Andhra University Journalism Alumni

The documentary was filmed by the AU Journo alumni, now working with various media organisations in Hyderabad. It was screened in the first alumni meet held last year which saw a turnout of several journalists and those diversified into the realm of  public relations, advertising agencies and other communication related fields apart from the faculty.

Mouli Mareedu

Education officials to crack down on talent tests

Even with the government passing an order banning such tests, some private schools have allegedly continued to conduct them

Are you against "talent hunt" by private schools for admission? If yes, you can walk into the commissioner of school education's office and lodge a complaint. With a few children's rights' organisations complaining to the commissioner and director of school education, officials are ready to crack the whip on corporate schools conducting such tests.

J Satyanarayana, commissioner and director of school education told Express they would take strict action against private and corporate schools organising talent tests for children. "We will not hesitate to cancel the school's recognition if they are found guilty. We have also asked the district educational officer (DEO) to implement the orders,'' he said.

The Andhra Pradesh State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) had issued a directive to the secondary school education department to ban all screening tests for admissions. D Sambasiva Rao, principal secretary, secondary education also instructed the commissioner to ban private schools from holding screening tests.

Two years ago, the National Child Rights Commission (NCRC) and the High Court banned screening tests under the name talent hunts, being conducted by corporate schools to attract students. Some schools, however, have allegedly continued to conduct screening tests under the garb of merit tests.

Recently, the CSE received a complaint that Keshava Reddy Educational Institutes had advertised about a scholarship test on March 6, announcing prizes like DVD players, cameras and motor bikes for successful children. Achyut Rao, president, AP Balasangham, who lodged the complaint said they were against such money-making initiatives.

Rao said schools like Narayana Group of Schools, Sri Chaitanya Techno Schools, Ravindra Bharathi Group of Schools, Gowthami and Krishnaveni institutions were organising talent tests by charging `50 from each child. "The schools collect crores of rupees from parents in the name of talent tests. With the government passing a new order banning all talent tests, schools should cancel such tests,'' he added.

By Mouli Mareedu

moulimareedu@gmail.com

Old City residents get coloured water

''Pandra din se ganda paani aa raha hai. Bahut pareshan hain. Peene ka paani hi nahin hai,” (“We are getting contaminated water since 15 days. We are facing problems as there is no water to drink”) complained 34 year-old M Santhosi, a resident of Sivajinagar near Chatrinaka in the Old City. Drinking water contamination has spread to other localities in the Old City like Azampura, Vinayvadi, Bahadurpura, Misrigunj, Ziaguda, Sivajinagar, Nagulbanda and Ravindranaik Nagar. While the problem has led a few to be hospitalised with fever and vomiting, many have been forced to shell out Rs.50 per day to get canned drinking water. Showing the contaminated yellow-coloured water filled in a water tub, another house-wife, A Maheswari fumed they were getting polluted water every summer. A number of residents staying in various localities, vented their anger on the callous attitude of the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB) officials who have failed to provide better drinking water during the summer. “The locality has been getting polluted water with a light yellow tinge since the past 20 days. We brought the problem to the notice of Water Board officials but no action was taken. We are getting dirty water for the first 30 to 60 minutes of supply and just when clean water starts coming, the supply stops,” complained  K Shanthi, a resident of Sivajinagar. S Kamalamma, resident of Banjara Colony in Ravindranaik Nagar, gathered a number of women and they lodged a complaint at Goshamahal, Circle-I general manager, Water Board. “With the onset of summer it is common that polluted water comes in supply to many localities in the Old City. Even as we complained, officials concerned tried to wash their hands off the issue by visiting a few houses and taking samples of polluted water. They never inform us about the sample test reports,’’ Kamalamma alleged. “We have completely stopped using the water supplied in my area since the last 10 days as the drinking water coming from taps had small insects and a light yellow colour. Water Board officials had constructed a new pipeline in the locality as the problem occurred every summer season,” said Sony, a housewife residing at Ravindranaik Nagar. Meanwhile, the Majlis Bachau Tehreek (MBT) corporator from Azampura, Amjedullah Khan alleged most localities situated in Azampura were getting light yellow coloured water due to chemical reflection, as HMWS&SB officials had mixed chemicals for water purification at the Miralam water tank. “A number of residents in the locality were hospitalised after they suffered from fever and vomiting. If Water Board officials fail to supply pure water, MBT activists will lay siege to the HMWS&SB office in Khairatabad,’’ Amjedullah Khan warned. Meanwhile, Water Board officials said the yellow-coloured water coming in supply in Old City localities is not harmful. A chemical analysis report carried out by HMWS&SB and other agencies reportedly found the water did not have any harmful substances. Officials said consumers can drink the water, as it is not harmful for health. They added that the water can be boiled before drinking, if required. 

By Mouli Mareedu

moulimareedu@gmail.com

‘I am happy that Vinnu is freed’

Yarlagadda Sailaja, Aunt of Malkangiri Collector Vineel Krishna and family members made celebrations at her residence in Hyderabad after Vinnu freed from Maoist's captive

After eight days in captivity in deep jungles of Naxal infested area, R Vineel Krishna is now looking forward for his trip to Hyderabad, in about 10 days from now. Once in Hyderabad, Vinnu, as he is fondly known, is likely to be ''grilled'' thoroughly by his family members who are waiting for the limelight over his abduction to fade away, so they can sit with him and share his experience while in custody of Maoists.

“We will be bringing Vinnu to Hyderabad in the next 10 days, once he is declared fit and healthy by doctors there.He is down with severe fever and suffering from diarrhoea,” said an excited Yarlagadda Sailaja, Vineel Krishna's aunt, who along with other relatives will start for Malkangiri tomorrow morning.

Though Vineel Krishna was released today, celebrations in Sailaja's home at Gokhale Nagar in Ramanthapur began yesterday itself with relatives distributing sweets to any visitor to their house, the moment they got indication about his release.

Known to be a bookworm, Krishna is eager to meet his sister-in-law Deepika, who has come from the USA. Incidentally, she landed in Hyderabad and proceeded to Vijayawada one day before Vineel was abducted. 

“It was Deepika who had first informed me about Vinnu's abduction as she first saw the newsbreak on television.Since she could not have directly informed Vinnu's parents, she informed me,” recalled Sailaja. 

Recalling old days, V Madhavi, another relative said that Vineel spends more money on books.''When Vinnu was rewarded `10,000 by his college management for topping his college, he spent all the money in purchasing books" said Madhavi indicating that Vineel will immerse himself in books once he is here besides spending quality time with family members.Going by his nature, he may not stick around for more time and would be eager to join work. His interest lies in meeting and solving problems of tribals in his district which he has been doing ever since he was posted as Collector there 16 months ago,'' said Sailaja.

Answering innumerable telephone calls from friends and relatives, Sailaja, who was under trauma over the last eight days, finally smiled as the news of his release broke on the TV channels."Yesterday, I got the news from my sister who is in Malkangiri.She told me Vinnu is being shifted to a nearby hospital.The Orissa government is also making sure to provide better medical facilities,'' Sailaja says, her face glowing while other relatives V Madhavi and Y Saradyuthi were busy attending calls.

"Vinnu and his staff used to travel into dense forests to meet and solve problems of tribals. He brought electricity to to 25 villages, bringing happiness in lives of villagers," says Sailaja, who is the assistant station director of Doordarshan. She adds his meritorious service and prayers and blessings of all led to Vineel Krishna's release.

Vineel Krishna, native of Kuchipudi near Tenali in Guntur district and born  in Hyderabad he was AP topper in Civils and 2005 batch IAS officer from Andhra Pradesh were freed from the custody of Maoist today. The hostages had been kept in two different locations in dense forests of Orissa.Krishna and junior engineer Pabitra Majhi were abducted from Chitrakonda area of Malkangiri on February 16. 

By Mouli Mareedu

moulimareedu@gmail.com 

Passengers left stranded

Balakrishna, a research scholar of SV University, who got stranded at MGBS, was busy filling in a form to get reservations for Tirupati. Chandana, balakrishna's daughter is also seen-PIC- By A Radhakrishna, IE.

Sitting at platform number 18, Balakrishna, research scholar, Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati, was busy filling the train reservation form online on his laptop, at the Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station (MGBS). Surfing the IRCTC portal for more than one and half an hour to get two reservations for himself and his daughter, they ended up being disappointed. Balakrishna had come to the city for passport renewal. But he got stranded at the MGBS due to the 48-hour bandh which affected all public transport. “We came to the city on Tuesday morning to meet an agent for my passport renewal. After finishing my work in Secunderabad, we were suggested to come here and catch a bus to Tirupati. We hired an auto on double-charge around 10.30 a.m to reach the MGBS. However, we learnt that the APSRTC had cancelled all bus services since morning. So we have been trying for train reservations since then,” said Balakrishna.Chandana, his daughter, a B.Pharm student, tried opening her account on Facebook and Twitter to get in touch with her friends in the city to take their suggestions. “I searched for my friends on Facebook and Twitter but couldn’t find anyone online,” said Chandana. While train services were running on schedule, RTC bus services were affected badly as all buses from the MGBS were cancelled. BV Prasad, assistant traffic manager, MGBS told Express they had cancelled all 3,500 bus services. Both the MGBS and Jubilee bus stations wore a deserted look. Hundreds of buses were seen standing in the MGBS.A number of passengers who had arrived unplanned were thus left stranded. For N Hareesh and his wife Bina, the plan to attend a relative’s marriage had gone topsy-turvy. They reached the Jubilee Bus Station on Tuesday morning to catch a bus for Nirmal but were left stranded. Hareesh, a plastic material trader said, “It is already 12.30 p.m. We have ben waiting here since 9.30 a.m to catch a bus. RTC officials cancelled all bus services due to the bandh. How can we reach Nirmal by evening to attend a wedding?’’ Similarly, K Masthan, who came from Ongole for his court work, was bargaining with a auto driver at the MGBS. He said his lawyer had called him to come on Tuesday. “It will be difficult for me to make the return journey. When I inquired at the RTC counter, they replied they are not sure whether bus services would resume in the evening,” Masthan said.

By Mouli Mareedu

moulimareedu@gmail.com

Passengers left stranded

Sitting at platform number 18, Balakrishna, research scholar, Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati, was busy filling the train reservation form online on his laptop, at the Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station (MGBS). Surfing the IRCTC portal for more than one and half an hour to get two reservations for himself and his daughter, they ended up being disappointed. Balakrishna had come to the city for passport renewal. But he got stranded at the MGBS due to the 48-hour bandh which affected all public transport. “We came to the city on Tuesday morning to meet an agent for my passport renewal. After finishing my work in Secunderabad, we were suggested to come here and catch a bus to Tirupati. We hired an auto on double-charge around 10.30 a.m to reach the MGBS. However, we learnt that the APSRTC had cancelled all bus services since morning. So we have been trying for train reservations since then,” said Balakrishna.Chandana, his daughter, a B.Pharm student, tried opening her account on Facebook and Twitter to get in touch with her friends in the city to take their suggestions. “I searched for my friends on Facebook and Twitter but couldn’t find anyone online,” said Chandana. While train services were running on schedule, RTC bus services were affected badly as all buses from the MGBS were cancelled. BV Prasad, assistant traffic manager, MGBS told Express they had cancelled all 3,500 bus services. Both the MGBS and Jubilee bus stations wore a deserted look. Hundreds of buses were seen standing in the MGBS.A number of passengers who had arrived unplanned were thus left stranded. For N Hareesh and his wife Bina, the plan to attend a relative’s marriage had gone topsy-turvy. They reached the Jubilee Bus Station on Tuesday morning to catch a bus for Nirmal but were left stranded. Hareesh, a plastic material trader said, “It is already 12.30 p.m. We have ben waiting here since 9.30 a.m to catch a bus. RTC officials cancelled all bus services due to the bandh. How can we reach Nirmal by evening to attend a wedding?’’ Similarly, K Masthan, who came from Ongole for his court work, was bargaining with a auto driver at the MGBS. He said his lawyer had called him to come on Tuesday. “It will be difficult for me to make the return journey. When I inquired at the RTC counter, they replied they are not sure whether bus services would resume in the evening,” Masthan said.

By Mouli Mareedu

moulimareedu@gmail.com

T protests: Hell with traffic Jams

With the siren on, one of the staff members of the private hospital's ambulance in which a nine month old pregnant woman was being rushed to a hospital, clogged in the traffic in front of Lumbini Park. The person in the ambulance made repeated announcements requesting the motorists to make way for them to move ahead. But due to the heavy traffic jam, not a single vehicle could move and the ambulance got stranded there for full 45 minutes.

Similar scenes were witnessed across the city which witnessed heavy traffic jams at almost all junctions in the twin cities due to the pro-Telangana protests as angry motorists were seen picking up arguments with the police -- all under the hot sun.

As a heavy security blanket was thrown across the AP State Legislative Assembly in view of the 'Chalo Assembly' programme by students, all roads leaving to the Assembly were barricaded and concertina wires laid down at several points. Due to the restriction on movement of vehicles, the entire city was caught in chaos.

Vehicle movement came to standstill at all points surrounding the AP Legislative Assembly.  The stretches from Khairatabad Junction to Prasad Imax , NTR Ghat to Secretariat, Lakdikapul to Secretariat, Basheerbag to GHMC office and there was massive congestion prevailed at the major junctions such as Ambedkar Junction at Basheerbagh, Himayatnagar Cross roads, Tank Band, Telugutalli  and Basheerbag fly overs.

Para-Medical staff of the private ambulance C Shanker told Expresso that they started from Mehdipatnam after picking up a pregnant woman who had to be rushed to their private hospital in Secunderabad.

``We took a diversion from the stretch of Lakdikapul- Khairatabad as the road was clogged with vehicles and they were stuck at the Tele-phone Bhavan as a number of vehicles lined up one after the other right from Secretariat including the Telugu Talli fly-over. Even as we requested the police, they refused to allow us,'' he replied. After spending a few minutes in the traffic jam, the ambulance drove towards Mint Compound to Secunderabad.

For the motorists, it was a tough time. They were caught in jams for hours together and most switched off their engines and tried to wait patiently. But soon patience ran out and they began picking up heated arguments with the policemen.

By Mouli Mareedu

moulimareedu@gmail.com

Why British Ronald forgotten the Indian assistant?

I am holding a sword, which was gifted to Dr. P Ratnam Pillai, Subedar Major and medical assistant to the Nobel prize winner Ronald Ross in discovering the malaria parasite in Hyderabad city in 1897. Despite Pillai worked on the discover of malaria parasite collecting dapple-winged anopheles, the family members of Pillai believe his grand father was neglected by the British Ronald to highlight Pillai's contribution.

Did Britisher Ronald Ross, who received the Nobel prize in 1897 for the discovery of the malarial parasite in the Anopheles mosquito, forget to highlight the contribution of his Indian assistant Dr P Ratnam Pillai? Medical experts as well as Pillai's family members do believe so.

Pillai had assisted Ross in his research which finally led to the finding that malaria was transmitted by the Anopheles mosquito. He not only drew Ross's attention to the strange type of mosquito on the walls of the room where they worked but also collected hundreds of dapple-winged anopheles from surroundings of Tank Bund and other localities in the city and presented them for Ross's observation.

"We don't know why my grand-father's contribution in discovering the malaria parasite was not highlighted. My father Charles Paupens, who has worked in three positions in the Railways in Hyderabad city as Chief Reservation Officer during the Nizam Railways, Central Railways and South central Railways, used to tell us about our grandfather's great contribution in discovering the malarial parasite,'' said 60-year-old Sheila, grand-daughter of Dr. P Ratnam Pillai.

Born in Madras in 1863, Dr. P Ratnam Pillai did his medicine from the Royapuram Medical School. He migrated to the Hyderabad at the young age in 18 century and joined the Indian Medical Service as a hospital assistant at the Military hospital, Bolaram and subsequently at the Hospital for India Army Officer's, today known as Sir Ronald Ross Institute, Begumpet.

Dr. Pillai served with Indian troops in the Burmes War, won several medals for his meritorious service and was promoted to the rank of Subedar Major' and spent his retired life in Secunderabad until his demise in 1943. Pillai's coffin was draped with the British National flag before Independence and laid to rest at Bhoiguda Cemetery in Secunderabad. 

D V Subba Reddy, who authored 'Indian Journal of the History of Medicine in 1957'has pointed out the lack of acknowledgment in his book. ``It is unfortunate that Dr. Ross forgot the name of his assistant Dr. Ratnam Pillai, who drew his attention to the new type of mosquito perched on the wall. He also brought to notice the group of the same class mosquito which were developed from Larvae hatched out in the bottle in one corner of the laboratory,” said Reddy. He also said that the Indian Medical Association should spare no pains to trace the name and ascertain the details about the life of the worthy Indian, who took a part in the great epic discovery and rescue or resuscitate him from the oblivion into which a cruel fate or official indifference has thrown him.

With tear filled eyes and toiling breath, Sheila said that her father Charles Paupens told them that Dr. Pillai  had worked helping Ross collecting mosquito dappled-winged Anopheles. He had collected the malaria parasite from surroundings of Tank Bund and other localities in the city. Displaying Pillai's bunch of medals and four feet long sword, which was used by her grand father, Sheila said that their family members have been preserving them as their key assets.

Dr. Pillai's grand sons - Samuel, who is working in the home department in the AP secretariat; Franklin who retired from the Railways and grand daughter Shirley are living in the city.

By Mouli Mareedu

moulimareedu@gmail.com

No more ugly wires in B Hills, J Hills

Some time soon, the much-blessed people of Banjara Hills and Jubilee Hills won’t have to endure the ugly sight of overhead power cables from their French windows.The Andhra Pradesh Central Power Distribution Company Limited (APCPDCL) is replacing the overhead wiring with underground cabling (UC) in the two localities.The project will cost the power utility Rs 30 lakh per km of wiring. There’s some 250 km of street length to cable in the two localities. The underground cabling is also being done in some specific streets in various other localities where are power disruptions are frequent: Malakpet, Charminar, Yakutpura, Durganagar, Hakimpet Kunta, Mayurinagar, Motimahal, Tarnaka, HPS Begumpet.N Sarat Chandra Seenu, chief meneral manager of APCPDCL, said the underground cabling will ensure that there will be no power interruptions during the summer and monsoon months due to falling trees and such other problems.The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has agreed to facilitate the power utility’s grand design by by allocating a corridor in these localities.The corridor will carry dual electric cabling. The purpose of the dual cabling is to use one wiring as a backup in case of a breakdown. So power failures are going to be passe.Unless generation dips or trips in APGenco or other of APCPDCL’s power sources. APCPDCL chairman and managing director M T Krishna Babu is meeting GHMC officials and other departments next week to smooth the way for the project.Sarat Chandra is gung-ho about the project. “Once this pilot project is completed in one year, you’ll see no overhead electric wires in Banjara Hills and Jubilee Hills.’’ But what good karma have the good people of B Hills and J Hills accumulated that they will get this power nirvana? anjara “We chose to start the project in posh localities because there are plenty of wide roads there where a cable corridor is easier to install,’’ Sarat Chandra explained.The underground cabling will also enable APCPDCL to respond faster if there is a disruption. Spending Rs 1 crore, it has purchased a UC fault detector vehicle which zeroes in on the breakdown point in a trice.
By Mouli Mareedu

Protectors of law caught breaking it!

They are supposed to be protecting lives of people and maintaining law and order. But, city policemen are being increasingly caught on the wrong foot. Suspension of three constables of SR Nagar police on Wednesday by police commissioner AK Khan, once again exposed their rampant corruption and high-handedness. The constables - Muniratnam, Krishna and Ramaiah, were caught red-handed by Task Force sleuths demanding and accepting bribe from a woman, said to be a former sex worker, who is now leading a normal life. The three constables  had been warned earlier by higher officials. Just a few days before the incident, a senior officer warned them to mend their ways. “The trio used to behave like our bosses and intervene in all cases. Even inspectors, who served here earlier, had warned them for their misbehaviour,’’ a constable told Express.According to sources, the inquiry was ordered against the trio after a woman approached Khan directly and said the constables were harassing her. Khan constituted a team comprising senior officers of Task Force and trapped Muniratnam, Krishna and Ramaiah accepting a `30,000 bribe from the woman at Rajiv Nagar, four days ago. “After we carried out complete investigation against the three for demanding and accepting the bribe, we submitted a comprehensive report to the commissioner. Based on the probe report, the Commissioner issued suspension notices to the trio on charges of taking bribe,’’ said SR Nagar police inspector P Krishna Murthy. The complainant, said to be a former sex worker, said in her complaint that the three constables used to frequently visit her house and demand bribe, even after she left the profession. 

By Mouli Mareedu

Looking for a date online? Watch your wallet

Romance Frauds: Online cheaters are swindling money from unsuspecting youngsters by offering to fix up a Valentine's Day date

If you find an offer to celebrate this Valentine's Day with an unknown person and your mobile phone is flooding with similar SMSes offering such attractive schemes, its time make a visit to the Cyber Crime Police station.
With online cupids offering to fix up a Valentine's Day date with an unknown person and asking to register details, the so-called 'romance fraudsters' are on the lookout for innocent youngsters. Moreover, self-proclaimed love gurus are also looking to trap rich youngsters in property frauds.
Most of these online cupids tend to emerge during the Valentine's Day every year and the Cyber Crime police (Detective Wing) have already registered a few cases in the past few days. They are organising awareness camps to educate youngsters not to fall into such honey traps. Awareness camps for online frauds are being organized in various colleges in the twin cities. City police officials have termed such cheating activity in the name of love as 'romance frauds'.
Deputy commissioner of police (Crime) J Satyanarayana told Express they would take stringent action against persons who are deceiving youngsters with such bogus schemes.  "If someone comes across websites trying to engage them in sweet talk, we request them not to fall for it. Some web portals, operating from both India and abroad, are trying to lure youngsters into the honey trap,'' he said. He added that a few websites and individuals are reportedly targeting youngsters from rich families sending SMSes, e-mails and making publicity utilising networking sites like Orkut, Facebook and Twitter. Police said a few were also committing property offences using sweet talk over mobile phone and online chatting. They target well-to-do persons and cheat customers by collecting money.
For instance, 22-year-old Sathwik (name changed), who is studying in a corporate college in the city, approached the Cyber Crime police a few days ago and lodged a complaint after he fell into a honey trap on Facebook after being invited to celebrate Valentine's Day. He was allegedly given the name and address of a famous hotel in the city and reportedly paid a fee through online payment. He realized he had been cheated when he went to check the hotel.
Cyber Crime inspector Venkat, who is investigating such cases said that most youngsters were being cheated in the name of Valentine's Day celebrations. "We have received a number of complaints from IT, BPO employees and persons belonging to high society. We will take stringent action against cheaters under Section 66A of the IT Act,'' he added.

By Mouli Mareedu
moulimareedu@gmail.com

Rachabanda brings cheerful day for brokers

Me, just merging with people at Rachabanda in Borabanda. Interestingly, here, middlemen offered their service charging to fill in application forms between Rs 25 to Rs 40 per each. I filled in number of forms of old age, saved more money. u can see behind me, there is bee-line in front of a Xerox shop. They charged Rs 40 in sale and fill in each form. Can v call it Hydera'bad'

It was cheerful day for middlemen, who helped illiterate people filling in applications forms and pocketed around Rs 35 per application during the Rachabanda programme held at Peddammanagar near Borabanda in the city today. Besides, a few private Xerox shops charged Rs 40 from the customers for the application as well as for filling them.

Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy attended the programme organized by the district authorities and distributed a few ration cards and old age pensions at the slum locality. While the surroundings of Rachabanda dais wore a festive look, a number of uneducated people made bee-lines at Xerox shops and a few middlemen decided to make hay when the sun was shining offered their service. Charging between Rs 25 to Rs 35 to sell and fill-in the application forms for ration cards, old-age pensions, Houses as well as Aadhar cards, the middlemen did brisk business. 

``It was really an auspicious day for me. I made around Rs 800 from filing in applications of these uneducated people. I have charged them Rs 25 to Rs 35 for each application. I make that much in a month's time by working as a domestic help but the Rachabanda has brought a cheerful day in the month adding some financial benefit to me,'' said S Parvathi, tying up her earnings of the day.

``Despite for paying Rs 80 to the nearby Xerox shop and obtaining two application forms for Ration card and one for a house under the Indiramma Housing Scheme, I could not meet the Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy due to such heavy security. A few local leaders and policemen took my application forms and they promised to sanction the ration card,'' replied a 25-year-old house wife, N Rajyalakshmi after the Rachabanda programme.

Unable to pay the money to the middlemen, a 56-year-old Manohara, resident of Borabanda  was busy asking for help from youngsters gathered at the Rachabanda venue to fill in her application forms.  "What  can I do sir? I have no money to pay to the middlemen for filling my application forms. Even I tried to meet the Chief Minister to submit the applications but the police did not give permission. Finally, I gave the application forms  to the local Congress leaders. Can I get benefits sir?" she asked.

The Chief Minister left behind an angered lot as he disappointed them by not meeting the people who had gathered at the programme. He announced 14 selected names for ration cards and 83 names for old-age pensions only, during the programme.

However, District Joint Collector Y Satyanand informed that they have received as many as 5,037 applications from the public on various grievances. The district authority received 3,400 applications for Houses, 932 applications for ration cards, 457 applications for old age pensions, 122 applications for domestic gas connections under deepam scheme, 121 applications for Aadhar cards. They would send acknowledgment letters to the respective persons within a week and look into the public grievances.

By Mouli Mareedu

moulimareedu@gmail.com

Think before lighting up!

Enjoying the puff in public places like hospitals, bars, restaurants, pubs and other government offices can be trouble. With the Hyderabad Health and Medical authority cracking the whip, habitual smokers run the risk of being caught off-guard while smoking in public.DHMO officials have issued notices to various business establishments in the twin cities to put up small boards written ‘Smoking ban in public places’ and ‘Smoking is injurious to health’. Special teams comprising additional DHMOs, doctors working in twin cities, tobacco cell staffers and task force of the enforcement wing of medical department, have been formed for enforcement of the rule, Dr BL Veena Kumari, district health and medical officer, Hyderabad told Express.Officials would also make surprise raids on pan shops, bars, restaurants, pubs and other business establishments. “The ban has been extended to areas like college campuses, bars and pubs. Major establishments have been directed to appoint anti-smoking officers to keep a check. The fine is `200 if a person is caught smoking in public,” she added. During the special anti-smoking drive, the teams collected `9,600 as fines in December while over `8,000 was collected in January. “During the drive to enforce the smoking ban in public places, we booked 8,500 cases against violators found smoking in public places like hospitals, schools, colleges and other places,” informed Dr Kumari.Meanwhile, medical experts reveal that a large number of youngsters, students as well as working professionals are addicted the smoking. “Out of 100 persons, 80 who drink probably smoke as well. People tend to drink more when they have a smoke. Most call centre workers and youngsters, aged between 20 to 30 years are approaching us with a variety of diseases caused by smoking,” said Dr P Bal Reddy, head, oral surgical department, Government Dental Hospital. While smokers maybe enjoying their puff, it is non-smokers who inhale the smoke. Passive smokers are more likely to become victims of deadly diseases like lung cancer and tuberculosis, pointed out the doctor.

By Mouli Mareedu

40 percent wine shops sell spurious liquor

IF you feel that your favourite brand of whiskey doesn’t taste genuine, you can simply walk into the Excise and Prohibition office to lodge a complaint.The department is keeping a check on adulterated liquor being sold in branded bottles across the twin cities.A number of liquor shops are allegedly into re-manufacturing various branded products, blending them with different intoxicating substances. These shops reportedly paid huge money in auction to supply spurious liquor.Reportedly, more than 40 per cent liquor shops in the twin cities and suburban localities are involved. So, the next time a waiter offers you a bottle of chilled beer at a dhaba, bar or restaurant, think twice before drinking it.Excise and Prohibition department officials confirmed that the illegal process of blending other substances into original brands and opening seals of branded bottles and re-manufacturing them was rampant. “Re-manufacturing branded liquor bottles and mixing local brands by liquor shops, licensed bars and restaurants is illegal under the Excise and Prohibition Act,” said PV Sunil Kumar, director, enforcement wing, Excise and Prohibition department.“Most of these branded liquor varieties fail to produce the actual effect as I used to have earlier. While a number of shops prefer to sell liquor in pegs, I end up drinking more to attain the desired state of euphoria,” pointed out N Vara Prasad, seated in a dhaba. Meanwhile, the department has caught a few persons involved in repackaging country-made liquor in bottles of foreign liquor brands. A large number of empty bottles with labels of popular brands like Johnnie Walker, Black Label, Chivas Regal, Absolut Vodka were seized. “We seized more than 500 spurious liquor bottles in December while raiding various places in the twin cities. Large amounts of counterfeit foreign liquor, chemicals, empty liquor bottles, caps, packaging material, stickers and dye for counterfeiting liquor bottles was recovered,” said the enforcement director.

By Mouli Mareedu

moulimareedu@gmail.com