Vijayawada (Telugu: విజయవాడ; formerly Bezawada) is the third largest city in Andhra Pradesh, with a population of around 1.6 million. Located on the banks of the Krishna River and bounded by the Indrakiladri Hills on the West and the Budameru River on the North. The city is located in the Krishna District, about 275 kilometres (171 mi) from the state capital Hyderabad.
Wiki (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vijayawada)



Post here updates, news, info and pictures of projects & development in Vijayawada.

Star Hills - Mix use development

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More Info & Images (http://www.infinitefoundations.com/star-hills.html)

Pepe Jeans opens flagship store in Vijayawada (http://www.indiaretailing.com/news.aspx?topic=1&Id=5665)

The leading denimwear brand, Pepe Jeans London has launched its biggest flagship store in coastal Andhra Pradesh. Located on Vijayawada's high street, the store is spread across 2200 sq.ft and offers a wide range of jeans and casual wear such as shirts, t-shirts, shorts, skirts, dresses and accessories for both men and women.

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Speaking on the occasion, Chetan Shah, managing director (India), Pepe Jeans London, said, “With this launch, Pepe Jeans is set to breathe in an all new store layout at par with our international showroom ambiance to provide our consumers an exclusive shopping experience. The layout has been designed to act as a continuous fusion of quality fashion products and interactive environment.”

The vast retail area of the new outlet is divided into two zones - Bluez Lounge and Fashion Lounge - to create a unique shopping experience. The store provides its consumers with a highly personalised way to shop by the latest fit, finish and style.

The décor of the new showroom evolves around contemporary look from premium full length mirrors and the unfinished rugged look on the walls to give a lounge feel to its customer with pumping music playing in the background.

A new mall

Ripples Mall, MG Road

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Website (http://www.ripplesindia.in/aboutus.html)

The projects looks cool, thanks India101 for coming up with this thread.

The Congress government in the state is adopting step-motherly attitude towards Vijayawada city by neglecting the development and not releasing funds. Many important projects including expansion of Gannavaram airport, construction of Machilipatnam port, flyovers in the city, development of the Krishna University are pending for a long time. The regrettable thing is that the state is also not releasing the grants sanctioned by the Central government for the JNNURM works.

The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) is executing developmental works worth several hundreds of crores under the JNNURM. The Centre bears 50 per cent share while the state sanctions 20 per cent. The Union government released Rs 116 crore for the JNNURM works last month. The state government is not releasing it along with its matching grants of Rs 48 crore. As a result, the VMC is struggling to clear the pending bills to the contractors, who are not able to speed up the ongoing works.

According to official information, bills pending for housing works are Rs 126 crore, for sewage treatment plant works Rs 12 crore, water pipeline works Rs 8 crore, BRTS works Rs 27 crore and road restoration works Rs 17 crore. Besides, non-planning dues are pending to the tune of over Rs 50 crore. The municipal officials on Monday requested the minister for secondary education, Mr Kolusu Parthasara-dhi, to take the issue to the notice of the Chief Minister, Mr N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, for the release of grants. The VMC is trying to secure another Rs 100 crore loan from a nationalised bank for payment of bills. The VMC has already taken Rs 50 crore from the Corporation Bank. The municipal commissioner, Mr G. Ravi Babu, said “We are trying to get grants released by the Central government to speed up the works.”
http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/cities/regions/vijayawada/vijayawada-city-awaits-state-funds-941

Any updates on vijayawada BRTS

Vijayawada to go bicycle-friendly

G. VENKATARAMANA RAO
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Sooner the better:A dedicated bicycle track is proposed at the Jawaharlal Nehru Marg in Vijayawada.–Photo: Ch. Vijaya Bhaskar
The use of the eco-friendly bicycle is diminishing by the day. As the roads get more congested with motorised vehicles the cyclists are gradually disappearing.

The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation wants to reverse the trend by making the city roads more bicycle-friendly. Municipal Commissioner G. Ravi Babu has asked the environmental engineering division to explore the possibility of establishing a dedicated cycling track on the wider roads of the city. The feasibility of establishing a cycling track on the new BRTS Road is being worked out.

Vijayawada has several firsts in the State to its credit with regard to environmental-friendly initiatives. The VMC was the first in the country to harness electricity from solid waste; to have a plant for converting municipal waste into compost.

It was also the first city in the State to convert its entire fleet of city buses and auto-rickshaws to the eco-friendly Compressed Natural Gas (CNG). And it will be the first city in the state to supply the piped cooking gas to its citizens.

The VMC Environmental Engineer Smitha Bhanu toldThe Hindu that the Commissioner had asked the Active Bicyclers Association (ABA) that promotes bicycling programmes in the city to prepare an action plan.

The plan is to have dedicated cycling tracks on all new roads, residential colonies and in Municipal School grounds on the lines of walking tracks that could be used for exercise.

There are 20 schools with grounds spacious enough to develop cycling tracks, Ms. Bhanu said. The ABA founder V. Satyanarayana said that using the bicycle was not just eco-friendly, it was also healthier.

The Hindu (http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/article2092171.ece)

Renault launches ‘Fluence' in city
Hindu (http://www.hindu.com/2011/06/12/stories/2011061252910200.htm)

VIJAYAWADA: Crazy about cars? Here's some good news. Renault has unveiled its first car in India, the luxury sedan-Fluence, besides inaugurating its first exclusive Renault dealership in the city, Renault Vijayawada. Deputy Managing Director of Renault India Sudhir Rao, unveiled the sleek luxury car at the company showroom. “Fluence is the first Renault car to be produced at a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility on the outskirts of Chennai. India being one of the three key countries in Renault's international development strategy, we are confident of giving the Indian customer their first taste of what Renault is capable of brining to the Indian market,” Mr. Rao told a press conference. Sharing the company's plans for Indian market, he said starting with 14 dealers across the country, the company intended to expand base and have 40 dealers by the end of the current year. “We intend to roll out a full range of five cars and 100 dealerships by December 2012 . Speaking about a ‘Renault Complete Care' service package, which, he claimed, was globally benchmarked providing customers with a host of facilities like COTECH technicians (with 43 days training in Renault facilities in France) at each dealership, four years/80,000 km warranty, labour-free servicing at 2,000, 10,000 and 20,000 km, competitively priced parts and service and valet service. He said the new vehicle was launched in both petrol (Rs. 14.5 lakh) and diesel (Rs. 13.9 lakh) versions in Vijayawada.

Mr. Rao said Renault had a very strong presence in India with investments of about Rs. 5,000 crore in setting up an alliance Greenfield facility for manufacturing 400,000 cars per year, a global technology and procurement centre in Chennai, a full-fledged Renault DeSign Studio in Mumbai and a global logistics centre in Pune.

VIJAYAWADA: Fun-seekers, who scowled at not having a fun zone around to unwind, will soon be well placated.

The Vijayawada division of AP Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) is gearing up to equip the Berm Park at Bhavanipuram with all the paraphernalia that can keep fun-lovers in good humour.

Proposals

“We propose to develop a swimming pool and a partying area to host pool side parties at the park,” J. Raghupathi Rao, Divisional Manager of the corporation told The Hindu on Tuesday.

“The vacant space abutting the vehicle parking area near the entrance will be put to use for this purpose,” he said, adding that proposals to this effect would be sent for approval of the departmental higher-ups this week.

Meanwhile, as part of its endeavour to develop a beach resort circuit, the APTDC is busy planning, executing, expanding, and renovating a string of its projects spread across the region.

Resort

The Kothapatnam beach resort, an APTDC property located nearly 15 km from Ongole, is nearing completion. The place has three cottages and a restaurant. Next in the beach resort circuit comes the Vodarevu project, where the corporation has acquired an additional three acres of land.

Visitors come across this place while on their way to Chirala from Ongole. Abutting the ancient lighthouse, the project currently comprises a couple of cottages.

The picturesque Suryalanka beach is a hot favourite of tourists. Overlooking the crystal blue waters of the Bay of Bengal, the place is nestled at 9 km from Bapatla town of Guntur district. In addition to the existing 10 individual cottages and a couple of dormitories besides a multi-cuisine restaurant, the corporation authorities have taken up construction of 10 more individual cottages that are nearing completion.

Conference hall

“We also propose to build a conference hall with all modern facilities and a bar to accommodate 30 persons,” said Mr. Rao.

The tourism corporation has also taken control of five acres of land at Manginapudi beach in Machilipatnam for grooming the place into a perfect tourist destination.

Renault launches 'Fluence' in Vijayawada (http://ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfeed/news/renault-launches-fluence-in-vijayawada/722595.html)

Vijayawada, Jun 10 (PTI) French automaker Renault today launched its luxury, mid-size sedan `Fluence'' here in Andhra Pradesh.

The company also inaugurated its showroom in the city.

Ex-showroom price of `Fluence'' at Vijayawada is Rs 14.53 lakh (petrol) and Rs 13.09 lakh (diesel).

Talking to reporters after the launch, Sudhir Rao, Deputy Managing Director, Renault India, said the company was at present marketing only two models `Fluence'' (luxury) and `Koleos'' (compact SUV) through 14 dealers.

By the end of 2012, Renault will have a total of five models and a network of 100 dealers, he said.

Andhra Pradesh, considered the best market for cars, now has three Renault dealers - at Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam and Hyderabad, Rao said.

The auto firm has a target to sell 50,000 Fluence models a year, he said, adding the company has invested Rs 5,000 crore to manufacture 4 lakh units of its cars a year.

On the impact of hike in petroleum prices and interest rates on sales, he said the effect would be only in the short term.

SIFT opens second centre in Vijayawada (http://www.fibre2fashion.com/news/fashion-news/newsdetails.aspx?news_id=100279)

Samana Institute of Fashion Techonology (SIFT) has opened its second centre in Vijayawada city of Andhra Pradesh. The first SIFT centre is located near Benz Circle in the city.

On the occasion, several speakers stressed that there is a plenty of potential for growth in the fashion industry and by pursuing courses related to the industry, the young generation can improve their creative abilities.

Mr. K.K. Sharma, Deputy Director, Weavers’ Service Centre, Union Ministry of Textiles, said that there is considerable demand for designing and fashion technology.

SIFT Chief Executive Officer, Samana Moosavi, said that the scope for students pursuing fashion technology courses is immense.

Mr. Ramakrishna, Director of SIFT, said that the courses offered by SIFT at its centres are meant for those who are searching for better opportunities to learn new skills. These courses also indirectly contribute to personality development of the candidates, he added.

He further added that these courses would be of immense help, especially to housewives, as there is plenty of scope in fashion technology for putting creative ideas to use.

Agrimart launched (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article2100610.ece)

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The Agrimart outlet of Ratnagiri Impex Pvt Ltd which was inaugurated in Vijayawada on Sunday. Photo: Ch. Vijaya Bhaskar

The Bangalore based Ratnagiri Impex Pvt Ltd has launched its first outlet, Agrimart, in coastal districts on Eluru Road in Vijayawada. With this, the total number of outlets in the country touched 34 and third in the State.

Addressing a press conference on Sunday, company Executive Director S.V. Anand said that they were planning to open 100 outlets by next March and 300 outlets in next three years. The company has a network of more than 500 dealers, including 30 in the State, across the country. The company is selling more than 50 types of agricultural equipment at the Agrimart. The farmers could not get equipment from Oleo-mac, Agrimate, Gulivar, Coima brands and also get after sales service for them here, he said.

AP State Agro Industries Development Corporation Ltd Regional Manger D. Haribabu Chowdary, who inaugurated the Agrimart, said that the outlets of this kind would be helpful for farmers in meeting their requirements-sales, service-- at one stop.

Outlet franchisee Srinivasa Rao and others were present.

Uda to launch ring road work

The Vijayawada, Guntur, Tenali, Mangalagiri Urban Development Authority (Uda) will lay the second phase of Ring Road in an extent of 2.1 kilometers 80-feet road from Gorantla village to JKC College Road at a cost of Rs 8 crore. The officials have already finalised tenders to lay the ring road. The officials are planning to start road-laying works soon. If the three kilometres road is laid, the vehicles from JKC College Road, Adavitakkellapadu areas will pass through Gorantla via Autongar and it will connect NH-5 near Autonagar.

Similarly, the vehicles coming from Pedakakani, Autonagar to JKC College area will pass through the bypass road. As a result, the traffic on the city roads is expected to come down. The Uda has already completed the first phase of the ring road. The railway officials have to shift the railway track at Gaddipadu village. If this road will come into operation, the vehicles coming from Amaravati to Pedakakani will pass through the ring road. At present, vehicles going from Pedakakani to Amaravati are going through Brodipet road in the city.

The Uda vice-chairman, Mr V.S.R.K.R. Vijay Kumar said, “We will enter into an agreement with the contractor to lay the second phase of ring road soon. Meanwhile, we will complete land acquisition.” The traffic DSP, M .Y.T. Naidu said, “If the first phase of the ring road comes into operation.

©deccanchronicle (http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/cities/regions/vijayawada/uda-launch-ring-road-work-468)

Discom to set up more sub-stations

The Southern Power Distribution Company Limited (SPDCL) will set up more sub-stations to tide over the overload problems in the city.

The SPDCL has chalked out plans to construct 33/11 KV sub-stations at Mutyalampadu, Durgapuram, Governorpet, and Brindavan Colony soon. The works are likely to commence in August.

The Irrigation Department has parted with some land for the sub-station at Brindavan Colony, and it is likely to ease overload on Bandar Road, a commercial hub.

The proposed new sub-stations will ease the problem temporarily only if the increasing demand is to be considered.

The SPDCL needs to add at least one sub-station every year in the city to meet the growing demand. But, the SPDCL could not take up any move in that direction for various reasons, including non-availability of land, officials say.
Demand increasing

The city requires at least 140 MW of power every day and the demand is ever increasing.

The existing five sub-stations, including the ones at indoor stadium and Mogalrajpuram, in the city are overloaded.

The problem is worse at Ring Road as the consumption is touching 850 amps, crossing the allocated 700 amps.

There is an urgent need for setting up two to three sub-stations to cater to the needs of Patamata and other nearby areas, officials say.

The overloading is leading to frequent tripping of supply and voltage fluctuations as the existing network cannot withstand the load.

The power supply trips automatically if the consumption crosses the permitted limit of 700 amps. But in some sub-stations, it is crossing 850 amps.

Existing network cannot take the load even if the supply matches demand. The city requires more sub-stations and transformers to avoid this kind of problems, officials say.

©Hindu (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article2167043.ece)

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The statue of former Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy coming up at the Police Control Room centre in Vijayawada. The gaigantic structure, with a replica of the Polavaram Project forming the base, blocks the view of traffic flow. Photo: Ch. Vijaya Bhaskar

©Hindu (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article2207116.ece)

Nod for project expected any moment: NHAI official
Bypass roads to be provided to Gannavaram, Hanuman Junction
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VIJAYAWADA: The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) proposes to widen the Chennai-Kolkata National Highway (NH 5) to six lanes in the stretch from Vijayawada to Gundugolanu via Eluru and use the opportunity to form outer ring road to Vijayawada in a bid to take the highway traffic away from city limits.
Another road bridge would be constructed across Krishna river upstream of Prakasam barrage joining Surayapalem and Gollapudi villages as part of the outer ring road. The NHAI project director, CSN Murthi, said that they would begin work on the Rs. 1,600 crore project soon after getting clearance which is expected any moment. The work would be completed in three years.
The proposed outer ring road would take off from China Kakani, and run touching NRI hospital near Mangalagiri, Surayapalem, Gollapudi, Jakkampudi, Nunna and join the highway again at the medical college situated beyond Gannavaram.
When the road is completed, heavy vehicles moving from Chennai to Kolkata or Hyderabad or vehicles going from Hyderabad to Kolkata can skirt Vijayawada city limits. The outer ring road would help join NH 5 with Vijayawada-Hyderabad highway (NH 9) at Gollapudi. A flyover would be constructed at Gollapudi to separate the traffic moving on the two highways. The outer ring road would run over 46 km and increases the distance between Guntur and Eluru by eight kilometres.
Bypass roads
As part of widening NH 5 to six lanes, bypass roads would be provided to Gannavaram and Hanuman Junction, said Mr Murthi. The NHAI has already taken up widening of the highway to six lanes between Vijayawada and Nellore.
Asked about ham-handed widening of NH 9 to six lanes between Vijayawada and Nandigama, Mr Murthi admitted that there were problems. The NHAI acquired land for widening the highway to six lanes. But Kanchikacharla and Paritala villages opposed taking the road away from them and feared that it would hamper their development. In deference to their wishes, the NHAI laid only a two-lane bypass road and developed the existing two-lane road passing through the villages to highway standards.
So vehicles coming from Hyderabad to Vijayawada are expected to use the road passing through the villages and only those moving from Vijayawada to Hyderabad are expected to use the bypass road leading to lot of confusion. Unaware of this arrangement, many vehicles coming from Hyderabad enter the bypass road leading to accidents, particularly at night.
Mr Murthi said as land is available they can widen the bypass road to four lanes and avoid this problem if there is demand for the same.

The farmers of Buddhavaram and Davajigudem villages near Gannavaram are once again on the agitation path in protest against what they allege the unilateral move to acquire their lands for airport expansion, even as the district administration has begun the process initially with the verification of records of lands which are required to be acquired.

SUITABLE LAND

The farmers, who are likely to be affected in the land acquisition, have now come forward with the land-for-land demand. They say that in case their land is to be taken, they need to be compensated with equally valuable land presently lying unused on the western side of the airport. They say 350 acres of land is lying unused and this is being leased out for growing subabul plantations.

Another concern being expressed by farmer leaders is that the government is trying to acquire their lands offering very low rates when compared to the market rates, which they say is totally unjust. They claim that the present market rate being considered for acquisition would come to around Rs.40 lakh per acre while the rate being offered by the administration is just Rs.12 lakh to Rs.15 lakh.

Different rates are being fixed depending on the distance between land and the NH-5. As far as the district administration is concerned, it has not yet disclosed as to which lands are being considered for acquisition.

“It is too early to say. As of now, we are just verifying the records of various lands under consideration. It is still in the planning stage and we cannot say how much land is to be acquired now,” says Joint Collector Gaurav Uppal.

He told The Hindu that they were taking action regarding the acquisition process and additional land would be acquired for the purpose of further development of the airport. The revenue officials, surveyors, MROs, and the Revenue Divisional Officer concerned had been working on the details of the lands to be acquired in the past few weeks.

PROTEST

Meanwhile, under the leadership of CPI Gannavaram area secretary Konda Veeraswamy, the 40-odd small farmers launched their protest programmes seeking land-for-land as the only solution to the acquisition process.

“We will not allow the acquisition to happen if the government does not agree for land-for-land deal. Where is the problem for giving land lying unused with the Airports Authority?” asked Mr. Veeraswamy.

The city will soon get a coastal museum on the premises of the 124-year-old Victoria Jubilee Museum which would house the unique artefacts and other objects of historical importance from the district museums from Srikakulam to Nellore.

Speaking to The Hindu, Archaeology and Museum Department assistant director M. Chitti Babu said that a two-storied structure on the open space in the premises of the Victoria Jubilee Museum will be constructed by the Roads and Buildings Department to display the unique objects from all coastal districts. “The R & B officials had visited the site and after a meeting on August 3 they will call for the tenders. The museum building will be constructed with an estimated cost of Rs.4 crore,” he added. The new building would have the architectural features of the Victoria Jubilee Museum and the Kondalite slabs that were used for the construction of the monument (VJM) used, he said.

“The new project will profile the culture and traditions of the coastal people. Excavated material, inscriptions, paintings and textiles will be featured in the new museum,” Mr. Babu said. The department had sent estimates to the State Government. The proposed coastal museum is likely to be completed by 2013.

However, the present situation in the upkeep of the Victoria Jubilee Museum is not all that encouraging as the dearth of staff is affecting the daily routine. “We had a 50-member staff once but now it has got reduced to 17. There are no qualified guides and attenders are donning the role of a guide,” Mr. Babu bemoaned.

‘Poor sanitation'

He also said that poor sanitation and drainage was taking the sheen out of the monument that has carved a place in the history. Poor lighting both inside and outside the museum is a big concern. Owing to the fund crunch, the basic necessities are not looked after by the State Government. The monument which was built in 1887 by Robert Sewell, the then District Collector of Krishna District, is leaking and the rainwater is damaging the heritage structure

Fire control room inaugurated

Secondary Education Minister K. Parthasarathy laid a foundation stone for a fire station near Police Control Room here on Wednesday. He also inaugurated a Fire Control Room at Arundalpet here, and class rooms at APJ Abdul Kalam Municipal Corporation Urdu School. The class rooms were constructed at a cost of Rs. 20 lakh.

On the occasion, he said that all the fire stations in the district were linked with a fire control room.

There were 23 fire stations in the district. Following requests, and keeping in view the several fire accidents, proposals were sent to set up stations at Kankipadu, Pamidimukkala, Challapalli, Chatrai, Mopidevi, Gudlavalleru, Pedana, Chandarlapadu in rural areas, and at Bhavanipuram, Benz Circle, Gunadala, Jakkampudi and Satyanarayanapuram in the city, he said, adding, the new fire stations would be set up shortly.

The government was taking initiatives to modernise and strengthen the fire stations across the State.

The government had earmarked Rs. 1 crore for the fire station to be constructed near the control room. Explaining about fire accidents in the district, he said as many as 123 major and 1,727 minor fire outbreaks took place in 2010 resulting in a loss of Rs. 7.53 crrore.

The timely response of fire services saved properties worth of Rs. 11.15 crore. While 27 people lost their lives, 91 people were saved, he said.

This year, 1,211 accidents took place incurring a loss of Rs. 8.87 crore.

The fire services saved properties worth of Rs. 19.42 crore, and 90 lives. However, 40 people lost their lives, he added.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article2395808.ece

Airbus flights from Gannavaram airport soon

VIJAYAWADA: Wide-body Airbus is likely to land at Gannavaram airport within two months as the authorities are determined to complete installation of landing equipment for big aircraft at the earliest.
Speaking to newsmen on Thursday, airport new director C Pattabhi who assumed charge recently, said the airport authorities, in coordination with the revenue department, were planning to acquire land for the runway expansion.
Pattabhi who worked in Visakhapatnam airport earlier, said big aircraft could be operated from Gannavaram airport from the ensuing winter schedule. As part of expansion of the runway, some trees on the airport premises need to be removed.
The revenue authorities have already identified the trees which come in the flight path. Air India and SpiceJet are ready to operate Airbus services from Gannavaram airport once the expansion of runway is completed.
In all, 465 acres of land is necessary for expansion of the runway up to 10,000 feet. The Krishna district administration is likely to issue a notification for land acquisition soon. If the land is allotted for development of the airport, the construction of terminal building will be taken up. Instrument landing facility at the airport will be provided within two months to facilitate night landing of aircraft, he said.
At present, Kingfisher Airlines is operating flight services from Bangalore-Vij a y awa d a -Bang a l o r e , Hyderabad-Vijayawada- Hyderabad and Vijayawada- Chennai. Vijayawada-Bangalore flight takes off from Gannavaram at 12:35 hours every day and at 13:30 hours on Tuesday. Hyderabad flight is scheduled to leave the airport at 14:35 hours everyday. Jet Airways flight leaves Gannavaram at 15:00 hours daily except on Tuesdays.
Kingfisher flight for Chennai leaves at 16.26 hours daily except on Wednesdays.
Air passengers can contact Kingfisher Airlines on phone No: 08676 253538-39 and Jet Airways on phone No: 08676 253977-88 for any info about flight timings.

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/airbus-flights-from-gannavaram-airport-soon/173185-60-114.html

VMC, police differ on road-dividers

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Corporation not heeding to the request to fix cat eyes on highway within the city

The construction of a divider at Padavala Ravu Centre is a long-pending demand of the people living in surrounding areas. It has the endorsement of the traffic police, but it does not seem to be a priority for the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation which has to construct it. The Karlmarx (Eluru) Road is very broad at that point and heavy vehicles tend to speed there. In the absence of a divider pedestrians keep crossing the road all along the stretch of the road. Several accidents have occurred at the spot. A divider will force the vehicles to slow down and pedestrians to cross at one single point.

With the Dasara coming up the people of Padavala Revu are again in the grip of fear as all the heavy vehicles on National Highway-9 are diverted on to Eluru Road. This is not the only point the traffic police do not see eye to eye with the municipal corporation.
Entry points

At Krishna Lanka on National Highway No.5 and 9 is yet another bone of contention. The traffic police had asked the municipal corporation to close 20 out of the 32 entry points through which people living along the National Highway access it. Only 12 such entry points are safe, according to traffic police.

This again does not seem to be a priority for the municipal corporation. Meanwhile, these 20 entry points are potential accident spots with road users having narrow brushes with death and injury everyday.

There is nobody in the municipal corporation to heed to the request of the traffic police to fix high visibility cat-eyes on stretches of the national highway that goes past Bhavanipuram, Gollapudi, and other areas right up to Ibrahimpatnam.

In a bid to make optimum use of manpower the traffic police have written to the Municipal Corporation to block gaps in the divider the busiest part of Mahatma Gandhi (Bandar) Road. The traffic police have suggested that the gaps in the divider be closed temporarily with mobile concrete blocks that were being used in Hyderabad and even Guntur Municipal Corporations. The corporation has been asked to block entrances to Atta Rattayya Street, Swaraj Maidan, RTA Office road, and Police Parade Grounds.

The top officials are finding it difficult to find personnel to man these gaps in the dividers which have become potential accident spots. The mobile concrete blocks are some sort of a boon for them.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article2475910.ece

Exquisite street lights to dot more city roads

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Vijayawada Municipal Corporation takes up fixing of poles on Sambamurthy Road

The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) is going ahead with the exquisite street lighting notwithstanding special officer S.A.M. Rizvi's suggestion to put such projects on hold. The corporation officials maintain that these projects were sanctioned prior to the Special Officer's directions.

The VMC took up erection of exquisite street lighting on Sambamurthy Road near Durgapuram a couple of days ago.

The VMC officials planned to erect 28 poles on this 1 k.m. stretch of the road and in all 56 lights would glow. The VMC was spending Rs.40 lakh to install these street lights.

Likewise, the exquisite street lights would be installed on Andhra Loyola College Road, in One Town area and Ambedkar Road in Kummaripalem centre etc.

Depending upon the road length and requirement, each scheme cost Rs.30 lakh to Rs.40 lakh. In all, the VMC plans to spend Rs.1 crore on street lighting on these roads. The VMC officials maintained that the schemes were sanctioned 7 to 8 months ago.
Beautification plans

However, they could not be grounded due to delay in road widening works, and construction of medians. The tenders were finalised and works were awarded, they said.

Had the corporation taken up regular street lights and poles installation, the cost would not have been more than Rs.65 lakh to Rs.70 lakkh.

However, the corporation, as part of its city beautification proposals planned installation of exquisite street lights on bridges, important roads, canal berms etc., sources said.

These street lights were first installed on bridge near VMC main office. It drew flak from various quarters, including ruling Congress party. It spent about Rs.10 crore on beautification works like paving of footpaths, erection of exquisite street lights and floating fountains. The officials, then, spent the money without prior approval for the works from the Standing Committee or had not made sufficient budgetary provisions.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article2470075.ece

Source: TheHindu

For providing faster passport services, efforts are on to launch the Passport Seva Kendra here on October 5, the day when PSKs at Tirupati and Nizamabad are also expected to be declared open for the public.
Conceived by the Ministry of External Affairs, the PSKs function under the Passport Seva Project with the Tata Consultancy Services as a partner to maintain the services. The PSK Vijayawada is developed on 10,000 sft built up area at Midcity Hotel building in a modern facility located on the MG Road near the All India Radio office.
Under the project, about 250 passport applicants can be serviced each day at the PSK Vijayawada, which will be linked to the Hyderabad Passport Office. The collection of passport application, police verification and other basic aspects of it will be dealt with at the PSK itself with the RPO, Hyderabad, playing a role only in printing and despatch of the passport.
As per the new procedures, an applicant is likely to get his or her passport within 14 days of having submitted the same at the PSK and any enquiry can also be made at the local office, said Muthavarapu Muralikrishna, president of the Andhra Chamber of Commerce and Industry. It would be a very good facility for the people of the region and they would access effective passport services. The Andhra Chamber helped in finding the location for city PSK's office.
The PSK Vijayawada will provide services to the people from Krishna, West Godavari, Prakasam and Khammam districts, Mr. Muralikrishna said and added that there would also be a bank counter and coffee shop for the convenience of the applicants. A photo capturing centre, separate processing wing for women and ramp for handicapped persons are other facilities which will be available.
At the PSK Vijayawada, reissue of passports and tatkal applications will also be taken up. An applicant can visit after taking an online appointment and submission of his or her application will be completed within 45 minutes. An additional Rs. 200 will be collected towards service charges.
The beginning of services at PSKs will greatly ease the burden and rush at the Regional Passport Office in Hyderabad where nearly 2,500 applications are being dealt with as of now each day. Under the central project, seven PSKs are being established in all in Andhra Pradesh of which the one in Visakhapatnam has already started operations.

Subway outlet inaugurated (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article2496444.ece)


http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/00795/29VZVIJCITYSUBWAY_795231f.jpg
Subway a new eatary outlet inaugurated in Vijayawada on Wednesday

Sai Pooja Foods formally launched the 33rd Outlet in Andhra Pradesh of ‘Subway', which is known for salads and sandwiches, on the Hotel Fortune Murali Park Road in Vijayawada on Wednesday.

In a very simple opening programme, Deputy Commissioner of Police M. Ravindranath Babu and others purchased snacks to mark the occasion.

The main concept was to spread and promote healthy food as it caters to hygienic food requirements, the franchisees said in a release. With 35,000 outlets worldwide and 250 in India, Subway is very popular among the youth and sandwich lovers. Hot and cold beverages are available along with salads and people can have their sandwiches made in front of them choosing from a variety of fillings.

Nainavaram flyover inaugurated

Source: The Hindu (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article2508582.ece)
http://img846.imageshack.us/img846/5222/03vzvijcityreg2cmp79898.jpg
Residents of K.L. Rao Nagar and other areas led by the CPI, the CPI(M), and the TDP staging a rasta roko in Vijayawada on Sunday. Photo: V. Raju

Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad has inaugurated a RoB connecting the Milk Factory and Nainavaram, popularly known as Nainavaram flyover.

The flyover that is named after former MLA Chanumolu Venkat Rao was formally thrown open for public on Sunday in the presence of Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, who unveiled a statue of Venkat Rao installed on the flyover.

Both the leaders later unveiled the statue of the former Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi, at Budameru Katta.

Locals, led by the TDP, the CPI and the CPI(M), staged a sit-in protesting against the visiting dignitaries. CPI city secretary K. Subba Raju, CPI(M) State committee member Ch. Babu Rao, and TDP leader G. Chinna alleged that the Chief Minister was disinclined to accept a memorandum from the Budameru victims.

The government's apathy and Mr. Reddy's reaction to their plight forced them to stage a sit-in, they said.

The flyover was constructed at a cost of Rs.37.61 crore. The R&B spent Rs.20 crore and the Railways contributed the remaining Rs.17.81 crore.

The flyover had four approaches. While one approach from the Wagon Workshop was constructed by the Railways for its own use, the approach from the Gollapudi side of the city was 449.80-metre-long, and the third was 436.2-metre-long from the Vissannapet side.

A trumpet approach, which is nearing completion, of a length of 249 metres is designed to enable the traffic coming from Chittinagar and One Town to get on to the flyover. There is a steep and short 270-metre-long branch for the traffic bound for the One Town area and wanting to get off the flyover.

All these approaches together come to 1,396 metres. The main flyover from the Kabela side to the Nainavaram side has a length of about 1,100 metres.

Bharti Walmart opens first store in South (http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/marketing/article2456276.ece)

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/multimedia/dynamic/00782/BL16_05_RAJJAIN_782735f.jpg
Mr Raj Jain (centre), Bharti Walmart Managing Director and CEO, at the Best Price store at Nidamanuru near Vijayawada on Thursday. — Ch. Vijaya Bhaskar

VIJAYAWADA, SEPT. 15:
Bharti Walmart launched its operations in Andhra Pradesh on Thursday by inaugurating its first wholesale store in the State and also in South India here on Thursday. The second one would be opened soon at Guntur, according to Mr Raj Jain, CEO and Managing Director.

He inaugurated the store, Best Price, at Nidamanuru on the National Highway no. 5 on the outskirts of the town. He said the store here, spread over 53,000-sq. ft area, would be a one-stop shop for vendors, restaurants, institutions and offices, providing over 500 products including a wide range of fresh, frozen and chilled foods and vegetables, dry groceries, personal and home care items, hotel and restaurant supplies, apparel, and general merchandise.

http://www.indiaretailing.com/upload/newsimage/bharti-wal-mart[1][1].jpg

TRAINING CENTRES

Mr Jain said the company would shortly open a training centre for the youth in the State in Hyderabad to teach them sales and consumer care. It had already set up three such training institutes in the country and the one in AP would be the fourth.

He said Bharti Walmart would have direct contact with farmers to procure fresh produce and the company would also encourage farmers to form co-operative societies and be part of the Walmart trade. All efforts would be made to pay a remunerative price to the farmers and the growth of retail sector would definitely help farmers, he remarked.

Mr Jain also said the company would procure products from the self-help groups in Andhra Pradesh, especially handicrafts and other such products, and make them available to consumers through its stores.

BRTS corridor to be ready by November (http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/cities/regions/vijayawada/brts-corridor-be-ready-nov-570)

The district administration will form a special purpose vehicle (SPV), to run 40 Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) air-conditioned low-floor luxury buses, allotted to Vijayawada at the behest of the government. The SPV formed with the officials of RTC, transport department, municipal corporation and police, will ply these buses. After forming the SPV, the officials will register it, and take steps to run these BRTS buses on the city roads. The SPV will decide the ticket fare for these buses taking demand into consideration.

The APSRTC will run these buses. The BRTS buses are expected to be operated from Pandit Nehru bus station via r0ailway station, BRTS road, Ramvarappadu ring road to the Benz Circle. The officials will open SPV office in city soon. In order to run BRTS buses, the officials have to develop 17 junctions in the city. These works are expected to be completed by the end of September. The officials have to construct 48 bus shelters in Vijayawada, for the convenience of the passengers. Unill now, six bus shelters have been constructed. The construction of the remaining bus shelters is expected to be completed soon. As soon as these arrangements are made the officials will bring 40 BRTS buses from Hyderabad and take steps to run these buses. The officials are expecting that these buses will come into operation from November 1.

The municipal commissioner, Mr G. Ravi Babu, said, “As per instructions of the principal secretary, municipal administration, Mr Vijaya Kumar, we have to complete the SPV registration by the end of September. The RTC and railways have allotted transit points for BRTS buses. Once SPV is formed, remaining things will go smoothly. The BRTS corridor is getting ready soon. We are planning to run these buses by November.”

^^ That's good news for Vijayawada!

Thanks for updates India

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article2603856.ece


http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/00829/06VZVIJCITYREG2GARB_829138f.jpg
ECO-FRIENDLY: A team of technicians measures quantum and quality of gases being produced by a newly-developed fuel-less garbage disposal machine in the city on Friday. Photo: Raju V.

Residents' associations to be encouraged to use fuel-free incinerators

The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation will ask resident welfare associations to test the fuel-free incinerators at their colony level so that garbage transportation and collection become less labour intensive.

The Municipal Commissioner G. Ravi Babu told The Hindu that the fuel-free incinerator manufactured and tested by Bangalore-based Innovative Environmental Solutions Private Limited on the VMC Vehicle Shed opposite Railway Station was amazing with very less emission. The VMC works on a 50 per cent subsidy for the welfare association in sanitation, where this machine can be tried.

“All kinds of garbage can be segregated locally and even wet garbage (except for inert ones) can be reduced to ash within eight hours,” said Mr. Ravi Babu. This will help dispose off the garbage locally without pollution and the transportation cost is reduced for the association and the VMC too, he observed.

IES representatives K.V. Rayudu and Arun Kumar said that they had come up with the machine that uses a Japanese patented technology to burn all kinds of garbage right form domestic (with 60 per cent moisture) to specific industrial waste.

The SGS Limited, an international organisation tested the dioxin and furons emissions and measured quantum if they were within the Pollution Control Board norms. Results will be known within a month.

Emissions from the burning chamber were directed into another electric furnace where the carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, Sulphur dioxide and Nitrous oxide gases were burnt after passing through a water chamber. Finally environment-friendly gases were released and this had become a big attraction for several people in Vijayawada.

“We propose to put up the machine at four different places in the city to organise demonstrations for students to make them understand the scientific disposal of garbage,” Mr. Ravi Babu added. These could be first tried at Kalyanamandapam, abattoirs, hotels and other big establishments to reduce their contribution to municipal garbage transportation.

Once successful tests were done with different types of garbage in Vijayawada, the manufacturers expect the APPCB to give their certification so that it could be used in chemical, industrial garbage generating units.

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article2597461.ece

http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/00827/02VZVIJREG1BAGS_827201f.jpg
Women look at non-woven bags churned out by a machine at the newly-set up Dhanalakshmi Industry at Poranki in Vijayawada on Monday. Photo: V. Raju.


A bunch of enthusiastic women encircled the machine that was the cynosure of all eyes and watched with heightened curiosity as it began to churn out non-woven eco-friendly bags at the slight push of a button.

The non-woven bag manufacturing unit at Poranki, christened as Dhanalakshmi Industries, attracted people in the vicinity, who gathered out of curiosity. “These bags are non-woven polypropylene (P.P.) fabric, made of spun bond polypropylene which can be recycled, naturally decompose and completely incinerates without any production of poisonous pollutant.

The bags look like a textile, but they are in-fact made from spun bonded polypropylene, commonly known as PP,” explained V. Kiran Babu, Managing Director of the unit. “This is the only alternative for a plastic bag, which has been banned by the local Municipal Corporation. The many advantages of this bag include its durability, the softness, air permeability, eco-friendly and re-usable,” said T.M. Winson, service manager, APL Machinery. Besides full address of the manufacturing unit at Poranki, the bags carry a powerful message: “Stop using plastic, save our mother land”. The machine can produce 60 bags per minute and 500 kgs in a single day.

“Once the ban is strictly implemented, the demand for these bags will increase automatically,” says Mr. Kiran Babu. The newly set up unit is the third non-woven bag unit and nearest to the city, besides two more at Kondapally and Eedupugallu. “The city may need at least 35-60 units to cater to its needs in the days to come,” predicts Mr. Kiran Babu. “People must adopt this environment-friendly bag keeping in view the fact that a plastic bag takes 450 years to biodegrade, thus causing immense harm to the ecology.

The earlier we understand this, the better for us,” said V.S. Rao, financial advisor to the unit.

Source: http://eenadu.net/Homeinner.aspx?qry=break44

Chinese Academy of Sciences a China govt establishment, and Institute of Process Engineering, jointly expressed their interest in setting up a Titanium project at Nandigama in krishna district with an estimated investment of 700 Crores. China officials met CM today & CM has ordered the higher officials to discuss the possibilities in setting the plant.

Oryza Township proposal gets nod (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article2649714.ece)

Source: The Hindu (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article2649714.ece)

UDA to develop housing, industrial hub, railway freight terminal, and a theme park

The State government has given a green signal to Vijayawada Guntur Tenali Mangalagiri Urban Development Authority (VGTMUDA)'s ambitious project christened Oryza Township.

The UDA proposes to develop the township in an extent of 1,450 acre on 60:40 sharing basis with the farmers and land owners in Mustabada, Nunna, and Ramavarappadu villages. The UDA's share after development of the land will be around 560 acres.

The project has various features, including housing, a railway freight terminal, a theme park in 100 to 120 acres, an industrial hub for logistics manufacturing units, a permanent exhibition ground, and shifting of some of the government institutions.

Speaking toThe Hindu, VGTMUDA Vice-Chairman G.S.R.K.R. Vijay Kumar asserts that the Oryza Township would be first of the kind with many features and necessary infrastructure. The UDA proposes roads with a width of 60 to 200 ft to suit the needs of every segment planned at the township.

A 200ft road parallel to National Highway (NH)-5 and upcoming Outer Ring Road (ORR), radial roads with a width of 120 ft to connect the Inner Ring Road, airport were being planned, he said.

The proposed theme park at the centre of the township would be developed in Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode and bigger than Cubbon Park in Bangalore. Taking a cue from Nagapur where rail, road, and air connectivity was provided for freight, the railway freight terminal sliding into township.

The housing would cater to all segments of society, including Economically Weaker Sections (EWS). The UDA proposes to offer both constructed houses and plots at the township. The UDA would provide drinking water not just to township but also to nine villages abutting it. A permanent exhibition ground would also come up at the township in 60 acres.

“The UDA requires Rs.500 crore to develop the infrastructure. The HUDCO in principle agreed to sanction the loan. The UDA also has some funds. The project would be launched as soon as the government gave its final consent to Detailed Project Report (DPR),” he said.

^^ There's going to be a lot of speculation regarding the intent of this project :) and more fodder for the useless News channels

http://img546.imageshack.us/img546/3839/rtpdoct.jpg
http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/3456/091111workprogress3.jpg

^^ Nice :cheers:

-----------------------------------------

Passport Seva Kendra opens in city

Source: The Hindu (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article2662076.ece)
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Applicants wait in a queue at Passport Seva Kendra on its first day of operations in Vijayawada on Friday.

The local Passport Seva Kendra, located opposite All India Radio on MG Road, was opened to the public on Friday without any fanfare. A large number of applicants turned up at the office on the first day and formed a long queue to submit their applications.

The officials of the PSK accepted the applications submitted manually by the applicants in spite of the guidelines making it mandatory for prior online appointment. As the online services of Vijayawada PSK are not yet activated on www.passportindia.gov.in, the officials gave exemption to the applicants. The officials have refused to confirm whether these manual services will be extended till online services come into effect.

The applicants mostly came prepared to submit applications in the old format with the officials of PSK finding it difficult to explain to them the changed situation. In the morning session, only one official representing the Tata Consultancy Services was seen clearing the doubts of the people seeking issuance of passports. The TCS is the Government partner in rendering various passport related services through the PSKs.

The local officials were not able to provide clear information when an applicant sought to know whether tatkal applications could be accepted here on Friday. The reply was that the services were formally launched in Hyderabad and further information could be accessed by calling up Passport Seva toll-free number 1800-258-1800.

Timings

This is the only number to contact for any enquiry and information regarding PSK Vijayawada also.

The PSK will function from 9.50 a.m. to 5 p.m. on all days except Saturday and Sunday and holidays. Three to four officials of the Regional Passport Office and 10 to 12 employees of the TCS are involved in rendering services at this PSK.

Once the PSK comes into full functioning, the passport applications will not be accepted at the post offices and also at the eSeva centres but the centres at the police commissionerate and the district superintendent's office will continue to function.

Flyover work is in progress.



http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/cities/regions/vijayawada/funds-granted-gunadala-flyover-477

The state government sanctioned Rs.36 crore for the construction of a flyover connecting Gunadala centre and Nunna village crossing via Vijayawda-Howrah railway line near Gunadala railway station, Ryves, Eluru canals and Buda-meru rivulet


The state government sanctioned Rs.36 crore for the construction of a flyover connecting Gunadala centre and Nunna village crossing via Vijayawda-Howrah railway line near Gunadala railway station, Ryves, Eluru canals and Buda-meru rivulet.

The proposed flyover is 1.2 km in length and expected to facilitate the expansion of the city towards north, particularly between Gunadala railway track and Nunna. Proposal for the construction of the flyover at Gunadala railway track has been pending for more than a decade. Last date for finalisation of tenders ended on October 31 while the higher authorities will finalise within two months.

The works are expected to be grounded after two months, said the executive engineer, Mr Raghavendra Rao. The two-lane flyover will be 409 metres in length towards Nunna from Gunadala railway station while the rest of the 560 metres will pass towards Gunadala.

Though the city grew fast during the last two decades towards Poranki and Kankipadu on Bandar Road and Gannavaram towards Eluru Road, northern side of the city, particularly Gunadala area, remained backward due to lack of infrastructure facilities. Eluru canal, Ryves canal, Budameru rivulet and Vijayawda-Howrah railway track are the major hurdles for the development of Gunadala area.

Now with the construction of the Gunadala flyover, people can settle in the new colonies that are likely to emerge in a few years towards the north of the city. The Gunadala flyover will be divided into two routes in Ganadala. Commuters passing from Nunna to Gunadala can pass in two directions, towards Ramavarappadu ring and towards SRR and CVR College.The flyover will be beneficial to the commuters travelling from Eluru Road, Auto Nagar, Mogalraj-puram towards Nunna, Agiripalli and Nuzvid. The railway department is ready to sanction funds for the construction of its portion, said the divisional railway manager Mr Anurag.

Locals demand subway, not a wall

Source: The Hindu (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article2891748.ece)
http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/4973/14vzvijreg1civicsc92361.jpg
The traffic from Madhuranagar will be diverted once the BRTS Road is completed as VMC is constructing a wall to prevent traffic from entering Machavaram Down,in Vijayawada. Photo. Ch. Vijaya Bhaskar.

For the residents of Madhuranagar and its adjacent colonies, the decision of the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) to build a wall on Narlavariveedhi to prevent traffic from entering Machavaram through the bridge on Ryves Canal, has come as a big shock. The decision was taken by the civic authorities in view of the ongoing bus rapid transit system (BRTS) works that connects the Karl Marx Road near Gunadala Mary Matha temple.

“The authorities say that they would provide a vent for vehicular traffic on the left side that would take them to the Padavalarevu Centre. It is a round-about-route and people would be required to travel an extra three kilometres to reach Karl Marx Road. For people of Machavaram to reach Madhuranagar, they would have to travel all the way to Chuttugunta Centre (BSNL Bhavan) and pass through Alluri Seetharama Raju Bridge to reach Madhuranagar. It is time-consuming,” said Mr. Srinivas Yadav, a local Telugu Desam leader. The locals, protesting the VMC decision, have launched a relay hunger strike that has entered the seventh day on Monday.

“This bridge on Ryves Canal is serving the people for over 50 years and is strong enough to serve the people for a few more decades. Instead of strengthening a wall they (VMC officials) should provide a subway provision beneath the BRTS road. When they are spending over Rs.150 crore for BRTS, they can spend just one crore for the subway which will benefit the local residents especially the students, patients, workers and motorists. A subway will save them time,” said Mr. Raju, a CPI(M) leader. Many locals said that in case of an emergency, it will be difficult to reach the hospitals on Karl Marx Road in time.

“A subway is a viable alternative and the civic authorities should respect the sentiments of the locals. It is unfortunate that the ruling Congress Party leaders are mum on this issue,” said Mr. Yadav. Ms. Latha Veeraswamy, a local, said that it was surprising that when contacted the VMC engineers said that the subway proposal was not practical as it was encroaching on the properties of few residents.

Traffic to be allowed on old bridge of Ryves Canal

Source: The Hindu (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article2923930.ece)
Political parties and people's organisations have thanked the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation for taking a decision to allow traffic on the old bridge of Ryves Canal once the new six-lane BRTS Road being under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) is completed at Madhuranagar.

On Wednesday, they met Municipal Commissioner G. Ravi Babu and thanked him for taking the decision to allow vehicular traffic, particularly two-wheelers, on Narlavariveedhi, which connects Madhuranagar and the adjacent localities with Karl Marx Road.

Mr. Babu cleared the doubts of many on the diversion of traffic of small vehicles once the six-lane road was completed, and said no one would be put to inconvenience.

He clarified that the old bridge would not be closed down even after completion of the new bridge.

“As usual, small vehicles will be allowed on the left and right of the BRTS Road. It was announced earlier through the media,” he reminded.

It may be recalled that political parties launched a relay hunger strike demanding that the VMC not build a wall to prevent traffic from entering Machavaram and also on the diversion of the traffic on the left side of the BRTS Road towards Padavalarevu.

Inner Ring Road extending till Kankipadu.
plans to make it 200ft from 100ft.. :)


http://eenadu.net/district/inner.aspx?dsname=Krishna&info=kri-panel2

IRR will open up new area for developments around VJA..good

SCR Vijayawada Division in growth mode (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article3323586.ece)

Increase in freight at Krishnapatnam and Kakinada ports has contributed to this

The South Central Railways (SCR) Vijayawada Division has achieved a growth of Rs.2,291.19 crore in gross earnings during 2011-12 fiscal, as against Rs.2,003.88 crore last year. The growth of the earnings was 14.34 per cent, said Vijayawada Divisional Railway Manager Anurag.

The division has also achieved excellent progress in freight loading, maintaining punctuality, improving passenger amenities and in providing security for the commuters, said the DRM.

Listing out the achievements of the Railways in the division during 2011-12, at a press conference here on Monday, Mr. Anurag said that Vijayawada division had earned Rs.501.5 crore on passenger fares with 6.67 per cent growth which was Rs.469.71 crore last year.

As many as 98.40 million passengers were transported to various destinations this year, which was 94.35 million last year. The growth rate was 4.23 percent, he said.

As regards freight loading, Vijayawada division transported 24.802 million tonnes during the current financial year and earned Rs.1,706.45 crore which was 17.3 per cent more than last year's.

Accident-free year

The growth in goods transportation was mainly due to coal, fertilizers and other port-based loadings from Krishnapatnam and Kakinada ports, said the DRM. There were no major accidents in Vijayawada division during the last six years, and the SCR BZA division has registered 2011-12 as ‘accident free year'.

For providing security for passengers, Railway Protection Force (RPF) train escort parties with arms and ammunition were deployed in 26 mail and express trains running during nights.

As many as 114 cases were registered under Railway Police Act during the year recovering property worth Rs.8.45 lakh, and 15,652 persons were booked in different cases, said Mr. Anurag.

Priority was being given to passenger amenities at various stations.

Lifts have been arranged at Nellore, Chirala, Tenali, Kakinada and Bhimavaram stations and works are in progress in Vijayawada and a few other stations.

Amenities

For the convenience of physically challenged and senior citizens and pregnant women, battery-operated car service has been provided at Vijayawada Railway Station. Passengers may call over phone No.94939-46559 and avail of the facility, the DRM said.

Additional DRM S. Subba Rao, senior DCM S. Ramesh Babu, officers Vikram Gupta, and Venkateswara Rao were present.

Drive against polio to continue at urban health centres (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article3319876.ece)

Vijayawada (West) MLA Velampalli Srinivas, Vijayawada (Central) MLA Malladi Vishnu, Vijayawada (East) MLA Yelamanchili Ravi, Municipal Commissioner G. Ravi Babu and others administered polio drops to the children.

The second round of the national pulse polio immunisation programme was held in the district on Sunday. The programme was launched at urban health centre in Giripuram here. Vijayawada (West) MLA Velampalli Srinivas, Vijayawada (Central) MLA Malladi Vishnu, Vijayawada (East) MLA Yelamanchili Ravi, Municipal Commissioner G. Ravi Babu and others administered polio drops to the children.

On the occasion, the MLAs urged the parents to bring their children to polio vaccination centre to administer the drops. The government was spending crores of rupees to eradicate the polio in the country.

It was duty of every citizen to lend their support in government's endeavour, they said.

Mr. Ravi Babu said that efforts were on to make the city, a polio free city.

The parents should voluntarily come forward to administer the drops to avoid polio. It was better to prevent than cure. The polio drops would be administered on Wednesday and Saturday at Urban Health Centres regularly, he said.

The Corporation conducted a three-day door-to-door mapping in the city, and made arrangements accordingly. The programme will cover more than 1.34 lakh children in the age group of 0 to 5 years in the city limits alone.

The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) has opened 382 booths to administer the polio drops. In addition, 29 transit centres at Durga temple, Railway Station, Bus station, Gunadala and other places were functioning.

Ten mobile teams were also constituted to reach every child, he said.

District Medical and Health Officer Dr. Sarsijakshi, Chief Medical Officer of Health M. Satyanarayana Raju and others were present.

Rotary Club of Vijayawada conducted the immunisation programme in association with Pinnamaneni Siddhartha Medical College.

K. Karunamurthy and five medicine students of the college participated in the programme and administered the drops to 150 children. Club president P. Krishnaji and others were present.

At district head quarters, Machilipatam MP Konakalla Narayana Rao administered polio drops to children.

On the occasion, he said that onus lies on parents to see that their children do not suffer from polio, he said.

The MP flagged off a mobile polio immunisation vehicle of Rotary Club. Machilipatnam Municipal Commissioner Sivaramakrishna and others were present.

VMC forms Social Service Wing with students (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article3344731.ece)

Commissioner participates in sanitation drive along with children

The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) has formed Social Service Wing (SSW) with about 250 students studying in various municipal schools in the city. The SSW members would be trained in different social service activities, said VMC Commissioner G. Ravi Babu.

As part of the Earth Day on Sunday, the civic chief inaugurated a rally from Swaraj Maian to Rythu Bazar in which several students, officers and school staff took part.

He participated in the cleanliness drive along with the students in the ground.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Ravi Babu said with a view to inculcate service motto among the children, the corporation has formed SSW with about 250 interested students of higher classes.

VMC will allot separate dress code for the Social Service Wing members and training would be given for them in taking up various service activities. Training on traffic regulation, sanitation, plantation, solid waste management and avoiding use of polythene bags would be given for the students.

The corporation will organise awareness programmes for the public with the help of SSW students, which will inspire the public.

The students will explain the people on the need to maintain sanitation, said Mr. Ravi Babu. VMC Additional Commissioner (general) P. Venkata Ramana, Executive Engineer J.V. Ramakrishna, Assistant Medical Officers Z. Srinivasa Rao and Dr. Babu Srinivasa Rao, Environmental Engineer T. Smitha Bhanu, Deputy Education Officer K. Durga Prasad, Public Health Department officials, teachers and staff participated in the programme.

RTC to run summer specials (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article3348523.ece)

Additional buses would be run to Bangaluru, Chennai, Tirupati and other destinations

The Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC), Vijayawada Zone, will operate special buses at additional fare for summer vacations for the conveyance of passengers, said zone Executive Director M.S. Prakasha Rao.

Special buses will be arranged on 1.5 times fare to any place on demand and the commuters are requested to contact the nearest depot manager. Buses will also be arranged on hire basis for marriages and other occasions, said Mr. Rao.

Speaking to ‘The Hindu’ on Monday, the Executive Director said the Vijayawada Zone comprising of West Godavari, Krishna and Guntur districts will operate 27 additional buses from various destinations.

Additional services would be run from Tanuku, Eluru and Jangareddygudem to Hyderabad in West Godavari district. From Krishna district, buses would be run to Hyderabad from Gannavaram, Vijayawada and Vuyyuru.

Mr. Prakasha Rao said that additional services would be operated to Hyderabad from Guntur I and II depots, Mangalagiri and Pidiguralla depots. Additional services would also be run from Repalle, Tenali, Macherla and Vinukonda depots to Karampudi, Nalgonda, Markapuram, Addanki and other destinations.

On week ends, extra buses will be plied from Vijayawada and Guntur to Chennai, Tirupathi, Visakhapatnam, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and also from Bhimavaram and other depots to other places depending on the demand, said Mr. Prakasha Rao.

Stating that RTC is the best transport mode for safe journey for the public, the Executive Director said advanced reservation system will be available at all the depots and APSRTC franchises, and appealed to the commuters to make use of the services of the Corporation.

Vintage theatres make way for commercial complexes (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article3355652.ece)

Vijayawada was the first city in the State where a movie theatre was built

Did you know Vijayawada was the first city to build a movie theatre in the State? Way back in 1921, Pothina brothers - Sreenivasa Rao and Ganapati Rao Patrudu constructed ‘Maruthi Talkies' in the One Town area, which screened movies right from the silent era.

Maruthi Talkies was the only theatre that catered to the needs of the move buffs in the early 1920s until movie halls like Durga Kala Mandiram and Jai Hind came up in Two Town area in the late 1920s and 1930s.

“I still remember watching a silent movie - Draupadi Vasthrabharanam in Maruthi Talkies. I remember the ticket was kani (one sixteenth of a rupee),” recollected septuagenarian Padmasree Turlapati Kutumbha Rao, Chairman AP Grandhayala Samstha.

Sharing an interesting incident, Mr. Rao said that the film, when released had Bheema (of Pandavas) without a moustache in one scene. “The makers failed to realise the faux pas and completed the film without the twirling moustache on Bheema's face. People refused to visit the theatre as the character was without a moustache. Somehow the operator meddled with the negatives and came out with a moustache (though not a menacing one) to draw the crowd. In fact the theatre folks went around neighbourhood beating of the drums to announce “Bheemuduki Meesalu Ochindiaho,” said Mr. Rao.

Senior columnist Adavalli Satyanarayana said that popular mythological films used to be screened at Maruthi. “The best of NTR and ANR films used hit the screen and the balcony ticket rate, if my memory is correct, was Rs.1.50 in the 1940s,” he said.

He also recollected the role of Prasad Brothers (of Challapalli) in establishing theatres like Saraswathi and Leela Mahal in the 1940s. “Saraswathi used to screen Hindi films and Leela Mahal beamed English films. Kavi Samrat Viswanatha Satyanarayana used to watch the English films at Leela Mahal regularly,” reminisced Mr. Satyanarayana.

The shifting of film distribution from Vijayawada to Hyderabad and the constant technological changes in the tinsel world made several theatre owners give up film business. “Maintaining a movie hall is not that lucrative nowadays.

Many theatres are making huge losses as the patronage from the moviegoers is on the wane. That is the reason why many landmarks are getting gradually erased, paving the way for commercial and residential complexes,” said V. Subba Rao, an exhibitor.

First colour film

Maruthi Theatre, which screened the first colour film-ever produced by Telugu film industry “Lavakusa,” along with Jawahar (Vijaya Talkies), Lakshmi (Swarna Complex), Saraswathi, Seesh Mahal, Eswar Mahal (Radha Theatre) and Venkateswara Theatre was consigned to history and many (old theatres) are in the pipeline to meet the same fate.

Global status sought for Vijayawada Airport (http://ibnlive.in.com/news/global-status-sought-for-vijayawada-airport/252247-60-114.html)

VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Chamber of Commerce and Industry has urged the government to upgrade the Gannavaram airport, near here, to an international airport.
In a letter to chief minister N Kirankumar Reddy on Wednesday, ACCI president Muthavarapu Muralikrishna underlined the need for developing the Gannavaram airport as all the other major airports like Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Tirupati and Chennai are situated at more than 300 km from here.
“The Gannavaram airport serves the needs of at least seven districts, which means almost one-third of the state. There is a substantial population of NRIs hailing from this area who are living and working� in the USA, West Asia and Europe. If the Gannavaram airport is provided with full-fledged facilities as per the plan envisaged, an enormous growth in the passenger traffic can be expected,” he said.
While thanking to the chief minister for sanctioning Rs 52 crore for land acquisition for the expansion of the airport, Muralikrishna said� the fund would not be sufficient to meet the cost of the land proposed to be acquired for the airport’s expansion. The government should� release more funds and complete the expansion work soon, he said.

AC coach vestibules to remain closed to prevent robberies at night (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/AC-coach-vestibules-to-remain-closed-to-prevent-robberies-at-night/articleshow/12887802.cms)

VIJAYAWADA: To prevent robberies on trains, the Vijayawada railway division has decided to close the vestibule (passage) between the AC bogies in the night. This decision comes in the wake of increasing number of robberies on trains. Divisional railway manager Anurag hoped this step would curb the movement of robbers on trains, especially in the AC bogies.

"We have decided to block the vestibule between AC bogies between 10 pm and 6 am so that the unauthorized movement could be restricted," Anurag told TOI on Thursday. Besides this, GRP and RPF escort parties would be deployed on trains for the safety of the passengers at night.

As summer is more convenient for thieves and robbers to strike, the DRM cautioned the passengers against wearing expensive jewellery during train journeys. "Passengers should keep in mind that robbers would always be waiting for an opportunity to strike," he said. CCTV cameras have been installed at key locations at various stations to keep a watch on suspects, he said.

Asserting that the recently-introduced tagging of luggage in the reserved bogies has been well received, the DRM said that they would take up more passenger-friendly measures.

Anurag said freight earnings posted a remarkable growth at 16.95%. He said the total earnings from goods traffic had touched Rs 1,706 crore and added that additional trains would be run to meet the summer rush.

The DRM said Rs 23.8 crore would be spent on providing passenger amenities like waiting rooms, circulating areas, lifts and chairs to carry the aged and the physically challenged.

SC Rly's Vijayawada arm clocks 17% growth in freight earnings (http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/logistics/article3361087.ece?ref=wl_industry-and-economy)

On the passenger front, the division notched up a growth of 6.67 per cent to touch Rs 501 crore.

HYDERABAD APRIL 27:
The Vijayawada Division of South Central Railways has clocked 16.95 per cent growth in freight earnings at Rs 1,706 core, in tune with the trend of the entire zone last fiscal.

This division forms an important part of the SC Railways as it handles the entire cargo throughput of the Krishnapatnam and Kakinada private ports, besides a portion of the cargo from the neighbouring Visakhapatnam and Gangavaram ports.

With Krishnapatnam and Kakinada ports handling increased quantity of coal and fertiliser cargoes, this reflected on the freight earnings of the Vijayawada Division. In terms of throughput, its freight loading peaked to 24.8 million tonnes, an increase of 17.3 per cent.

The gross earnings of the division registered a growth of 14.34 per cent, touching Rs 22,291.19 crore. The performance efficiency index, a measure of expenditure over income, touched 51 per cent — that is, for every Rs 100 earned, only Rs 51 was spent on administrative expenditure and the balance added to internal generation of resources.

On the passenger front, the division notched up a growth of 6.67 per cent to touch Rs 501 crore — it handled 98.40 million passengers, up by 4.23 per cent.

“The Vijayawada station is being remodelled at a cost of Rs 52.86 crore so as to put reception and dispatch of trains on the fast track,” an official of the division said.

Sports coaching camps from May 1 (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article3366912.ece)

The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) will conduct summer coaching camps for students below 16 years of age, said the corporation commissioner G. Ravi Babu.

Camps would be conducted from May 1 to 31, between 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Expert coaches, physical education teachers and players in different events will train the students in the camps, said Mr. Ravi Babu.

TRAINING

Coaching will be given in athletics, shuttle badminton, ball badminton, boxing, cricket, caroms, chess, football, hockey, handball, kabaddi, kho-kho, netball, swimming, skating, yoga, throwball, volleyball, table tennis and other events.

Training would be held at Makineni Basavapunnaiah Stadium, Singhnagar, Indira Gandhi Municipal Stadium, Dandamudi Rajagopala Rao Indoor Stadium, Gandhiji Municipal Stadium, Railway Ground, Satyanarayanapuram, APSRCM School, Krishna Lanka, Chennupati Ramakotaiah Indoor Stadium, AKTPMCH School, Satyanarayanapuram, Railway Stadium, SKPV High School, One Town, Sir Vijji Swimming Pool, Gandhinagar, Gurunanaknagar Swimming Pool and Dr. K.L. Rao Nagar Swimming Pool and other venues.

Those interested are requested to attend coaching at their respected places and avail themselves of the facility, said the commissioner.

Rain brings cheer to one and all (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article3369646.ece)

Moderate rainfall with powerful gales occurred in many parts in Krishna district on Sunday. People who have been suffering the severe summer heat for the past two months heaved a sigh of relief with the showers.

Rainfall accompanied by gales occurred at a few places due to the depression in the Bay of Bengal.

There was good rainfall in One Town, Gandhi Nagar, Moghalrajpuram, Poranki and other places in Vijayawada.

As usual, the day started very hot from 6 a.m. itself and the mercury touched a peak by 10 a.m. But then there was a sudden change in the climate and the sky became overcast with black clouds. Within no time, drizzles started at several places with gales.

Children, who were keeping indoors due to the severe heat for the last few days, were seen playing in rain waters and cool breeze at several places.

Main roads and low lying areas were submerged with rain waters for some time.

Power supply was disrupted and hoardings erected on the roadsides were damaged in some places due to the strong winds.

Rainfall was also recorded in Kankipadu, Gudivada and other areas in the district.

Unconfirmed reports said that a farmer died as lightning struck in Totlavallur mandal, while a few goats were charred to death when a lightning struck a herd of goats in Unguturu mandal.

Ma Foi makes its Vijayawada foray (http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/more-cotton-exports-may-be-allowed-today/163941/)

The Rs 84-crore Ma Foi Management Consultants Limited, India’s largest HR service provider, commenced its operations in Vijayawada. L Rajagopal, member of Parliament, formally inaugurated Ma Foi’s business partner operations today.

Established in 1992 at Chennai with a focus on recruitment services, Ma Foi has since grown to be one of the largest staffing and HR service providers in India. Ma Foi has been partnering with leading organisations and offering its HR solutions to Indian and multinational companies in various industry sectors and verticals.

This foray into franchising has provided Ma Foi with the geographical spread for sourcing of talent from mini-metros and towns, to ensure efficient delivery of both flexi and permanent staffing.

The business partner office in Vijayawada will be headed by Lakshma Reddy and is supported by a strong team of professionals from the industry. Ma Foi, Vijayawada, will offer flexi-staffing, recruitment, assessment, training and payroll outsourcing services.

Ma Foi witnessed 70 per cent growth in gross revenue during the second quarter of the current fiscal. Vedior NV, the world’s third largest staffing company, has invested in Ma Foi. Vedior NV has presence in 36 countries worldwide and specialises in a broad range of staffing services.

At present, Ma Foi has 38 offices in the country and five overseas subsidiaries in London, Dubai, Singapore, Colombo and Malaysia, and over 880 clients including 124 Fortune 500 companies.

UDA takes steps to acquire more land (http://www.deccanchronicle.com/node/118401)

The Vijayawada Guntur Tenali and Mangalagiri Urban Development Authority (VGTM UDA) will hold a meeting with villagers of Mustabada to convince them to give another 700 acres for the proposed Oryza mega township.



The Vijayawada Guntur Tenali and Mangalagiri Urban Development Authority (VGTM UDA) will hold a meeting with villagers of Mustabada to convince them to give another 700 acres for the proposed Oryza mega township.

Villagers of Mustabada have already agreed to give 300 acres to VGTM UDA for construction of the township. The UDA has proposed to build a theme park, mega housing complex, railway freight terminal and industrial hub to promote industries in the Oryza township in the three villages of Nunna, Ramavarappadu and Mustabada.

However, villagers of Nunna and Ramavarappadu categorically refused to give their lands to UDA. Now, the UDA is focusing on Mustabada village, where about 150 farmers came forward to give 300 acres to the township.

The UDA proposes to share the land on a 60:40 ratio. Farmers get 60 per cent of the developed land. The UDA has decided to develop infrastructure facilities like roads, electric polls and drains.

VGTM UDA vice-chairman Mr G.S.R.K.R. Vijay Kumar told this newspaper that a detailed project report to be completed in one week will be presented to government for approval.

State government has earlier given the nod for the Oryza township while Hudco has agreed to sanction a loan. He said that the UDA will mortgage its lands to Hudco, if necessary, to acquire the loan.

The township will be connected from the inner ring road (IRR), Nunna, Gannavaram and Ramavappadu villages.

The railway freight terminal proposed by the UDA in the township will be useful to export agro based products from the coastal districts to other parts of the country while other products can be imported from the rest of India.

Mr Vijay Kumar is hopeful that villagers of Ramavappadu and Nunna will respond positively once township works start.

Machavaram-Madhuranagar road to be restored (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article3373356.ece)

The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) will restore the road connectivity from Machavaram Road to Madhuranagar, at Machavaram down, according to VMC Deputy Executive Engineer A.V. Reddy.

The 30-feet road, connecting Machavaram main road and Madhuranagar bridge via Narlavari Veedhi was being laid at a cost of Rs.12 lakh, Mr. Reddy told The Hindu.

RAMP WORK

The corporation was constructing a ramp connecting the existing road to the BRTS. The VMC will arrange speed breakers on either side of the road, caution boards and zebra crossings to prevent road accidents, he added.

The VMC was re-laying the existing road, which was closed due to construction of the BRTS road a few months ago.

Sufficient space would be given for the residents located adjacent to the BRTS road in Narlavari Veedhi, Mr. Reddy said.

However, a resident K. Prasanth argued that the corporation officials were laying the road which was not in the plan. The road was being laid without any quality, he alleged and urged them to stop the works.

The ramp would pose a threat to the residents as it was adjacent to the BRTS road and as the corporation was raising the height of the ramp to more than 10 feet, said another resident Rajesh.

No curbs on illegal water plants in city (http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/cities/regions/vijayawada/no-curbs-illegal-water-plants-city-743)

The supply of drinking water from unauthorised water plants from the suburban areas of Vijayawada city is going on despite efforts by the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) authorities. It may be noted when diarrhoea broke out in Payakapuram and surrounding areas in the city, the VMC officials arranged checkposts to prevent the entry of vehicles carrying water cans from the surrounding villages to Vijayawada.



The supply of drinking water from unauthorised water plants from the suburban areas of Vijayawada city is going on despite efforts by the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) authorities. It may be noted when diarrhoea broke out in Payakapuram and surrounding areas in the city, the VMC officials arranged checkposts to prevent the entry of vehicles carrying water cans from the surrounding villages to Vijayawada.

The municipal authorities conducted raids, collected water samples from the water plants and sealed those supplying substandard drinking water.

The officials seized more than 21 water plants in the city during March and April. The municipal corporation chief medical officer, Dr Satyanarayana Raju, said officials sealed seven unauthorised water plants and diarrhoea cases came down in the city.

The zone III medical officer, Mr Z. Srinivasa Rao, said that out of 11 water plants present in Zone III, three have ISI standard, seven plants are operating with court directions and one unauthorised water plant was seized. He said water samples were collected from all the 11 plants.

More than 200 water pla-nts are being operated incl-uding 29 from Vijayawada city. Majority of them are being operated from suburban areas to escape the frequent raids from municipal authorities. Majority of people on the outskirts of the city still depend on water cans being supplied by suburban water plants.

CPM former floor leader Mr Ch Babu Rao said that the VMC authorities sho-uld monitor the situation regularly to prevent supply of water from unauthorised water plants.

He said that once the diarrhoea came under control, the officials gave up their initiative to prevent the entry of water cans from unauthorised water plants into the city.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article3359865.ece

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article3359865.ece

IRR to be completed by December :)

The Hindu IN THE FAST LANE: A view of the road overbridge near Ramavarappadu being constructed as part of the Inner Ring Road by VGTMUDA in Vijayawada. Photo: CH. Vijaya Bhaskar
Railways has given the nod to take up Gunadala road overbridge
The Vijayawada Guntur Tenali Mangalagiri Urban Development Authority (VGTM UDA) has set December as new deadline to complete the Inner Ring Road (IRR) project that was launched in 2009.
Major hurdle
The project was supposed to be completed by 2011. The construction of two bridges that were taken up as part of the IRR Project have been a major hurdle in the completion of the project.
With the Railways giving a nod to take up Gunadala Road over Bridge (RoB), the project is expected to be completed by December. The Railways, however, is yet to give a final estimate for the Gunadala RoB.
It will approximately cost Rs.54 crore. The Railway portion will be around Rs.25 crore.
The UDA will pay the amount to the Railways as soon as the demand was raised, UDA officials say.
The progress of work on Inner Ring Road (IRR) is likely to gain momentum with the Railways clearing decks for construction of Road over Bridge (RoB). Another RoB at Ramavarappadu is nearing completion.
The Ramavarappadu RoB is being constructed at a cost of Rs.29.32 core. Of this, the Railway portion is Rs.7.32 crore.
The UDA is gearing up to construct the approaches for the Ramavarappadu RoB, UDA officials said.
The UDA is executing the 10-km IRR project in four phases. It completed the phase-I and IV works. The Authority is constructing RoBs in phase II and III.
The IRR is designed to become one of the bypasses to divert the traffic coming from Hyderabad on NH-9 and intending to join NH-5 to go towards Eluru.
It means that vehicles can take the Gollapudi bypass and reach Milk Project passing through the tunnel. After crossing the proposed Nainavaram flyover as and when it is completed, vehicles can get on to the IRR.
The IRR will pass through Ambapuram and Nuzvid Road (at IBM College) before cutting through Nunna-Gunadala Road at Payakapuram. As and when this is also completed, it is expected to become much easier for vehicles to join NH-5 by almost completely avoiding city traffic.
The Benz Circle and MG Road within the city and Benz Circle to Ramavarapupadu will get decongested

VMC planning to create hawker zones (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article3376169.ece)

'Centre has formulated a policy whereby an effort is being made to streamline related issues'

Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC), in an effort to streamline the hawkers' menace, is planning to create hawker zones in city according to the Central Government‘s policy, said Commissioner G. Ravi Babu here on Tuesday.

Speaking to mediapersons, after inaugurating the summer coaching camp at the IGMC Stadium, Mr. Babu said that the city was facing two major problems – the ever-mushrooming of hawkers on public spaces and encroachment on spaces meant for pedestrians.

The Central Government had formulated a policy through which an effort is being made in all the urban areas to streamline the hawkers' issue. In Vijayawada there are thousands of hawkers who make a livelihood by hawking several things and are earning from Rs.1,000 to Rs.5,000 a day.

SEVERE PROBLEM

The VMC chief said that the problem was severe in One Town area. These hawkers were one of the main reasons for the traffic congestion as they attract good number of buyers.

The problem was severe in old town area as the narrow roads add to the woes of the pedestrians.

These hawkers operate at one area for decades together.

He said that in a meeting held recently with the hawkers, many expressed fear that they might lose business once the zones were created.

“The fear of losing business is needless as the buyers will know the specified area from where the hawkers will be operating.

They will head towards the place to buy and gradually it will become a habit. The hawkers may face some hiccups in the early stages but once the zones are established, their business will flourish,” he added.

Mr. Babu said that the soon enumeration of hawkers will be taken up to formulate rules for issuing licences and identity cards.

“We will be creating zones ward-wise and later city-wise,” he explained.

ANU VC for better ties with industry (http://ibnlive.in.com/news/anu-vc-for-better-ties-with-industry/254102-60-114.html)

VIJAYAWADA: We want to focus more on research and development and better interaction between the university and industries, which would enhance the employability of students and hone the skills of faculty, says Professor K Viyanna Rao, who assumed charge as the 15th vice-chancellor of Acharya Nagarjuna University (ANU) in Guntur recently.
Speaking to Express, he said he was also making all efforts to develop ANU as a ‘Wi-Fi campus’ and provide virtual class rooms as a part of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) programme at an estimated cost of `89.7 crore.
Prof Rao also spoke on various other issues pertaining to the university and his initiatives.
Excerpts:
What are your priorities as the vice-chancellor?
Ans: We have adequate infrastructure and facilities here. What we need is more research work. I want to emphasise on research and development (R&D), and focus more on career guidance and placement.
The university did not have a vice-chancellor for almost 10 months.
How do you plan to streamline the affairs?
Though there was no VC, as in-charge vice-chancellor since June 2011, I guided the university affairs without any trouble with the help of the executive council and staff. There is no problem with the administration.
The university is in a financial crisis. How do you propose to manage income and expenditure?
Yes, we are facing financial problems. But thankfully, the state government has doubled the grant for ANU for 2012-13 to Rs 36 crore. We are spending Rs 42 crore on staff salaries and pension. However, we are also getting some income from the centre of distance education (CDE).
We received Rs 25.5 crore from the UGC in the 11th Five Year Plan and there are proposals for UGC assistance under the 12th Plan to the tune of `227.50 crore to Rs 257.22 crore.
Do you have sufficient staff? How many posts are vacant and when do you plan to fill them?
We do require more teaching staff, particularly for professional courses like pharmacy, architecture and engineering. For conventional courses, we have adequate staff. We are planning to appoint nearly 150 teachers on contract basis. We have also submitted proposals to the state government for the recruitment of 22 professors, 102 associate professors and 165 assistant professors.
What other initiatives are you taking up to develop the university?
We are planning to create a central facility for sports and recreation, with play grounds, yoga centre, reverse osmosis (RO) water facility etc at a cost of Rs 32 crore.

Drive launched to clean city water (http://www.deccanchronicle.com/node/119351)

The Institute of Preventive Medicine, Hyderabad, officials began measures on Thursday to prevent the supply of discoloured drinking water with smell from the headwater works located in the River Kri-shna.



RELATED ARTICLES

No curbs on illegal water plants in city
The Institute of Preventive Medicine, Hyderabad, officials began measures on Thursday to prevent the supply of discoloured drinking water with smell from the headwater works located in the River Kri-shna.

The institute officials collected the water samples at the headwater works, reservoirs and tail-end points in various colonies of Vijayawada city to conducting tests. The reports of the tests will be handed over to the the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation in 10 days. Due to the increase of algae in Prakasam barrage reservoir, the VMC has increased chlorination content that led to Gammexane smell in the drinking water.

Residents of one town, Ajit Singh Nagar, Patamata and other areas raised an outcry over the Gamm-exane smell in the drinking water. The

VMC officials said the smell was due to excess chlorination, and that it would not be harmful to the consumers.

The main reason for the increase of algae in Prakasam barrage reservoir was the stagnation of water since January 2012 due to delta modernization works, they said.

The irrigation department stopped releasing irrigation water to Bandar, Eluru and Ryves canals in the district.

The algae quantity has increased considerably, turning the Prakasam barrage water into greenish and dark. Consequently, the VMC has increased chlorination levels for

Mr B. Anjaneyulu, chief analyst, Institute of Preventive Medicine, said on Thursday that the detention of water at Prakasam barrage was the main reason for these problems.

He explained that such complaints were increasing in other parts of the state due a rapid growth of habitations and pollution levels.

He suggested the application of activated carbon treatment for the control of smell in the water.

IPM team tests water at head water works (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article3383394.ece)

Testing carried out in the wake of complaints that odour of gammexane was emanating from water

A team from Institute of Preventive Medicine (IPM) tested water at K. L. Rao Head Water Works here on Thursday. The team tested the water in the wake of complaints that the drinking water supplied by Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) was emanating gammexane odour.

Municipal Commissioner G. Ravi Babu wrote a letter to the IPM urging it to conduct the tests and suggests ways and means to resolve the problem if any.

The IPM chief water analyst B. Anjaneyulu said that the water emanating gammexane smell due to algae present in the river is a common thing during summer season. The algal blooms give off few substances like cyanobacteria, Sinura and valvax that cause odour.

They react with chlorine and emanate odour. The raw water is being treated with carbon to reduce the pollution levels.

“The people need not to be apprehensive of odour. The treated water is safe for drinking,” he said.

CHLORINATION

Municipal Commissioner G. Ravi Babu asserted that all the sources of drinking water were safe and the water being supplied had some smell due to formation of algae following depletion of the water table at the source. Chlorination was being done to required levels.

The water from all the sources was being properly treated, he added.

Executive Engineer Uday Kumar said that the IPM team had conducted trial tests. The results were encouraging. The team would give a direction on treating the raw water with carbon etc., he said.

The EE said that filamentous algae grow in the river water if the day temperature exceeds 35 degree Celsius. As the canals were also closed, the problem aggravated. As long as the water flows, the scope for algae growth would be less.

The Corporation received complaints from the people. The problem was identified during regular tests.

Meanwhile, CPI(M) activists led by CPIM) city secretary Ch. Babu Rao visited Headwater works. Mr. Rao urged the officials to rectify the problem at the earliest. The people were complaining about the foul smell.

Diarrhoea cases were being reported in areas like Vambay colony. The mandatory hourly tests were not being conducted at the Headwater works, he alleged.

BRTS route to be opened in June (http://www.deccanchronicle.com/node/120022)

The Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) buses will be inaugurated in Vijayawada city in the first week of June, according to municipal commissioner Mr G. Ravibabu.

The VMC and RTC officials tried to conduct a trail run of BRTS buses from the city bus terminal here on Saturday. But the proposal was cancelled at the last minute.

At a meeting convened here on Friday under the chairmanship of the district collector and special officer of the Municipal Corporation Mr S.A.M Rizvi, the special purpose vehicle board members including VMC, RTC and VGTM urban development authority officials finalised several issues for the operation of BRTS buses, including BRTS fare structure.

Speaking to this newspaper, RTC executive director Mr M. Suryaprakasa Rao said that there was no delay from RTC and they are ready to ply the BRTS buses. They have finalised the fare structure also, he added.

The officials decided to collect minimum fare of Rs.7 in BRTS buses. They decided to ply 16 buses in both directions of BRTS green corridor .

The SPV board members decided to raise reserve fund for the operation of BRTS buses as it would cost Rs.50 lakh per month. They decided to promote advertisements on the BRTS buses to get revenue.

The APSRTC will ply the BRTS services and the municipal corporation will provide necessary infrastructure.

The officials planned to introduce BRTS services from Ugadi festival in March this year but they failed to operate buses due to non-completion of bridge works on Ryves canal.

As the bridge connecting three km BRTS corridor to Eluru Road was completed, the officials are planning to introduce the BRTS buses.

The municipal commissioner Mr Ravibabu inspected the BRTS corridor on Saturday and directed the officials to complete the BRTS bus stop works at RTC city terminal, CK Reddy Road, Misala Raja Rao Bridge, Gunadala ESI hospital and on MG Road before May 20.

Swargapuri gets gas-based crematorium facility (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article3393317.ece)

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Swargapuri, the burial ground, in Krishnalanka has acquired a new look and amenities with philanthropists donating generously. A gas-based crematorium facility came up at the Swargapuri here on Sunday.

The Swargapuri Development Committee has developed the burial ground by spending about Rs. 4 crore. A mortuary, lawns, vehicle parking lot, visitors lounge, and gas-based crematorium were some of the facilities that were newly added at the Swargapuri.

Vijayawada MP Lagdapati Rajagopal, Vijayawada (East) MLA Yelamanchili Ravi, and Vijayawada (West) MLA Malladi Vishnu inaugurated the new facilities. CPI(M) city secretary Ch. Babu Rao, CPI(M) leaders Donepudi Kasinath and Koradu Ramu, industrialists Muthavarapu Muralikrishna, Parvataneni Koteswara Rao and others were also present. The MP showered praise on the philanthropists for developing the Swargapuri at its best. The Swargapuri does not look like a cremation/burial ground. It gives an impression as if we are entering a park, he said.

Mr. Ravi, pointing out that the cremation of bodies daily was likely to cause inconvenience to people living in the vicinity especially in apartments, said a curtain kind of thing would help block direct view of the burial ground.

Mr. Babu Rao said that the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) should take up the responsibility of maintenance of the gas-based crematorium. The poor would have access to it, only if the Corporation maintained it. Else, the poor might not be able to meet the fee prescribed by the committee, he said. Municipal Commissioner G. Ravi Babu and others spoke. It is estimated that the Committee would incur a minimum of Rs. 3,000 expenses for burning a body on the gas-based crematorium. The committee is planning to collect Rs. 1,500 from users. At present, electric crematorium and traditional crematorium facilities are available at the place. The people, especially washermen, are up in arms against the smoke emanating from the electric crematorium.

The Vijayawada Pujya Sindhi Panchayat (Sindhi Bhavan) in press release thanked the Municipal Corporation for developing the crematorium. The Panchayat donated a van, statues of Lord Siva and Jhulelal at the crematorium, society president Dayaldas Chandani and secretary Prakash Tewani, said.

VMC to get Swedish help (http://www.deccanchronicle.com/node/120576)

A Swedish delegation visited the city to study the infrastructure development in the city.

The government of Sweden is ready to give technological assistance to the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation on solid waste management, supply of drinking water, construction of roads, sewerage and other related works.

As part of the India-Sweden bilateral agreement signed 10 years ago on sharing of technology on infrastructure development a delegation headed by Mats Denninger visited the head water works in Bhavanipuram and Sri Ram energy and biogas plant in Ajit Singh Nagar.

The VMC officials explained the functioning of water treatment plant, sewerage system and head water works to the visiting delegation which includes some consultants. The main purpose of visit is to study the infrastructure development and assist the municipal corporations in India.

The delegation visited Vijayawada and two other corporations in Gujarat state.

Interacting with the newsmen, the delegation head Mr Mats Denninger has said the main

objective of visit is promotion of technological cooperation between Sweden and the cities in India. He said the team would hold discussions with the Swedish government, consultants and the officials of the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation on rendering technical assistance to the VMC. Responding to the headwater works, he said it is maintained very professionally with very good technology.

Michael Hogman, Ludvig Lindstrom, Michael Kullman, S. Sandeep and Arati Davis are the other members of the team,

Municipal corporation divisional engineer Mr Venugopal and other officials explained the functioning of Sri Ram energy plant, biogas plant, drinking water supply, underground drainage and other infrastructure development being taken up by the VMC.

On Sunday night, the delegation met the VMC officials and discussed the JNNURM works taken up in the city.

The Swedish team said they will not sanction loans to the local bodies and their aim is only to render technical assistance for infrastructure development.

Vatican representative reaches city for Catholic Mission Congress (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article3396623.ece)

Vatican Ambassador to India and Nepal Archbishop Salvatore Pennacchio arrived here on Monday to inaugurate the Catholic Mission Congress (Prabhu Yeshu Mahotsavam), which will run from May 8 to 10 and see more than 4,000 delegates participating from all over Andhra Pradesh.

Father Penachhio spoke to the multitudes, which turned up to be a part of the occasion at a Holy Mass at the St. Paul's Cathedral in Patamata. A vibrant cultural programme cutting across religious lines saw performers present ‘Bharatanatyam', a Hindu-origin dance much to the joy of the Vatican representative.

Earlier, Father Pennacchio was received by Father U. Bala Showry at the Ganavaram Airport at around 5 p.m. A dinner was hosted in his honour by Vijayawada Bishop Father Prakash. As part of his maiden visit to Vijayawada, Father Pennacchio will officiate at Holy Mass on the first day, preside over deliberations and group discussions on the Catholic Church's services to the society.

Arrangements

Elaborate arrangements have been made to host the delegates at Christian institutions in the city in what has been described by Bishop Prakash as the biggest Mission Congress in over 300 years.

Keywords: Vatican Ambassador to India and Nepal Archbishop Salvatore Pennacchio, Catholic Mission Congress

Power availability results in record consumption (http://ibnlive.in.com/news/power-availability-results-in-record-consumption/255880-60-114.html)

VIJAYAWADA: The city and its suburbans (Vijayawada rural, Kankipadu and Penamaluru mandals) created a record on Saturday by consuming 5.18 MU (million units) of power against the allotted quota of 4.2 MU.
The power consumption in Krishna district also stood at a record high of 10.8 MU against the allocation of 10.5 MU on May 6.
The record in power consumption in the district is largely attributed to increase in use of electrical appliances by people to ward off the summer heat.
The increase in use of power by industrial and agricultural sectors is also another reason for the rise in consumption.
Andhra Pradesh Southern Power Distribution Company Ltd (APSPDCL) lifted power cut in the district recently. According to Vijayawada Circle APSPDCL SE B Mohanakrishna, the availability of power is also one of the reasons for the rise in consumption.
Though there is no official power cut,� load shedding has become a routine in the city due to increase in power consumption in Vijayawada.
The city needs 10 more 33/11 KV substations in addition to the existing 34, according to APSPDCL officials.
There are 13.25 lakh power consumers in Krishna district.

NMMC keen on adopting VMC concepts (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article3400102.ece)

The NMMC officials are said to have been inspired by e-learning centres and playschool concepts of the VMC. They are planning to adopt these concepts in Mumbai.

A team from Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) will visit e-learning centres and playschools in the city on Wednesday. The team will also visit ‘Anjaneya vagu' in One Town to study the steps taken by the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) to make the Vijayawada a malaria-free city.

The NMMC officials are said to have been inspired by e-learning centres and playschool concepts of the VMC. They are planning to adopt these concepts in Mumbai, says VMC environmental engineer Smitha Bhanu, who is coordinating the NMMC team visit.

The team will also study the implementation of welfare schemes through Urban Community Development (UCD) wing of the VMC, she says. The corporation is running playschools with a view to providing kindergarten education and baby care to the children of public health workers. Many of the PH workers are found to be neglecting the education of their children.

The PH workers also find it difficult to leave their children back home while they are on duty. The children are deprived of education as none of them is available at home to take care of them when their parents are away at work. As a solution to it, the VMC is running playschools.

The VMC is also maintaining six e-learning centres in the city for the benefit of the 10th standard students.

The students are taught their subjects with LCD projectors and computers at the e-learning centres.

M.K. Baig High School in Ajithsingh Nagar, CVR High School in Governorpeta, Kowtha Subba rao High School in Poornandampeta, CSM High School in One Town, GDET High School in Patamata and MC Urdu High School in Arundalpeta have e-learning centres.

Nearly 1600 students studying in VMC run schools make use of the e-learning centres on normal days. During summer, about 200 students are being taught data entry and other tools, according to Deputy Educational Officer Durga Prasad.

International travel expo to be held next year (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article3400107.ece)

They include iron market, pulses, cereals, and other edible products, fancy market, fertilizers, mango export, pharmacy, etc.

The India International Travel Exhibition (IITE) proposes to organise a roadshow-cum-exhibition — one of India's leading B2C and B2B travel and tourism exhibition — in Vijayawada.

Apart from the city, the exhibition will be organised for three days each in Indore, Aurangabad, Raipur, and Nagpur. The event is an annual affair in the five tier II cities.

The exhibition will be organised in Aurangabad from August 10, Indore from October 5, Nagpur from January 25, 2013, and in Vijayawada from March 1 next year.

It will then be held at Raipur in Chhattisgarh from March 15, according to a statement here on Tuesday.

Vijayawada is known for automobile body-building, garment, iron, and hardware small-scale industries, the statement said.

Jawahar Autonagar was the largest automobile township in Asia for some time. About Rs.10 crore garment business takes place in Vastralatha building alone in the One Town on a daily basis. The city has many wholesale businesses.

They include iron market, pulses, cereals, and other edible products, fancy market, fertilizers, mango export, pharmacy, etc.

Commercial hub

Vijayawada is called the ‘Commerce hub' of Andhra Pradesh, for it provides the right environment for all agricultural and industrial goods to be transported in/out and traded in one single place.

Aurangabad, where the exhibition begins, was a trading hub four centuries ago. It is one of the fastest developing cities in Asia and ranks No.1 among the developing cities.

Recently, Aurangabad was in news for placing a single largest order for Mercedes Benz cars in a single transaction in India — 150 cars valued at Rs.65 crore.

Raipur, the young capital of Chhattisgarh, is the second major commercial centre in Central India after Indore.

Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute develops new fish breed (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/Central-Marine-Fisheries-Research-Institute-develops-new-fish-breed/articleshow/13072774.cms)

VIJAYAWADA: The Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) has developed a new fish breed suitable for Indian conditions. Scientists at CMFRI found the new variety 'Pompano' surviving even in saline waters outside the sea waters, which is rare for fish breeds.

"Popularly known as Chanduva in AP, this rare variety of Pomfret is not available even in sea waters now," CMFRI (Kochi) director G Syda Rao told TOI. Scientists say the breed will change the economic conditions of poor fishermen, particularly during the 45-day conservation period when the government bans fishing activity.

"Pompano could usher in revolution if the government hands over barren lands on the coast to fishermen to hatch this fish as it can survive all adverse atmosphere conditions and help them get good returns," said a marine scientist at CMFRI. Each fish weighs around 450 grams and a yield of about 1.5 tonnes is expected from each acre. "The yield from each acre would easily give the fishermen returns of over Rs 3 lakh," explained Syda Rao. The fishermen groups could earn at least Rs 25-30 lakh annually if they go for cultivation in five acres, scientists point out.

But CMFRI is facing a hurdle as it is not in a position to hatch the fish in large quantities and is looking forward to the private parties to chip in. In this context, CMFRI said the state governments should take the lead in helping the traditional fishermen cultivate the new breed. A near two-month fishing layoff during the summer is a crisis period for the fishermen families as most of them depend on the local moneylenders to make both ends meet.

With moneylenders charging huge rate of interest, the fishermen are forced to sell their stocks at cheap rates. "But in case of Pompano, they could go for three crops a year," said fish exporter Anantha Nagesh Babu. Since the yield is expected within four months unlike other fish varieties which take a longer time to breed, it's a win-win situation for the fishermen.

Nagesh Babu said the government should contemplate leasing out small portions of barren land to the fishermen self-help groups so that the fishermen's dependence on moneylenders would come down drastically.

Nod for regularisation of encroachments (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article3424515.ece)

Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy's brief halt on Tuesday at Gannavaram Airport near here is all set to give a push to development works that have come to a halt in the city.

About 12,000 families would benefit if the Chief Minister's instructions on regularisation of encroachments of government land by the poor under GO 166 was implemented. All unauthorised occupations on which a building was constructed before December 2003 could be regularised under the provisions of the GO.

Vijayawada MLAs -- Velampalli Srinivas, Malladi Vishnu and Yelamanchili Ravi — brought to the notice of the CM pending issues and problems. The MLAs said that the Chief Minister agreed to release the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) funds received from the Centre .

The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) has been waiting for release of Rs.175 crore pending with the State Government under the JNNURM programme for quite some time.

Asserting that there was no dearth of funds, Mr. Kiran Kumar Reddy asked the VMC officials to make alternative arrangements to ease the drinking water problem. The Government would sanction about Rs.2.50 crore to resolve the crisis. He also directed them to restore the roads that were dug up for laying Under Ground Drainage (UGD) and other development works.

The construction of houses under the JNNURM would also gain momentum if the funds were released. Construction of more than 5,000 houses at Jakkampudi stopped due to paucity of funds.

Bridgestone opens Select Store in Vijayawada (http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/marketing/article3425465.ece?ref=wl_industry-and-economy)

HYDERABAD, MAY 16:
Tyre and rubber manufacturer, Bridgestone has expanded its presence in Andhra Pradesh opening its exclusive select showroom in Vijayawada today.

The Bridgestone Select Store provides distinct retail identity in line with the company’s global retail philosophy adopted across the world. As a part of the company growth plans, Bridgestone has been expanding its Select concept stores in the country and currently has 259 of these Select stores.

Mr. Manoj Sinha, Deputy General Manager (East), Bridgestone India, in a statement said, “Select is a unique retail concept of quality shop which promises the customer a better and unique buying experience. Wonder Wheels, a select outlet was opened at Vijayawada, is spread over 1300 sq.ft.”

Call to make Vijayawada plastic-free (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article3439014.ece)

Need for special focus on Durga temple and Mary Matha shrine, says Ravi Babu

Municipal Commissioner G. Ravi Babu on Saturday appealed to all sections to extend their cooperation in making Vijayawada a plastic-free city.

Addressing a meeting attended by officials of South Central Railways Vijayawada division, AP State Road Transport Corporation, rythu bazaars and Kaleswararao Market besides vendors and traders at Rajiv Gandhi wholesale flower market, he said everybody must contribute towards implementation of a blanket ban on use of plastic covers in the city. He said places like Kanaka Durga temple atop Indrakeeladri hill and the Mary Matha shrine atop Gunadala hill needed special focus in the wake of the huge crowds thronging these places. He said use of only three categories of plastic bags – cloth, paper and bio-degradable bags would be allowed.

He said it was the responsibility of the officials concerned to ensure replacement of plastic glasses used by vendors in railway stations with paper glasses, stoppage of the use of plastic covers to pack items by eateries. The RTC officials must monitor the ban in bus station which witnesses a huge floating population, he said. VMC chief engineer G. Kondalarao, chief medical officer M. Satyanarayana Raju, assistant medical and health officer Iqbal Hussain were present.

330 unrecognised schools to be closed (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article3439010.ece)

Parents asked to admit their children in recognised institutions only

The State Government has prepared ground to shut down 330 unrecognised schools operating in Krishna district. Criminal cases would be booked against the managements, if the unrecognised schools were opened after summer vacation, District Education Officer (DEO) D. Devananda Reddy warned.

The DEO said that in all 220 unrecognised schools were there in Krishna district and 110 schools were running in Vijayawada city. The district administration would close down all the unrecognised schools as per Right to Education Act, he said. Stating that the parents would face trouble, if their children were admitted in unrecognised institutions, Mr. Reddy asked them to admit their wards in recognised schools only.

The list of the unrecognised schools has been displayed in the Deputy Education Officer's office in the district and a copy of the list was also uploaded on to www.dyeovijayawada.yolasite.com, for giving information to the public.

Besides, the officials would enlighten the people through media and brochures, he said.

Government will not grant any concessions for the students who admit in unrecognised institutions and the students will face problems as the transfer, study and conduct certificates are not valid.

The State Government was providing several facilities including, improving infrastructure in Government schools, qualified teachers, free books and uniform for students, Mid-Day Meals, health check up for students and teaching in English in all Government-run institutions, said the DEO and appealed to the parents to admit their children in Government Schools only.

The DEO along with Deputy Education Officers (Dy.Eos) and Mandal Education Officers took out a rally from Benz Circle to Sub-Collector's office in the city on Saturday, to enlighten the people on the consequences, if children were admitted in unrecognised schools.

The officials also explained to the public the facilities and benefits of Government schools. Deputy EOs M.V. Krishna Reddy, P. George Raju, C.V.L. Narasimha Rao, K. Durga Prasad and others participated in the rally.

NTR varsity PhD forms from May 26 (http://ibnlive.in.com/news/ntr-varsity-phd-forms-from-may-26/259888-60-114.html)

VIJAYAWADA: Dr NTR university of health sciences has released notification for admission into PhD courses for the year 2012-13.
Applications are invited from eligible candidates with required qualification in the field of medical sciences or allied subjects.
The application forms, regulations for the year 2012, recognised centres and guides and other details are available at the university website www. ntruhs.ap.nic.in.� They� can downloaded all the information and forms starting from May 26 till the end of June 16.
The last date for receiving filled-in applications is June 20. The� application forms along with a non-refundable of `2,000, a DD in favour of ‘The Registrar, DR NTR University of Health Sciences’ payable at Vijayawada should reach the convener, PhD admissions on or before June 20, said registrar T Venugopal Rao.

Work on flyover to start in August (http://www.deccanchronicle.com/node/124704)

The National Highway Authority of India is planning to start the Benz Circle flyover work in two months and began preparations for mobilisation works.

As part of the Machilipatnam–Hyderabad National Highway widening work, the NHAI sanctioned flyover bridge at the Benz Circle. The six-lane mega bridge will be built from screw bridge to Stella College centre. The NHAI officials will hold meeting with the officials of police, municipal corporation, R and B, revenue and other departments to provide passage of vehicles as usual on the highway.

More than 57,000 vehicles pass via Benz Circle every day. The NHAI will draw final bridge plan after holding discussions. The government allotted the work to Madhucon Constr-uctions, one of the biggest companies in the state. Project director of the National Highways Autho-rity of India C.S.N. Murthy has said the mobilisation work is likely to begin in August as efforts are on for it.

With the construction of six-lane bridge, traffic problem at Benz Circle will be solved to a great extent on the National Highway as well as Bandar Road. People in the city have been eagerly waiting for the flyover at the Benz Circle for several decades.

Vehicles passing from Varadhi to Ramavara-ppadu can pass via the proposed flyover while vehicles passing on Bandar Road can use the existing road.

The police are insisting on reducing the green zone area on the highway to check traffic congestion after the works commence. At present, the green zone is eight metres on the National Highway.

Delay leads to escalation of ring road project cost (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article3445258.ece)

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Work likely to gain momentum as decks cleared for Gunadala RoB

Delay in execution of the Inner Ring Road (IRR) project is costing Rs.40 crore more to the Vijayawada Guntur Tenali Mangalgiri Urban Development Authority (VGRMUDA). The project, originally, was estimated to cost Rs.80 crore. With the procedural delays, it is now estimated to cost Rs.120 crore.

Original schedule

The UDA has commenced works on prestigious IRR project in 2009 and was scheduled to complete by 2010. The works, however, are progressing at a snail's pace at some stretches of the project for various reasons, including permission from the railways, and encroachments.

The two bridges that have been taken up as part of the IRR are a major hurdle in the completion of the project.

Indecision of the State government has hit the IRR. The UDA is unable to award the work to RITES, a Government of India enterprise, to construct the Road-over-Bridge (RoB) near Gunadala on Howrah railway line as the government has not taken any decision on awarding the work to the RITES. The Railways, in 2011, asked the UDA to make a single payment of Rs.26.76 crore. These procedural wrangles have delayed the project to a great extent.

The railways, a couple of days ago, gave final estimate for the Gundala Road over Bridge (RoB). The railway portion is pegged at Rs. 28 crore. The entire RoB will approximately cost Rs. 56 crore, including railway share. The UDA will pay the amount to the railways in a week, UDA officials say. The progress of work on the IRR is likely to gain momentum with the railways clearing decks for construction of the Gunadala RoB. Another RoB at Ramvarappadu is nearing completion. The Ramavarappadu RoB is being constructed at a cost of Rs.29.32 core.

With railways giving a nod to take up the Gunadala RoB the project is expected complete by December 2012.

VMC to supply safe water (http://www.deccanchronicle.com/node/124998)

After successful preventi-on of gammexane smell fr-om the drinking water supplied by the Vijayawada municipal corporation, the civic body is conducting a study to implement the granular activated carbon method to check organic contents in drinking water in the intake wells in Prakasam barrage.

The method will be useful to the civic body to supply clean drinking water to the lakhs of people in the city.

Till two weeks ago, the drinking water supplied by the VMC smelt of gammexane, which is disliked by consumers.

On the advice of the Institute of Preventive Medicine (IPM) experts, the VMC has started using activated carbon in powder form along with alum to clean drinking water.

This experiment has given positive results for the last 10 days. Turbidity will reduce organic content in water and carbon powder will absorb the algae and remove odour from the water.

To minimise expenditure, the VMC is studying a new method using granular activated carbon along with sand in the intake wells located in the Prakasam barrage.

Both granular activated carbon and sand will filter the water and check organic content. A senior engineer in the VMC said that algae levels in Prakasam barrage will come down in the next month when temperatures drop.

He said that the drinking water supplied by the VMC is far better than that of supplied by private plants.

Krishna water is stagnant in the reservoir due to delta modernisation works since January 2012. A team headed by expert Mr Anjaneyulu of IPM, Hyderabad inspected water in the overhead tanks and made suggestions to the VMC to ensure supply of pure drinking water.

Builders see a viable alternative in rock sand (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article3486258.ece)

Extensive campaign planned to educate people on its benefits

Vexed with the increasing menace of sand mining, which has resulted in acute scarcity, members of the Greater Vijayawada Builders' Association have hit upon an alternative to the problem.

At a roundtable organised by the association and attended by all stakeholders and technical experts, the members suggested use of rock sand or ‘robo' sand as a substitute for riverbed sand as the panacea.

STUDY

“A thorough study by experts has shown that the riverbed sand supplied for construction purpose is virtually worthless and is not fit for use unless it is tested. It contains 25-30 per cent of silt against the permissible 5 per cent. Mud content in it is between 20 per cent and 25 per cent against the permissible limit of 2 per cent to 5 per cent. Use of this sand without prior testing could invite risk,” warned senior builder and founder of the association Gadde Rajaling.

Showing rock sand as a viable substitute for river sand, he said it could be used in reinforced concrete, brick work, and plastering with proper inputs of cement-water ratio. “Since it requires more water, cement content will have to be increased,” he said.

Explaining the efficacy of rock sand, he said, unlike river sand, which was less effective in concrete mixing because sand particles travel long distance in the river water thus losing most of its strength, rock material was obtained by crushing it in the VS (vertical soft impacted) crusher, which added to its strength and made it highly dependable.

The river sand collected from different locations and quarries widened the scope for a varied quality, but the same could not be said about robo sand, he pointed out.

A CHALLENGE

Mr. Rajaling said rock sand, which was widely used in all parts of the world, had not made inroads in the city because river sand was abundantly available.

Public acceptability to the new concept of use of rock or robo sand in the construction activity was a challenge that builders face now. “The concept is new in this region. We intend to take up an extensive campaign to educated people on the several benefits of rock sand,” he said, informing that the new product would hit the local market in a week. “The price of riverbed sand, which was Rs.300 per tonne before scarcity hit this region, shot up to Rs.2,000 per tonne. The former, which is more or less silt, is now being sold for anything between Rs.12,000 and Rs.15,000 per tonne. This is against the rock sand to be made available for Rs.350-Rs.400 per tonne. People must look into their economics before making the choice,” he said.

Leprosy, AIDS centre to continue (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article3486268.ece)

The Health Department Principal Chief Secretary Ratna Kishore has assured the health personnel and the people that the Leprosy and AIDS District Centre will continue to function from the City.

The Leprosy and AIDS District Centre will be established on the premises of the Government General Hospital in Vijayawada in view of the administrative and patient convenience, the CPI Member of Legislative Council Jelli Wilson was told by the Health Principal Chief Secretary.

The MLC in a release said that reacting to a letter submitted to him in Hyderabad, the health official said that only for financial reasons the centre should not be shifted to Machilipatnam and that the travel convenience of other patients from all parts of the district also should be taken into account.

The district Collector S.A.M. Rizvi and Government General Hospital Superintendent Paladugu Bhaskar also suggested establishment of the centre in the GGH in Vijayawada.

Renault’s Duster to be launched in city in July (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article3572456.ece)

The Renault India Managing Director Marc Naseef, said on Monday that it proposes to increase its car sales 20 times its 2011 calendar year sale of just 1,500 cars in India.

The much-awaited ‘Duster’ from the stables of French car makers Renault India will be launched in Vijayawada in July as the company perceives this as a major market for its four variants available now and another yet to be named Sedan to be launched during Diwali.

The Renault India Managing Director Marc Naseef, said on Monday that it proposes to increase its car sales 20 times its 2011 calendar year sale of just 1,500 cars in India. On the occasion of handing over the 250 car of Vijayawada to the customer in Aruna Motors here, he observed that the company was sourcing spare parts from Pune and Chennai so that some of them could be exported as part of their cars manufactured at their Chennai facility. Mr. Naseef said that Government needs to provide them with stable policy on the type of fuel and its pricing so that they could also manufacture accordingly and it takes about two to three years to change the focus, though they had to capacity to manufacture both petrol and diesel cars. Now the focus in India was on diesel cars in passenger segment.

For Duster the company MD said that 80 per cent of its spares would come indigenously, while it had expanded capacity of its Chennai plant from 2 lakh cars to 4 car lakhs.

While it would improve its presence in the market by opening 100 outlets in the country by December, it had increased from 14 outlets last year to 55 by June-end. One of the key components of its Diesel cars was K9K now being used in Pulse, Fluence and Champion variants and some of the cars manufactured here would be exported too, he added.

Winning formula

The company with a 114-year history had provided engines for the Formula One cars that had won 10 times. Electric cars were available in Europe, but bringing them to India was a far-fetched idea currently, he said as infrastructure did not exist for re-charging them, but eventually 20 per cent of its production would be these in 10 years.

Within a decade, he expects Fuel Cell –powered cars to be on the roads and a lot of research was on, he explained.

The Aruna Motors Chairman RV Subbaiah and Director Satish were present when Marc Naseef handed over the keys of 250 SUV car `Koleos’ to P.V. Krishna Rao, customer.

Free eye screening held in Vijayawada (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article3580043.ece)

The David Brown Children’s Eye Care Centre at the L.V. Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) in Tadigadapa conducted free eye examination and treatment for 63 HIV positive children of Tulip Garden at Buthimillipadu, Gannavaram mandal.

Netherlands-based philanthropist Margaret said the David Brown Children’s Eye Care Centre was catering to the needs of children from Vijayawada and five other neighbouring districts.

“The eye care centre is so clean, sand everybody was so kind . It was so different from other hospitals in Vijayawada. I felt I was in a hospital in The Netherlands,” she said.

Eye specialists Niranjan examined the eyes of the children and prescribed medication when required.

Vijayawada builders merge with CREDAI (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article3588156.ece)

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CREDAI Andhra Pradesh President C. Sekhar Reddy who was the chief guest said that the organisation had chapters all over the country.

The Builders Association Vijayawada has been merged into the Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Association of India (CREDAI) and renamed as “CREDAI Vijayawada Chapter” at a function organised in the city on Friday.

CREDAI Andhra Pradesh President C. Sekhar Reddy who was the chief guest said that the organisation had chapters all over the country and had started CREDAI chapters in Hyderabad, Tirupathi and Visakhapatnam in the state.

Explaining about the main objectives of CREDAI he said that more transparency, self code of conduct and consumer protection were the main responsibilities of members of the organisation. He said that moral and ethical pressure would be imposed on a member of CREDAI and that the association would give assurance for all its members.

He further explained how the Association had conducted many meetings for all its members on an international level to give them a chance to interact. He said that these meetings were conducted to provide a common platform for all builders to meet and exchange information on the latest techniques developed in the building sector.

He also explained how the association was trying to simplify the process of getting a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the government and to bring the whole process under a single window for the builders to start work faster. He said that the CREDAI Vijayawada Chapter had been formed with the intention of helping customers and help in developing the city and that all initiatives would be for the benefit of the customers. He hoped that all the builders in Vijayawada would join this chapter.

Social welfare

Builders’ Association President A. Siva Reddy said that the association had been working hard for the past 25 years to provide houses to many people and a livelihood to many workers. He said along with working for their own benefit they had also organised many social welfare programmes. “We felt that we all need to come under a national organisation to face the many new laws that are being put into practice by the State and Central Government”, he said. This is the reason we decided to merge into CREDAI he said. V.G.T.M, U.D.A Vice- Chairman G.S.R.K.R. Vijay Kumar, VMC Commissioner G.Ravi Babu, Town and Country Planning Government of A.P Director B.Purushothama Reddy, Builders Association Vijayawada Vice- Presidents K.Santharam Prasad, Abdulla Baig, General Secretary R.V.Swamy, Joint Secretaries M.Rama Koteswara Rao, other officials and members were present.

AIDWA national executive starts in Vijayawada (http://ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfeed/news/aidwa-national-executive-starts-in-vijayawada/1018640.html)

Vijayawada, Jun 30 (PTI) A three-day national executive meeting of All India Democratic Women's Association, a pro-CPM women's organisation, started here this evening. Sudha Sundararaman, National General Secretary, inaugurated the opening session. Delegates from 23 states were attending the executive, the association sources said. In today's session, the committee expressed concern about rising number of cases of honour killing and female foeticide. The meeting also decided to take up a mass campaign at the national level to create awareness on the issues.

Priyanka is Asian under-10 champion (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article3593737.ece)

Priyanka, a student of Mustabada Chess Educational Academy, hauled seven points out of nine to emerge winner.
City’s Nutakki Priyanka, a 10-year-old chess player, made the Indian chess fraternity proud by winning the Asian under-10 girls’ title, her first major title, in the Asian Youth Chess Championship that concluded at Hikkaduwa in Sri Lanka on Sunday. Priyanka, a student of Mustabada Chess Educational Academy, hauled seven points out of nine to emerge winner and later she helped India win the team gold by garnering 19.5 points along with C. Lakshmi and Kaur Palkin. “Priyanka prepared well for the tournament and she won the title with the help of her pet openings like English and Sicilian Defence. She did well in both middle and end games to befuddle her opponents. She was down against Serikbay Assel of Kazakhstan in the third game, but showed good temperament to bounce back to win comfortably,” her coach V.R. Bobba, told The Hindu from Sri Lanka. She lost to a little known player in the eighth round (Abduali Sama of Kazakhstan) and drew with fellow Indian C. Lakshmi and Zahedifar Anahita (Iran).

Hot favourite

Mr. Bobba said Priyanka, with her triumph at Sri Lanka, would be the hot favourite to win the world title when she travels to Slovenia to play the world under-10 championship in November. “She will be undergoing a different kind of coaching for the all-important tournament. We are planning to rope in former National ‘B’ player S. Vijayasaradhy and coach of Grand Master M.R. Lalith Babu, G. Murali Krishna,” he said. Incidentally, Priyanka also won the Asian rapid title, which was introduced by the Asian Chess Federation, before start of the main event. Earlier, Grand Master Koneru Humpy and Y. Sandeep won the Asian under-10 titles from Vijayawada. Abhilash Reddy of the Global Chess Academy finished fourth in the Asian under-18 championship and helped India win the team gold. Lasya took fifth place in the Asian under-16 segment. AP Chess Association president A. Narasimha Reddy, secretary K. Kanna Reddy, KDCA president Nageswara Rao, secretary D. Srihari, and Mustabada Chess Association president B. Ratna Rao congratulated Priyanka and others.

State-level chartered accountants’ meet (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article3609396.ece)

The ICAI, New Delhi, vice-president Subodh Kumar Agrawal will inaugurate the two-day conference at Hotel Fortune Murali Park on Saturday.

The Vijayawada branch of Southern India Regional Council (SIRC) of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) will host the A.P. State level Conference of Chartered Accountants on July 7 and 8.

The ICAI, New Delhi, vice-president Subodh Kumar Agrawal will inaugurate the two-day conference at Hotel Fortune Murali Park on Saturday.

Disclosing this to the newsmen here on Thursday, ICAI Vijayawada branch chairman Kunda Rama Narayana said that SIRC chairman (from Chennai) K. Viswanath will be the guest of honour for the conference.

About 500 Chartered Accountants (CAs) from all over the State will participate in the conference. A special session on ethics in the profession would be conducted during the programme, he said.

Secretary A. Akkaiah Naidu said that experts in the profession will explain on ‘Special issues in taxation of immovable properties’, ‘SMPs in CA profession – The way forward’, ‘Accounting standards for non corporates, ‘Assessment, reassessment and rectification under IT Act, ‘Provisions of the Companies Bill, 2011 and other topics.

Registrations

Participants can make registrations by July 6, by paying Rs.1,500 and spot registrations can be done by paying Rs.1,650, said Mr. Naidu.

An irresistible offer for shoppers to make Vijayawada green (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article3612921.ece)

http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/01136/07VZVIJREG1SALE_1136461f.jpg

The store came up with an innovative idea to kick-start a green revolution in the city by not only providing good discounts at the shop but also gifting a sapling to make Vijayawada more green.

The M&M store gave a new excuse for ‘shopaholics’ of Vijayawada to shop to their heart’s content with its new ‘eco-friendly’ discount offer starting Friday.

The store came up with an innovative idea to kick-start a green revolution in the city by not only providing good discounts at the shop but also gifting a sapling to make Vijayawada more green.

Marketing Head of the store Surya Kiran said at the launch of the 6th such offer that M&M was always involved in various awareness programmes about environment in the city.

“We have also started a new method of sending out e-brochures instead of using paper to save as many trees as possible,” he said. “This is the 6th time that we are offering this type of discount and we have received a good response from people, and some have even gifted us fruits of the trees they have grown from these gifted sapling,” Mr. Surya Kiran said.

Every shopper of the store will be gifted a sapling to be planted by them to create awareness about the importance of trees in our daily life. About Rs.50 lakh worth of sapling of various fruits have been bought by the management of the store for this purpose.

Efficient way

Management consultant M.C. Das said planting trees was the most efficient way to save our planet Earth. He said the initiative to protect the environment was the store’s way of repaying the customers for their continuing loyalty.

He said, like in many other countries, cutting trees should be made punishable offence in India as well. AP Pollution Control Board Chief Engineer Venkateswarulu, who was the chief guest on the occasion, appreciated the store’s innovative programmes. He said people should make it a habit to plant saplings, and urged the other stores in the city to follow the footsteps of M&M.

The special eco-friendly discount sale will be on at the store from Saturday.

Stone laid for waterfront project at Bhavanipuram (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article3616208.ece)

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A multi-storeyed recreation centre with an aquarium to be developed

The foundation stone for “Vijayasiri”, the waterfront development project of the Vijayawada-Guntur-Tenali-Mangalagiri Urban Development Authority (UDA) in Bhavanipuram was laid by MLC Ilapuram Venkaiah here on Saturday.

The UDA has prepared a plan to develop and beautify 6.5 acres of land near the Pushkar Ghat area at an estimated cost of Rs. 40 crore.

Vijayawada MP Lagadapati Rajagopal, Vijayawada Central MLA Malladi Vishnu and Vijayawada East MLA Vellampalli Srinivas participated in the programme.

Minister for Municipal Administration M. Mahidar Reddy, who was supposed to lay the stone, was conspicuous by his absence.

The Minister reportedly gave dates to UDA officials for the programme and postponed his visit half a dozen times.

The UDA officials however went ahead with the programme under pressure from those who donated land for the development of the project. About 25 people donated 40 per cent of the land required for development of the project.

The Minister for Secondary Education K.Parthasarathi also failed to turn up.

Addressing the media after the function the Vijayawada MP said that UDA was also approaching the Centre for funds. A multi-storeyed recreation centre with an aquarium would be developed at an estimated cost of Rs 12 crore on a private public partnership basis.

ROPE WAY

A rope way and suspended bridge to Bhavani Island have also been proposed.

WATER SPORTS

On completion of the project water sports like parasailing, water scooters and jet skis would also be introduced, Mr Rajagopal said.

About various clearances required for the project Mr Rajagopal said UDA was not going to wait for them as further delay might result in the donors taking back their lands.

The MP was however confident that the UDA waterfront project was “viable” and that the Centre would grant funds for it.

UDA vice-chairman G.S.R.K.R.Vijay Kumar and other UDA officials were present.

Spreading awareness on road safety (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article3619908.ece)

The 5 kilometre long car race kicked off with a briefing to all the 56 participants about basic traffic rules and driving necessities.

To lay stress on the importance of learning how to drive and responsible driving, a fun car race was conducted by the Rotary Club of Vijayawada Visionary couples and Top Gear event management in the City on Sunday.

The 5 kilometre long car race kicked off with a briefing to all the 56 participants about basic traffic rules and driving necessities. A questionnaire was given to the participants on driving trivia. Once all the formalities were done, participants were given a list of ten clues to places in and around the BRTS road. Participants had to figure out the clues, go to the places to collect clues and then return back to the starting point of temple.

Besides the car race, various other social service activities were also planned for this event. An amount of Rs.7000 was given as a financial support to people suffering from kidney diseases and a wheelchair was gifted to an individual suffering from paralysis. A special dance performance by the visually challenged students from the St. Theresa School in Gunadala was a highlight at this event. Singer Mallik from the Padutha Theeyaga program also rendered a few devotional songs on this occasion.

D. Ramachandra Reddy and Vikas Reddy pair stood in first place at this race, with K. Praveen and Saket in the second place and Sitaram and Seshu in the third place. First prize winners were gifted an air cooler and Rs. 7000 gift voucher, second prize winners were given an American Tourister suitcase and Rs.6000 gift voucher and third place winners a microwave oven and Rs.5000 gift voucher.

City gets multi-purpose fire tender (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article3619911.ece)

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District Fire Officer V. Srinivasa Rao said the new vehicle is having capacity to contain 4,500 litres of water, 600 litres foam and 250 kg of dry chemical powder.

The Fire Department has got the first multi-purpose fire tender for the city. MP Lagadapati Rajagopal and MLC Ilapuram Venkaiah inaugurated the new vehicle at Swaraj Maidan here on Sunday.

MP sprays water

Mr. Rajagopal drove the fire tender and sprayed water by operating the hose pipes in the ground.

Speaking on the occasion, the MP said the multi-purpose vehicle is very much essential in the city as many multi-storeyed buildings have come up in Vijayawada.

NOC

The owners of the apartments, offices, shopping malls and educational institutions should follow fire safety norms and obtain ‘No Objection Certificates’ from the fire personnel, he said adding that the government is planning to strengthen Fire Department by sanctioning more funds.

Capacity

District Fire Officer V. Srinivasa Rao said the new vehicle is having capacity to contain 4,500 litres of water, 600 litres foam and 250 kg of dry chemical powder.

Multi purpose fire tender can put off oil, electrical and normal flames, and is also equipped with hydraulic cutter and expanders, the DFO said.

Assistant District Fire Officer B. Narasimha Rao, Station Fire Officers B. Srinivasa Rao, C.H. Suryaprakash, Mahender Rao and other staff participated.

Later, the fire personnel presented a demo on operation of the new vehicle.

Here is a render of a Mixed-Use Project to be built in Vijayawada.
Taken from here (http://www.lepl.in/lotus_landmark.htm)



Mixed Development consisting of Retail, Commercial, Multiplex, Convention Centre, Residential and Hospitality.
Currently a Hyper Market by Raheja group is under progress in an extent of Ac.5.00.
The entire project is being designed by M/s.HOK, London.


http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/38/shoppingbw.jpg

Site Plan
http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/6163/layoutbmc.jpg

Can someone please locate this on the map if they know where this is coming up..

Vijaya Bank to open 75 new branches (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article3627185.ece)

The bank with an 8 million client base has only 10 per cent customers on the Internet and mobile platform utilising its services.

The Vijaya Bank with a business turnover of Rs.1.46 lakh crore at the quarter ending June 2012, proposes to open 75 more branches in the next 24 months and of them five will be opened in Vijayawada region, the bank chairman H.S. Upendra Kamath has said.

The bank chairman told reporters here on Monday that the first quarterly results of the bank will be announced on July 25 after the Board of Directors’ meeting, but the profit of the bank had grown by 11 per cent in the last fiscal compared to the previous year rising from Rs.524 crore to Rs.581 crore.

The bank with an 8 million client base has only 10 per cent customers on the Internet and mobile platform utilising its services, but ATMs were the most sought after and all the villages covered by it under financial inclusion would get an ATM eventually, he added.

Currently the bank has 1,300 branches in India and only 700 ATMs, which would be slowly increased to 1:1 ratio.

In Vijayawada region there will be five new branches and 20 new ATMs coming up in the next one year.

As part of reaching out to the people in remote villages, it was opening ultra small branches and had opened 200 so far and proposes to open 200 more this fiscal.

The gross non-performing assets had risen from Rs.1,259 crore to Rs.1,718 crore, but the increase was lower than the all banks average of 41 per cent, he observed.

Plastic surgery camps to be held (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article3627180.ece)

A two-day camp would be organised at Salaja Cosmetic Surgery Centre, Sri Venakteswara Apartment Thakur Mansion Lane at Somajiguda in Hyderabad on Saturday and Sunday.

Salaja Hospitals will conduct plastic surgery camps in the city and also at Hyderabad to cater to the needs of the poor. Dr. Lakshmi Saleem, plastic surgeon at the hospital, said that a camp would be organised at the Salaja Hospital at Prajasakthi Nagar here on Friday. A two-day camp would be organised at Salaja Cosmetic Surgery Centre, Sri Venakteswara Apartment Thakur Mansion Lane at Somajiguda in Hyderabad on Saturday and Sunday. The camps were being organised to celebrate national plastic surgery day. For further details regarding Vijayawada camp people can contact 98492 56736; 99125 15124 or 98660 11785 for Hyderabad camp details, she said.

MSC golden jubilee festivities (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article3630981.ece)

"July 16 will be the grand finale of the celebrations for which State Union Minister D. Purandeswari will be the chief guest", said the principal.

Extravagant plans have been made for the golden jubilee celebrations of the Maris Stella College with programmes spanning over three days, announced the college principal Sister Japmalai on Wednesday.

At a press conference she said that the celebrations will begin on July 14 and continue till July 16.

On the first day the college day will be celebrated, she said. Speaker of the Legislative Assembly N. Manohar will be the chief guest on that day along with guests of honour Reverend M. Prakash and B.S. Ponmudi Raj, she informed. The second day will be called “Alumni Day” and the contributions of old students will be publicly acknowledged on this day.

The KCP Limited Joint Managing Director V.L. Indira Dutt also an old student will be the chief guest for this event.

Around 12 old students of the college will be felicitated on this day announced the principal.

“July 16 will be the grand finale of the celebrations for which State Union Minister D. Purandeswari will be the chief guest”, said the principal. Krishna University Vice-Chancellor Professor V. Venkaih and Member of Parliament Lagadapati Rajagopal will be the guest of honour she added. A number of cultural programmes had been planned for all three days and students are meticulously practicing daily in the college she said.

Minister for Secondary Education K. Parthasaradhi, Vijayawada MLA (East) Yalamanchali Ravi, Vijayawada Central MLA Malladi Vishnu, Vijayawada West MLA Vellampalli Srinivas and MLC’s, Collector and Commissioners had also been invited as special guests for this event.

College lecturers Ramakrishna, Regena, V.Swapna, Kalima and Suneetha were also present on this occasion.

Medical admissions begin July 20 (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/Medical-admissions-begin-July-20/articleshow/14857553.cms)

VIJAYAWADA: Counselling for medical admissions under the convener's quota will begin on July 20. The NTR University of Health Sciences issued a notification to this effect on Thursday. Aspirants could attend counselling at any of the four online centres - Andhra University (Visakhapatnam), SV University (Tirupati), NTR University (Vijayawada) and at JNTU's Hyderabad campus.

The first phase of counselling would go on for four days till July 23 with the second phase, for reserved category candidates such as BCs, SCs and STs, to run between July 24-27. With Medical Council of India (MCI) granting three new medical colleges in the private sector and increasing seats at three government colleges by 50 each, the total intake has increased by at least 650 seats in the state in the current year.

However, the state did lose about 100 seats following derecognition of Fatima College in Kadapa. Three new colleges in the private sector - Mallareddy Institute of Medical Sciences (150) and Apollo Institute of Medical Sciences (100), both in Hyderabad, and Visakhapatnam's NRI institute of Medical Sciences (150) have got the nod from MCI. The increase in seats was granted for Andhra Medical College, Kurnool Medical College and Siddartha Medical College.

The university fee has been prescribed at Rs 6,000, Rs 9,000 and Rs 14,500 under government colleges and category A and category B private colleges, respectively. All candidates, including those eligible for fee-reimbursement, would have to pay the university fees. Except for those eligible for fee-reimbursement, all others would also have to pay their tuition fees.

In all, there are 14 government medical colleges functioning alongside the 22 private ones in the state. While all seats in government colleges fall under the convener's quota, the first 50% of seats in private colleges will be categorized under A and another 10% will be filled up under category B.

Seats under both A and B categories would also be filled up through online counselling by the university. Managements of private colleges will be allowed to fill up the remaining 40% seats. At the time of the notification, 2,050 seats at government colleges and another 2,070 seats in private colleges were available for candidates from all three regions in the state.

Maris Stella College celebrates golden jubilee in style (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article3642457.ece)

A special one-hour dance ballet named "Laxman Rekha" performed by a group from the NGO ASMITA from Hyderabad was the highlight of the day.

Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly Speaker Nadendla Manohar, addressing a huge gathering of students at Maris Stella College advised them to concentrate more on rural development in the country than go abroad for their own gain.

As chief guest of the day at the golden jubilee celebrations of Maris Stella College here on Saturday, the Speaker said that the MSC was the best college in the city for women and appreciated the contribution of the college towards woman empowerment.

The first day of the three-day celebrations was dedicated to celebrate the College Day which was opened exactly 50 years ago on July 14. The programme began at 2 p.m. with a prayer song rendered by the college students. A welcome dance followed this after which all the guests were invited onto the stage to be seated.

College Correspondent Sr. Alberthamma gave the welcome address for the programme and thanked all the benefactors and sponsors from Vijayawada for their constant support for the past 50 years.

Report

She said that the college would not have been at this stage without their help. A report was then given by the College Prinicipal P. Japmalai in which she mentioned briefly about the programmes of college. She said that all the experience gained over these years will be used to bring even more glory to the institution in the future.

The report was followed by the management felicitating the speaker and distribution of prizes to college students who have won various competitions.

A special one-hour dance ballet named “Laxman Rekha” performed by a group from the NGO ASMITA from Hyderabad was the highlight of the day with both the students and guests thoroughly enjoying it.

The first day of the three-day extravaganza ended with a vote of thanks.

Vijayawada East MLA Yalamanchilli Ravi, Former Mayor Jandhyala Shankar, Industrialist G.S.Raju (SIRIS Raju), Mumbai Province Provincial Sr. Leena Quadras and NAAC Advisor Ponmudi Raj were also present at this programme.

Heavy rain lashes city (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article3645351.ece)

Sowing operations began in right earnest in majority of the mandals of Krishna district with the average rainfall in the district recorded at 23.1 mm on Sunday.

Heavy rain lashed the city and all towns in central coastal Andhra districts, including Krishna, putting traffic out of gear at many places, while bringing cheer among the farming community.

Sowing operations began in right earnest in majority of the mandals of Krishna district with the average rainfall in the district recorded at 23.1 mm on Sunday. Mandals in Vijayawada and Gudivada Revenue divisions received 23.5 mm and 26.6 mm with Vijayawada Urban and Rural mandals including the city proper receiving the maximum in the district at 95.8 mm and Nandigama getting the minimum of 1.4 mm.

A bottleneck

The Low Bridge on the National Highway, as usual, turned a bottleneck for the traffic between Vijayawada and Hyderabad and vehicles were diverted via the flyover to reach the foothill of Indrakeeladri and serpentine queue of four-wheelers and buses was visible.

Wynchpeta in the city also got large copious rainfall leading to the main road getting inundated. The day also witnessed hectic activity with the birth anniversary of former eminent engineer Dr.K.L. Rao and young engineers dated the rain to reach the venues.

The roads otherwise looked deserted in many of the residential areas till evening with some respite from evening.

All the three irrigation canals in the city were full with water.

The vendors had a difficult day with many of those selling vegetable waiting for buyers till late in the evening covering their ware with plastic sheets.

VMC caught unawares

The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation was caught unawares with majority of the main roads in the city turning into canals as rainwater overflowed for over two to three hours in many areas as the side drains were clogged. Locals removed the blockages to let the rainwater flow to drain out water.

Lifetime achievement award for paediatrician (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article3645378.ece)

The awards usually given away on the occasion of the Doctor’s Day were given way to winners by Vijayawada East MLA Yalamanchilli Ravi and Vijayawada Income Tax Commissioner K.Ajay Kumar.

Noted paediatrician R.Venkateswara Rao was presented the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Roots Health Foundation here on Sunday.

The awards usually given away on the occasion of the Doctor’s Day were given way to winners by Vijayawada East MLA Yalamanchilli Ravi and Vijayawada Income Tax Commissioner K.Ajay Kumar.

The meeting was inaugurated by Andhra Chamber of Commerce and Industry M.Murali Krishna. The Roots Foundation Service Award was given to eye specialists K.Sivaramakrishna, the award to best orthopedician was given to P.J. Brahmanand, award for best ayurvedic physician was given to Government Ayurvedic former prinicipal M.L.Naidu. Sentineni Hospital MD Moova Padma, business man Mohanchand Jaju, Time Hospital chairman Puvvada Ramakrishna, VIMS Chairman T.Arjuna Rao, IMA president L.Subba Rao, industrialist Anne Sivanageswara Rao, Krishna district anti-liquor awareness Committee chairman Kolluri Venkateswara Rao, N.M.A. state president C.N. Murthy and Roots Health Foundation chairman P.V.S.Vijayabhaskar, participated in the programme.

Abdul Azeem to streamline civic body functioning (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article3648622.ece)

Addressing a press conference, Mr. Azeem said that he required a week’s time to understand the finances of, and working conditions in, the Corporation.
Municipal Commissioner Md. Abdul Azeem assumed charge in Vijayawada on Monday evening.

Addressing a press conference, Mr. Azeem said that he required a week’s time to understand the finances of, and working conditions in, the Corporation. The root cause of the problems, if any, would be identified. Necessary planning would be made to keep momentum of the developmental works, he said.

The balance sheet, expenditure and revenues of the Corporation needed to be studied before any comments could be made on the finances and debts. Necessary measures would be taken to ensure that the people would not be burdened to tide over the crisis.

“Earlier, I worked in organisations that were in doldrums. Their functioning was streamlined. I am hopeful that I can repeat the feat here also,” he said.

When asked about political pressures, he said that pressures and cooperation would be there at any place of work. Later, he interacted with the Heads of the departments.

The State Government has appointed Mr. Azeem as Municipal Commissioner, who was working as Chief Executive Officer of Khadi & Village Industries, two days ago. He, however, assumed office on Monday as there were two holidays, including a second Saturday. Immediate past Municipal Commissioner G. Ravi Babu is undergoing training at Mussoorie.

Meanwhile, B.R. Satyanarayana, who is working as Joint Director in the office of Commissioner & Director Municipal Administration, also assumed charge as Additional Commissioner (General). P. Venkata Ramana, who was working as Additional Commissioner (General), has been repatriated to his parent department.

New motorbike launched (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article3648688.ece)

Bajaj Auto has introduced a 125 cc motorcycle in Varun Bajaj in Vijayawada. Deputy Transport Commissioner (DTC) A. Mohan released the Bajaj Discover 125 Sports Tourer (ST) vehicle on Monday.

Bajaj Auto has introduced a 125 cc motorcycle in Varun Bajaj in Vijayawada. Deputy Transport Commissioner (DTC) A. Mohan released the Bajaj Discover 125 Sports Tourer (ST) vehicle on Monday.

Mr. Mohan along with Varun Motors executive director P.V. Satyanarayana and director Prabhu Kishore presented the keys to the first five customers at the showroom.

Speaking on the occasion, the DTC said the new motorcycle which gives a sporty look is a fuel efficiency two-wheeler, as the maximum speed is 105 km. The specially designed ‘anti-vibration’ frame ensures enjoyable ride on all terrains.

Both self and kick starter facility was given for the motorcycle with 10 litre fuel tank capacity, he said.

Workshop on Android apps from tomorrow (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article3652901.ece)

The objective of the workshop is to create awareness on developing Android Apps and encourage students to develop their own applications which can be deployed on their Android mobiles.

The CSI (Computer Society of India) student chapter of SRK Institute of Technology, Vijayawada, plans to organise a three-day national-level workshop on “Android Apps Development” from Thursday (July 19). The objective of the workshop is to create awareness on developing Android Apps and encourage students to develop their own applications which can be deployed on their Android mobiles.

Chairman of CSI chapter, Vijayawada, A. Koteswara Roa, will inaugurate the event. The chapter’s coordinator D. Saritha said that the CSI had a huge network of about 90,000 members functioning under 71 different chapters and 418 student chapters across the country.

Director P. Venkata Narsaiah said that the objective of the CSI chapter was to help the student community keep abreast with the latest developments in technology based on the constantly altering needs of the society.

He said that such workshops would prepare students, especially those pursuing engineering courses, to face the tough competition in the job market in a confident way. Further details of the event can be had from the website: www.srkit.in/androidws. html

Malabar Gold showroom in Vijayawada (http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/marketing/article3675108.ece?homepage=true&ref=wl_home)

VIJAYAWADA, JULY 23:
Malabar Gold and Diamonds opened its showroom here on Sunday on the Mahatma Gandhi road and it was the sixty-ninth of the company, inaugurated by actor Hemamalini.

According to a press release, Mr M.P. Ahamed, Chairman of the group, said that the number of showrooms would touch 200 by 2015, as Malabar wanted to extend its operations across the country.

“At present, we have our presence in the four southern states, New Delhi and the Gulf. In the coming years, we want to expand to the northern states as well as Europe and the US. In Andhra Pradesh, we have three showrooms in Hyderabad and one each in Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Kurnool and Tirupati. We are shortly opening showrooms in Kakinada, Rajahmundry, Kadapa, Nellore and other AP towns,” he said.

Aim at achieving zero accidents, Vijayawada RTC drivers told (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article3677895.ece)

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A certificate of commendation given to driver who saved 20 passengers

It was his presence of mind that saved the lives of several passengers of a Metro Bus that caught fire at Vellaturu village in Krishna district on July 17. Vidyadharapuram depot driver K.Srinivasa Rao acted quickly to rescue about 20 passengers including children when his CNG bus caught fire.

“I got the smell of burning wire. I immediately pressed the battery cut-off switch and got down to check, but smoke started and a fire broke out. I got into the bus from the back door and pushed all the passengers out and took them away from the bus. The bus runs on CNG, there are about 11 cylinders,” Mr. Srinivasa Rao said.

Even as he was taking the passengers to safety and went to get water to extinguish the flames the fibreglass body of the bus caught fire and got burnt. But within 20 minutes both the fire and the Depot Manager were at the spot.

The villagers who saw Mr. Srinivasa Rao in action told the RTC authorities about his presence of mind. A certificate of commendation was given to Mr. Srinivasa Rao at the inauguration of the Accident Free Week function here on Monday. The goal of all APSRTC employees and drivers should be achieving ‘zero accidents’ said Executive Director M. Surya Prakash Rao. Lauding the drivers of Vidyadharapuram depot for reducing the accident rates, the executive director said that they should aim at achieving zero accidents.

The RTC Regional Manager Gopinath Reddy said training classes were being conducted for drivers to reduce accidents. The drivers were also being subjected to periodic medical examination to establish their fitness for the job. Breath Analysers were also being used to double check, Mr. Reddy said.

Vidyadharapuram RTC Depot Manager K. Nagendra Babu said that there has been a marked reduction in the accident rate of the depot buses. The number of death in accidents had come down to three when compared to five of the previous year. But the goal should be no deaths at all, he said. Both passengers and the families of the employees would feel secure if the accident rate was reduced, he said.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (traffic) Murali Krishna said that use of cellular phones while driving and two wheeler drivers not wearing helmets were the cause of the accidents, grievous and fatal accidents.

Water pipeline leak: VMC officials swing into action (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article3677889.ece)

The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) officials swung into action following a report published in these columns highlighting the plight of residents of Kondaiah Hotel on RTC Workshop Road in Vidyadharapuram here on Monday.

The residents of Kondaiah Hotel area, Narasimha Apartments etc. came running when a group of engineers and officials descended on the Workshop Road. They began pouring out their woes in front of the officials. The residents complained that the drinking water supplied to them was also stinking as it was getting contaminated in the underground pipelines. Some even brought water samples as testimony to their claims. The officials told them that they were trying to zero in on the problem, and would rectify at the earliest.

When contacted, Chief Engineer Kondal Rao said there was a leakage in the drinking water supply pipeline. The problem would be rectified in two days by identifying the leak and plugging it permanently.

Drive-in facility set up (http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/cities/regions/vijayawada/drive-facility-set-466)

A drive-in facility was provided at Vijayawada railway station west booking side for the first time in south India. Nearly five cars can be parked at the drive-in space developed on Platform No. 10. Inspe-cting the development works on Tuesday, railway divisional manager Anurag said that Platform No. 10 would be developed on par with Platform No. 1. He said the facility was provided here after Delhi, Howrah and Bhopal railway stations, for the convenience of passengers.

The DRM said that at present trains proceeding towards Hyderabad are being taken on Platform No. 10 and after updating interlocking system, trains from both sides will be taken on the platform. He said a passenger lift would be set up on Platform No. 10. Mr Anurag said the Platform No.s 8 and 9 also would be improved and additional foot over bridge would be constructed connecting Platform No.s 7 to 10. He said Camtech system was introduced at a cost of Rs.30 lakh to provide water to coaches with high pressure water release. With the new system, watering of trains will be completed in five minutes.

Besides, remodelling of Vijayawada yard Phase I was completed and the second and final stage works would be completed by November, he said.

Meanwhile, the DRM said that a road under bridge (RUB) would be constructed near Vambay Colony to prevent trespassing of people into railway yard. The RUB would help in providing road connectivity to residents of Vambay Colony to the city. The DRM said the circulating area in front of east booking was improved and drainage system was provided to prevent water logging of the area.

Mr Anurag said that th-ere was huge potential for increase in freight traffic from Krishnapatnam and Kakinada ports. Keeping in view the proposed Mac-hilipatnam port, they dev-eloped the existing platf-orm at Machilipatnam rai-lway station and are planning to take up further de-velopment works at the station, he said. A maintenance line was also commissioned at Machilipatnam, he said.

Mr Anurag also informed that the Kazipet-Vijayaw-ada third line was appro-ved in Railway Budget 2012-13 and survey has been taken up for this new line. Initially, the work on this line would be taken up between Vijayawada and Kondapalli. It would redu-ce the waiting of trains at outer signals and improve the movement of trains.

Couturier Shravan Kumar employs SIFT students (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article3733744.ece)

Hyderabad-based ace fashion designer Shravan Kumar went around the studio, interacted with students of the institute and assessed their level of performance.

Hyderabad-based ace fashion designer Shravan Kumar on Sunday inaugurated Samana Fashion House, a fashion production house rolled out of the stables of Samana Institute of Fashion Technology (SIFT) in the city.

After formally opening the add-on feature of SIFT, Mr. Shravan Kumar went around the studio, interacted with students of the institute and assessed their level of performance.

Impressed by the kind of work being carried out at SIFT, he said it was heartening to see a lot of sincere efforts being put to hone creative skills of students. “It will ultimately take them to a different level. I am particularly impressed by the cause behind the thought. Students are very enthusiastic that they will be able to create and sell their designs. This is something commendable,” said the designer.

Fashion choreographer Sunil Menon, who also attended the inaugural, said it was not enough to learn mere designing of the clothes. “It is important to create a market for your products and for that you need the right kind of platform. A designer must be able to communicate his creativity to his clients,” he said.

Underscoring the importance of ‘exposure’ and ‘experience’, he said the best part of SIFT students was that they were willing to work hard and put their best foot forward.

Later, amidst claps and cheers, Mr. Shravan Kumar announced induction of two SIFT students ---Reena Agarwal and Komal Bansali as designer and assistant production manager in his Hyderabad-based fashion studio.

“Today is a big day, not just for me but for Vijayawada city. Besides Reena and Komal, many other girls of SIFT have been offered placements in units run by designers in Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai. The remaining of them will be absorbed by the Samana Fashion House,” said Samana Moosavi, CEO of SIFT.

Vacancies in post offices to be filled (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article3737633.ece)

The last date for receipt of applications in the Assistant Superintendent of Posts office is September 9.

Applications from eligible candidates have been invited for the posts Gramin Dak Sevak Packer (GDS) and Packer/MC in the Vijayawada south sub-division and Vijayawada postal division.

The vacant posts are GDS packer in Arundelpet and Andhra Pradesh University of Health Sciences (APUHS) sub post-offices and GDS Packer/ MC in Patamata Lanka sub-post office. Interested candidates should be Matriculation pass or its equivalent examination and have adequate means of livelihood from independent source of income.

The last date for receipt of applications in the Assistant Superintendent of Posts office is September 9.

All applications should be submitted in sealed covers and sent through registered post/speed post addressed to Syed. Musa, Assistant Superintendent of Posts, Vijayawada south sub-division, Vijayawada- 520002. The applicants must mention the post they want to apply for on the envelope.

The applications will be opened on prefixed dates and timings at the office of Assistant Superintendent of Posts and all the applicants must be present on the day of opening. The applications for the posts of GDS packer in Arundelpet sub-post office will be opened on September 9 at 11 a.m., GDS packer in APUHS sub-post office at 3 p.m. the same day and for the post of GDS packer/MC in Patamata Lanka sub-post office on September 8 at 11 a.m.

For further details one may contact the Assistant Superintendent of Post Office.

[B]VMC ropes in ‘Burra Katha’ artistes (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article3745854.ece)[/B

To spread the message of ‘special sanitation drive’

The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC), with a view to reaching out to more number of people, has decided to make use of traditional media - Burra Katha. The Corporation has roped in Burra Katha artistes as part of its special sanitation drive.

Vijayawada (Central) MLA Malladi Vishnu launched the ‘Kala jathas’ here at the Vambay Colony on Wednesday. The Gangadhar Kala jatha gave a performance on the sanitation and safe drinking water.

The response from the public was encouraging and elders and children began pouring in at the venue soon after the artistes narrating story on the issue.

The team gave another performance at Anjaneya Vaagu, which is one of the most vulnerable areas for vector-borne diseases.

The Corporation will conduct similar programmes up to August 14. However, the schedule is not confirmed. The VMC plans to conduct two programmes daily at two locations, mostly slums and areas vulnerable to vector-borne and water-borne diseases.

The Corporation conducted similar programmes when the city was agog with malaria and dengue fevers some time ago.

Municipal Commissioner Md. Abdul Azeem has directed the officials to organise the special sanitation drive with a festive mood by involving residential welfare associations (RWAs) and sanitation committees. The AMOHs and sanitary inspectors were asked to mobilise all the RWAs, sanitation committees, Self-Help Groups, Mahila Mandali members, Rotary and Lions Clubs members at the drive.

The awareness programmes would be conducted in each Circle in the city. The Corporation has set an ambitious plan of declaring the city as a ‘litter free city’ by August 15, Independence Day.

The Municipal Commissioner has asked the sanitation staff to ensure that garbage/litter/left over packages were lifted between 5.30 a.m. and 6.30 a.m.

With subsequent sweeping to be completed around 7.30 a.m., the streets would be litter free before office hours.

Awakening patriotic spirit among people (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article3761488.ece)

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To rekindle patriotic zeal among the city-dwellers on the occasion of Independence Day, city-based K. Surya, a dance choreographer, came up with a bright idea of composing a ‘Freedom Dance’.

To bind people together with a patriotic cord, Surya and his team designed a programme of mass singing of ‘Vandemataram’ followed by the national anthem ‘Jana gana mana….’ at Tummalapalli Kshetrayya Kalakshetram.

The programme was dedicated to parents of a brave soldier who laid down his life in the Kargil war.

The couple was felicitated on the occasion.

“The whole idea is to awaken the patriotic spirit of individuals who ought to recognise the supreme sacrifices made by our brave soldiers who laid down their lives fighting on the border just to ensure that the nation is in safe hands,” said Surya.

This, in a way, created a record of rendering Vendemataram by so many people at one place in Vijayawada and the sight of the whole group singing together was awe-inspiring.

Students’ cooperation sought to make city beautiful (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article3770299.ece)

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Commissioner releases CD produced by students of SDM Siddhartha Mahila Kalasala

The progress of developed countries has never been environment friendly but they always put the blame on countries with more population, said VMC Mohammed Abdul Azeem.

Launching a CD of the documentary titled “It’s your hand, it’s your Vijayawada” , he lauded members of the Eco-Club of Siddhartha Mahila Kalasala for producing such a documentary.

If a person puts in hard work in his chosen profession success will definitely come to him, he said.

The Commissioner sought the cooperation of students for his initiatives to make the city more beautiful and save it from all environmental hazards.

The CD was a compilation of all the activities of the College’s Eco-club to save the environment. He appreciated the students for taking up such programmes. He hoped that students of other schools and colleges will follow their example to make Vijayawada litter-free and clean and green.

Siddhartha Academy president S. V. Vishnuvardhana Rao, secretary N. Venkateswarulu, treasurer P. Lakshmana Rao, College principal T. Vijaya Lakshmi and others participated in this programme. The college students shot the footage of their activities and also on some environmental themes to tell people that protection of environment was essential for our own survival in future.

Flaunting beacons on vehicles (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article3770326.ece)

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The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation has a new Commissioner in Mohammed Abdul Azeem and he has been conducting several drives to make the city a better place to live, but these days the vehicle he uses goes with a ‘red beacon’. The vehicle in the picture alongside was parked at the Siddhartha Mahila Kalasala on Monday.

Official vehicles used by only certain category of people are allowed to display the beacon in traffic. Red beacon with a flasher is allowed under communication of the State Transport Department based on Clause III of Rule no. 108 of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, from President to Ministers of the State.

Officials beginning with Chief Election Commissioner up to Chief Secretary of the State are allowed to use red beacon without a flasher. Amber beacon is allowed for district collectors and police superintendents in their respective jurisdiction only.

A blue beacon is allowed for ambulances, police vehicles, and Sub-Divisional Magistrates. Deputy Transport Commissioner A. Mohan told The Hindu that only certain category of officials are allowed to use beacons and the Transport Department and Police officials can check its misuse. The notification No.52 Dated.11th January, 2002 of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has specified what a vehicle carrying which high dignitary shall be permitted to use.

In States such as Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, flouting of these norms have become the most common.

18 colonies in city declared litter-free (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article3775052.ece)

Fortnight-long special sanitation drive concludes

As many as 18 colonies in the city have been declared ‘litter-free’ by the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC).

The VMC announced this on Tuesday at the valedictory of a fortnight-long special sanitation drive launched by it.

The colonies are Srinagar Colony, Ambedkar Colony, Teachers’ Colony, Mutyalampadu, Police Line Colony, Siddharth Nagar, APIIC Colony, Nagarjuna Nagar Colony, Currency Nagar, Swammy Ayyappa Colony, Mega Township, New RTC Colony, Electricity Colony, Laxmipathy Nagar, JD Nagar, RTC Colony, Gayathri Nagar, and KP Nagar.

The role of Municipal Commissioner Md. Abdul Azeem came in for wide appreciation for successful completion of the drive.

Addressing the meeting, Vijayawada Central MLA Malladi Vishnu complimented Mr. Azeem for making residents to take an active part in the drive.

MONSOON SEASON

Reminding that monsoon season was the time when mosquitoes found ample breeding ground, sometimes resulting in outbreak of diseases like malaria and dengue, he said the awareness drive must be continued in slums.

MLA Vellampalli Srinivas said people of the city must extend their cooperation to the municipal staff in making Vijayawada a litter-free city. He also called for an end to use of plastic.

CLEAR MESSAGE

The VMC relied on traditional mode of entertainment like ‘burra katha’ to send home its message loud and clear.

These troupes launched ‘kala jathas’ in the areas like VAMBAY Colony.

Residential welfare associations (RWAs) and sanitation committees also participated.

The objective was to clear all the litter as part of the special drive and break into celebrations in a city free of litter on Independence Day.

A power-point presentation on how the colonies achieved litter-free status was presented and appreciation certificates were given to the litter-free residential welfare associations.

Mr. Azeem, city Police Commissioner N. Madhusudhan Reddy and a host of other officials from the allied departments were present.

Efforts on to augment revenue, says Municipal Commissioner (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article3778680.ece)

Independence Day celebrated in a grand manner in the city

The 66th Independence Day was celebrated in a grand manner at the municipal corporation, Parade Grounds, and other parts in the city on Wednesday.

Municipal Commissioner Md. Abdul Azeem, who unfurled the national flag at the VMC office, said that necessary steps were being taken to pool resources to complete the ongoing developmental works.

Sustained efforts were being made to get the dues under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) programme from the State government. The corporation was also chalking out plans to augment the revenue and attract investments.

Later, he handed over appreciation letters to employees of the VMC. CMOH M. Satyanarayana Raju, SEs Moses Kumar, Venkateswara Rao, city planner S. Chakrapani and others were present.

Police Commissioner N. Madhusudhan Reddy, while taking part in the celebrations at parade grounds, listed the measures taken to bring down the crime rate in the city. The fatal accident rate that stood at 7.95 (number of deaths per 10,000 vehicles) in 2010 was brought down to 5.91 in 2011. The city police took effective measures in controlling ragging in colleges. The vigil was stepped up to keep a tab on inter-state and inter-district criminals, he said.

At railway stadium

South Central Railway (SCR) Vijayawada divisional Railway manager Pradeep Kumar unfurled the national flag at the railway stadium. He took salute from various contingents which participated in the march past. All the branch officers of Vijayawada division and president and members of the SCR Women’s Welfare Organisation, students of the railway school also participated in the celebrations. Independence Day was also celebrated at the State Information Centre (SIC) and Information and Public Relations joint director office, and Divisional Public Relations Officer (DPRO). The staff rendered national anthem and recalled the services of freedom fighters.

Civil supplies officers T. Sivaram Prasad and Komali Padma hoisted the national flag at civil supplies office. They stressed on the need to continue the national spirit for better society and nation. Circle 1 and 2 RIs, fair price shop dealers, association leaders and others took part in the celebrations.

Fun-filled day for destitute children (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article3794754.ece)

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The Sai Jewel Convention Hall near Gurunanak Colony teemed with bubbly kids frolicking around on Saturday.

Nearly 1,200-odd children, a mix of students from government-run schools and orphans and destitute children being taken care of by local NGOs, became part of the eventful day that unfolded loads of fun activities for them.

Christened ‘Balakalakaar – Mega Day’, the event was orchestrated by members of the Vijayawada chapter of AIESEC (Association internationale des étudiants en sciences économiques et commerciales) or International Economic and Commercial Sciences Students Association, which has its international office at Rotterdam in Netherlands.

The organisation is active in 116 countries and territories with over 60,000 members across the globe and is said to be world’s largest student-run organisation.

About 10 children from Jattu, a Visakhapatnam-based organisation focussing on welfare of orphan children from tribal communities, entertained the young audience by presenting traditional dance forms of Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi.

After lunch session that turned out to be equally enjoyable in the company of many others of their like, it was time for the mega event of the day – a painting contest for children belonging to the 6-12 age group.

The first prize was bagged by a student of Navajeevan School, second by Aravind High School at Kunchanapalli, and third by SKCV Children’s Trust.

By sheer coincidence, all three winners chose ‘Save Environment’ as their theme.

Besides taking care of the transportation of the children from their respective schools to the venue, the organisers provided them with painting kits, which included pencils, erasers, sketch pens, crayons, and postal colours.

Even while experts were judging the art work of the children to finalise the winners, the children let their hair down and broke into a song and dance sequence.

Local Committee Coordinator M. Siddharth, team leaders P. Vishal, R.Tejo and M. Manish and others like P. Praveena and M. Spandana coordinated the event.

Award for The Hindu photographer (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article3794752.ece)

Photographer of The Hindu based in Vijayawada, V.Raju bagged the third prize for a photograph on animal sacrifice at the State-level contest conducted by Andhra Pradesh Photo Journalists Association (APPJA).

The picture which is too gruesome to publish in these columns is of the decapitation of a ram as an offering to the noted village deity, Ganganamma thalli, in Kaikaluru village in Krishna district.

Devotees sacrifice animals to the deity during the sravanamasam (end of July and beginning of August).

People from the village come home during the season and all the households in the village contribute money for the purchase of a few rams. The rams are first taken around the village covering every household. The womenfolk offer prayer to the sacrificial rams with water “purified” with neem leaves, turmeric and vermillion power.

The rams are taken to the temple and more pujas are performed. The rams are then taken back to the village and sacrificed there. The entire village then shares the meat. The photograph captures the severing of the ram’s head with one single blow of a huge knife specially designed for it.

Confusion over maintenance of animal enclosures (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article3835200.ece)

VMC officials exploring the possibility of leasing them out to generate revenue

With the change of guard in the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation, the issue of maintaining the bird and animal enclosures at Rajiv Gandhi Park here has surfaced again.

Municipal Commissioner Md. Abdul Azeem has asked officials to explore the possibility of maintaining the wild animals at the park. The officials, however, are perplexed over it, as the Indian Forest Act, 1927, does not permit caging of wild animals.

It may be recalled that the former Municipal Commissioner, P. S. Pradyumna, had asked the officials concerned to hand over the birds and animals to the Forest Department citing difficulties in maintaining them.

The VMC officials, following Mr. Pradyumna’s suggestion, approached the Forest Department, but had to face a volley of questions such as “Is there a licence?”, “Have user charges been paid?”, and “From where the birds and animals have been procured?”

The VMC officials found no records to answer these questions. Consequently, the Forest Department expressed its inability to take possession of these birds and animals without the permission from the higher-ups in Hyderabad.

A deer died when a pack of dogs attacked it in the park in 2010. In the post-mortem, dogbites were found on the deer. Plastic bags were also found in the stomach of the deer. Thereafter, much attention was not paid on maintenance of the birds and animals at the park.

With fresh instructions from the Commissioner, the VMC officials are now inclined towards the second option of leasing out the vacant enclosures to agencies such as the KFC or pizza sellers.

The proposal to maintain wild animals would open a Pandora’s box as, under the Forest Act, it was necessary to create a natural ambience even if the corporation wanted to maintain only deer and peacocks.

This was not possible at the park. Hence, the best option before it was to go for revenue generation, officials say.

There are love birds, khazana ducks, monkeys, tortoises, guinea pigs and fowls, peacocks, Japan fowls, and aquariums in the park. In all, there are 200 birds, fish, and animals.

Malaria fever rampant in city (http://www.deccanchronicle.com/node/153011)

Following incessant rains in Vijayawada city for the last one week, cases of fever, including malaria, are increasing. As many as 51 cases of fever were rep-orted on the Vijayawada municipal corporation hel-pline on Tuesday as again-st 40 cases on Monday.

Fever cases are being reported from Krishnal-anka, Darsipet, Durgapur-am and Madhuranagar areas in the city.

These include 20 malaria cases against 13 on Monday. Many more malaria cases are unnoticed as people are undergoing treatment at private hospitals.

Municipal commissioner Md. Abdul Azim launched a special sanitation drive immediately after assuming charge and won the applause of people. Despite the drive, mosquitoes are increasing with stagnant water and clogged drains at several places in the city.

Commenting on the mosquito menace, the municipal commissioner said that the VMC was coming out with logistic methods to curb mosquitoes on a day-to-day basis instead of special drives. However, no cases of fevers were reported from Rajarajeswaripet in the city this year. Former corporator Yerubotu Ramana Rao said that the division was free from fever at present.

Municipal officials conducted medical camps in the division last year with increasing number of fever including malaria and dengue.

The mosquito menace is rampant in suburban areas of Sanatnagar, Kanuru, Tulasinagar, Siddiquenagar which fall under Kanuru panchayat limits.

It is also prevalent in Wynchpet, Kothapet, KL Raonagar, Chittinagar hill region, Nizamgate Centre and Vidyadharapuram due to clogged drains.

Counselling for health varsity courses (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article3861547.ece)

Dr. NTR University of Health Sciences will hold counselling from September 10.

Dr. NTR University of Health Sciences will hold counselling for admission into B.Sc. nursing, four-year Bachelor of Physiotherapy (BPT), and B.Sc. (Medical Lab Technology) courses for the 2012-13 academic year from September 10. The candidates have been asked to attend counselling along with their merit order that can be downloaded from the university website: https://ntruhs.ap.nic.in; by entering their name, demand draft number and date of birth.

Verification of certificates for the physically challenged candidates will take place from 9.30 a.m. on Monday for all the three courses only on Dr. NTR University Campus at Vijayawada. Counselling for the general category will be held at Hyderabad – JNTUH, Kukatpally, on university campus at Vijayawada and Old MBA Building, SV University in Tirupati.

Counselling for B.Sc. Nursing 4 years course will begin on Tuesday (September 11) at 9 a.m. and continue till September 15, while the counselling for BPT will take place at 9 a.m. on September 16 and September 17 for B.Sc. MLT, according to University Registrar T. Venugopala Rao.

Rotary programmes for youth from today (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article3861501.ece)

Special programmes for youth will be conducted by the Rotary Club of Vijayawada Mid Town from September 5 to 30.

At an official release of the brochure here on Tuesday, club president A. Satish Babu said the initiative was part of the New Generation month programme of the club. All the programmes would be for youth, he said. The series of programmes would start with the celebration of Teacher’s Day on September 5 at S.R.S.V. B.Ed College and continue with a special counselling on future of engineering graduates at S.R.K. Engineering College on September 6, guest lecture by actor Tanikella Bharani on ‘Be the Leader’ at Siddhartha Auditorium on September 7, and mock interview at V.R. Siddhartha Engineering College on September 8.

Skating contest

District-wide skating competitions will be conducted at Dhandamudi Rajagopal Rao Indoor Stadium on September 9. A guest lecture on ‘Path to Success’ by psychologist B.V. Pattabhiram at Potti Sri Ramulu Engineering College will be held on September 13, an awareness programme on chartered accountancy will be held at Siddhartha Women’s College on September 18, and competitions in group dance in Siddhartha Auditorium will be organised on September 22. Prizes will be distributed on September 30 at Hotel Gateway. Club’s New Generation directors D. Rajendra and P. Rama Krishna were present.

Vijayawada's Krishnaveni Union looking to expand (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article3869663.ece)

Targets to procure 30,000 litres of milk this financial year

The Krishnaveni Krishna District Milk Producers Cooperative Union will target procuring 30,000 litres in the current financial year expanding its current size of 20,000 litres.

The Krishnaveni Union Chairman Bullaiah Chowdhary said that they collect about 22,000 lt. in a lean season and 30,000 litres at the peak, but processing is done only to the tune of their market share of 20,000 litres for all milk products put together.

The union currently procures milk from 245 centres and proposes to enhance it to 489 centres and currently it has 12 Bulk Milk Chilling Units, which would be augmented by 12 more in the year ahead.

Currently it gives 2,000 litres to the Andhra Pradesh Dairy Development Cooperatives Federation Ltd. to be picked up by other unions or get it processed for products at the Sangam Dairy in Vadlamudi in Guntur district. No preservatives like formalin or neutralizers are added and strict quality is maintained, he said.

The union gets the milk processed at the Kankipadu milk factory with a 50,000 litre capacity. Vijayawada city has a total consumption of about 3.25 lakh litres of milk in both domestic and commercial segments and it has a very small share of 20,000 litres with Krishna Union (Chittinagar) taking the major chunk of 2 lakh litres marketing. He blamed several milk unions and private operators for vitiating the milk market by creating unhealthy competition by offering additional percentage of commission to the vendors and capturing them.

The Krishnaveni Union also proposes to open parlours in the city at vantage points to improve its presence and sell its products in retail. Mobile veterinary vans have been pressed into service and regular cattle health camps are organised, he said.

‘Cultivate the reading habit’ (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article3873956.ece)

International Literacy Day celebrations was held on the Delhi Public School premises in Vijayawada

Literacy has different connotations for different people and just knowing to read and write does not mean literacy, though that constitutes the literal meaning of ‘literacy’, opined speakers at the International Literacy Day celebrations on the Delhi Public School premises in Vijayawada on Friday.

The role of newspapers in improving the literacy rate and widening the knowledge sphere was discussed and the need for improving reading habits highlighted.

The Andhra Loyola College Head of Department of Library Science G.A. Prasada Rao described various forms of information platforms and described journals and periodicals as essential for improving vocabulary on a daily basis. School dean S.B. Rao said literacy was confined to statistics and those numbers did not mean anything until real education was imparted. Reading good books can make a person truly literate and improve one’s social behaviour.

School English Department Head Shanthi Ramanujam, Vice-Principal P.K. Sankaralingam, and director of the school were present in the interactive session with students of Classes X to XII on the school campus at Nidamanuru.

The winners in essay writing competition were 1st prize - Shashank Rao Palety (Class 12); 2nd prize - Hamsini (Class 9); 3rd prize - Nikitha (Class 9); drawing competition 1st prize - V. Mamitha (Class 7), 2nd prize - K. Madhu Charan (Class 7), 3rd prize - Sai Anurag (Class 8).

Ritz Diesel hits the road in Vijayawada (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article3873971.ece)

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In the latest version of this variant, 52 changes have been made

The new diesel version of Maruti Suzuki has been launched in the city by State Bank of India Deputy General Manager (Business and Operations) Hannah Rachael Mani. The bank official formally launched the car on the showroom premises of Varun Motors Pvt. Limited in the city on Friday and handed over the keys to the first buyer. The company achieved sale of 2 lakh cars in this variant in 37 months and in the latest version launched on Friday, 52 changes have been made, said the Varun Motors Executive Director R.C. Raju.

Major changes

The major changes included front look, electrically adjustable rear view mirror, dual tone interiors, etc.

The per litre mileage of the vehicle has been improved from 21.1 kmpl to 23.2 kmpl, he added. The Chief Executive officer Srinivas said that the car at the lowest end would be available at Rs.5.46 lakh and goes up to Rs.6.40 lakh.

Speed up highway expansion work, says Collector (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article3873965.ece)

‘The Gundugolanu-Vijayawada road should be made six-lane’

Collector Budhaprakash Jyothi directed the officials to speedup land acquisition works for extending highways in the district.

At a review meeting with National Highway Authorities of India (NHAI) and Revenue department here on Friday, Mr. Budhaprakash said the officials should complete land acquisition works for widening National Highways 5 and 9, and the Vijayawada-Machilipatnam road.

The Gundugolanu-Vijayawada road should be made six-lane, and the officers should prepare proposals for widening Machilipatnam-Nuzvid road. He appealed to the NHAI and Revenue authorities to identify the schools, hospitals and other government structures which are removed in road widening works, and arrange alternative sites for the buildings.

The Collector directed the officers to prepare estimations for laying bypass road for Vijayawada and Hanuman Junction. Joint Collector P. Usha Kumari, RDOs, NHAI Project Director C.S.N. Murthy and other officials attended.

Inauguration of BRTS corridor to be delayed further (http://ibnlive.in.com/news/inauguration-of-brts-corridor-to-be-delayed-further/293426-60-114.html)

The inauguration of 3.5 km Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) corridor from Seethannapet to Gunadala seems to be further delayed as the Vijayawada Urban Transport Company Limited (VUTCL) is yet to hold its board of directors meeting to arrive at a decision on plying of buses, fare and other things.
According to official sources, district collector and VUTCL chairman Buddha Prakash M Jyothi and municipal commissioner MD Abdul Azeem are not keen on launching the BRTS project at the earliest.
It may be recalled here that former municipal commissioner G Ravi Babu announced that the BRTS project would be inaugurated in June. The VUTCL is yet to meet even three months after the announcement.
Both the collector and commissioner who are new to the place, may take time to study the project before arriving at a final decision on introducing BRTS buses, sources added.
It is learnt that the APSRTC is also not evincing interest to operate BRTS buses fearing that the project is not economically viable.
Local leaders have flayed the VMC officials for the undue delay in inauguration of the BRTS corridor.CPM city secretary Ch Babu Rao said the BRTS project which began 5 years ago, was way behind schedule due to lack of proper coordination among the APSRTC, VMC and district collector.
The APSRTC is the major stakeholder in the project with 51 per cent equity. The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation and Vijayawada Guntur Tenali Mangalagiri Urban Development Authority are the other stakeholders with 25 per cent and 24 per cent equity respectively in the project.

Passionate about making Green Ganeshas (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article3910340.ece)

Three youths, including a Christian, have been making idols for the past six years

Three ardent lovers of environment and zeal to do something for society have stood an example for ‘communal harmony’ for the past six years celebrating Ganesh Chavithi publicly at Gollapudi on Vijayawada outskirts.

These youth instead of indulging in publicity blitzkrieg about their activities, bring soft clay soil from an island in river Krishna as that does not let the idol crack even after 11 days of celebrations. Six years ago Vanapalli Jaya Babu, a vegetable vendor and his brother Suresh, running a dry-cleaning service, was joined by Kanathala Das, a Christian by faith, and an employee in moulding a one-foot Ganesha idol to feed about 200 people.

Every year the size of the idol went up by one foot and this year it is six feet, with the youth promising to feed 2,500 people during the 11 days. People in the colony donate vegetables, rice and other groceries without even a formal request and some people provide the puja material or the shamiana required for the idol.

Taking a step further, the three contribute their time and creativity in moulding the idol without taking any help from professionals.

The trio has decided to distribute saplings to all the people interested in growing a tree and thus spread the green message. Last year when Anna Hazare’s wave swept the country, the trio made Ganesha idol look like a soldier and named it Sainik Vinayaka putting up a Tricolour in the Lord’s hands. Those wishing to take inspiration from the trio or support them in their effort could reach them over Phone No. 8977114564.

Rs 3.30 cr. released for buying Vijayawada GGH equipment (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article3910329.ece)

'It has been decided to install bio-metric system in the GGH for controlled access soon'

District Collector S. Suresh Kumar said a sum of Rs 3.30 crore was released from Hospital Development Society (HDS) and Arogyasri funds for purchasing equipment in the Government General Hospital (GGH) in Vijayawada.

Similarly, a sum of Rs 20 crore was allotted for creating additional infrastructure in the Guntur Medical College which has ambitious plans for the future. Funds for this are being released in phases.

Addressing a review meeting at the GGH in Vijayawada on Monday, Mr. Suresh Kumar said it has been decided to install bio-metric system in the GGH for controlled access soon and make the C.C. cameras fully functional.

He said there were some complaints of patients being forced to pay for the services availed by them in the GGH. Stringent action would be taken against those financially squeezing the poor patients, he warned.

The Collector was told that all the hospital staff and doctors would be strictly adhering to dress code and doing their best for meeting the health-care requirements of the patients most of whom hail from poor sections of society. GGH Superintendent Ch. Mohan Rao was present.

Raj Bhasha shield for Vijayawada division (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article3900547.ece)

The DRM said that the officers, typists/stenographers were trained in Hindi typing and stenography

Vijayawada Railway Division of the South Central Railway has been awarded the General Manager’s Raj Bhasha Efficiency Shield, for showing best performance in using Hindi language for 2011.

Divisional Railway Manager Pradeep Kumar, who is also the Town Official Language Implementation Committee, reviewed the implementation of official language in various sections, with Additional DRM S. Subba Rao and other officers in Vijayawada on Friday.

Announcing the achievement at a press conference the DRM said personnel branch office superintendent, Lakshmi Nancharamma, received the Railway Board’s Individual Cash Award for doing meritorious work in implementing Hindi.

One more officer and four employees of Vijayawada Division received the General Manager’s Individual Cash Awards for doing commendable work in Hindi, during 2011-12.

The awards were presented by the SCR General Manager, during the Zonal Raj Bhasha Fortnight Celebrations, held at Secunderabad, on Friday, said Mr. Pradeep Kumar.

Explaining about the measures being taken to implement use of Hindi, the DRM said that the officers, typists/stenographers were trained in Hindi typing and stenography.

Training is being imparted to computer operators for doing work in Hindi through Unicode.

Official Language officer Sunkara Chiranjeevi and others were present.

Change the ambience of your home (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article3900552.ece)

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All varieties of plants are available at the exhibition

A 10-day long horticulture exhibition began at Madhu Function Hall in Vijayawada on Friday.

The Siddhartha Academy of General and Technical Education secretary Nalluri Venkateswarlu, who inaugurated the expo, emphasised the need to promote indoor and outdoor plantation to check the increasing pollution levels. “Plants, be it indoor or outdoor, change the ambiance of the house. Gardening adds beauty to the house, besides giving healthy and pollution-free air,” he said.

Pointing to the fact that the trend of kitchen gardening was fast picking up in the city, he suggested that people could grow vegetables and spices as they could be grown in flower pots as well. “Climbers are also hot favourites as they do not occupy much space,” he said.

Event organiser Satish Agarwal said all varieties of indoor and outdoor plants were available at the exhibition. Garden tools, organic manure, ceramic and plastic pots were also available at the expo. In addition to this, decorative plastic climbers, plants and water fountains were also on sale, he said.

A ray of hope for builders (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/article3921518.ece)

Builders finally have a reason to heave a sigh of relief. After running from pillar to post to make their sand-related grievances heard, the Government seems to have taken note of their miseries.

News that the Government plans to allot 40-odd sand reaches to the Mines Department for supply of sand at Rs. 325 per cubic metre has given the fraternity a ray of hope.

Reports indicate that the Krishna district initially may be allotted one reach against 12 to its neighbouring Guntur district. More reaches would be allotted to Krishna after securing environment clearance, it is said.

“This is indeed a positive step. Due to severe shortage of sand, we are forced to shell out between Rs. 1200 and Rs. 1500 to buy a tonne of sand while the Government rate will cost us Rs. 200 per tonne or not more than Rs. 400 per tonne with transport facility,” says Gadde Rajaling, president of Greater Vijayawada Builders Association.

The Krishna river bed alone has 72 sand reaches. Hit by an unprecedented scarcity of sand, builders have been incurring huge financial losses. “We are under tremendous pressure. Works at the projects have come to a standstill for want of sand and resultantly, many clients have asked for cancellation of deals while financiers are exerting pressure for recovery of their money,” Mr. Rajaling rues. The sand crisis has had a cascading impact. A major chunk of the migrant labour from the states of Bihar, Jharkhand and Orissa has returned home in the absence of work causing severe shortage of skilled workers and escalation of the labour cost by 30 per cent.

Vijayawada: hundreds of priests and nuns prepare for the Year of Faith (http://www.asianews.it/notizie-it/Vijayawada:-centinaia-di-sacerdoti-e-suore-si-preparano-per-l%E2%80%99Anno-della-Fede-25963.html)

Vijayawada (AsiaNews) - A day dedicated to the study of Porta Fidei and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, to prepare for the Year of Faith and its significance for India. Over 100 priests, nuns and religious attended yesterday's meeting, organized by the Conference of Religious India (CRI) of the Diocese of Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh) in Stella Maris College Franciscan Sisters Missionaries. Divided into two sessions, the meeting opened with a Eucharistic celebration presided over by Fr. Valley Joji Babu and p. Damala Vijaya Kumar, director of Prerana Youth Centre.

P. Babu opened and led the first part of the day. "As in married life - he explained - the heart and intellect must come together to experience the bliss, so in the Christian community must unite the hearts of everyone to experience the faith expressed in the celebration of the liturgy, the reading of the Gospel in charity toward the sick and needy . the only way we can make Christ's living presence in the community. "

In the second part of the meeting, p. Kumar stressed "the importance of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) for the local Churches, in its" systematic and organic synthesis "of the many ways in which the Church has reflected on faith and doctrine. Moreover, the priest stressed the need to organize adult catechesis in parishes and in all educational centers.

In the city of Vijayawada, home of the rally, Christians are more than 10% of the population (about 1 million people). The diocese has more than 145 congregations, with more than 1000 consecrated men and women.

The Year of Faith will begin on October 11, the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council and in the 20th of the publication of the Catechism, will end on the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ the King, November 24, 2013. Benedict XVI has proclaimed the Year of Faith in the Apostolic Letter Porta Fidei , published on 11 October 2011.

Vijayawada Railway Division to Run Special Trains for Dussehra (http://www.aegindia.org/2012/10/vijayawada-railway-division-run-special-trains-dussehra/214309.html)

Vijayawada Railway Division to Run Special Trains for Dussehra

Vijayawada: Vijayawada Railway Division officer F R Michel has informed that keeping in view, the rush of passengers during Dusshera festival, railways are running special trains between Visakhapatnam-Chennai, Visakhapatnam-Sainagar Shirdi and Secunderabad-Tirupati.

Visakhapatnam-Chennai-Visakhapatnam Train no. 02869-02870: This service will be available from 1st October to 29th October 2012 on every Monday. This starts from Visakhapatnam on every Monday at 7.20 and reach Vijayawada at 01.25 am and Chennai Central at 8.55 am the next day. In its return journey, the train starts at 8.10 pm on Tuesday night from Chennai central and reach Vijayawada at 4.00 am and Visakhapatnam on 10.25 am on Wednesday.
Visakhapatnam-Sainagar Shirdi-Visakhapatnam train no. 02801/02802: This service will begin its journey on every Thursday from 4th October to 25th October, 2012 from Visakhapatnam. It reached Vijayawada at 3.20pm, Hyderabad at 9.10.pm and reach Sainagar Shirdi at 12.15 on Friday afternoon. Again it starts on every Friday from Sainagar Shirdi from 5th to 26th October at 7.10 on and reach Secunderabad at 9.25 am; Vijayawada at 3.20 pm and Visakhapatnam at 8.20 pm.
Secunderabad-Tirupati-Secunderabad train no. 07145/07146: This service will be available for the passengers on 22nd and 29th of October. This runs between Hyderabad and Vijayawada. It starts at Secunderabad at 11.30 pm and reached Vijayawada the next day at 5.10 am and reaches Tirupati at 11.55 pm. In the return journey, it starts at Tirupati on 23rd and 30th at 7.55 pm and reaches Vijayawada at 2.40 am. It reaches Secunderabad the next morning at 9.10am.

Course introduced for fashion entrepreneurs in Vijaywada (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/course-introduced-for-fashion-entrepreneurs-in-vijaywada/article3964336.ece)

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The homemakers in the City can now have an option of doing something creative with the introduction of a new “Entrepreneurship Development Programme” (EDP) course in fashion designing.

At the inception of the programme at Samana Institute of Fashion Technology (SIFT), it was introduced in a special seminar by celebrity designer Shravan Kumar from Hyderabad.

The specially targeted course for women will train them in production and marketing of fashionable garments.

“My main intention behind starting this course is to increase the economic standards of women in Vijayawada”, said SIFT CEO Samana Moosavi.

Many women already do some sort of clothes designing from their homes, but they lack proper knowledge about the whole process, she observed.

The course, in 116 sessions over a period of three months, will train them in all the aspects of production house, she added.

The course planned in collaboration with the management of National Institute of Fashion Technology will have classes from renowned designers like Shravan Kumar, P.L. Panda, Krishna Mehta and Zubin Vakil.

Students will be required to spend a minimum of six hours daily for the course but the timings are flexible if a group of people come together, said the CEO.

Admissions

Admissions have already begun for the course and the Institute also provides the facility of getting interested students banking support on their guarantee.

Designer Shravan Kumar gave a special presentation to the students on the changing fashion trends over the world like the Japanese asymmetry. Later, he checked out designs of the students for their upcoming show and gave personal inputs.

“Give a surprise element which your city people are unaware of”, was the advice he gave to the students.

Ports major source of revenue for Vijayawada rail division (http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/logistics/article3967983.ece)

VIJAYAWADA, OCT 5:
Krishnapatnam and Kakinada ports have been a major source of revenue for Vijayawada railway division, official sources here said.

In the first half of the current financial year, the Vijayawada railway division earned Rs 1,293.42 crores against Rs 1,058.01 crores during the same period last year, showing a growth of 22.25 per cent, South Central Railway’s Vijayawada divisional railway manager, Pradeep Kumar said in a release issued here.

Of this, the total goods earnings of the division were Rs 983.05 crores, a growth of 27.42 per cent over the same period last year.

The Krishnapatnam port, which is under private management, provided Rs 414.55 crores of revenue to the rail division.

The port alone contributed 44.65 per cent of revenue of the division from goods.

Besides, Kakinada port contributed Rs 165.45 crores to the division in the first half of this fiscal.

Also, the division earned Rs 259.19 crores from passengers, Pradeep Kumar said.

Vijayawada Municipal Corporation seals shops violating norms (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/vijayawada-municipal-corporation-seals-shops-violating-norms/article3960862.ece)

Officials of the public health department in Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) on Tuesday conducted surprise checks and sealed shops selling chicken, mutton, fish and prawns, in violation of the prohibitory orders issued in view of Gandhi Jayanthi.

The shops that came under VMC scanner were ‘Chicken ‘n’ Chicken’ at Darsipet, Basha Mutton Centre at Patamata, A1 Chicken Centre at Giripuram and many other mutton and chicken selling shops at Mogulrajpuram, said the Corporation’s Chief Medical Officer M. Satyanarayana Raju.

Sanitary inspectors, led by officials of the public health department, inspected areas like Singhnagar, Old Payakapuram, Mutyalampadu, Madhuranagar, Arundelpet, Krishnalanka, Ramalingeswara Nagar, Patamata, Darsipet, Gunadala and Machavaram, sealed shops that were found to be violating orders and seized 50 kg chicken, 25 kg mutton, 40 kg fish and five kg prawns.

A fine of Rs. 10,500 was collected from the violators. Public health wing officers Ratnavali, Gopal Naik, Babu, Srinivas, and Z. Srinivasa Rao and sanitary supervisors Subba Rao and Jai Surya and others participated in the inspections.

Athletics meet off to a colourful start (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/athletics-meet-off-to-a-colourful-start/article3960836.ece)

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Cultural programmes by schoolchildren mark the inaugural session

Minister for Stamps and Registrations Thota Narasimham on Tuesday asked the youth to pursue sports and games with determination, for success will change their lives for better. He cited the example of ace shuttler Saina Nehwal and the name and fame she achieved after her London Olympics feat.

The Minister, who is also in charge of Krishna district, was in Vijayawada to inaugurate the three-day Andhra Pradesh Junior Athletic Championship for boys and girls. He also relives his days as a State kabaddi player and shared his experiences with the athletes.

New rule

Andhra Pradesh Athletic Association secretary Ranga Rao said that the association introduced a new rule by allowing the athletes representing their academies, hostels and training centres to compete in the individual events.

“Earlier, the athletes from academies, hostels, and other training centres were asked to represent their respective native districts. The role of coaches in the success of the athletes of academies and hostels went unnoticed as the achievements were claimed by the coaches of the district associations. The new rule will be a boost to the coaches of the academies,” said Mr. Rao.

The three-day meet will witness around 1,300 athletes taking part in the under-14, 16, 18, and 20 segments in both boys and girls and the Andhra Pradesh contingent to take part in the national junior athletic championship to be held in Lucknow from October 27 will be picked up on the concluding day.

The inaugural session witnessed the local schoolchildren performing various cultural programmes along with a colourful march-past by the district contingents.

City MLAs Malladi Vishnu and Velampalli Srinivas, MLC Ilapuram Venkaiah, Krishna District Congress Committee president N. Narasimha Rao, Sunflower Group Managing Director M. Punnam Raju, ‘C’ Channel Managing Director Ramesh, Krishna District Athletic Association president Ramesh Jain, secretary A. Raghavendra Rao, senior auditor S. A. Naidu and others took part in the inaugural function.

PAC summons VMC Commissioner (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/pac-summons-vmc-commissioner/article3971583.ece)

The panel expresses concern over the official’s absence at a review meet

Expressing concern over the absence of Vijayawada Municipal Commissioner Mohammad Abdul Azeem during the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) review meeting here on Friday, the panel directed him to appear before the PAC on October 17.

Speaking to the newsmen later, PAC Chairman Revuri Prakash Reddy said that the committee served summons on the Commissioner and the matter would be taken to the notice of the Chief Secretary and the Principal Secretary (Municipal Administration).

The VMC had allocated 10 acres of land to Sriram Power Generation Project, on the city outskirts, but, it was alleged that the company had mortgaged the land violating the norms.

The VMC officials, however, could not clarify as to whether the land was mortgaged; any criminal case was booked against the parties involved and the delay in taking up the project.

The PAC directed the District Collector Buddha Prakash M. Jyothi to conduct a review on the issue and submit a report.

We received complaints on deviation of Vijayawada, Guntur, Tenali and Mangalagiri Urban Development Authority (VGTMUDA) plans by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) on outer ring road, he said.

Clarification

Meanwhile, the Municipal Commissioner clarified that as he was busy filing a recall petition in the High Court, over a Non-Bailable Warrant (NBW) issued by the Third Metropolitan Magistrate Court, in Vijayawada, he had sent his officials.

In the note issued to the press on Friday, the Commissioner said that since he was attending to the draft of NBW over phone with the legal superintendent, he had asked the Superintending Engineer and Chief Medical and Health Officer to attend the PAC meeting.

“I have highest regard for the PAC and had no intention to neglect or avoid the review meeting.

I rushed to the meeting hall and explained the Committee Chairman the reasons for the delay in attending the review meeting”, said Mr. Azeem.

Pulichintala project: PAC raps officials (http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/andhra-pradesh/pulichintala-project-pac-raps-officials/article3971496.ece)

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has found contractors’ negligence in constructing K.L. Rao Sagar (Pulichintala Project).

The committee after touring Krishna district for two days said that due to administrative lapses and negligence of some officials, contractors had taken undue advantage in the execution of works of the project.

“The CAG had found that Rs.46 crore undue payments were made in Pulichintala works,” said the committee members.

The panel also observed several irregularities in the accounting process of Sri Durga Malleswara Swamyvarla Devasthanam, Vijayawada Municipal Corporation, Durga temple, Vijayawada, Guntur, Tenali and Mangalagiri Urban Development Authority (VGTMUDA) and Irrigation Department.

Headed by Revuri Prakash Reddy, the panel rapped the VGTMUDA and the Irrigation authorities for failing to produce records for about Rs.75 crore.

The PAC inspected the condition of ‘Raja Gopuram’ and ‘Maha Mantapam’ at Indrakeeladri. They visited the ‘prasadam’ preparation halls and expressed concern over the poor hygienic conditions.

No records

The Endowments Department gets Rs.45 crore from Durga temple per annum but there is no designated accounts officer, and the temple AEO is in-charge. The temple management spent Rs.27 crore for which there are no records.

“We observed unhygienic conditions where boondi, laddu and pulihora prasadams are being prepared. The PAC directed the district Collector to conduct a meeting with the Endowment officials on undue payments and on cleanliness,” said Mr. Prakash Reddy.

On Bhavani Island, only the restaurant and rest houses are on use. We asked the Tourism Department officials to submit proposals to the Tourism Commissioner with special packages for tourists, to boost up the revenue.

The Committee found several illegal structures on either side of the Krishna. It directed the Krishna and Guntur district Collectors to constitute a committee with Revenue, VGTMUDA and Irrigation officials, identify the unauthorised constructions, and submit a report to the government within 15 days.

Action recommended against drain contractor (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/action-recommended-against-drain-contractor/article3974550.ece)

The Krishna Delta System Chief Engineer D. Sambaiah has recommended action against the contractor, who executed the dredging of Pedalanka major drain in the district.

In a letter addressed to Engineer in Chief (Irrigation), Mr. Sambaiah said the contractor, Hyderabad-based M/s. B.V.S.R. Constructions, had violated the agreement. The contractor has allegedly not carried out the works properly as per the agreement conditions, and preferred the bill to an excess amount of Rs.6.45 crore.

Responding to reports published in the media the State government directed the Engineering-in-Chief (irrigation) to constitute a technical team to submit a report to it. Based on the report action was initiated against the field staff. The Engineering-in-Chief also ordered that action be initiated against the contractor. Orders were given to Vijayawada Irrigation Circle SE to submit a report on the work of the contractor.

The Superintending Engineer in his report said that the contractor had executed the works unsatisfactorily. As per AP PWD code part B Clause 3(1)(i), the contractor could be demoted to lower class if he fails to execute the work satisfactorily and proved to be responsible for constructional defects, he said, adding, “hence action may be initiated against the agency.”

Residents up in arms against tap disconnection (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/residents-up-in-arms-against-tap-disconnection/article3974548.ece)

Huge water bills are causing untold miseries to residents of Ajitsingh Nagar, Payakapuram, Kandrika and surrounding areas in the city. The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC)’s move to disconnect water connections was a double whammy for them.

The residents allege that the Corporation has disconnected at least 150 water connections in the division.

The residents, comparing the water bill to property tax, said the bills were double the taxes collected by the Corporation.

The tax was Rs. 150 per half year, while the water bill was Rs. 300; in some other cases, while the tax was Rs. 200 per half year, the water bill stood at Rs. 400.

The VMC was disconnecting the taps because they were unable to clear the dues, they said.

A. Samrajyam, resident of Radha Nagar, said: “the Corporation has already removed the public stand outposts (PSOs) as part of he Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission programme. Now, where do we go to fetch a pail of water?”

“The Corporation officials’ only concern seemed to be augmenting the revenues. The VMC was unable to provide value added services to the citizens.

Rosy picture

The roads that were dug for laying the under ground drainage were not restored. The Corporation does not respond even if the street lights were not working. But, it was eager to disconnect the water connections,” says Rajamma, another resident of Radha Nagar.

The VMC officials gave a rosy picture about individual water connections.

The residents, who were dependent on the PSOs, got attracted to free water connections scheme introduced by the Corporation.

The Corporation has shown its true colours and vigorously implementing the reforms, they alleged.

CPI(M) city secretary Ch. Babu Rao said the VMC had no proper plans to collect the taxes.

It had utterly failed in collecting the mounting dues from government organisations such as Railways, polytechnic, and State guest house. The Railways has not been paying the tax since 1988, while the polytechnic was not paying from 2001. All these dues would touch Rs. 9.35 crore.

However, the VMC has not made any efforts in that direction. Instead, it was targeting the poor, he alleged.

Tough time ahead for traffic cops (http://www.thehansindia.info/News/Article.asp?category=5&subCategory=3&ContentId=91746)

Vijayawada: With the Dasara festival only a fortnight away, the city traffic police is bracing up for the tough task of handling pilgrims on one side and the vehicular traffic on the other.Police have started erecting barricades to direct the visiting pilgrims to various destinations including the temple atop Indrakeeladri and the bathing ghats along River Krishna. The barricading is taken up from the Vinayaka temple on the Canal Road.

Like in the past, barricades will be set up on both sides of the road – one leading directly to the temple atop the hill and the other leading to the bathing ghats on the river side. Special barricades are also being provided for pilgrims to reach the temple from the bathing ghats, crossing the road, which would be a tough task for the police to handle.

Barricading is also done at the prasadam counters at Kanakadurga Nagar, at the foot of the hill. The district Collector, Dr Buddha Prakash M Jyothi and the City Police Commissioner N Madhusudhana Reddy have inspected the works on Friday and instructed the officials on some changes.

The police chief is in regular contact with the temple officials and the police personnel on duty monitoring the arrangements. As the festival is popular in these parts, pilgrims in a couple of lakhs are expected to turn up in the city every day during the nine-day festival. However, the number will be more than four to five lakh on Moola Nakshatram day and also on the final day – Vijaya Dasami on October 24.

Besides regulating pilgrims on roads and atop the hill, the traffic police would have to handle the vehicular movement of the city and also the two national highways that pass through the city. The Chennai-Kolkata and the Mumbai-Machilipatnam national highways are connected to the city bringing thousands of trucks every day. It would be a herculean task for the police to divert these vehicles, besides the RTC buses and the local vehicles.

The road from Kummaripalem Centre to Vinayaka Temple passing through the foot of the Indrakeeladri Hill would be totally closed for heavy vehicles during the nine-day festival to keep the roads free for pilgrims. Even this traffic too would be closed on Moola Nakshatram day and Vijaya Dasami as the rush of the pilgrims would be more.

Though the flow of vehicles would be diverted from Ibrahimpatnam itself for the vehicles coming from Hyderabad route, there would also be more vehicles reaching the city including RTC buses from Hyderabad, Jaggaiahpet, Nandigama, Tiruvur, Mylavaram and Bhadrachalam routes.

These vehicles would be diverted from Gollapudi which would pass through the tunnel at Chittinagar and enter the BRTS Road at Satyanarayanapuram passing through the three bridges across the railway lines between Chittinagar and Kedareswarapet. This narrow road would not take much of the traffic leading to frequent traffic jams in the city, giving tough time for the police.

The barricading for queue lines for darshan atop the hill and at the prasadam counters besides the venues for the cultural programmes is nearing completion and is expected to be handed over to the police in the next couple of days.

NABH accreditation for Nagarjuna Hospital (http://www.thehansindia.info/News/Article.asp?category=5&subCategory=3&ContentId=91751)

Vijayawada: Nagarjuna hospital was inspected a few months ago by a committee from National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Health care providers (NABH) and announced accreditation on September 27, said Chairman and Managing Director of the hospital Jaganmohan Rao. Addressing the media here on Saturday, he said that Nagarjuna Hospital initiated multi-disciplinary speciality care in the Vijayawada region 20 years ago. To make it more efficient, the management called for NABH accreditation.

He said that the Board adjudged the hospital the best and safe for the treatment of patients. He said that NABH is a part of the Quality Council of India (QCI) to assess the services provided in hospitals. He said that NABH was a non-profit committee to check the amenities in the hospitals and mark it as safe for the patients.He said that the committee studies the functioning of the management, treatment, safety measures, hygiene, staff safety, risk management among other things.

He said that they have conducted mock drills to alert the staff and patients to make them learn the measures they have to follow during acci The hospital has 140 beds with all amenities to the patients. The hospital now has renovated operation theatres.

Medical superintendent Dr Bhaskar Rao, Nursing superintendent Lakshmi, Director of Intensive care Dr Sri Lakshmi, Chief Operating Officer of medical Dr Ramachandra Rao, Chief operating officer administration G Ramarao and others were present.

VMC Adalat concept dying on the vine? (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/vmc-adalat-concept-dying-on-the-vine/article3976938.ece)

Officials have ignored the programme for three months, much to the dismay of people

The Adalat aimed at bringing the entire civic administration at the doorstep of the people seems doomed to withering on the vine.

Officials of the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation have completely ignored the Adalat concept for the last three months in Circle offices, much to the dismay of people. The people, consequently, are forced to rush to the VMC main office to lodge their petitions, complaints and grievances.

The VMC used to receive not less than 50 petitions at every Adalat conducted in the Circle offices. Sometimes, the number used to touch 100 also. The idea in conducting the Adalat is to receive petitions from the public and dispose of them immediately. The VMC used to conduct Adalats at Circle-III Office every Tuesday; Circle-II (Wednesday), Circle-I (Friday) and the main office (remaining days).

Municipal Commissioners like Natarajan Gulzar used to track status of the petitions received. The officials were made accountable for compliance and disposal of the petitions in a week. Immediate past Commissioner Ravi Babu used to convene the review meetings at Circle offices, if required, so that the meetings did not hamper the Adalats.

Congress and opposition leaders mince no words in holding the Commissioner responsible for “breaking the Adalat system”. The Adalats were for people to air the grievances as there are no elected representatives. At a juncture, where council was not there, the officials should take additional care to reach the public, they opined. However, the VMC officials had given the go-by, they say, and added: “the adalats should be restored immediately.”

CPI(M) city secretary Ch. Babu Rao says, “the Municipal Commissioner is 100 per cent responsible for the situation.

The VMC is not conducting the Adalats as it had no answer and solution to the public grievances.” YSR Congress leader P. Gowtham Reddy says,

“The MLAs and MP have no time to attend the public issues. The VMC wound up the only forum available for the public. People will be forced to launch agitation if the Adalats are not restored.”

Expedite voter registration: Collector (http://www.thehansindia.info/News/Article.asp?category=5&subCategory=3&ContentId=91958)

Vijayawada: Visiting the designated centre for voter registration at Kesarapalli village at Gannavaram near here on Sunday, Krishna District Collector Buddhaprakash Jyothi instructed the booth-level agents to help the people to get registered their names as voters.

He said anyone, who attained the age of 18 years by January 1, 2013, could register their names as voters. All polling centres in the district would register the new voters till the end of this month. “Special campaigns would be organised on October 14 and 21 ,” he said.

The Collector inquired about the details of voter registration at Kesarapalli and verified the forms they received for voter registration. He asked them to be at the polling booths till 5 pm. He even talked with the people who were there to get registered as voters. He also inquired whether the booth-level agents were receiving the remuneration or not.

RDO B Subba Rao told the District Collector that Rs 387 for each agent was directly credited into their bank accounts. Commissioner of Police N Madhusudan Reddy, Tahsildar Prasanna Lakshmi also accompanied the District Collector

Olympus 190 EVIS EXERA 3 equipment launched (http://www.thehansindia.info/News/Article.asp?category=5&subCategory=3&ContentId=91959)

Vijayawada: The Olympus EVIS EXERA 3 is an advanced equipment to detect the gastro trouble and cancer at early stages, said Global Hospital chairman Dr Ravidranadh. He launched the equipment at the Harini Gastro and Liver Centre here to mark 12th anniversary celebrations of the hospital on Sunday. Speaking on the occasion, he said that the equipment was being launched for the first time in Andhra Pradesh. He launched the capsule endoscopy system for the first time in coastal Andhra.

He said that ulcers and cancer could be identified easily with the help of the equipment. The large and small intestines could be viewed with the help of this equipment.Eminent gastroenterologist Dr N Tirumala Rao said that the equipment had magnificent functions like dual focus, high definition, pre-freeze and the Narrow Band Imaging (NBI) technology. It allows the physician to take a clear look at the patient’s intestines and other parts.

Normal and affected lesions could be identified easily with the help of this equipment. They were happy to provide such facility to the local patients, he said.

Sepak Takraw champ on Oct.13 and 14 (http://www.thehansindia.info/News/Article.asp?category=5&subCategory=3&ContentId=91960)

Vijayawada: Sepak Takraw Association’s Krishna district unit president Arza Panduranga Rao on Sunday announced that the Sepak Takraw senior inter-district championship would be held on October 13 and 14.

Addressing the Media here, he said that the selections for the championship of men and women teams would be held at Indira Gandhi Municipal Corporation stadium here on October 9. The selected players could participate in the championship. The players should report at the stadium by 7 am for the selections.

He said that 300 players from 20 districts would participate in the championship. Minister K Parthasaradhi would inaugurate the championship. MLAs Malladi Vishnu and Velampalli Srinivas, MLCs Ilapuram Venkaiah and SR Prem Raj and others will be present.

He said that on October 14, Minister Thota Narasimham would be present for valedictory function. Food and lodging would be arranged free of cost for the players. Approximately 20 men teams and 15 women teams would participate in the championship.

Association secretary S Srikanth, organising secretary M Pavan Kumar, and Olympic Association vice-president J Venkateswara Rao (Konda) were present.

Two wheeler Users’ Association demands free parking lot (http://www.thehansindia.info/News/Article.asp?category=5&subCategory=3&ContentId=91964)

Vijayawada: Two Wheeler Users Association city committee president Vadde Latha and secretary D Srinivas asked the government to provide free parking lot in the city.Speaking to media persons here on Sunday, they said that the two wheeler owners facing a challenge to park their vehicles.

They asked the civic administration to arrange display boards with cash to be paid at parking lots. They alleged that the contractors were collecting the more amount than specified. They said that the contractors were using other than parking lots also in an unofficial manner.

They found fault with the contractors for collecting the parking fee from non-parking zones from Bucking Post Office to Annapurna Theatre areas in the city. They asked the Municipal Corporation officials to stop collecting parking fee at non-parking zones.

They asked the government to provide parking facility at Eluru road and Mahatma Gandhi road. He further asked the government to arrange roof top facility at railway station and Pandit Nehru bus station parking lots. They found fault with the government for not repairing signal lights on time in the city. They asked the government to provide signal lights on time to avoid accidents.

VIMHANS observes mental health week (http://www.thehansindia.info/News/Article.asp?category=5&subCategory=3&ContentId=91968)

Vijayawada: Vijayawada Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (VIMHANS) as part of the mental health week celebrations organised an awareness camp at Raigari Thota area in the city and Nunna village on the outskirts of the city on Sunday.As part of the awareness camp, the doctors, nursing students enacted a street play to dispel the superstitions like witchcraft and supernatural powers.

The street play also includes various issues like ill effects of alcohol, gutkha, distrust between wife and husband, family problems and its effect on growing children.VIMHANS director Dr Indla Rama Subba Reddy and Dr Vishal explained various issues to the people at both the camps.Industrialist Koganti Satyam, school correspondent Anil Kumar, and others participated.

Hundreds of people watched the street play at both the places. Dr Rama Subba Reddy said that VIMHANAS would organise more such programmes throughout the week. The trainee postgraduate doctors at VIMHANS participated in the camps with enthusiasm.

NRI College celebrates Freshers’ Day (http://www.thehansindia.info/News/Article.asp?category=5&subCategory=3&ContentId=91969)

Vijayawada: Each and every student have the same mind power, but they become successful only when they concentrate on the field they choose, said MLC Chigurupati Varaprasad.He took part in the NRI Academy Spring Field (Eluru road) Freshers Day celebrations here on Sunday at the Kshetreya Kalakshetram.

Speaking on the occasion, Chigurupati Varaprasad said that along with sports, cultural and many other activities students should also focus on education. He said that students should inculcate qualities like discipline, hard work, commitment, determination and many good features in them to be successful in life.

The former technical education minister, NRI academy secretary and correspondent, Alapati Rajendra Prasad, said that students should have peace of mind to concentrate on the lessons that are taught in the class room. He said that students should be obedient to parents and their teachers as well to be achieve a respectful position in life.

Academy finance directors K Bhaskara Rao, Kommareddi Ravi, Academy academic advisor Katragadda Babu, Dean Dr K Rama Rao, Principal Chandra Sekhar, students and others were present.

Book on Telugu cinema released in Vijayawada (http://www.thehansindia.info/News/Article.asp?category=5&subCategory=3&ContentId=91970)

Vijayawada: Telugu film inidustry has many years of fame, said Alankar and Jayaram theatre proprietor Kakumanu Krishnarjuna Rao quoting Chalasani Venkateswara Rao’s book titled 'Telugu Cinema'.
He released the Telugu cinema book here on Sunday at the Andhra Film Chamber of Commerce building. Addressing the media, he said that the book is a directory for the new generation to know about the beauty of old movies and the actors of yesteryear.

He said that the book has the descriptions of those people who went from Vijayawada city into the film industry as directors, producers, actors and others. Senior Citizens' Association convener Katragadda Narsayya said that people are more attracted towards commercial pictures and the small pictures are dying. He said that they should project these films also in theatres to make them popular among public.

He said that movies with big budgets are in demand these days, but they are not much successful after the release. Andhra Film Chamber of Commerce general secretary R V Bhupal Prasad said that there is a need to improve the situation of the cinema theatres in the city. He said that they have requested the government to allow the theatres to project five shows in a day just like the multiplex theatres like Inox. He said that the people dependent upon such theatres should be able to earn some income for their living.

Writer of the book Chalasani Venkateswara Rao (Jagapati) said that it is a privilege for him to write a book on Telugu cinema and mentioned about the eminent persons in it. He said that his experience in the cinema industry earned him the knowledge in writing the book. He shared his views saying that the book will be helpful for many youngsters to know about the film industry.

Nimmgadda Rambabu, Oorvasi Complex proprietor Grandhi Srinivas, poet Dr Sasi and others were present.

Stop irregularities in Rytu Bazaars: DYFI, AIDWA (http://www.thehansindia.info/News/Article.asp?category=5&subCategory=3&ContentId=91973)

Vijayawada: All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) City President K Saroja, Secretary K Sridevi and Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) City Secretary P Madav, Joint Secretary K Swamy demanded the government to stop irregularities in rytu bazaars in the city.

Speaking to media persons here on Sunday, they said that the rytu bazaars were not functioning as per the aim of the government. They found fault with the government for not allotting 25 per cent quota of stalls which originally allotted to the farmers and DWACRA women respectively.

They alleged that the legislators of the city for interfering allotment of the stalls. They said that the legislators were pressuring on the officials to allot the stalls for their followers. They regretted that presently the rytu bazaars were not functioning effectively.

They found fault with most of the vendors in rytu bazaars for selling vegetables to super markets and malls in the city. They further said that only second grade quality of vegetables were available in rytu bazaars. They said that a huge quantity of vegetables with grade one quality have been dumping to private markets for a last couple of years.

They said that the quality vegetables were not available to the common man of the city. They said that the officials were conducting the raids on rytu bazaars only nominally. The officials were not taking stringent action against the irregularities in vendors of the rytu bazaars, he added.

They further criticised the government and officials for protecting their self interests. They said that they would organise the agitations, if the government failed to take up steps against the irregularities in rytu bazaars.

World Postal Day celebrations in Vijayawada (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/world-postal-day-celebrations-in-vijayawada/article3980888.ece)

A week-long programme will be organised to mark the World Postal Day from October 9, said Vijayawada Director of Postal Services D.S.V.R. Murthy.

A philately workshop, customer meets, visit of school children to postal and mail offices etc. will be part of the celebrations, said Mr. Murthy. All these events were planned to mark the formation of Universal Postal Union on October 9 in 1874, which is celebrated as ‘National Postal Week’ also, he said.

The Department of Postal Services, for the past 156 years, had been catering to the needs of people in mail transfer services, savings bank services and insurance, said Mr. Murthy. Giving details of performance of Vijayawada Region in business development, savings bank, and core banking solutions, he said 2.90 lakh savings bank accounts operations were registered last year.

The department earned Rs.32.36 crore from business services in 2011-12. The services, included speed post, express parcel post, retail post, sale of stamps, commission of money orders etc., he said. In the current fiscal year as of August 12 it had earned Rs.15.83 crore from this sector, he said. The Core Banking Solution was introduced to ensure quick money transfer services to public, said Mr. Murthy. It will help us in providing world class services to customers at reduced cost and time, he said

Nissan introduces multi utility vehicle (http://www.thehansindia.info/News/Article.asp?category=5&subCategory=3&ContentId=92172)

Vijayawada: Japanese automobile giant Nissan unveiled its seven-seat capacity multi utility vehicles named 'Nissan Evalia' here on Monday. K Venkata Raman, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Karur Vysya Bank Ltd released the vehicle into the market.

Sandeep Usman, Managing Director of Lucky Nissan, the city dealer, said that the vehicle was fuel efficient giving 19.03 kilometres per litre. He said that the range starts from Rs 8.64 lakh to Rs 10.16 lakh ex-showroom price. It is also available in diesel variant, he added.

Artificial intelligence enhances technology (http://www.thehansindia.info/News/Article.asp?category=5&subCategory=3&ContentId=92176)

Vijayawada: Artificial intelligence (AI) is used more in the development of the advanced machinery, said Surendra Prasad Babu, Professor of Andhra University.He took part in the seminar here on Monday conducted by the department of computer science and MCA post-graduate centre PB Siddhartha College of Arts and Science.

He explained to the students about various programming languages, expert systems and its applications, current IT trends and many more that are used in software technology and in robotics.

He said that artificial intelligence is nothing but the programming done to the machinery. He said that AI is a branch of computer science that focuses on the development of the computer systems to stimulate processes.

PG Centre Director K Krishna Murthy said that the seminar is a State wide programme in which 400 students from 20 colleges took part. He said that the seminar is conducted as a part of the academic curriculum. He said that the seminar is held in association with Computer Society of India, Vijayawada chapter.

Krishna University head of the computer science department Dr R Kiran Kumar, PVP Siddhartha institute of Technology Professor Dr BV Subba Rao, VR Siddhartha engineering college A Pathanjali Sastry, college faculty, students and others were present.

SBH introduces paperless transactions (http://www.thehansindia.info/News/Article.asp?category=5&subCategory=3&ContentId=92185)

Vijayawada: J Sitapati Sarma, General Manager (South Zone) of State Bank of Hyderabad inaugurated the Green Channel Counter (GCC), first of its kind in several SBH branches here on Monday which would be convenient to the customers and beneficial to the bank’s management as well as environment.

Talking to newsmen after inaugurating the new counter, Sarma said that the customers could carry out the transactions with the help of debit card for withdrawals, deposits and transfer of Rs 40,000 cash below to other SBH accounts through the new counter.

He said that the new Green Channel Counter would enable transactions without paper which would lessen the burden of the bank staff and on the environment. When asked him about the merger of SBH with the SBI, he said “The lines are clear from our side since no union is now opposing the proposal.

It is up to the SBI to make the merger as the SBI have to garner additional funds for which Rs 15,000 crorewould cost for each merger." State of Bank of Indore and State Bank of Jaipur were already merged with the SBI and five more Banks are toeing the line, he said.

Inter-state women cricket tourney from today (http://www.thehansindia.info/News/Article.asp?category=5&subCategory=3&ContentId=92189)

Vijayawada: Andhra Cricket Association (ACA) would hold the South Zone Inter-State cricket tournament from October 9, said the ACA in an official release here on Monday. The tournament for the Women Under-19 would be formally inaugurated at the Indira Gandhi Municipal Corporation (IGMC) Stadium in the city on the day. Later, three matches would be held at IGMC in the city, ACA Stadium at Mangalagiri and JKC College Stadium at Guntur.

The ACA said that six teams representing Andhra, Hyderabad, Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Goa would be playing the matches simultaneously at the three grounds. On the first day, the Kerala would play with Hyderabad team at the IGMC, followed by Goa against Karnataka at ACA Mangalagiri and Andhra against Tamil Nadu at JKC Guntur. On October 10, Kerala would play against Karnataka at IGMC, followed by Goa and Tamil Nadu at ACA Magalagiri and Andhra and Hyderabad at JKC Guntur.

On October 12, Karnataka will play against Tamil Nadu at IGMC, while Andhra and Kerala, Goa and Hyderabad would test their time at ACA Mangalagiri and JKC Guntur respectively. The Goa will fight the Andhra team on October 13 at IGMC, while the Hyderabad and Kerala teams would fight against Karnataka and Tamil Nadu respectively at ACA Mangalagiri and JKC Guntur. On October 15, Hyderabad will play against Tamil Nadu at IGMC, while Kerala team will be playing with Goa at Mangalagiri and Andhra playing with Karnataka at JKC Guntur.

Construction workers asked to renew registration (http://www.thehansindia.info/News/Article.asp?category=5&subCategory=3&ContentId=92191)

Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh Building and Other Construction Workers’ Welfare Board chairman, S Gopal, here on Monday, appealed to the building and other construction workers to renew their registration with the Board to avail the entitled benefits.Speaking to media persons, Gopal said that 16 lakh workers were registered with the Board last year of whom only 6.64 lakh had renewed their registration this year.

He wanted the workers to renew their registration to avail the benefits being extended to them in different forms. He also appealed to the leaders of various trade unions to ensure that the registered workers renewed and the new workers register with the Board. He said that the Labour Department was also making efforts to identify the workers and make them renew their registration. However, it would be successful only if the trade unions also involved in the exercise.

Gopal said that the board was extending benefits to the workers and their families in case of natural death, accidental death, partial or permanent disability, maternity benefit, marriage gift and funeral expenses. These benefits could be extended to the building and other construction workers only if they are registered with the board. He said that the board was giving Rs 2 lakh compensation for the worker in case of accidental death and Rs 30,000 for natural death.

Similarly, Rs 50,000 is given for disability and Rs 5,000 each as marriage gift, maternity benefit and funeral expenses respectively. However, these benefits could be extended to the workers only if they are registered with the Board, he said. The Board had also made a request to the local bodies to collect 1 per cent of the construction value, including the government and private constructions towards the workers welfare fund. The State now has Rs 1,000 crore under the corpus fund, which is being used for the welfare of the construction workers.

In reply to a question, Gopal said that the workers associated with the construction activity, including the carpenters, brick workers, plumbers, rod bending, electrical, concrete mixing, road workers, drainage workers, stone quarry workers are eligible to register with the Board to receive the benefits. The board was also taking up campaign across the State to create awareness among the workers to register and get the benefits. When asked about the migration workers, he said that they too would have to register with the Board and renew to avail the benefits.

The chairman said that in Krishna district alone 1,14,563 workers had registered with the Board of whom only 66,773 had renewed their registration. The Board also registered 1,334 establishments in the district to extend the benefits to the building and other construction workers. Local MLC Ilapuram Venkaiah and the Deputy Commissioner of Labour, S Y Srinivas were also present at the news conference.

A nightmare for residents (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/a-nightmare-for-residents/article3984254.ece)

Manoeuvring a vehicle into the seventh lane of Siddhartha Nagar has become a difficult task , with a long electric pole towering on one side and a huge gutter with a broken slab on the other side hindering movement.

With the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation officials unaware of the problem, the people who use the road on a daily basis have tried to adapt to the appalling road conditions but at the same time are concerned over the safety of their kids.

Padma, an employee in Parvathaneni Marriage Bureau situated on the street, says when it rains it becomes even more dangerous as the roads are flooded with knee-deep water because of the faulty drainage system. There is absolutely no visibility at the junction due to absence of streetlights and the gutters turn dangerous with the overflow of drain water, she said.

“We were unaware of this situation till now, but now that we know about it we will try to look into finding a solution for the problem”, assured VMC Executive Engineer Chowdhary when contacted by The Hindu.

The cement slab, a cover for the water valve below, had broken five days ago yet it remains in the same state. The narrowness at the opening of the road turning creates a lot of traffic problems especially when it rains, said Gopi, a fruit vendor from the area. The main road gets flooded even with a drizzle, so people are forced to use these smaller lanes but with such conditions they face a lot of problems, he added.

Another employee of the marriage bureau Rama accepts that the leak in the valve of water line was very useful particularly for all the Lambadi people living nearby with the lack of a public municipal tap.

Gym culture flourishes in city (http://www.thehansindia.info/News/Article.asp?category=5&subCategory=3&ContentId=92449)

Vijayawada: Gym culture has been increasing day by day as sizable youth are interested to develop their fragile bodies into muscular physique and stay healthy.

In the early centuries, gyms emerged as part of the healthy life and now they are gaining recognition as a symbol of status. Gyms were earlier arranged in open grounds with local exercising material like hand sticks. At present, the structure of the gyms has completely transformed into machinery and air conditioned rooms. Some of the imported exercise materials and machinery are dumb-bells and barbells that were invented in Europe in 14th century.

Speaking to The Hans India, weight trainer Shyam Sundar said that with the aim of getting good muscular physique just like heroes in movies, youth go to gyms just for few days and later quit it.

He said that to obtain a good healthy body, they should continuously exercise for at least two years in a good gym environment. He said that weight training was the best method of exercise for a healthy and muscular body. He said that sweating during exercise helps to get rid of toxins in the body and also to continue exercise for long hours.

Air conditioned gyms are equipped with heavy exercising machinery and world class spa facilities. These kind of gyms charge a minimum of Rs 10,000 towards membership per annum. Elite class feel it as a symbol of status visiting such gyms. Exercises should be done in an atmosphere with fresh air and enough space. There are many gyms in the city but a few of them have trained professionals to guide the body builders.

Focus on comprehensive growth of city (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/focus-on-comprehensive-growth-of-city/article3987607.ece)

‘Government seriously contemplating developing industries in the district’

A conclave on ‘Vijayawada-development-opportunities-resources’ organised by Siti Cable underscored the need for comprehensive development of the city, here on Wednesday. On the occasion, Secondary Education Minister Kolusu Parthasarathy said that the government was seriously contemplating developing industries in the district. The land required for the industrial hub was already identified near Nandigama, and the process was on. Vijayawada-Machilipatnam four laning works would be taken up shortly. A flyover at Benz Circle would be constructed with a cost of Rs. 100 crore.

The much discussed Super Specialty Hospital would be constructed in the city only, he said.

Vijayawada MP Lagadapati Rajagopal said that air, sea, road, rail and cyber connectivity was required for development of any city. The government was taking steps to develop the city on all fronts. But, in the process of development, hurdles are imminent. For instance, there were divergent views—on which road, Bandar or Highway it should come up-- on construction of the flyover at Benz Circle. The industrialists, political parties and everyone should understand the problems involved, he said. The city witnessed rapid development with the implementation of JNNURM programme in the city. The Inner Ring Road (IRR) was nearing completion. The Outer Ring Road (ORR), JNNURM-II, RAY were some of the programmes that would change the face of city, he said.

OTHER ISSUES

The other speakers stressed on the need to develop cold chains, construction of flyovers and bridges to ease the traffic problems, developing canal tourism, medical tourism, construction of international stadiums, speeding up of Bandar Port works etc.

The speakers, referring to the problem of VMC’s share of 30 percent in JNNURM works, suggested that it could be met by selling the sand available in the district. It would fetch not less than Rs. 300 crore, they said.

Siti Cable MD P. Saibabu, Management consultant M.C. Das, Vijayawada (West) MLA Velampalli Srinivas, Vijayawada (Central) MLA Malldi Vishnu, former mayors T. Venkateswara Rao, M. V. Ratna Bindu, Tadi Sakuntala, Panchumarthi Anuradha, industrialists, representatives of chamber of commerce, NGOs association, Bar Association, voluntary organisations etc spoke.

Officials skip golden jubilee fete of National Pledge (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/officials-skip-golden-jubilee-fete-of-national-pledge/article3987610.ece)

Officials skip the golden jubilee celebrations of the National Pledge, organised by Annapurna Devi Municipal Corporation High School (ADMC School) in the city on Wednesday.

The National Pledge, written by Pydimarri Venkata Subba Rao in 1962, has completed 50 years.

The school management invited District Education Officer D. Devananda Reddy, Vijayawada Deputy Education Officer M.V. Krishna Reddy, and Municipal Corporation Deputy Education Officer K. Durga Prasad for the programme. However, the DEO or the two Deputy DEOs did not turn up for the celebrations. Deputy Inspector of Schools D. Srinivas came at the fag end. But, by the time Mr. Srinivas joined, the students and the guests had already paid tributes to the author of the pledge and recited the National Pledge in different languages.

“The author of the pledge was neglected. The absence of the officials from Education Department at the celebrations is another insult to the writer. This shows the negligent attitude of the officers towards patriotic programmes,” said a student of the school.

Krishna district Freedom Fighters’ Association general secretary Vemulapalli Vamana Rao, Vijayawada West MLA Vellampalli Srinivas, VGS Publishers proprietor S. Rama Rao, and others praised the ADMC school management for organising the programme.

Later, they distributed pamphlets, containing the history of Subba Rao, to students of other schools also.

Otolaryngologists' South Zone conference from Oct 12 (http://www.thehansindia.info/News/Article.asp?category=5&subCategory=3&ContentId=92634)

Vijayawada: Association of Otolaryngologists of India (AOI) eighth south zone and 31st AP State conference will be conducted at `A’ Convention Centre at Brindavan Colony for three days from October 12, said conference organising secretary Dr K Sivarama Krishna.Speaking to the media here on Wednesday, Sivarama Krishna said that the ENT doctors from Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka will attend the conference.

He further said that the guest faculty will attend from countries like the USA, the UK, Egypt, Oman and Muscat.He revealed that the experts will demonstrate new techniques in the conference. He said that they will educate people and also submit papers on this subject.
He asserted that they will set up stalls and display books, pharmaceuticals and surgical equipment. Medical graduates can utilise the conference, he hoped.He said that Dr Phanindra Kumar of Guntur will assume charge as new President of the association after the conference.

Organising Committee members Prof. PSN Murthy, DR S Prabhakar, Dr PV Madhusudana Sarma, Dr C Babji, Dr CV Ramana Rao, Dr R Nanayya and Dr MA Rahaman were also present at the press conference.

Biryani festival at Hotel Ilapuram (http://www.thehansindia.info/News/Article.asp?category=5&subCategory=3&ContentId=92635)

Vijayawada: Hotel Ilapuram launched a month-long Biryani festival on Wednesday. The hotel managing director, Ilapuram Raja formally inaugurated the festival and said that they have been organizing the biryani festival every year during Dasara and Diwali season.

He said that the festival has chicken, mutton, prawns, fish and vegetarian dishes catering to the food lovers of the city and also those visiting the city during the festival season.

The popular dishes like biryani with Ulava Charu (brown soup) and Gongura would remain special attraction at the festival, he said. He expressed confidence that the food lovers would make use of the opportunity.

Need for spreading awareness about mental disorders stressed (http://www.thehansindia.info/News/Article.asp?category=5&subCategory=3&ContentId=92637)

Vijayawada: People should be educated about the mental illness and psychiatric disorders and also about the remedy, said Vijayawada Central MLA Malladi Vishnu. He inaugurated the Occupational Therapy Department at Vijayawada Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (VIMHANS) on the occasion of the World Mental Health Day here on Wednesday. Speaking on the occasion, he said that there is an immediate need to spread awareness among the people about the mental disorders. He said that mentally challenged people feel very sad when they are rejected by their own family members.

He said that the society should accept such people and treat them with utmost care and affection. He said that they should be allowed to communicate with people in the society and lead a normal life.
Describing about the occupation therapy, the VIMHANS, Director, Dr Indla Ram Subba Reddy, said that the occupation therapy is a part of the rehabilitation where the patient will be asked to draw, play, think, make little figures with clays, candle making, music and many more.

He said that these kinds of programme help the mentally challenged persons to lead a normal life. He requested the MLA to help the Psychiatric Society to cancel IPC 306 section that states a year of imprisonment and a fine of Rs 1000 for the one who attempts to commit suicide. He said that a person attempts to commit suicide when he/she is afflicted by psychological disorder; and imprisonment will deteriorate their condition and make them suffer even more.

Dr Vishal stressed that the number of psychiatrists are growing and simultaneously a number of new mental illnesses are also increasing. He assured that every mental and psychological disorder can be cured. He said that depression and stress are most commonly observed among people these days which can be considered as illness that can be cured. He said that visiting psychiatrist helps them to overcome all such problems.

The MLA distributed prizes to the winners who took part in the painting competition.

Call to promote industries in Vijayawada: Speakers (http://www.thehansindia.info/News/Article.asp?category=5&subCategory=3&ContentId=92638)

Vijayawada: The speakers at a round table meeting on the steps to be taken for city development stressed the need to develop Machilipatnam sea port and Gannavaram airport if Vijayawada city. They also stressed the need to provide infrastructure like roads and promote industrial development around the city. The meeting was organised with the initiative of the Siti Cable to elicit views of the people of different walks of life on the city development and explore the resources available for the same.

The Minister for Ports, Ghanta Srinivasa Rao, who was in the city and attended the meeting, said that the government had expedited the process of developing the Machilipatnam port at Rs 7,000 crore. He further said that the government had also issued a notification for land acquisition for the port and maintained that it would start soon. He said that the port at Machilipatnam would contribute in a greater way in developing Krishna district in general and Vijayawada city in particular. He further maintained that the government had taken steps to strengthen the infrastructure like ports, airport, rail and road connectivity.

Earlier, the Minister for Secondary Education, K P Saradhi, and the local MP, Lagadapati Rajagopal, explained in detail the initiatives taken by the government to develop the city and provide infrastructure for the city. The MP said that Rs 1500 crore was spent through Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission Project to provide roads, drains and drinking water, besides other infrastructure in the city.

The city first mayor and veteran Communist, T Venkateswara Rao, said that the city had received some development, but it was not on the expected lines. He said that development was not possible because the elected representatives in the city have no powers. “The powers are given to the Municipal Commissioner and not the Mayor. The city’s future is decided at the whims and fancies of the officers and not the elected representatives. It is a must that the civic administration should have more powers to plan and develop its areas,” he said.

The Telugu Desam MLA from Gannavaram, Dasari Balavardhana Rao, observed that the outskirt areas of the city are to be developed first to expand the city. He felt that the vision to develop the city should have the outskirts included in the package if real development is to be made. The CPI-M leader Ch Baburao, YSR Congress leader P Gowtham Reddy, Andhra Chamber of Commerce former president, M Rajaiah, former mayor, P Anuradha and several others spoke listing out priorities for the city development.

Earlier, retired IAS officer and the district former collector, K Prabhakar Reddy, felt that there was a lot of scope for the city to develop and observed that only a vision is required for the same.
The Urban Development Authority vice-chairman, GSRKR Vijaya Kumar, listed out a number of proposals that they have on hand for the development of the city. He said that the city with hills, canals and river has greater potential for development and observed that
it would take some more time to get the city fully developed.

The TD legislator, Devineni Umamaheswara Rao, Congress legislators, Malladi Vishnu and Vellampalli Srinivas, former legislators, K Subba Raju and Sk Nasarvali, former mayors, Dr Jandhyala Shankar, P Anuradha, Tadi Sakunthala and M V Rathna Bindu, BJP State spokesman, U Srinivasa Raju, Lok Satta leader K V P Basaveswara Rao, UDA former chairman, Dr Thumati Premanath and others spoke. The Siti Cable MD, P Saibaba was in the chair. Management consultant, MC Das, acted as moderator for the meeting.

Rally on protection of girl child (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/rally-on-protection-of-girl-child/article3990667.ece)

Children utilise the opportunity to create awareness on avoiding plastic bags

The Christian Dynamic Service Society (CDSS) celebrated the International Day of the Girl Child with a special rally by children in Vijayawada.

Former Deputy Mayor of Vijayawada Corporation S. Gritten appreciated the CDSS fort its work on protection of the girl child.

The CDSS through its child development project, was working for the uplift of girl child, said Project Coordinator B. John Wesley.

Children participated in a rally to raise awareness on the rights of a girl child. In addition they also utilised the opportunity to create awareness on environmental pollution by avoiding plastic bags. Through their placards the students suggested alternatives like paper and cloth bags. The children even distributed paper bags and pamphlets during the rally.

Dr. N.D. Srinivas, V. Nageswara Rao, Rev. Bhushan Rao, Rev. Issac, social worker Poornaiah, the CDSS staff and the local public participated in these celebrations.

Goan food festival at Fortune from today (http://www.thehansindia.info/News/Article.asp?category=5&subCategory=3&ContentId=92904)

Vijayawada: Goan food festival is presenting exotic and delicious dishes of Goa for the guests, said Fortune Murali Park General Manager PK Venkatesh.

Addressing the media here on Thursday, he said that the hotel was going to launch Goan food festival from October 12 to 21 at Zodiac-24 hour Astral Coffee Shop. He said that Goa food is well known cuisine and relished by many in different parts of the country.

He said that the food is known for its unique taste, variety and appeal. He said that food at the festival makes the guests feel as if they are on land of Goa. He said that the entire atmosphere will be converted Goan with the help of Goan hits/Konkan classic and the staff dressed in typical Goan attire.

Chef Master Selva from Bangalore said that Goan dishes like Surai Modavi, Fish Peri Peri, Bajlele, Sunga and many authentic Goa dishes would be served in the festival.

He said that Bibnca is a traditional Goan speciality that is also available at the festival. He said that the guests would be relieved of their regular stress at the festival.

Chef Khan, Assistant sales manager SK Jeelani, Food and Beverages Manager Sujit Dubay and others were present.

Designer jewellery expo inaugurated (http://www.thehansindia.info/News/Article.asp?category=5&subCategory=3&ContentId=92905)

Vijayawada: Former Mayor of the city Ratna Bindu inaugurated the three-day exhibition-cum-sale on ‘Fashion and Lifestyle,’ organised by the Parinaya Events and Exhibitions here on Thursday.

Speaking on the occasion, she said that the exhibition has a wide variety of bridal collection for the season. The exhibition has everything ready for the bride for her wedding, she said.

She said that jewellery, saris, kurtis and other paraphernalia needed for the wedding brought from all over the country were showcased in the exhibition and hoped the visitors would be benefitted from the fair.

Event Organiser T Venkateswara Rao said that the exhibition would be open from till October 13. He said diamond jewellery, jewellery made of gold imitation jewellery, lifestyle accessories were on display attracting the crowds.

He said that designers from Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Delhi, Jaipur, Kolkata,Chennai and other parts of the country have put their works on display in the exhibition.

He said that 90 master designers are showcasing 1,50,000 designs and the Vijayawada people can make use of the exhibit to get unique designs for themselves.

More malaria cases in city (http://www.thehansindia.info/News/Article.asp?category=5&subCategory=3&ContentId=92910)

Vijayawada: Six more malaria and five suspected dengue cases from city and seven from outside of the city were reported on Thursday.
The engineering officials collected 1426 water samples in the three circles in the city and found that the chlorine content is within the prescribed limits.

Dasara arrangements in full swing (http://www.thehansindia.info/News/Article.asp?category=5&subCategory=3&ContentId=92913)

Vijayawada: Officials are racing against time to complete arrangements for Daara festival, scheduled to begin from October 16.
Speaking to the media here on Thursday, the district Joint Collector, P Usha Kumari, said that arrangements would be completed by October 13, three days ahead of the start of the festival.

She said that barricading to maintain queue lines of the visiting devotees is nearing completion. During VIP visits to the temple on all nine days, she said special care would be taken to minimise the inconvenience to the devotees waiting for their turn in the queue lines.

She further said that street lighting, special lighting and stand-by generators for emergencies were also being positioned to meet emergencies.

The officials have also positioned professional swimmers at the bathing ghats along the river to meet emergencies like accidental drowning of devotees in the river while taking a holy dip.
The Joint Collector said that they would also make special arrangements for Moola Nakshatram and Vijaya Dasami, when devotees turn up in large numbers running into a few lakhs.

The temple Executive Officer, M Raghunath and Revenue Divisional Officer, S Venkatrao, were also present at the meeting.

Charitable trust opens vocational centre (http://www.thehansindia.info/News/Article.asp?category=5&subCategory=3&ContentId=92915)

Vijayawada: The city-based Sai Komal Charitable Trust has launched a vocational centre which included a computer learning centre and a tailoring centre at Pedapudi village, about 140 km from here on Thursday.

The opening of these vocational centre is part of their programme to empower women in rural areas. The chairperson of the Trust, Pothineni Mahalakshmi, wife of Dr P Ramesh, CMD of Ramesh Cardiac Centre here, took the initiative to expand the activities of the Trust to rural areas.Paruchuri Srirama Mohan Rao, former president of Krishna District Cooperative Society, inaugurated the centre.

Dr MC Das, management consultant, inaugurated the computer centre for making village women computer literate. Dr Vidya Kanna, director, Jana Sikshana Samsthan, inaugurated the tailoring centre.

Incidentally, the programme which is intended to empower women and girls of the village coincides with the International Girl Child celebrations.Dr MC Das, addressing a public meeting on the occasion, exhorted women to acquire computer skills. "Skills like tailoring always come in handy," he said.

MDO Pitchi Reddy, Deputy Director of Krishna district Adult Education Project Saroja Devi also participated in the programme. Teaching material was distributed to the participants.

One cornea can restore sight to three persons, says expert (http://www.thehansindia.info/News/Article.asp?category=5&subCategory=3&ContentId=92916)

Vijayawada: Prof IV Rao, Vice Chancellor of NTR University of Health Sciences, flagged off mobile van of Sandhya High-tech Vision Care, to spread the message of eye donation here on Thursday.

Speaking to the media on the occasion, Prof Rao appealed to the people to donate their eyes for restoring vision to millions of people who suffer from corneal blindness. He congratulated Dr MN Raju for his efforts to create awareness among public on eye donation.

Dr MN Raju said that with the advancement in technology and medical science, one cornea could be utilised to restore eye sight to three persons. In effect, if a person donates his both the eyes, eye sight of six persons could be restored, he added.

Elaborating on the issue, Dr Raju said that the 0.5mm thick cornea consists of several layers and the first layer Epithylium, middle layer Stroma and the inner layer Endothylium could be separated and utilised to restore vision to three persons.

He said that Sandhya High-tech Vision Care had been organising eye donation campaign for the last eight years. "There are four dedicated personnel ready to collect cornea whenever a phone call comes in," he said.

Cornea grafting is a simple procedure which takes hardly 15 minutes, he added. It is sad that there are a very few eye donations in a country of more than one billion population, he said and added that if everyone donates eyes for the cause, preventable blindness could be rectified in a couple of months.

He said that the incidence of cataract has come down from 80 per cent to 50 to 60 per cent due to the awareness among people in eye care.
It is sad to note that one fourth of the blind people in the world are from India, he said.He regretted that in spite of the campaign all these years, eye donation has not picked up. Certain problems to cornea could be treated with latest technology like photo-therapy care.

Blindness among children could be prevented by recognising eye sight problems in time, timely use of spectacles and timely change of spectacles, he said. He said that Gujarat was in the forefront in the country in eye donations.

Focus on helping the rural poor: Manohar (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/focus-on-helping-the-rural-poor-manohar/article3994059.ece)

Government keen on promoting the Private-Public-Partnership model

Doctors should focus on how to help the rural poor with the advances in medicine, the Speaker of Legislative Assembly Nadendla Manohar has said.

Addressing delegates of the Association of Otolaryngologists of India (AOI) 8th south zone and 31st state conference in Vijayawada on Friday Mr. Manohar said that the Government was keen on promoting the Private-Public-Partnership (PPP) model, but the burden on the government was growing day by day and doctors should contribute by holding health camps for prevention and early detection.

He said that minimum invasive surgery should be preferred because the number of days for recovery and hospitalisation were less.

Responding to statistics given about the increasing number of cancer cases caused by tobacco the Speaker said that Andhra Pradesh Government was one of the first governments to ban several tobacco products. He said a lot of poor were being benefited by cochlear implantation that was covered under Arogyasri scheme.

Large numbers of people are migrating to urban centres and this would only increase the burden on the Government, he observed. While it was the responsibility of the Government to provide a pollution free environment to the people particularly the poor, it was becoming an unbearable burden.

He asked the ENT specialists to focus on ways to help the poor. Dr. N.T.R. University of Health Sciences Vice-Chancellor I.V. Rao said that ENT surgery being done with the aid of computers was becoming very precise with minimum damage to neighbouring tissues. He said that the Health University will introduce ten two-year post-doctoral fellowship courses from January 1, 2013.

The AOI conference organising chairman P.S.N. Murthy welcomed the gathering. Ear, nose, throat and head and neck cancers constitute 34 per cent of the total cancers, said AOI South Zone president S.K.E. Appa Rao.

“People are dying of oral cancer because of ignorance. There were seven lakh cases of cancer every year and three lakh cases were tobacco related mostly Chutta Cancer (where the country cigar is smoked with the lit end inside the mouth). Every day 2,000 deaths were also tobacco related, Dr. Appa Rao said.

Organising secretary K. Sivaramakrishna proposed a vote of thanks.

World Egg Day celebrated (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/world-egg-day-celebrated/article3994074.ece)

A special poster which states that egg is vegetarian was released on the occasion
Eggs are the cheapest food item available but yet provide all the nutrients a person needs, said Vijayawada Poultry Farmers Welfare Association President Mulpuri Lakshmana Swami.

Speaking at a special programme organised to celebrate World Egg Day by the association, he feigned ignorance at such a special day existing for promoting consumption of eggs, but opined that egg must be made a staple in everybody’s diet. “Everyone should eat at least two eggs per day for a healthy body”, he added.

Eating one egg per day from childhood will enable your body to protect itself from all the harmful changes in the environment said Gannavaram MLA D.V. Balavardhana Rao, while formally inaugurating the programme. All the essential vitamins like A, D, K, I and especially the most important one, proteins are present in eggs, he said. Eating one egg a day is a healthier option than taking all the artificial dietary supplements available in the market, he observed.

Further awareness was created on how eating eggs would protect people from mental stress, reduction of cholesterol, prevention of Cancer, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Heart problems at the celebrations through the various speeches and presentations. A special poster which states that egg is vegetarian was released on the occasion.

National Egg Co-ordination Committee (NECC) President and Advisor Bala Swami, Animal Husbandry Joint Director Damodar Naidu, NECC Zonal Chairman K. Prem Kumar, Broiler Association President G. Buccha Rao, Srinivas Hatcheries Joint Director K. Somi Reddy and Technical Director T. Krishna Reddy also participated in these celebrations.

Kebab food festival at Hotel Gateway (http://www.thehansindia.info/News/Article.asp?category=5&subCategory=3&ContentId=93077)

Vijayawada: Gateway Kebab factory food festival will be inaugurated in Hotel Gateway from October 13. The Gateway Hotel Bay Leaf master chef Santosh Singh said specialised Kebabs of Lucknowi, Hyderabadi, Awadhi and Peshawari Kebabs would be made available at the festival.

Sea Food kebabs, vegetarian and non-vegetarian food items, Biryani and varieties like Mirchi Ka Salan, Raita, Lachha Onion, Mint Chutney, Papad and Dal-Roti will available in the food festival.

Special dishes like Tungrey Mahal, Lasooni Jinga, Lagaan Ki Boti, Sabji Kakori kebabs also available in this food festival, the organisers informed here on Friday.

Two-day Trends lifestyle expo begins in city (http://www.thehansindia.info/News/Article.asp?category=5&subCategory=3&ContentId=93084)

Vijayawada: Trends life style exhibition began in the city on Friday. Encore Events is organising the event at Hotel Gateway.Encore events head Santhi Kathiravan, speaking to the media here said that the “Trendz South India’s life style and sales exhibition was available only for two days in the city.

She said that famous designers from all over India have joined the exhibition with 60 stalls. She said 1,50,000 designs were available in the exhibition.

Designer sarees, blouses, kurtis, 91.6 gold and imitation jewellery, life style accessories, handlooms, zari Kota saris, bridal wear and cosmetics were available in the exhibition.Expressing satisfaction at the success of 12th exhibition this year, she said articles from Rs 400 to Rs 60,000 were available at the exhibition.

Metro to open its store in city (http://www.thehansindia.info/News/Article.asp?category=5&subCategory=3&ContentId=93088)

Vijayawada: Metro Cash and Carry, a multi-national company will open its multi-brand wholesale store in the city in the middle of November, said its corporate relations head, Vishal Sehgal.Interacting with the media here on Friday, Vishal said that the store was getting ready in the city and would be open to retailers in the next couple of weeks. He said that it would be the third store in Andhra Pradesh and 13th store in the country.

Built on a sprawling three-acre land at a cost of Rs 80 crore, the store will have more the 10,000 items catering to the retail traders of this area. They will also have 1800 to 2000 own brand products made available to the retailers of the area, he said.

He further said that the store would also have seven cold storages with temperature ranging from minus 27 degrees to 12 degrees.The items would be supplied from the collection centres located at Vontimamidi near Hyderabad, Malur in Karnataka, Malerkotla in Punjab, Manchar in Maharastra and Barasat in West Bengal. Keeping in view the potential of the agricultural and aquaculture products around Vijayawada, they would also open such a collection centre here too in near future, he said in reply to a question.

Vishal said that they would also extend technical and scientific support to the farmers of the region by giving them expert advice on crops, harvest and packing, which are vital in the market.

He said that they would also provide training camps for the farmers to support them on cultivating crops which have more demand in the market. He said that Metro would directly procure fruits and vegetables from farmers and make payments through bank to ensure that the transactions are transparent. He expressed confidence that the retail traders of this area would support the store and make use of its services to them.

Metro’s Corporate Communications Senior Manager, Jyotsan Murthy, was also present at the media interaction.

6 special trains to clear rush (http://www.thehansindia.info/News/Article.asp?category=5&subCategory=3&ContentId=93089)

Vijayawada: Southern Railway is running six special trains between Chennai Central and Shalimar(in West Bengal) in order to clear extra rush of passengers.Chennai Central –Shalimar special train will depart Chennai Central on Mondays, October 15th, 22nd and 29th October at 12.30 midnight and arrive/depart Vijayawada at 8/8.15 am and arrive Shalimar at 7 am on Tuesday.

In the return direction, Shalimar-Chennai Central train will depart Shalimar on Tuesdays, October 16th, 23rd and 30th October at 3 pm and arrive/depart Vijayawada at 10.40/11.00 am and arrive Chennai Central at 6.05 pm on Wednesdays.

Enroute, the special trains will halt at Gudur, Nellore, Ongole, Chirala, Tenali, Vijayawada, Eluru, Rajahmundry, Samalkot, Tuni, Visakhapatnam, Srikakulam Road, Palasa, Brahmapur, Khurda Road, Bhubneswar, Cuttack, Jaipur Khenjhar Road, Bhadrak, Balasore and Kharagpur stations in both the directions.

VMC bid to trim sanitation staff strength irks workers (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/vmc-bid-to-trim-sanitation-staff-strength-irks-workers/article3996602.ece)

Barring permanent workers of about 1,000, the sanitary workers in the VMC are drawn from DWCUA and CMEY groups

Cash strapped Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) is vigorously exploring the options to reduce the financial burden. And the first casualty is evidently sanitary workers. The Corporation terminated the services of 320 workers, who are categorised as reserve workers.

The VMC has been planning to downsize the strength of its sanitary staff ever since the minimum wages were revised. The minimum wages were increased to Rs.3,900 per month in 2009 from Rs.2,100 in 2008. Then, the salary bill was to the tune of Rs.7 crore a year, and revision took it to Rs. 24 crore per annum. With yet another hike in salary, Rs. 6,700 per month, the VMC is shelling out around Rs. 28 crore.

The VMC wanted to reduce the strength by at least 1,000 workers. As many as 3,226 people are working on contract basis for carrying out sanitation works in the city. Barring permanent workers of about 1,000, the sanitary workers in the VMC are drawn from DWCUA and CMEY groups.

The VMC has planned to hire services of sanitary workers through contractors, and prepared the “packages” comprising of 25 to 30 sanitary workers, and the contractor can take as many packages as they can handle. With this, the same work will be delivered by “package with less number of sanitary workers”. In 2009 also, the Corporation tried to cut their numbers in a different fashion and prepared a list of sanitary workers who had crossed 50 years of age. The unions are up in the arms against the VMC’s move to prune size of strength of sanitation workforce. Tens of sanitary workers assembled in front of VMC main office on Saturday though it was as holiday. Union leader David said: “The CMOH has agreed to take back all the workers whose services were terminated,” he said. The VMC Employees Union leader Ranganayakulu pointed out the VMC has not served the notices also. The VMC has thrown workers onto road to save Rs. 21.5 lakh per month, he said.

Legal centre for Muslims (http://www.thehansindia.info/News/Article.asp?category=5&subCategory=3&ContentId=93320)

Vijayawada: Muslims will get legal advice regarding any problem and help from advocates at the legal counsel centre inaugurated here, said Indian Medical Association State general secretary Dr Rahman. He was taking part in the inauguration of the free legal counsel centre here on Saturday at the Press club.

Speaking on the occasion, Rahman said that such kind of centres would be useful for Muslims to get their problems solved at the earliest.

Awareness on disaster mitigation stressed (http://www.thehansindia.info/News/Article.asp?category=5&subCategory=3&ContentId=93322)

Vijayawada: The Indira Kranthi Padham (IKP) urban project director, K Sivashankara Rao, here on Saturday, emphasised the need to create awareness among people on disaster mitigation.

Speaking at the International Disaster Mitigation Day celebrations at the Social Service Centre here, Sivashankara Rao regretted that valuable lives and properties were lost due to calamities. The people living along the sea coast were more prone to these dangers, he said and stressed the need to create awareness among public on saving lives and
properties.

He wanted the disaster mitigation volunteers to educate people on the ways to overcome the crisis at the time of disaster. He suggested to them to teach different forms of saving lives and properties to the people from calamity.

Besides this, he wanted people to store drinking water, food and other such essentials much in advance to meet the calamities.
He also underlined the need to keep emergency lights ready in advance to handle the times of crises.

He also stressed the need to grow cashew, coconut, palm trees and other such trees along the coast to reduce the impact of the cyconic storms along the coast. These measures would bring down the loss of lives and property, Sivashankara Rao said.

He also stressed the need to provide special care to the aged, children, disabled and pregnant during the calamities.The Sanghamitra Service Society secretary, Sivaji, said that they were holding training programmes for people in coastal villages to create awareness on calamities.

Besides, they were also constructing toilets and drinking water facilities for people in these habitations, he said. Jaggaiahpet Municipal Commissioner Shankara Rao, Rural Water Supply Deputy Executive Engineer Madhubabu and other officials were present at the programme.

LVPEI awareness drive on Glaucoma (http://www.thehansindia.info/News/Article.asp?category=5&subCategory=3&ContentId=93323)

Vijayawada: Glaucoma is a dreadful ailment that harms the eye sight of the patients, said glaucoma in-charge at LV Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) Dr B Pradeep Kumar Reddy.

Addressing the media here on Saturday, he said that the LVPEI would conduct an awareness programme on October 15 at their branch opposite to Maris Stella College. He said that the aim of the programme was to create awareness among people about the ailment and help them in precautionary measures. He said the awareness programme was being conducted in association with Patient Education Forum. He said that Dr Niranjan and Dr Mahesh would accompany him in the programme.

Cornea Specialist Dr Mahesh Kalyankar said that six crore people in the world and 1.2 crore people in our country were suffering from the ailment. He said that there were no particular symptoms for the ailment till the final stage and results in partial blindness. He said that it was a silent killer affecting the entire eye and vandalising the eye sight.

He said that they would be giving coupons for patients who attend the programme for free screening of eyes. He said that they can make use of the coupons for themselves or for their relatives from October 16 to 29.

He said that people who use steroids and diabetic patients would become victims of glaucoma.

Mega medical camp at Durga temple for Dasara (http://www.thehansindia.info/News/Article.asp?category=5&subCategory=3&ContentId=93338)

Vijayawada: The Andhra Pradesh Medical Practitioners Association, Andhra Pradesh Drug Traders Association and the Krishna District Chemists and Druggists Association are jointly organising a free mega medical health camp at Kanaka Durga temple premises for 13 days from October 16 to 28.

The Krishna District Chemists and Druggists Association secretary PS Patnaik speaking to the media here on Saturday said that they would spend Rs 7 lakh for organising the camp during the Durga festival. He asked devotees to avail of the facility being provided exclusively for them.

He said that free medicines would be distributed to the needy.
He also informed that a full fledged laboratory and three ambulances would established at the campo to tackle any medical and helath emergency cases.

The associations have got permission from the Kanaka Durga Temple Executive officer M Raghunath to organise the camp at Durga temple, he said.

Two doctors will be available at the medical camp round-the- clock and 30 member team from Andhra Pradesh medical practitioners will work in three shifts.

He said that they would face round-the-clock medical and health emergency during Dasara festival at Durga temple, ghat roads of Indrakeelaadri and bathing ghats of River Krishna.

Krishna District Chemists and Druggists Association representatives V Venkata Rao, M Srinivasa Rao and Ch Rama Krishna were also present at the media conference.

Green city by 2013: Civic chief (http://www.thehansindia.info/News/Article.asp?category=5&subCategory=3&ContentId=93337)

Vijayawada: Municipal Commissioner Mohammed Abdul Azeem here on Saturday, asked the people to cooperate Vijayawada to be green city by 2013.He interacted with members of the Residential Welfare Association of Brundavan colony as part of green peace mission-2012 at urban health center here on Saturday.Speaking on the occasion, Civic Chief Abdul Azeem called upon the people to join green peace mission .

Sepak Takraw inter-district Championship inaugurated (http://www.thehansindia.info/News/Article.asp?category=5&subCategory=3&ContentId=93339)

Vijayawada: Sepak Takraw is a skillfull game that requires complete coordination of mind and body, said MP Lagadapati Rajagopal. He inaugurated the Gajula Narayana Rao Memorial 23 AP Sepak Takraw senior inter-district championship for men and women here on Saturday at the Indira Gandhi Municipal Corporation stadium.

Speaking on the occasion, Rajagopal said that the Chief Minister has announced list of sports eligible for the jobs under sports quota. He said that Sepak Takraw was not in the list and promised to see that it is included in the list. He wished the players all the best and asked them to play game the game in good spirit.

Krishna district Sepak Takraw Association president Arza Paduranga Rao said that players from 20 districts were taking part in the Championship. He said that the winners of this Championship are eligible to take part at the national level Championship that is going to take place in November at Hyderabad. He said that approximately 20 men teams and 15 women teams are participating in the Championship.

MLAs Malladi Vishnu, Vellampalli Srinivas, SAAP Regional Deputy Director G Chinnaiah, DSDO P Rama Krishna, State Sepak Takraw Association secretary SR Prem Raj, District Olympic Association secretary KP Rao, AP Olympic Association executive member RD Prasad, Gajula Venkateswara Rao, D Avinash and others were present.

Vijayawada students win berth to World Robot Olympiad (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/vijayawada-students-win-berth-to-world-robot-olympiad/article3999074.ece)

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They look forward to building a ‘Bot’ which would pick up four different coloured cubes and place them on a pole with same colour within two minutes or even less
Advancements in robotic technology hold a great promise and three students from Vijayawada are making their presence felt in the field with their recent win at the Nationals of Indian Robot Olympiad in New Delhi.

The Bot, made by students R.M.V. Durga Bhavani and D. Srikanth (both third year ECE students from Lakireddy Bali Reddy College of Engineering) and T. Vamsi (EEE diploma student from Government Polytechnic, Gannavaram), which stood first in the nationals, has won them a place in the World Robot Olympiad to be held in Kuala Lumpur from November 9 to 11.

The trio won the Regional Olympiad in Chennai making the Bot do the job in 61 seconds. The excited winners narrated their achievement to The Hindu on Sunday and the task ahead. They look forward to building a ‘Bot’ which would pick up four different coloured cubes and place them on a pole with same colour within two minutes or even less. “Our ‘Bot’ finished this task within just 75 seconds after we built it in two-and-a-half hours,” said team member D. Srikanth.

The group calls itself “Robo Bugs”, formed at The Robo Club in the city. The group members are guided by Tanmayee, an MIC College of Engineering graduate. “She never gave any answers to the problems that arose, but she made us to find solution on our own,” said Durga Bhavani.

The 11 Bot performed successfully after ten trials.

Many artistes eager to perform during Dasara (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/many-artistes-eager-to-perform-during-dasara/article3999077.ece)

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Devasthanam receives applications even from those hailing from Balasore, Kolkata

The Sri Durga Malleswara Swamivarla Devasthanam is flooded with applications from artistes, urging it to give them an opportunity to perform in the cultural programmes to be organised during Dasara festival commencing Tuesday.

Temple authorities have received as many as 860 applications this year. The number of applications received in 2010 were only 400. The applicants hail from far off places such as Balasore in Odisha, Kolkata, Chennai, and Bangalore. The temple will be able to accommodate only 260 programmes during the nine-day festival, officials say.

The officials have shortlisted applications pertaining to music, bhajans, ‘harikatha’, ‘burra katha’, dance, mimicry, magic shows, and ‘kolatam’.

Subrata Mukherjee from West Bengal, noted musicians such as Annavarapu Ramaswamy, Dandamudi Sumati Rammohan, Govindarajan, and P. Janaki, and celebrated Kuchipudi dancers — Chinta Ravi Balakrishna and Yeleswarapu Srinivasulu — would perform at the Mallikarjuna Mahamandapam.

This apart, the temple management is planning to organise a few special programmes such as mimicry this year. It plans to arrange ‘kolatam’ and bhajans near the Gosala atop Indrakeeladri.

Dream come true

With this, the artistes’ long-cherished dream of performing close to the temple or atop Indrakeeladri will be fulfilled.

Following a suggestion from Vijayawada (West) MLA Velampalli Srinivas Rao, the temple authorities have decided to organise the cultural programmes at the mahamandapam.

There has been widespread criticism that organising cultural programmes at Tummalapallivari Kshetrayya Kalakshetram would be of no use. The temple has been organising the programmes at the kalakshetram in view of the practical difficulties involved at venues closer to the temple.

Artistes used to complain that the police on duty are not allowing them to reach the temple with their paraphernalia.

Decked up for the festivities (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/decked-up-for-the-festivities/article3999086.ece)

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Former Collector picks holes in alignment of NH-5 http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/former-collector-picks-holes-in-alignment-of-nh5-bypass/article3994070.ece

Government wakes up late to name temple panel (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/Government-wakes-up-late-to-name-temple-panel/articleshow/16871207.cms)

VIJAYAWADA: Three days after the festivities for Navaratri began atop the Indrakeeladhri hill, the state government named a jumbo festival committee to oversee the arrangements turning the whole affair into a farce. The appointment of the 51-member committee kicked up a controversy as it was packed with followers of local legislators and ruling party leaders.

In the absence of a full-fledged

governing body, the festival committee could have played a greater role had the government acted a little early. As Kanakadurga temple had been functioning without a committee for the last four years, the legislators and local MP Lagadapati Rajagopal had pressured chief minister Kiran Kumar Reddy to name the governing body before the Navarati celebrations commenced. But, according to sources, differences between ruling Congress leaders and endowments minister C Ramachandraiah led to the delay in the appointment of the committee.

The CM had agreed to clear the file pertaining to the temple committee if a consensus was arrived at. Lagadapati is believed to have forwarded a list but Ramachandraiah objected to the appointment of the governing board in a hurried manner as he wanted to scrutinize all the names before naming the board. Instead, he suggested that the MP send a list of names for constituting a festival committee. District in-charge minister K Pardhasarathy forwarded the final list to Ramachandraiah on Tuesday. While the governing board has powers, the festival committee is only a supervisory body without any powers.

"Any committee could have been of help had it been named before to beginning of the festival days. They named the committee only to appease their party cadres," criticised TDP district chief Devineni Umamaheswara Rao.

Sources said the temple officials communicated to the committee members about their appointment over phone on Wednesday evening and suggested that they attend the first meeting on Thursday. The temple executive officer Raghunath said the government wanted to appoint the committee a fortnight ago but it was delayed due to unknown reasons.

Lifestyle Show inaugurated (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/lifestyle-show-inaugurated/article4015964.ece)

The annual show is a blend of opulence and utility

District Collector S. Suresh Kumar inaugurated The Hindu Metroplus Lifestyle Show-2012 at Bandlamudi Gardens in Vijayawada on Friday.

The Lifestyle show was powered by State Bank of Hyderabad. General Manager, (RNW South Zone-111), J. Sitapathi Sarma, Assistant General Manager, D. Srinivasa Rao and Assistant Regional General Manager of The Hindu, Advertisements, SLB Ramakrishna were also present.

Mr. Suresh Kumar along with senior officers of SBH went round the stalls and showed a keen interest in the wide array of home appliances, imported furniture sets and brass artefacts. He said that the show features the most modern and quality appliances that have an enduring appeal for all ages.

The State Bank of Hyderabad set up a stall where information about various offers on home and auto loans is available.

The annual show, a blend of opulence and utility, featured 50 stalls on a 12,000 square feet air conditioned space. An array of brass and bronze artefacts from Sai Siddeswara Arts & Frames has a range of exclusive artefacts of dancing Nataraja, Gautama Buddha in penance and many images of idols crafted by skilled artisans from Orissa. Grasim Gwalior has come up with an offer of buy one get two trouser bits and the offer includes tailoring by company professionals and shipped to home within a week.

A range of designer clocks, house hold furniture items, kitchen ware and consumer durables are also included in the show. The show begins at 10.30 a.m. and concludes at 8.30 p.m. and the entry ticket is Rs. 20 per head and ample free parking is available for both cars and motor cycles.

The show was powered by SBH and Prestige was the co-sponsor for the event. Eenadu is the media partner for the event and I Ads and events are the event partners for all the shows conducted across South India since its inception in 2004 in Chennai.

Trendset Multiplex at Benz Circle

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Source (http://www.facebook.com/MyVijayawada?fref=ts&filter=2)

JVV holds science talent test (http://www.thehansindia.info/News/Article.asp?category=5&subCategory=3&ContentId=98479)

Vijayawada: As a part of the silver jubilee celebrations and the tradition of the organisation, Jana Vignana Vedika (JVV) has conducted science talent test to the students at city level, said the State secretary of the organisation Jampa Krishna Kishore. The JVV here on Monday conducted science talent test for the students of St Pauls public school.

Speaking on the occasion, Krishna Kishore said that they have been conducting the test for the past two decades to encourage the students.
He said city students were selected from four zones to take part in the test, in both English and Telugu languages at the district level.

Metro Cash & Carry opens 13th wholesale centre in India, 1st in Vijaywada (http://www.indiaretailing.com/news.aspx?topic=1&Id=6729)

Germany-based self-service wholesale retailer, Metro Cash & Carry has opened its 13th wholesale centre in India, first in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh. Located at Mogalrajpuram and built with an investment of Rs 60 crore, the new outlet spreads over 56,000 sq.ft. and stocks over 10,000 products from fresh produce, exotics and dry grocery to FMCG products, electronics, apparel, furnishings, household appliances, white goods and branded items.

This is the company's third wholesale distribution centre in Andhra Pradesh, after two in Hyderabad at Moosapet and Uppal.

Speaking on the occasion, Rajeev Bakshi, Managing Director, Metro Cash & Carry India, said: “Metro Cash & Carry has forged a special relationship with many business customers in Andhra Pradesh, and we hope to deepen this bond further with our offerings in Vijayawada. We want to ensure that Vijayawada’s business customers maximise their profits with our low wholesale prices on a wide and high quality assortment, a host of convenient and customised services, and the unparalleled experience of buying at Metro."

The new centre also offers close to 2,000 food and non-food products under its private labels such as Aro, Fine Food, Sigma, Authentic, Horeca Select, and Tarrington House.

In collaboration with the State Department of Animal Husbandry, Metro Cash & Carry India has also trained nearly 30,000 sheep farmers of Andhra Pradesh and organised a free vaccination drive for their flocks. Almost 1,200 fishing crews in the state have been trained by it in modern fishing and processing techniques, in association with the State Department of Fisheries.

Metro Cash & Carry is represented in 29 countries with around 700 self-service wholesale centres. With more than 100,000 employees worldwide, the company achieved sales of about euro 31 billion in 2011. It entered the Indian market in 2003. The company operates wholesale distribution centres including two each in Bangalore, Hyderabad and Mumbai, and one each in New Delhi, Kolkata, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Zirakpur, and Jaipur.

Speed breakers on BRTS road sought (http://www.thehansindia.info/News/Article.asp?category=5&subCategory=3&ContentId=102560)

Vijayawada: The All India Youth Federation (AIYF) State president Navaneetam Sambasiva Rao here on Sunday asked the police department to take up necessary steps to control speeding vehicles on BRTS road. He participated in the CPI’s 44th division activists meeting held at Bhanunagar centrా here on Sunday. Speaking on the occasion, he found fault with the vehicle users for rash and negligent driving causing accidents on BRTS road.

He said that several people died in accidents occurred on the BRTS road. He asked the officials to setup speed breakers and night beat at BRTS road for avoiding accidents. He said that the municipal corporation officials were not taking up repairs to streetlights in time which was also one of the causes for accidents.

He said that the railway officials have issued notices to the residents of Bhanunagar who have been living there for the last four decades to vacate the area. He said that the CPI would stand by the people of Bhanunagar area and oppose the eviction notices..

Gastro-Liver Hospital to be opened today (http://www.thehansindia.info/News/Article.asp?category=5&subCategory=3&ContentId=103401)

Vijayawada: The physician-couple Dr Javvaji Satish and Dr Sajja Hemanta Lakshmi are poised to start their own dream hospital on Thursday at a spacious new building in Suryaraopet in the city.Talking to newsmen, Dr Satish, alumnus of All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, said that he has been associated with Andhra Hospital for the past five years and now he is starting his own hospital with his wife Dr Hemanta Lakshmi, an MD in paediatrics.

The new hospital with 25 beds and a full-fledged four-bed intensive care unit, state-of-the-art lab and a special clinic for liver diseases would extend quality services to the patients.He said that special treatment is available for liver cirrhosis, alcoholic damage to the liver and damaged pancreas. Special packages for gastro check up, liver check up, gastro intestine cancer screening and master health check up are introduced, he said.

Dr Hemanta Lakshmi said that paediatric services, including neonatal service, are available in the hospital. The hospital will be opened by paediatric specialist Dr R Venkateswara Rao and Andhra Hospital CEO Dr Ramana Murthy on Thursday.

Japanese auto major begins production in Vijayawada (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/Japanese-auto-major-begins-production-in-Vijayawada/articleshow/17565361.cms)

VIJAYAWADA: Japan's leading vehicle manufacturer Kyokuto launched its production at the newly-established plant at Veerapanenigudem, about 40 km from here on Monday.

The plant started production exactly 24 months after the foundation stone was laid for the project. Truck mixers and tipper truck bodies are being produced from the plant, set up under as a joint venture with an Indian firm, Mithra group.

Speaking to reporters, Kyokuto Kaihastsu Kogyo Company Limited (KKKCL) president and CEO Takaaki Fudetani said that the truck mixer market in India was poised to grow and reach a size of 9,000 units in the next three years as the government was keen on giving thrust to the infrastructure, irrigation and power sectors. He said that present market for the truck mixers was around 4,500 units. He said Kyokuto was the first Japanese player to enter the Indian market in the concreting equipment segment.

KKKCL, a 55-year-old firm, specialises in manufacturing of vehicles like dump trucks, mixer trucks, garbage trucks and the like, while Mithra group has been dealing in distribution of passenger cars, commercial vehicles and construction machinery.

KKKCL had signed a MoU with Mithra group in 2010 to set up the plant on a 15-acre site provided by the Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation ( APIIC) with an initial investment of Rs 50 crore. The Japanese firm has a stake of 59% in the plant while the Mithra group holds 41% stake. Mithra group chairman, Maganti Subrahmanyam was also present.

Vijayawada’s Kalakshetram lacks basic facilities (http://www.deccanchronicle.com/121224/news-current-affairs/article/vijayawada%E2%80%99s-kalakshetram-lacks-basic-facilities)

Vijayawada: The Tummalapalli Kshetraiah Kalakshetram seems to be losing its charm due to poor maintenance by the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation. Hundreds of people visit the Kalakshetram to enjoy cultural programmes. Majority of them complain about leaky roof and poor maintenance.

Foundation was laid for the Kalakshetram on September 18, 1953 in the combined Madras state by the then Governor Prakasha during the regime of the then municipal chairman T.V.S. Chalapathi Rao. The kalakshetram was inaugaurated on June 16, 1980 by the then chief minister Marri Chenna Reddy.

The central air-conditioning system was inaugurated by former municipal minister N. Narasimha Reddy on February 1, 1994 during the regime of former municipal commissioner Samir Sarma. Though the Kalakshetram gained fame as a cultural hub, the officials failed to maintain the auditorium. The audience complain of poor sound system and leaky roof.

The auditorium was remodelled in 2004 during Nandi awards presentation programme. The air-conditioning system is under repair since 2007. The officials failed to restore AC to the auditorium so far. Proposals were made for restoring AC to the auditorium by former municipal commissioners Pradyumna and G. Ravibabu. But their efforts were not fulfilled.

In addition, the Kalakshetram lacks a cycle stand and canteen. Hundreds of audience visiting the Kalakshetram for cultural programmes complain of theft of their vehicles.
A frequent visitor to the auditorium K. Satyanarayana said that the officials should take the initiative to improve maintenance of the auditorium. CPM city secretary Ch. Babu Rao said that damage to drinking water pipeline and leaky roofs are causing inconvenience to audience.

RAY projects fail to enthuse VMC (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/ray-projects-fail-to-enthuse-vmc/article4234473.ece)

Municipal Commissioner Md. Abdul Azeem has been able to obtain approvals for Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY) from the Central Monitoring and Sanctioning Committee (CMSC), New Delhi, in a span of three months.

Though the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation need not bear any share in the project unlike the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission, sanctioning of two projects under RAY has not raised the spirits of employees or officials. It has not enthused political parties either. “How do we pool up resources if there is cost escalation in the project?” is the question that is letting down everyone.

The housing projects taken up under the JNNURM has imposed a burden of Rs. 112 crore on the VMC.

The State government was initially reluctant to bear the burden of cost escalation under housing, which is a State subject.

After an uproar in the city, the government announced that it would bear 50 per cent of cost escalation. It, however, did not release a single paise in this regard.

The corporation has an egg on its face for its inability to complete 28,000 houses as proposed. It could not find land to construct 10,000 houses. Now, the Central government has sanctioned two projects — Dal Mill area and NSC Bose Nagar — under RAY with an estimated cost of Rs. 100 crore.

The VMC would have to shell down Rs. 7 crore for developing infrastructure such as roads. The CSMC has sanctioned Rs. 20.13 crore for the Dal Mill area project and Rs. 62 crore for the NSC Bose Nagar project.

The VMC will be able to take up construction of 1,413 houses at NSC Bose Nagar alone. The corporation has chalked out plans to develop 111 slums in the city under RAY.

'Flyover soon at Indrakeeladri' (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/flyover-soon-at-indrakeeladri/article4237885.ece)

Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways Sarve Satyanarayana has promised the people of the city to take up the construction of a flyover on National Highway No.9 at the foothill of Indrakeeladri, which had turned a bottleneck for the project, pending for a long time, was stalled despite Rs.36 crore being sanctioned, probably as the authorities felt that it need not be taken up if the Outer Bypass work was completed on the western side of the city connecting NH 9 with NH 5, but that might take another two to three years, he observed.

Responding to the problem of four toll plazas in between Vijayawada and Hyderabad on the newly widened highway, the Union Minister of State said that he had travelled on the road and a way would be found out by the NHAI foregoing its share of the toll collected to reduce the burden.

“The work was given to four contractors and all of them were entitled to collect the toll,” the Minister added.

At a press conference here on Monday, the Union Minister of State has promised that the foundation would be laid for the project very soon and work started within three months and completed within one and a half years. “We need to go to the elections in 2014 and would like to complete as many projects as possible,” Mr. Satyanarayana added.

‘TOP PRIORITY’

When the reporters pointed out that Vijayawada MP Lagadapati Rajagopal had opposed this project by organising a dharna, Mr. Satyanarayana said that the local politicians had represented to him as soon as he took charge of the ministry. He said that the project would be given priority and completed very soon and also promised to look into the issue of land acquisition for the four-laning of the Vijayawada-Machilipatnam portion of the National Highway No.9.

This four-laning should have started three months ago, but works had not started as land was not handed over to the contractors, but the NHAI CGM Venkata Reddy present at the press conference clarified that the District Collector Jyothiprakash had a meeting on Saturday and the issue was sorted out and 80 per cent of the land would be handed over very soon.

Diamond jewellery exhibition opened (http://www.thehansindia.info/News/Article.asp?category=5&subCategory=3&ContentId=109279)

Vijayawada: Actress Priyamani launched a diamond show at Malabar Gold and Diamonds Showroom here on Monday. The show would be kept open for the customers till January 7, 2013.Speaking on the occasion, Priyamani said that she had never heard of the diamond exchange exhibition where the customers can exchange their old diamonds for new ones.

Zonal director PK Siraj said that the customers can get the best international standard jewellery. He said that the diamonds have International Gemological Institute (IGI) certification, lifetime free maintenance, cent per cent buy back guarantee and one year free insurance.

Director of the showroom Nishin Thaslim, co-directors, Fazal Rahman and Jereesh, Regional Manager Amarnadh and others were present.

No RAY of hope for housing in city (http://www.thehansindia.info/News/Article.asp?category=5&subCategory=3&ContentId=109280)

Vijayawada:The fund-starved civic body is caught in yet another dose of financial burden with the Central government clearing the Rajiv Avas Yojana (RAY) housing scheme. The civic body, which is in neck deep financial crisis due to housing under JawaharlalNehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) is knocking at every door for financial support. It had also mortgaged several of its complexes with the financial institutions, including banks to mobilise funds.

The contractors are on a warpath seeking payment of bills. They held two rounds of protests at the civic office last week. The staff members too are on a fighting mode seeking payment of wages, retirement benefits and even funeral expenses.

They are alleging that the civic body has diverted their money from Provident Fund and other accounts ignoring the norms. It is alleged that the officials have diverted over Rs 200 crore from the staff benefits.

The city received clearance for construction of 18,000 houses under the JNNURM in 2007-08, of which only 6,500 houses were completed and handed over to the beneficiaries. The officials have started the JNNURM housing at Jakkampudi, Gunadala, New Rajarajeswaripet and Vambay Colony, of which they claim completion of over 10,000 houses.
The fate of the remaining 8,000 houses hangs in balance as the civic body ran out of money.

Even as the civic body was struggling to complete houses under JNNURM, the Central government has sanctioned housing scheme under RAY in 2009. The officials claimed that the RAY would bring Rs 300 crore a year for housing which would solve the housing problem in the city.

The RAY was sanctioned to the city to complete 49,500 houses for which the civic body had to spend Rs 2,223 crore. Though the scheme was sanctioned in 2009, not a single rupee was released to the civic body, which had already started the work further deepening its financial crisis.

“The municipal corporation is facing severe financial crisis for the first time in its long history. The housing under JNNURM and RAY have robbed the civic body of its funds landing the administration in deep crisis. The officials have diverted funds from various heads to meet the crisis.

The diversion failed to bail out the civic body from coming out of the crisis. On the contrary, the diversion had pushed the administration into deeper crisis,” said the CPI-M city secretary, Ch Baburao, who also headed the civic body’s standing committee during the Left regime in the past.

Churches spruced up for Xmas (http://www.thehansindia.info/News/Article.asp?category=5&subCategory=3&ContentId=109283)

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Vijayawada: The churches in the city are decorated for the Christmas celebrations, which started from the mid-night of Monday. The churches host mid-night prayers welcoming infant Jesus.

The Mary Matha Church at Gunadala, St. Paul’s Cathedral at Benz Centre, St. Peter’s Cathedral at One Town, CSI churches at One Town and Governorpet and the other churches were illuminated for the mega event. The Christian communityacross the city have also put up stars and illuminated the streets welcoming the birth of Jesus.

Speaking about the festival, Rector of the Mary Matha Shrine at Gunadala, Fr. M Chinnappa, said that Christmas was an importantfestival for Christians as it brings Lord Jesus to the world. “The savior is born on this day and the humanity is liberated from its sins,” he added.

Durga temple fly-over to be ready before polls (http://www.thehansindia.info/News/Article.asp?category=1&subCategory=2&ContentId=109237)

The Union Minister of State for Surface Transport Sarve Satyanarayana here on Monday, assured the citizens of the city that the proposed controversial fly-over bridge at Durga temple would be constructed before the general elections.

He visited the Durga temple along with local legislators on Monday.
Speaking to the media persons on this occasion, the Minister announced that the fly-over construction works would be initiated in the three to six months. He clarified that the government has postponed the proposal initially keeping in view of proposed out ring road.

“Outer ring road project would be completed in another four to five years, he said. How could we remain silent until the completion of the outer ring road”, he said.

He further said that the fly-over should be initiated not only keeping in view the forthcoming general elections but also considering the heavy traffic to Hyderabad highway. The devotees would be relieved after the completion of the fly-over, the Minster hoped.

He recalled in this connection that the Central Minister Kamal Nath had sanctioned Rs 36 crore for construction of the fly-over. However, the works could not be initiated due to the proposed outer ring road only, he said.

Referring to the allegations of toll gates already set up against rules by GMR company, Minster Satyanarayana assured that they would conduct enquiry and take action if any irregularities werefound.

Minister opens new bridge to island village (http://www.deccanchronicle.com/121227/news-current-affairs/article/minister-opens-new-bridge-island-village)

Vijayawada: Minister for roads and buildings Dharmana Prasada Rao inaugurated a bridge connecting Chinnagollapalem island village in Krishna district on Wednesday. He also set foundation stone for another bridge connecting the island village to West Godavari district.

Speaking on the occasion, he said that the Congress government would give priority to the welfare of weaker sections. He said that the bridge was sanctioned during former chief minister YSR’s regime and Pedana MLA Mr Jogi Ramesh initiated steps for the completion of the bridge.

Government whip Mr Perni Venkataramaiah said that the residents of Gollapalem faced problem due to lack of transport facility for the past several decades. MLA Mr Jogi Ramesh said former chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy sanctioned the bridge.

Earlier, Minister Dharmana Prasada Rao participated in several development programmes in Bandar and Pedana Assembly segments.

Phase II of Thiruvananthapuram's disaster management plan by January (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/thiruvananthapuram/Phase-II-of-Thiruvananthapurams-disaster-management-plan-by-January/articleshow/17775982.cms)

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The city corporation has been chosen by United Nations for the second phase of disaster management programme under its development programme. The programme will be officially launched in the first week of January, 2013.

Under the second phase of the programme, early warning systems will be introduced at key points in the city. The system will drastically enhance the city's capacity to deal with probable disasters. In the first phase of the programme, the disaster management cell had introduced initiatives like school safety awareness schemes in selected city schools.

"In the second phase, the focus will be mainly on the effects of climate change in the city. A flawless disaster management plan for Thiruvananthapuram will also be prepared in collaboration with research organizations with proven expertise in the field. The disbursement of funds required for the scheme will be announced later," city co-ordinator of disaster management and risk reduction programme Ramesh Krishnan said.

Thiruvananthapuram has been chosen along with other cities like Vijayawada, Madurai, Shimla and Gangktok. The project mainly aims at reducing the risk factors & impact of disasters, strengthening institutional capacity and making the people and school children aware and prepared for disaster reduction.

Once the scheme is launched the aid of city corporation will be sought in making the cell a full fledged centre in case of all emergencies and equipping it with critical emergency equipment and infrastructure facilities. "Lack of equipment has been a major concern for the disaster management activities. In the second phase, our prime objective will be to procure the most needed safety equipment and tools for the volunteers," said an official of city disaster management cell.

The community-level disaster response force that was formed during the last year will be bolstered with more man power and resources in the second phase. "Establishing continuity of the response efforts through 'round-the-clock' staffing at a centralized point, ensuring the emergency operations during and after disaster will have to be covered in the new phase of the programme," the official added.

Haze around Gandhi Hill development plan (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/haze-around-gandhi-hill-development-plan/article4252204.ece)

Development of Gandhi Hill, the first Gandhi memorial in India constructed on a hillock, has been on cards for some time.

The local officials of the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) are enthusiastically working on a master plan to groom the historic place that served as the venue for the 1921 AICC meeting where Mahatma Gandhi called for prohibition.

“The hill spot has a very high potential for development of tourism. Located in the heart of the city, it has a toy train, a planetarium, a conference hall with a seating capacity for 1,000 people, a library with a rare collection of books on Gandhiji and three historic halls. Most of these structures are in a dilapidated state as they were left in a prolonged state of neglect,” says Juvvadi Raghupathi Rao, Divisional Manager of the APTDC, Vijayawada division.Mr. Rao says estimates to the tune of Rs.5 crore have been prepared and forwarded for approval of the District Collector and once it is done, the file will move to the APTDC MD’s chamber. But interestingly, Collector Budhaprakash M. Jyothi, when contacted, denied knowledge of any such proposal. “There is no such proposal. Even if a proposal to this effect is made, it will not be a welcome step because the Gandhi Hill Society, which is presently responsible for the upkeep of the place, is doing a wonderful job,” Mr. Budhaprakash told The Hindu on Friday.

Mr. Budhaprakash’s statement assumes significance in the wake of his recent visit to the hill top where he reportedly expressed displeasure over the neglect of the monument and other structures there.

Meanwhile, the APTDC talks of a series of activities it plans to take up on the hill to attract tourists. “The hill is located at a height of 500 feet and provides a panoramic view of the city. There is wide scope to develop the light and sound show at the planetarium, besides taking up landscaping, introducing adventure sports and even providing accommodation at the foot of the hill,” he says. A huge Gandhi structure of 15.8 meter height was unveiled in 1968 by Dr. Zakir Hussain on this hill to propagate the ideas of Mahatma Gandhi. It also has seven stupas placed at a height of nearly 150 meters.

Informing about a meeting of the Revenue, Tourism, Railways, Forest, Engineering and other allied department officials a couple of days ago on the issue, Mr. Rao says the Corporation is eager to launch works at the earliest.

But, the gross mismatch between the APTDC enthusiasm and blatant denial on the part of the district administration makes the picture a tad hazy.

Railway imprest cards introduced (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/Railway-imprest-cards-introduced/articleshow/17802303.cms)

Railway authorities of Vijayawada division introduced imprest cash cards, with the help of SBI, to avoid handling of petty cash by field officers. Releasing them on Friday, DRM Pradeep Kumar said they would help avoid cash handling up to Rs 30 lakh each month for transactions and added that 265 field officers in the division have been authorised as imprest holders .He added the cards would facilitate hassle-free payment of imprest recoupment amount which will be credited in the imprest account of SBI main branch.

Rotary Clinic inaugurated (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/rotary-clinic-inaugurated/article4258529.ece)

Consultation is not free, but patients can see an MBBS doctor for the rock-bottom fee of just Rs.20. Members of the Rotary Club of Vijayawada (Midtown) have established the Mid Town Rotary Hospital, which is just a clinic, in the slum area of Kedareswarapet.

Vijayawada West MLA Vellampalli Srinivas inaugurated the Rotary Clinic and also the Mid Town Rotary Pharmacy which sells all drugs at a 30 per cent discount.

Former president of Rotary Club of Vijayawada (Midtown) G. Niyanta said it was a novel community project the club had come up with. The club would raise the funds needed for paying salary to the staff required for operating the clinic and giving discounts on the medicine.

The 30 per cent discount was available to all who want to purchase medicines from the Rotary Pharmacy, Mr Niyanta said.

The club would also conduct free health camps where it would invite specialists to screen patients free of charge once in a while, he said.

Attached to the clinic and the medical shop is a purified water sale counter. Water purified using a reverse-osmosis unit is sold on a non-profit basis, Mr Niyanta said.

The club also conducted a mega medical camp at a municipal school nearby school on the occasion.

Vamsi reminds former Minister of his assurances on RoB (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/vamsi-reminds-former-minister-of-his-assurances-on-rob/article4258549.ece)

The TDP urban unit has in a letter to former Minister and Congress leader Devineni Rajasekhar urged him to use his good offices in getting the work on the rail overbridge (RoB) between Gunadala and Nunna launched.

Party urban unit president Vallabhaneni Vamsi said in the letter that there were reports in a section of the press that the former Minister was opposing the RoB.

“People have not forgotten the former Minister’s assurances on the RoB. They still remember that Mr. Rajasekhar used to argue that Gunadala and its surroundings did not develop due to problems between Gunadala and Nunna,” Mr. Vamsi said.

Mr. Rajasekhar’s associates also made wide publicity that the government sanctioned the project following his pursuance.

“I am agitated to know that you are opposing the RoB as a T-junction is constructed in front of your house. I have learnt that you are opposing the RoB as the proposed junction will obstruct the movement of your vehicles. It will hinder the development of the city,” Mr. Vamsi said in the letter.

The people wanted to know the view of the former Minister on the RoB.

“They are perplexed to know that you find it unnecessary in the wake of the Inner Ring Road and a bridge near Ramavarappadu,” Mr. Vamsi said.

Mr. Rajasekhar was said to be of the opinion that Rs. 36 crore would be wasted if the RoB was constructed.

The MLAs and other Congress leaders were strongly supporting the RoB, but Mr. Rajasekhar was opposing it for his vested interests, Mr. Vamsi alleged. The Congress leader should strive for the development of the city, he added.

City builders divided on New Year prospects (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/city-builders-divided-on-new-year-prospects/article4275777.ece)

They eagerly await decision on separate statehood for Telangana

The New Year has brought a mixed bag of emotions for builders in the city. The builders’ fraternity has been lying low for some time owing to an upward swing in prices of raw material for building construction.

A few of them feel the construction industry, which was bouncing along the bottom, will start to come up, while others maintain that not much has changed at the ground-level.

Leading the optimistic group is senior builder and president of Greater Vijayawada Builders’ Association Gadde Rajaling. “We finally have something to cheer about. The near-total lull witnessed in construction industry in last six to eight months will end soon. Low demand and declining prices amid slowdown in construction activity has finally given way to fresh enquiries that indicate new investments in this sector. The soaring prices of sand hit construction industry so badly that it was almost impossible for us to take up any new venture,” says Mr. Rajaling.

According to him, emergence of a fresh possibility of formation of a separate Telangana State has rekindled hope. “2013 seems to be our year. Besides the fact that building material cost is within reach now, the recent developments indicate that a separate Telangana may happen very soon, which is yet another reason for us to feel positive,” he says.

Material cost

Contradicting his contention, former general secretary of Vijayawada Builders’ Association (VBA) which has now merged with the Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Associations of India (CREDAI), Ramana Rao argues that iron and cement alone can’t raise a building. Prices of other material have increased three times in addition to the 20-25 per cent increase in labour cost every year.

Citing non-availability of vacant land in the city limits as the biggest hurdle to start new ventures, he says most developers are moving towards the fringe areas. “Hundreds of completed flats are lying vacant on the outskirts. These unoccupied flats and the few running projects can cater to the needs of buyers for at least next two years,” he says.

With regard to Telangana, he dubs it as a government game plan to keep people in the dark until elections. “If a separate State is carved out, builders will certainly gain,” he says.

Ch. Sudhakar, also a former general secretary of the VBA blames the Urban Development Authority for ‘failure’ to develop the city’s outer periphery. “Dearth of UDA funds to develop the periphery areas has led to the present crisis,” he opines.

Kajaria-Vennar JV plans capacity expansion (http://www.projectstoday.com/News/Kajaria-Vennar-JV-plans-capacity-expansion)

The Kajaria Ceramics - Vennar Ceramics JV is planning to augment the manufacturing capacity of ceramic tiles at Kaikalur, close to Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh.
The company will be raising the capacity to 10,000 sq mtrs per day from the current 6,500 sq mtrs per day (about 2 million sq mtrs per annum). The JV Company has with Kajaria Ceramics holds 51 per cent equity in the JV company and the remaining 49 per cent is with Vennar Ceramics.

Minister promises ropeway to Indrakeeladri (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/Minister-promises-ropeway-to-Indrakeeladri/articleshow/17947073.cms)

VIJAYAWADA: Impressed with the handling of ropeway at Kumaraswamy temple at Palani in Tamil Nadu, school education minister K Pardhasarathi said the proposal for a ropeway to Kanakadurga temple atop Indrakeeladri would also be pursued.

The proposal for a ropeway to Kanakadurga temple has been hanging in the balance for the past few years following reservations expressed by the endowments department and Archeological Society of India. In the backdrop of this, Saradhi visited Palani temple on his way to Sabarimala on Tuesday and travelled in the ropeway built by the temple board.

After having darshan at Kumaraswamy temple, Parthasarathi held discussions with the temple authorities and inquired about the ropeway. "Although, we have been trying for a similar project at Kanakadurga temple for some time, we have not been successful due to lack of coordination between various departments. The functioning of ropeway at Palani temple could be an inspiration to make the project a reality," parthasarathi told TOI, from Palani over phone. The tourism development corporation had readied all the documents to invite bids for construction of ropeway about three years ago. However, it was shelved following objections raised by the endowments department. Subsequently, several senior officials including officials of endowment department and ministers promised to pursue the project during their visit to the temple. Tourism minister Vatti Vasantha Kumar had promised to revive the project within a couple of months during his visit to the temple last year but nothing happened.

16.5 crore 'power'ful building in Vijayawada (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/16-5-crore-powerful-building-in-Vijayawada/articleshow/18095468.cms)

HYDERABAD: The Vijayawada-Guntur-Tenali-Mangalagiri Urban Development Authority (VGTMUDA) is coming up with a complex wich could generate power for in-house consumption as well as for sale on commercial lines. The structure of the proposed premises of the UDA central office has been designed with ultramodern technology.

The government has released Rs 16.50 crore for the construction of the multi-storied complex at Lenin centre here.

"An integrated photo voltaic thermal insulating system will be used in construction of both walls and roofs to produce about 12 lakh units of power annually," explained the outgoing vice-chairman of UDA, GSRKR Vijaya Kumar.

While the annual consumption of the office is expected to be around six lakh units, the remaining six lakh units could be sold to the power utilities, he said. In addition to the solar power, the architects have also planned to produce power through wind. Small ventilator fans would be fixed in all the windows to tap the wind flowing out to generate power. In fact, it has been designed to utilise maximum daylight in the officee to minimise the power consumption.It is really a novel project in many ways," said

Municipal minister M Maheedhar Reddy while laying foundation stone for the structure here on Saturday said that the officials heading the urban civic bodies should come up with new ideas for utilising technology to reduce burden on the state exchequer.

"We are giving huge funds to the urban civic bodies under various schemes and programmes. Utilising them in a proper way is important," he said.

The minister also laid the foundation stone for the rope way project from Bhavanipuram river front project, Bhavani island which would be taken up at a cost of Rs 7 crore.

Later, speaking to reporters, Maheedhar Reddy said the government was prepared to conduct municipal elections whenever the courts allowed them to go ahead. He said that government would examine the need and feasibility of converting Vijayawada city into greater Vijayawada municipal corporation. School education minister K P Saradhi, MP Lagadapati Rajagopal and city legislators were also present.

Putting garbage to effective use (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/putting-garbage-to-effective-use/article4322878.ece)

Active Bicyclers’ Association to encourage apartment owners to set up biogas plants that run on waste

The Active Bicyclers’ Association has chalked out a project for effective use of garbage generated in the city. On a pilot basis, the project will be implemented at Currency Nagar from February.

Association founder and general secretary V. Satyanarayana said the garbage would be segregated at source. Apartments owners would be encouraged to take up biogas plants that run on waste. The bio-waste would be utilised to manufacture manure in the open places located in that locality if no apartment was willing to take up the biogas plants, he said, adding similar exercise was being carried out in neighbouring towns such as Tenali successfully.

The dry waste would be sold to the recycling units. And the revenue thus generated would be used to pay the salaries of workers involved in the collection of the garbage, he said.

Five pushcarts and dustbins were required to implement the project. It was estimated that Rs.50,000 was required to go ahead with the proposal, and the association would seek the help of philanthropists.

The local elders decided to launch the project by contributing Rs. 1,000 each if no philanthropist came forward, he said.

An awareness meet in this regard was organised a couple of weeks ago with the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation officials. However, there was no initiative in that direction.

The segregation of waste at source would reduce the burden on transportation cost. Corporation officials, however, were inclined to transport all the garbage.

Build Tech Expo-2013 inaugurated (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/build-tech-expo2013-inaugurated/article4322877.ece)

Three-day expo of exteriors, interiors, and construction material begins

Build Tech Expo-2013, a three-day exhibition of exteriors, interiors, and construction material and allied products, was kick-started here on Friday.

The exhibition could be a one-stop place in the city, though only for two more days, for the people planning to add new features to their living area or construct a dream house of their own.

The exhibition profile includes air-conditioning and refrigeration, arts and interiors, acoustic systems and control, furnishing and fixtures, doors and window systems, hardware tools and implements, flooring paving and cladding, paintings and finishes, roofing systems and products, and wood products.

The latest and most modern material required for the construction of houses, such as doors, windows, and so on, have been displayed at the expo. There are stalls on furniture as well.

Wide range

The expo offers a wide range of home decors, including home theatres, and bathroom fittings. The home theatres on display instantaneously draw the attention of the visitors. Depending upon the tastes and buying capacities, the home theatre prices vary. Home theatres are available in the range of Rs.65,000 to Rs. 10 lakh. Needles to say about the bathroom fittings. They are available in the range of Rs. 12,000 to Rs. 80,000.

The organisers said that the exhibition would enhance people’s awareness of various building material required for construction of houses. The exhibition is mainly aimed at creating awareness about the latest patterns available in the market. Dealers have descended on the venue located in the heart of the city to entice homemakers with an exclusive range of material that reflects the growing fascination for advanced technology.

The exhibition has come at the right time, as the construction activity is picking up after a long lull.

Defunct traffic signals add to chaos (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/defunct-traffic-signals-add-to-chaos/article4322569.ece)

Policemen find it difficult to control vehicles at new Government General Hospital

Traffic signal lights on NH 5 near the new Government General Hospital have not been working for several months now. This is the junction by which all heavy vehicles that cross Benz Circle pass through.

Controlling the heavy vehicles that come from either side is an Herculean task for the two policemen on duty at the junction.

“For traffic coming from Ramavarapadu Circle, there is no ‘Z’ barricading. There are no signal lights or inlets in between. So, the heavy vehicles coming into the city will be on top gear by the time they reach this junction. They don’t even notice the policeman trying to stop them. Similarly, there is an open stretch of road from the Ramesh Hospital Junction and the vehicles come at full speed by the time they reach here,” says the constable on duty. If traffic signals are needed anywhere, it is here, he says.

In addition, all heavy vehicles, some of them having long trailers, come from Autonagar on to the highway at this point because the Mahanadu Road is the only road open to them.

While one policeman is sufficient to man the junction if signal lights are working, two have to be on duty to regulate the traffic when they are not functioning. This is not the story of just this junction. Solar power is being used to operate signals without interruption at some centres, but precious manpower has to be deployed at the junctions where signals don’t work. Even the solar-powered signals at some places are defunct. Even at junctions where signal lights are working, most road-users do not seem to take them seriously.

RTC buses ply as if they are exempted from the red signal. Road-users who do stop at the signals are thronged by groups who have a variety of wares to sell. Marketing at traffic signals is big business in the city, with a select group selling the same items at all junctions.

During the Christmas season, Santa Claus caps and masks are sold. Plastic toys from China, hair clips, and other trinkets too are sold by persons, many of whom qualify to be child labour.

The recent ban on sticking of dark film on car windows has prompted these persons to sell China-made sunshades.

If the police department does not curb this, who will?

All party panel to monitor progress of Pulichintala (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/all-party-panel-to-monitor-progress-of-pulichintala/article4328863.ece)

The leaders of the conference resolved to take up legal recourse against the State government and the contractor that were responsible in the inordinate delay in completion of the project.

An all party roundtable conference on the Pulichintala Project held here on Sunday demanded the State Government to constitute an all-party committee to monitor its progress in its completion.

Vijayawada MP Lagadapati Rajagopal, Machilipatnam MP Konakalla Narayana the farmers’ wing representatives of different parties Chalasani Anjaneyulu (TDP), Kolli Nageswara Rao (CPI), M. Bhargava Sri (CPI-ML), M.V.S. Nagi Reddy (YSR Congress) participated. Former Rajya Sabha member Y. Sivaji presided over the roundtable conference. The leaders of the conference resolved to take up legal recourse by filing a public interest litigation against the State government and the contractor that were responsible in the inordinate delay in completion of the project. The last extension (of six months) was given on Jan. 15 promising people to complete the project by June 15. Dr. Sivaji said that all the resolutions made by the round table would be sent to State Chief Secretary for action.

SC directive gives public a breather (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/sc-directive-gives-public-a-breather/article4328848.ece)

The erection of statues even created ruckus in the city and continue to pose problems to the people.

The statues of politicians and public personalities and et al on public places have always been an inconvenience to the road users. The erection of statues is also a question of pride for the political parties and the VMC Council witnessed many chaotic scenes in this regard while deciding on giving permission.

The erection of statues even created ruckus in the city and continue to pose problems to the people. But the recent Supreme Court directive comes as breather for the public.

One such glaring example is Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy statue installed near Police Control Room (PCR). The road users always find it difficult to manoeuvre their vehicle to gain access to the only flyover in the city. The design of mouth of flyover and the huge statue obstructs the free flow of traffic.

The visibility of vehicles coming in opposite direction on the flyover is also near zero due to the statue. It is not just one statue that is causing traffic snarls. A statue of Potti Sriramulu close to Prakasam Barrage, Ashoka Pillar near Kanaka durga ghat and a statue at Mogalrajpuram (near ICICI bank ATM), Alluri Sitaramaraju statue and YSR statues near Budameru also obstruct the free flow of vehicles.

Vinayaka temple on Canal Road and a Dargah near the Durga ghat are few bottlenecks to mention, but probably they existed even before the roads got expanded. There are tens of statues of politicians and former elected representatives, flag post stands in the city that cause hardships to the people.

The VMC Council witnessed chaos over a proposal to erect the statue of Vangaveeti Radha, elder brother of former MLA Vangaveeti Mohana Ranga Rao, on National Highway-5, some time ago. The former council also wanted to install a statue of former Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy near Kanaka Durga vaaradhi, a busy junction on the national highway.

At present, there are 25 proposals pending with the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation. Most of the proposals were regarding statues of the YSR. The Corporation already rejected 10 proposals citing the GO 55 of Roads and Buildings. The VMC gave permission to a statue of cine actor Sobhan Babu as it was recommended by the Government.

The fate of these proposals and sanctions hangs in balance in the light of the apex court orders. The Supreme Court directed all States not to grant permission for erecting statues or construction of any structure at public places or on highways which would obstruct traffic.

Krishna bund okayed (http://www.deccanchronicle.com/130125/news-politics/article/krishna-bund-okayed)

Vijayawada: Krishna river bund in the city is likely to get a facelift as Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy agreed to sanction Rs 100 crore to construct a retaining wall at a stretch of 2.7 km along the river bund.

In addition, the VGTM urban development authority also proposed construction of a check dam downstream of Prakasam barrage at Yenamalakuduru to preserve water during rainy season and to promote water sports in the city. If both the projects materialise the Krishna river bund would get a facelift.

The encroachments in the river bed increased and during the rainy season officials are facing a tough task to evacuate the encroachers. The low-lying areas of Ramalingeswaranagar, Gitanagar, Ranigarithota are getting inundated every year during rainy season and officials are forced to evacuate thousands of people.

Vijayawada East MLA Yelamanchili Ravi said that the Chief Minister issued orders for the construction of a retaining wall along the river bund and the works would commence soon.

Former vice-chairman of VGTM urban development authority G.S.R.K.R. Vijaykumar proposed the Vijaya Sagar project to develop water sports and river beautification project along the river bund in city limits upto Yenamalakuduru. The project was designed to save floodwater released from Prakasam barrage during rainy season by constructing a check dam at Yenamalakuduru. The water body would improve ground water tables in the city and surrounding villages and help promote water sports to increase tourism in the city.

If the officials of urban development authority take up the river bund beautification along Krishna river bund in the city on the lines of Godavari river bund beautification in Rajahmundry, it would be useful for the residents of Vijayawada city. Thousands of people are residing near the river bund in Krishnalanka, Ranigarithota, Gitanagar, Ramalingeswaranagar and Yenamalakuduru villages.

A resident of Krishna-lanka Murthy said that the officials should take up river beautification project by developing a road on the river bund to prevent encroachments in river bed. He said once the Krishna river bund is developed, it would be very useful for peopleand would attract more number of tourists.

VMC plans to implement a series of reforms (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/vmc-plans-to-implement-a-series-of-reforms/article4335499.ece)

The fixing of water meters, increase in water cess and revision of the property tax are some of the possible outcomes of the exercises of the VMC officials.

Brace up! The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) is actively working out on the reforms to be implemented in the city. The reforms could be in water supply, garbage and tax collection as well.

The fixing of water meters, increase in water cess and revision of the property tax are some of the possible outcomes of the exercises of the VMC officials.

Conditions

The corporation officials are of the view that the reforms are imminent if the government has to release the dues and funds. They also cite the conditions that would come as riders with projects sanctioned under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) programme.

The city has agreed to the conditions, particularly that the corporation would be self-sufficient, and meet its own expenses from the revenues generated in the city.

The gap between revenues generated and expenditure is keeping the corporation on tenterhooks. The recovery of expenditure incurred on water supply is a mere 40 per cent through charges.

The VMC is unable to pay the salaries of employees in time. The incapacity of the corporation on salaries front had a cascading effect on the services delivery, says Suvarna Panda Das, who took over as Municipal Commissioner recently.

Without mincing words, Mr. Das has said, “The reforms are imminent.

The VMC is working out on the reforms to be carried out.”

The VMC has to pay Rs. 8 crore to contractors and Rs. 2 crore contingency bills. The EMDs will be another Rs. 1.74 crore. The corporation is unable to meet its share in the JNNURM projects. The tax collections such as Vacant Land Tax (VLT) need to be improved.

The gap between revenue and expenditure will have to be bridged, says Mr. Das.

When asked whether the government had released the first instalment of funds under the bail out package, he has said, “I would not comment on it.”

Piped cooking gas no more a pipe dream in Vijaywada (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/piped-cooking-gas-no-more-a-pipe-dream-in-vijaywada/article4335458.ece)

From the mainline, a separate pipeline enters the kitchen and a gas metre is installed, initial reading is noted down and billing is done based on the consumption
Life in kitchen for women in 40-odd households in Ajitsingh Nagar is not the same anymore. They are a happy lot as their cooking gas-related woes have been taken care of by the Piped Natural Gas (PNG) that has finally found its way into their kitchens through pipelines connected to stoves.

“To begin with, we have supplied piped cooking gas to 40 households at P&T Colony, Shadikhana Road, and Luna Centre in Ajitsingh Nagar. The feedback is positive as the new system has changed the experience of using cooking gas in the kitchen for women,” Bhagyanagar Gas Limited’s City Gas Distribution (CGD) Project Deputy Manager G. Rajkumar told The Hindu on Monday.

After many hiccups, the BGL’s PNG Project has begun to take shape. “The supply gets metered just the way it is being done for water and electricity. From the mainline, a separate pipeline enters the kitchen and a gas metre is installed, initial reading is noted down and billing is done based on the consumption. The PNG-users have said that the new mode is 40 per cent cheaper than the LPG,” said Mr. Rajkumar.

The BGL pipelines will now enter Satyanarayanapuram and Gandhinagar areas. Referring to the roadblocks at Eluru and Budameru canals that contributed to a delay, Mr. Rajkumar said the Irrigation Department had given its nod for digging up works.

“To pave the way for release of water for kharif crop, the department wanted us to wait. We are allowed to dig the canals and lay our pipelines from now onwards up to June,” he said.

Door-to-door campaign

Eighty more registrations have been made for PNG supply and the agency intends to enhance the number to 200 households by March.

The BGL’s final target is 1 lakh connections in Vijayawada city at an estimated cost of Rs. 100 crore. The agency’s marketing team is going door-to-door distributing pamphlets highlighting benefits of the new mode of cooking.

Besides the advantage of continuous supply of cooking gas at the turn of tap, it also saves time and money. One need not call up the distributor to book refills and wait for cylinder.

“It’s safe”

From health and safety point of view, PNG is as good as, or better than LPG and other alternative fuels. It is lighter than air and in the event of a leak it will rise and disperse in the atmosphere and not form puddles (as in petrol) or spread (as in LPG).

The ignition temperature of the natural gas is much higher than petrol, making it more difficult to ignite. Natural gas will not burn when its concentration in the air is below 5 per cent or above 15 per cent. Saving of space is yet another advantage of this hassle-free mode.

Daimler India unveils dealership in Vijaywada (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/daimler-india-unveils-dealership-in-vijaywada/article4335448.ece)

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BharatBenz, the new showroom-cum-workshop of the local dealer ‘Varun Trucking’, is located at Kesarapalli village of Gannavaram mandal in Krishna district.

To provide truckers a holistic driving experience, Daimler India Commercial Vehicles Ltd. (DICV), the Indian subsidiary of the Germany-based world’s leading truck manufacturer Daimler AG, unveiled its state-of-the-art dealership in Vijayawada on Tuesday.

BharatBenz, the new showroom-cum-workshop of the local dealer ‘Varun Trucking’, is located at Kesarapalli village of Gannavaram mandal in Krishna district. “Launch of the local dealership is part of our plan to provide a nationwide network of over 100 3S (Sales, Service, Spares) facilities along the most important trucking routes in the country,” V.R.V. Sriprasad, vice-president, Marketing, Sales, After-Sales, DICV, told a press conference that followed the launch.

Managing Director of Varun Trucking, Prabhu Kishore said his company was delighted to associate with BharatBenz. “Vijayawada is a hub of trucking industry and we wish to serve truckers in a better way through this dealership,” he said.

Stone set for first-ever green building in Vijayawada (http://www.deccanchronicle.com/130120/news-current-affairs/article/stone-set-first-ever-green-building-vijayawada)

Vijayawada: The first green building is going to come up at VGTM Uda office here. The building will be equipped with self-solar and wind-power generating units and air-conditioned interiors with radiative cooling system and water-cooled de-humidified air circulation for the first time in the city.

Minister for municipal administration M. Maheedhar Reddy set thefoundation for the urban development authority office here on Saturday. Speaking on the occasion, he said that the green building would be constructed at a cost of Rs 16.5 crore with self-power generating units.

Urban development authority vice-chairman Mr G.S.R.K.R. Vijaykumar said the building was designed with a concept of eco-friendly, energy-efficient, zero-carbon emission, low maintenance and self-sustainable qualities. He said that the building would be equipped with integrated photovoltaic panel cover above the roof garden for generation of power during day. The BIPV solar panels to windows will help natural cooling system. The air flowing inside the building would be filtered every three minutes and it would be blown out. At this point a turbine would be set up for power generation.

The solar and wind power systems of the building will generate 15 lakh units per annum. Of the total production 6.7 lakh units per annum will be consumed by the building and the surplus 8 lakh units will be supplied to the power grid. He said that the building would not tap ground water and develop rain harvesting system. As the average rainfall in the region stands at 1100 mm per annum, rain water collected on the terrace would be collected to a tune of 2.5 lakh litres per annum. The water would be used for developing garden on the terrace. The urban development authority building was designed in such a way as to net an annual revenue of `3 crore by letting out parking place in the two- storeyed cellar and commercial complex on three floors. Rest of the two floors will be used as urban development authority office.

Later, the minister set foundation for ropeway project connecting Vijaya Siri river front park at Bhavanipuram to Bhavani island.

VMC likely to hike taxes for revenue (http://www.deccanchronicle.com/130124/news-current-affairs/article/vmc-likely-hike-taxes-revenue)

Vijayawada: The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation is likely to increase various taxes including property tax in the city to net additional revenue.

As the VMC has been facing financial crunch and unable to pay the wages for employees regularly, the new municipal commissioner G. Suvarna Panda Das hinted at searching for additional revenue by introducing reforms. The VMC has been facing financial crisis for the past two years due to non-release of dues to a tune of Rs 200 crore from the state government.

However, minister for municipal administration M. Maheedhar Reddy ruled out any dues from the state government and added that the VMC ran into financial crisis due to lapses in the administration. The minister said that the government would release funds to continue the ongoing development works.

The VMC will get a revenue of Rs 200 crore per annum if the state government releases the assigned revenue through entertainment tax and professional tax. The VMC nets Rs 60 crore through property tax and has to spend Rs 50 crore towards salaries of employees per annum.

The VMC has spent huge amount on JNNURM scheme including on housing and on BRTS scheme. It has to bear 30 per cent of the funds for implementing the scheme. Several works taken up under JNNURM scheme reached final stage but the VMC is not in a position to complete the works due to funds crunch.

CPM city secretary Ch. Babu Rao warned that if the VMC proposes increase in property tax the CPM would launch an agitation.

He said that the property tax in the city was increased in 2001 and twice for commercial complexes after 2001. He said the VMC has been collecting garbage tax also. He alleged that the VMC has been facing financial crisis due to faulty decisions of the officials.

He said that the officials wasted nearly Rs 10 crore by purchasing vehicles. He alleged irregularities in streetlighting. He said the state government has to bear the cost for the housing projects in the city.

VMC to get funds in 3 days: Minister (http://www.deccanchronicle.com/130120/news-current-affairs/article/vmc-get-funds-3-days-minister)

Vijayawada: Minister for Municipal Administration M. Maheedhar Reddy said that the state government would release funds to Vijayawada municipal corporation within three days to complete the ongoing development works.

Speaking to media persons here on Saturday, the minister said that there were no dues from state or central government to the municipal corporation. But taking into consideration the inconvenience being caused to people due to non-completion of several works including roads, drainage and housing, Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy agreed to release funds to the VMC.

The minister said that the local bodies should generate funds to carry out the development works. He said the VMC was caught in financial crisis due to lapses of some officials. He said that action would be taken on the officials after necessary inquiry.

He said the VMC wasfacing funds crunch due to additional works. The municipal administration minister ruled out the possibility of paying the salaries of employees under 010 account from treasury.

He said that the local bodies should bear the salaries of the employees.

Regarding elections to local bodies, the minister said that as the voters list based on 2011 was not published so far they are planning to conduct elections as per 2001 voters list after Supreme Court judgement.

Mr Maheedhar Reddy assured the completion of ongoing development works taken up by Vijayawada Municipal Corporation.

Meanwhile, at Guntur, Mr Maheedhar Reddy said that the government was waiting for the Supreme Court permission for holding municipal elections. He set the foundation for a 70-feet ring road from Nallapadu village to connect NH-5, near Guntur city to reduce traffic on the city roads. He said the urban development authority has taken up various development works.

Facelift to sports stadia (http://www.thehansindia.info/News/Article.asp?category=5&subCategory=3&ContentId=116796)

Vijayawada: The Krishna District Sports Authority (KDSA) is finalising the proposals to construct new stadia and give facelift to the existing ones in Vijayawada city and also various towns in the district. According to KDSA, the prestigious Indira Gandhi Municipal Corporation Stadium (IGMCS) is recommended for introducing 400-meter synthetic track under Urban Development Sports Scheme by the State government.

The State government has already recommended to the Central government after receiving the proposal from the Central constituency legislator Malladi Vishnu. Under this scheme, the KDSA has sent a proposal for establishing synthetic track in IGMC stadium at a cost of Rs 4.64 crore. The Central government extends financial support to two cities in every state every year.

In the same way, a proposal has been sent to the State government by the KDSA for introducing AstroTurf for hockey in Makineni Basavapunnaih sports complex, here on the outskirts of the city at a cost of Rs 3.7 crore. If these two proposals get materialized, the city will get a place in the sports world to conduct international games in the disciplines of hockey and athletics. New mini stadium in Nandigama

The State government has already allocated Rs 2.5 crore and issued a GO for constructing a mini and indoor stadium in Nandigama. According to the G.O, the KDSA has already got administrative sanction and the Housing department should finalize the six acres of site which was proposed by the local legislator.

According to the plan, Kho-Kho, Kabaddi, Volleyball courts will be established in the mini stadium and badminton, table tennis courts and rooms for carroms and chess will be constructed in the indoor stadium.

The Krishna District Sports Authority is going to construct a swimming pool at Edpugallu at a cost of Rs 1.30 crore. The work is expected to start soon. The KDSA has also sent new proposals for constructing the mini stadiums at Gannavaram, Jaggaiahpet, Kaikaluru and Pamarru at a cost of Rs 2.10 crore per stadium.The proposals for construction of new mini stadia have been sent by the KDSA after receiving the the proposals from local legislators of Tiruvuru and Nuzvidu.

The KDSA officials are confident that they would get approvals regarding their new proposals from the government soon. The Krishna District Sports Development Officer Rama Krishna said that the State government would construct stadia in every constituency across the district as part of its new sports policy.

Commodity meet in Vijayawada tomorrow (http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/markets/commodities/commodity-meet-in-vijayawada-tomorrow/article4357783.ece?ref=wl_investment-world)

MUMBAI, JAN. 29:
A stakeholder awareness and education seminar on commodity price risk management will be held at 4 p.m. on Thursday, January 31 at The Andhra Chamber of Commerce and Industry, 40-1-144, Corporate Building, 3rd floor, Hotel Fortune J, M.G. Road, Vijayawada.

The event is part of an ongoing initiative by The Hindu Business Line jointly with Forward Markets Commission (FMC), the commodity futures market regulator under the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, and the National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX), the country's largest agri-commodity futures exchange.

Expert presentations include ‘Commodities as key driver of India's economic growth’ by G. Chandrashekhar of The Hindu Business Line and ‘Commodity futures trading and price risk management, an exchange perspective’ by an NCDEX representative. There will be a question and answer session after the presentations.

N. Venkateshwarulu, President, Siddharatha Academy, will be the chief guest and deliver the welcome address. Muttavarapu Murali Krishna, President, Chamber of Commerce, will be the guest of honour. Commodity producers, processors, traders, importers, exporters and related others are welcome to participate. For registration, contact: Ravi Kumar on 0-9866677268.

VMC distributes anti-filaria tablets (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/vmc-distributes-antifilaria-tablets/article4360117.ece)

The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) has launched a three-day programme to distribute Albandazole tablets to eradicate filaria, as part of National Filaria Day celebrations.

The Corporation organised a meet at Gandhiji Municipal School in One Town to distribute the tablets to the students on Tuesday.

On the occasion, Chief Medical Officer of Health M. Satyanarayana Raju said that the mass drug administration (MDA) programme was one of the measures to eliminate filaria by breaking the lifecycle link between the human and mosquito.

As many as 4,000 health staff would distribute tablets free of cost to 9 lakh people in the city. The people who are in the age group of 2 to 60 should take the tablets.

The health staff would administer the tablets to every person, and the dosage of the tablet depends on the age of a person.

DOSAGE

The children in the age group of 2 to 5 would have to take one tablet, while the children who are in the age group of 6 to 14 would have to take two tablets. And those who attained 15 years would have to consume three tablets.

The tablets should not be taken with empty stomach. The pregnant women, those suffering with chronic diseases and children below two years of age, however, were exempted from taking the tablets, he said.

Senior medical officer Iqbal Hussain, VMC assistant medical officer of health Gopal Naik, Deputy Educational Officer K. Durga Prasad, Gandhiji Municipal High School head master P. Venkateswara Rao and others were present.

Aquaria India 2013 at Vijayawada from February (http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/states/aquaria-india-2013-at-vijayawada-from-february/article4348006.ece)

KOCHI, JAN 26:
Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) will be hosting the Aquaria India 2013 - one of the largest Aquaculture and Aquarium shows in Asia at Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh from February 8-10.

An exhibition will also be held as part to showcase latest technology to the farmers, hatchery operators and breeders to facilitate interactions between stakeholders to enhance mutual business relations, an MPEDA press release said.

The three-day event comprises technical sessions by renowned national and international experts in aquaculture and ornamental fisheries.

At least 100 stalls have been exclusively reserved for aquaculture sector and 50 for ornamental fisheries.

About 500 farmers from various states engaged in fish farming particularly vannamei shrimps, ornamental fish are expected to participate.

Flyover at Gunadala sought (http://www.deccanchronicle.com/130130/news-current-affairs/article/flyover-gunadala-sought)

Vijayawada: The city is facing severe traffic problems at all main centres and needs flyovers to avoid jams, especially in the west over the railway crossings at Madhuranagar and Gunadala.

Heavy traffic is seen at Madhuranagar and Gunadala railway crossings when the railway gate is closed. People passing through Madhuranagar road have to wait for at least 20 minutes to cross the railway gates and traffic jams stretch half-a-kilometre during peak hours.

As the population and traffic from Vambay Colony, Devinagar, Payakapuram and Nunna are gradually increasing commuters face a lot of inconvenience at these railway crossings.

A fruit vendor near the gate and a resident of Madhuranagar Mr A. Surya Narayana said that commuters have to wait for at-least 20 to 30 minutes during peak hours when the rail gate is closed. Residents and representatives many a times staged protests requesting the authorities to build a low bridge or flyover across this gate, he added.

A bridge is being constructed since many years across Eluru canal connecting areas on the other side of the canal and Madhuranagar road so that traffic from Nunna and other places can enter the city saving more than an hour. If the bridge comes into use without constructing a low bridge from Madhuranagar railway crossing the problem of traffic jam would increase, said Mr T. Sudhakar, a resident of Madhuranagar.

The problem is the same on the main route for vehicles from Nunna entering the city via Carmel Nagar and Gunadala bridge near Urmilanagar. The R & B department laid a foundation for construction of a flyover across the Eluru, Ryves Canals and Gunadala railway crossing connecting Eluru road at Gunadala centre. However, it was cancelled due to local disputes and other problems.

Mr M. Venkateswar Rao, a shopkeeper besides Gunadala bridge over Ryves Canal said that there would be heavy traffic jam for hours during morning and evening. Students face a lot of inconvenience in reaching schools and colleges in time. There is a need for constructing a flyover across the two railway crossings as it can benefit around one lakh people.

Masula road to be widened (http://www.deccanchronicle.com/130201/news-current-affairs/article/masula-road-be-widened)

Vijayawada: Principal secretary of R&B S.P. Singh directed the revenue officials to speed up the land acquisition for widening Vijayawada-Machilipatnam road. He asked the NHAI officials to start the road-widening works immediately.

Reviewing the land acquisition process with revenue officials here on Thursday, the principal secretary said that revenue officials should take up the process as a challenge and complete the process in time. He asked the National Highway Authority of India officials to start road-widening work in Vijayawda-Machilipat-nam section, wherever the land acquisition process was completed.

Singh said that the Vijayawada bypass road is the biggest project being taken up by NHAI. He said that it would provide value addition for lands and lead for economic development, as several villages would be connected to the bypass road through connecting roads.

The revenue officials said that in Vijayawada-Machilipatnam section land acquisition was completed in 27 villages and they have to complete the process in seven more villages. Coming to Vijaya-wada bypass road from Gollapudi to Gannavaram, the revenue officials said that they have to complete the process in 24 villages. The officials assured to complete the land acquisition process by May.

The revenue officials said that farmers are boycotting the meetings organised by revenue officials for land acquisition.

The principal secretary said that Pedana-Vissann-apeta road should be wide-ned as part of Machilipatnam-Kalluru road before June 30, 2015 as the World Bank funds would lapse by that time. He asked the revenue officials to conduct meetings with farmers repeatedly to clear their doubts for smooth completion of land acquisition process. He stressed the need for development of roads for the benefit of people.

District collector Budhaprakash M Jyothi said they are conducting review meetings with NHAI and revenue officials for road-widening works.

World Bank representatives Srikumar, Pradeep, DRDA project director Ms M. Janaki, NHAI project director P.S.N. Murthy, R&B SE K.V. Raghavendra Rao, RDOs of Vijayawada, Mac-hilipatnam, Nuzvid and Gudivada were present.

Dividers on temple ghat road mooted (http://www.deccanchronicle.com/130202/news-current-affairs/article/dividers-temple-ghat-road-mooted)

Vijayawada: District collector Budha-prakash M Jyothi stressed the need for traffic regulation in the city to prevent accidents.

Addressing road safety meeting here on Friday, the collector said that the road safety committee members inspected the highway near Kanakadurga temple ghat road. He said that people are facing problem due to traffic congestion at the place and asked the officials to arrange road dividers for traffic regulation.

The collector said that the vehicles coming from Hyderabad enter the city through the narrow road near temple ghat road and from Errakatta road. As the Errakatta road was damaged the government sanctioned `2.2 crore for developing the road. He asked the municipal officials to complete the tender process immediately. He said that the pipelines on the Errakatta road should be repaired to prevent leakage.

The collector asked the officials to submit proposals to arrange signalling system on BRTS road as MLA Mr Malladi Vishnu agreed to sanction Rs10 lakh for the purpose. He asked the officials to arrange paid parking on green belt on Ring Road between Benz Circle and Ramavarappadu Ring.

Commissioner of police Mr N. Madhusudhana Reddy said that the traffic police are conducting special drive against traffic violations. He said action would be taken on RTC drivers for irregular stoppage of buses. The committee decided to send proposals to state government for the release of Rs 2 crore for making arrangements to prevent accidents.

Panel reviews safety at busy junctions (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/panel-reviews-safety-at-busy-junctions/article4371736.ece)

Members of the Road Safety Committee, headed by Collector Budhaprakash M. Jyothi, visited several areas in the city on Thursday.

The Collector along with Police Commissioner N. Madhusudhan Reddy, Vijayawada Municipal Commissioner G.S. Pandadas, Deputy Transport Commissioner A. Mohan and other officials visited the busy roads and junctions to review the safety aspect at these places.

They discussed on regulation/diversion of traffic on some busy roads, taking up repairs for roads, installing signals, constructing bus shelters, measures to prevent parking of vehicles along the roads and setting up of paid parking at some points.

Mr. Budhaprakash directed the VMC and the Police officials to arrange dividers on the ghat road at Sri Kanaka Durga temple up to Kummaripalem Centre to prevent road accidents.

As the vehicles coming from Hyderabad are entering the city from Prakasam Barrage, and the Errakatta Road was damaged causing accidents, the Collector asked the municipal authorities to complete the tender process and take up repair works.

Traffic signals at BRTS Road, Seetammapeta, Ramakoti, Food Junction, Madhuranagar and Padavalarevu should be installed with Rs.10 lakh MLA funds, he said and asked them to submit proposals for the works immediately.

Mr. Madhusudhan Reddy said accidents can be prevented only when the public follow traffic rules. He underlined the need for installing CC cameras and public addressing systems at some junctions.

The APSRTC should organise counselling for the drivers to stop buses at bus bays only and on following traffic rules, he said.

Nuzvid Revenue Divisional Officer B. Subba Rao, APSRTC Regional Manager Gopinath Reddy, National Highways Authority of India Project Director C.S.N. Murthy, and Traffic Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police A. V. Ramana wre among those who attended the meeting.

Namitha Coastaline by Namitha Constructions (http://namithagroup.com/)

Project Name : Namitha Coastaline
Location : VIJAYAWADA
Land extent : 2000 sq yards
No Of Flats : 20
Specification : Super Deluxe
Architects : STHAPATI architects
Structural : Zaki & Associates
Land Scape Designer : i - Squared Architects
Project commenced : MARCH 2013

http://img203.imageshack.us/img203/8986/fp4me.jpg

Micro water sheds mooted (http://www.deccanchronicle.com/130206/news-current-affairs/article/micro-water-sheds-mooted)

Vijayawada: Micro water sheds and rain harvesting systems should be developed to prevent exploitation of water, observed executive council member of University of Hyderabad Prof. H.M. Desarada and visiting professor of Gujarat Vidya-peeth Dr Mark Lindley.

Interacting with media persons here on Tuesday, the experts expressed concern over misuse of natural resources and increasing sand quarrying in river beds. They said that community control of natural resources should be introduced to prevent exploitation of resources like water.

The ecological experts expressed concern over increasing deforestation. They said that the green cover is disappearing at an alarming level.

They opined that big irrigation projects are not necessary to irrigate land and every region has natural irrigation facility with rain harvesting. The high yielding varieties are consuming more water and farmers are exploiting water resources and using more pesticides to protect their crops from pest.

The experts said that the country has been getting 4000 billion cubic metres of water annually from precipitation and snow melt. The total precipitation all over the country on an average stands at 1.15 metres and in an average bad year 0.85 metres. They said the destructive climate change has been due to greenhouse effect caused by worldwide use of fossil fuels.

The precipitation levels were dropped from 40 per cent to 30 per cent causing a loss to 60 per cent crops depending on monsoon.

Expressing concern increasing import of crude oil, they said in a quest for cars and air-conditioners the Indian middle class are making India debt-ridden by importing six times more than the crude oil available in the country.

They said that the country has been spending one fourth of it’s revenue to import oil while lakhs of children in the country are suffering from malnutrition.

International aqua expo begins in Vijayawada today (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/International-aqua-expo-begins-in-Vijayawada-today/articleshow/18392234.cms)

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.

Ramalingeswara Nagar water plant to be revived (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/ramalingeswara-nagar-water-plant-to-be-revived/article4407075.ece)

Technical panel asks VMC to repair the plant by filling it with filter media

The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation will revive the Ramalingeswara Nagar 10 MGD water plant that sank one side (tilted) by about one and a half feet in 2010. It might be fully functional within a week.

The Government Technical Committee suggested to the VMC to repair the plant by filling it with filter media within a week. The officials have decided to cover the suction chamber with the media (graded sand and pebbles). The filter media will cost Rs. 4.90 lakh. Two new 180 HP motors were erected at a cost of Rs.30 lakh.

The VMC used to supply only 6 MGD from the plant though the installed capacity is 10 MGD and only 2.5 MGD after the well sank/tilted, but with the change in filter media it is likely to be used to its full capacity. Nine reservoirs under this plant supply water to more than 3 lakh people in Patamata, Krishna Lanka, and Ayyappa Nagar.

The Corporation has been using 9 submersible pumps with different capacities to avoid tremors due to running of 180 HP motors.

The 180 HP motors even pumped out sand along with water. The committee suggested use of filter media to avoid sand blow out.

The technical team comprised Irrigation Chief Engineer, Hyderabad Metro Works CE, an IIT Professor, and VMC CE. Earlier, there were many suggestions, including bailing out of sand and constructing a concrete base again.

The collection well of the plant sank on one side in 2010 on September 19. Huge cracks developed around the well, sending officials into jitters. The water treatment plant was built at Rs.9.7 crore and commissioned in 2005. The foundation stone for the treatment plant was laid in 1999.

Comfort travel is the in-thing (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/comfort-travel-is-the-inthing/article4410691.ece)

APSRTC and private operators wooing long-distance passengers

Comfort is paramount today when one makes travel plans. People don’t mind shelling out an extra buck to buy comfort and luxury while they are on the move to reach their destination.

Cashing in on this weakness of the modern-day traveller, Railway authorities target potential air travellers through enhanced features introduced for rail passengers.

The A.P. State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) and private bus operators, meanwhile, are doing all they can to woo potential railway passengers of long-distance, offering more comfort and convenience in their luxury Volvo bus services.

The APSRTC, Vijayawada region, will introduce four additional Hyderabad-bound Garuda services, tentatively on Friday (February 15). With this, the total number of high-end air-conditioned vehicles in the RTC fleet in the region will touch 45.

“Of the four new Volvo buses, one will ply to the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at Shamshabad and the other three to KPHB Colony,” corporation’s Regional Manager Gopinadh Reddy told The Hindu on Tuesday. The RTC runs Garuda services using vehicles of different makes — Volvo, Volvo Multi-Axle, Mercedes Benz Multi-Axle, Isuzu, Cerita, and Indra.

Hyderabad continues to be a major draw for travellers from this city. Of the total number of Garuda services in the RTC fleet, eight are Bangalore-bound, two to Chennai, and the remaining operate on Vijayawada-Hyderabad route.

There has been no dearth of patronage for these luxury buses which offer utmost comfort while travelling. The RTC has also increased the number of Vennela services, the air-conditioned sleeper service to Hyderabad, by adding two more to the existing one.

With the niche passenger segment opting for Volvo services, the luxury services of both RTC and private operators are yielding higher rate of profit as compared with their normal, high-tech services.

The special features of these buses, which are spacious and fitted with latest Carrier Generation-make air-conditioning system that enhances the comfort level while full air suspension, ensure superior safety of passengers.

Equipped with ergonomically designed reclining passenger seats, the vehicles have pleasing interiors and night lamps. Besides provision of ample luggage space, they are also aesthetically designed.

“To keep pace with the changing taste of our clients, we keep introducing at least 10-15 new model buses in our fleet every year. There is enough patronage to these luxury services, especially on the Hyderabad route,” says Chalasani Ramesh of Sree Kaleswari Travels.

His fleet of buses include 60 Volvo, four Mercedes Benz, and 40-odd other types of buses.

Interestingly, despite entry of new players in the local transport market, nobody seems to be complaining as every company apparently gets its pound of flesh.

Your vehicle noise is recorded here (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/your-vehicle-noise-is-recorded-here/article4434758.ece)

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Pollution Control Board installs real time monitoring system at AIR studios

Be doubly sure that you will not bang the horn next time when you pass in front of All India Radio studios in the city. The Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (APPCB) has set up a real-time noise pollution monitoring system there. The system informs the people about noise and temperature.

The real time noise monitoring system will record the level of noise every minute. The network creates baseline data and facilitates its analysis for policy makers and implementing agencies to take appropriate actions for noise control at regional and national level.

Sensitive equipment

The maximum noise recorded since its installation is 84 decibels which is much higher than permissible limits of 65 decibels. Generally, it hovers around 67 decibels during daytime.

The equipment is so sensitive that the system records even if one claps loudly. Significantly, the system will not be affected by rain as well. Though the rain noise is recorded, the rain per se will not interfere with the noise analysis.

The Central Pollution Control Board has provided the Rs.18-lakh equipment imported from Spain. The AIR station was zeroed in as it suited the guidelines issued by the government to install the system.

The government asked the PCB officials to identify a centrally located place. In addition, the identified place should be a government property.

When contacted, APPCB Vijayawada zone Joint Chief Environmental Engineer A. Vijay Kumar said Vijayawada was one of the four cities selected to install the monitoring system.

All-India programme

The real time ambient noise monitoring was installed as part of the all-India programme and under 13 Finance Commission funds. The CPCB has sanctioned two systems each to Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam, while Tirumala and Vijayawada got one each. The equipment is on trial run, he said.

Delta modernisation works reviewed (http://www.thehansindia.info/News/Article.asp?category=5&subCategory=3&ContentId=122146)

Vijayawada: The Krishna delta modernisation works, which were taken up for the season at a cost of Rs 400 crore, are likely to be completed on time. The Krishna District Collector, Dr Buddha Prakash M Jyothi, has directed the contractors to ensure that the works assigned to them for the season were completed. The Collector inspected the works on Monday and reviewed the progress.

Later, he told media persons that they have spent over Rs 20 crore so far on the modernization works. He said that the works were to be completed for the season, giving better water facility for the farmers from the next Khariff season. However, the recent unexpected rains have disrupted the progress, he said and added that he had directed the contractors to speed up the work and meet the schedule.
The modernization works included construction of retaining walls along the canals where breaches were reported in the last season. As breaching of canals had become a major problem during rainy season, the modernization package had given priority for construction of retaining walls.

The 150-year-old delta systems are in dilapidated condition with most of the canal bunds getting weakened over a period of time and the locks system damaged. The package is also included replacement of the locks in all the canals and construction of foot overbridges.

With the farmers mounting pressure on the administration to complete the works at the earliest as they have lost one agriculture season in the past, the administration is now under pressure to complete the works on time. Keeping the pressure from the farmers in mind, the administration is monitoring the progress of the works.

The shortage of sand was addressed on priority with the coordination of the revenue and irrigation officials. The contractors have brought workers from West Bengal, Bihar and Odissa to speed up the works and meet the deadline.

The Collector has directed the irrigation, panchayat raj, revenue and roads and buildings departments to coordinate the works and ensure that they are ready.

The Collector inspected the works on Ryves Canal at Kunderu and Komatigunta Locks. The Irrigation Superintendent Engineer, K Lakshmi Narasimha Murthy and other officials were present during the inspection.

Housing prices rise in 18 major cities: NHB (http://businesstoday.intoday.in/story/housing-prices-rise-in-18-major-cities-nhb/1/192781.html)

Hyderabad saw an appreciation in housing price by 7.1 per cent, while in Ludhiana rates rose by 6.5 per cent, Ahmedabad (6.1 per cent), Guwahati (5.1 per cent), Bhopal (4.9 per cent), Bhubaneshwar and Jaipur (2.4 per cent), Vijayawada (2.2 per cent), Pune (2 per cent) and Chennai (0.6 per cent).

Ropeway to Durga temple proposed (http://www.deccanchronicle.com/130302/news-current-affairs/article/ropeway-durga-temple-proposed)

Vijayawada: The AP Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) is ready to take up ropeway project to Kanakadurga temple if the temple authorities allot necessary land, said special chief secretary tourism and culture Ms Chandana Khan.

She said that once the departments concerned allot land, the APTDC would start the ropeway project immediately. The ropeway project for Kanakadurga temple here is pending for the past several years due to lack of initiative by public representatives and coordination among different departments. The project has been awaiting clearance of land from irrigation department for setting up base station. But the public representatives failed to pursue the issue so far.

Ms Chandana Khan said that coastal tourism would be improved at Kalinga-patnam and Baruva in Srikakulam district, Chin-tapalli in Vizianagaram district, Ramayapatnam in Prakasam district and Tummalapalem in Nellore district.

Referring to development of Bhavani island, the tourism special chief secretary said that privatisation of Bhavani island was kept in abeyance. She said the APTDC would take up development of Bhavani island. She said that UN Asia Pacific world tourism conference would be organised in Hyderabad from April 12 to 14 and more than 150 countries would participate in the conference. She said that the delegates would be taken to Nagarjunasagar Buddhist heritage site.

She said Amaravati festival would be organised on Buddha Purnima day on May 14. Satavahana festival will be held in Kari-mnagar on April 19. She said that priority would be given to rural and cultural tourism, including Kuchi-pudi in Krishna district and in tribal areas. She said priority would be given to promote intra-district tourism. She said a separate tourism division would be formed at Rajah-mundry. At present, the AP Tourism wing of Raja-hmundry is being looked after by APTDC Visakha-patnam division. APTDC divisional manager Mr J. Raghupathi Rao said the APTDC is going to introduce Vijayawada-Tirupati and Hyderabad-Kuchipudi tourism packages.

Bhavani Island privatisation put on hold (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/bhavani-island-privatisation-put-on-hold/article4469009.ece)

Andhra Pradesh Special Chief Secretary, Tourism, and Culture Chandana Khan has said the move to privatise Bhavani Island in the Krishna in Vijayawada “has been kept in abeyance for now.”

She was addressing reporters after inaugurating the India International Travel Exhibition here.

Touching upon the controversial issue of Bhavani Island privatisation that had raised the hackles of political parties and mass organisations, Ms. Khan said the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation would take up development works to add features in the picturesque island.

The privatisation move was followed by a period of uncertainty when the APTDC abruptly shunned all development works in the island. The lawns needed mowing, the adventure sports such as spider web, Burma bridge, and country swings were left in a dilapidated condition while sand deposits accumulated in the open space in front of the food restaurant added to the gloom. The APTDC officials expressed helplessness citing uncertainty in the wake of the privatisation move.

Ms. Khan’s statement not only comes as a long overdue clarification on the issue but also paves the way for local APTDC authorities to restart works and groom the place to revive its original charm.

Ms. Khan also spoke about plans to develop other tourist destinations along the coastal belt in the State.

“Since the coastal Andhra Pradesh has enormous potential to attract tourists with its wealth of rich culture and tradition, besides scenic beauty, the State Tourism Corporation will make all-out efforts to groom tourist locales wherever possible,” she said.

Ventures

Speaking about the upcoming ventures of the APTDC, she said beach resorts would be developed at Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Kakinada, and Nellore. She also visited the Kalachakra museum at Amaravati in Guntur district.

Referring to the 200-ft. Buddha statue, which is yet to be completed, she directed authorities concerned to ensure its completion by May 14, the Buddha Purnima festival, scheduled to be held at Amaravati.

Ms. Khan said the State would celebrate a cultural festival at Amaravati and a weeklong heritage festival in Karimnagar.

Krishna district Collector Budha Prakash M. Jyothi and APTDC Divisional Manager J. Raghupathi Rao were present.

Groundwater turns saline in parts of Vijayawada (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/groundwater-turns-saline-in-parts-of-vijayawada/article4487620.ece)

Pockets of groundwater of Payakapuram, Ajitsighnagar, Kandrika, and Christurajapuram are highly saline and therefore not potable, according to a study made on the groundwater quality in the city.

Groundwater Deputy Director A. Varaprasada Rao told The Hindu that in the first phase 81 samples from different wells in and around the city were collected and in the second phase the number was restricted to 31.The water samples had been collected from the existing private owned wells. The samples were collected twice a year along with the samples from wells in the rural areas.

Analysis

The samples were tested for pH (acidity), electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids (TDS), the quantity of Cations such as Calcium, Sodium, Magnesium, and Potassium, Anions such as sulphates, chlorides, and nitrates, and the hardness of the water.

Mr. Varaprasad said the chemical analysis of the water samples in the city indicated that by and large the water was suitable for drinking and other domestic purposes. The groundwater in a few pockets in Payakpuram, Singhnagar, Kandrika, Christhurajapuram, and Autonagar were highly saline and were not fit for drinking and other domestic purposes.

For easier understanding, the quality of water with regard to different parameters has been categorised into desirable limits and permissible limits.

The TDS of groundwater in Rajiv Nagar, Collector’s Camp Office, Ramalingeswaranagar, Kamaiahthopu was near “desirable limits.” In rest of the city, except the places where the water was not potable, the TDS in the groundwater was near the “permissible limits.”

Calcium limits

Calcium was within desirable limits in the city and permissible in the groundwater of Vidhyadharapuram, Kothapeta, K. Kandrika, Machavaram, Christhurajapuram, and Autonagar areas.

Magnesium was above permissible limits in the groundwater of K. Kandrika, Christhurajapuram, and Autonagar.

In the analysis for Anions, nitrates were very high in the groundwater of Brahmin Street and Machavaram and this was because of local contamination, Mr. Prasada Rao said.

The groundwater all over the city was hard. But it was moderately soft in Gollapudi, Brahmin Street, Gandhinagar, Rajivnagar, and the Collector’s Camp Office.

The groundwater was hard in Wynchipet, S.N. Puram, Gunadala, Kamaiathopu, and Ramalingeswaranagar.

It was categorised as “very hard” in Vidyadharapuram, Kothapeta, Chittinagar, Nainavaram, Kedareswarapet, Madhunagar, Machavaram, Executive Club, Vijayanagar colony, Sanathnagar, New Sanathnagar, Benz Circle, Governorpet, and Suryaraopet.

Vijayawada Division on the way to chug past freight target (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/vijayawada-division-on-the-way-to-chug-past-freight-target/article4471753.ece)

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The Division nets Rs.2,066 crore up to February

Vijayawada Division of South Central Railway (SCR), the second largest in Indian Railways, is earning good revenue on freight loading from Krishnapatnam Port Company Limited (KPCL).

The Railway officials are confident of crossing the target much ahead of the fiscal ending 2012-13.

The Railways earned Rs.2,066 crore (up to February-end) on freight loading as against the target of Rs.2,102 crore for the year 2012-13. This was Rs.535.10 crore (34.9 per cent) higher compared to last year during the same period.

The revenue target (on goods) for the current financial year is Rs.2,313 crore.

Many companies are importing coal, wheat, boiled rice, fertilisers, cement and other commodities from Australia, China, Singapore and other countries through sea route via. Krishnapatnam Port, located in Sri Potti Sriramulu Nellore district. Similarly, a few commodities are being exported to other countries from the port.

After unloading from the vessels, SCR will transport the goods in wagons to different destinations in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh States. The major commodity being transported is coal, followed by fertilisers, said the railway authorities.

Speaking to The Hindu, Vijayawada Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Pradeep Kumar said that the freight load target for the year 2012-13 is 28,300 Million Tonnes (MT) and the railways made 25,583 MT loading up to February end.

“The target during 2011-12 was 24,802 MT and we achieved it. We loaded about 15,000 MT of coal (which is 15.5 per cent of the total commodities transported) and 7,000 MT fertilisers were loaded. The ban on importing iron ore from the port has not affected much on railways and we achieved the targets in the last two years”. “Comparing to the figures of the last eight years, SCR had made tremendous growth in freight loading i.e. from 7.2 Million Tonnes to 28.3 MT. We are confident of reaching the target by March end”, said the DRM.

In February month, the railways transported 2,486 MT of goods as against the target of 2,329 MT, which is 0.157 MT (6.7 per cent) high than the corresponding month of last year, Mr. Pradeep Kumar said.

Revised water tariff from April 1 (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/revised-water-tariff-from-april-1/article4487622.ece)

The Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) is all set to fix 10,000 water meters in the first phase. The exercise to fix the water meters for Household Service Connections (HSCs) will start shortly. As a step in that direction, the corporation will first revise the water tariff. The new tariff will come into force from April 1.

The corporation officials cite the gross mismatch between expenditure and recoveries on supply of safe drinking water the reason for increasing the tariff and fixing water meters. The corporation is presently spending about Rs.20.50 crore on safe drinking water supply to the public. However, it is recovering only 40 per cent of the expenditure.

The water charges for Below Poverty Line (BPL) families will be Rs.75 as against existing Rs.50 per month. The tariff for general category will be based on the property tax paid. The VMC has created three slabs – Rs.125, Rs.175 and Rs.250 – based on property taxes paid by the residents. A minimum charge of Rs.300 will be collected from each HSC. A water meter will be fixed for every HSC that pays more than Rs.1,500 towards the property tax.

The VMC has been providing the citizens connections at a subsidised rate of Rs.200. It is charging the Above Poverty Line (APL) households Rs.200 and the BPL households Rs.50. In 2003 the VMC increased the tariff from Rs.50 to Rs.100 per HSC. Later, it was brought down to Rs.80 in 2005.

In the CDP, VMC has stated that a total of Rs.1.30 crore will be spent on fixing water meters during the seven financial years between 2005 and 2012.

The VMC in 2007 had planned to purchase of 2.6 lakh water meters at an estimated cost of Rs.50 crore. However, it could not materialise due to stiff resistance from political parties.

The corporation gave a commitment in the CDP to spend Rs.18 lakh in the first year, followed by Rs.29 lakh in second year, Rs.39 lakh in third year, Rs.20 lakh in fourth year, Rs.13 lakh in the fifth year, Rs.6 lakh each in sixth and seventh years for fixing water meters to all domestic connections in addition to the expenditure for metering all connections of bulk consumption.

Flood protection wall estimates finalised (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/flood-protection-wall-estimates-finalised/article4474817.ece)

The cost of building wall is Rs.104.62 crore

The residents of the flood-prone Ramalingeswaranagar heaved a sigh of relief with the Vijayawada Irrigation Circle finalising the estimates for the construction of a flood protection wall along the Left margin of the Krishna river.

According to the estimates finalised in February, the cost of building a wall 2.10 km long and 11.25 metres high, right up to Yenamalakuduru hill, is Rs.104.62 crore.

The work included in the Krishna Delta Modernisation project has been forwarded to the Finance section for approval.

The project was approved mostly due to the efforts of Vijayawada East MLA Yalamanchili Ravi. Talking to The Hindu Mr. Ravi said that the construction of the flood protection wall would benefit 5,000 to 6,000 families living in Ramalingeswaranagar, Kotinagar and Yenamalakuduru.

These areas constitute the 14 division of the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation having over 22,000 voters. It is one of the bigger civic divisions when compared to the average divisions which have only 15,000 to 18,000 votes.

Maximum discharge

The flood banks of Krishna were originally formed between 1883 and 1892 and subsequently improved from time to time. A maximum flood discharge of 11.90 lakh cusecs was recorded on October 7, 1903.

The maximum flood discharge received after construction of Prakasam Barrage was 11.10 lakh cusecs.

The right bank of Bandar Canal was originally considered the flood bank for Krishna up to Yenamalakuduru Hill where the left bank of the river actually starts.

The common bank was subsequently converted as the National Highway until the point it crosses the Bandar Canal (Skew Bridge).

The part of the flood bank that currently protects Krishnalanka area was formed in 1967-68.

The 3.38 km flood bank was formed to protect Krishnalanka, Bramarambhapuram, Dwarakanagar, Ranigarithota and Balajinagar.

More colonies developed along the margin of the river in Ramalingeswaranagar, right up to Yenamalakuduru, over four decades.

The Municipal Corporation has built a retaining wall 600 metres long to protect a drain collection sump, a 10 MGD water treatment plant and a sewage treatment plant. The retaining wall has been designed with no earth filling on the outside, according to the report.

The new wall does not overlap with this wall.

Minister promises speciality hospital (http://www.deccanchronicle.com/130304/news-politics/article/minister-promises-speciality-hospital)

Vijayawada: Minister for secondary education K. Parthasaradhi announced that a super-speciality hospital would be set up in Vijayawada city and Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy would inaugurate it.

It may be noted that former chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy proposed the super-speciality hospital for Vijayawada city during 2007 at a cost of Rs 100 crore and asked the district officials to utilise the funds of Kanakadurga temple for further development of the hospital.

The super-speciality project was pending since then as the public representatives and officials failed to identify suitable land for the purpose.

During September 2010 , Assurances implementation committee of the Legislative Council led by it’s chairman. Changala Rayudu inspected Bhavanipuram, Mangalagiri, Ajitsinghnagar and Gannavaram areas to identify the land for super-speciality hospital and favoured setting up of the hospital at Siddhartha Medical College in 16 acres of land. The legilative committee favoured the place as the government general hospital, University of Health Sciences and government dental colleges are located at the same premises.

But the idea was dropped for the reasons better known to the ruling party leaders. Meanwhile, ruling party leaders of Guntur district met former chief minister K. Rosaiah and urged him to set up a super-speciality hospital at Mangalagiri as 150 acres of land was available.

When Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy gave clearance to set up the super-speciality hospital at NTR UHS campus at Mangalagiri in 75 acres of land during 2011, there was opposition from the opposition parties. CPI leaders staged a dharna in protest against the move to set up super-speciality hospital at Mangalagiri.

Residents of Vijayawada city urged the Minister Parthasarathi to speed up the foundation-laying for the super-speciality hospital by the Chief Minister in Vijayawada city immediately as the proposal was pending for the past several years.

APTDC likely to alter ropeway boarding point (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/aptdc-likely-to-alter-ropeway-boarding-point/article4471746.ece)

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Delay in acquisition of irrigation land becomes an irritant

Upset by the inordinate delay in land acquisition for implementation of the ropeway project, an ambitious venture of the Vijayawada division of the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC), the tourism authorities in Hyderabad are said to be toying with the idea of shifting the location of the boarding point. Andhra Pradesh Special Chief Secretary, Tourism and Culture, Chandana Khan, who was in the city on Friday, is said to have expressed concern over the delay in implementation of the much-awaited project.

Acquisition of the Irrigation Department land at Seetammavari Padalu, proposed for setting up a boarding point for the cable car project has turned into a major irritant for the APTDC.

Informing that private investors were ready to take up the project on PPP (Public-Private-Partnership) mode, Ms. Khan, it was learnt, asked the APTDC officials to explore the feasibility of developing a base station at Haritha Berm Park, instead of waiting endlessly for the irrigation land.

Lack of inter-departmental coordination has marred the seemingly jinxed ropeway project time and again. Spelling out its ambitious plan to blend faith and recreation, the APTDC proposed to provide a quicker, comfortable, and picturesque route to pilgrims visiting the famous Kanaka Durga temple atop Indrakeeladri through aerial ropeway from a spot near Seetammavari Padalu.

The Irrigation Department refused to part with the said land citing its own development plans there in future. High-level talks between officials of the two departments apparently failed to yield the desired result, pushing the project on the backburner.

The APTDC ropeway plan has been replete with obstacles right from its inception. The initial plan to launch the base point at Rajiv Gandhi Park to reach the temple had to be shelved due to technical problems. Then there was reluctance on the part of the Endowments Department, which caused a considerable delay in the execution of the plan. Even as the APTDC was getting its act together, the Archaeological Survey of India emerged on the scene arguing that the new route could obstruct viewing of its properties – the Akkanna Madanna caves, en route the temple.

Considering the fact that the proposed project could serve the dual purpose of effectively reducing the pilgrim rush on the ghat road leading to the temple atop the hill and serve as an amusement ride for the devotees, the tourism corporation has been keenly exploring the feasibility of commercial operations to the temple site.

The tourism wing asked for one-and-half acres of Irrigation Department land to set up a lower station, vehicle parking area, and to accommodate other features like a lobby, a generator room, washrooms, and refreshment stalls among other things.

But the prolonged stalemate seems to have prompted the tourism officials to shift the venue of the project base instead of waiting endlessly for the Irrigation Department nod.

RSC to set up 3D theatre (http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/andhra-pradesh/rsc-to-set-up-3d-theatre/article4474834.ece)

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Department of Science and Technology sanctions 60 lakh
The Regional Science Centre (RSC) of A.P. Council of Science and Technology (APCOST) will set up a 3-Dimensional Theatre on the banks of Krishna river.

The Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, has sanctioned the 3D theatre estimated at a cost of about Rs.60 lakh. The RSC officials are making efforts to complete the project with Rs.30 lakh more.

The APCOST officials made a study on feasibility of setting up the theatre by visiting the science centres at Gora, Bangalore and Tirupati. The project has been allotted by Ministry of Earth Sciences, said the RSC In-Charge Officer J. Dhilleswara Rao.

“The 60-seating capacity theatre would be taken up with the help of National Council of Science Museum (NCSM), Kolkata. Pictures on discoveries, achievements, adventures and developments in science and technology would be screened for students in the theatre”, said Mr. Rao.

RSC is having five acres land on river Krishna bank, and the theatre would be constructed in one acre. Two projectors, with 9/12 metres screen, sound and lighting system would be provided for the theatre.

In addition to the existing staff, one supervisor, operator and other technical and class IV staff would be allotted for maintenance of the 3D theatre.

“We are receiving good cooperation Vijayawada Municipal Corporation and District Education Department for organising science tours and implementation of other programmes”.

Donors and philanthropists are requested to donate the amount for setting up the project, which is very useful for school and college students, said the RSC in-charge officer.

Name boards in English defaced in special drive (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/name-boards-in-english-defaced-in-special-drive/article4471749.ece)

Officials of the Labour Department conducted a special drive and defaced the English name boards put up in front of shops, hotels, and other establishments, in the city on Saturday.

A team of officials led by Additional Commissioner of Labour Y. Surya Prasad, Deputy Commissioner Labour S.Y. Srinivas, Assistant Commissioner of Labour D. Anjaneya Reddy, Assistant Labour Officers and other staff participated in the drive.

The officials defaced the name boards that were in English on either sides of M.G. Road near Benz Circle. They appealed to the owners to write the boards in Telugu and give priority to the local language.

Mr. Prasad said the Labour Department verified 10,501 shops in December last year and asked the owners who displayed boards in English language to replace them with Telugu boards. However, only 10,139 owners replaced the boards.

Under the AP Shops and Establishments Act, 1988, all hotels, shops, and establishment owners should write the name boards in Telugu only. Action would be taken under the Act if the owners did not write the boards in the local language immediately, Mr. Reddy warned.

Police to install 750 CC cameras at public places in Vijayawada (http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Vijayawada/police-to-install-750-cc-cameras-at-public-places-in-vijayawada/article4494361.ece)

The city police, in association with the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation, will install Closed Circuit (CC) Cameras at all major junctions and public places, to keep a tab on terrorist suspects.

The decision was taken in view of the recent bomb blasts in Hyderabad, in which 16 people were killed and several others were injured. Following the intelligence reports that terrorists might strike in other parts of the State, the police sounded an alert and are taking steps to prevent the attacks.

The police identified busy junctions and public places and held discussions with VMC Commissioner G.S. Panda Das, who agreed to install CC cameras at 750 places in the city.

The cameras would help observe the movements of anti-social elements round the clock, said Commissioner of Police N. Madhusudhan Reddy.

Notices served

Notices were served on cycle shop owners to maintain records. All the shopping malls, cinema theatres, restaurants and other establishment managements were instructed to arrange CC cameras and scan machines with trained security personnel.

SECURITY ZONES

“Police are doing sensitization programmes by giving PowerPoint presentations at public places on how to identify the unclaimed luggage and vehicles. We are showing the photographs and video clippings of blast sites, suicide bombers, bloodshed and the trauma of the victims to enlighten the public”, said Mr. Reddy.

Additional security along with CC cameras has been arranged at the Gannavaram airport, Sri Durga Malleswara Swamyvarla Devastanam, HPCL and IOCL plants and the Narla Tatarao Thermal Power Station.

Police are providing training to security personnel and agencies of the companies.

“Instructions were given to keep a vigil on the movements of foreigners and migrants.

Maintaining peace is possible only with the participation of people.

We request the public to cooperate with the police in preventing the terrorist activities and maintain law and order”, said the Police Commissioner.

Krishna River Front Project awaits nod (http://newindianexpress.com/states/andhra_pradesh/article1498047.ece)

The irrigation officials seem not to be interested in the River Front project Vijaya Siri, proposed by the Vijayawada, Guntur, Tenali and Mangalagiri Urban Development Authority (VGTM-UDA) at a cost of Rs 40 crore on the banks of the Krishna River at Bhavanipuram so as to promote tourism .

The UDA sent a proposal, more than a year ago, to the irrigation officials seeking approval for the project, but there has been no response from the latter. Local MP Lagadapati Rajagopal laid the foundation stone for the project on July 7, 2012.

It may be mentioned here that the River Front will have a water zone, beach zone, green zone with recreation and a fun hub. Designed under the public private partnership mode, the private party will invest `14 crore in Vijaya Siri, while the UDA will fund `3 crore and the remaining `24 crore will be sanctioned by the Union government.

While the local irrigation officials are yet to send the details of the project to the higher authorities to get an approval for constructing the River Front project, the permission will be granted basing on the River Conservation rules. Deputy superintending engineer (irrigation) C Ramakrishna said the proposals would soon be forwarded to the higher authorities in Hyderabad since the local authorities have no powers to take a decision on the project. All the constructions on the banks of big rivers like Krishna are cleared only by the higher authorities in Hyderabad, he added.