Political Diary

At a press conference here yesterday, former MLA Jyothula Nehru said the party president was likely to reconstitute the committees at all levels so as to make them functional bodies by October.

On the first day of the meet, Mr Chiranjeevi would tour itinerary to fishermen of Gadimoga, 15 km from Kakinada, where onshore installations of the Ms Reliance gas were situated. He would interact with them on the adverse impact of oil and gas exploration and exploitation activities being carried out in the area by the Reliance Industries Ltd(RIL).

The actor-turned-politician would visit the RIL’s onshore terminal and hold talks with the Industry’s representatives on the relief and rehabilitation packages for the displaced fishermen, besides the gas distribution moralities, the MLA said.

He said later in the day, Mr Chiranjeevi would return to Kakinada, where he would lead a ’’Maha dharna’’ planned to secure lion’s share of KG basin gas in front of the Collectorate.The next day, he would address party workers’ meeting at Spandana hall in Ramanaiahpet and review threadbare the party’s present status and action plan required for rejuvenating the party keeping in view the upcoming local bodies elections.

On September 4, the PRP Chief would proceed to Amalapuram and hold review meetings at Ambedkar Bhavan there and at Rajahmundry.He would return to Hyderabad the next morning.

The former MLA said the preparatory committee was making arrangements to ensure that unprecedented crowds participate in the ’’Maha dharna’’.The Committee also planned constituency-wise agitations from August 24 to August 30 on the issue of KG basin gas, he added.

Party political affairs committee member Metla Satyanarayanarao along with all four PRP MLAs and those who lost the Assembly polls attended the press conference.

Addressing the Chief Minister’s Conference to discuss Internal Security, Dr Reddy said Left extremism had been in existance for the last four decades with the People’s War Group being the dominant group. The emergence of Maoist Party in 2004 was the turning point because it provided an all India network and stature as a revolutionary party, he said.

The traditional land issues taken up by the naxalites were replaced by issues like globalisation and establishment of Special Economic Zones and displacement of population. The result was that their rural appeal had come down excepting in areas where construction, irrigation, mining and industrial activities were taking place.

AP, he said had evolved two organisations-- Special Intelligence Bureau to collect information on top cadres and be the nodal agency for anti-extremist policy and Grey Hounds, the commando units specially trained in jungle warfare. The success of both these agancies were significant with many top ranking underground leaders arrested or killed in encounters by the SIB.

He said in jungle areas, the Grey Hounds had neutralised several armed squads. However, the problem was not confined to AP, but beyond the states like Orissa and Chhattisgarh where Maoists were operating with all India command structure, whereas the states pursued different strategies with different levels of fighting.

Rewarding those who helped neutralisation of underground extremists with ex-gratia payments and employment to the dependant family member of victims was yielding good results.

Action plan was prepared for implementation of various developmental programmes like distribution of land, providing employment to unemployed youth, infrastructure facilities -- road connectivity, protected drinking water, construction of schools, colleges and hostels and electrification of remote rural areas to check extremist activities, the AP CM added.

Most derived support from poverty, hunger and lack of gainful employment as development was the best weapon to win the hearts, he said.He said the Government had given rights to 1,81,919 eligible tribal families to the extent of 12,71,729 acres of land till under the Traditional Dwellers Act 2006. The Government had initiated land development at 120,000 crore under NREGP for tribal families in the lands given to them. Rubber planationaton in 31,000 acres were taken to benefit 15,000 tribal population at the cost of 150 crore and coffee plantation in 1.04 lakh acrese to benefit 100,000 tribal families.

Talking on Lashkar terror, he said the last offence was in August 2007, in which 24 people were killed in twin blasts and the Government responded by creating an anti-terror commando organisation -- Octopus to function on the lines of NSG. The training for Octopus was nearing completion and the teams would be ready in a few days and would be deployed in important cities to protect iconic targets.

Dr Reddy said the state had 1000 km long coastline close to Bangladesh and Myanmar. The coast also had several vital installations like Sriharikota, Eastern Naval Command, Krishna Godavari basin and several major and minor ports. The state had set up six Marine Police Stations in the first phase and the Centre had provided funds for housing Police Stations, purchas of vehicles.

The infrastructure was very meager and the personnel have to be equipped with speedboats and other necessary gadgets, he added.

BJP leaders, including M Venkaiah Naidu, Party Legislator G Kishen Reddy and national spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy, were among those arrested for conducting ’Chalo Assembly’ agitation, protesting against the rising prices of essential commodities, here today.

According to the police, nearly 700 BJP workers and leaders took out a ’Chalo Assembly’ procession from Baghlingampally to the state Assembly in protest against the steep hike in prices of essential commodities.

When they reached near P Siva Reddy Eye Hospital near Old MLA Quarters, police took them into preventive custody.Those who participated in the agitation included State President and former Union Minister Bandaru Dattatreya, national Secretary N Indrasena Reddy, BJP Greater Hyderabad President Chintala Ramachandra Reddy and others.

However, they were later released, police said.

Members of the opposition Telangana Rashtra Samiti(TRS) today staged a walkout from the Andhra Pradesh Assembly, protesting the State Government’s failure to stop Maharashtra from going ahead with Babli and other barrages.

Dissatisfied with Major Irrigation Minister P Lakshmaiah’s reply on the steps taken by the Government in protecting the state’s interest on riparian issues with Maharashtra and Karnataka, TRS floor leader E Rajender led his party colleagues out of the House during Question Hour.

The TRS assailed the ruling Congress for not ensuring release of at least five to 10 TMC of Godavari waters to meet the drinking water shortage in drought-hit Telangana region.

Meanwhile, TDP legislator D Umamaheswara Rao rushed to the well of the House and disrupted the proceedings for some time, alleging that the Congress government was unable to protect the state’s interest as the Chief Minister’s family members were involved in the construction of a hydel power project across Krishna in Karnataka.

The TDP member returned to his seat only after Speaker N Kirankumar Reddy threatened to suspend him.Legislative Affairs Minister K Rosaiah assured the House that the Government would lead an all-party delegation to New Delhi after receiving an appointment from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly had some lighter moments today, with ruling and opposition members using the forum to outwit each other with their remarks on rain God ’Varuna’, which has been playing truant in the state.

Participating in a short duration discussion on drought, Communist Party of India(Marxist)(CPI(M)) member J Ranga Reddy sent the House into peals of laughter while sarcastically suggesting that ’’Agriculture Minister N Raghuveera Reddy be sent by the aircraft used for cloud seeding to tender an apology to the rain God, who has not showered his blessings on the state as he was upset with the ruling Congress for misusing funds allocated for it.’’

He also objected to Congress leaders boasting that the state had been witnessing copious rains in the last five years as the ’’rain God was with the Congress party.’’ The Agriculture Minister retorted to this saying, ’’I am ready to fly with CPI(M) member accompanying me to ascertain whether I had in fact apologised to Varuna.’’

Intervening Legislative Affairs Minister K Rosaiah said he was happy that a member from a party, which practised atheism, was believing in God. The ruling Congress, in fact, enjoyed the blessings of Lord Varuna and only because of this, the nation and the state had received good rains in the past, he added.

Dismissing as ’’superstition’’, the performance of ’’yagna’’ with state funds to appease the rain God, Lok Satta Party MLA Jayapraksh Narayan sarcastically suggested that Mr Rosaiah, instead of imposing taxes on people, perform ’’Yagna’’ to Goddess Lakshmi to fill the coffers and also propitiate Goddess Saraswati to find a solution to illiteracy.

Later, senior TDP legislator N Janardhan Reddy wondered whether the rain God had run away to neighbouring China