Political Diary

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy has said that more than 100 tmcft water available in Nagarjunasagar reservoir is enough to save the crops in Krishna delta and meet the drinking water needs.“Though the State is facing the worst dry spell seen in the last 50 years, we are confident of protecting the crops in Krishna delta,” Dr. Reddy remarked during an informal chat with journalists in the Assembly on Thursday.
He expressed fears that the farm produce coming from Krishna and Godavari delta in September and October would create problem of godown space. “We have requested the Centre to give funds for construction of godowns,” he said. A plea was also made to permit the State to shift the farm produce presently stocked in the godowns to neighbouring States.Referring to the shortage of fodder, he said the government was taking all precautions to ensure that sufficient stocks were made available to cattle. Government has also planned State-wide cattle camps at the end of the month.

The Election Commission on Wednesday announced that the by-elections to the Tekkali Assembly constituency in Srikakulam district will be

held on September 10. The result will be declared on September 14. The Tekkali Assembly constituency fell vacant due to the death of Congress MLA K Revatipati recently. The ECI will issue notification on August 17, August 24 will be the last date for filing nominations, scrutiny will take place on August 25 and the last date for withdrawal of nomination will be September 27. The model code of conduct came into existence from Wednesday.

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) legislator Yerrabelli Dayakar Rao today submits his resignation following a remark made by Chief Minister Y S Rajashekhar Reddy against him in the state Assembly today.The MLA sent his resignation to speaker M Kirankumar Reddy and requested him to accept it if he felt he is a "rowdy" as alleged by the Chief Minister.
Earlier, during the question hour in the Assembly, the CM while reacting to Rao’s comments made over Finance Minister K Rosaiah’s reply on weavers’ issue, remarked, "Dayakar, why are you talking like a rowdy?"Wednesday was yet another black day in the State Assembly with the Chief Minister himself hurling abuses at the members and asking them not to behave like rowdies. This remark had led to the TD MLA Yerrabelli Dayakar Reddy to submit his resignation.On Reddy’s comment, the TDP MLAs rose from their seats and protested against the specific word used in the remarks.

The current budget session of Assembly has witnessed several unruly scenes and most of its precious time had gone waste.Though the agenda was discussed and fixed at the Business Advisory Committee meeting headed by the Speaker N Kirankumar Reddy, the opposition members, particularly the Telugu Desam members tried to table adjournment motion every day on one issue or the other and thus lead to the suspension of the proceedings for the day.One day it was the ever increasing prices and the next day it was the Obulapuram Mines, the next day it was restrictions on the media. There was not a single day that took up the business of the House – discussion on budget – without the TD legislators trying to bring in an adjournment motion and thus stall the proceedings.
The treasury benches too have taken advantage of their numbers and made comments that provoked the Opposition. One day was totally dedicated for the Chief Minsiter Dr Y S Rajasekhar Reddy and the Opposition leader, N Chandrababu Naidu to make challenge and counter challenge on their credibility.The efforts by Lok Satta chief N Jayaprakash Narayana and PRP chief, K Chiranjeevi, to bring in all the non-Congress and non-TD members together to get greater slot in the session have failed. Both Jayaprakash Narayana and Chiranjeevi have made several requests to the legislators to allow the House to discuss on the budget in vain. These requests have gone waste with the members taking the House for a ride.Wednesday was yet another black day in the State Assembly with the Chief Minister himself hurling abuses at the members and asking them not to behave like rowdies. This remark had led to the TD MLA Yerrabelli Dayakar Reddy to submit his resignation.

Andhra Pradesh Home Minister P Sabita Indra Reddy today told the State Assembly the volume of traffic was increasing day by day in the twin cities.
Replying to a question raised by Mr D Sudheer Reddy (Cong) during Question Hour, she said various studies had been prepared by different agencies on traffic problems and measures had already been taken to ease the congestion based on the reports submitted by the agencies.
She said 26 junctions in the city had been developed and it has been decided to improve 40 more junctions in the twin cities.She said works worth Rs 35 crore had been taken up in Charminar area to improve the traffic, and the government had already spent Rs 28 crore.
The government had already constructed 10 foot over bridges (FOBs) in important places and decided to construct another 20 in the current financial year, the Minister added.She said 3,248 personnel had been deployed for traffic regulation in the twin cities.
Extra men were posted at the junctions for regulating traffic.
A proposal had been sent to the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation for installing new traffic signals or to rectify the present traffic signals and they were taking required action on the matter.

Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) Lok Sabha member M. Vijayashanti is on a mission to consolidate her image.Even while the talk is on among the political circles of her joining in the ruling Congress party, Ms. Vijayashanti took up a tour of Medak Lok Sabha constituency, beginning with Sangareddy Assembly constituency, being represented by Congress MLA.
Jajayaprakash Reddy. Mr. Jayaprakash Reddy is reportedly instrumental in bridging relations between Congress and the TRS MP.Vijayashanti on Monday visited Kashipur, Kalivemula, Charlagudem and Topugunda villages and interacted with farmers. She also inquired about the crop loss due to lack of rain. The villagers urged Ms. Vijayshanti to extend assistance on the water front.
During her tour, none of the TRS leaders accompanied her. Instead, the Congress workers accompanied her.Speaking to reporters later, Ms. Vijayashanti expressed serious concern over the prevailing drought conditions in the district and demanded that Medak be declared drought-hit district. She said that she would meet Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy in this regard and see to it that people get drinking water.
Asked about her visit in Sangareddy Assembly constituency, the TRS MP said that she is ready to visit even Medak and Siddipet Assembly constituencies being represented by the Telugu Desam and TRS.
“Local MLA Jayaprakash Reddy invited me to visit the constituency. I came here to asses the drought conditions and take up development works. My priority is development,” she said.However, she did not comment on the affairs in the party saying she would talk about it an appropriate time.

The Andhra Pradesh government Monday decided to extend the ban on the Communist Party of India-Maoist and its six frontal organisations for one more year.
The decision was taken by the state cabinet at its meeting here Monday evening. The meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, decided to extend the ban on CPI-Maoist and its frontal organisations under the Andhra Pradesh Public Security Act till Aug 16, 2010.
The banned frontal organisations of the outfit are Radical Youth League, Rythu Coolie Sangham, Radical Students Union, Singareni Karmika Samakhya, Viplava Karmika Samakhya and All India Revolutionary Students Federation.
The decision was taken as the ban on the outfit and its frontal organisations is lapsing Aug 16.
The state government had lifted the ban on then People’s War Group (PWG) in 2004 to facilitate a ceasefire and the first-ever direct peace talks with the Maoists. During the talks, PWG merged with Maoist Communist Centre (MCC) to form CPI-Maoist.
The ban on CPI-Maoist and its frontal organisations was re-imposed Aug 17, 2005, following the killing of then Congress legislator C. Narsi Reddy and nine others by Maoists in Mahbubnagar district on Independence Day. The killings followed the failure of peace talks and collapse of nine-month long ceasefire.
CPI-Maoist, the most powerful of Maoists groups in the country, has considerably weakened in Andhra Pradesh during the last four years as it lost over 400 cadres, including top leaders, in anti-Maoist operations by police and the elite anti-Maoist force Greyhounds.
The central government banned CPI-Maoist in June by branding it a terrorist organisation.

Andhra Pradesh Minister for Roads, Building and Commercial Taxes G Aruna Kumari told the State Assembly that there was no proposal to give any exemption on four per cent Value Added Tax (VAT) on pulses and foodgrains.
Replying to a question raised by TDP members P Mahender Reddy, P Raghunatha Reddy and others during Question Hour, she said the government was already providing assistance to the consumers through the Public Distribution System (PDS) and to the farmers by implementing National Food Security Mission.
Asked whether there was any proposal with the government to exempt VAT on foodgrains as was being done in other states like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Maharashtra, she said there was no such proposal as VAT was not the reason for rising prices of the essential commodities.
TRS member Harish Rao alleged that the people were facing a burden of Rs 400 crore due to VAT on pulses and foodgrains and demanded the government to remove VAT.In reply, she said the government had converted the General Sales Tax into VAT and it was not a burden on the people.
Intervening into the discussion, Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy said it was essential to impose minimum tax to take up developmental and welfare schemes in the state for the benefit of the poor.
Though there was no VAT in neighbouring states, the prices of essential commodities had gone up as compared to Andhra Pradesh, he said, adding taxes were necessary to generate income for the State.Claiming that the State Government had reduced taxes on various items which were high during the TDP regime, he said he had no objection to remove Sales Tax in the state if it had enough revenues.

Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) president Chiranjeevi, along with his party MLAs, will stage a dharna before the District Collectorate in Karimnagar on August 11 protesting against the illegal construction of Babhali project across the Godavari by Maharashtra government.
The dharna will be the second political agitation by Chiranjeevi since he formed the party a year ago. Chiranjeevi’s first protest was the recent dharna he staged before the Chief Rationing Officer in Secunderabad protesting against the spiralling prices of essential commodities.
In fact, after floating his party, Chiranjeevi limited his activities to party internal meetings and election campaign and never participated in any people’s movement till he was elected as an MLA.
After the poor performance in the elections, where his party managed to win only 19 seats, the filmstar- turned-policitian decided to go to masses on public issues to expand the party base.Ironically, it was senior leader T Devender Goud who chalked out the action plan against the Babhali project before he rejoined the TDP.
Now, Chiranjeevi will lead the protest programme in Telangana region without having any prominent Tleader with him.