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Telangana, Rayalaseema Farmers Clash Over RDS Water

Timely intervention by the police has thwarted what would have been a major clash between farmers of Telangana and Rayalaseema farmers for Rajolibanda Deversion Scheme (RDS) waters on Suday. Before the situation could spiral out of control, police entered the scene and dispersed the warring ryots. This development came at a time when the government was working out a solution to the Telangana tangle. Nearly thousand farmers belonging to Mahbubnagar and Kurnool districts gathered in this small village to protest against use of water of Rajolibanda diversion scheme (RDS) canal. Tension mounted as the ryots from both the regions shouted slogans against each other, as hundreds of cops rushed to the spot to bring the situation under control. Trouble began when over 700 farmers from the Alampur constituency of Mahbubnagar rushed to the RDS canal to divert water for their crops, which were drying up. They tried to raise the level of the dam by arranging sand bags so that water would flow into their fields. When word spread around that the farmers were diverting water from RDS, nearly 300 ryots from Yemmiganur and Mantralayam from Rayalaseema sprinted towards RDS canal carrying sticks and hunting sickles. Though there were no physical attacks from either side, farmers from both the sides had heated argument over the use of Tungabhadra water for their crops. The high-pitched drama went on for over five hours. While the T-farmers tried to arrange sand bags to raise the reservoir level, the farmers from the other side kept removing them. Mantralayam MLA Balanagi Reddy also reached the spot with his supporters to thwart the Alampur ryots' bid to divert the water. The T-farmers claimed that the actual allocation of 4 tmc of water from RDS was never supplied to Mahbubnagar district, resulting in drying up of the crops. Out of 80,000 acres, only 15,000 acres was provided RDS waters. "Of the 15,000 acres which were to get RDS water, 80% of the area suffered crop damage due to non-release of water," a farmer complained. He said the ryots on the other side were getting irrigation water to cultivate 3 lakh acres. "Our crops are at the cutting stage. If water is not supplied, we would lose heavily and all our investments would go down the drain," rued a farmer from Alampur. Even as the farmers indulged in verbal duel, it took a political hue when Telangana Jagruthi president K Kavitha came to RDS project site to render support to the protesting Alampur farmers. Initially, cops refused permission to her to visit the site. But later, she was allowed to go near the RDS with a limited number of farmers. "The Rayalaseema farmers and leaders are betraying the T ryots by lifting the water allocated to the backward Mahbubnagar district. Our farmers are hit badly with no supply of water from RDS canal," she charged. However, minister D K Aruna from Mahbubnagar district, tried to play down the tension. "Some political parties are trying to whip up passions of the farmers for political gains," she alleged. She said the irrigation authorities would regulate water supply so that ryots from both the regions would be benefited. She also said that giving a political colour to the water sharing issue was uncalled for. The row over use of RDS water is not new as ryots from Rayalaseema fought pitched battles with their counterparts from Telangana in 1997 and again in 2004 over water sharing.  

Cash-for-vote Scam: Amar Singh Gets Conditional Bail

Delhi High Court granted bail to Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh, who was accused for his alleged role in the 2008 cash-for-votes scam on medical grounds. He has been asked to pay of Rs1 crore for surety. Amar Singh will be released after he signs a petition and agrees to not move out of the country. Singh, who is admitted in the AIIMS hospital, had sought bail saying he needed to go abroad for a health treatment. Though paying a crore of rupees is not a big thing for Amar Singh, it is the court's condition that restricts him from going abroad for treatment is painful to him. It is to be seen whether he signs the petition or tries for an un-conditional bail, is not yet been confirmed.  

2G Scam: Raja, Kanimozhi Charged With Criminal Breach of Trust

A Delhi court headed by Judge OP Saini has accepted all the charges levelled by the CBI against the 14 individuals including former Telecom minister A Raza, DMK Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi and three companies - Reliance Telecom, Unitech Wireless and Swan Telecom- listed as principal players in the 2G scam. Mr Raja has been in jail since February. Telecom executives like Sanjay Chandra of Unitech Wireless and Gautam Doshi, Hari Nair and Surendra Pipara of Reliance Telecom were imprisoned in April. Kanimozhi was arrested in May.  The CBI's charges against them range from criminal conspiracy to forgery and cheating. But the most serious charges in the case, controversially introduced by the CBI just a few weeks ago, are criminal breach of trust by a public servant for Mr Raja and Siddharth Behura, who was Telecom Secretary, and criminal conspiracy to cause criminal breach of trust by a public servant for the 12 others. As the trial begins, the spotlight will remain relentlessly on Mr Raja and Kanimozhi, the daughter of heavyweight Southern politician M Karunanidhi who heads the DMK, a major partner in the UPA coalition at the Centre. The Complete List of those accused in the 2G Scam: Former Telecom Minister A Raja; Former Telecom Secretary Siddharth Behura; Former Personal Secretary to A Raja RK Chandolia; Group MD, Reliance- ADAG, Gautam Doshi; Senior Vice President, Reliance- ADAG, Surendra Pipara; Senior Vice President, Reliance- ADAG, Hari Nair; Former MD, Unitech Wireless Sanjay Chandra; Promoter of DB Realty and Swan Telecom Shahid Balwa, Promoter and MD, DB Realty and Swan Telecom Vinod Goenka; MD, Kalaignar TV Sharat Kumar, DMK chief M Karunanidhi's daughter and Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi; Director, Kusegaon Fruits and Vegetables  Rajiv Agarwal; Director, Kusegaon Fruits and Vegetables Asif Balwa; Promoter of Cineyug Films Karim Morani; Reliance Telecommunication; Unitech Wireless Pvt Ltd (Tamil Nadu) and Swan Telecom.  

TDP Alleges KCR Got Tenders For Putting Off Strike

The Telugu Desam Party on Thursday alleged that Telangana Rashtra Samithi president K Chandrasekhar Rao has been bribed by the Congress leaders in Delhi to dilute the Telangana agitation. Talking to media persons at NTR Trust Bhavan, TDP MLA Revanth Reddy alleged that the TRS chief has been awarded tenders under benami companies for the Polavarm irrigation project. Both the TRS president and Telangana Political Joint Action Committee Chairman Prof M Kodandaram went to New Delhi to settle the tender deal and in return, they promised to suppress the agitation, he alleged. According to Revanth Reddy, the company SEW Infrastructure, has been awarded tenders in the Polavaram project at the instance of KCR and Kodandaram. He alleged that the same company have made investment in the TRS mouthpiece Namasthe Telengana newspaper. Accusing KCR and Kodandaram of having mortgaged the interests and aspirations of people in the region for a tender, he said that the duo has tried to extract commercial benefits out of the general strike of employees, suicides by people and the entire statehood agitation. Stating that he was ready to prove his statements with substantial evidence, he challenged the TRS chief and Kodandaram to deny the allegations of tender deal. "I am ready to prove my charges with evidence if government orders probe into tenders," he stated while appealing that people in the region should understand the secrets of tender deal and how they were cheated in the name of Telangana statehood agitation. Admitting that the TDP not against irrigation project which benefits the region, he advised KCR and Kodandaram to stop doing secret deals with the Centre and warned that the people of region would revolt against them.     Video Source: telugudesampartytv  

Gali Properties to be Seized: CBI

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is probing in to the illegal mining activities of Obulapuram Mines Company owned by former Karnataka Tourism Minister Gali Janardhan Reddy, has started the process of attaching his and also OMC MD and his brother-in-law BV Srinivasa Reddy's properties. CBI Joint Director V.V. Lakshmi Narayana told that the process of attaching the properties of the accused in Bellary, Bangalore and other places was on. Sources in the CBI said the attachment of properties was being taken up to prevent it changing hands. The agency would invoke provisions of the Criminal Law Amendment Act to attach the properties. It had deployed nearly 60 officers to collect evidence in Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Mangalore, Bellary and Anantapur. The CBI had already informed the court that Mr. Janardhana Reddy and Mr. Srinivas Reddy were involved in exporting iron ore to benami companies at a rate much less than the market value and the money raised by selling the consignments abroad was invested by these companies in the business ventures of the Reddys. A huge amount of money was used to buy properties.

CBI Finds Difficult to Assess Jagan Wealth

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) may be adept at assessing how the wealth has been acquired, but assessing value of that illegal wealth is certainly a difficult task for it. For the investigating agency, that has seen tonnes of gold and cash stashed in the lockers of mining baron Gali Janardhan Reddy, the 75-room mansion of Kadapa MP YS Jagan Mohan Reddy had also remained a tough nut to crack. Keen on evaluating ill-gotten wealth by Jagan Mohan Reddy, the CBI officials finally landed on his prime property located in the heart of city at Lotus Pond accompanied by a team of expert valuers including those from the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation on Thursday. However, the officials could not complete the valuation through the day. According to sources, it would take at least another day to assess the value of the property. "The building is huge and the valuers are used to buildings that have two or three bed rooms. So, it takes some more time to assess the actual value of the building," a source said. Jagan’s assets are currently under the Central Bureau of Investigation’s scanner following an Andhra Pradesh high court’s order to probe into the allegations of amassing of wealth by the former Congress MP particularly during the regime of his father at the helm of affairs in Andhra Pradesh. Jagan is accused of entering into a quid pro quo arrangement with several investors, who were benefited during YSR regime by getting either irrigation projects or SEZ allotments. A senior Congress member and state Textiles minister P Shankar Rao and a senior TDP member K Yerrannaidu had filed petitions in the high court seeking a probe into the assets. According to the petition, the assets are valued at about Rs 43,000 crore.     Video Source: newsxlive         Video Source: ibnlive  

Mild Earthquake in Gujrat: Tremors in Mumbai

A moderate earthquake measuring 5.3 on the Richter scale jolted Gujarat on Thursday night. As aftershock, light tremors were also felt in Mumbai. However, no immediate casualities have been reported so far. The epicentre of the quake of moderate intensity, which shook the state at around 10:48 pm, was 20 kilometres south east of Sasangir near the Vansthali town in the Junagadh district, said the Indian Met Department. "The epicentre of the earthquake which registered 5.3 on Richter scale was at Junagadh in Gujarat, tremors were felt here," director of Met Department at Mumbai, Rajeev Nair told. Officials said the quake was felt for 25 seconds in Junagadh and people rushed out of their homes in panic. The tremor was felt in several other parts of the state including Ahmedabad.  It may be recalled that Gujarat was rocked by a 7.6 magnitude earthquake on January 26, 2001 leaving 20,000 people dead and causing widespread destruction with the worst-affected being the Kutch region.

Libyan Strongman Gaddafi Dead

Reports say that the former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi died of wounds suffered on Thursday as fighters battling to complete an eight-month-old uprising against his rule overran his hometown Sirte, Libya's interim rulers said. His killing, which came swiftly after his capture near Sirte, where he was said to be hiding. Gaddafi, wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of ordering the killing of civilians, was toppled by rebel forces on August 23 after 42 years of one-man rule over the oil-producing North African state. National Transitional Council (NTC) official Abdel Majid Mlegta told, "He (Gaddafi) was also hit in his head. There was a lot of firing against his group and he died." Mlegta said that Gaddafi, who was in his late 60s, was captured and wounded in both legs at dawn on Thursday as he tried to flee in a convoy which NATO warplanes attacked. He said he had been taken away by an ambulance. However, there was no individual confirmation of his remarks. An anti-Gaddafi fighter said Gaddafi had been found hiding in a hole in the ground and had said "Don't shoot, don't shoot" to the men who grabbed him. His capture followed within minutes of the fall of Sirte, a development that extinguished the last significant resistance by forces loyal to the deposed leader. The capture of Sirte and the death of Gaddafi means Libya's ruling NTC should now begin the task of forging a new democratic system which it had said it would get under way after the city, built as a showpiece for Gaddafi's rule, had fallen.     Video Source: RussiaToday  

Bangalore Metro: First Phase Inaugurated

With the first phase of Namma Metro inaugurated on Thursday in the IT city, Bangalore became the third Indian city after Delhi and Kolkata to have its own metro service. The service, a 7 km stretch, will connect the eastern part of the city to Bangalore's business hub. The Metro was inaugurated by Union Minister Kamal Nath, Karnataka Chief Minister Sadananda Gowda and BJP leader Arun Jaitley. Also present at the inaugration were Union Corporate Affairs Minister Veerappa Moily, Ananth Kumar, Biocon MD Kiran Mazumdar, Infosys Founder Sudha Murthy and Air Deccan founder Captain GR Gopinath. The metro will be open to the public from 4 pm on Thursday. The route has six stations and the entire ride will last 14 minutes.     Video Source: IBN-Live         Video Source: tv9kannadanews  

Vijayashanthi Getting Close to BJP Again

Whether a separate Telangana state would be formed or not still lies in suspense, even after a month long Sakala Janula Samme, which has virtually brought the state administration to a grinding halt. Going by the stances the political leaders of the region are taking, it is clearly obvious that none of them is really interested in the immediate formation of Telangana. It is not Telangana they are viewing at, but they have 2014 elections on their mind. Surely, the TRS MP from Medak, Vijayashanthi is also not deifferent from the others. Political circles are abuzz with speculation that she may soon don saffron robes, shedding her pink ones. The reason for people to speculate that she may switch over to BJP is based on seeing the former film actress with senior BJP leader LK Advani till he completed his address at Prajnapur in Medak district on Wednesday afternoon as part of his Jan Chetna Yatra. Ever since Advani's rath yatra has been confirmed in Telangana region, Vijayashanti has been saying that she would meet him as she has a high regard for him. The actress, who is from the BJP stock originally, has been showing more than usual interest in Advani and BJP of late, even to the extent of saying that if Telangana becomes a reality, it would be under the NDA rule and not the Congress regime. On several occasions, Vijayashanti said she had no faith in the Congress that it would deliver Telangana and felt sorry for her party president KCR for reposing trust in that party. "He is in the belief that the Congress will create a separate Telangana state. But he is under wrong impression. It is only the BJP-led NDA which is committed to delivering it," the actor-turned-politician said recently. From the beginning, the TRS and the BJP had remained on the same wavelength. Soon after fighting the 2009 elections in alliance with the TDP and Left parties, the TRS chief had surprised everyone by meeting the BJP stalwarts to garner their support for the separate Telangana state. But even this TRS-BJP camaraderie, sources say, might not help former BJP leader Vijayashanti since she harbours a feeling that Rao might give her a gentle brush off by not renominating her to Medak Lok Sabha seat in 2014 elections as the friction between the two leaders which almost reached a flash point when she used to be seen in the company of late YS Rajasekhara Reddy more often than not, kicking up speculation that she might move close to the Congress. But the death of YSR in 2009 changed the political kaleidoscope and Vijayashanti remained in the TRS. But her past attempts to build bridges with YSR rankles Rao even now and might make him drop her at an opportune time - 2014 elections.  

AP CM to Launch Indira Jala Prabha in Ananthapur

Chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy will have a busy schedule on October 21 wherein he will launch Indira Jala Prabha scheme at Anantapur, address a public meeting at Rayadurg and lay foundation stones for various developmental schemes. Later in the day, he will leave for Delhi to attend the National Development Council meeting to be chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Oct 22. As per the tour schedule, the chief minister after paying tributes to the police martyrs at Goshamahal stadium here on October 21 at 6.30 A.M. will leave for Bangalore at 7.35 A.M. He will reach Anantapur by an helicopter at 8.45 A.M. and launch Indira Jala Prabha scheme along with Union minister for railways Dinesh Trivedi and Union minister of state for railways KH Muniyappa. Later, Kiran Kumar Reddy would lay a foundation stone for new railway line between Rayadurg and Thumkur and modernisation of Bhairavani Thippa project at Rayadurg. After laying foundation stones for 132 kv sub-station at Obulapuram village and a model school at Rayadurg, he will address a public meeting in the government college grounds premises. He will then leave for Bangalore and from there to Delhi.  

Women Heading to Gulf: Beware of Laws And Rights

Despite reports of large scale exploitation, women from poor families continue to head towards the Gulf nations in search of jobs, hopeful of a better future. Hundreds of unskilled women from the state migrate to these nations every year, landing themselves in situations where they are left vulnerable to physical and mental abuse. In the last six months alone, 14 women were brought back from various parts of the Gulf to the state. In a workshop organized by the National Domestic Workers' Movement-AP (NDWM-AP) in Hyderabad on Wednesday, several migrants interacted with women who plan to migrate, discussing problems they had personally encountered during their stay in the Gulf countries. They made them aware of their rights and gave them insights on how to tackle various situations which could arise once they move to the foreign land. "Since a lot of migrants tend to go to the Middle East countries, it's essential that people themselves become part of the campaign in our fight against illegal migration," said Lissy Joseph, state coordinator of the NDWM-AP. According to her nearly 50,000 women from Andhra Pradesh are working in the Gulf nations. A stream of women are seen every day at the office of the Protector of Emigration, that gives the final clearance for the emigration, applying for migration, she added. In a most recent case, a 28-year-old woman from Purnapul area was brought back from the Gulf with a broken back. Put to untold mental and physical torture by her employers, she managed to get help and was brought back to Hyderabad where she is recuperating. As part of the workshop, the participants were enlightened about their rights and services that could be availed in case they encountered any problem. Migrants Rights Council vice-president M Bheem Reddy said that those who intend to move to the Middle East should start acquainting themselves with the laws and culture of land much in advance. "Those who are ignorant about the laws tend to land themselves in trouble," said Reddy. NDWM in association with other NGOs in the city has been giving training to the potential migrants, more so in various parts of the Old City.

Yeddyurappa Back in Jail From Hospital

Former Chief Minister of Karnataka BS Yeddyurappa has been discharged from Victoria Hospital and is back in Bangalore's Central Jail, where he spent only a few hours last Saturday before being rushed to hospital. Last night, after meeting him, Karnataka minister V Somanna said Mr Yeddyurappa wanted to return to jail as he was "frustrated" with media reports that accused him of feigning illness as a way to avoid prison. Mr Yeddyurappa was arrested over the weekend for misusing his office while he was Chief Minister to help his two sons get prized public land at throwaway prices. He had surrendered after a Lokayukta court denied him bail. The court sent him to judicial custody till October 22, Saturday next.   But within hours of being lodged in jail, Mr Yeddyurappa complained of breathlessness and chest pains and was moved to hospital. When doctors at the state-run Jayadeva Institute of Cardiology discharged him yesterday, saying his condition appeared to be stable, Mr Yeddyurappa checked into the Victoria Hospital, known for its specialized medical treatment. Doctors in two different hospitals declared Mr Yeddyurappa fit to return to jail. His application for interim bail is scheduled to be heard tomorrow in the Karnataka High Court.   

No Assembly Resolution on Telangana Required: Advani

Senior BJP leader L K Advani's "Jana Chetna Yatra' is going through Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh now. Addressing a news conference in Nizamabad today (19 October 2011) during his 'Jana Chetna Yatra', he said there was no need for a resolution to be passed by any assembly for the formation of a new state and as such there is no need for the AP Assembly to pass one for carving out a separate Telangana state. Blaming the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government for uncertainty over the Telangana issue, the former deputy prime minister said the demand for Telangana state was 'justified'. "In this particular case if only the government of India makes up its mind with the support of the principal opposition party, namely the BJP, there will be absolutely no difficulty in passing a bill for the formation of Telangana state in the winter session of parliament," he said reiterating that the BJP is ready to support the bill. He predicted that a separate Telangana state would become a reality in 2012. While assuring the people of the region that the BJP would stand by them, he recalled that three new states were created during BJP rule. Advani, whose yatra entered Telangana from Maharashtra Tuesday evening, will address road shows in Nizamabad, Medak and Ranga Reddy districts before reaching Hyderabad to address a public meeting Wednesday evening. However, he will not be visiting coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions, where some groups opposed to bifurcation of the state burnt his effigies protesting his pro-Telangana statements.  

AP Still Among The Top Five Investment Destinations

The past two years of turmoil, unresolved Telangana tangle and even the 35 day long Sakala Janula Samme couldn't dampen the prospects of Andhra Pradesh state as a much sought after investment destination. This fact has been re-affirmed by  global property consultant Knight Frank, who has ranked the State among the top 5 manufacturing destinations in the country alongwith Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The report 'India Manufacturing Destinations - Performances, Opportunities', aimed at guiding investors and industrialists keen on participating in the India manufacturing story over the next decade, estimates that the total output of these top 5 states will hit Rs 49.40 lakh crore by 2016 from Rs 19.35 lakh crore, translating to a 21% annual growth rate. According to the Knight Frank report, the output of the six major sectors - petroleum, food processing, cement, chemicals, metal and electrical machinery - in Andhra Pradesh would soar to around Rs 6 lakh crore over the next five years, a two-and-half fold jump from the existing Rs 2.31 lakh crore. Between the six sectors they would guzzle up around 23,475 acres over the next five years. Terming the petroleum sector as the leading light of Andhra Pradesh, Knight Frank has said that the sector would help the state chart a trailblazing growth going forward thanks to a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 28%, catapulting the state’s petroleum output to Rs 2.07 lakh crore in financial year 2015-16 as against Rs 59,400 crore in 2010-11. The upcoming Petroleum, Chemicals and Petrochemicals Investment Region (PCPIR) in the Vizag-Kakinada belt would be the biggest magnets for investment in AP. Knight Frank India's national head of research Samantak Das said: "Our research shows that the industrial landscape in Andhra Pradesh is poised to witness a transformation as the lead of the food processing industry will be taken over by the petroleum industry in 2016 because the 28% CAGR of petroleum will overtake the 17% CAGR of food processing." Commenting on the T-angle, Knight Frank India's national director (research and advisory services) Gulam Zia, told that though the report had taken into account the shaky environment and uncertainty arising from the Telangana issue, the state has certain natural advantages that will keep it ahead of other states. "Despite the Telangana issue we are looking at this kind of growth coming from Andhra Pradesh because there are some natural advantages than cannot be taken away from the state like its long coastline, natural resources and geographical location," Zia explained.  

Team Anna: Two Members Quit Core Committee

Alleging that the anti-corruption movement is taking a 'political turn', two members of team Anna have quit the core committee. The members, Rajendra Singh and PV Rajagopal, on Tuesday resigned from the core committee of the India Against Corruption, a social organization headed by social activist Anna Hazare. Rajendra Singh is a Magsaysay award winner for his contribution to water conservation in Rajasthan, and PV Rajagopal is vice-chairman of the Gandhi Peace Foundation, New Delhi. Both of them were part of the 22-member core group which guided the movement during Hazare's 12-day fast in Delhi in August, forcing Parliament to pass a resolution supporting his three major demands on the lokpal bill. Their sudden decision to quit added to the woes of the team, which is battling the crisis arising from key member Prashant Bhushan's remarks advocating a plebiscite in Kashmir. The increasing internal feuds might make it difficult for Hazare to hold together a team of individuals who have strong and divergent views on various issues but had united under a single umbrella only on the anti-corruption issue. Rajendra Singh, popularly known as the Waterman, said, "I dissociate myself from the team. It is turning political. There were statements indicating this, including that on Hisar." He was referring to the recent bypolls in the Haryana Lok Sabha constituency, where Arvind Kejriwal and others campaigned against the Congress. PV Rajagopal said the decision to campaign in the Hisar byelection was not discussed by the core committee.

Tirumala Balaji Gets Rich by Rs 133 Crores

The rich Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams that manages the Lord Balaji temple, Tirumala, got richer by Rs 133 crore by auctioning human hair offered by devotees. With e-auctioning introduced for the first time to keep the process transparent, the exercise saw 49 bidders from across the nation buying 4.65 lakh kg of various types of hair, and paying a total amount 27 per cent higher than that in the last auction. Lakhs of devotees offer their hair at the temple every year and this is sorted out into various types. Long hair fetches the highest price, Rs 12,000 a kg, and is in demand from wig-making firms.

Tirumala Balaji Gets Rich by Rs 133 Crores

The rich Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams that manages the Lord Balaji temple, Tirumala, got richer by Rs 133 crore by auctioning human hair offered by devotees. With e-auctioning introduced for the first time to keep the process transparent, the exercise saw 49 bidders from across the nation buying 4.65 lakh kg of various types of hair, and paying a total amount 27 per cent higher than that in the last auction. Lakhs of devotees offer their hair at the temple every year and this is sorted out into various types. Long hair fetches the highest price, Rs 12,000 a kg, and is in demand from wig-making firms.

Yeddyurappa Bail Plea Hearing on 20 October

The Karnataka High Court has adjourned till October 20 the hearing on the interim bail plea of former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, arrested in connection with alleged irregularities in denotifying government lands. Justice BV Pinto adjourned the hearing on the application filed yesterday by Yeddyurappa, who, facing imminent arrest, had surrendered before the Lokayukta Court on Saturday last after it rejected his bail application. The Lokayukta court had on October 15 remanded Yeddyurappa in judicial custody till October 22. Yeddyurappa, against whom five private complaints have so far been filed by Basha alleging irregularities in denotification of government land, has been undergoing treatment in the state-run Jayadeva Institute of Cardiology for high blood pressure and chest pain since October 15. Jayadeva Hospital Director Dr C N Manjunath told reporters today that Yeddyurappa is likely to be discharged from the hospital by this evening.