| EC introduces E-filing of applications by citizens Hyderabad, July 5 : Voters, who wish to include their names in the electoral rolls, need not run from pillar to post. They can very well register their names for inclusion in the electoral list by clicking the site www.eci.gov.in or www.ceoandhra.nic.in. State Chief Electoral Officer I V Subba Rao said voters could also download forms for inclusion, deletion, correction of entries in the existing rolls by browsing the websites. The Election Commission had decided to advance the publication of electoral rolls on August 30 even in those constituencies were byelections were held recently, said. Draft electoral rolls would be published on July 25 and filing of claims and objections would be entertained till August nine, he told a press conference here after a meeting of representatives of all parties here today. In an effort to maximise provisioning of the Elector's Photo Identity Card (EPIC) coverage, village-level committees, comprising Sarpanch, the President and Secretary of the village and women Self-Help Group concerned, were constituted to ensure that all voters get EPIC cards in the villages. Applications presented in bulk would not be accepted, he said. Each village with more than 300 electors would have its own polling station and villages with less than 300 elector population but having a polling station would continue to have it. A polling station with more than 1,200 voters would be bifurcated, he added. Devender Goud likely to launch new party on Aug 11 Hyderabad, July 5 : Former Home Minister T Devender Goud, who quit the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) recently to espouse the cause of statehood for Telangana region, is likely to launch his new party ''Praja Telangana'' on August 11. Mr Goud, who quit the TDP along with another former Minister E Peddi Reddy, finalised the name after considering alternative names like ''Nava Telangana'' and ''Telangana Vimukthi Party,'' sources close to him told UNI here today. The name would be finalised after holding detailed discussions with well-wishers and elite from the Telangana region, including professors of the Osmania University, former Kakatiya University Vice-Chancellor K Jayashankar and Irrigation Expert Vidyasagar. In a bid to mobilise youth, Mr Goud, a noted backward class leader, would address the students of the Osmania University on July nine and unveil his party's aims and objectives. ''We have set up an office in New Delhi to approach the Election Commission (EC) for the party symbol,'' they added. Ahead of the launch, Mr Goud would hold a series of meetings to finalise the policies and programmes for the proposed party. He would hold a meeting with non-gazetted officers here on July 12 to elicit the views of the employees. This would be followed by a public meeting at Godavarikhani in the coal belt on July 19. Ensure scholarship to eligible minority students:Minister Hyderabad, July 5 : Andhra Pradesh Minorities Welfare Minister Mohammed Ali Shabbir exhorted the need for concrete efforts in reaching the benefits of tution fees reimbursement and scholarship schemes to all the eligible students of minority communities. While reviewing the implementation of the scheme here last night, he instructed the officials of AP State Minorities Finance Corporation to make available the forms to the candidates apart from the facilities of obtaining the same from its website www.apsmfc.com. Mr Shabbir asked the officials to set up Help Desk counters at all the couselling centres for admissions into various professional courses. As the students were required to submit income proof and caste (religion) proof, the minister advised the students to bring income certificates issued by the MRO concerned and Transfer Certificates issued by the educational institution, which should have entry of their religion and caste, a press release here said. Setback for TDP as senior leaders quit Hyderabad, July 5 : Andhra Pradesh's main opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) suffered a setback Saturday when senior leader and former MP Bhuma Nagireddy and his wife, party general secretary Sobha Nagi Reddy, resigned from the party. The couple announced their decision at Kurnool after holding discussions with their supporters. Some other party leaders of Kurnool district also announced their resignations at the press conference addressed by the couple. The couple and their followers are likely to join the party proposed to be launched by Telugu superstar Chiranjeevi. They said it was a painful decision as they were associated with the party for 25 years. Bhuma Nagi Reddy, a powerful leader in the district, alleged that the party was neglecting sincere workers. The resignations of the couple is yet another jolt to the TDP. Senior leader and second-in-command T. Devender Goud had resigned last month to launch a new party for demanding statehood for Telangana region. Some followers of Goud also quit the party. No more 'Peace Talks' with govt : Maoists Hyderabad, July 5 : Alleging that Chief minister Dr Y S Rajsekhara Reddy had murdered 'Democracy' in the name of 'Peace 'parleys' with naxals in 2004 in a 'conspiracy', the CPI (Maoist) party today announced that it would not sit for Talks' with the Andhra Pradesh government again. According to a press release here, a CPI (Maoist) official spokesperson Azad, Central Military Commission, said the party had committed a mistake by participating in the peace talks with the state government. The party would not repeat the mistake again, he added. Alleging that the Greyhound forces were indulging in inhuman activities, he said they were solely responsible for the rape of tirbal women in Vakapalli agency area in Visakhapatnam last year. Stating that the naxals targeted only police and Grehound forces in their attacks, the Maoist leader warned that they would attack the antinaxal forces again if they tried to enter Chattisgarh and Orissa. Minister for setting up of Coal Research Institute Hyderabad, July 5 : Union Minister of State for Commerce and Power Jairam Ramesh today mooted the setting up of 'National Centre for Coal Research' Institute to utilise coal in a sustainable way to met the energy requirements of the country in future. Speaking to newspersons here after visiting the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT), Mr Jairam said the Centre should be established with the coordination of Industry and bring all the Institutions together. ''We should pool our resources and create a national facility'', he added. Pointing out that there was dearth of scientists in coal Chemistry in the country, the minister said it was time to develop super critical technology to set up power plants by using coal. An Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) 125 mw power plant was being set up at Vijayawada at the cost of Rs 950 crore. Rs 530 crore will be invested by APGENCO and 420 crore by BHRL. The plant would be operational by 2011. The IGCC power project with six MW capacity will be taken up at Tiruchirapalli on pilot basis shortly. AP govt to spend Rs 337.22 cr on Scheduled Castes: CM Hyderabad, July 5 : Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy today said the state government has drawn up a Rs 337.22 crore comprehensive action plan for the benefit of Scheduled Castes covering 1,48,405 people during 2008-09. Interacting with some of the public representatives, leaders of the SC community and CMO officials at the camp office here, he said under the programme to be implemented by the Andhra Pradesh Scheduled Castes Cooperative Finance Corporation (APSCCFC), the beneficiaries would be helped for developing land, digging borewells, energising pumpsets and taking up horticulture, dairying and sheep rearing and provide self-employment. As per the new policy, the District Societies would act as facilitators and sanction only 50 per cent of the scheme cost or Rs 30,000, whichever was less, by way of subsidy with effect from April 1 during the financial year 2008-09, an official release said. The government would extend the 'Pavala Vaddi' (three per cent interest) scheme to all APSCCFC beneficiaries, who repay loans to commercial banks promptly, he said and added that the list of beneficiaries of the Chief Minister's loan waiver scheme would be published on July 15. Air Wing NCC Cadets get exposure to military training Hyderabad , July 5 : A total of 48 Air Wing NCC Cadets from all over India bivouacked at Air Force Academy (AFA) in Dundigal for military training and motivational exposure. This included 12 senior Air Wing girls. The aim of this camp, held from June eight to today, was to provide the cadets with hands-on exposure to Air Force training conducted at the AFA and motivate them to join the IAF. During the course of their attachment, the cadets were familiarised with various activities like Flying Training, Ground Training, Meteorology, Air Traffic Services and Fire Fighting and additionally demonstrated flying related activities at AFA, an official release said. Two more bodies of Greyhound police retrieved Hyderabad, July 5 : Two more bodies of Greyhound policemen, who were killed in the Maoists attacks last week, were retrieved today from Balimela reservoir at the Andhra-Orissa Border (AOB) area, taking the number of bodies retrieved to 21. Police sources said the two bodies were yet to be identified. Search operations were intensified at the reservoir to trace the missing Greyhound personnel. At least 62 policemen were on board when it capsized, the sources said. Meanwhile, additional security forces were deployed at the reservoir in the wake of the intelligence reports that Maoists were again planning to attack the security personnel. Combing operations were intensified in the AOB area. |