for reasons best known to them. It was alleged that they avoid 34449 because it is difficult to mix them with the low quality rice. Moreover, the traders offer Rs 13,000 to RS 14,000 for 34449 as against Rs 15,000 to Rs 16,000 for BPT 5204. The crop period is around 125 days for 34449 and it is suitable for both rabi and kharif as well as early kharif, said P. Ramesh Babu, principal scientist ARS, Nellore.

He said that there is also good demand for NLR 20084, popularly known as Nellore Molagolukulu variety developed by them. It is not cultivated much in Nellore district because traders and millers pay paltry sum for the crop.

Principal scientist (rice), Dr Y. Suryanarayana of Re-gional Agriculture Resea-rch Station, Maruteru in West Godavari district said that NLR 20084 (Molagolu-kulu) is being raised in large extents in the neighbouring Chittoor, Kadapa and Prakasam districts.

“Yields are very high for this 150-day-long crop and it is resistant to blast (aggitegulu), pests and lodging etc.,” he said and attributed the increasing price of rice in the market to reduction in area of cultivation from 40 lakh hecta-res to 30 lakh hectares. He said cultivation area has come down from 14 lakh hectares to eight lakh hectares during rabi.

Meanwhile, two new variety rice seed, NLR 3041 (Nellore Sona) and NLR 40024 in June last year have been attracting the attention of farmers because of encouraging results during trials. Nellore Sona is widely cultivated all along the north coastal AP due to its quality. NLR 40024 was developed exclusively for cultivation during summer, scientists of ARS said.

source: http://www.DeccanChronicle.com / Home> News> Current Affairs / by Pathri Rajasekhar / February 12th, 2013

Guntur student bags Institute of Chartered Accountants of India prize

Education, Records, All

Guntur :

A student of Guntur, M Vaishnavi, has been selected for the prestigious national award – Sultan Chand Memorial Prize, instituted by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI). Vaishnavi got the award for emerging topper in professional competence course (PCC) at national level. Vaishnavi is also proficient in nine Indian languages.

In a letter to Mattupalli Mohan, director of a local training institute, ICAI deputy secretary Mahendra Kumar said that Vaishnavi had been selected for the top prize as she was the 1st ranker at the All India level in the PCC-2012. The award will be presented to Vaishnavi at a function in Delhi in the third week of February.tnn Expressing happiness over a Guntur student hitting the headlines for yet another time by grabbing a prestigious award in the commerce stream, Mattupalli Mohan complimented the girl’s father Jagadeesh for braving all odds to see his daughter at the top.

Vaishnavi is eldest of Jagadeesh’s three daughters. “He came all the way from Behrampur in Odisha to Guntur to get her daughter admitted to the best training institute to realize her dream of becoming a chartered accountant

She has brought laurels to her parents and the institute by winning the prestigious prize even before clearing the final,” said a jubilant Mohan here on Saturday.

Jagadeesh of Behrampur in Odisa, is a vendor of computer peripherals and encouraged all the three daughters to pursue the courses of their interest. While Vaishnavi is doing CA in Guntur, his second daughter Vaishali joined medicine stream and the youngest daughter Vaisakhi is in her class IX. Meanwhile, the students of the training institute took out a bike rally in the city to celebrate Vaishnavi’s success in getting the award.

source: http://www.m.timesofindia.com  / Home> City> Hyderabad / TNN / February 10th, 2013

On a different court: Saina Nehwal joins AP govt’s ‘save power campaign’

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Green Initiatives / Environment, Sports

Badminton superstar Saina Nehwal  might have done quite a few endorsements for commercial products; but for the first time, she is going to be a brand ambassador for the Andhra Pradesh government for a public cause.

The  ace shuttler  is going to campaign extensively for State Energy Conservation Mission (SECM), asking the people of all sections to take up energy saving measures so as to minimize power consumption in the wake of severe power crisis staring the state.

“We had a meeting Saina and her coach Pullela Gopichand, the erstwhile badminton star, a couple of days ago and explained the objectives our energy conservation mission. We gave a power point presentation on how the state has been facing an unprecedented power crisis. We explained them how the scarcity of the natural resources like coal, gas and water have led to the present situation of acute power shortage in the state and impact of energy conservation activities,” SECM chief executive officer A Chandrasekhara Reddy told Mail Today on Sunday.

Reddy said for the last few years, there has been indiscriminate use of power by the people, causing tremendous burden on the power utilities. As a result, there has been a huge gap between the demand and supply, as high as 71 million units per day, forcing the power utilities to go in for massive power cuts.

“Though AP’s installed capacity has also reached 16,500 MW, the utilities are not able to utilise even 10,000 MW of capacity due to severe scarcity of fuel, which ultimately warrants the state to go in for energy conservation and energy efficiency measures in a big way,” he said.

The SECM officials told Saina that if everyone in the state was actively involved in this energy conservation mission, the state is estimated to save about 15,000 MU of energy, worth of Rs.7,500 crore every year.

“They were very much impressed with our mission so much that they readily agreed to be part of the programme. And Saina came forward to be a brand ambassador for the government for this mission without charging a rupee, as it is a public cause,” the officials said.

“We will utilise the services of Saina in our promotional activities through short films and other publicity programmes. She agreed to give us time for our programmes whenever she finds time,” Reddy said.

source: http://www.indiatoday.intoday.in / Home> India Today> Sports> Others Sports> Story / by A. Srinivasa Rao / Hyderabad, February 10th, 2013

Sarojini Pulla Reddy passes away at age 85

Leaders, Records, All

Hyderabad:

Veteran Congress leader and former minister Sarojini Pulla Reddy passed away in the early hours of Sunday at her Bowenpally residence. She was 85.

She was the first woman Mayor of the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation in 1965. She was also minister for municipal administrat-ion, information and public relations and women and child welfare in various ministries between 1978 and 1982.

Hyderabad’s first woman Mayor Sarojini Pulla Reddy dead

Veteran Congress leader and former minister Sarojini Pulla Reddy passed away early on Sunday at her Bowenpally residence. She was 85.

She was the first woman Mayor of the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation in 1965. She was also minister for municipal administration, information and public relations and women and child welfare in various ministries between 1978-82.

A loyalist of Indira Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, Sarojini Pulla Reddy had served the Congress in various posts. She was also a member of the Congress Working Committee, the highest policy-making body of the party in 2001. She was vice-president of the APCC for several years.

She got elected as an MLA twice from Malakpet Assembly segment in 1967 and 1972.

She became an MLC later. She married chief medical officer Pulla Reddy, who was employed in the South Central Railway in 1945. He passed away in 1970.

Sarojini Reddy was suffering from pancreatic cancer for some time.

Several leaders, including Tamil Nadu Governor K. Rosaiah, D.K. Samarasimha Reddy, Dr K. Kesava Rao and others, condoled her death.

Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, Assembly Speaker Nadendla Manohar and many Congress leaders paid their respects at her Bowenpally residence in the Secunderabad Canton-ment area.

Her last rites were performed on Sunday evening at the old Bowenpally area.

source: http://www.DeccanChronicle.com / Home> News> Current Affairs / DC / February 04th, 2013

70-yr-old sets yoga record

Amazing Feats, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All, Sports

Hyderabad:

Age is no barrier to realise your dreams. This was proved  by 70-year-old Y. Narasimha Murthy, who  entered the World Telugu Book of Records by performing ‘Jala Yoga’ (underwater yoga).

Murthy, a resident of Dilshuknagar,  is a retired State Bank of Hyderabad manager. He performed 38 yoga postures under water in 30 minutes at the Saroornagar stadium swimming pool.

“I have been practicing the postures since the last 10 years. I dedicate the record to my family and friends,” Murthy said.

According to officials of  World Telugu Book of records, “He was supposed to perform 30 postures, but he performed 38 of them in 30 minutes and created the record.”

source: http://www.DeccanChronicle.com / Home> News> Current Affairs / by Coreena Suares, DC / February 10th, 2013

Nizamabad girl student bags two gold medals

Education, Records, All, Science & Technology

Miss Ateeba Shazi who completed her M.Sc in Physics from the Giriraj Government College bagged two gold medals at the 79th convocation of the Osmania University in Hyderabad .

A distinction student from the beginning, she stood first securing more than 85 percentage in SSC, Intermediate and B.Sc. In M.Sc, she scored 87 per cent and bagged the Prof.N. Rajeswar Rao Memorial Gold Medal and also B. Hayagreena and Revathi Gold Medal.

Daughter of Abid Ali, a lecturer in Commerce at the GGC, she was given the Abid Ali Khan merit award by Siasat Urdu daily.

source: http://www.TheHindu.com / Home> National> Andhra Pradesh / by Staff Reporter / Nizamabad, February 09th, 2013

Mango farmers high on hopes

Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature
Srinivasa Rao, a farmer, showing the flowering on a mango tree at Nekkalam Gollagudem in Krishna district. /  Photo: Ch. Vijaya Bhaskar / The Hindu

Flowering is extensive and the crop is healthy, say farmers

Think of mangoes, and your are sure to conjure up images of the sweet, juicy, pulpy fruit that lures one and all during summer. And if one considers the varieties, the Nuzvid ‘rasalu’ certainly tops the list. This year, the farmers are hopeful of reaping a rich harvest of the famous ‘chinna rasalu’, ‘banginapalli’, and other varieties, as flowering is good and the crop in the region is not afflicted by an disease. If the weather cooperates, there will be good produce by March end, they opine.

“Krishna district, particularly Nuzvid, is known for ‘chinna rasalu’. Every year, we export some thousands of tonnes of the fruit to Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, and other places,” say the farmers. Flowering is robust and extensive in the orchards at Nuzvid, Agiripally, Nunna, Thotlavallur, and other areas in the district.

In some areas, the fruit is in a tender stage and the crop will be ready in the next 20 days.

“Compared with last year, flowering is good and we are expecting a good yield this season. The investment is also less this year, as the crop is healthy,” a mango farmer V. Srinivasa Rao of Nekkalam Gollagudem village told The Hindu.

“I raised chinna rasalu, pedda rasalu, and banginapalli varieties in five acres. We have already picked the fruit twice, as there was flowering in the months of November and December. We are happy as the position is good so far,” said another farmer S. Venkata Ratnam of Adavi Nekkalam village.

“Eighty per cent of trees are in flowering stage. The recent rain did not cause much damage to the crop. This year the produce may be double than last year,” said S. Veeranjaneyulu, who has orchards in the Nuzvid area.

“Most of the produce will be used for consumption in Vijayawada, Khammam, Guntur, East and West Godavari, and neighbouring districts. Fine quality of ‘banginapalli’ fruit will be exported to other States and countries,” said Mr. Venkata Ratnam.

source: http://www.TheHindu.com / Home> News> Cities> Vijayawada / by Rajulapudi Srinivas /Nuzvid (Krishna Distr.) – February 09th, 2013

International aqua expo begins in Vijayawada today

Business & Economy

Vijayawada :

Stating that marine exports from India registered a marginal growth, Marine Products Export Development Authority (Mpeda) chairperson Leena Nair said international exposure to farmers would boost production and exports. She said Mpeda was emphasizing on usage of latest technology in brooding of shrimp and scampi.

An international exhibition-Aqua Aquaria India-2013, a biennial event of Mpeda, will be launched at Loyola college campus here on Friday. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of international expo, Leena Nair said the international Aquaria was being organised in the city keeping in view that Krishna district stands first in aqua  farming in the state.

She explained that over 10,000 farmers have hatcheries spread in 35,000 hectares of brackish water. She said 150 international and domestic stalls would be put up to showcase the latest technology of aqua farming. She said India had exported about 6.6 lakh metric tonnes of marine products worth Rs.13,994 crore till the third quarter of 2012-13. Leena Nair said India exported nearly 8.62 lakh tonnes of marine products during 2011-12 as against 8.13 lakh tonnes in 2010-11 with a growth rate of 6%. In monetary terms, the growth registered was 22%. She hoped India would perform better in the current financial year. She added that frozen shrimp continued to be the major export value item accounting for 52.62% of the total earnings. Rajiv Gandhi  Centre for Aquaculture (RGCA) project director Y C Thambi Samraj said that a high quality brooding centre was established at Kankipadu. He said a brood stock multiplication centre for L Vannamei fish would be set up in Visakhapatnam soon. He said the Visakhapatnam centre would cater to the needs of L Vannamei growers in the state.

Samraj said L Vannamei was found be the latest sensation in the international market which was giving good returns to all the stake holders. He said the RGCA was taking up projects for sustainable development of aquaculture with the support of technology. He said focus was being laid on some other species which have started yielding results. He said the Aquatic Quarantine Facility (AQF) at Neelankaral near Chennai was one of the best labs in the world for L Vannamei.

Chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy is expected to inaugurate the Aquaria here on Friday in which Union minister of state for commerce D Purandeswari will take part.

source: htptp://www.timesofindia,indiatimes.com / Home> City> Hyderabad / TNN / February 08th, 2013