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AP CM, PCC Chief in Delhi on a 2 Day Visit

Andhra Pradesh chief minister Kiran Kumar Reddy and PCC chief Botsa Satyanarayana landed in Delhi on Thursday morning on a 2-day Visit. This trip by the CM and PCC chief gains significance in the backdrop of news making rounds that there may be a change of guard in the state after presidential elections. Both are likely to stay in Delhi for a couple of days. CM will participate in Pranab's nomination filing and also put his signatures on the nomination papers duely endorsing support. Incidentally, Chiranjeevi along with his cohorts and bypolls report is already camping in Delhi. On the other hand, Congress leaders from Telangana region are also present there making it conducive for lobbying and forming of equations. It is felt that, though the congress high command will be busy with prez poll, the state leaders will have an opportunity to sort out combinations and mutations of their respective interests.

Presidential Poll : Pranab Mukherjee Files Nomination

United Progressive Alliance (UPA) candidate Pranab Mukherjee Thursday filed his nomination for the July 19 presidential poll. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi as well as Samajwadi Party's Mulayam Singh Yadav and Rashtriya Janata Dal's Lalu Prasad were amongst the leaders present as Mukherjee filed his papers.   Opposition candidate PA Sangma, who is supported by the Bharatiya Janata Party, the AIADMK and the Biju Janata Dal, will also file his nomination in the afternoon.

Petrol Price Likely to be cut by Rs 4 on July 1

State-run oil marketing companies that have gained from a record Rs7.54 a litre hike in petrol prices last month, amidst high crude prices, have now agreed to cut petrol prices by as much as Rs4 a litre, although hesitantly.   "Yes, there is a scope for reduction in petrol prices. But I will not stick my neck out and say there will be a reduction for sure as we have to watch for volatility in the rupee as well," a top official at one of the three PSU oil retailers said. State-owned fuel retailers, who as per practice revise rates of petrol on 1st and 16th of every month based on average imported cost and forex rates of the previous fortnight, had skipped changing rates on June 16. Petrol at present costs Rs 70.24 a litre at IOC petrol pumps in Delhi. He said the last revision was done keeping in mind an average of USD 115.77 per barrel rate of gasoline, against which domestic petrol prices are benchmarked. Gasoline rates have since fallen to about USD 97 a barrel. But the rupee has devalued to Rs 57 to a US dollar from Rs 54.96 to a US dollar (average of first fortnight of June). There was a scope to reduce petrol price by up to Rs 4 per litre but with rupee falling further, the cost of imports has again risen, he said. "There is a lot of volatility in oil prices as well as value of rupee. We are watching the situation very closely," he said. The official said the gasoline cracks or the difference between cost of raw material (crude oil) and the price of product (petrol) had narrowed to just USD 3 per barrel. In comparison, cracks for diesel were as high as USD 12-13 a barrel. With such narrow spread, any upward movement in crude oil price or devaluation of rupee would force an increase in price in near future, if the rates were to be cut now.

Chiranjeevi Meets Sonia Gandhi in Delhi

Actor-turned-politician Chiranjeevi met Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday and submitted his report on party’s humiliating rout in recent Andhra Pradesh by-polls. Chiranjeevi met Sonia at her 10 Janpath residence with his report, as the party began the process to analyse the reasons for its decimation at the hands of rebel Jaganmohan Reddy’ YSR Congress. According to sources, the famous Telugu star, who had merged his party Praja Rajyam with Congress, suggested some remedial measures to check party’s sagging popularity in the state which were reflected in party’s decimation in the by-elections. Jagan's YSR Congress bagged the Nellore Lok Sabha and 15 of the 18 assembly seats in by-polls billed as the semi-finals before the 2014 assembly elections.

40 Injured as Bus Falls Off Flyover in Chennai

A Metropolitan Transport Corporation bus fell off the Gemini flyover on Anna Salai at 2pm on Wednesday. Initial reports said at least 40 people were injured, some of them severely. No casualty has been reported so far. The bus from Broadway to Vadapalani (route no. M17) was going down the flyover towards the Nungambakkam High Road when the driver lost control of the bus. The bus overturned and fell off the flyover. Eyewitnesses said they heard the cries of passengers who were trapped inside. Police and fire service rushed to the spot and, with the help of people, shifted the injured to the Government General Hospital and Apollo Hospitals. Traffic on Anna Salai has been affected because of the accident.

Srikakulam Dalit Attack: Manhunt For Botsa Vasudeva Naidu

Owing to pressure from Dalit outfits and other organizations, the CID and Srikakulam police have formed six special teams to manhunt Botsa Vasudeva Naidu and Avula Srinivasa Rao in connection with the attack on Dalits in Lakshimpeta village of Srikakulam district on June 12. As many as five Dalits were killed and around 20 persons were injured in the assault. The CID officials conducted a thorough inquiry in Rajam, Lakshimpeta and other places. Addressing a media conference in Srikakulam on Tuesday, CID Additional Director General S. Gopala Reddy, CID Inspector General N. Chandra Mouli and Srikakulam Superintendent of Police K.V.V. Gopala Rao said 54 persons out of 64 accused in the case were arrested so far. "Six teams are searching for Vasudeva Naidu and Srinivasa Rao. We request people to inform police immediately if they know the whereabouts of these two persons," said M. Gopala Reddy. The CID will submit a detailed report to the government detailing the reasons behind the incident.

Prez Poll: Sangma Still Hopeful of Mamata Support

Former LS Speaker and NDA backed presidential candidate PA Sangma is still hopeful to get Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee's support for his candidature in the prez polls. He met Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday afternoon and sought her party’s support. Sangma later told the media that his meeting with Didi was successful. "I am happy with the outcome of talks we had had. We not only discussed the issue of presidential election, but also the issue of political situation in the country," he said. Flanked by railway minister Mukul Roy and Trinamool Congress MP Subrata Baxi, Sangma said in Bengali: "I was told during our talks that Mamata Banerjee’s party has not taken any decision as yet, and once a decision is taken I would be informed. But I am hopeful." TMC leader and Railways Minister Mukul Roy said "We will first discuss the issue in the party and then take a decision on the issue. There is still time for the election; therefore we are not in a hurry." However, political observers feel that Banerjee may not support Sangma after APJ Abdul Kalam declined to be a candidate, as he became BJP candidate eventually.  

Aakash II Tablet to Hit Markets in July First Week

The much awaited Aakash II PC Tablet is all set to hit the markets in the first week of July, HRD minister Kapil Sibal said on Tuesday. Upgraded version of the low cost computing device, Aakash II is packed with more features and enhanced speed. "Unlike other tablet devices, Aakash can also be used to create computer programs, in Python, C, C++ and Scilab. It can be further used for accessing e-governance services," said the minister. UK-based Datawind, which had submitted about 100 tablets to IIT-Bombay for testing, said the government has approved the specifications for the upgraded version and it will be launched soon in the market. "The government has approved the specifications," Datawind CEO Sunit Singh Tuli told. HRD ministry sources said the launch of the upgraded version could be around the first week of July. Asked about the production for Aakash 2, Tuli said it will start a few days before the launch of the device in the market. Tuli added that a good number of devices will be produced before the official launch.

Met Officials Predict Normal Rainfall For AP

Despite the dry spell prevailing in some parts of the state even after the onset of monsoon, met officials are confident that Andhra Pradesh would start getting its normal quota of rainfall in a day or two. Weather experts quashed the rumours of a break in monsoonal activity and asserted that the rainfall in the state would be widespread with normal rainfall expected in July. They said that the third spell of the monsoon would cover the entire state and the country as conditions are conducive to good rains. Weather officials ruled out any interference by the El Nino phenomenon and said that the monsoon had only been delayed by three days. They said that Telangana and south coastal Andhra had received heavy rainfall in the first spell. By the first week of the July, the monsoon trough or axis would be formed, paving the way for rains. "The rainfall activity would come down if the monsoon cycle travels towards the foot of the Himalayas, leading to a lull in monsoonal activity. But conditions are favourable for a good monsoon," A Atchyuta Rao, assistant meteorologist at Visakhapatnam Cyclone Warning Centre, told.  

Yuvraj Singh Aiming World T20 For His Come Back

Star cricketer Yuvraj Singh is aiming at making ensuing World T20 tournament a platform for his come back to the active cricket. It is well known that Yuvraj underwent treatment for cancer early this year. He has already began training at the National Cricket Academy onMonday in a bid to regain match fitness. Yuvraj, who was mostly involved in indoor training on Monday, said "I'm in the second stage and feeling good. My body will become stronger slowly and the World T20 is my target. Hopefully, I can be ready a little before the event." "People expect me to make a comeback very quickly. However, I don't want to rush it. I will have to take my time and come back 100 per cent fit. I am trying to do that before the World T20," he added. The explosive batsman who will continue to train at the NCA for some time said he was overwhelmed by the concern and love shown by cricket lovers. "The response has been great and overwhelming. I feel very loved and the wishes of the whole country matters. I want to come back and play for India, that's my goal. However, it is not very easy on the body since I have gone through a lot of shock," he stated.

Prez Poll: Congress Panel For Pranab Campaign

The Congress Party has set up a 12 member panel to finalize campaign program and strategy for its presidential candidate Pranab Mukherjee. Pranab will file his nomination on 28 June. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi will be among top UPA leaders who will propose Mukherjee's name when he files his papers. The campaign panel will meet on Tuesday and is expected to finetune the campaign of Mukherjee, who will also step down as finance minister on the same day. Apart from Pranab Mukherjee, the Committee has senior ministers and party leaders as its members. The ministerial members are AK Antony, P Chidambaram, Ambika Soni, Rajiv Shukla, Pawan Kumar Bansal and PS Ghatowar. The other members are Ahmed Patel, political secretary to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Janardhan Dwivedi, Oscar Fernandes, Girija Vyas and PJ Kurien. Mukherjee will file his papers for the July 19 Presidential poll on June 28, AICC general secretary Janardhan Dwivedi told reporters on Monday after the CWC meeting which bid a fond farewell to the Congress stalwart. June 30 is the last day for filing of nominations. Pranab is expected to launch his campaign from Chennai on June 30 and then visit Hyderabad and Bangalore the next day.  

Amarnath Yatra 2012 Started

The Amarnath Yatra-2012 - pilgrimage taken up to Amarnath cave temple in Jammu and Kashmir - has started on Monday with pilgrims from both the base camps starting their journey to the cave shrine where Jammu and Kashmir governor N N Vohra offered prayers amid holy chants. The pilgrims began their journey from both the Baltal and Nunwan base camps. Earlier, inclement weather had delayed the scheduled start of the pilgrimage from the camps. An official of the yatra control room here said that the pilgrims were not allowed in the wee hours as some parts of the track on both Baltal and Pahalgam routes had been rendered slippery due to overnight rains. "The pooja was held inside the cave shrine this morning, marking the beginning of this year's yatra to the holy cave of Amarnathji," chief executive officer Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) Naveen K Chaudhury told. The authorities have made adequate arrangements for the registered pilgrims but a significantly higher number of intending pilgrims have arrived in Pahalgam and Baltal, the official said. Only registered pilgrims will be allowed to proceed towards the holy cave. The governor, who is also the chairman of SASB, upon his return from the shrine visited the Nunwan base camp here and interacted with the pilgrims. He also took stock of the arrangements made for them. Meanwhile, the second batch of pilgrims today left for the cave shrine from Jammu amid tight security. As many as 2,185 pilgrims, including 985 males, 578 females, 322 children and 300 sadhus left in 66 vehicles from Bagwatinagar base camp around 0425 hours for Amarnath, Police Control Room officials said.

Naidu Mahadharna at Vijayawada

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) supremo Chandrababu Naidu on Monday staged mahadharna at Vijayawada in protest of the government's delay in constructing a fly over at Kanakadurga temple x roads. Addressing the party workers a public meeting in Kammarapalem, Vijayawada, Naidu said that corruption and nepotism had taken front seat and development, a back seat in Congress regime in the state. He said, government has released only Rs.35 crore for a project costing Rs.100 crore so far. "Top of it congress leaders of district were throwing challenges and verbal slanging exposing their bankruptcy," he added. Babu said it was a shame that the congress government lacked not only will but also technical knowledge on building fly avers. It was TDP which promoted large number of (hundreds of) fly over in the state. He said the inefficiency and incapability of the Kiran Government has been exposed in its failure of seed distribution, liquor lobby favorable excise policy, crisis in construction sector with shortage of sand and power crisis in the state.      

PA Sangma Lambasts Govt For Its Dual Policy

NDA backed presidential candidate PA Sangma, who was denied permission to meet YSRCP president Jagan Mohan Reddin Chanchalguda jail, lambasted the state and central governments for dual policy. Sangma went to the Chanchalguda jail, where Jagan was lodged in connection with an alleged disproportionate assets case, but could not meet him. Sangma told that he was given time to meet Jagan at around 9 AM which was postponed to 11 AM. The meeting was, however, cancelled possibly at the intervention of "state government authorities and Union Government authorities", he alleged. Briefing the media, Sangma told "I went back to my hotel and I was proceeding to the jail at around 10.45 AM so that I am able to be there between 11 and 12 as I have been told to be there by the jail authorities. When we were about to reach the jail, my son James Sangma, who is an MLA, was informed by the jailer that my meeting with Jagan Mohan Reddy is cancelled and that I will not be allowed to meet him because my visit was going to be political", he said. We explained to them that that is not political. We have a long association of Sangma family and YSR family for more than 20-25 years. Late YSR Reddy was my close friend, so it was just a courtesy call." Sangma said that being a politician, he can very well understand that it was a secong thought by the state and central governments to deny him permission to meet Jagan Mohan Reddy. Reminding that Hyderabad-based Majlis Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) MP Asaduddin Owaisi had met Jagan earlier in the jail and sought support for UPA's presidential candidate Pranab Mukherjee, Sangma wondered how can he be not allowed to meet the YSR Congress president.  

Boost up in NRI Deposit Rates Before Pranab Signs Off

A boost up in NRI deposit rates is likely as presidential candidate Pranab Mukherjee is expected to take some policy decisions before signing off as Union Finance Minister. Though he did not spell out what kind of policy initiatives were on the agenda that could improve the slowdown, senior finance ministry officials said "tough measures" could include decisions such as announcing partial decontrol in diesel, opening foreign direct investment (FDI) in multibrand retail and announcing the government's intent to rollout other pending reforms. The Finance Minister is set to resign on June 26 and file his nomination for president on June 28. On Saturday, he said that he had spoken to the RBI governor and the finance secretary and certain corrective measures would be taken. The depreciation of the rupee against the dollar is something that the government needs to fix on an urgent basis as the rupee has lost more than 25% against the dollar in the last one year. Some announcement by the central bank by increasing interest rate on foreign currency deposits by non-resident Indians and issue of short-term bonds for NRIs could help the government stem its further slide. Saddled with depleting foreign reserves and flat industrial production, the government is desperate to start rolling out its stalled reforms agenda in the beginning of the fiscal so that the benefits accrue in 2012-13. Top priority of the government is to check the subsidy bill and contain the fiscal deficit within the target of 5.1% of GDP. Raising of petrol prices in May, aligning it with the international crude prices, was an effort in this direction. Now that international crude prices have moderated, the government may consider raising diesel prices marginally in the next few months and is likely to go in for partial decontrol.  

Vijayamma will Start Odarpu Yatra Again

While most of our leaders do yatras only during election campaigning, one person is completely opposite to it. Off course, he is enjoying the fruit of that yatra with people blessing him to power.   YS Jagan started 'Odarpu Yatra' to console the persons who have breathed their last after getting shock with YSR's death in chopper crash. He did that for two years and amassed huge popularity among people and voters. Now that Jagan is in jail, Vijayamma is going to start the second version of it. YSR-C leader Konda Surekha says, 'Vijayamma will start Odarpu Yatra again from the point where Jagan has stopped it. We'll go deeper into people'. Analysts say that if Vijayamma continues this Odarpu for the next one year, there is no doubt YSR-C will get more seats than expected in 2014 elections. We have to see what weapon the Congress and TDP will use to restrict YSR-C.

Borewell Tragedy: Mahi Declared Dead

Five-year-old Mahi was declared dead by the hospital authorities after the rescue teams lifted her out of the 70-feet borewell on Sunday afternoon.Mahi had fallen into the borewell on June 20. The rescue teams reached the child after 86 hours on Sunday morning but could not save her. Doctors said that Mahi may have died soon after she fell into the 70-feet deep borewell.   "Mahi has been pulled out from the borewell... She is dead," Gurgaon District Magistrate PC Meena said.The five-year-old fell into the borewell on June 20 in Kho village near Gurgaon. Earlier on Saturday night the rescuers had managed to pierce a hard rock which was a major hurdle that the rescuers had been struggling to break for the last two days. The officials had taken help from L&T and GMR to procure specialised equipment to help lift Mahi out of the pit. Oxygen was being constantly supplied to Mahi since the rescue operation began. Over 100 officials drawn from the Army, fire, police, Gurgaon Rapid Metrorail, health and revenue departments, and locals were involved in drilling a pit parallel to the borewell.

Satyameva Jayate Latest: Toxic Food Poison On Our Plate?

Satyameva Jayate: For decades our food and water have been contaminated by powerful, harmful pesticides which have been promoted as necessary for better agricultural output. But the reality is that we don't need pesticides for better yield, and their use is not only deadly for health but results in expensive farming methods. The solution is to adopt organic farming, which is possible and profitable, as the state of Sikkim has shown.     Toxic Food - Poison On Our Plate?    

Euro 2012 Semis: Spain VS Portugal

Spain set up a European Championship semi-final with Iberian rivals Portugal after an uninspiring 2-0 win over France on Saturday which featured yet another headed goal but prompted boos from a sometimes bored crowd.   Xabi Alonso marked his 100th cap with a header and a spot-kick to end France’s run in Euro 2012 and seal a semi-final berth for Spain in a match which was more a midfield battle than an attacking display from both sides. Andres Iniesta released left-back Jordi Alba and the much-wanted player swung in a pinpoint cross for Alonso to head beyond the reach of Hugo Lloris. The Real Madrid midfielder also made no mistake from the penalty spot late in the game. The match one of the most anticipated ones of this tournament, sadly failed to live up to the hype it generated after both teams were expected to produce a better performance given the wealth of talent they have. Spain will now play Portugal in the semi-final, where Cristiano Ronaldo will go head-to-head with quite a few of his Real Madrid team-mates.