Monday 26 March 2012

Jayaprakash Reddy plans yatra for project

                                                                    
SANGAREDDY- Government Whip T. Jayaprakash Reddy is planning to organise a massive yatra to New Delhi to bring pressure on Pranahita-Chevella. The programme, scheduled for next month, was aimed at achieving two targets.
The first and foremost is to steal the proposed show on Pranahita- Chevella project from Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS). The second one is projecting himself as one of the few leaders, who are trying to get some work done related to the project.
After a shocking defeat at the Mahaboobnagar Assembly constituency by-elections held recently, the TRS has reportedly planned a 'pada yatra' on Pranahita project to garner support from the people again in the name of separate State.
Mr. Jayaprakash Reddy, who had already joined issues with the TRS many a time in the past, has decided to take a delegation of more than 5,000 farmers from the district to New Delhi to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi and present a memorandum in this regard. This would put him in the limelight for sometime ahead of the TRS yatra.

"More than 80,000 acres under Sangareddy Assembly constituency will get irrigation once the project is completed and Medak is one of the few districts that will benefit hugely. That is why we are planning a yatra to Delhi to request the Prime Minister to announce the project as a national one," Mr. Jayaprakash Reddy said.
He is even planning to book a special train for this purpose. He feels that the requests being made by Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy are not sufficient enough to get the attention of the Union government and there is a need to build a public pressure in this regard.
Though it was not new for Mr.Jayaprakash Reddy to announce programmes, it was yet to be seen whether he actually implements Delhi yatra programme.

Army chief explains why he didn't file case after offer of 14-crore bribe

                                                                   
Army chief explains why he didn’t file case after offer of 14-crore bribe New Delhi:  The Army Chief has accepted that when a bribe was offered to him for 14 crores, he should have done more than just informing the Defence Minister. General V K Singh has said that he was offered the kickback in 2010 by a retired defence officer if he cleared a sub-standard consignment of trucks. “I think it would have been better had I complained against him. The way it was said, I could not understand what he was saying,” said General Singh, who claims the retired officer told him, “Everyone takes it, what is your problem?” General Singh has not named who offered him the money. In an interview to The Hindu newspaper, the General said that the offer was made to him six months after he took over as the Army chief.

Current Parliament has serious problem of credibility: Arvind Kejriwal

                                                     
As leaders cutting across party lines objected to Team Anna's language against MPs, activist Arvind Kejriwal today claimed that the current Parliament has a "serious problem of credibility" as there are 162 lawmakers having criminal records.
He said punishing Team Anna for "flagging" certain issues will not help solve the problem, and the activists were ready to be punished if the MPs feel that the honour of Parliament will grow by punishing the activists.
Reacting to the sharp criticism faced by Team Anna in Lok Sabha for its language, he said, "Parliament should recognise the problem. If people are losing faith in Parliament, then it is a serious problem of credibility. They should do introspection."
He said he was also worried about the state of affairs in Parliament and noted that with 162 members with criminal records, no one can expect that Parliament would pass a strong Lokpal as it would end in jailing these MPs.
He said he was not painting all the MPs with a single brush and that he had clearly talked about 162 MPs who were facing criminal cases. "There are good MPs but their voices are feeble."
Asked whether he was ready to face another privilege notice, Kejriwal answered in the affirmative and said that this will not help the case.

"Can you expect that this Parliament with as many MPs with cases will allow the passage of a strong Lokpal?" he asked.
"When Rajneeti Prasad tore the Lokpal bill, no one objects. When Women's Bill was torn, no one objected. Chairs are hurled and mikes are thrown in Parliament but no one objects. MPs are bought and is it not denigrating Parliament?
"...I haven't said anything wrong. I am worried about Parliament," he claimed, adding that 1,176 MLAs were also have cases registered against them.
He said that the parties which nominated these lawmakers have actually insulted Parliament and not Team Anna. Kejriwal said MPs should introspect why people were losing faith in Parliament.
Claiming that it was unfortunate that leaders were speaking against Team Anna and it will not solve the problem, he said they leaders cannot stop people's anger.
When asked about losing support of political parties by attacking them, he said it is the duty of Parliament to pass laws.

He also supported Army Chief VK Singh who has claimed that a lobbyist had offered him a bribe of Rs14 crore, saying that Gen Singh was targeted because he fought against corruption.

Another man dies for Telangana, TRS calls for shutdown

                                                                   
One more person died on Monday and another was battling burn injuries after he attempted to immolate himself for separate statehood to Telangana, prompting the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) to call for a shutdown in the region to demand immediate action from the central government.

Two days after an MBA student committed suicide in Warangal, an autorickshaw driver immolated himself in Hanamkonda town in the same district. Rajmouli, who doused himself with kerosene in a public park and immolated himself, left behind a suicide note saying he was taking his life due to the delay in formation of a separate Telangana state.

In another incident, a youth tried to immolate himself at Wanaparthy town in Mahabubnagar district on Monday. BR Goud torched himself at a busy cross-road in the town and was shifted to hospital.

TRS, which stalled the state assembly and also raised the issue in parliament, has called for a shutdown on Tuesday.

It has exempted state-owned Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) buses and ongoing examinations from the shutdown in the region, which comprises 10 districts including Hyderabad.

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leaders from Telangana, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and the Osmania University Joint Action Committee (JAC) have supported the shutdown call.

Telangana groups claim that over 600 people, mostly students, have committed suicide for the cause of Telangana during last two years.

With the shutdown call, the region may witness another round of protests for a separate state. Frequent shutdowns, rail and road blockades and 42-day-long strike by government employees, coal and transport workers had crippled the administration in the region and caused huge losses to the business and industry during August-September last year.

The suicides come close on the heels of by-election results in Telangana, which demonstrated that the sentiment for a separate state is still strong. Of six assembly seats, TRS bagged four seats and BJP one. An independent fighting for the separate state was also elected.

MBA student Bhojya Naik had committed suicide in Warangal town on Saturday. A shutdown was observed in Warangal district on Sunday.