Monthly Archives: January 2014

RTC Tours to Vaishnavite Temples

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

AP State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC)-Guntur region, has announced a special tour package to Vaishnavite temples including Mangalagiri, Simhachalam, Annavaram and Dwaraka Tirumala in this month of Dhanurmasam.

APSRTC regional manager PV Rama Rao said that the buses will be operated from Guntur and Tenali bus stations Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm.

They will return to the starting points at 8 pm two days later.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Andhra Pradesh / by Express News Service – Guntur / January 03rd, 2014

Project Anantha launched

Business & Economy, Green Initiatives / Environment, Science & Technology
Revenue minister N. Raghuveera Reddy lights lamp to mark the inauguration of ‘Project Anantha’ at Rythu Bazaar in Anantapur on Thursday. MP Anantha Venkatarami Reddy is also seen. — DC
Revenue minister N. Raghuveera Reddy lights lamp to mark the inauguration of ‘Project Anantha’ at Rythu Bazaar in Anantapur on Thursday. MP Anantha Venkatarami Reddy is also seen. — DC

Anantapur: 

Revenue minister N. Raghuveera Reddy on Thursday launched ‘Project Anantha’, an innovative project with five year-plan, with an estimate of Rs 7676 crore at Rythu Bazaar here on Thursday.

The project was designed to take all available measures to overcome severe drought situation in the district as Anantapur is located in rain-shadow region, made permanently drought with second lowest rainfall district in the country.

Raghuveera Reddy had inaugurated the Project Anantha office at Rythu Bazaar premises on the occasion.

Speaking at the programme, the revenue minister said that this was the first ever project designed in the country allocating separate budget in the five year plan from 2013-14 to 2017-18 based on the recommendations of ICAR committee report.

“The ICAR committee had studied all the relevant concerns and issues of agriculture and allied sectors in detail made an assessment of natural resource base, crops, livelyhood opportunities available in the district in a scientific way,” he recalled.

Referring to introduction of all sectors in the Project, Raghuveera Reddy observed that techno-development action research project leveraging specific agriculture, sericulture and dairy technologies for result oriented development.

Revenue minister also said Project Anantha collaborated with ICAR and universities of agriculture, horticulture and animal husbandry departments for its implementation.

“The Project requires Rs 7676 crores of which Rs 3550.078 crores from various departmental resources, subsidy,  beneficiary contribution. And intends to mobilise an amount of Rs 836 crore through banks,” he said.

As part of the introducing the project, 14 villages of 14 Assembly segments have been selected for pilot project and later extended to all the villages, he said, adding that the Project Anantha programme should have no link with the elections and politics as all representatives and leaders sought district should overcome drought situation.

He expressed confidence the new project with all allied sectors would certainly uplift farmers of Anantapur.

MP Ananta Venkatarami Reddy, MLAs Madhusudhan Guptha, B.K. Parthasarathi,  Abdul Ghani and B. Gurunath Reddy, collector D.S. Lokesh Kumar, Project Anantha Chairman Chandramouli were among participated in the programme.

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> News> Current Affairs / DC / January 03rd, 2014

Thousands throng churches across Hyderabad for midnight mass

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Hyderabad :

The grandeur of the churches in the city was at its brightest best on Tuesday night as sparkling lights and stars drew thousands to the midnight mass on Christmas Eve.

The faithful braved the cold to attend the mass in several famous churches, including St Mary’s Church and Church of St John The Baptist, Secunderabad, and St Joseph’s Cathedral, Gunfoundry. At many churches, the service also took place on Wednesday morning and noon.

At St Mary’s Church, the archbishop of Hyderabad, Thumma Bala, read out special verses from the Bible as part of the liturgy and urged people to follow a life of love and devotion to Jesus Christ . Despite the service being held in the open air, people continued to pour in to listen to the sermon, which went on till well past midnight.

Prior to the mass, churches also organized nativity plays, depicting the history of Christmas and the birth of Jesus Christ.

The usual celebrations and rituals aside, some parishes ensured that the less privileged were not excluded from the festivities. “We have been having outreach programs for the poor relating to health and education. We also organized free meals for the homeless in various parts of the city. It is the season of joy and there is no greater joy than that of giving,” said Rev Bhaskar Rao, Rock Church, Masab Tank.

Meanwhile, for many revelers, despite the array of offers available at hotels and restaurants, Christmas was essentially about spending time with near and dear ones. “Christmas has traditionally been about being at home with family and friends. After attending morning mass, I spent the entire day with my extended family and will attend a Christmas dance in the evening,” said Agnelo Luqua, 25.

For traditional families, home cooked food is as integral to the celebrations as decorating the Christmas tree and singing carols. Roast chicken or turkey, biryani, pulav, mutton curry and desserts comprise the typical elaborate Christmas lunch or dinner.

“Good food is obviously very important to the celebrations. The best part is the feeling of togetherness that comes while cooking and eating together, which is an important part of the Christmas spirit,” said Sainikpuri resident, Arundhati Ann.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Hyderabad> Christmas Eve / TNN / December 26th, 2013

VCTPL lands Vizag container terminal project

Business & Economy, Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinion

Visakhapatnam Port Trust (VPT) has approved issuing a letter of award to Visakha Container Terminal Pvt. Ltd. (VCTPL) for extension of existing container terminal at a cost of Rs.633 crore.

The proposal was okayed by the board of trustees, which met here on Friday. Kolkata Port Trust Chairman R. P. S. Kahlon, who is holding additional charge as Chairman of VPT, presided over the meeting.

VCTPL, a joint venture of DP World and United Liners Agencies of India (Private) Ltd., had developed the existing container terminal a decade ago under the PPP (Public-Private Partnership) model. It had handled 2.47 lakh twenty-foot equivalent units in the last fiscal. Once the new container terminal is extended, it will increase the capacity by 0.5 million TEU. It is envisaged to increase the length of the all-weather terminal to 850 metres to handle bigger size vessels.

The letter of award is likely to be issued on Monday, VPT sources told The Hindu.

VPT accepted the VCTPL’s revised offer of 11.44 per cent of gross revenue share from the new project for which the concession agreement for 30 years will be signed in the New Year. The project will be taken up under develop, build, fund, operate and transfer (DBFOT) model.

The tender committee set up by VPT under the chairmanship of Chief Engineer Ramachandra Rao opened the price bid on November 18. VCTPL had emerged as the only qualified bidder to submit price bid. VCTPL, which was also the single largest bidder earlier, was not considered by the port for offering just 10 per cent of gross revenue share.

The board subsequently asked all the seven qualified bidders, including VCTPL, Adani, Simplex, Welspun and Leighton, to submit fresh bids.

“We are delighted at the Friday’s decision to issue letter of award in our favour. It will help VPT in facing competition thrown up in handling container cargo by the Krishnapatnam and Dhamra Ports,” CEO of VCTPL Capt. Sriram Ravi Chander said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Business> Industry / by Santosh Patnaik / Visakhapatnam – December 27th, 2013

V’wada Turns Online Trading Hub

Business & Economy, Science & Technology

The online trading platform is very helpful to investors and traders and Vijayawada city is fast emerging as a hub of it, Nitin Kamath, founder and chief executive officer of Wealth Aura Trade Solutions Private Limited, has said. Inaugurating the ‘Zerodha’ online trading centre at Benz Circle here Thursday, he said ‘Zerodha’ was a revolutionary trading platform providing traders a free trade zone and this is the second office after Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh.

He opined that in South India, Andhra Pradesh is the biggest market for online trading and has more potential due to continuous trading activities.

Nitin said that Zerodha traders have to pay a simple fixed amount of `20 as transaction fee.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Andhra Pradesh / by Express News Service – Vijayawada / December 27th, 2013

15-day-long NATA Seva Days to Conclude Tomorrow

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Nri's / Pio's, World Opinion
North America Telugu Association president Sanjeeva T Reddy (left), secretary Ramasurya Reddy and chairman-PR Mahesh Bigala (right) preparing notes before addressing press in Hyderabad on Friday | NEERAJ MURALI
North America Telugu Association president Sanjeeva T Reddy (left), secretary Ramasurya Reddy and chairman-PR Mahesh Bigala (right) preparing notes before addressing press in Hyderabad on Friday | NEERAJ MURALI

The 15-day-long Seva Days of North American Telugu Association (NATA) will culminate with cultural programmes, award of scholarships to students and presentation of lifetime achievement awards at Ravindra Bharati here on Sunday.

A business seminar will also be held in collaboration with Telugu Entrepreneurs Association (TEA).

Justice R Subash reddy of the High Court  will present lifetime achievement award to Maxi Vision group founder Dr Kasu Prasad Reddy and NATA eexcellency award to filmmaker Sekhar Kammula. Assembly chief whip Gandra Venkatramana Reddy will be the guest of honour.

Scholarships to 117 Intermediate students of government colleges, five students from each district, will be presented by justice Dr Y Bhaskar Rao, Lokayukta, Karnataka. Each student will be given a scholarship of Rs 10,000.

Seva Days is an initiative of NATA whereby they lend services to people in the state.  NATA president Sanjeeva T Reddy told reporters that the association had built water plants in Nalgonda, Nellore, Tirupati, Nizamabad and other districts, taken up six projects of clean and green graveyards in Nellore district and organised eye camps in five districts of the state.

“Through screening, optical wear is provided to children and we identified some more who need surgeries which will be performed in three months,” he said.

The association has spent more than `2 crore on its programmes. Its next convention in the USA in July next.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Andhra Pradesh / by Express News Service – Hyderabad / December 28th, 2013

Spreading joy during Christmas

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Sports

Former state athlete, Douglas Johnson, has been celebrating Christmas for the past eight years in the company of underprivileged children and their families.

(Spreading joy during Christmas )
(Spreading joy during Christmas )

Every year during Christmas, his modest two-bedroom home in Lalaguda, also called Little England of Secunderabad, buzzes with activity. There is food in abundance and gifts enveloped in colourful wrapping paper. While every family adorns their house with a glittering Christmas tree, Douglas invites underprivileged children to come and share the joy of decorating the tree. For the past eight years, the Johnson family has been playing host to these children and sharing Christmas with them.

Ask Douglas what prompted him to celebrate in such a way, and he says, “As a child, I never knew the joy of decorating a Christmas tree because we could never afford it. We were a family of eight and my father’s earnings were humble. In those days, a Christmas tree would cost around `100-`150, which was almost like a week’s meal for the family. My siblings and I would visit friends and relatives to see the Christmas tree. My eyes would pop up looking at it. It’s like you want it badly, but you know you cannot afford it. That’s when I decided to celebrate Christmas with children who cannot afford it.”

Every year, his house is thrown open to anyone who wants to celebrate Christmas. “This year, I had an early Christmas celebration. The numbers went up to around 450 people, so I had to celebrate it at the Sacred Heart Church. There was a small mass, children played some games and decorated the tree. Later, they indulged in an elaborate spread, cut a cake and went back with their gifts and goodies,” says Douglas, adding that this bash is held in the memory of his father, Philip Johnson.

A champion of state level relay race for ten years (1987-1997), Douglas has also represented Osmania University Athlete team at the nationals. Currently employed with the South Central Railway, Douglas saves a decent sum from his salary every month for this event and the rest is contributed by his siblings, who are residing abroad.

According to Douglas, Christmas is all about putting a smile on everyone’s face. “For those who can afford it, Christmas is a festival of joy, but for the ones who can’t, it’s a stark reality of their financial condition. There is no better joy than seeing a smile on a child’s face — that, to me, is the real spirit of Christmas,” he says.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Life & Style> People> Christmas Tree / by Dipika Pillay, TNN / December 24th, 2013

LG unveils curved OLED TV in Hyderabad

Business & Economy, Records, All, Science & Technology
Rajneesh Sharma , Regional Head , LG ( Andhra Pradesh), launching the first LG curved OLED television ( 55EA9800) with a 4.3mm thin curve in Hyderabad on Tuesday ./ Photo: P.V. Sivakumar / The Hindu
Rajneesh Sharma , Regional Head , LG ( Andhra Pradesh), launching the first LG curved OLED television ( 55EA9800) with a 4.3mm thin curve in Hyderabad on Tuesday ./ Photo: P.V. Sivakumar / The Hindu

Hyderabad :

LG Electronics today unveiled curved OLED TV priced at Rs 9,99,000 at a store in Hyderabad.

OLED refers to organic light emitting diode. The first LG 55-inch curved OLED TV features an ergonomic design with full cinema 3D support. The thin display TV removes the problem of screen-edge visual distortion and detail loss.

Rajneesh Sharma, Regional Manager, Andhra Pradesh, LG India, in a statement said: “India is a strategic market for LG and we are the first company to launch the curved series in this market. The unique curved design will provide consumers with an ultimate viewing experience.”

“Home entertainment is fuelled by constant change and growth with new products. LG India will strengthen the product portfolio further with new launches. Our target is to capture 30 per cent market share in flat panels by the end of next year,” Rajneesh Sharma said.

The curved TV features unique 4-colour pixel technology and a 4.3 mm thin display. The 4-colour pixel technology adds a white sub-pixel to the conventional red, green and blue pixels.

source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com / Business Line / Home> Companies /  by R. Rishi Kumar / Hyderabad – December 24th, 2013

Production of Sona Masoori Goes up in Kurnool

Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature, Records, All

Despite heavy rains and cyclones lashing the district this year, Kurnool has recorded an increase in paddy production compared to last year. Adequate water released from KC Canal, Srisailam reservoir and Tungabhadra dam has facilitated this increase, agriculture officials said.

Nearly 64.77 lakh tonnes of paddy was harvested during kharif season. The official expected 28 lakh tones for rabi season. Almost 95 percent of the total production of the BPT 5204 (Kurnool Sona Masoori) variety has been procured to be stored in the district. The early release of irrigation water from various projects paved the way for a good harvest.

Farmers, especially in Nandyal, Allagadda and Atmakur taluks, are on cloud nine despite last minute obstacles during the season. Crops suffered minor damage in July and November because of monsoon rains and cyclones. However, the agriculture department stepped in and provided valuable inputs to farmers and advised them to make use of fertilizer and urea, agriculture joint director D Thakur Naik told Express.

The rice variety Kurnool Sona (BPT 5204) Masoori is soon likely to be in more supply, he added. Sona Masoori is the preferred variety for rice eaters in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Its major production centres are Kurnool, Nizamabad, Nellore and Guntur and the variety produced in Kurnool is considered to be the best.

Kurnool Sona Masoori has a unique taste that is not matched by rice from any other province. “Everyone is crazy about Sona Masoori because of the name it has earned and not because equally good varieties are not available,” technical agriculture officer Shashidhar Reddy said.

Sona Masoori cultivation during the just-ended kharif season in Kurnool increased to nearly 10,000 hectares as against the normal 86,939 hectares.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Andhra Pradesh / by K Madhu Sudhakar – Kurnool / December 23rd, 2013

Sanjeeva Reddy was a role model, says Pranab Mukherjee

Leaders, Records, All

Hyderabad:

President Pranab Mukherjee Monday paid rich tributes to former president Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy, describing him as a role model in government and politics.

Addressing the concluding programme of the birth centenary celebrations of the late leader at Anantapur, the president said Sanjeeva Reddy combined three good qualities of a party leader, an administrator and a parliamentarian.

“He was true son of the soil and a farmer till his last breath,” Mukherjee said and recalled his exceptional leadership qualities.

Sanjeeva Reddy, who served as the president between 1977 and 1982, died in 1996 at the age of 83.

Mukherjee pointed out that Sanjeeva Reddy had many records to his credit. He was the youngest president and the only person who served as a chief minister, the Lok Sabha speaker, union minister and the president.

Born in a farmer’s family, Sanjeeva Reddy was the first chief minister of united Andhra Pradesh. He served as the chief minister twice, became the speaker the year he was elected to the Lok Sabha and held the post twice.

Sanjeeva Reddy set high standards by resigning from the Congress party as soon as he was elected the speaker. It was during his tenure that for the first time a man was imprisoned for contempt of the house for raising slogans and throwing pamphlets from visitors’ gallery, noted Mukherjee.

The president said Sanjeeva Reddy, inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s leadership, joined the freedom struggle at the young age of 16. During 1940 and 1945, he was imprisoned many times, including during the Quit India Movement.

Describing Sanjeeva Reddy as the main architect of modern-day Andhra Pradesh, Mukherjee said as the first chief minister of united Andhra Pradesh in 1956, he found solution to many problems which arose following Telangana’s merger with then Andhra state.

Sanjeeva Reddy played a key role in the development and modernization of the state and progress of its people. It was during his tenure that major irrigation projects like Nagarjunasagar, Srisailam, Sriramsagar and Vamsadhara were built.

Andhra Pradesh Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan, Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, some state ministers and senior officials were present.

Earlier, the president, who is on a southern sojourn, left Hyderabad by a special aircraft along with the governor and the chief minister. After landing at Puttaparthi, they flew to Anantapur town by helicopters.

source: http://www.zeenews.india.com / Z News / Home> Nation / by IANS / Monday – December 23rd, 2013