DESARAJU SURYA
Hyderabad: It has happened not just once. On many an occasion, bureaucrats in Andhra Pradesh tend to overlook none other than the Chief Minister's directives, even on crucial matters.
In the latest instance, the Revenue Department has apparently overlooked the Chief Minister's decision in allotting land to the Police Transport Organisation (PTO) in Ranga Reddy district of Andhra Pradesh.
Though Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy cleared the proposal for allotment of a 50-acre site at Tattiannaram village under Hayathnagar mandal in Ranga Reddy district to the PTO for relocation of its existing facilities from Petlaburz, the revenue department allotted only 15 acres, much to the consternation of the police department.
Additional Director General of Police S A Huda took up the issue with Director General of Police S S P Yadav, who in turn has decided to write to the Chief Minister protesting the issue.
The issue threatens to snowball into yet another controversy between the revenue and the police departments, it is feared.
It is learnt that some realtors have set their eyes on this valuable land as the Rajiv Swagruha Corporation is expected to take up a major venture on a 35-acre site in the vicinity. "Once the Swagruha project kicks off and the PTO too is relocated, the village will transform into a major suburb. Hence the realtors are eager to grab whatever land is available at Tattiannaram," a top official said.
The police department has already handed over a portion of its 15-acre site at Petlaburz to the health department, which is constructing a new building for the Government Maternity Hospital. The existing maternity hospital near Puranapul will be relocated to the new building. The health department owes Rs 20 crore to the police on this land transfer.
In lieu of this land, the PTO requested the Ranga Reddy district administration to allocate 50 acres at Tattiannaram for setting up its facilities. Accordingly the then Ranga Reddy district Collector Praveen Prakash recommended that the required land be allotted. The empowered committee headed by the Chief Commissioner of Land Administration too has recommended alienation of the land in survey number 73 at Tattiannaram. The Chief Minister too gave his nod for allocation of the required land to enable the PTO to construct its office building, a motor transport park, vehicle workshop, service station, hospital, parade ground, vehicle auction yard and a training branch. Besides, residential quarters for the 892 staffers -- from the Additional DG to a class-IV employee -- of PTO are required to be built. Police contend that unless the residential quarters are built, the staff cannot relocate to the new place that is over 25-km away from the city. "The PTO here caters to over 14 police units besides the Chief Minister, Home Minister and the DGP's convoy vehicles. Unless full-fledged facilities are provided at the new premises, relocation will not be possible. So, we require 50-acres of land," a top police official said.
The Ranga Reddy district administration has informed the government that about 99 acres of land is available out of the total 230 acres in Survey No. 73 at Tattiannaram village. Some local farmers have reportedly been cultivating a portion of this land on temporary pattas obtained from the Ranga Reddy district authorities. The issue was brought to the notice of the Chief Minister who reportedly directed that the temporary pattas be revoked and the lands taken back. The revenue authorities, however, did not take any action in this regard, informed sources said.
When contacted, a high-ranking revenue department official said: "The land at Tattiannaram is worth about Rs 70 lakh an acre and we can't gift it away to the police. We are looking at some alternatives."
Monday, June 30, 2008
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Technology aids the not-so-tech-savvy CM
DESARAJU SURYA
Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy is not known to be technology or gadget savvy. But Apple's iPhone has become a rather indispensable tool in his hands these days. The iPhone, of course, is not owned by the Chief Minister. His enterprising and tech-savvy Chief Security Officer Masthipuram Ramesh uses the iPhone and it is coming in handy for RajasekharaReddy to dispose of applications related to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund (CMRF) -- just by using his fingertip. Even if he is touring a remote part of the far-off Srikakulam district or Adilabad or relaxing in his ownbackyard in Idupulapaya, Rajasekhara Reddy never misses the opportunity to clear pending CMRF applications. On an average, about 300 applications are received everyday by the ChiefMinister's Office (CMO) for financial assistance from the CMRF. Not a single application is kept pending as a team in the CMO, led by the Chief Minister's principal secretary P Subrahmanyam and private secretary Kiran Kumar Reddy, processes the applications in quick time and uploads them on the CMRF website. Hitherto, the Chief Minister needed to sit in front of his desktop computer to clear these applications. As he was constantly touring the state as well as other parts of the country, the CMRF applications used to get stuck. "This was creating troubles for the needy people as sometimes they were forced to wait for days to get the Chief Minister's approval for help. In critical cases, this wait could prove costly. So, we decided to integrate the website with the latest mobile handsets so that the applications could be processed in real time," a CMO official said. Initially, the CMO officials tried using the Blackberry device to download the CMRF site and process the applications. "Somehow, it did not work as desired," the CMO official pointed out. Then came Apple's iPhone, which is a virtual palm-top computer. It is fully loaded with a variety of features and browsing the web is amazingly easier. So, a foolproof system has been designed so that only the ChiefMinister, apart from his private secretary, can access the processing and approval part of the CMRF website. The specific page has details about the various applications received, the need for financial assistance and the amount to be sanctioned. A gist of the total number of applications, the sum sanctioned and the amount per person is also listed. During his "reserve" time while on tours, Rajasekhara Reddy opens the iPhone and completes the"formalities." In a flash, the main server in the CMO updates the details as soon as the Chief Minister grants his approval and sends back a message: "Thank you, dear Chief Minister." Rajasekhara Reddy indeed proves that one need not be tech-savvy to make effective use of technology.
Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy is not known to be technology or gadget savvy. But Apple's iPhone has become a rather indispensable tool in his hands these days. The iPhone, of course, is not owned by the Chief Minister. His enterprising and tech-savvy Chief Security Officer Masthipuram Ramesh uses the iPhone and it is coming in handy for RajasekharaReddy to dispose of applications related to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund (CMRF) -- just by using his fingertip. Even if he is touring a remote part of the far-off Srikakulam district or Adilabad or relaxing in his ownbackyard in Idupulapaya, Rajasekhara Reddy never misses the opportunity to clear pending CMRF applications. On an average, about 300 applications are received everyday by the ChiefMinister's Office (CMO) for financial assistance from the CMRF. Not a single application is kept pending as a team in the CMO, led by the Chief Minister's principal secretary P Subrahmanyam and private secretary Kiran Kumar Reddy, processes the applications in quick time and uploads them on the CMRF website. Hitherto, the Chief Minister needed to sit in front of his desktop computer to clear these applications. As he was constantly touring the state as well as other parts of the country, the CMRF applications used to get stuck. "This was creating troubles for the needy people as sometimes they were forced to wait for days to get the Chief Minister's approval for help. In critical cases, this wait could prove costly. So, we decided to integrate the website with the latest mobile handsets so that the applications could be processed in real time," a CMO official said. Initially, the CMO officials tried using the Blackberry device to download the CMRF site and process the applications. "Somehow, it did not work as desired," the CMO official pointed out. Then came Apple's iPhone, which is a virtual palm-top computer. It is fully loaded with a variety of features and browsing the web is amazingly easier. So, a foolproof system has been designed so that only the ChiefMinister, apart from his private secretary, can access the processing and approval part of the CMRF website. The specific page has details about the various applications received, the need for financial assistance and the amount to be sanctioned. A gist of the total number of applications, the sum sanctioned and the amount per person is also listed. During his "reserve" time while on tours, Rajasekhara Reddy opens the iPhone and completes the"formalities." In a flash, the main server in the CMO updates the details as soon as the Chief Minister grants his approval and sends back a message: "Thank you, dear Chief Minister." Rajasekhara Reddy indeed proves that one need not be tech-savvy to make effective use of technology.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Fate turns a full circle
DESARAJU SURYA
Hyderabad: The far-off Srikakulam district seems to spell a sort of doom for the Telugu Desam Party -- to its presidents rather.
About 13 years ago, in August 1995, the then chief of TDP N T Rama Rao saw his fortunes dip when he was touring Srikakulam district. As the then Chief Minister Rama Rao was touring Srikakulam when the so-called "August crisis" in the party began under the leadership of N Chandrababu Naidu, the then general secretary of the party and minister for revenue. As NTR crossed the supposedly ominous Gotta Barrage and set foot in neighbouring Vizianagaram district as part of his 'Prajala Vaddaku Paalana' programme, Chandrababu and Co. camped in hotel Nagavali in Srikakulam to hatch a conspiracy to dethrone the former.
And, the rest is history.
Now, fate seemed to have turned a full circle for Naidu, who ironically was camping in Srikakulam -- and moving in the vicinity of Gotta Barrage -- when his virtual second-in-command T Devender Goud chose to desert him on Monday. On the face of it, nothing appears to be similar in the two instances, for, the TDP is not headed for a split now as it happened in 1995. Moreover, Goud has only one accomplice in E Peddi Reddy. Nevertheless, as far as the TDP is concerned, the exit of Goud is a significant blow. Whether Goud's departure would ultimately result in the TDP's debacle in Telangana is, however, debatable.
Hyderabad: The far-off Srikakulam district seems to spell a sort of doom for the Telugu Desam Party -- to its presidents rather.
About 13 years ago, in August 1995, the then chief of TDP N T Rama Rao saw his fortunes dip when he was touring Srikakulam district. As the then Chief Minister Rama Rao was touring Srikakulam when the so-called "August crisis" in the party began under the leadership of N Chandrababu Naidu, the then general secretary of the party and minister for revenue. As NTR crossed the supposedly ominous Gotta Barrage and set foot in neighbouring Vizianagaram district as part of his 'Prajala Vaddaku Paalana' programme, Chandrababu and Co. camped in hotel Nagavali in Srikakulam to hatch a conspiracy to dethrone the former.
And, the rest is history.
Now, fate seemed to have turned a full circle for Naidu, who ironically was camping in Srikakulam -- and moving in the vicinity of Gotta Barrage -- when his virtual second-in-command T Devender Goud chose to desert him on Monday. On the face of it, nothing appears to be similar in the two instances, for, the TDP is not headed for a split now as it happened in 1995. Moreover, Goud has only one accomplice in E Peddi Reddy. Nevertheless, as far as the TDP is concerned, the exit of Goud is a significant blow. Whether Goud's departure would ultimately result in the TDP's debacle in Telangana is, however, debatable.
They fail to make a dent
DESARAJU SURYA
Hyderabad: Many heavyweight leaders have either left or were expelled from the Telugu Desam in its 26-year history in Andhra Pradesh but not even in one instance did the party suffer any upheaval.
From Nadendla Bhaskara Rao to Vasantha Nageswara Rao and Parvathaneni Upendra to Toolla Devender Goud, many high-ranking leaders deserted the TDP over the years. But most of such leaders failed to make a mark on their own outside the party. The party continues to remain strong despite the setbacks as none of the leaders could cause any dent to the TDP image.
"In every instance where a supposedly powerful leader left the TD, it was clearly proved that the party was larger than the individual," a senior leader observed.
So, be it a Vasantha Nageswara Rao or a Jana Reddy or a KCR or a Indra Reddy, none could cause a bearing on the party, he added. A similar fate might befall Devender Goud, who became the latest to desert the TDP on Monday.
Nadendla Bhaskara Rao was the initiator of the first turmoil in the TDP, just two years after it came into being in 1982. He dethroned the party founder-president N T Rama Rao from the Chief Minister's chair in August 1984 and usurped the seat. In just a month, Bhaskara Rao had to make an ignominous exit and get axed from the party. Though he later joined the Congress and made it to the Lok Sabha, he never enjoyed the glory.
Later, it was the trio of Vasantha Nageswara Rao, K E Krishna Murthy and Kunduru Jana Reddy (the present home minister in Y S Rajasekhara Reddy's Cabinet) that revolted against NTR to quit the party and launch the Telugu Nadu party. The party died a natural death in no time and the trio plunged into political oblivion. Of course, Krishna Murthy slowly returned to the TDP fold while Jana Reddy and Vasantha took shelter in the Congress. After years of being in hibernation, Vasantha became the Andhra Pradesh Co-operataive Central Bank chairman in 2005 while Jana Reddy became the state home minister.
Parvathaneni Upendra had to bow out of the TDP following a conspiracy allegedly hatched by Chandrababu Naidu. Upendra was also the second-in-command in the TDP under NTR and served as a minister of state in the VP Singh-led National Front government at the Centre. Upon his exit from the TDP, Upendra spent a couple of years as an "unattached" member in the Rajya Sabha before formally joining the Congress. He had to be content with his election twice to the Lok Sabha from Vijayawada and eventually vacate the seat for his son-in-law Lagadapati Rajagopal. Though he hoped to become Governor of a state, the Congress left him in the lurch.
Mudragada Padmanabham, the Kapu bigwig from East Godavari district, too walked out of the TDP following differences with NTR but failed to make a mark later on, though he got elected to the Lok Sabha on a BJP ticket once from Kakinada.
Renuka Choudary, who is now the Union minister of state for women welfare, is the only leader who carved a niche for herself upon quitting the TDP.
In fact, it was the late P Indra Reddy who was the first to espouse the cause of Telangana upon quitting the Laxmi Parvati-led NTR-TDP. His untimely death in a tragic road accident cut short Indra Reddy's political plans. His widow Sabita Indra Reddy joined the Congress after her husband's death and went on to become a minister in the YS Rajasekhara Reddy Cabinet.
In all these cases, the TDP never suffered a jolt. It consolidated its position in Telangana in particular though there was some erosion of its base in the coastal and Rayalaseema regions owing to other factors rather than the leaders' desertion.
Hyderabad: Many heavyweight leaders have either left or were expelled from the Telugu Desam in its 26-year history in Andhra Pradesh but not even in one instance did the party suffer any upheaval.
From Nadendla Bhaskara Rao to Vasantha Nageswara Rao and Parvathaneni Upendra to Toolla Devender Goud, many high-ranking leaders deserted the TDP over the years. But most of such leaders failed to make a mark on their own outside the party. The party continues to remain strong despite the setbacks as none of the leaders could cause any dent to the TDP image.
"In every instance where a supposedly powerful leader left the TD, it was clearly proved that the party was larger than the individual," a senior leader observed.
So, be it a Vasantha Nageswara Rao or a Jana Reddy or a KCR or a Indra Reddy, none could cause a bearing on the party, he added. A similar fate might befall Devender Goud, who became the latest to desert the TDP on Monday.
Nadendla Bhaskara Rao was the initiator of the first turmoil in the TDP, just two years after it came into being in 1982. He dethroned the party founder-president N T Rama Rao from the Chief Minister's chair in August 1984 and usurped the seat. In just a month, Bhaskara Rao had to make an ignominous exit and get axed from the party. Though he later joined the Congress and made it to the Lok Sabha, he never enjoyed the glory.
Later, it was the trio of Vasantha Nageswara Rao, K E Krishna Murthy and Kunduru Jana Reddy (the present home minister in Y S Rajasekhara Reddy's Cabinet) that revolted against NTR to quit the party and launch the Telugu Nadu party. The party died a natural death in no time and the trio plunged into political oblivion. Of course, Krishna Murthy slowly returned to the TDP fold while Jana Reddy and Vasantha took shelter in the Congress. After years of being in hibernation, Vasantha became the Andhra Pradesh Co-operataive Central Bank chairman in 2005 while Jana Reddy became the state home minister.
Parvathaneni Upendra had to bow out of the TDP following a conspiracy allegedly hatched by Chandrababu Naidu. Upendra was also the second-in-command in the TDP under NTR and served as a minister of state in the VP Singh-led National Front government at the Centre. Upon his exit from the TDP, Upendra spent a couple of years as an "unattached" member in the Rajya Sabha before formally joining the Congress. He had to be content with his election twice to the Lok Sabha from Vijayawada and eventually vacate the seat for his son-in-law Lagadapati Rajagopal. Though he hoped to become Governor of a state, the Congress left him in the lurch.
Mudragada Padmanabham, the Kapu bigwig from East Godavari district, too walked out of the TDP following differences with NTR but failed to make a mark later on, though he got elected to the Lok Sabha on a BJP ticket once from Kakinada.
Renuka Choudary, who is now the Union minister of state for women welfare, is the only leader who carved a niche for herself upon quitting the TDP.
In fact, it was the late P Indra Reddy who was the first to espouse the cause of Telangana upon quitting the Laxmi Parvati-led NTR-TDP. His untimely death in a tragic road accident cut short Indra Reddy's political plans. His widow Sabita Indra Reddy joined the Congress after her husband's death and went on to become a minister in the YS Rajasekhara Reddy Cabinet.
In all these cases, the TDP never suffered a jolt. It consolidated its position in Telangana in particular though there was some erosion of its base in the coastal and Rayalaseema regions owing to other factors rather than the leaders' desertion.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Calculated assault on Chiranjeevi
DESARAJU SURYA
Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy's Cabinet colleagues seem to be taking turns in launching a verbal attack on film star Chiranjeevi ahead of his anticipated launch of a political party. In what appears to be a calculated move, the ministers are not only targeting Chiranjeevi personally but also his "social service" activities, notably blood and eye donation. As expected, Chiranjeevi continued to maintain a stoic silence while his brothers and brother-in-law too haven't reacted to the ministers' criticism over the last week. The Chiranjeevi fans, however, took to the streets in various parts of the state to burn the effigies of minister Mareppa on Saturday. One who is used to receiving bouquets all the while as an actor, Chiranjeevi is now having to face brickbats even before he entered the political scene. The scenario will only worsen after he formally launches his political party and the actor will have to live with it, political observers feel. Major industries minister J Geeta Reddy was the first to go hammer and tongs at Chiranjeevi while marketing minister M Mareppa was equally vehement in his diatribe against the politician-in-the-making. Other ministers like Aanam Rama Narayana Reddy and Botsa Satyanarayana too sought to deride the star, though in a subdued manner. TRS rebel MLA T Jayaprakash Reddy, who has virtually been sailing with the Congress, too joined chorus with the ministers on Sunday. "Chiranjeevi is just a leader of Kapus and his influence is restricted only to three coastal districts. He is no match to the legendary NT Rama Rao," remarked Geeta Reddy in New Delhi. She derided Chiranjeevi for keeping his mouth shut even as his brother-in-law and brothers were going to town for a few months now announcing the actor's political plans. Mareppa went a step ahead and snubbed Chiranjeevi saying: "One who cannot take his own decisions is not fit for politics." Mareppa, of course, targeted the actor's so-called social service activities alleging that blood was being sold at the Chiranjeevi Blood Bank. "They claim to be donating eyes through cornea grafting but nobody exactly knows where the eyes are going. A white paper should be released on the blood and eye bank activities," he demanded even as he claimed that Chiranjeevi got prime landworth Rs 50 crore from the government for running the blood bank. After the fans burnt his effigies, Mareppa upped his ante and lashed out further at Chiranjeevi saying the latter was a "big drunkard" and consumes two bottles of liquor everyday. Referring to Chiranjeevi's daughter Srija's marriage and Pavan Kalyan's wife Nandini's case, Mareppa wondered why the star's fans failed to take up the cause of two distraught women. "How can a man who could not set his own house in order work for the society's welfare," Mareppa questioned. Jayaprakash Reddy said Chiranjeevi was trying to launch a political drama as he was devoid of movie roles. "Is selling blood in the name of a blood bank a social service," he questioned. Speculation is rife that some bigwigs in the ruling Congress establishment are encouraging these leaders to take snides at Chiranjeevi in an ostensible bid to provoke the actor and make him speak out. The Chiranjeevi camp, however, is perturbed and has so far failed to chalk out a strategy to counter the vicious campaign. Indications from the Chiranjeevi camp are that a formal statement on the blood bank affairs could be made in a day or two to clear the clouds.
Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy's Cabinet colleagues seem to be taking turns in launching a verbal attack on film star Chiranjeevi ahead of his anticipated launch of a political party. In what appears to be a calculated move, the ministers are not only targeting Chiranjeevi personally but also his "social service" activities, notably blood and eye donation. As expected, Chiranjeevi continued to maintain a stoic silence while his brothers and brother-in-law too haven't reacted to the ministers' criticism over the last week. The Chiranjeevi fans, however, took to the streets in various parts of the state to burn the effigies of minister Mareppa on Saturday. One who is used to receiving bouquets all the while as an actor, Chiranjeevi is now having to face brickbats even before he entered the political scene. The scenario will only worsen after he formally launches his political party and the actor will have to live with it, political observers feel. Major industries minister J Geeta Reddy was the first to go hammer and tongs at Chiranjeevi while marketing minister M Mareppa was equally vehement in his diatribe against the politician-in-the-making. Other ministers like Aanam Rama Narayana Reddy and Botsa Satyanarayana too sought to deride the star, though in a subdued manner. TRS rebel MLA T Jayaprakash Reddy, who has virtually been sailing with the Congress, too joined chorus with the ministers on Sunday. "Chiranjeevi is just a leader of Kapus and his influence is restricted only to three coastal districts. He is no match to the legendary NT Rama Rao," remarked Geeta Reddy in New Delhi. She derided Chiranjeevi for keeping his mouth shut even as his brother-in-law and brothers were going to town for a few months now announcing the actor's political plans. Mareppa went a step ahead and snubbed Chiranjeevi saying: "One who cannot take his own decisions is not fit for politics." Mareppa, of course, targeted the actor's so-called social service activities alleging that blood was being sold at the Chiranjeevi Blood Bank. "They claim to be donating eyes through cornea grafting but nobody exactly knows where the eyes are going. A white paper should be released on the blood and eye bank activities," he demanded even as he claimed that Chiranjeevi got prime landworth Rs 50 crore from the government for running the blood bank. After the fans burnt his effigies, Mareppa upped his ante and lashed out further at Chiranjeevi saying the latter was a "big drunkard" and consumes two bottles of liquor everyday. Referring to Chiranjeevi's daughter Srija's marriage and Pavan Kalyan's wife Nandini's case, Mareppa wondered why the star's fans failed to take up the cause of two distraught women. "How can a man who could not set his own house in order work for the society's welfare," Mareppa questioned. Jayaprakash Reddy said Chiranjeevi was trying to launch a political drama as he was devoid of movie roles. "Is selling blood in the name of a blood bank a social service," he questioned. Speculation is rife that some bigwigs in the ruling Congress establishment are encouraging these leaders to take snides at Chiranjeevi in an ostensible bid to provoke the actor and make him speak out. The Chiranjeevi camp, however, is perturbed and has so far failed to chalk out a strategy to counter the vicious campaign. Indications from the Chiranjeevi camp are that a formal statement on the blood bank affairs could be made in a day or two to clear the clouds.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Dragging the feet
DESARAJU SURYA
Hyderabad: About three months have elapsed since the Andhra Pradesh Legislature enacted the Community Participation Law (CPL) which enables citizens to participate in the development process in the urban local bodies (ULBs) but the Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department is yet to finalise relevant rules so that the new law can be put into effect.
Under the Community Participation Law, citizens will become part of the ward committees (WCs) in ULBs to carry out specific tasks and also work out development plans related to each civic ward. To enable this, the ULBs will be required to earmark 20 per cent of their annual budget to the WCs. Each ward committee, headed by the respective municipal corporator\councillor, will have ten members representing non-governmental organisations, residents welfare associations, professional institutions, trade or industrial organisations and other stake-holders. The WCs will supervise sanitation, distribution of water supply, road repairs, maintenance of markets, functioning of civic schools and health centres besides facilitating tax collection. They will also prepare an annual ward development plan and an inventory of municipal assets. The civic body will be required to consult the WCs in the development of land use and zoning regulations within each municipal ward. Again, each municipal ward in an ULB will be divided into certain number of "areas" which will have an area sabha representing at least 2000 people in a particular locality. The area sabhas will also draft proposals for development programmes and submit them to the respective WCs. "So far we have only the public representatives deciding on the priorities for development. But in many a case the demands of the people are not actually met. The Community Participation Law will set this anomaly right and ensure that development works are taken up in a focused manner and also fulfil the requirements of people at the micro level," a senior official of the Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department said.
MAUD secretary Pushpa Subrahmanyam said rules related to the Community Participation Law were being framed and everything would be in place in about a month and a half.
Meanwhile, composition of the all-powerful Standing Committee in the municipal corporations will also change once the CPL comes into force. The strength of the Standing Committee will be increased to a maximum of 15. Chairpersons of the municipal wards committees used to become members of the Standing Committee but now every corporator becomes eligible for election to the apex body in the municipal corporation. The Standing Committee is now being vested with additional responsibilities like planning for economic and social development, protecting the environment and ecology and promoting cultural, educational and aesthetic aspects.
Hyderabad: About three months have elapsed since the Andhra Pradesh Legislature enacted the Community Participation Law (CPL) which enables citizens to participate in the development process in the urban local bodies (ULBs) but the Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department is yet to finalise relevant rules so that the new law can be put into effect.
Under the Community Participation Law, citizens will become part of the ward committees (WCs) in ULBs to carry out specific tasks and also work out development plans related to each civic ward. To enable this, the ULBs will be required to earmark 20 per cent of their annual budget to the WCs. Each ward committee, headed by the respective municipal corporator\councillor, will have ten members representing non-governmental organisations, residents welfare associations, professional institutions, trade or industrial organisations and other stake-holders. The WCs will supervise sanitation, distribution of water supply, road repairs, maintenance of markets, functioning of civic schools and health centres besides facilitating tax collection. They will also prepare an annual ward development plan and an inventory of municipal assets. The civic body will be required to consult the WCs in the development of land use and zoning regulations within each municipal ward. Again, each municipal ward in an ULB will be divided into certain number of "areas" which will have an area sabha representing at least 2000 people in a particular locality. The area sabhas will also draft proposals for development programmes and submit them to the respective WCs. "So far we have only the public representatives deciding on the priorities for development. But in many a case the demands of the people are not actually met. The Community Participation Law will set this anomaly right and ensure that development works are taken up in a focused manner and also fulfil the requirements of people at the micro level," a senior official of the Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department said.
MAUD secretary Pushpa Subrahmanyam said rules related to the Community Participation Law were being framed and everything would be in place in about a month and a half.
Meanwhile, composition of the all-powerful Standing Committee in the municipal corporations will also change once the CPL comes into force. The strength of the Standing Committee will be increased to a maximum of 15. Chairpersons of the municipal wards committees used to become members of the Standing Committee but now every corporator becomes eligible for election to the apex body in the municipal corporation. The Standing Committee is now being vested with additional responsibilities like planning for economic and social development, protecting the environment and ecology and promoting cultural, educational and aesthetic aspects.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
HUSSAIN SAGAR rotting
DESARAJU SURYA
Hyderabad: The historic Hussain Sagar Lake is rotting further because of the sheer apathy of the state government. Nauseating odour apart, widespread sprouting of water hyacinth has left the lake in an utterly sorry state. Constant growth of water hyacinth in the entire lake is leaving an apologetic picture.
The hyacinth menace could become a regular feature as there is no immediate way to prevent discharge of sewerage into Hussain Sagar, it is feared. Had the state government taken up the Hussain Sagar Lake and Catchment Area Improvement Project as planned in February 2006, things would have been a lot better. The Rs 316 crore project, proposed to be taken up with financial assistance from the Japan Bank for International Co-operation (JBIC), envisages improving the drainage in the lake's catchment area, setting up additional water treatment plants and establishing eco-tourism projects on the banks. Of the total project cost, Rs 270 crore is the JBIC loan component.
"Procedural delays" held up the project for more than two years and works may not start at least for two more months as the HUDA and JBIC are in the process of finalising tenders for construction of a 30 million litres per day (mld) sewerage treatment plant (STP) with tertiary treatment at Picket Nala and another five mld STP at Rangadhamini Cheruvu (IDL lake) at Kukatpally. Upgrading the existing 20 mld STP at Balkapur Nala on the Necklace Road is also being taken up and work on this is expected to start only in August after JBIC clears the tenders, Huda sources said.
These, of course, are only a part of the entire project and the duration for completion of the project as per the original plan is December 2012. Since the project commencement got delayed by over two years, the completion too may get delayed further. A top HUDA official, involved with the project, admitted that "nothing but procedural delays" caused the inordinate delay in launching the project. "Given its cumbersome procedures in approving the project and the financial assistance, the JBIC has also contributed to the delay. Since we had to toe their line for securing funds, we could not really push things," the official pointed out. However, authoritative sources said the project was handled by wrong hands since the beginning. "This is a highly technical project and requires experts to handle it. But it was handled in the most casual administrative manner," the sources observed.
The hapless citizens of the state capital are bearing the brunt of official callousness.
The hyacinth menace could become a regular feature as there is no immediate way to prevent discharge of sewerage into Hussain Sagar, it is feared. Had the state government taken up the Hussain Sagar Lake and Catchment Area Improvement Project as planned in February 2006, things would have been a lot better. The Rs 316 crore project, proposed to be taken up with financial assistance from the Japan Bank for International Co-operation (JBIC), envisages improving the drainage in the lake's catchment area, setting up additional water treatment plants and establishing eco-tourism projects on the banks. Of the total project cost, Rs 270 crore is the JBIC loan component.
"Procedural delays" held up the project for more than two years and works may not start at least for two more months as the HUDA and JBIC are in the process of finalising tenders for construction of a 30 million litres per day (mld) sewerage treatment plant (STP) with tertiary treatment at Picket Nala and another five mld STP at Rangadhamini Cheruvu (IDL lake) at Kukatpally. Upgrading the existing 20 mld STP at Balkapur Nala on the Necklace Road is also being taken up and work on this is expected to start only in August after JBIC clears the tenders, Huda sources said.
These, of course, are only a part of the entire project and the duration for completion of the project as per the original plan is December 2012. Since the project commencement got delayed by over two years, the completion too may get delayed further. A top HUDA official, involved with the project, admitted that "nothing but procedural delays" caused the inordinate delay in launching the project. "Given its cumbersome procedures in approving the project and the financial assistance, the JBIC has also contributed to the delay. Since we had to toe their line for securing funds, we could not really push things," the official pointed out. However, authoritative sources said the project was handled by wrong hands since the beginning. "This is a highly technical project and requires experts to handle it. But it was handled in the most casual administrative manner," the sources observed.
The hapless citizens of the state capital are bearing the brunt of official callousness.
All in the power game!
DESARAJU SURYA
Hyderabad: A serious power tussle between the self-styled torchbearers is virtually threatening to lead to a stillbirth of the much-hyped political party of film star Chiranjeevi.
Probably, no other political party-in-the-making in the country might have witnessed such a conflict, even before it formally came into being, as the one that is currently bogging the Chiranjeevi camp.
Chiranjeevi is said to be at sea and "thoroughly disturbed" over the goings-on in the camp while his youngest brother and actor Pavan Kalyan -- the man said to be instrumental in shaping Chiru's political moves -- is strangely keeping himself totally away. Pavan is busy reading various books from his huge collection and also preparing for his next film Puli, for which the music is being done by A R Rahman.
There are as many as four major power centres apart from another group that too is rather inevitably getting into this wrangle over the Chiranjeevi party. The main group, supposedly the most prominent, is led by Chiranjeevi's Man Friday and brother-in-law Allu Aravind and friend, guide and philosopher Dr P Mitra Reddy. The second group -- power centre rather -- is headed by the actor's younger brother Nagendra Babu and the third is led by P Vinay Kumar, son of former Union minister P Shiv Shankar. The fourth group comprises ex-CPM functionaries like T V Rao, Vithal and others, who are working under the banner Spark.
On top of all, there is the "Core Committee" that includes Nagendra Babu, Allu Aravind, Vinay Kumar, Mitra Reddy, Prasad Reddy, Brahma Reddy and Sridhar Reddy. Of course, Sridhar Reddy has become inactive for sometime now, reportedly disgusted with the power tussle among the groups. Mitra Reddy too stopped going to the Geeta Arts office, which is now being turned into the Chiranjeevi party office, following differences with some other members of the Core Committee, insiders say.
Aravind had a tough time in pacifying Mitra and bringing him back to the fold, they add.
The first signs of the ongoing tussle came to light the day when Allu Aravind announced that Chiranjeevi would indeed launch his political party in August. Within hours, Nagendra Babu retorted saying nothing had been decided yet and his brother himself would make any announcement on the political party. On Sunday, Nagendra Babu took his turn to formally "confirm" Chiru's plans and exhort the fans to "keep going."
"Everybody knows the kind of rapport between Chiranjeevi and Aravind. In a way Aravind is the Karta, Karma, Kriya on all matters related to Chiru. His brothers, however, would like to break this at a time when Chiru is all set to jump onto the political bandwagon. Friction is, thus, natural," a source close to the 'camp' observed.
On the other hand, Vinay Kumar is "too busy" trying to take control over the party affairs. He has directed Chiranjeevi fan clubs in various districts to open party offices and has virtually taken the state headquarters here into his grip. If the camp insiders are to be believed, Vinay Kumar has already "selected" 120 candidates for as many constituencies and submitted the list to Chiranjeevi.
All this has not gone down well with Aravind, Mitra and even Nagendra Babu. While squabbling among themselves for one-upmanship, they are pulling all stops to keep Vinay at bay. But suddenly, another group, which cannot be ignored at any cost, has also stepped up its act and is seeking its share of glory. Led by All-India Chiranjeevi Yuva Sena general secretary Swami Naidu, who is the bridge between Chiranjeevi and his numerous fans, this group is busy rallying youth and getting them ready for the big show.
Tailpiece: Chiranjeevi is so perturbed with the happenings in his camp that he has decided to take a "break" and fly abroad to an undisclosed location. At least for a fortnight!
Hyderabad: A serious power tussle between the self-styled torchbearers is virtually threatening to lead to a stillbirth of the much-hyped political party of film star Chiranjeevi.
Probably, no other political party-in-the-making in the country might have witnessed such a conflict, even before it formally came into being, as the one that is currently bogging the Chiranjeevi camp.
Chiranjeevi is said to be at sea and "thoroughly disturbed" over the goings-on in the camp while his youngest brother and actor Pavan Kalyan -- the man said to be instrumental in shaping Chiru's political moves -- is strangely keeping himself totally away. Pavan is busy reading various books from his huge collection and also preparing for his next film Puli, for which the music is being done by A R Rahman.
There are as many as four major power centres apart from another group that too is rather inevitably getting into this wrangle over the Chiranjeevi party. The main group, supposedly the most prominent, is led by Chiranjeevi's Man Friday and brother-in-law Allu Aravind and friend, guide and philosopher Dr P Mitra Reddy. The second group -- power centre rather -- is headed by the actor's younger brother Nagendra Babu and the third is led by P Vinay Kumar, son of former Union minister P Shiv Shankar. The fourth group comprises ex-CPM functionaries like T V Rao, Vithal and others, who are working under the banner Spark.
On top of all, there is the "Core Committee" that includes Nagendra Babu, Allu Aravind, Vinay Kumar, Mitra Reddy, Prasad Reddy, Brahma Reddy and Sridhar Reddy. Of course, Sridhar Reddy has become inactive for sometime now, reportedly disgusted with the power tussle among the groups. Mitra Reddy too stopped going to the Geeta Arts office, which is now being turned into the Chiranjeevi party office, following differences with some other members of the Core Committee, insiders say.
Aravind had a tough time in pacifying Mitra and bringing him back to the fold, they add.
The first signs of the ongoing tussle came to light the day when Allu Aravind announced that Chiranjeevi would indeed launch his political party in August. Within hours, Nagendra Babu retorted saying nothing had been decided yet and his brother himself would make any announcement on the political party. On Sunday, Nagendra Babu took his turn to formally "confirm" Chiru's plans and exhort the fans to "keep going."
"Everybody knows the kind of rapport between Chiranjeevi and Aravind. In a way Aravind is the Karta, Karma, Kriya on all matters related to Chiru. His brothers, however, would like to break this at a time when Chiru is all set to jump onto the political bandwagon. Friction is, thus, natural," a source close to the 'camp' observed.
On the other hand, Vinay Kumar is "too busy" trying to take control over the party affairs. He has directed Chiranjeevi fan clubs in various districts to open party offices and has virtually taken the state headquarters here into his grip. If the camp insiders are to be believed, Vinay Kumar has already "selected" 120 candidates for as many constituencies and submitted the list to Chiranjeevi.
All this has not gone down well with Aravind, Mitra and even Nagendra Babu. While squabbling among themselves for one-upmanship, they are pulling all stops to keep Vinay at bay. But suddenly, another group, which cannot be ignored at any cost, has also stepped up its act and is seeking its share of glory. Led by All-India Chiranjeevi Yuva Sena general secretary Swami Naidu, who is the bridge between Chiranjeevi and his numerous fans, this group is busy rallying youth and getting them ready for the big show.
Tailpiece: Chiranjeevi is so perturbed with the happenings in his camp that he has decided to take a "break" and fly abroad to an undisclosed location. At least for a fortnight!
Building Ombudsman yet to take shape
DESARAJU SURYA
Hyderabad: The much-awaited Building Ombudsman is yet to take shape as the Andhra Pradesh government seems to have ignored it altogether.
The state government spoke of constituting a Building Ombudsman when it framed the Revised Building Rules-2006 (GO Ms No 86) in March 2006 and again in GO Ms No 678 in September 2007. Except making the provision in the GOs, no subsequent action has been initiated to put the Ombudsman in place.
The Building Ombudsman, a quasi-judicial authority, is meant to deal with all complaints of building violations, shortfall in building standards, services and specifications and safety aspects. The Ombudsman is primarily intended to safeguard the interests of the property buyers what with the growing number of illegal constructions.
Two years have elapsed since the proposal was mooted but the government has not yet worked out the procedure, role and details of the functioning of the Building Ombudsman, official sources in the Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department said.
"This is an enabling provision that we have incorporated in the Revised Building Rules. But, yes, we have not proceeded further on the proposal," a top official of the MAUD Department admitted.
Andhra Pradesh would have become the first state in the country to have an ombudsman, particularly to deal with building-related issues. The ombudsman would have helped the authorities in dealing with illegal constructions effectively besides regulating the construction activity in urban areas.
Apart from the Building Ombudsman, the government also wanted to constitute a Town Planning and Building Tribunal for dealing with all town planning, enforcement and building issues by making necessary amendment to the AP Urban Areas (Development) Act, 1975. This proposal too did not move any further, the MAUD sources said.
With litigation piling up and rapid expansion of urban areas, it is high time the government gave a serious thought to the constitution of these bodies that would go a long way in regulating the real-estate activity as well as protecting the interests of the buyers.
Hyderabad: The much-awaited Building Ombudsman is yet to take shape as the Andhra Pradesh government seems to have ignored it altogether.
The state government spoke of constituting a Building Ombudsman when it framed the Revised Building Rules-2006 (GO Ms No 86) in March 2006 and again in GO Ms No 678 in September 2007. Except making the provision in the GOs, no subsequent action has been initiated to put the Ombudsman in place.
The Building Ombudsman, a quasi-judicial authority, is meant to deal with all complaints of building violations, shortfall in building standards, services and specifications and safety aspects. The Ombudsman is primarily intended to safeguard the interests of the property buyers what with the growing number of illegal constructions.
Two years have elapsed since the proposal was mooted but the government has not yet worked out the procedure, role and details of the functioning of the Building Ombudsman, official sources in the Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department said.
"This is an enabling provision that we have incorporated in the Revised Building Rules. But, yes, we have not proceeded further on the proposal," a top official of the MAUD Department admitted.
Andhra Pradesh would have become the first state in the country to have an ombudsman, particularly to deal with building-related issues. The ombudsman would have helped the authorities in dealing with illegal constructions effectively besides regulating the construction activity in urban areas.
Apart from the Building Ombudsman, the government also wanted to constitute a Town Planning and Building Tribunal for dealing with all town planning, enforcement and building issues by making necessary amendment to the AP Urban Areas (Development) Act, 1975. This proposal too did not move any further, the MAUD sources said.
With litigation piling up and rapid expansion of urban areas, it is high time the government gave a serious thought to the constitution of these bodies that would go a long way in regulating the real-estate activity as well as protecting the interests of the buyers.
Friday, June 20, 2008
HERO is ZERO!
DESARAJU SURYA
Hyderabad: What is the brand value of Chiranjeevi, the prospective political leader? If Television Audience Measurement (TAM) ratings are any barometer, then Chiranjeevi scores a negligible 0.8 per cent. Telugu television news channels, that have been going ga-ga over Chiranjeevi's much-anticipated political arangetram and devoting counteless hours of air time for the past few months, have realised to their horror that as a would-be politician the 'mega star' arouses little interest among the public. Here is a case in point. A day after the attack on a vernacular newspaper office by suspected activists of the Madiga Reservation Porata Samiti, the leading Telugu satellite news channel ran a two-hour special programme with MRPS leader Manda Krishna Madiga trying to justify the attack. A couple of days later, noted film producer and Chiranjeevi's brother-in-law Allu Aravind went to town claiming that the actor would indeed jump into politics soon. Within minutes, Telugu news channels were quick on the uptake and started beaming out "special episodes" for a few hours, giving vivid details about the actor's upcoming moves. Alas, there were no takers for all that stuff! "Manda Krishna's two-hour special earned us a TRP of 2.4 per cent whereas the four-hour show on Chiranjeevi's political moves garnered a mere 0.8 per cent," a dismayed production in-charge of the leading Telugu news channel pointed out. Worse is the case of other Telugu channels which had an average TRP of about 0.4 per cent. "Anything positive about Chiranjeevi seems to be not selling these days," the executive observed. At the height of his daughter Srija's controversial marriage a few months ago, TV channels made merry with TRPs touching an astounding six per cent or more on prime time. Television news channels, particularly the vernacular ones, would normally be happy if the TRP touches two per cent but with the Chiranjeevi (political) episodes not even crossing the one per cent TRP many a time, channel bosses are a worried lot. Two rather new Telugu news channels have been vying with others and focusing so much on Chiranjeevi to improve their ratings but have so far failed to cross even the 0.5 percent mark, channel insiders say. Their obvious game plan was to step up the hype over Chiranjeevi's political ambitions and thereby boost their channels' ratings. That, however, failed to happen as there seems to be a certain scepticism over the actor's moves and motives. "Five or six months ago when there was widespread anticipation about Chiranjeevi's political foray, TV viewership was reasonably good with news TRPs being between 1-2 per cent. But as months passed without the actor himself saying something on what's exactly in store, people are apparently showing no inclination to take things seriously," a top functionary of the news channel remarked. Now, the channels are eagerly awaiting the day when Chiranjeevi will open his mouth and ultimately announce the "arrival of our train." That should cheer up one and all!
Introduction
Hi,
I have created this blog to post some of my news stories on a variety of subjects that will give everyone insight into the happenings in the government, bureaucracy and also at the field level. I would like to post information that interests and concerns the common citizens in their daily life.
I shall post regular updates and would like to receive comments and suggestions from the readers so that the content and quality could be improved.
Thanking one and all.
Love,
SURYA.
I have created this blog to post some of my news stories on a variety of subjects that will give everyone insight into the happenings in the government, bureaucracy and also at the field level. I would like to post information that interests and concerns the common citizens in their daily life.
I shall post regular updates and would like to receive comments and suggestions from the readers so that the content and quality could be improved.
Thanking one and all.
Love,
SURYA.
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