Rajya Sabha seat for Chiru almost finalised

                                                   
HYDERABAD: With the Congress sources claiming that Chiranjeevi has been virtually assured of a Rajya Sabha nomination, aspirants for a place in the upper house have began lobbying for the remaining three seats that the ruling party can expect to bag in the elections slated to take place in April next year.
The term of six members, Dasari Narayana Rao, Rashid Alvi, K Keshava Rao, G Sanjeeva Reddy (Congress), M V Mysura Reddy (TDP) and Syed Azeez Pasha (CPI) will be over on Apirl 2, 2012. Considering their respective strengths in the state Assembly, the Congress can bag four of the six seats while the TDP can be assured of the remaining two. Last time around, the Congress had given one seat to then ally CPI, a gesture that will not happen now as the two have parted ways.

After holding consultations between themselves for some time in the AP Bhavan, the Chief Minister and the PCC chief called on Congress president Sonia Gandhi and AICC general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad.

There were indications that all the four nominees could be from the State itself. Party leaders hinted that that the name of K. Chiranjeevi's name was almost finalised while former Union Minister Renuka Chowdary's name figured prominently among the probables.

There could be a surprise element as the name of a former Minister from Telangana hailing from minority community cropped up triggering speculation about the fate of former Minister Md. Ali Shabbir. Former Speaker K.R. Suresh Reddy is another strong contender.

The AICC was said to be reluctant to give another term to Keshava Rao, Dasari Narayana Rao and G. Sanjeeva Reddy, who are retiring.

Meanwhile, Telugu Desam president N. Chandrababu Naidu said service to the party would be the main criterion for the selection of candidates for the two Rajya Sabha seats that the party could win with the strength it has in Assembly.

Hyderabad:ANGRAU gets Rs. 100 cr. in budget

                                                                 
HYDERABAD: Three alumni of the Acharya NG Ranga Agriculture University, now holding key positions, played a key role in the varsity being earmarked a whopping Rs 100 crore grant in the Budget presented by Union finance minister Pranab Mukherjee in Parliament on Friday.

The three, principal secretary and Angrau vice-chancellor V Nagi Reddy, Warangal MP S Rajaiah and head of the varsity's school of agri-business management A Janaiah, succeeded in mustering the support of chief minister Kiran Kumar Reddy and Union petroleum minister S Jaipal Reddy, who are believed to have pulled the strings at Centre.

Officials and students were pleasantly surprised to the university name in the budget speech of the Union Finance Minister, Pranab Mukherjee. This is the first time that the varsity is getting such a huge amount and it is the only institution from the State to have received such amount.

In-charge Vice-Chancellor of ANGRAU, V. Nagi Reddy told The Hindu that the money will be used for creating infrastructure, improving the laboratories and buying new equipment in order to improve the research and extension activities. Focus will be on biotechnology and IT laboratories. The funds will also be used to develop polytechnics under the university.

Mr. Reddy admitted that Chief Minister, N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, Union Minister for Petroleum S. Jaipal Reddy and ANGRAU alumnus and Parliament member, Rajaiah, played a key role in getting the allocation.

Campaigning ends in Kovur

Hyderabad: Curtains came down on Friday on campaigning for the by-polls to the seven assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh.
Campaigning in any form is not allowed after 5 pm today, state Chief Electoral Officer Bhanwar Lal told reporters.
Polling for the seven segments, six of them in Telangana region, would be held on March 18 from 8 am to 5 

The by-polls to five out of the six constituencies in Telangana region were necessitated due to the resignation of sitting MLAs in support of separate statehood demand. While in Mahabubnagar, it was due to the death of a sitting member and in Kovur due to the resignation of sitting TDP MLA in support of Kadapa MP Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy.
There are 13,82,086 voters in the seven constituencies who will cast their votes in 1660 polling stations.
Elaborate arrangements have been made for the polling and security in the region has been tightened, the CEO said.

While the TRS is banking heavily on strong sentiment in favour of separate state to sail through in the by-polls, the ruling Congress is appealing voters citing welfare and development measures undertaken by the state government.

The Congress, Telugu Desam, YSR Congress and other parties wound up their campaign in Kovur Assembly constituency on the final day of electioneering on Friday. District authorities asked leaders who had come from outside the district to leave in accordance with the election code and stay away till the completion of polling.

During the hectic campaign in the past few days, Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu and YSR Congress party president Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy campaigned for their respective party candidates.

Actor Chiranjeevi, senior Congress leader V. Hanumantha Rao, PCC president Botcha Satyanarayana and other leaders too participated.

Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy continued his campaign till the final day when he addressed meetings at Penuballi, Nagamambapuram and other villages in the segment. He appealed to the voters to reject Congress and TDP, as these parties have no values and credibility.

Congress MLA Anam Vivekananda Reddy, addressing a press conference, shot back at Jagan saying that the latter had done injustice to many leaders and confidantes of YSR by distancing them after his death.

Andhra IAS officer gets bail in Emaar case Andhra IAS officer gets bail in Emaar case

                                                                    
Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Special Judge B. Naga Murthy Sarma rejected the probe agency's plea for putting off the implementation of the bail order for five days.He ordered the suspended IAS officer's release from Chanchalguda central jail as the central government ws yet to get permission from the central government for prosecuting him.The judge while granting bail asked the bureaucrat to deposit two sureties of Rs.25,000 each.Even before Acharya's family members could begin formalities for the bail, the CBI moved the court saying that the officer should not be released on bail till March 20.The CBI opposed the bail on the ground that Acharya was the prime accused in the case and had vital information relating to the case. The agency told the court that it was expecting the nod soon from the central government for prosecuting him.The CBI is now likely to move the Andhra Pradesh High Court against the special court's order.

Mr. Acharya was granted bail on Friday when he and Trimex group chairman Koneru Prasad (A 6) were produced before the special court for CBI cases through video linkage with jail at the expiry of their latest spell of judicial remand. The judge B. Nagamaruti Sarma straightaway announced that he was taking the charge sheet submitted to the court on February 1 on file today against all accused, except Mr. Acharya and Mr. Subramanyam.

The court had refused to concede the plea of CBI to direct the Central government to expedite sanction of permission to prosecute Mr. Acharya and Mr. Subramanyam when the remand of the former was extended last on March 9.

Immediately after Mr. Acharya was granted bail, the CBI urged the court to suspend the implementation till March 20 to move the High Court seeking cancellation. A precedent in the same court was cited in support of the request.

Power shutdown today, tomorrow

Power will be shut down under P and T Colony feeder on Saturday for repair and maintenance work from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. The areas to be affected are BS Layout, P and T Colony, MRO Office Road, Nakkavanipalem, KRM Colony, Kinnera Theatre area, HB Colony, and Chaitanya Nagar.

The Divisional Electrical Engineer of the Southern Power Distribution Company of AP Limited on Friday said there would be no power supply on March 17 from 7 a.m. and 12 Noon in the Y.V. Rao Hospital area, the Siddhartha Women's College area, Durga Rice Mill Road, and Masjid Street in Moghalrajapuram.

On March 18, there would no power from 8.30 a.m. to 12 Noon in Bavajipet, Ramnagar, Rajagopalachari Market, Sarada College, Ramakoti, and Government Music College road in Gandhinagar.

It is also proposed to shut down power under Madhuranagar feeder for maintenance and pre-monsoon inspection work on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The areas to be affected are Lalithanagar, Kummari Veedhi, Dondaparthy, Bezz Krishna Hotel lane, Nehru Bazaar area, and Sankara Matham area.