<p><span>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Pradesh Congress Committee president D Srinivas on Tuesday stated that he does not foresee any impact on the party&rsquo;s chances in elections to the Local Bodies due to some of the Congress MLAs moving closely with the YSR Congress Party.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">&ldquo;The High Command will take action against these MLAs and by the time the Local Bodies&rsquo; elections are held, the picture on the ground will be clear. There will be no confusion among the party cadre and the Congress activists will work to ensure that the party nominees capture the Local Bodies,&rdquo; Mr Srinivas told media persons at the Gandhi Bhavan.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">He also stated that there is no connection between the separate Telangana statehood demand and elections to the Local Bodies and called upon party rank and file to get ready for the forthcoming polls.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Mr Srinivas added that the state government had been trying to increase the percentage of reservations to Backward Classes candidates and this has been the reason for not conducting the elections earlier. &ldquo;The separate Telangana demand is not the reason behind the delay in conducting the elections to the Local Bodies,&rdquo; Mr Srinivas stated.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Stating that the notification for the elections to Local Bodies would be issued soon, the PCC president directed the District Congress Committee presidents to gear up for the polls.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Mr Srinivas disclosed that the DCC presidents have been directed to hold consultations with local leaders ascertain the party&rsquo;s strengths and weaknesses.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Based on the report given by DCCs presidents, the party would recommend steps for strengthening party at ground level, he stated.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">&ldquo;Action against the MLAs moving closely with Mr YS Jaganmohan Reddy would also be taken based on the reports submitted by the DCC president,&rdquo; the PCC chief stated.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Stating the government is committed to implement 34 percent reservations for Backward Classes in the local body elections, Mr Srinivas said that the party was ready to face whatever legal hurdles come in its way.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Reiterating the Congress was not against formation of Telangana state, he said that the party had already made its stand clear and the Centre will take a decision on it soon after convening of all-party meeting.<span>&nbsp;</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">&ldquo;The Telangana issue is got delayed due to some regional problems&rdquo; he said.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">He also made it clear there is no connection between Telangana issue and conducting of local body elections, he stated.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Reacting on reports that Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu would introduce a no Confidence Motion against the government, Mr Srinivas said the Opposition has every right to do so. &ldquo;We have no objection for utilizing their right. However, the Congress is ready to face no Confidence Motion at any time,&rdquo; he stated.</p>
</span></p>

General News

No impact of dissident MLAs on Congress chances in LB polls: DS

<p style="text-align: justify;">Chiranjeevi&rsquo;s son-in-law Sirish Bharadwaj&rsquo;s sorrows continue as Supreme Court rejected his anticipatory bail petition yesterday. It is already known that Sirish is facing dowry harassment case filed by Srija whose four year old runaway marriage had run into rough whether since last one year.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Supreme Court's special vacation&nbsp;judge&nbsp;bench advised Sirish to surrender before the court concerned in Hyderabad and seek a regular bail. Unluckily he already approached Andhra Pradesh High Court on April 6 where pre-arrest bail was rejected. Srija earlier filed a complaint with Hyderabad police accusing Sirish of ill-treating her and harassing her for dowry.&nbsp;</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Obviously Sirish was feared of imminent arrest and moved the concerned Hyderabad sessions court for bail where he didn&rsquo;t get respite. Later on he tried in High Court and now in Supreme Court, the bail plea was rejected. &lsquo;Proper remedy for Mr. Bharadwaj would be to present himself before the court where the case is pending and pray for regular bail,&rsquo; said the Supreme Court judge. This itself shows how strong Chiranjeevi and his family filed the case. Looks like there are no loose ends and Sirish might go behind the bars very soon.</p>

Sirish Bharadwaj sufferings continue

<p>Super Star Rajini Kanth's health is stable, who was admitted to a hospital in Singapore.<br /><br />According to the actor&rsquo;s son-in-law, Dhanush, Rajini Kant was being treated in the Intensive Care Unit of the Mount Elizabeth Hospital here.<br /><br />Rajini Kant has been suffering from ill-health since April 29. After getting treated in the Ramachandra Hospital, Chennai, the actor&rsquo;s family members shifted him to Singapore.<br /><br />Rajini Kant&rsquo;s wife, Ms Lata, said that he was shifted only because they wanted to him to have a peaceful atmosphere and not because his condition deteriorated. She has appealed to the actor&rsquo;s fans not to be worried and assured that he would come back and once again participate in films.<br /><br />An audio clipping was released on Saturday night with the voice of Rajini Kant in which he has thanked his fans who have been praying for his recovery. He said though he was just an actor and was taking money for acting, he was touched that he won the hearts of so many people. &ldquo;How could I repay you.&rdquo; the grateful actor said in the voice record.</p>

Rajini's health is stable

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<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Reacting to the decision to impose a ban on plastic carry bags from July 1 in the GHMC limits,</span><span lang="EN-US">&nbsp;Telugu Desam Party Floor Leader in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation Singi Reddy Srinivas Reddy on Sunday stated that the decision was arbitrary and demanded that the decision be discussed in General Council of the Corporation before being implemented.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Calling for a special General Council meeting be convened to discuss the &lsquo;arbitrary&rsquo; decision, Mr Singi Reddy stated that it was taken without the GHMC must provide the people with an alternative to&nbsp;plastic&nbsp;bags before banning them from the city.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Talking to INN, Mr Singi&nbsp;Reddy&nbsp;said that Mayor Banda Karthika&nbsp;Reddy&nbsp;has decided to impose the ban on the usage of plastic bags in the city, without looking at the difficulties that would be faced by the people of the twin cities.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">The TDP leader pointed out that people living in GHMC limits use around 2.7 lakh&nbsp;plastic&nbsp;bags per day for various purposes like carrying vegetables, fruits and other groceries and implementation of any ban on&nbsp;these bags would put the them to immense inconvenience.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Apart from this, about 600 manufacturing units which have sprung up around the GHMC limits would be affected by the ban decision. &ldquo;Out of these 600 units 72 units manufacture high quality&nbsp;plastic&nbsp;bags used for carrying clothes and other goods. If any ban is imposed on the&nbsp;plastic&nbsp;bags, about ten thousand people who are dependent on this industry will become unemployed,&rdquo; the TDP leader pointed out.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Mr Srinivas&nbsp;Reddy&nbsp;suggested that these employees of&nbsp;plastic&nbsp;bag manufacturing units must first be trained to take up alternative vocations so that the ban will not leave them unemployed.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">&ldquo;If the ban on&nbsp;plastic&nbsp;bags is enforced immediately, the void can only be filled with around three lakh paper bags per day. This will have a negative impact on the environment in the longer run,&rdquo; Mr Srinivas&nbsp;Reddy&nbsp;said.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He added that any ban should be enforced in phases, adding, &ldquo;This alone will work.&rdquo;</span></p>
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Plastic bags ban arbitrary, discuss in Council before implementation: TDP

<p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The case of the irregularities committed by the head of the AP Agro-Industries Development Corporation in the tenders&rsquo; invitation for supply of some bio-products for 2011-2012 took a serious turn on Saturday with Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy instructing the officials concerned in the CMO to further brief him on the controversial subject.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The Managing Director of the APAIDC, who is the wife of Civil Supplies Minister D Sridhar Babu, had floated four tenders for supply of bio-products, fertilizers, micronutrients, controlling agents and chemical pesticides without prior information and disregarding the prescribed guidelines laid down by the Central government.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">It is understood that the supply of material mostly pertaining to Horticulture Department which has authorized the nodal agency, APAIDC, for supply of all inputs required for the crops allowing 6 per cent service charge which is uncalled for.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Instead, the horticulture department could have directly invited tenders to save the said 6 percent tax to the advantage of the farmers.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">&ldquo;As per the Centre&rsquo;s guidelines, only Horticulture Department was entitled to call tenders and supply the said products to the farmers directly which had been the practice in the country,&rdquo; stated MP Sarvey Satyanarayana.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The APAIDC MD, who after inviting tenders for supply of the cited products last year cancelled the tenders thrice for reasons known to her, which resulted in the companies to move the Court.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">It was also found that the terms as laid down in the contract were not framed as per the guidelines formulated by the central vigilance commission due to which reputed companies refused to participate in the tenders.</p>
</p>

No impact of dissident MLAs on Congress chances in LB polls: DS

Sirish Bharadwaj sufferings continue

Sirish Bharadwaj sufferings continue

Sirish Bharadwaj sufferings continue

Rajini's health is stable

Rajini's health is stable

Rajini's health is stable

Plastic bags ban arbitrary, discuss in Council before implementation: TDP

Plastic bags ban arbitrary, discuss in Council before implementation: TDP

Plastic bags ban arbitrary, discuss in Council before implementation: TDP

CM for briefing on irregularities in APAIDC tenders

CM for briefing on irregularities in APAIDC tenders