Hyderabad Buzz: Sexy Middle Aged Ladies!

There was a 30 minute program last night on a TV channel. It was about sexy middle and old aged ladies. The program was rolled on the occasion of Rekha turning 53. The entire program was about what makes Jayasudha, Jayaprada, Sreedevi, Rekha and Hema Malini look younger and beautiful without the signs of old age.

It was said that it is the professional success that makes them look younger and active. It is known fact that these ladies have several disturbances in their personal lives but they keep everything for themselves and still look lively with smiles. Finally the 30 minute program concluded that it is not the power of cosmetics and beauty therapies but only the happiness that makes people look younger. That happiness can be in the form of professional success or personal success. But for heroines the daily routine activities like exercises as per their professional demand is adding fuel for their beauty.

That's true indeed.

YSR's Rs 3-crore ultra modern bus

Andhra CM Y S Rajasekhara Reddy gets himself a bulletproof bus designed by Dilip Chhabria, with high-end communication facilities
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy is trying to make sure that his political journey is literally a smooth one.

A Rs 3-crore ultra modern office-cum-residence on wheels is being created for him by Dilip Chhabria’s DC Designs.

Keeping in mind the terror threats and Naxalites, the bus will be a bulletproof armored vehicle with mine-proof flooring.

The bus will function as a mini office, offering all the facilities of a high-end communication centre with fax, Internet and satellite dish.

Besides, the bus will be equipped with internal communication system. Those operating the bus would be able to view everything around the bus with front, side and rear-view cameras.

That’s not all — the CM would be able to carry out extensive election campaigns, and public contact programmes from this bus.

“It will have a captain’s chair next to the driver’s seat, from where the CM can campaign,” said George Thomas, a senior designer at DC Designs.

Reddy is said to have ordered this bus after taking a look at a similar bus designed by DC Designs for Karnataka MLA Janardhan Reddy.

The bus will have a lift cubicle similar to an elevator — a raised platform in the middle of the bus, with bulletproof glass on three sides, and steel wall on the rear.

The cubicle can be hydraulically lifted to the top of the roof. The CM can even address a public meeting, or a rally from this cubicle.

The guest lounge within the bus has been provided with nine recliner seats and a 42-inch LCD television.

The bus will also have a VIP master bedroom with a pantry, sofa-cum bed, a bathroom and of course, a vacuum toilet.

Fact Sheet: Babu's 'irrigation mission' backfires

Former chief minister and Telugu Desam president N Chandrababu Naidu may call off his ongoing "inspection visits" to irrigation projects in the State. So far he has visited two irrigation projects and he is likely to call of the visits after "inspecting" a couple of projects more.

And what is the reason for not visiting all the irrigation projects which are currently under construction? According to Telugu Desam sources, Babu has decided against visiting all the projects for the simple reason that he could not find any major corruption which he could highlight. People have become wiser and they do not want to believe what politicians simply dish out. People now want hard facts and any allegation should be backed by strong documentary evidence. Simple statements alleging that so and so has knocked off such and such amount would not go well with the electorate.

Chandrababu Naidu and his "engineering team" did not come across any documentary evidence except a few procedural lapses. It is not that there was no corruption in the irrigation deal. But one should come out with concrete evidence. In India it is simply impossible to prove charges of corruption. Instead of taking up the exercise in futility, Chandrababu Naidu has been advised by party seniors to concentrate more on strengthening the party leadership and cadre. They do not want him to spend time on things that would not fetch votes in real terms.

Why politicians are averse to Chiranjeevi?

Many people are awaiting the entry of film actor Chiranjeevi into politics. But a few group of people are against his entry. And who are they? None other than our politicians. According to sources, politicians of all political parties do not want Chiranjeevi to enter politics. And many of them do not want to join the Chiranjeevi's party, in case he forms one. The reasons are obvious.

If Chiranjeevi enters into political arena, the political career of many of our politicians, irrespective of their party affiliations, will come to an end. He will take fresh faces into the party and give them tickets, like NTR did when he floated the Telugu Desam in 1982-83.

Secondly, the politicians do not want to join Chiranjeevi even if he invites them for the simple reason that Chiranjeevi will call the shots and they will be reduced to just puppets. And which politician want to take orders from a film star?

Cricket: Tendulkar set for 400th one-dayer

India superstar Sachin Tendulkar will on Thursday become the second player to feature in 400 one-day internationals.

Tendulkar will open the batting against Australia in the fifth match of the seven-ODI series against Australia, with the tourists leading 2-1.

Meanwhile, uncapped batsman Subramaniam Badrinath, 27, comes into the squad to replace the injured Gautam Gambhir.

He hit a double century for India A against South Africa and said of his chance: "It's a dream come true."

Badrinath added: "Playing for India has been a childhood dream for me and I am delighted that I am close to achieving that now."

Gambhir will miss the rest of the series after sitting out Monday's victory over the world champions.

The toss in Vadodara on Thursday could be absolutely crucial, with no team yet able to post a win when batting second.

Their batsmen had struggled until that triumph in Chandigarh, in which Tendulkar made a battling 79 and Sourav Ganguly weighed in with 41.

Chief selector Dilip Vengsarkar warned last week that senior players' places would come under threat from the likes of Badrinath unless their form improved.

He said of the Tamil Nadu right-hander: "Players like Badrinath are waiting for their chance and you cannot ignore them.

"It's a professional set-up and nobody can take their place for granted."

The squad for the remaining two matches will be decided after Thursday's encounter.

Meanwhile, Sree Santh, India's fast bowler, has admitted he taunted Andrew Symonds after the Australian batsman was dismissed on Monday.

Santh told reporters he used the words: "Hard luck, you're going to lose now" to the Queensland all-rounder, but denied allegations that he had also clapped in his face.

The irony was that the hot-headed Santh had been rested for the encounter, but was in the vicinty of Australia's batsmen as they walked back to the dressing-room.

India have lost just once in five matches in Vadodara, a city in the dry state of Gujarat, and racked up 341-3 in beating West Indies here in January.

The only other player to reach 400 caps in one-dayers is Sanath Jayasuriya, 38, who on Wednesday was playing his 402nd match in Colombo against England.

Ramoji Rao Learning Lessons From Ravi Prakash

Ramaoji Rao's ETV is known for giving no individual recognition for the News Reporters. On the other hand TV 9 Ravi Prakash made it a revolution by giving recognition for many of the reporters and News Readers working with him. There are many celebrities from TV9 right from Kareem, Swapna to Deepti Agarwal and many. But Ramoji with bureaucratic mentality always wished that ETV should sound the names of only his family.

But now looking at the progressive approach of Ravi Prakash, media baron Ramoji is learning to pacify his employees. There is heavy retrenchment in ETV from many weeks. The only reason is less salaries and lack of recognition. To stop that exodus, Ramoji started giving individual recognition for a few reporters and analysts.

So TV9 has indirectly taught a lesson to ETV.

Ramaoji Rao's ETV is known for giving no individual recognition for the News Reporters. On the other hand TV 9 Ravi Prakash made it a revolution by giving recognition for many of the reporters and News Readers working with him. There are many celebrities from TV9 right from Kareem, Swapna to Deepti Agarwal and many. But Ramoji with bureaucratic mentality always wished that ETV should sound the names of only his family.

But now looking at the progressive approach of Ravi Prakash, media baron Ramoji is learning to pacify his employees. There is heavy retrenchment in ETV from many weeks. The only reason is less salaries and lack of recognition. To stop that exodus, Ramoji started giving individual recognition for a few reporters and analysts.

So TV9 has indirectly taught a lesson to ETV.

SV Ranga Rao In Kapu Politics Agenda

An informal get together of some Kapu MLAs was held in Krishna district couple of days ago. They have discussed on various topics to tighten the Kapu unity for coming elections with a taken for granted assumption that Chiranjeevi will enter politics.

Apart from routine aspects in the discussion, the topic of SV Ranga Rao has seen light. Popular film actor of the past, SV Ranga Rao was a kapu and the Kapu leaders proposed to bring bigger glory for this actor by setting up statues and announcing an award on his name that gives bigger prize money than that of NTR Award. Although the proposal appears to be made with loose ends, if we recall what Chiranjeevi said a few months ago, it sounds something relevant. Chiranjeevi, when asked to name his favorite Telugu actor, he said 'SV Ranga Rao'. For that matter, even Kaikala Satyanarayana, another Kapu actor imitates SV Ranga Rao while portraying different roles.

Although SV Ranga Rao's image cannot push Kapu politics, he may get some added glory if Kapus come to power using Chirajeevi's image.

Buzz: Devendar Goud unhappy with Babu?

It seems senior Telugu Desam leader and former home minister T Devendar Goud is not happy with party chief N Chandrababu Naidu over latter's undue haste in announcing populist schemes even while he was busy drafting the party's alternative economic policy.

According to sources, Devendar Goud had confided with his close followers that Babu had rushed through the annoucements. Devendar Goud, as convener of the Telugu Desam's alternative economic policy committee, was expecting Chandrababu Naidu to make announcements only after the panel submits the report. But Chandrababu Naidu wanted to nullify the effect the Devendar Goud committee would have if it comes out with the annoucements. So Chandrababu Naidu wanted to prove that he is the real architect of the economic policy and not Devendar Goud. This was amply clear at the way the TD chief was moving uneasily in his chair while Devendar Goud gave the powerpoint presentation.

All the points Devendar Goud wanted to cover were hijacked by Chandrababu Naidu and this left nothing new for the former home minister to announce in the alternative economic policy.

Drop in farmer suicides boosts Cong morale

Hyderabad: A radical drop in the number of suicides by farmers in 2007 has boosted the morale of the ruling Congress party that has been at the receiving end from its erstwhile poll allies __ the left-wing parties and TRS__ who have accused the state of not coming to the rescue of the farming community.

Though the existing 141 suicides in 2007 too is a cause for worry to the state government, revenue officials said that the state’s policy of supporting agriculture by giving sops to small and marginalised farmers, along with building new infrastructure has started yielding dividends. “This is the most responsive and farmer-friendly government ever in the state. Our chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy has given AP a new face-lift with rural-oriented policies as well as creating an investor-friendly atmosphere,” said agriculture minister N Raghuveera Reddy.

“We have been able to instill a sense of confidence among the farming community that has been plagued by vagaries of nature and continuous neglect by the erstwhile TDP government. The vision of chief minister in ensuring free power, liberal subsidised farm inputs, ‘unhindered credit’ and a remunerative price for the produce have all resulted in a changed mindset of the farmer. The state’s relief and rehabilitation for distressed farmers too has provided succour and financial relief,” the minister said.

Airing similar views, Congress spokesperson and council MLC Paladugu Venkat Rao said: “The state has spent around Rs 21,000 crore in the first three years for building irrigation projects and increasing the ayacut by 15 lakh acres. Apart from taking up welfare measures like pensions, housing and health insurance, the government has been working towards economic empowerment of farmers in the state. These measures have succeeded in mitigating woes of the debt-ridden farmer and restricted farmer suicides this year in 18 districts to single digits,” he said.

Revenue officials said that contrary to the trend in the past three years, suicide by farmers has come down to as low as 141. No farmer suicide deaths have been reported this year from Warangal, West Godavari, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, Srikakulam and Mahbubnagar. In 2004, at least 1,212 farmers committed suicide, followed by 657 in 2005 and 514 in 2006.

Officials, however, cautioned at the ongoing farm crisis in districts like Adilabad, Anantapur, Kadapa and Kurnool where the deaths have been relatively high this year against a radical slide across the state. Adilabad recorded 45 suicides, followed by 26 in Anantapur and 13 each in Kurnool and Kadapa. The high suicide rate in Adilabad has been attributed to failure of borewells and spurious cotton seeds.

Meanwhile, revenue officials identified mounting debts, crop failure, illness and vagaries of nature as reasons for farmers to end their lives. While Anantapur farmers have been plagued by increasing bad debts, farmers in Kurnool have ended lives due to loss of crop (onion, sunflower and tomatoes) to heavy rain and flooding, apart from mounting debts.

FRESH LEASE OF LIFE
Contrary to the trend in the past three years, suicide by farmers has come down to as low as 141. No farmer suicide deaths have been reported so far this year from Warangal, West Godavari, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, Srikakulam and Mahbubnagar.

Officials, however, cautioned at the ongoing farm crisis in districts like Adilabad, Anantapur, Kadapa and Kurnool where the deaths have been relatively high this year against a radical slide across the state.

Behind The Scene: CPI building castles in air!

The Communist Party of India is hoping that it would emerge as an independent alternative to the Congress and the Telugu Desam in the State.

Sounds a big joke? But, CPI Central committee member Puvvada Nageshwara Rao feels it is possible, as the people have high hopes on the CPI and want to see it as their new hope. He asked his party cadres to strengthen the party and prepare for the mid-term elections.

Puvvada, who once played a second fiddle to former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and behaved like his stooge to gain some personal benefits like medical college, now says the party will win the confidence of the people by focusing on their problems. He is of the view that the political equations will take shape on their own from the strategies of other parties. "Whether the mid-term elections become a

reality or not, CPI should stay tuned to the task of protecting people's interests" he told the party activists.

SC told ‘reservation not needed for Muslims in AP’

New Delhi: Muslims in Andhra Pradesh are proportionately represented in employment and they did not require any special law like four per cent reservations in professional and educational institutions in the state, the Supreme Court was told on Tuesday by the petitioners opposing it.

Quoting the data from the first report on religion: census of India, 2001, the petitioners in response to the affidavit filed by the centre said "the percentage of Muslims in employment (in the State) is 9.26 per cent as against the percentage of population of 9.2 per cent".

"Thus, the employment is more than the proportionate to their population and the Muslim community in Andhra Pradesh is proportionately represented in employment. Therefore, Muslim community does not require any special provision," T Murlidhar Rao, the petitioner opposing the law said in his counter affidavit.

The affidavit filed through senior advocate Ramakrishna Reddy said any alleged comparison of the Muslim community with other states will serve no purpose as the backwardness was a relative criterion and has to be compared with rest of the society within the state.

It said before providing the reservation, the backward class commission has not conducted the survey of entire population as ordered by the Supreme Court in Indra Sawhney (Mandal) case.

Further, the commission has not identified the criteria for identifying the BCS and it just adopted the report of advisor P S Krishnan, the affidavit said adding that it was the third attempt to provide reservation to Muslims.

The petitioners said there are several other communities who did not have any opportunity for reservation for the last 20 years.

They contended that Muslims were not deprived of admissions in educational institutions in the state and there were number of minority professional colleges providing admissions exclusively to them.

Andhra Pradesh government has maintained that the law was not on religious lines but based on careful identification of Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) among the community.

The apex court, while stopping any further admissions under the controversial law on September 28, had sought response from the Andhra Pradesh government on sub categorisation of SEBC Muslims for extending the benefit of reservation.

Defending the legislation, the state government said "neither the act nor the report of the commission based on which an ordinance was promulgated and subsequently the act was passed can be termed as religion based".

The Andhra Pradesh government has accepted the report of the P S Krishnan Report (Krishnan) Commission which contended that bulk of Muslim SEBCS were lost sight of over several decades, whereas other groups had the benefit of reservations for over 30 years, including scheduled castes converted to Christianity.

The petition filed by T Murlidhar Rao and K Sriteja has contended that providing reservations exclusively to the Muslim community on religious lines was violative of articles 15(1) and 16(2) of the constitution.

Bureau Report

Rice scheme: Not now darling!

Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhar Reddy has at last taken the cat out of the bag. He admitted that the Rs 2 a kg rice scheme will be implemented not now, but only after a few months.

"Yes, we will implement the rice scheme without any changes. We will supply rice to the poor people at Rs 2 a kg as per the norms. But not now. I cannot specify the date but in principle, we have decided to implement the scheme. It may be done in three months or six months. The scheme will be implemented after a thorough study," he said.

Party sources say YSR has reserved the scheme for the next Assembly elections, but not certainly for the mid-term elections to Lok Sabha. "He has announced the scheme. That is enough for the time being, as the Lok Sabha elections will be fought on a different plank. But, by the time, the Assembly elections are announced, the scheme will be in full swing and it will definitely fetch him an advantage," sources say.

KCR dumps his nephew to promote son

These days, Telangana Rashtra Samithi president and Karimnagar MP K.Chandrasekhar Rao is sending his nephew and MLA T Harish Rao to Nizamabad district very frequently and entrusting him with the task of consolidating the party there.

If anybody thinks KCR is paying more attention on Nizamabad district, it is mistaken. TRS sources say KCR wants to promote his son Kalwakuntla Taraka Rama Rao from Siddipet (the constituency of Harish Rao) and ultimately make him an MLA in the next elections. For that, he has to get rid of Harish Rao first.

So, KCR made Harish Rao incharge for Nizamabad district and asked him to spend more time there. He told Harish that the TRS was once very strong in Nizamabad, capturing the Zilla Parishad, majority mandal parishads and gram panchayath's when it was established in 2001. It was a Lakhmi district for his party. In 2004 Assembly election, TRS candidates won the constituencies of Dichpally, Armoor and Yellareddy in the district.

Unfortunately, TRS lost its confidence among the party cadre in the later stages, after Armoor MLA and former zilla parishad chairman S.Santhosh Reddy turned a rebel. Active leaders and activists from across the district jumped into the ruling Congress and Telugu Desam (TD) party. So, KCR asked Harish Rao to bring back the past glory to the TRS in Nizamabad. In the event of a mid-term poll to Lok Sabha, Harish might even be fielded in the elections from Nizamabad, party sources say.

Fact Sheet: TD backtracks on YSR's challenge

Chief Minister YS Rajasekhar Reddy has finally come out with a challenge to his bete noire and former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu. After patiently hearing all the talk of corruption from Chandrababu Naidu and his team of leaders in the Telugu Desam, Rajasekhar Reddy decided enough is enough. On Tuesday he challenged the TD leadership to participate in an open debate with the Congress on the various charges, the TD had been making against him and his family members.

But the TD leadership did not accept the open challenge of YSR. Senior TD leader Nagam Janardhan Reddy was elusive when reporters asked him whether the TD was accepting the challenge. All he could say was that since the Congress government had already ordered 23 inquiries there was no need for an open debate. He said let there be one more inquiry instead of an open debate.

Since TD leaders do not open their mouths without obtaining prior permission from their supremo, it can be construed that Chandrababu Naidu is not interested in facing the chief minister in an open debate. He is rather interested in throwing allegations and mudslinging rather than settling the issue before the public. At least the people will know who is speaking the truth and who is lying.

Babu revises YSR 'corruption' figure

Former chief minister and Telugu Desam president N Chandrababu Naidu only the other day made some calculations to announce that Chief Minister YS Rajasekhar Reddy earns Rs 1 crore every hour. Within 48 hours of this statement, the TD leadership realised how foolish a statement it had made. And to cover up its charge, Chandrababu Naidu instructed his party senior leader Nagam Janardhan Reddy to hold a press conference. On Tuesday Janardhan Reddy came out with a fresh statement revising the "corruption figure". The TD now says Rajasekhar Reddy has been earning more than Rs 1 crore and not just Rs 1 crore.

Since people will not believe what Chandrababu Naidu had said, Janardhan Reddy came out with wild allegations that since Rajasekhar had earned more than Rs 30,000 crore during the last three years, he had invested Rs 20,000 crore in a steel plant and the balance in a cement factory. He also came out with some "revelations" to ensure that Chandrababu Naidu's statement does not become a laughing stock among the voters.

What Janardhan Reddy did not realise is that people are now taking charges of corruption with a pinch of salt. No one is taking such charges seriously, because after all politicians are known for such tactics.

Fact Sheet: Naidu gets into election mode

Even as the possibility of mid-term elections to Lok Sabha still a speculation, Telugu Desam president N Chandrababu Naidu has already got into the election mode and started addressing election meetings in the name of "project baata," creating a scene as if there is going to be mid-term elections to the Assembly.

Naidu, who visited Gundlavagu irrigation project in Warangal district on Tuesday to expose the lack of quality in the project works, addressed several road show meetings and he announced left, right and centre, several sops like Rs 2 kg rice, Rs 500 pension to the aged, and Rs 1,000 unemployment dole, 9-hour free power, and free houses for all, of course with a rider: "if TD is elected to power."

The Opposition leader, who seemed desperate to regain his lost power by making all kinds of promises, has simply forgot that if at all there are any mid-term polls immediately, they would be only for Lok Sabha and not for the Assembly. So, there is no question of TD coming to power now and there is no question of implementing these sops.

First Philadelphia Bathukamma Festival

First Philadelphia Bathukamma Festival Celebrated in King Of Prussia on October 6th at Valley Creek Park

Philadelphia Telangana NRIs under the banner of Telangana Cultural Association (TCA) celebrated the Bathukamma festival with great jubilation and joy at Valley Creek Park in Malvern. The scenic view of the Valley Creek park and the quietly flowing creek was a perfect setting and it reminded the Telangana villages. It also turned out to be a perfect day - sunny and warm. About 50 people from all over Philadelphia & suburbs participated in the celebrations. Women wore traditional and colorful clothes and brought beautifully decorated bathukammas.

As families started arriving, we started the celebrations with telangana cultural music. The program started with the introductions of all the participants. Lunch was served with different Saddulu, five different rice dishes and various authentic Telangana cuisine brought by the participants.

There were about 10 beautifully decorated Bathukammas and the traditional ceremony started with the Gowri pooja. Later all the ladies formed a big a circle and went around the Bathukkmmas clapping and singing "Bathukkamma Bathukamma Uyyalo Bangaru Bathukamma Uyyalo" . It was a visual treat to see ladies and girls clad in colorful sarees, stepping around rhythmically. Many felt nostalgic about the whole thing; it brought back their childhood memories. Later Bathukammas were immersed in the creek.

There were games for the kids and adults including the best Bathukamma competition. Adults and kids played musical chairs. Men's "musical chairs" was the highlight of the event. Meghana & Venu Bathini family, Neeraja & Sudheer Raju, Manjula & Nagender, Madhavi & Jayander, Soundarya & Ravi and Jamuna & Ravinder Puskur, won the best Bathukamma prizes.

Swamy Savithananda was a special guest for the event. He addressed the gathering and explained about importance meditation and yoga. Some other notable people attended the ceremony included Dr. Jayander, Dr Raghava Reddy, Dr Vijaya Bhaskar.

Special thanks to Jamuna & Ravi Puskur, who came all the way from New jersey to attend the event.

This event was organized with the help of many volunteers who actively participated and made this event a big success. TCA thanks the organizers of the event Sudheer Raju, Subhash Karra, Venu Bathini and Ravi Mayreddy.

Analysis: What's Babu's new economic policy?

Former chief minister and Telugu Desam president N Chandrababu Naidu has been talking about the alternative economic policy ever since he lost the State Assembly polls in May 2004. He spoke of the need for such a policy, both at the national and the State fora. He even went to the extent of saying that he would incorporate the alternative economic policy as the election agenda of the so-called third front.

And what is this alternative economic policy? Has it something new to offer? People and political observers as also ruling Congress leaders have been waiting for Chandrababu Naidu to announce the policy. On Monday the policy finally came out of the bag of Chandrababu Naidu. But it were the hands of senior TD leader T Devendar Goud which released the alternative economic policy.

Just think it of yourself and find out whether it is really "alternative".

The highlights of the policy:

1. Supply of Rs 2 a kg rice to the poor. The only alternative here is the promise to supply good quality rice.

2. Supply of LPG or natural gas to homes through pipeline. This proposal has been pending for ages. What is the new alternative here, the TD has to offer: instead of "through pipeline" the TD has used the termed "piped gas supply".

3. Supply of mid-day meal scheme to students. The scheme is already in vogue. The alternative here is, extension of the scheme up to class X. Another alternative here is supply of a glass of milk along with the plate meal.

4. Formation of pay revision commission for government employees. It is the statutory duty of the government to increase the wages of its employees at regular intervals. It is not a favour. It is also not something alternative to the existing economic policy. What has the increase in salaries of government employees, who hardly number three lakhs, to do with the economic policy of the government? The TD has no answer.

5. Separate department for welfare and increase in budgetary allocation to Rs 1000 crore for minorities and other disadvantaged communities.

It's changing India that greets NRIs coming home

When Surya 'Sue' Patel landed at Mumbai airport, she stepped out like many confident NRIs. Wearing the latest Nike sneakers, a designer pair of jeans and her Rolex watch, she thought she would make her presence felt among her relatives in Mumbai before going on to Gujarat to celebrate Navratri and, later, Diwali.

She trundled her Samsonite bags to be welcomed and hugged by her cousin, Meera. Her cousin fished out a mobile and asked the driver to pick them up. Soon the car arrived - a big, gleaming Mercedes Benz. Sue also noted the Gucci bag she was carrying and her Cartier watch. Sue swallowed hard. Ten years ago, Meera and her husband had a Maruti Esteem and now they have certainly moved up in life, she mused.

As they were negotiating the chaotic traffic towards Bandra and Sion, she saw the same ill-kept, dilapidated buildings and hordes of people all over. Later, they went through the Dharavi, the mother of all slums where the huts had encroached footpaths. She noticed how the lamp posts had been engulfed by hutments with signboards of almost every business from groceries to construction materials. Parked on the road was a long line of handcarts pulled by sweating labourers to transport the merchandise. She thought, "Ugh! Mumbai will never change!"

After an endless half an hour of this depressing travel through the squalor of this slum, they came to a toll bridge. Paying the toll, they entered a new world - open, green and wide. "This is Navi Mumbai," said Meera. "We moved here four years ago from our flat in Dadar." Climbing a flyover, they saw new, high-rise buildings, banks, smart restaurants and spanking shopping malls ahead.

Gliding over a four-lane Palm Beach Road, lined with date palms in the centre and verdant plants around them, they came to a high-rise complex called NRI Colony. A gated estate, it had a small smart shopping complex. The watchman waved them in and they went up to the penthouse where Meera's husband, Rasik, and her children, Ela and Vipul, greeted her. The luxuriously decorated penthouse boasted of original paintings and Swaroski crystal. As she took it all in and swallowed hard.

She thought, "Umm, making money was India's first challenge, now it's how to spend it. Seems they are getting plenty of help in this direction as the super luxury goods manufacturers are moving in quickly to get a slice of the market."

Wearing trendy Swatches, the children were soon playing with the latest Sony PlayStation on a huge Samsung plasma screen. Rasik was getting out his Callaway golf set for the weekend round of golf. It seems Meera was spoilt for choice of designer wear, both Western and Indian - Armani, Escada, Moschino, Hermes, Prada, Fendi et all was here. It was the same story for Western designer men's wear and jewellery.

After luxury brands rented outlets in the shopping arcades of five star hotels, they spawned a demand for luxury shopping malls that are due to be opened soon in Delhi and Mumbai. Super luxury cars like Bentley, Rolls Royce and Ferrari are available in India.

On observing the general affluence, Sue said she was happy Rasik was doing well and wondered what the secret of his success was. "Simple," he answered, "I invested in stocks, mutual funds and real estate and all these have gone up many times in the last seven-eight years. The stock market has shot up from 6,000 to almost 18,000 points now; and the real estate is also up by over four times. So after I cashed in on some profits and sold my Dadar flat, I moved here for a better quality of life." But how come they moved into this NRI Colony? Not a problem as they paid the going rates and many Indians had moved in, replied Rasik.

The hi-tech industries and the back office operations of major companies and big banks are located here, an airport is being planned at New Panvel and a bridge linking Navi Mumbai to the city centre is being built. New export processing zones are due to come up and going to the city centre takes 60-90 minutes depending on the traffic and Pune is just three hours away by the super highway.

Sue cringed inside thinking about the 'presents' she had brought for Meera and her family: a perfume bottle she got as a freebie from the store for buying something else, a cut price pair of jeans for Rasik and digital watches from Hong Kong and Chinese toys from Wal-Mart for the children. After this reality check, she decided to let her presents remain in her suitcases.

Fact Sheet: YSR pushes Sonia to corner!

After making tall promises to people like Rs 2 a kg rice scheme, pavala vaddi to farmers on crop loans and construction of houses, Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhar Reddy is looking up to Sonia Gandhi to provide required financial assistance to fund these schemes.

YSR knows that it is important not just for him, but also for Sonia Gandhi to see that the Congress comes back to power and this time, it should be without the support of the Left parties. So, the onus of ensuring the victory is on Sonia and Manmohan Singh and therefore, they should take up the responsibility of funding the new schemes in order to win back the confidence of the people.

YSR is learnt to have argued with his Cabinet colleagues that it was he who had to take on the entire responsibility of bringing the Congress to power in the last Assembly elections, besides contributing a major share in the Congress strength in Lok Sabha. Though he had been implementing free farm power supply scheme, the UPA government did not help him in any way and he had to manage the resources on his own. This time, the Congress desperately needs a repeat performance and if that has to happen, the UPA government should grant funds for the new schemes like Rs 2 a kg rice scheme and pavala vaddi, he pointed out.

In a way, it is an embarrassing position for Sonia Gandhi. She has to concede YSR's demand or face a difficult situation in the elections!!

YSR to answer all Babu's questions

Yes chief minister YS Rajasekhar Reddy is bracing himself up to answer all the issues raised by his bete noire and former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu. Rajasekhar Reddy will address a press conference on Tuesday to clarify his position and to take Chandrababu Naidu to political task.

The other day Chandrababu Naidu turned a mathematician and announced that Rajasekhar Reddy had amassed wealth as much as Rs 29,784 crore during the last three and a half years. He said YSR has been getting bribes at the rate of Rs 1 crore every hour, 24 hours a day and 365 days a year. Chandrababu Naidu has also given a call to party activists to stop the State government for auctioning government lands. He warned that industrialists would be buying such lands at their own risk.

Rajasekhar Reddy who has been silently observing Chandrababu Naidu's remarks and his political tantrums has decided to put all allegations to nought. So he has decided to address a press conference wherein he will clarify his position and the Congress leadership backed by officials are preparing a strong defence to put Chandrababu Naidu in the dock.

Let's wait and watch the political drama unfolding on Tuesday.

22 Bangladeshis arrested in Hyderabad

Hyderabad, Oct 8 (IANS) The Hyderabad police Monday arrested 22 Bangladeshi nationals, including two women, for staying here for several years after illegally infiltrating into India.

The police commissioner's task force (West Zone) conducted raids in Jhirra, Murad Nagar and Zeba Bagh areas in Asif Nagar division and Mir Alam Mandi area in South Zone and arrested 22 Bangladeshi nationals amid a terror alert in the city, the police said.

"During the investigations it was revealed that these illegal immigrants entered into India by crossing the border near Raj Sahi, a Bangladeshi border town, and Boghkalan, Musheerabad, an Indian border town by paying money to the brokers," said a statement from the police commissioner's office.

Some of the illegal immigrants had come to India recently. Some even obtained passports, ration cards, voter's identity cards and PAN cards by furnishing fake documents. They also opened accounts in various banks and were running the business of making bags and suitcases.

Three of those arrested had married local women and have children, while two had crossed over with their Bangladeshi wives, said the statement.

The arrests came amid the high alert sounded last Friday following a tip-off about four suicide bombers, suspected to be Bangladeshi nationals.

Also, the city police probing the bombings at the historic Mecca Masjid on May 18 and twin blasts of Aug 25 claim that the Bangladesh-based terror group Harkat-ul-Jihad-e-Islami (HUJI) was behind the terror strikes.

The blast at the mosque killed nine. while the twin blasts at a park and a popular food joint claimed 44 lives.

The police had last month arrested a Bangladeshi youth and his sister, staying illegally, in connection with the Aug 25 blasts.

The police believe that Abdul Shahid alias Bilal, a native of Hyderabad and an alleged operative of HUJI, masterminded the blasts and carried them out with the assistance of some Bangladeshis and local youths.

On the basis of a confessional statement by Shahid's brother Abdul Majeed, the police last week claimed that HUJI carried out the blasts under instruction from Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence (ISI). Shahid is believed to be in Bangladesh.

He is also suspected to have masterminded the suicide attack at the police commissioner's task force office here in 2005. One policeman was killed in the blast carried out by a suspected Bangladeshi suicide bomber.

Fact Sheet: TD cadre not believing Babu!

It is not the voter who is not believing Telugu Desam supremo and former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu these days. Guess who are not believing what Chandrababu Naidu says? None other than the Telugu Desam cadre. Chandrababu Naidu had opposed several populist schemes when he was in power for nine long years. He conducted training classes for the party cadre on several occasions to drive home his point that the populist schemes which then Opposition Congress was promising were simply impracticable.

Now that he himself is in the opposition, Chandrababu Naidu feels that these populist schemes, which he once opposed, are quite practicable. This he learnt after the Congress government successfully implemented them.

So Chandrababu Naidu's promises -- as many as a dozen and a half -- have failed to go well into the cadre. The party activists are looking at Chandrababu Naidu with suspicion. How could a person who once opposed is now supporting the very things. Sources point out that Chandrababu Naidu will first convince his party workers before going to the voters with the populist agenda. Let's wait and see how far Chandrababu Naidu will succeed in this Herculean task.

Convincing voters is an easy task because of the most of them are illiterate and act like herds. But the TD activists are an enlightened lot now that Chandrababu Naidu had conducted several training classes for them with experts from various fields.

Fact Sheet: YSR uses Kaka against VH!

Chief Minister Dr Y S Rajasekhar Reddy is trying all his tricks to prevent Rajya Sabha member V Hanumantha Rao from becoming the Pradesh Congress Committee president.

YSR came to know that Hanumantha Rao is playing his BC card to impress upon the newly appointed AICC incharge of AP affairs Veerappa Moily (who also happens to be a BC) to become the PCC president. If VH is given the post, he would certainly be like a thorn in the flesh for YSR and therefore, the latter is desperate in preventing VH.

So, he cleverly used the good offices of veteran Congress MP and Congress Working Committee member G Venkatswamy and also that of former Chief Minister N Janardhan Reddy with the high command to scuttle the chances of Hanumantha Rao. Both the MPs told Madam Sonia Gandhi that VH would not be in a position to lead the entire team of Congress leaders because of his inconsistent stand. If the high command wants only a BC leader to be the PCC president and not a Mala (Mallu Ravi) or Madiga (Nandi Yellaiah), the chance could be given to D Srinivas, who led the party to success in 2004 elections, they told her. Sonia did not make any comment and reserved her decision, New Delhi sources say.

Fact Sheet: Satyam takes govt for a ride!

Satyam group's Ramalinga Raju is one of the few industrialists in the State who could continue to get patronage from the State government, irrespective of the party in power – whether it was Chandrababu Naidu's Telugu Desam or Y S Rajasekhar Reddy's Congress.

Raju, who is the richest industrialist in the State, has taken the government for a ride by entering into an agreement with it on running the Emergency Medicare Services by name "108." Though it is an excellent scheme providing emergency medical facilities like ambulance service with sofisticated equipment, it is said to be one of the schemes of Raju to avoid payment of income tax to the government.

According to sources, Raju had to pay highest amount of income tax (about Rs 45 crore) in a single year because of the huge profits Satyam made a couple of years ago. To avoid this, Raju started the Emergency Medicare Service, signed an MoU with the government to run it as a charitable and service organisation and got exemption from the income tax. Above all, he got the government land at a concessional rate on the city outskirts to run this project, employed staff at huge salaries and gained all the benefits associated with it, apart from avoiding the income tax.

After getting the benefits, Raju quietly handed over the project to the State government and retained a nominal percentage in it. YSR, as is his won't, named it after "Rajiv Gandhi." The project will continue to be run by the Satyam group only, but for the name and the State government's emblem. Two birds at one shot!!

Lok Satta has Veerappa Moily's support!!

The newly appointed All India Congress Committee incharge for Andhra Pradesh affairs, Veerappa Moily might not know many leaders in the State Congress, but he certainly has friends in the Opposition parties, including Yerran Naidu of Telugu Desam and Jayaprakash Narayana of Lok Satta.

In fact, Jayaprakash Narayana has been a close associate of Veerappa Moily for quite a long time. He was a member of the Administrative Reforms Commission, of which Moily was the chairman. After launching the political party, JP quit the Commission, but has been maintaining good relationship with Moily. And Moily too had extended his support to Lok Satta party and described it as a fresh air in the present murky political atmosphere.

Now that Veerappa Moily would be coming to Andhra Pradesh quite often, the Congress leaders are worried whether he would continue his relationship with JP. However, Lok Satta is not a force to reckon with so far and it is unlikely that Moily-JP friendship has any bearing on the Congress prospects in the next elections.

Behind The Scene: People, rain and Congress

The main Opposition Telugu Desam has been announcing a series of pre-poll sops, some of which it had opposed while in power. The Congress too has announced a number of sops.

The TD is not worried about the sops announced by the Congress. After all it believes, like the Congress too, that people take such promises with a pinch of salt. But what is worrying the Telugu Desam leadership is the strong belief that is growing in the public that Congress rule means good rains.

After seven drought years in Telugu Desam's nine years of rule, the State is witnessing fourth consecutive year of good rains. The Congress is praying the Almighty that one more year of good rain and this will put the divine seal on the people's belief that there will be good monsoon only during the Congress regime.

This is precisely the factor why Chandrababu Naidu has been coming out with more sops, though the ruling Congress has already stopped making them. For Chief Minister YS Rajasekhar Reddy, it's the rains and not the sops that will tilt the poll balance. Opposition leader and Telugu Desam president N Chandrababu Naidu knows this and is going full hammer and tongs on the Congress government raking up issues like corruption. But people do not take corruption charges seriously, because they know where there are politicians there's bound to be some financial irregularities.

Practical Jokes On TV Irritating All

A college going girl waits at a bus stop. A man acts like a mad one and revolves around the girl. The girl gets irritated. As he is mad, the people around also take that easy although they shout for sometime. After looking at the girl's disgust, the mad man laughs and shows a cameraman shooting that from behind a tree.

Similarly, a man keeps on frightening the people shouting 'bomb'. After a while the man calls all the people who he frightened and shows a cameraman behind a bush shooting this practical joke.

Some TV shows are irritating the people with this concept they have chosen. ZEE Telugu's 'Time Pass', POGO's 'Just for laughs gags' and many other programs of other channels are of same genre. They are the shows where people are teased practically in public places and that will be recorded and shown for TV viewers for fun. Although they sound interesting for viewers, the people those get harassed or disturbed will get irritated that they go to the extent of beating the TV crew at some instances.

But still those shows are getting good ERP Ratings all over.

YSR vs Babu: Who's worrying whom

Yes, it all depends on which side of the fence one is in. But leading Telugu daily Eenadu believes that Telugu Desam supremo and former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu is causing troubles to Chief Minister YS Rajasekhar Reddy and the Congress through the TD's pre-poll populist schemes. The TD schemes have become a worrying factor for the Congress government, it screams.

The actual scenario is that both the Congress and the Telugu Desam are worried about the outcome of the May 2009 Assembly elections. These polls are going to be crucial. For the Telugu Desam, a defeat in the May 2009 polls means a long wait to try luck for power in May 2014 elections. By then there may be many changes in the Telugu Desam, which is virtually depending on the leadership of Chandrababu Naidu. There's no alternative leadership in the Telugu Desam. TD leaders may not wait for that long without power so there's chances of the party being affected badly through largescale exodus of senior leaders.

And for the Congress, a defeat in the polls means that its populist schemes and irrigation projects have failed to yield results. The general trend in the country is that people are giving second chance to political parties. So a party ruling for 10 consecutive years has become a sort of norm in the country of late. If Congress loses, it simply means that it has failed to govern well and people have not given it a second chance, though it has become a norm.

In reality both YSR and NCB are a worried lot. But trumpet blowers see otherwise and blow their trumpets in favour of their respective leaders.

Opinion: Sunitha Williams Hype When Not Indian!

I am a Software Engineer working in USA .I am an adrant reader of great Andhra news. I really like the positive criticism you give to the various public issues. I have been seeing something in the News papers Lately, the Hype created around Sunitha Williams, First women in space.

Let's get into the back ground of Sunitha Williams. Deepak Pandya and his Slovenian-American wife, Bonnie, are the parents of American astronaut Sunitha Williams. Only Sunitha's Father is Indian and he left India long back. I am happy if we appreciated Sunitha for her effort , but the problem i see with the Media is they have made Sunitha Williams a super hero among Indians? , projecting her as the icon of india. How can she be an indian when her Mother is not an Indian and she is not born in India. If we start considering her Indian Origin then i think we can find lot of great people someway linked to the Indian Origin. How does it make India proud by giving pivotal importance to these people on their trips to India. Even the mother land of Sunitha Williams , USA is not carried away by her achievements.

Instead the press should be doing a better job by highlighting the fact that there are a lot of talented Scientists and Engineers, working in ISRO and other Government organizations who are under paid and over worked and media should stress the role Indian governement should play is to encourage these people to reach unfathomable depths of success, instead media and the indian government is carried away with the euphoria of Sunitha's achievement.What good does Sunitha visiting President of India or meeting some kids help? It's high time for Indian press to play a positive role for the development of nation and not to manufacture consent.

Raja
rajavreddy@gmail.com

Ponting used 'harsh words', complains Dhoni

Hyderabad (IANS) - There seems to be no end to the slanging match between Indian and Australian teams during the ongoing seven game one-day series.

Though the third match played here at Rajiv Gandhi stadium did not witness any unsavoury incidents on the field like in the Kochi one-dayer, Indian captain M.S. Dhoni alleged that his Australian counterpart Ricky Ponting used some harsh words.

To a query at the post-match press conference, Dhoni said he complained to the match referee against some 'harsh words' used by Ponting during the Indian innings. He, however, refused to elaborate on what those 'harsh words' were.

Both S. Sreesanth and Harbhajan Singh were cool on the field unlike in Kochi as they were asked by the team management to control themselves on the field.

During the Kochi one-dayer, Sreesanth had entered into a heated duel with Andrew Symonds and Brad Haddin.

Harbhajan Singh had also stood mid-wicket after his dismissal to argue with the Australians and had pointed his bat before being veteran umpire Steve Bucknor intervened.

Ponting, who returned to the side after missing the first two games due to injury, had said Thursday that his team was not worried by the new aggressive look of the Indian team. He had remarked that Indians were trying to put up a brave face.

The Aussie skipper had taken potshots at Harbhajan Singh for alleging that Australians used vulgar language against him during the second one-dayer.

'He (Harbhajan) has plenty to say on the field and then whenever someone says something back to him he is the first one to run away from it,' was how Ponting had reacted to the Indian spinner's allegation.

Dhoni: ODI Series Has Become Tougher

The ongoing one-day international (ODI) series against Australia has become tougher and all batsmen need to chip in, said Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni after his team's 47 run loss in the third one-dayer here Friday.

He, however, refused to lay the entire blame on the batsmen, saying the team needed to improve in all departments in the remaining matches.

'We knew that this series is tough and it has now become tougher. Australians now have an upper hand,' admitted the wicket keeper batsman at a post-match press conference. The visitors have taken a 2-0 lead in the seven match series. The first one-dayer at Bangalore was washed out.

Dhoni, who led India to Twenty20 World Cup victory in South Africa last month, said the team bowled well Friday with only 30 runs being scored in the last five overs, but the failure to get a good start during the reply mounted pressure on other batsmen.

'All batsmen need to chip in. We need to get a good start. This is the key. A good initial partnership can help the batsmen coming down the order to manage a seven to 7.5 run-rate in the last overs,' he said.

Dhoni said had he been there for a few more overs with Yuvraj Singh, the situation would have been different. 'Yuvraj is disappointed that the team could not win despite his second good knock here,' he said.

The vice captain scored 121 runs, his second century in as many matches at Rajiv Gandhi stadium here. He had scored 103 in the match against South Africa in November 2005 but the visitors won the match by five wickets.

On former captain Sourav Ganguly being dropped for today's match, Dhoni said he was not 100 percent fit and that the team did not want to take a risk.

Australian skipper Ricky Ponting said he was happy with the way his team was playing. 'But we can't afford to rest on that. We have to keep working hard as there is always room for improvement,' he told the press conference.

'Things have worked out fine so far. Batting was good on a low and slow track like this. I thought we batted really well to post 290,' he said but felt the Australians needed to improve their fielding.

'On the bowling front, (Mitchell) Johnson was terrific, Brett (Lee) got his wickets up front while Stuart (Clarke) has been reliable,' he said.

Man of the match Andrew Symonds said the track required the batsmen to be a bit patient. 'The track kept a little low and it was a bit difficult to score. We tried to get partnerships going. We thought getting to 290 was a good effort,' he said.

Chiranjeevi gives breather for Cong, TD

The "October 2 deadline" has passed and there's no news of film actor Chiranjeevi announcing a new political party in the near future. Though this is not something good news for lakhs of his followers and those belonging to his social group, the ruling Congress and the main Opposition Telugu Desam are a happy lot. The TRS too has taken a breather. But the baron of a media group, who has been thinking of a third alternative force in the State with the film actor in the lead, is also said to be unhappy over the "continued prolonged" delay by Chiranjeevi in announcing his own political party.

According to sources, the film actor is right now not keen on forming a new political party. He wants to study the political situation and then come out with his future plans. Moreover Chiranjeevi has still much of his film career left and if he jumps into politics, he has to leave the film industry once and for all. The film actor is weighing all the pros and cons before coming to a conclusion.

The Congress and the TD are happy over the delay. A delay of a few more months means that there will be no Chiranjeevi political party for the next Assembly polls. With hardly 18 months left for the next polls, the film actor has to announce the party now or wait for yet another poll due for 2014. But it will be too late. The new political party has to settle down and it needs at least one year. It took nine years for NTR to drive his nascent Telugu Desam to victory in 1982-83. If Chiranjeevi does not come out with the announcement before February 2008, it means that there will be a direct fight between the Congress and the Telugu Desam in May 2009 polls.

It's ticket borrowing time in Hyderabad

Borrowing money has taken a back seat at least for now. The latest craze that has caught up with people in Hyderabad, particularly the cricket buffs, is borrowing tickets. Yes tickets to witness the one day international match between India and Australia at Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad.

Everyone from top bureaucract to the attendant level and from ministers to corporators every one in the city is after the cricket match tickets. With the police and the influential knocking away the tickets put on sale, the demand for tickets has gone up. Even journalists are seen asking for tickets from their friends in politics and bureaucracy.

And for those expert in black marketing, they are the happiest lot. A Rs 250 worth ticket is being sold for Rs 3000 and the Rs 1000 one for Rs 6,000. The craze is being built up. It all depends on the clouds. It they burst, the match may be interrupted robbing enthusiasm from the fans. But the black marketers stand to benefit anyway.

Baba's miracle fails to click

Sri Satya Sai Baba all of a sudden announced that he would be visible in the moon. The announcement came at around 5.00 pm on Thursday. He said his Vishwaroopam will appear on the moon between 7.00 pm and 7.30 pm. Thousands of his followers including those who do not have faith in him throned the Puttaparthi airport to witness the event. But the event did not take place as the sky was overcast with clouds. Sri Satya Sai Baba returned to his ashramam leaving his devotees disappointed.

The 82-year-old Baba's sudden announcement took everyone in the State by surprise. Mediapersons and TV channels too rushed to the spot to witness the rare event. Some TV channels announced that there will be a live telecast.

The rush was so heavy at the airport that even the convoy of the Baba was caught in traffic jam.

Fact Sheet: Son trouble for PJR again

Khairatabad legislator and dissident Congress leader P Janardhan Reddy's son P Vishnuvardhan Reddy is once again in the news for the wrong reasons. After the street fight between him and Chief Minister YS Rajasekhar Reddy's brother at Jubilee Hills a couple of months ago, Vishnuvardhan Reddy got involved in a fight at the Imax Theatre on Thursday. The police booked a case against him.

Looks like the son trouble continues to haunt the Congress legislator who is fighting openly against the Chief Minister and his policies which PJR believes are detrimental to the interests of Telangana.

Even before PJR came out of the shock of Jubilee Hills trouble, the Imax fight has further created a dent in his public image. The Congress MLA was just getting a breather with the resignation of APCC chief K Keshava Rao and change of guard in AICC supervision in the State Congress. Thursday's trouble has brought issues to square one and PJR has to cleanse the mess to emerge unscatched from the son trouble.

Behind The Scene: Lord Ram everywhere in politics!!

Lord Rama is a part and parcel of our culture and most people christen their children with his name. Large number of politicians including those criticizing carry the name of Rama.

This was pointed out by BJP national vice president M Venkaiah Naidu, who is known for his witty and sharp comments. He said that the actual name of noted atheist and Dravidian movement leader, who was popularly known as Periyar, was EV Ramaswamy Naicker. Referring to the support extended by the Left parties to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister over Rama Sethu issue, he said that one of the CPI-M senior leader got both Seetha and Rama in his name (Seetha Ram Yechuri). Listing out the names with Rama as part, Venkaiah Naidu said, DMK ally and PMK founder Ramdoss and his son Anbumani Ramdoss too has Rama in their names. BSP leader Mayavathi guru is Kanshi Ram, Tamil Nadu's former Chief Minister was MG Ramachandran. Andhra Pradesh state was formed following the sacrifice of Potti Sriramulu. There were Chief Minister's such as Ramakrishna Hegde and N T Rama Rao.

Mahatma Gandhi's last word before death was Hey Ram, Venkaiah Naidu reminded while referring to Gandhiji's faith towards Rama. He said that Mahathma was able to carry entire nation along with him while chanting "Raghupathi raghava rajaram, pathitha pavana seetha ram" during every public meeting. Indirectly pionting to Karunanidhi he suggested the non believers to sit at home if they don't have belief on Rama and perform pooja for themselves.

Fact Sheet: Cong ministers chant NTR mantra!

Now that the talk of mid-term elections to Lok Sabha and if possible to the State Assembly is doing rounds very seriously, the Congress party is trying every strategy to outwit the main opposition party, Telugu Desam.

The Y S Rajasekhar Reddy government, which has beaten the TD in its own coin by announcing Rs 2 a kg rice scheme, is going a step further to take steam out of the main Opposition. The ministers in the Rajasekhar Reddy Cabinet are now showering encomiums on Telugu Desam founder-president and former Chief Minister late N T Rama Rao, describing him as the champion of the poor and a man of principles.

Minister for Housing Botsa Satyanarayana went to the extent of saying that by introducing Rs 2 a kg rice scheme in 1983, NTR heralded a new chapter in the food security in the country and proved himself to be a man of the masses. He said that the present Telugu Desam is no way related to the NTR's party, as present TD president N Chandrababu Naidu had backstabbed his father in law and diluted the latter's populist schemes. "We are bringing back the glorious era of NTR by reviving the Rs 2 a kg rice scheme," he said, in a television interview. So did Roads and Buildings Minister T Jeevan Reddy. He also described NTR as the real leader and a crusader against the poverty.

The Congress leaders are trying to cash in on the image of NTR, which is still a vote-catching thing. By reviving the Rs 2 a kg rice scheme and praising NTR, they are outsmarting the TD!!

Aussies made vulgar, personal comments in Kochi

Star Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh revealed that it was an unrelenting barrage of vulgar personal remarks from the Australian fielders that provoked him to a verbal duel in the second one dayer at Kochi.

In the heated match on Tuesday, Harbhajan got out to Michael Clarke and while leaving, the offie was seen exchanging words with the Australians till umpire Steve Bucknor patted him on his shoulder, asking him to move on.

Harbhajan later revealed that he was reacting to some vulgar personal comments from the Aussies. He felt the 'arrogant' Aussies were still smarting from their Twenty20 World Cup defeat to India and their outburst was just a manifestation of that frustration.

"They think they are superior and can do and say whatever they like, but that is not the case," Harbhajan said.

"They are very bad losers. They were beaten in the (Twenty20) World Cup and they clearly did not like that," the off-spinner was quoted as saying by Sydney Morning Herald.

"They are a very good cricket side, but that does not mean that they can do whatever they want to do. They say they play the game in the right spirit, but they don't in reality. There is nothing gentlemanly about the way they play," said Harbhajan, seething with anger.

Harbhajan said he did not mind little war of words but stooping to personal level was a strictly no-no.

"I was responding to a lot of vulgar words that were said to me. I don't have any problem with chitchat on the field, so long as it is about the game. But when it is very personal and vulgar, that is not on. They think you cannot fight back and they do not like it when you do."

"I won't listen to that crap. If they want to play like that, they'll get it back from us," Harbhajan said.

The second one-dayer was marked by a number of such moments and Indian pacer S Sreesanth too had an altercation with Andrew Symonds and after the match, ICC match referee Chris Broad called Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist and Mahendra Singh Dhoni and asked them to rein in their teammates.

Harbhajan said the Aussies are "poor losers" and every other team shares this sentiment.

"Ask any team. They will tell you that when (Australia) get beaten, they react badly. In this game, you win some and you lose some, but regardless of the result, there is no excuse for their kind of behaviour," he asserted.

The daily also quoted Symonds lashing out at Sreesanth and saying, "When I go to another code of sport I like to see confrontation, I'll admit that, but you don't want to see ugly confrontation and you certainly don't want to see confrontation that degrades your code".

He, however, gave enough indications that the Australians would continue with their all-round aggressive approach to the game to gain a psychological edge.

"Because we've got them for so long, if you can get an edge over them, it starts to eat into them mentally as well I think," he said.

"If we can play well here on their end, it would be good to take that confidence and that success back home," Symonds said. (PTI)

'I dream of an India that is more than hope'

My dreams began young. But I always planned on things one step at a time. I think, later, that made all the difference, between just imagining and realising that that imagination needed a focus.

I began playing cricket because everyone around was into cricket. They did play other sports in our neighbourhood, badminton and hockey, volleyball; football was really popular when Mumbai’s monsoon was on, we would dance in the rain as we played the beautiful game, but yet, somehow, it never was quite cricket. Cricket was special.

I think things began to change for me when I began understanding that there was more to cricket than picking up a bat and trying to take a wild swipe at everything that came its way. That was also when I began to dream.

I was around 9 or 10 and, watching my brother and some older guys in the building play, I wanted to be like them, to play like them, with them. My imagination at that stage only took me to a place where I was intensely competitive, enough to be among the top batsmen in my group. If you did well, were lucky, you would get a prized invitation to play with the older boys and if that happened, your success and reputation in the peer group was assured.

If I think that, in any way, I have been able to inspire generation next into imagining; into believing, hoping and dreaming that a future unknown might be possible, then that would be my contribution. If you're lucky enough to be blessed, it’s important to distribute those blessings too.So that’s what happened with me. I was 10 when I was called to play with people aged 20 or 22. And then, that year, India won the World Cup. Life was never the same again. For millions of us, young and restless and hopeful, that was the beginning of a special love story with a special game.

Having said that, I think every game is special and India’s recent winning season across sports has been wonderful to watch and so very encouraging. I have watched, with pride and joy, as the hockey team has started to pick itself up; I have watched our footballers play with rejuvenated enthusiasm and dreams in their eyes; and have watched excitedly as people like world billiards champion Pankaj Advani, golfer Jeev Milkha Singh and tennis star Sania Mirza have made us proud. Most of all, I have followed, every inch a proud Indian, the ascent of Viswanathan Anand to the chess world championship crown over the weekend.

In sport, we have several ups and downs, but being a sportsman of course, one doesn't like to lose. In fact, I think the only time I have intentionally allowed myself to relax in competition is against my children, because my wife tells me that you have to sometimes let your kids win.

At the same time, I still don't allow them to win every time. They have a long way to go and I think it's important to reinforce the message, as subtly as possible to youngsters that you have to earn your stripes in life; that, the world might lie ahead but you need to work towards conquering that world.

This is as much in life, as in sport, and, just to expand on this beyond the world I inhabit, I have put together my seven-point agenda, my dream for my India.

Eradicating hunger

I dream of an India where there is enough food for everyone, where nobody goes to sleep hungry. There are places in Mumbai where they regularly feed those who cannot otherwise afford food, and I think they do a very precious, vital job.

Accessibility to clean drinking water

I'm not talking just of water crises in metros but of those people who have to walk miles to get drinking water in remote areas in the great Indian interior. We need to find a way to make sure that if someone is thirsty, water is within easy reach.

The right to shelter

One of the things that strike you about the cities is the miles upon miles of suffering homeless, wrapped in ragged newspapers, on the streets of our megapolises. My future India will see a roof over every Indian's head; be an India that will have a home for everyone.

Educated women

My India would see an end to the discrimination against women that is prevalent in many places; an end to the evil of female infanticide. Educating our girls is a must; it is women who make families and influence generation next. We cannot be unfair to them.

Access to healthcare

I’ve read and seen enough about the lack of decent medical facilities across the country. We, as a people, need to make sure that anyone and everyone who needs a doctor is able to reach one and be helped. And be helped properly.

The end of terror

I am from Mumbai, where too many have fallen prey to terror attacks. People have suffered all over India, too many have lost near and dear ones. Somehow, somewhere, this needs to stop. Maybe that can only happen if we have a common dream, one of a better tomorrow.

A more tolerant India

Finally, when I look at my team-mates, people from different religions and socio-economic backgrounds who still bond like brothers, I wonder why that cannot be replicated across India. My final prayer, therefore, is for a tolerant India, where religious and other differences do not matter.

I also think that's where people like me have a role to play by setting an example, because little things — gestures, moves, speech — it all matters.

For instance, I've often been asked about what I felt about personal milestones, like breaking the world record for maximum hundreds, I always say it feels good but personally, I feel that if my doing this can inspire someone else, some kid watching me, to dream about going one step better, one step further, then that's what makes it worth the while.

As a child, growing up, it's hugely important to have heroes, to have someone to idolise. I had my heroes while growing up, and I have them now.

Idols and idealism

If I think that, in any way, I have been able to inspire generation next into imagining; into believing, hoping and dreaming that a future unknown might be possible, then that would be my contribution. If you're lucky enough to be blessed, it's important to distribute those blessings too.

I would like to imagine an India where Generation X is consistently raising the bar, where they believe that the impossible does not exist. My dream for India is the creation of a sporting system where no child believes that he or she has been hard done by.

Between around 1975, the time of the first World Cup, and now, Indian sport has taken huge steps; it has moved from the metropolises into the small towns, there has been a huge social change that is both heartening and welcome. Yet, there is still work to be done, more remote places to be brought into the fold, not in a haphazard manner though, but in an organised fashion.

It's not just about handing someone a racquet or a cricket bat and a rubber ball but also about teaching them the intricacies of sport, of inculcating in them a sense of achievement and inspiring in them the belief and the will to succeed.

There have to be proper facilities, accessibility to sport for people with hitherto no access… in the years ahead, if we can manage that, we will definitely move forward.

I also want to imagine an India as a land of equal sporting opportunity and choice, one where people honestly believe that sport can give them a better shot at life. No one should have the option of saying that he didn't get a chance, he or she should only be able to say that 'look, I got a chance, but I wasn't quite good enough to make it'.

If we can get sport to that level, a place where there are no excuses, tomorrow would be a far better place to be.

Behind The Scene: Samal flees to Orissa!!

Former Vigilance Commissioner Rama Chandra Samal, who created a sensation of sorts by disclosing the names of several corrupt IAS, IPS and IFS officers including those in the Chief Minister's Office, seems to have decided to go back to his native district Orissa.

Sources say Samal is planning to vacate his quarters in Secunderabad and shift his base to Orissa, after he reportedly received some threatening calls from some unknown persons. His family members were scared so much so that they brought pressure on him to go back to their native place in Orissa.

Initially, Samal thought he would stay back in Hyderabad and fight out the corrupt officers. He also had intentions of getting associated with Bharatiya Janata Party and lobby for any important post. But after the initial sympathy and support, the BJP leaders did not turn up to him nor did any other Opposition leader. And succumbing to the powerful Opposition lobby, Samal laid down his weapons and decided to flee to Orissa, sources say.

Babu takes a step ahead of Chiranjeevi

Former chief minister and Telugu Desam president N Chandrababu Naidu wants to be ahead of film star Chiranjeevi. Though he did not say it in so many words, he simply hinted that if he does some social work, he will do it in a better way. And what is this social work? Blood donation camps and blood bank. Telugu Desam will soon establish a blood bank of its own under NTR Memorial Trust. So far it has been donating blood to other organisations. Henceforth it will have its own state-of-the-art blood bank and the party will supply blood to the needy patients.

Chiranjeevi too is doing this work for long. So what is the difference between Chandrababu Naidu and Chiranjeevi one may ask. Yes there's a major difference. All the blood banks in the State simply supply blood to the needy patients. One has to approach them and take the blood. But in the case of Chandrababu Naidu's blood bank, just a telephone call will take care of everything. Blood will be delivered at the doorsteps of the hospital concerned. One need not rush to the blood bank to collect blood and then rush to the hospital carrying the blood bottle to be handed over to hospital authorities for transfusion. This will consume time. So the TD will supply blood to hospitals and all one has to do is to call the TD's blood bank for help.

According to sources, Chandrababu Naidu has rushed through the blood bank idea to preempt any possible entry of Chiranjeevi into politics.

What happened to Venkat's case?

Public memory is really short. People tend to foget issues fast. In fact there are so many issues before the people in the country that they forget them fast. Even if one wants to remember them, it's not possible. Before newer issues go on adding to the old ones and it's quite hard and almost impossible to think of old issues.

Politicians take advantage of people's short memory and benefit from them. The recent case of death in the house of K Venkat Rao, son of former APCC chief K Keshava Rao. The Opposition raised a hue and cry till he was arrested. Once he was arrested and sent to jail, no one is talking about Venkat Rao or about the case. The police are doing their job silently and sooner or later Venkat Rao will emerge "victorious" from the legal battle with a clean chit, ala film actor N Balakrishna.

Interestingly the Congress did not make much noise when Balakrishna, brother-in-law of Telugu Desam president N Chandrababu Naidu was in the same situation as is Venkat now. But the Telugu Desam shouted from the housetop in Venkat's case.

Now that the shouting has stopped, public attention has turned away from Venkat and Keshava Rao.

For Babu it's everything but Bapu

The Telugu Desam organised a mega event at party headquarters NTR Bhavan to mark the birth anniversary of father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi on Tuesday. Chandrababu Naidu, as usual, was the chief guest and spoke at length on various issues touching everything on the earth. But strangely enough he did not talk of Gandhi or his ideal principles. Except referring to Gandhi Jayanti he did not take pains to talk of the great leader.

The opportunity was utilised to criticise the Congress government and announce the pre-poll promises of the Telugu Desam. No one in the audience dared point out to Chandrababu Naidu that he was speaking out of context and it was the occasion to pay tributes to Mahatma Gandhi and not the time to criticise others. Mahatma Gandhi, no doubt, criticised the British but he did it in a subtle way. It was not to derive political mileage. It was in national interest. But of late our power hungry leaders are utilising noble events like Gandhi Jayanti to settle political and personal scores. Hey Ram!

Fact Sheet: Babu's iftaar politics!

Former chief minister and Telugu Desam president N Chandrababu Naidu scored a political point over his rival, Chief Minister YS Rajasekhar Reddy in wooing the principal minority community. Generally, Chandrababu Naidu hosts the iftaar party in the last week of Ramzan, after the chief minister hosts his iftaar. But this time, with election talk in the air, Chandrababu Naidu advanced his iftaar party taking Rajasekhar Reddy by surprise. The first impression is the best impression, it is said and Chandrababu Naidu it seems firmly believes this adage.

The TD leadership invited several senior Muslim leaders including the religious scholars to bless Chandrababu Naidu. It is quite a different matter that some of these scholars will also be present when Rajasekhar Reddy hosts his iftaar party later this month.

Sources point out that Chandrababu Naidu has rushed through the iftaar party to put Rajasekhar Reddy in an embarrassing situation. With the Telugu Desam leadership busy planning strategies to win over several sections of society, the Monday's iftaar party has given a plus point to the Telugu Desam as far as wooing the Muslims is concerned.

Political Buzz: YSR prefers Indira to Nehru!!

Chief Minister Dr Y S Rajasekhar Reddy seems to be going rather too much in naming the government schemes only after Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, so much so that the people are at their wit's end as to what the scheme is all about!

It is understood that YSR is going all out to please his boss Madam Sonia Gandhi by naming all schemes after Indira and Rajiv, but it is creating a sort of abhorrence among the people. On Sunday, he inaugurated two parks and one flyover in the city, all named after Rajiv Gandhi. Sometimes, when officials suggested to him to name a particular scheme or project after Jawaharlal Nehru or Mahatma Gandhi, too, YSR is outrightly rejecting the same to display his more loyal than king attitude towards Sonia.

For instance, in Kadapa district, the irrigation officials suggested a canal to be named after Nehru, but the Chief Minister stoutly ordered them to rename it after Indira Gandhi. The officials grumbled and reluctantly accepted the orders. If this goes on, it will definitely be an irritant for the people in the long run!!

Behind The Scene: Yet another poll sop from YSR

Chief Minister YS Rajasekhar Reddy has come out with yet another poll promise to bear the main Opposition Telugu Desam. This time he wants to distribute two lakh acres of land among the landless poor. Pattas will also be issued immediately unlike in the past. Though the Congress government describes it as the fourth phase of land distribution among the landless poor, sources point out that the Chief Minister has rushed through the decision to pre-empt any moves by the Telugu Desam or any other political party.

The government will distribute the land on the State Formation Day on November 1.

Till now the State government has identified as much as 1.35 lakh acres of vacant government land, besides 4,000 acres of assigned lands. The government is now busy in identifying the remaining land for distribution.

The Chief Minister wanted more Govt. lands to be get readied for distribution among the landless poor but with clear titles. Necessary Government Orders in this regard will be issued soon.

In another decision, the Chief Minister once again reiterated that not an inch of govt. or private or endowment or other lands will be allowed to be occupied or illegally encroached upon. Referring to the CPM's 'Bhu poratam' agitation, the Chief Minister once again made it clear that on November 1, the government will distribute about two lakh acres to the landless poor, but will not allow anarchy to prevail in the State. Thus the illegal land occupation by the CPM as part of their agitation should be dealt upon seriously and under any circumstances all the remaining illegal occupations should be evicted within a week.

He was told by the District Collectors of Ranga Reddy and Hyderabad that there is no illegal occupation as on date and all those illegally occupied government and other lands were evicted. There are a few acres of land still remain illegally occupied in few districts like Nellore, Guntur and Srikakulam.

Fact Sheet: Babu's knowledge forum goes sleep

Telugu Desam supremo and former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu is known for his innovative and often fanciful ideas. Just before his visit to the USA to collect funds from Telugu NRIs for the NTR Foundation, Chandrababu Naidu launched a website called www.nritdp.org. He also set up a knowledge forum where he invites suggestions on a variety of topics from Telugu-speaking NRIs spread across the globe. The knowledge forum worked well for three months. Later it went dead. There have been no postings on the NRI Knowledge Forum since July 30 when the last posting was made. Two months have passed and it seems tha TD leadership has no new idea to put before the forum for discussion.

Earlier, the TD leadership set up a grievances cell at NTR Bhavan. It worked well for a couple of months. Now there's no news about it. Chandrababu Naidu has not bothered to revive it. Similarly, there was an "anti-corruption" cell in the TD office. It is also as good as dead with the party not able to take up the complaints and suggestions from the common man.

Madhu Yashki's Curry Favor For Sonia

Till two weeks ago he was on tenterhooks. The lobby led by chief minister was targeting him and hatching plans to deprive him of a winnable Lok Sabha seat, but by the grace of Rahul Gandhi, Nizamabad Member of Parliament Madhu Yaksi Goud has risen again. Goud who was hibernating in New York when the Congress headquarters appointed him secretary of the national party came running back to Hyderabad to accept the accolades. But he has gone back again because Madam Sonia is about to visit New York and Madhu wants to be there to receive her. Before his resurrection, the plan being discussed by the state Congress bosses was to push him out to Nalgonda and allot the Nizamabad seat to minister in the state D Srinivas. But this plan will now been put in cold storage.

Cong MP wants two kg rice for Rs 3!!

Election atmosphere is prevailing in the State at present, with all the political parties – the Congress, the Telugu Desam, the TRS and even newly formed Lok Satta – are going all out to woo the electorate with all sorts of populist schemes.

Political observers say it might not be impossible for Telugu Desam president N Chandrababu Naidu to implement the free power supply scheme if the TD comes to power, as Naidu could not just afford to say he would drop the scheme. However, it would be next to impossible for Chief Minister Dr Y S Rajasekhar Reddy to implement Rs 2 a kg rice scheme, as this money has absolutely no value in the present circumstances since the production cost of rice has gone up steeply. That is why, YSR's proposals has been taken with a pinch of salt by the Congress leaders themselves.

A Congress MP, Survey Satyanarayana of Siddipet, has remarked, rather sarcastically that, it would have been better for YSR to announce two kgs of rice for Rs 3, rather than copying the Rs 2 a kg rice scheme of NTR announced way back in 1982. "If YSR thinks Rs 2 a kg rice scheme is possible, he can as well give it at Rs 1.50 a kg. We have huge buffer stocks of rice in the State and hence, YSR can always afford to distribute it at heavily subsidized price," he suggested.

What these leaders fail to understand is that the voters are no more fools. They are intelligent enough to see through these announcements and come to their own judgement.

How weighty are Cong, TD pre-poll sops?

Yes. They make up around 20 per cent of the State's total annual budget. If the Congress or the TD, whoever comes to power, has to spend on fulfilling the sops announced by them, they need at least Rs 10,000 crore every year. If the benefits are extended to more sections, the budgetary allocation will simply jump to Rs 20,000 crore. So the State's budget will go up by Rs 10,000 crore to Rs 20,000 crore.

Without thinking of how they will raise so much money to fulfill the promises, both the Congress and the Telugu Desam are vying with each other in announcing newer and newer promises. They are more interested in winning elections rather than thinking of the State's economy.

If the new government implements the schemes -- all the shemes promises -- it will have to impose new taxes on people to the tune of Rs 20,000 crore. This means everyone in the State will have to pay new and additional taxes. The tax structure will go up at least by two times. The common man has to cough up from his nose to fulfill the power needs of these politicians. What's a logic?

Fact Sheet: Clashes for tickets begin in Cong

Even before there is any concrete talk about mid-term elections to the Lok Sabha, leave alone to the State Assembly, the Congress leaders in the State are already clashing with one another to please the bosses and get the tickets.

Gandhi Bhavan is buzzing with activity with ticket aspirants thronging the place almost on a regular basis. The leaders are preparing their dossiers and submitting the same to the office, so that they would be in the forefront while seeking the tickets. In other places, there are already clashes between two groups of ticket aspirants.

At the inauguration of Malakpet flyover on Sunday, the supports of two ticket aspirants – sitting MLA Malreddy Ranga Reddy and Hyderabad Urban Development Authority Chairman D Sudheer Reddy – virtually entered into a brawl to attract the attention of the Chief Minister Dr Y S Rajasekhar Reddy. There were heated arguments between the two groups and they even clashed with the police to be in the front seats, as a result of which the police had to resort to minor lathicharge. More such clashes are in store in the coming days, Gandhi Bhavan sources say.

Who is playing political gimmick?

Naidu, YSR All Set To Enrich Election Manifestoes By Listing Out More Sops For Voters

Hyderabad: Chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy and his bete noire N Chandrababu Naidu seem to be vying with each other in making tall promises every day.

The chief minister on Sunday announced that he would convert Ranga Reddy into the most prosperous district and would extend the Chevella irrigation project up to Tandur. In a bid to outshine him, the TDP president said that his party was working out modalities to provide free education up to the high school level, 20 percent free seats in engineering and other professional colleges for the meritorious poor students and a special package for farm labourers.

Interestingly, both the leaders claim that these are not poll gimmicks but “their genuine concern for the welfare of the poor.” According to Naidu, the party has invited a team of experts from New Delhi to interact with the committee headed by T Devender Goud on October 6 and 7 and work out the economics and modalities of the announcements made by him in the last two days.

Meanwhile, the officials and some senior Congress leaders feel that the chief minister has fallen into the trap laid by TDP and made a hasty announcement of a Rs 2-kg rice scheme. While the opposition party can make any announcement, the ruling party has to do a lot of homework before committing itself to any populist scheme as it will have to bear the consequences of implementing it if it is returned to power.

If the government goes on announcing populist schemes, it would push the state economy into doldrums and the prestigious housing and irrigation projects would have to take a back seat, officials feel. The finance department has made it clear that it would not be possible to implement the rice scheme this year and the chief minister is understood to have taken a step backward saying that it can be announced in the next budget.

But Reddy feels that his announcement is not an election gimmick. “It is Chandrababu Naidu who is indulging in gimmicks, not me,” he said on Sunday. Justifying his decision, Reddy said that what is important is not how long one is in power but how much one has done for the welfare of the poor. He said he had proved TDP wrong by not only supplying free power but also putting the state’s economy back on rails.

CONG PROMISES
Rs 2-a-kg rice for BPL families
Deepam scheme to involve SHGs in LPG cylinder distribution to rural poor
80 lakh new power connections for Indiramma houses
Extension of Chevella irrigation project up to Tandur
Unemployment dole for youth
100 per cent rural electrification
More funds for SHGs

TDP PROMISES
Free power for nine hours
MSP for paddy on a par with wheat
Upgradation of government schools on a par with corporate schools
Free education up to high school and 20 per cent free seats in professional colleges
Poor to be permitted to sell assigned land
Unemployment dole Cheaper power tariff for poor 3 cents of plot for landless
MIG houses for middle income group