The Congress Wednesday said that the TDP&#39;s decision to pull out of the NDA government at the Centre was &quot;too little, too late&quot; as it &quot;has done nothing&quot; to protect the interests of Andhra Pradesh in the past four years.

&#39;&#39;This is too little and too late. The TDP has been an ally of the BJP for four years now and has done nothing to protect the interests of Andhra Pradesh,&quot; senior Congress leader from Andhra Pradesh and former union minister MM Pallam Raju said.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/finance-minister-arun-jaitley-promises-funds-equivalent-of-special-status-to-andhra-pradesh-35020">Will give money equivalent </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/finance-minister-arun-jaitley-promises-funds-equivalent-of-special-status-to-andhra-pradesh-35020">of</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/finance-minister-arun-jaitley-promises-funds-equivalent-of-special-status-to-andhra-pradesh-35020"> special status to Andhra Pradesh says Arun Jaitley</a>

His remarks came soon after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP leader N Chandrababu Naidu, in a late night press conference, announced that his party&#39;s two central ministers -- Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Minister of State for Science and Technology Y S Chowdary -- would resign from the government tomorrow.

Raju said the TDP has &quot;abandoned&quot; the interests of the state and that &#39;&#39;this is political posturing in view of the prevailing public mood&#39;&#39;.

Another Congress leader, when asked if the TDP pull-out of the NDA could create any potential of understanding with the Congress, said there was no such possibility.

For all these years the Congress has been struggling to secure what is rightfully the due of the state and the TDP has &quot;sacrificed&quot; the state&#39;s interests and is now indulging in political posturing. &quot;Pulling out ministers from the government means nothing,&quot; the party leader said.

Commenting on the development, CPI leader D Raja said, &quot;This clearly shows cracks have appeared in NDA...It needs to be seen what Naidu does after this.&quot;

Political parties in Andhra Pradesh have been demanding special category status for the state after Telangana was carved out of it in 2014.

Naidu&#39;s announcement came barely hours after Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley told a press conference in New Delhi this evening that funds equivalent to what a special category state receives would be extended to Andhra

Pradesh, but drew a line saying politics cannot increase the quantum of money.

We have now come out of the NDA. Party-to-party (TDP-BJP ties) issue will be decided later,&nbsp;Naidu added, hinting that their alliance may continue in the future.

&quot;When the intended purpose (of joining the Union Cabinet) has not been served, there is no point in continuing. For me the sole agenda is to safeguard the interests of the state,&nbsp;he said.

The remarks came soon after N Chandrababu Naidu announced that his party's two central ministers -- Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Minister of State for Science and Technology Y S Chowdary -- would resign from the government

The Congress Wednesday said that the TDP's decision to pull out of the NDA government at the Centre was "too little, too late" as it "has done nothing" to protect the interests of Andhra Pradesh in the past four years. ''This is too little and too late. The TDP has been an ally of the BJP for four years now and has done nothing to protect the interests of Andhra Pradesh," senior Congress leader from Andhra Pradesh and former union minister MM Pallam Raju said. Also read: Will give money equivalent of special status to Andhra Pradesh says Arun Jaitley His remarks came soon after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP leader N Chandrababu Naidu, in a late night press conference, announced that his party's two central ministers -- Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Minister of State for Science and Technology Y S Chowdary -- would resign from the government tomorrow. Raju said the TDP has "abandoned" the interests of the state and that ''this is political posturing in view of the prevailing public mood''. Another Congress leader, when asked if the TDP pull-out of the NDA could create any potential of understanding with the Congress, said there was no such possibility. For all these years the Congress has been struggling to secure what is rightfully the due of the state and the TDP has "sacrificed" the state's interests and is now indulging in political posturing. "Pulling out ministers from the government means nothing," the party leader said. Commenting on the development, CPI leader D Raja said, "This clearly shows cracks have appeared in NDA...It needs to be seen what Naidu does after this." Political parties in Andhra Pradesh have been demanding special category status for the state after Telangana was carved out of it in 2014. Naidu's announcement came barely hours after Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley told a press conference in New Delhi this evening that funds equivalent to what a special category state receives would be extended to Andhra Pradesh, but drew a line saying politics cannot increase the quantum of money. We have now come out of the NDA. Party-to-party (TDP-BJP ties) issue will be decided later, Naidu added, hinting that their alliance may continue in the future. "When the intended purpose (of joining the Union Cabinet) has not been served, there is no point in continuing. For me the sole agenda is to safeguard the interests of the state, he said.

TDP pull-out of Modi government too little, too late: Congress

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu Thursday evening.&nbsp;

The two TDP ministers in Modi&#39;s cabinet &mdash; Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Minister of State for Science and Technology YS Chowdary &mdash; later met with the prime minister and tendered their resignations to him.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Naidu had yesterday ordered the two ministers <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/andhra-special-status-row-naidu-orders-2-tdp-ministers-to-quit-union-cabinet-35018" target="_blank">to quit</a> Modi&#39;s cabinet.&nbsp;

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Aviation Minister and TDP MP Ashok Gajapathi Raju&#39;s resignation letter to PM Narendra Modi <a href="https://t.co/DXFbagSzWs">pic.twitter.com/DXFbagSzWs</a>
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Union Minister and TDP MP YS Choudhary&#39;s resignation letter to PM Narendra Modi <a href="https://t.co/qDeS2yHOfA">pic.twitter.com/qDeS2yHOfA</a>
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ANI reported TDP sources as saying Naidu explained to the prime minister why he had asked the two ministers to quit and why the TDP was withdrawing from the union government.&nbsp;

The row between the TDP and the BJP can be traced back to the TDP&#39;s demand for special status. The status would give Andhra central funding in a 90:10 ratio, with the centre paying the larger share.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had said Wednesday that the government was willing to Andhra the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/andhra-special-status-row-naidu-orders-2-tdp-ministers-to-quit-union-cabinet-35018" target="_blank">monetary equivalent</a> of the special status, but not the status itself since the category no longer existed.&nbsp;

The TDP on the other hand believes the promises made to it when the state of Telangana was carved out of it in June 2014 have not been kept. The TDP is also under tremendous pressure before the state and general elections next year, with opposition parties in the state saying it has not been able to get a good deal from the union government despite being a partner at the centre.&nbsp;

For the moment, the alliance between the TDP and the BJP continues to stand although news reports quoted&nbsp;TDP lawmaker Ravindra Babu as saying tyhe next &quot;logical step&quot; would be to exit the NDA.&nbsp;

Naidu had yesterday said this (the ordering of the resignation of the two ministers) was the &quot;first step&quot;&nbsp; and that what followed next would depend on the centre&#39;s reactions.&nbsp;

He had also said that he had been trying, as a &quot;responsible senior politician&quot;, to speak with the prime minister but that Modi had been &quot;unavailable&quot;. And, he added, that Jaitley&#39;s remarks yesterday had been the last straw.&nbsp;

Jaitley had said sentiment cannot decide quantum of funding.&nbsp;

Rahul Gandhi meanwhile had said Wednesday that the Congress, if elected to power in 2019, would be willing to give Andhra the special status it was asking for.&nbsp;

Naidu had yesterday ordered the two ministers to quit Modi's cabinet

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu Thursday evening. The two TDP ministers in Modi's cabinet — Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju and Minister of State for Science and Technology YS Chowdary — later met with the prime minister and tendered their resignations to him. Naidu had yesterday ordered the two ministers to quit Modi's cabinet. Aviation Minister and TDP MP Ashok Gajapathi Raju's resignation letter to PM Narendra Modi pic.twitter.com/DXFbagSzWs — ANI (@ANI) March 8, 2018 × Union Minister and TDP MP YS Choudhary's resignation letter to PM Narendra Modi pic.twitter.com/qDeS2yHOfA — ANI (@ANI) March 8, 2018 × ANI reported TDP sources as saying Naidu explained to the prime minister why he had asked the two ministers to quit and why the TDP was withdrawing from the union government. The row between the TDP and the BJP can be traced back to the TDP's demand for special status. The status would give Andhra central funding in a 90:10 ratio, with the centre paying the larger share. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had said Wednesday that the government was willing to Andhra the monetary equivalent of the special status, but not the status itself since the category no longer existed. The TDP on the other hand believes the promises made to it when the state of Telangana was carved out of it in June 2014 have not been kept. The TDP is also under tremendous pressure before the state and general elections next year, with opposition parties in the state saying it has not been able to get a good deal from the union government despite being a partner at the centre. For the moment, the alliance between the TDP and the BJP continues to stand although news reports quoted TDP lawmaker Ravindra Babu as saying tyhe next "logical step" would be to exit the NDA. Naidu had yesterday said this (the ordering of the resignation of the two ministers) was the "first step" and that what followed next would depend on the centre's reactions. He had also said that he had been trying, as a "responsible senior politician", to speak with the prime minister but that Modi had been "unavailable". And, he added, that Jaitley's remarks yesterday had been the last straw. Jaitley had said sentiment cannot decide quantum of funding. Rahul Gandhi meanwhile had said Wednesday that the Congress, if elected to power in 2019, would be willing to give Andhra the special status it was asking for.

Modi speaks to Andhra Pradesh CM Naidu, 2 TDP ministers quit Union Cabinet

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday night directed TDP ministers Ashok Gajapathi Raju and YS Chowdary to resign as Union Ministers over the Andhra Pradesh &quot;special status&quot; row.

&quot;This is the first step. We will go ahead with other actions later,&quot;&nbsp;Naidu said in Amravati. The alliance between the TDP and the BJP however still remains intact.&nbsp;

The TDP has been asking the Centre for special status. Earlier on Wednesday, Jaitley said the Centre was willing to give Andhra the monetary equivalent of special status but not the status itself since the category no longer exists. The TDP in turn believes the promises made to Andhra when the state of Telangana was carved out of it (in June 2014) have not been kept.&nbsp;

&quot;We have been raising the matter since the day of Budget. But they (central government) did not respond,&quot; said Naidu.&nbsp;&nbsp;

&quot;We have shown patience for 4 years. I tried to convince the centre by all means,&quot; said Naidu. &quot;As a courtesy and being a responsible senior politician, I tried reaching out to Prime Minister to inform about our decision. He was unavailable.&quot;&nbsp;

&quot;The centre is not in a mood to listen. I don&#39;t know what mistake I have done. Why are they speaking such things?&quot; said Naidu, adding that &quot;Arun Jaitley&#39;s statement was the last straw. They are apparently predetermined. They don&#39;t appear to help the state.&quot;&nbsp;

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Earlier on Wednesay, Jaitley had said:&nbsp;&quot;What is the implication of special status? The special status used to be originally granted to states in the Northeast because they have their own resources that were inadequate. One of the promises was that Andhra Pradesh should be given special status. Provision for revenue deficit in case of Andhra Pradesh as per Finance Commission already made. In most of the schemes of special status, 60% is funded by Centre and 40% by the state. Special category status means that you get a 90-10 advantage, not 60-40. There has to be to a basis to calculate financial deficit.&quot;

Jaitley was addressing the media.&nbsp;&quot;Andhra Pradesh was unwilling and Telangana wanted the division. Andhra was suffering in terms of resources. Therefore some help had to be given to AP. So one of the promises was AP should be given special category status. At that time, special category state concept did exist. But, according to 14th Finance Commission, there is no special category status now to be given,&quot; Jaitley had said.&nbsp;

&quot;I know Andhra has suffered because of bifurcation. Whatever is monetary equivalent of special status will be given to Andhra by the Centre. Whatever is mentioned in the act, the Centre is willing to fullfill. We are willing to satisfy every condition. The only variation is that after Finance Commission report instead of formally calling it a special category state, we are calling it a special package, which gives same monetary benefits that a special category state gives you. Sentiment does not decide the quantum of funds. Centre has repeatedly said that we are ready to give it,&quot; Jaitley added.&nbsp;

The TDP faces extreme pressure in the state ahead of assembly elections and the national election next year, with opposition parties accusing Naidu of failing Andhra Pradesh by not ensuring special status for it as a partner at the Centre.&nbsp;

The Congress&#39; Rahul Gandhi meanwhile has said the Congress would be willing to give the Andhra the special status it is asking for if it is elected to power in 2019.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

'This is the first step. We will go ahead with other actions later,' Naidu said

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday night directed TDP ministers Ashok Gajapathi Raju and YS Chowdary to resign as Union Ministers over the Andhra Pradesh "special status" row. "This is the first step. We will go ahead with other actions later," Naidu said in Amravati. The alliance between the TDP and the BJP however still remains intact. The TDP has been asking the Centre for special status. Earlier on Wednesday, Jaitley said the Centre was willing to give Andhra the monetary equivalent of special status but not the status itself since the category no longer exists. The TDP in turn believes the promises made to Andhra when the state of Telangana was carved out of it (in June 2014) have not been kept. "We have been raising the matter since the day of Budget. But they (central government) did not respond," said Naidu. "We have shown patience for 4 years. I tried to convince the centre by all means," said Naidu. "As a courtesy and being a responsible senior politician, I tried reaching out to Prime Minister to inform about our decision. He was unavailable." "The centre is not in a mood to listen. I don't know what mistake I have done. Why are they speaking such things?" said Naidu, adding that "Arun Jaitley's statement was the last straw. They are apparently predetermined. They don't appear to help the state." #WATCH Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu briefs the media in Amaravati https://t.co/0XlA0CPi4b — ANI (@ANI) March 7, 2018 × Earlier on Wednesay, Jaitley had said: "What is the implication of special status? The special status used to be originally granted to states in the Northeast because they have their own resources that were inadequate. One of the promises was that Andhra Pradesh should be given special status. Provision for revenue deficit in case of Andhra Pradesh as per Finance Commission already made. In most of the schemes of special status, 60% is funded by Centre and 40% by the state. Special category status means that you get a 90-10 advantage, not 60-40. There has to be to a basis to calculate financial deficit." Jaitley was addressing the media. "Andhra Pradesh was unwilling and Telangana wanted the division. Andhra was suffering in terms of resources. Therefore some help had to be given to AP. So one of the promises was AP should be given special category status. At that time, special category state concept did exist. But, according to 14th Finance Commission, there is no special category status now to be given," Jaitley had said. "I know Andhra has suffered because of bifurcation. Whatever is monetary equivalent of special status will be given to Andhra by the Centre. Whatever is mentioned in the act, the Centre is willing to fullfill. We are willing to satisfy every condition. The only variation is that after Finance Commission report instead of formally calling it a special category state, we are calling it a special package, which gives same monetary benefits that a special category state gives you. Sentiment does not decide the quantum of funds. Centre has repeatedly said that we are ready to give it," Jaitley added. The TDP faces extreme pressure in the state ahead of assembly elections and the national election next year, with opposition parties accusing Naidu of failing Andhra Pradesh by not ensuring special status for it as a partner at the Centre. The Congress' Rahul Gandhi meanwhile has said the Congress would be willing to give the Andhra the special status it is asking for if it is elected to power in 2019.

Andhra special status row: Naidu orders 2 TDP ministers to quit Union Cabinet

In a bid to pacify the sulking ally Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today promised Andhra Pradesh funds equivalent to what a special category state receives but drew a line saying politics cannot increase the quantum of money.

As the TDP threatened to quit the ruling NDA alliance led by the BJP at the Centre, Jaitley said his government was committed to meeting all promises made to Andhra Pradesh at the time of carving out of Telangana four years back.

But giving special category status, as demanded by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, to any state apart from those in the North East and three hilly provinces is not constitutionally possible after the implementation of the 14th Finance Commission recommendation, he said.

However, to make up for that, the Centre would give Andhra Pradesh funds equivalent to what a special category status state gets, he said. 
For special category status category states, the Centre meets 90 per cent of the funds required in a centrally sponsored scheme as against 60 per cent in case of normal category states. The remaining funds are provided by the state governments.

He said the Centre had committed 90 per cent of the funds for centrally sponsored schemes in Andhra Pradesh, equivalent to special category states, through other means like external agencies like World Bank, but the state government wanted funds to be routed through agri-lending bank NABARD. The Centre is agreeable to even that provided a mechanism is worked out, he told reporters at his office here.

Asked about the threat of TDP to pull out of the NDA if more funds are not allocated, he said: &quot;political issue cannot increase the quantum of money because the Centre has no free-floating funds&quot;. 
&quot;Every state in India has the right to the central fund in the same manner. Sentiment does not decide the quantum of funds, it is the constitutional award of the Finance Commission which decides on the quantum of funds that the states get,&quot; he said.

Asked about Congress President Rahul Gandhi&#39;s promise to give the state the special category status if his party is voted to power, Jaitley said, &quot;I still have to follow constitutional award&quot; of the 14th Finance Commission. 
He said the Centre is committed to giving funds to Andhra Pradesh equivalent to what a special status state gets, he said.

The 14th Finance Commission raised the share of states in taxes collected by the Centre to 42 per cent from 32 per cent but abolished special category states.

&quot;The principal issue relates to what is the implication of a special status. The special status was originally granted to states in North East because they have their own resources which were inadequate and the revenue was inadequate,&quot; he said.

Jaitley said while the promise of special category status to Andhra Pradesh was legally possible when the state was bifurcated, there is no such category after constitutional award by the 14 Finance Commission.

&quot;Instead states which are in deficit in terms of revenue, we are compensating them because everyone gets a hike of 10 per cent to 42 per cent plus for a certain period; revenue deficit will be taken care of and a provision for revenue deficit was made in the case of Andhra Pradesh,&quot; he said.

For Andhra Pradesh, the 90:10 funding of schemes instead of usual 60:40 would be implemented &quot;notwithstanding the fact that the word special status is not there&quot;, he said.

During consultations in 2016, it was proposed that grants given by external agencies like World Bank, ADB and JICA to Andhra Pradesh would be repaid 90 per cent by the Centre and remaining 10 per cent by the state.

However, in January this year, the state government modified the request and demanded the money through NABARD.

&quot;Now if NABARD gives directly to the central government, it gets added to the fiscal deficit. If it gives to the state government, it will get added to the state&#39;s fiscal deficit, and therefore reduces the borrowing capacity of the state,&quot; he said.

To overcome this, it was proposed last month that a special purpose vehicle is created in the state which deals with the development work. The NABARD fund will come into that corporation and the money would be repaid to NABARD 90:10 ratio.

&quot;We are awaiting a response, I hope it is a positive response, and the state tells us in what manner they want,&quot; he said. &quot;At no stage has the Centre said that we won&#39;t give it.&quot;

Jaitley hoped for a positive outcome as he believed that the state needs assistance.

On revenue deficit, he said Rs 4,000 crore has already been paid for 2014-15 and only Rs 138 crore remains.

On the demand for tax incentives, he said in his Budget proposals he has already announced measures like investment and depreciation allowance.

&quot;AP has suffered because of bifurcation and whatever support is required because of that (we will give),&quot; he said, adding all issues have to be resolved within the framework of Centre and state relation.

The Centre is agreeable to even that provided a mechanism is worked out, he told reporters at his office here.

In a bid to pacify the sulking ally Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today promised Andhra Pradesh funds equivalent to what a special category state receives but drew a line saying politics cannot increase the quantum of money. As the TDP threatened to quit the ruling NDA alliance led by the BJP at the Centre, Jaitley said his government was committed to meeting all promises made to Andhra Pradesh at the time of carving out of Telangana four years back. But giving special category status, as demanded by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, to any state apart from those in the North East and three hilly provinces is not constitutionally possible after the implementation of the 14th Finance Commission recommendation, he said. However, to make up for that, the Centre would give Andhra Pradesh funds equivalent to what a special category status state gets, he said. For special category status category states, the Centre meets 90 per cent of the funds required in a centrally sponsored scheme as against 60 per cent in case of normal category states. The remaining funds are provided by the state governments. He said the Centre had committed 90 per cent of the funds for centrally sponsored schemes in Andhra Pradesh, equivalent to special category states, through other means like external agencies like World Bank, but the state government wanted funds to be routed through agri-lending bank NABARD. The Centre is agreeable to even that provided a mechanism is worked out, he told reporters at his office here. Asked about the threat of TDP to pull out of the NDA if more funds are not allocated, he said: "political issue cannot increase the quantum of money because the Centre has no free-floating funds". "Every state in India has the right to the central fund in the same manner. Sentiment does not decide the quantum of funds, it is the constitutional award of the Finance Commission which decides on the quantum of funds that the states get," he said. Asked about Congress President Rahul Gandhi's promise to give the state the special category status if his party is voted to power, Jaitley said, "I still have to follow constitutional award" of the 14th Finance Commission. He said the Centre is committed to giving funds to Andhra Pradesh equivalent to what a special status state gets, he said. The 14th Finance Commission raised the share of states in taxes collected by the Centre to 42 per cent from 32 per cent but abolished special category states. "The principal issue relates to what is the implication of a special status. The special status was originally granted to states in North East because they have their own resources which were inadequate and the revenue was inadequate," he said. Jaitley said while the promise of special category status to Andhra Pradesh was legally possible when the state was bifurcated, there is no such category after constitutional award by the 14 Finance Commission. "Instead states which are in deficit in terms of revenue, we are compensating them because everyone gets a hike of 10 per cent to 42 per cent plus for a certain period; revenue deficit will be taken care of and a provision for revenue deficit was made in the case of Andhra Pradesh," he said. For Andhra Pradesh, the 90:10 funding of schemes instead of usual 60:40 would be implemented "notwithstanding the fact that the word special status is not there", he said. During consultations in 2016, it was proposed that grants given by external agencies like World Bank, ADB and JICA to Andhra Pradesh would be repaid 90 per cent by the Centre and remaining 10 per cent by the state. However, in January this year, the state government modified the request and demanded the money through NABARD. "Now if NABARD gives directly to the central government, it gets added to the fiscal deficit. If it gives to the state government, it will get added to the state's fiscal deficit, and therefore reduces the borrowing capacity of the state," he said. To overcome this, it was proposed last month that a special purpose vehicle is created in the state which deals with the development work. The NABARD fund will come into that corporation and the money would be repaid to NABARD 90:10 ratio. "We are awaiting a response, I hope it is a positive response, and the state tells us in what manner they want," he said. "At no stage has the Centre said that we won't give it." Jaitley hoped for a positive outcome as he believed that the state needs assistance. On revenue deficit, he said Rs 4,000 crore has already been paid for 2014-15 and only Rs 138 crore remains. On the demand for tax incentives, he said in his Budget proposals he has already announced measures like investment and depreciation allowance. "AP has suffered because of bifurcation and whatever support is required because of that (we will give)," he said, adding all issues have to be resolved within the framework of Centre and state relation.

Arun Jaitley: Will give money equivalent of special status to Andhra Pradesh

Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan on Wednesday said the six &#39;enjoining hands&#39; symbol of his new political party &#39;Makkal Needhi Maiam&#39; represents six southern states.

While speaking at the launch of the party, for which Haasan has &quot;picked ideologies from everyone&quot;, the actor-turned-politician said he had kept his party&#39;s name &#39;Maiam&#39; (Centre) because he did not belong to either Left or Right.

The six southern states Haasan was referring to are Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and one Union Territory Andeman and Nicobar Islands.

&quot;People ask me what is Maiam, and if I am a Left or a Right. This is why I have kept my party&#39;s name &#39;Maiam&#39;, which means centre. The six hands in my party symbol represent six states and the star in the middle represents people,&quot; Haasan said.

He said his party would work on providing quality education to all and diminishing caste and religion difference in the society.

&quot;We will work on many issues including these. We will set an example; fight corruption together. People have unfortunately sold their votes for merely Rs 6,000. People ask me if I will give them money. My answer is no, I will not. If you accept money, you cannot ask your representative for anything,&quot; he said.

Haasan said that all these years he was in people&#39;s heart and now he wants to be a part of their residence, &quot;I am the lamp in your house, which does not flicker in winds of corruption.&quot;

When asked who his inspiration is -- Bhim Rao Ambedkar, Mahatma Gandhi or Periyar E. V. Ramasamy, the former actor said he liked and was inspired from all, including Arvind Kejriwal, N. Chandrababu Naidu, Pinarayi Vijayan, and Barack Obama.

Haasan said he wanted to start his party silently and move slowly towards campaigning.

&quot;There is no starvation for money, but for good-hearted people.&quot;

On the Supreme Court&#39;s verdict on the Cauvery dispute, Haasan said Tamil Nadu could get water if there was good dialogue with Karnataka. &quot;I can even get blood (donated blood, not violence).&quot;

He said his two daughters - Shruti Haasan and Akshara Haasan, who were present at the launch event, were free to decide whether to join him in this new journey or not.

The six southern states Haasan was talking about are Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and one union territory, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan on Wednesday said the six 'enjoining hands' symbol of his new political party 'Makkal Needhi Maiam' represents six southern states. While speaking at the launch of the party, for which Haasan has "picked ideologies from everyone", the actor-turned-politician said he had kept his party's name 'Maiam' (Centre) because he did not belong to either Left or Right. The six southern states Haasan was referring to are Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and one Union Territory Andeman and Nicobar Islands. "People ask me what is Maiam, and if I am a Left or a Right. This is why I have kept my party's name 'Maiam', which means centre. The six hands in my party symbol represent six states and the star in the middle represents people," Haasan said. He said his party would work on providing quality education to all and diminishing caste and religion difference in the society. "We will work on many issues including these. We will set an example; fight corruption together. People have unfortunately sold their votes for merely Rs 6,000. People ask me if I will give them money. My answer is no, I will not. If you accept money, you cannot ask your representative for anything," he said. Haasan said that all these years he was in people's heart and now he wants to be a part of their residence, "I am the lamp in your house, which does not flicker in winds of corruption." When asked who his inspiration is -- Bhim Rao Ambedkar, Mahatma Gandhi or Periyar E. V. Ramasamy, the former actor said he liked and was inspired from all, including Arvind Kejriwal, N. Chandrababu Naidu, Pinarayi Vijayan, and Barack Obama. Haasan said he wanted to start his party silently and move slowly towards campaigning. "There is no starvation for money, but for good-hearted people." On the Supreme Court's verdict on the Cauvery dispute, Haasan said Tamil Nadu could get water if there was good dialogue with Karnataka. "I can even get blood (donated blood, not violence)." He said his two daughters - Shruti Haasan and Akshara Haasan, who were present at the launch event, were free to decide whether to join him in this new journey or not.

Kamal Haasan's Makkal Needhi Maiam party symbol explained

A 24-year-old MBA student hanged herself Sunday while on a video call with her boyfriend.

The student, identified as B Haneesha Chowdhary, was studying at the Sivasivani Institute of Management and is a resident of Andhra Pradesh&#39;s Anantapur district.

Haneesha reportedly killed herself because of a disagreement with her boyfried.&nbsp;

&quot;A&nbsp;minor argument broke out between them after which she seems to have told him that she was going to end her life,&quot; police said.

&quot;We don&#39;t have any confirmation that she committed suicide while the video call was on. However, she had spoken with her friend on video call before resorting to the extreme step. Her friend told us that the victim had said that she would hang herself. He also told us that he saw her hanging,&quot; police added.&nbsp;

Haneesha&#39;s body was sent for a post-mortem to a Secundrabad hospital.

Police have registered a case of suspicious death after her parents filed an FIR. An investigation is underway.

The 24-year-old reportedly killed herself because of a disagreement with the boyfriend

A 24-year-old MBA student hanged herself Sunday while on a video call with her boyfriend. The student, identified as B Haneesha Chowdhary, was studying at the Sivasivani Institute of Management and is a resident of Andhra Pradesh's Anantapur district. Haneesha reportedly killed herself because of a disagreement with her boyfried. "A minor argument broke out between them after which she seems to have told him that she was going to end her life," police said. "We don't have any confirmation that she committed suicide while the video call was on. However, she had spoken with her friend on video call before resorting to the extreme step. Her friend told us that the victim had said that she would hang herself. He also told us that he saw her hanging," police added. Haneesha's body was sent for a post-mortem to a Secundrabad hospital. Police have registered a case of suspicious death after her parents filed an FIR. An investigation is underway.

Hyderabad: MBA student hangs herself during video call with boyfriend

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu criticised the Modi government for not granting special status to Andhra Pradesh.&nbsp;

Speaking at Guntur earlier today, Naidu said that his party (TDP) aligned with the BJP &quot;for the sake of doing justice to the state of Andhra Pradesh&quot;.&nbsp;He also noted that no justice has been meted out even after him visiting the capital city and meeting with various leaders for nearly 29 times.

&quot;Even in the last budget, they did injustice to Andhra,&quot; the CM noted.&nbsp;

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We went with BJP for the sake of doing justice to the state of Andhra Pradesh. I visited Delhi 29 times &amp; met everyone several times. Still justice has not been done. Even in the last budget, they did injustice to Andhra: Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu in Guntur (file pic) <a href="https://t.co/90CblHl5br">pic.twitter.com/90CblHl5br</a>
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&quot;On behalf of 5 crore people of Andhra, I&#39;m demanding the central government to do justice to the state. I&#39;m ready for debate on how much other states got and how much we got. I&#39;m demanding PM and Union Ministers to do justice to Andhra,&quot; noted Chandrababu Naidu.

He also noted that he is ready to make any sacrifices for the justice of Telugu people.&nbsp;

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On behalf of 5 crore people of Andhra, I&#39;m demanding Centre to do justice to the state. I&#39;m ready for debate on how much other states got &amp; how much we got. I&#39;m demanding PM &amp; Union Ministers to do justice to Andhra. I&#39;m ready for any sacrifices for justice to Telugus: Andhra CM
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MPs from the Telegu Desam Party and the YSR Congress protested in the Lok Sabha earlier this month demanding special status for Andhra Pradesh.&nbsp;

The NDA ally TDP demanded concessions for the party.&nbsp;

The party had already initiated efforts to press the centre for various allocations to Andhra Pradesh. It also expressed its dissatisfaction with the Union budget claiming it has no provisions for the state.&nbsp;

The TDP also demanded implementation of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act in &quot;keeping with the promise&quot; made by the BJP.

MPs from Telegu Desam Party and YSR Congress protested in the Lok Sabha earlier this month demanding special status for Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu criticised the Modi government for not granting special status to Andhra Pradesh. Speaking at Guntur earlier today, Naidu said that his party (TDP) aligned with the BJP "for the sake of doing justice to the state of Andhra Pradesh". He also noted that no justice has been meted out even after him visiting the capital city and meeting with various leaders for nearly 29 times. "Even in the last budget, they did injustice to Andhra," the CM noted. We went with BJP for the sake of doing justice to the state of Andhra Pradesh. I visited Delhi 29 times & met everyone several times. Still justice has not been done. Even in the last budget, they did injustice to Andhra: Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu in Guntur (file pic) pic.twitter.com/90CblHl5br — ANI (@ANI) February 17, 2018 × "On behalf of 5 crore people of Andhra, I'm demanding the central government to do justice to the state. I'm ready for debate on how much other states got and how much we got. I'm demanding PM and Union Ministers to do justice to Andhra," noted Chandrababu Naidu. He also noted that he is ready to make any sacrifices for the justice of Telugu people. On behalf of 5 crore people of Andhra, I'm demanding Centre to do justice to the state. I'm ready for debate on how much other states got & how much we got. I'm demanding PM & Union Ministers to do justice to Andhra. I'm ready for any sacrifices for justice to Telugus: Andhra CM — ANI (@ANI) February 17, 2018 × MPs from the Telegu Desam Party and the YSR Congress protested in the Lok Sabha earlier this month demanding special status for Andhra Pradesh. The NDA ally TDP demanded concessions for the party. The party had already initiated efforts to press the centre for various allocations to Andhra Pradesh. It also expressed its dissatisfaction with the Union budget claiming it has no provisions for the state. The TDP also demanded implementation of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act in "keeping with the promise" made by the BJP.

Ready to sacrifice anything for justice to Telugus: Chandrababu Naidu

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani arrived in Hyderabad on a three-day state visit to India on Thursday evening. The two countries will discuss regional and international issues of mutual interest during the visit.

Union Minister of State for Power R K Singh and Telangana and Andhra Pradesh Governor ESL Narasimhan received him at the Begumpet airport.

&quot;He is scheduled to address Muslim intellectuals, scholars and clerics in the city at 6.30 pm today,&quot; an official said.

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Iranian President Hassan Rouhani arrives in Telangana&#39;s Hyderabad. He will offer Friday prayers at Makkah Masjid tomorrow. He will also visit Golconda Fort and Salar Jung Museum. <a href="https://t.co/gYBZibYbYu">pic.twitter.com/gYBZibYbYu</a>
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During his two-day visit to the city, President Rouhani, who is accompanied by a 21-member delegation, will also meet people of Iranian-origin living in Hyderabad.

He will address a congregation at the historic Mecca Masjid in Hyderabad tomorrow after offering Friday prayers, the official said, adding that religious scholars will also participate in the session.

Rouhani is also expected to visit historic sites, including the Qutub Shahi tombs at Golconda here.

This is Rouhani&#39;s second visit to Hyderabad and the first after becoming president.

He would stay at the Taj Krishna hotel tonight and leave for New Delhi tomorrow evening.&nbsp;

Locals say Iranians are very fond of India and Hyderabad in particular.

The Iranian president will leave for New Delhi tomorrow evening.&nbsp;

Union Minister of State for Power R K Singh and Telangana and Andhra Pradesh Governor ESL Narasimhan received him at the Begumpet airport.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani arrived in Hyderabad on a three-day state visit to India on Thursday evening. The two countries will discuss regional and international issues of mutual interest during the visit. Union Minister of State for Power R K Singh and Telangana and Andhra Pradesh Governor ESL Narasimhan received him at the Begumpet airport. "He is scheduled to address Muslim intellectuals, scholars and clerics in the city at 6.30 pm today," an official said. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani arrives in Telangana's Hyderabad. He will offer Friday prayers at Makkah Masjid tomorrow. He will also visit Golconda Fort and Salar Jung Museum. pic.twitter.com/gYBZibYbYu — ANI (@ANI) February 15, 2018 × During his two-day visit to the city, President Rouhani, who is accompanied by a 21-member delegation, will also meet people of Iranian-origin living in Hyderabad. He will address a congregation at the historic Mecca Masjid in Hyderabad tomorrow after offering Friday prayers, the official said, adding that religious scholars will also participate in the session. Rouhani is also expected to visit historic sites, including the Qutub Shahi tombs at Golconda here. This is Rouhani's second visit to Hyderabad and the first after becoming president. He would stay at the Taj Krishna hotel tonight and leave for New Delhi tomorrow evening. Locals say Iranians are very fond of India and Hyderabad in particular. The Iranian president will leave for New Delhi tomorrow evening.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani arrives in Hyderabad on three-day India visit

Farmers in Andhra Pradesh&#39;s Nellore district seems to have found a novel way counter &#39;evil eye&#39; and protect their crop. The farmers have replaced scarecrows with posters of Sunny Leone.&nbsp;

Locals here vouch for the fact that the switch seems to have helped in warding off &#39;evil-eye&#39;.&nbsp;

Posters of bikini-clad Sunny Leone are put up instead of lifeless scarecrows bearing an interesting message on them in Telugu that translates into, &quot;Don&rsquo;t cry or feel jealous of me!&rdquo;.&nbsp;

Sunny Leone is a Canadian born Indian actress who formerly worked as a porn star and now features in many Bollywood movies, item numbers and songs.&nbsp;

She was recently urged to pull out from a New Year event in Bengaluru.&nbsp;

&quot;No permission has been granted for Time Creation&#39;s New Year&#39;s Eve event in which Sunny Leone was to take part,&quot; Karnataka Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy noted in December 2017.

Locals here vouch for the fact that the switch seems to have helped in warding off 'evil-eye'.

Farmers in Andhra Pradesh's Nellore district seems to have found a novel way counter 'evil eye' and protect their crop. The farmers have replaced scarecrows with posters of Sunny Leone. Locals here vouch for the fact that the switch seems to have helped in warding off 'evil-eye'. Posters of bikini-clad Sunny Leone are put up instead of lifeless scarecrows bearing an interesting message on them in Telugu that translates into, "Don’t cry or feel jealous of me!”. Sunny Leone is a Canadian born Indian actress who formerly worked as a porn star and now features in many Bollywood movies, item numbers and songs. She was recently urged to pull out from a New Year event in Bengaluru. "No permission has been granted for Time Creation's New Year's Eve event in which Sunny Leone was to take part," Karnataka Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy noted in December 2017.

Andhra Pradesh farmers think Sunny Leone wards off 'evil eye'

The BJP today dismissed as &quot;propaganda&quot; claims that the Centre has not done much for Andhra Pradesh&#39;s development, and asked its ally TDP to sort out its issues with the government &quot;amicably&quot;.

At a press conference, BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao and state party president and Visakhapatnam MP K Hari Babu presented a list of institutions, projects and funds sanctioned for the state by the NDA government and asserted that the Centre has taken utmost care of the state.

The state has received priority and the Centre is committed to its development, Rao said. Referring to the charges made by Andhra MPs representing TDP and YSRCP, Rao said it was all &quot;propaganda&quot;.

TDP chief and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/tdp-asks-centre-to-spell-out-financial-formula-with-specific-timelines-32165"> N Chandrababu Naidu</a> on Wednesday asked the Centre to spell out its &quot;formula&quot; for the state with specific timelines, a day after Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley assured agitating TDP MPs in Parliament that the Centre would soon come out with a plan to release a special financial package to Andhra Pradesh.

Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday demanded financial support by working out an &quot;extrabudgetary&quot; route to provide funds required for the state&#39;s development and reconstruction activities.

Also read: &nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/budget-concern-tdp-sends-notice-to-rajya-sabha-set-to-meet-parliamentary-affairs-minister-ananth-kumar-31820">Budget concern: TDP sends notice to Rajya Sabha, set to meet Parliamentary affairs minister Ananth Kumar</a>

&ldquo;The Centre should clearly spell out what it has done for the state in the last four years and what it will do now. It should announce a plan of action with clear timelines,&rdquo; Naidu said.

TDP MP P Ravindra Babu had also said, &quot;Whatever CM (chief minister) decides we will stand by it, but we are not happy with the BJP budget, not happy with the budget allotted to Andhra Pradesh.&quot;&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/crucial-tdp-meet-underway-to-review-alliance-with-bjp-31730">&nbsp;K&nbsp;Hari Babu</a>&nbsp;highlighted two major issues in a meeting held on Friday --- the revenue deficit the state had inherited at the time of bifurcation and the implementation of special package -- have been sorted out and concerns over other proposed projects and institutions were also addressed.

The Centre will bear all revenue deficit for the entire period of the 14th finance commission and a total of Rs 22,113 crores will be paid to Andhra Pradesh as grant for the five- year period.

The Centre has released a sum of Rs 1,269 crore to AP under different heads in the last few days with the gross grant including Rs 417.44 crore for the Polavaram multipurpose project, one of the contentious issues between the allies TDP and BJP, he said.&nbsp;

(With PTI inputs)

Rao presented a list of institutions, projects, and funds sanctioned for the state by the NDA government and asserted that the Centre has taken utmost care of the state

The BJP today dismissed as "propaganda" claims that the Centre has not done much for Andhra Pradesh's development, and asked its ally TDP to sort out its issues with the government "amicably". At a press conference, BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao and state party president and Visakhapatnam MP K Hari Babu presented a list of institutions, projects and funds sanctioned for the state by the NDA government and asserted that the Centre has taken utmost care of the state. The state has received priority and the Centre is committed to its development, Rao said. Referring to the charges made by Andhra MPs representing TDP and YSRCP, Rao said it was all "propaganda". TDP chief and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday asked the Centre to spell out its "formula" for the state with specific timelines, a day after Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley assured agitating TDP MPs in Parliament that the Centre would soon come out with a plan to release a special financial package to Andhra Pradesh. Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday demanded financial support by working out an "extrabudgetary" route to provide funds required for the state's development and reconstruction activities. Also read: Budget concern: TDP sends notice to Rajya Sabha, set to meet Parliamentary affairs minister Ananth Kumar “The Centre should clearly spell out what it has done for the state in the last four years and what it will do now. It should announce a plan of action with clear timelines,” Naidu said. TDP MP P Ravindra Babu had also said, "Whatever CM (chief minister) decides we will stand by it, but we are not happy with the BJP budget, not happy with the budget allotted to Andhra Pradesh." K Hari Babu highlighted two major issues in a meeting held on Friday --- the revenue deficit the state had inherited at the time of bifurcation and the implementation of special package -- have been sorted out and concerns over other proposed projects and institutions were also addressed. The Centre will bear all revenue deficit for the entire period of the 14th finance commission and a total of Rs 22,113 crores will be paid to Andhra Pradesh as grant for the five- year period. The Centre has released a sum of Rs 1,269 crore to AP under different heads in the last few days with the gross grant including Rs 417.44 crore for the Polavaram multipurpose project, one of the contentious issues between the allies TDP and BJP, he said. (With PTI inputs)

Charges made by TDP members a 'propaganda', says BJP

Congress president Rahul Gandhi voiced his support for special category status for Andhra Pradesh.

The Gandhi scion took to Twitter in support of long-pending demand of the southern state which was divided into two states -- Telangana and Andhra Pradesh -- towards the fag end of UPA regime in 2014.&nbsp;

&quot;The Congress Party supports the just demands of the people of Andhra Pradesh for special category status and speedy completion of the Polavaram project&quot;, Rahul Gandhi tweeted and added that it&#39;s time for all parties to unite on this issue and support this call for justice.

Modi speaking in the Lok Sabha on the Motion of Thanks to the President&#39;s address recently lashed out at the Congress and accused the party of &quot;hastily&quot; dividing the southern state for political gains.

&quot;This is your character. You divided India. Even after 70 years of Independence, 125 crore people of India continue to suffer because of the poison you sowed. Not a single day passes when people of India are not punished for your sins,&quot; Modi said, speaking in the Lok Sabha.&nbsp;

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The Congress Party supports the just demands of the people of Andhra Pradesh for special category status and speedy completion of the Polavaram project. It&#39;s time for all parties to unite on this issue and support this call for justice.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INCStandsWithAndhra?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INCStandsWithAndhra</a>
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Modi addressed the House while some Andhra MPs were raising slogans, demanding the financial package for Andhra Pradesh that was promised when Telangana was carved out of it in 2014.

Upset over the budget ignoring the needs of Andhra Pradesh, the Chandrababu Naidu-led Telugu Desam Party (TDP) recently called for a meeting in Amravati to review the party&#39;s alliance with the BJP at the centre.

Ahead of that review meeting, speculation was rife that TDP may sever ties with the BJP, However, the party decided to continue its alliance with the BJP at the Centre.

Speaking to reporters after the review meeting, Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu asked the Centre to spell out its &lsquo;formula&rsquo; for the state with specific timelines,&nbsp;

&ldquo;The Centre should clearly spell out what it has done for the state in the last four years and what it will do now. It should announce a plan of action with clear timelines,&rdquo; Naidu said.

Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu demanded financial support by working out an &quot;extrabudgetary&quot; route to provide funds required for the state&#39;s development and reconstruction activities.

&ldquo;The Centre should clearly spell out what it has done for the state in the last four years and what it will do now. It should announce a plan of action with clear timelines,&rdquo; Naidu said.

Meanwhile, another NDA partner in Andhra Pradesh, Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan also expressed disappointment with the BJP-ruled central government in a recent interview with a television channel.

&ldquo;The promises that were made, were agreed upon by both the Congress and BJP on the floor of the Parliament. But now, the definition of special status has changed within a few months and it has become a package after the state bifurcation. People want accountability of word given in the Parliament,&rdquo; the actor said in the interview. 
&nbsp;

Congress president Rahul Gandhi voiced his support for special category status for Andhra Pradesh.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi voiced his support for special category status for Andhra Pradesh. The Gandhi scion took to Twitter in support of long-pending demand of the southern state which was divided into two states -- Telangana and Andhra Pradesh -- towards the fag end of UPA regime in 2014. "The Congress Party supports the just demands of the people of Andhra Pradesh for special category status and speedy completion of the Polavaram project", Rahul Gandhi tweeted and added that it's time for all parties to unite on this issue and support this call for justice. Modi speaking in the Lok Sabha on the Motion of Thanks to the President's address recently lashed out at the Congress and accused the party of "hastily" dividing the southern state for political gains. "This is your character. You divided India. Even after 70 years of Independence, 125 crore people of India continue to suffer because of the poison you sowed. Not a single day passes when people of India are not punished for your sins," Modi said, speaking in the Lok Sabha. The Congress Party supports the just demands of the people of Andhra Pradesh for special category status and speedy completion of the Polavaram project. It's time for all parties to unite on this issue and support this call for justice.#INCStandsWithAndhra — Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) February 9, 2018 × Modi addressed the House while some Andhra MPs were raising slogans, demanding the financial package for Andhra Pradesh that was promised when Telangana was carved out of it in 2014. Upset over the budget ignoring the needs of Andhra Pradesh, the Chandrababu Naidu-led Telugu Desam Party (TDP) recently called for a meeting in Amravati to review the party's alliance with the BJP at the centre. Ahead of that review meeting, speculation was rife that TDP may sever ties with the BJP, However, the party decided to continue its alliance with the BJP at the Centre. Speaking to reporters after the review meeting, Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu asked the Centre to spell out its ‘formula’ for the state with specific timelines, “The Centre should clearly spell out what it has done for the state in the last four years and what it will do now. It should announce a plan of action with clear timelines,” Naidu said. Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu demanded financial support by working out an "extrabudgetary" route to provide funds required for the state's development and reconstruction activities. “The Centre should clearly spell out what it has done for the state in the last four years and what it will do now. It should announce a plan of action with clear timelines,” Naidu said. Meanwhile, another NDA partner in Andhra Pradesh, Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan also expressed disappointment with the BJP-ruled central government in a recent interview with a television channel. “The promises that were made, were agreed upon by both the Congress and BJP on the floor of the Parliament. But now, the definition of special status has changed within a few months and it has become a package after the state bifurcation. People want accountability of word given in the Parliament,” the actor said in the interview.

Time for all parties to support Andhra Pradesh's demand for special category status: Rahul Gandhi

Left parties in Andhra Pradesh have called for a state-wide bandh on Thursday to protest against the &ldquo;anti-people&rdquo; Union Budget 2018. Alleging that huge sums were given to other states because of the upcoming polls, the parties slammed the Centre for the &ldquo;injustice&rdquo; meted out to Andhra Pradesh.

In a press release jointly issued by the Communist Party of India, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) as well as students&rsquo; and labour organisations, people have been asked to participate in large numbers to make the bandh a success. They also added that the budget this year neglected the rural economy.

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The auto union also extended their support for the bandh. A few auto drivers said that they would support the bandh and stay off the roads for some time, reports said.&nbsp;

Auto services may also be hit as a part of the ongoing protests with the union extending its support.&nbsp;

More than 1300 APSRTC buses have been stopped in Visakhapatnam, reported news agency ANI.&nbsp;

The Congress and YSRCP parties are also likely to take part in the protest.&nbsp;

Auto union also extended their support for the bandh. A few auto drivers said that they would support the bandh and stay off the roads for some time, reports said.

Left parties in Andhra Pradesh have called for a state-wide bandh on Thursday to protest against the “anti-people” Union Budget 2018. Alleging that huge sums were given to other states because of the upcoming polls, the parties slammed the Centre for the “injustice” meted out to Andhra Pradesh. In a press release jointly issued by the Communist Party of India, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) as well as students’ and labour organisations, people have been asked to participate in large numbers to make the bandh a success. They also added that the budget this year neglected the rural economy. Visakhapatnam: Bandh called by Left parties in protest against #UnionBudget2018 #AndhraPradesh pic.twitter.com/LnZYfIJyMZ — ANI (@ANI) February 8, 2018 × The auto union also extended their support for the bandh. A few auto drivers said that they would support the bandh and stay off the roads for some time, reports said. Auto services may also be hit as a part of the ongoing protests with the union extending its support. More than 1300 APSRTC buses have been stopped in Visakhapatnam, reported news agency ANI. The Congress and YSRCP parties are also likely to take part in the protest.

Left parties in Andhra Pradesh call for shutdown to protest 'Union Budget'

TDP chief and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday asked the Centre to spell out its &lsquo;formula&rsquo; for the state with specific timelines, a day after Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley assured agitating TDP MPs in Parliament that the Centre would soon come out with a plan to release a special financial package to Andhra Pradesh.

Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu demanded for financial support by working out an &quot;extrabudgetary&quot; route to provide funds required for the state&#39;s development and reconstruction activities.

&ldquo;The Centre should clearly spell out what it has done for the state in the last four years and what it will do now. It should announce a plan of action with clear timelines,&rdquo; Naidu said.

On Jaitley&rsquo;s statement in Rajya Sabha yesterday, Naidu asked: &ldquo;What is this new formula (for bridging the revenue deficit) now? When no formula was applied to divide the state, why a new formula now to help the distressed state?&rdquo;

Speaking to TDP MPs, legislators and senior leaders over teleconference, Naidu said: &ldquo;This is a problem between two governments (the Centre and the state). This is a problem on which we have to fight in Parliament and not on the streets.&rdquo;

The Left Parties have called for a bandh in Andhra Pradesh on Thursday against the budgetary allocations received by the state in the recent Budget and also appealed to the leaders of non-political joint action committee (JAC) to participate in large numbers and make the bandh a grand success.

Naidu had also called for an <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/tdp-calls-for-emergency-meeting-following-disappointment-with-budget-2018-31599">&quot;emergency party meeting</a>&quot; with the leaders on February 2 after criticising the Union Budget 2018 which was presented on Thursday by finance minister Arun Jaitley.&nbsp;

The meeting was called in order to discuss the &quot;future course of action after the budget allocation for Andhra Pradesh&quot;, the party said, adding that it would continue to &quot;fight&quot; for the state&#39;s due.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) had earlier publicly voiced unhappiness over the recent Union budget not offering any special benefits to Andhra Pradesh.

TDP chief and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday asked the Centre to spell out its ‘formula’ for the state with specific timelines, a day after Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley assured agitating TDP MPs in Parliament that the Centre would soon come out with a plan to release a special financial package to Andhra Pradesh. Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu demanded for financial support by working out an "extrabudgetary" route to provide funds required for the state's development and reconstruction activities. “The Centre should clearly spell out what it has done for the state in the last four years and what it will do now. It should announce a plan of action with clear timelines,” Naidu said. On Jaitley’s statement in Rajya Sabha yesterday, Naidu asked: “What is this new formula (for bridging the revenue deficit) now? When no formula was applied to divide the state, why a new formula now to help the distressed state?” Speaking to TDP MPs, legislators and senior leaders over teleconference, Naidu said: “This is a problem between two governments (the Centre and the state). This is a problem on which we have to fight in Parliament and not on the streets.” The Left Parties have called for a bandh in Andhra Pradesh on Thursday against the budgetary allocations received by the state in the recent Budget and also appealed to the leaders of non-political joint action committee (JAC) to participate in large numbers and make the bandh a grand success. Naidu had also called for an "emergency party meeting" with the leaders on February 2 after criticising the Union Budget 2018 which was presented on Thursday by finance minister Arun Jaitley. The meeting was called in order to discuss the "future course of action after the budget allocation for Andhra Pradesh", the party said, adding that it would continue to "fight" for the state's due.

TDP asks Centre to spell out financial 'formula' with specific timelines

MPs of the Telegu Desam Party and YSR Congress protested in the Lok Sabha on Monday demanding special status for Andhra Pradesh.&nbsp;

The protests of the two rival parties led to the adjournment of the lower house of Parliament.&nbsp;

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar responded to their demands, assuring them the issues raised will be looked into. He added that their demands were &quot;very sensitive&quot;.&nbsp;

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The NDA ally TDP also&nbsp;demanded concessions for the party.&nbsp;

The party had already initiated efforts to press the centre for various allocations to Andhra Pradesh.&nbsp;

It also expressed its&nbsp;dissatisfaction&nbsp;with the Union budget claiming it has no provisions for the state.&nbsp;

The TDP MP also demanded implementation of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act in &quot;keeping with the promise&quot; made by the BJP.

The MPs, during their protest, held up placards with slogans saying &quot;Save AP, Save Democracy&quot;, &quot;Follow Alliance Dharma Now&quot; and &quot;We demand Special Status for AP state&quot;.

Keeping its distance from the BJP ally TDP, the YSR Congress raised similar demands.

&nbsp;

The TDP and the YSR Congress have asked for special status for Andhra Pradesh

MPs of the Telegu Desam Party and YSR Congress protested in the Lok Sabha on Monday demanding special status for Andhra Pradesh. The protests of the two rival parties led to the adjournment of the lower house of Parliament. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar responded to their demands, assuring them the issues raised will be looked into. He added that their demands were "very sensitive". TDP MPs protest in Lok Sabha over demand of special status to AP & other issues. Parl Affairs Min Ananth Kumar says, 'Want to tell my friends from TDP that their demands are very sensitive, PM & GoI are very sensitive about development of AP, matters raised will be looked into' pic.twitter.com/idqoLBbPUT — ANI (@ANI) February 6, 2018 × Delhi: YSR Congress Party held protest in Parliament over their demands of special status for Andhra Pradesh among others pic.twitter.com/lKNXTvhrLF — ANI (@ANI) February 6, 2018 × The NDA ally TDP also demanded concessions for the party. The party had already initiated efforts to press the centre for various allocations to Andhra Pradesh. It also expressed its dissatisfaction with the Union budget claiming it has no provisions for the state. The TDP MP also demanded implementation of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act in "keeping with the promise" made by the BJP. The MPs, during their protest, held up placards with slogans saying "Save AP, Save Democracy", "Follow Alliance Dharma Now" and "We demand Special Status for AP state". Keeping its distance from the BJP ally TDP, the YSR Congress raised similar demands.

Demand for special status raised by Andhra MPs is sensitive: Government

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MPs of the Telegu Desam Party and YSR Congress protested in the Lok Sabha on Monday demanding special status for Andhra Pradesh.&nbsp;

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We are sensitive to demands of special status raised by Andhra MPs: Government MPs of the Telegu Desam Party and YSR Congress protested in the Lok Sabha on Monday demanding special status for Andhra Pradesh. Second policeman injured in Srinagar hospital attack dies One policeman was killed and another got critically after an imprisoned Pakistani terrorist on Tuesday fired at them inside Srinagar's Shri Maharaja Hari Singh hospital before fleeing from the spot. Maldives: Top justices arrested, President Yameen accuses judges of plotting to overthrow him Maldives' President Abdulla Yameen has called the Supreme Court's order unconstitutional. Yameen quashed the Supreme Court's directive to release nine prisoners noting that there were several obstacles to enforcing the apex court's ruling which the government was not able to communicate with the court. SpaceX poised to launch 'world's most powerful rocket' SpaceX is poised for the first test launch Tuesday of its Falcon Heavy, which aims to become the world's most powerful rocket, capable of ferrying people to the Moon or Mars some day. British court to decide today on lifting of Julian Assange arrest warrant Wikileaks founder Julian Assange may leave the Ecuadorean Embassy in London, following a British court's judgement on the final arrest warrant against him.

WION Evening News Brief, February 6, 2018

The TDP today said its alliance with the BJP in Andhra Pradesh and the Centre was very much alive, following speculation that the party was disgruntled over the &quot;raw deal&quot; that the state got in the Union Budget.

TDP leader and Union minister Y Satyanarayana Chowdary briefed the media this afternoon about deliberations at a meeting convened by Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu on the Union Budget.

&quot;As and when it is required, the chief minister and party chief will take the decision appropriately. As of today, it (the alliance) is just going on. We never said (about snapping ties)...It&#39;s all speculation,&quot; he said here.

&quot;Our state is in a disadvantageous position due to the bifurcation (of united Andhra Pradesh). People are dissatisfied because there is no specific mention of state issues in the Union Budget. All this was discussed,&quot; Chowdary said.

The meeting was attended by party MPs, a few state ministers, senior TDP leaders and senior bureaucrats.

&quot;We have already taken up the issues with the Union Finance Minister, Railway Minister (on setting up a railway zone in Visakhapatnam). Definitely, in the next 2-3 days we are hopeful everything will be resolved,&quot; he added.

Chowdary added that the TDP would raise the state&#39;s demands, if required, in Parliament.

Some of the issues over which the TDP is miffed are the implementation of a special financial package for the state, setting up of a railway zone, deficit finance and schemes related to the development of Amaravati as the state capital.

&quot;People (of Andhra Pradesh) are looking forward with anticipation. They (the Centre) have done something, but much more needs to be done. We will discuss these things in the next two-three days and try to work out a solution,&quot; Chowdary added.

&quot;If required we will protest inside Parliament. We are discussing specific points. If we don&#39;t get clarity, definitely we will protest inside Parliament during the (Budget) session,&quot; the Union minister said.

Asked if the two TDP ministers in the Union Cabinet were ready to resign if the state&#39;s demands were not met, Chowdary said, &quot;As and when it is required, our CM and party president will take appropriate decision.&quot;

&quot;I suggest the media should never anticipate, or think of, a divorce. You should think only of marriage,&quot; Chowdary said when asked if a &quot;divorce&quot; with the BJP was imminent.

Asked if BJP chief Amit Shah spoke with Naidu (after reports about TDP&#39;s resentment started doing rounds), Chowdary replied in the negative.

Nor did Naidu speak to Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, BJP&#39;s bickering ally in Maharashtra, as some media reports claimed, he said.&nbsp;

The meeting was attended by party MPs, a few state ministers, senior TDP leaders and senior bureaucrats.

The TDP today said its alliance with the BJP in Andhra Pradesh and the Centre was very much alive, following speculation that the party was disgruntled over the "raw deal" that the state got in the Union Budget. TDP leader and Union minister Y Satyanarayana Chowdary briefed the media this afternoon about deliberations at a meeting convened by Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu on the Union Budget. "As and when it is required, the chief minister and party chief will take the decision appropriately. As of today, it (the alliance) is just going on. We never said (about snapping ties)...It's all speculation," he said here. "Our state is in a disadvantageous position due to the bifurcation (of united Andhra Pradesh). People are dissatisfied because there is no specific mention of state issues in the Union Budget. All this was discussed," Chowdary said. The meeting was attended by party MPs, a few state ministers, senior TDP leaders and senior bureaucrats. "We have already taken up the issues with the Union Finance Minister, Railway Minister (on setting up a railway zone in Visakhapatnam). Definitely, in the next 2-3 days we are hopeful everything will be resolved," he added. Chowdary added that the TDP would raise the state's demands, if required, in Parliament. Some of the issues over which the TDP is miffed are the implementation of a special financial package for the state, setting up of a railway zone, deficit finance and schemes related to the development of Amaravati as the state capital. "People (of Andhra Pradesh) are looking forward with anticipation. They (the Centre) have done something, but much more needs to be done. We will discuss these things in the next two-three days and try to work out a solution," Chowdary added. "If required we will protest inside Parliament. We are discussing specific points. If we don't get clarity, definitely we will protest inside Parliament during the (Budget) session," the Union minister said. Asked if the two TDP ministers in the Union Cabinet were ready to resign if the state's demands were not met, Chowdary said, "As and when it is required, our CM and party president will take appropriate decision." "I suggest the media should never anticipate, or think of, a divorce. You should think only of marriage," Chowdary said when asked if a "divorce" with the BJP was imminent. Asked if BJP chief Amit Shah spoke with Naidu (after reports about TDP's resentment started doing rounds), Chowdary replied in the negative. Nor did Naidu speak to Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, BJP's bickering ally in Maharashtra, as some media reports claimed, he said.

Alliance with BJP on, says TDP on reports of rift with BJP over 'raw deal' in Union Budget

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief Chandrababu Naidu, NDA&#39;s big ally, called for an &quot;emergency party meeting&quot; with the leaders on Friday after criticising the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/key-highlights-from-union-budget-2018-31455">Union Budget 2018</a> which was presented on Thursday by finance minister Arun Jaitley.&nbsp;

The meeting was called in order to discuss the &quot;future course of action after the budget allocation for Andhra Pradesh&quot;, the party said, adding that it would continue to &quot;fight&quot;&nbsp;for the state&#39;s due.&nbsp;

Also read:<a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/india-on-course-to-grow-at-8-jaitley-31428">&nbsp;Budget 2018: India on course to grow at 8%, says Jaitley</a>

Minister of state for science and technology,&nbsp;YS Chowdhary noted that the people of Andhra Pradesh were dissatisfied with the budget.

&quot;People and the party are disappointed with the Union Budget. Many state issues like Railway zone, Polavaram project funding, funding for capital Amaravati and other pending issues of Andhra Pradesh were not addressed in the budget,&quot; he said.

While talking about the long-pending infrastructure projects the minister informed that no progress had been made in the last four years.&nbsp;

&quot;The Polavaram project was linked to the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), but there was no smooth flow of funds. The budget should have included it,&quot; he said.

&quot;Metro for Andhra Pradesh in Vizag and Vijayawada was promised, but there is no mention about it in the budget, except for things like renovation of platforms and construction of foot-over-bridges,&quot; he said.

We are in an alliance and will fight for our share, Chowdhary said, adding that the party leaders will put &quot;pressure on the Centre until 2019 elections&quot;.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/live-union-budget-2018-finance-minister-arun-jaitley-presents-budget-in-parliament-31380">Budget 2018: Govt is focusing on rural and agricultural economy, says Arun Jaitley</a>

TDP organising&nbsp;secretary GSRK Prasad said, &quot;It is a failure budget from the finance minister. The AP CM had already represented earlier the requirements for the state.&quot;

The TDP leader further said that the &quot;promises&quot;&nbsp;that were made are yet to be delivered.

&quot;As of the bifurcation promises and the reorganisation funding is also not allocated till now. Whatever may be the consequences we are continuing the alliance with BJP both at the centre and the state,&quot; said GSRK Prasad.

Naidu will hold a meeting in Amaravati on Sunday to discuss the course of action.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led NDA government had presented the Union Budget for 2018-19 on Thursday.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/budget2018">Full Coverage of Budget 2018</a>

The meeting was called in order to discuss the future course of action after the budget allocation for Andhra Pradesh adding that the party would continue to fight for the state's due

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief Chandrababu Naidu, NDA's big ally, called for an "emergency party meeting" with the leaders on Friday after criticising the Union Budget 2018 which was presented on Thursday by finance minister Arun Jaitley. The meeting was called in order to discuss the "future course of action after the budget allocation for Andhra Pradesh", the party said, adding that it would continue to "fight" for the state's due. Also read: Budget 2018: India on course to grow at 8%, says Jaitley Minister of state for science and technology, YS Chowdhary noted that the people of Andhra Pradesh were dissatisfied with the budget. "People and the party are disappointed with the Union Budget. Many state issues like Railway zone, Polavaram project funding, funding for capital Amaravati and other pending issues of Andhra Pradesh were not addressed in the budget," he said. While talking about the long-pending infrastructure projects the minister informed that no progress had been made in the last four years. "The Polavaram project was linked to the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), but there was no smooth flow of funds. The budget should have included it," he said. "Metro for Andhra Pradesh in Vizag and Vijayawada was promised, but there is no mention about it in the budget, except for things like renovation of platforms and construction of foot-over-bridges," he said. We are in an alliance and will fight for our share, Chowdhary said, adding that the party leaders will put "pressure on the Centre until 2019 elections". Also read: Budget 2018: Govt is focusing on rural and agricultural economy, says Arun Jaitley TDP organising secretary GSRK Prasad said, "It is a failure budget from the finance minister. The AP CM had already represented earlier the requirements for the state." The TDP leader further said that the "promises" that were made are yet to be delivered. "As of the bifurcation promises and the reorganisation funding is also not allocated till now. Whatever may be the consequences we are continuing the alliance with BJP both at the centre and the state," said GSRK Prasad. Naidu will hold a meeting in Amaravati on Sunday to discuss the course of action. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led NDA government had presented the Union Budget for 2018-19 on Thursday. Full Coverage of Budget 2018

BJP's NDA ally TDP calls for emergency meeting over 'disappointment' with Budget

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has appointed Class IX girl Ambula Vaishnavi an ambassador to Amaravati.&nbsp;

The girl adopted two government schools and is making efforts to develop them. She has spent Rs. 4 lakh so far on those schools. She also donated Rs. 1 lakh for construction of Capital city Amaravati.

Recently Vaishnavi met the Chief Minister to explain her efforts in developing the school in her village Mudinepalli.

Impressed by her zeal to serve the society and her contribution to the gigantic project of Capital City, CM not only appreciated her contribution but also made her Amaravati Ambassador.&nbsp;

Ambula Vaishnavi donated ₹1 lakh for construction of Capital city Amaravati

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has appointed Class IX girl Ambula Vaishnavi an ambassador to Amaravati. The girl adopted two government schools and is making efforts to develop them. She has spent Rs. 4 lakh so far on those schools. She also donated Rs. 1 lakh for construction of Capital city Amaravati. Recently Vaishnavi met the Chief Minister to explain her efforts in developing the school in her village Mudinepalli. Impressed by her zeal to serve the society and her contribution to the gigantic project of Capital City, CM not only appreciated her contribution but also made her Amaravati Ambassador.

Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu appoints school girl as ambassador to Amaravati

The three-day Sankranti festivities began in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh today with villages and small towns coming alive as thousands of Telugus travelled to their native places from urban centres.

&#39;Bhogi&#39;, the first day of the festival, was celebrated today with traditional fervour.

Bhogi &#39;mantalu&#39; (bonfire) were lit at dawn outside the homes. The bonfire is lit with logs of wood and wooden furniture that is no longer useful.

Discarded things at home are also thrown into the fire. The disposal of discarded things symbolises the sacrifice of old habits, vices and attachment to material things.

Traditionally, women spray cow dung and water in front of the house and draw colourful &#39;muggulu&#39; (rangoli) and keep &#39;gobbemmalu&#39; (cow dung balls) decorated with turmeric, kumkum and flowers on the rangoli.

In the evenings, &#39;Bhogi pallu&#39; (Indian jujube) are showered on children seeking their health and prosperity.

The Telangana government is organising a &#39;kite festival&#39; and &#39;World Sweet Festival&#39; at the Parade Grounds here on the occasion.

People from about 25 states and some foreign countries, who live in Hyderabad, have set up stalls showcasing sweets from their respective places. However, those engaged in sweets business, like caterers and hoteliers are not allowed to take part in the event.

Children and youth took to flying kites on apartment terraces and open grounds.

Former Union minister and Secunderabad MP Bandaru Dattatreya participated in a kite flying event here.

The second day of the festival is &#39;Makara Sankranti&#39; and the last day is celebrated as &#39;Kanuma&#39;, when livestock are worshipped.

Thousands of people living in Hyderabad travelled to to their native places for the festival. A large number of Telugu people living abroad and in other cities in the country are also visiting their native places.

The Secunderabad-headquartered South Central Railway said as many as 147 special trains are being run for Sankranti season through which 1.5 lakh additional berths have been generated.

The state-run Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) and Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) have also arranged a large number of special buses on the occasion.

The Hyderabad-Vijayawada highway witnessed heavy traffic as many people travelled in own cars to their destinations.

Governor of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana ESL Narasimhan, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, state Congress president N Uttam Kumar Reddy, state BJP Chief K Laxman and other leaders conveyed their greetings to the people.&nbsp;

The Telangana government is organising a 'kite festival' and 'World Sweet Festival' at the Parade Grounds here on the occasion.

The three-day Sankranti festivities began in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh today with villages and small towns coming alive as thousands of Telugus travelled to their native places from urban centres. 'Bhogi', the first day of the festival, was celebrated today with traditional fervour. Bhogi 'mantalu' (bonfire) were lit at dawn outside the homes. The bonfire is lit with logs of wood and wooden furniture that is no longer useful. Discarded things at home are also thrown into the fire. The disposal of discarded things symbolises the sacrifice of old habits, vices and attachment to material things. Traditionally, women spray cow dung and water in front of the house and draw colourful 'muggulu' (rangoli) and keep 'gobbemmalu' (cow dung balls) decorated with turmeric, kumkum and flowers on the rangoli. In the evenings, 'Bhogi pallu' (Indian jujube) are showered on children seeking their health and prosperity. The Telangana government is organising a 'kite festival' and 'World Sweet Festival' at the Parade Grounds here on the occasion. People from about 25 states and some foreign countries, who live in Hyderabad, have set up stalls showcasing sweets from their respective places. However, those engaged in sweets business, like caterers and hoteliers are not allowed to take part in the event. Children and youth took to flying kites on apartment terraces and open grounds. Former Union minister and Secunderabad MP Bandaru Dattatreya participated in a kite flying event here. The second day of the festival is 'Makara Sankranti' and the last day is celebrated as 'Kanuma', when livestock are worshipped. Thousands of people living in Hyderabad travelled to to their native places for the festival. A large number of Telugu people living abroad and in other cities in the country are also visiting their native places. The Secunderabad-headquartered South Central Railway said as many as 147 special trains are being run for Sankranti season through which 1.5 lakh additional berths have been generated. The state-run Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) and Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) have also arranged a large number of special buses on the occasion. The Hyderabad-Vijayawada highway witnessed heavy traffic as many people travelled in own cars to their destinations. Governor of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana ESL Narasimhan, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, state Congress president N Uttam Kumar Reddy, state BJP Chief K Laxman and other leaders conveyed their greetings to the people.

Three-day Sankranti festivities begin in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh

India today reaffirmed its space prowess and commercial launch capabilities as it successfully <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/isros-pslv-c40-successfully-launches-31-satellites-29295" target="_blank">launched its 100th satellite </a>along with 30 other spacecraft including weather observation Cartosat 2 series onboard the Polar rocket from here.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/all-you-need-to-know-about-cartosat-2-series-satellite-launched-by-isro-today-29296" target="_blank">All you need to know about Cartosat-2 series satellite launched by ISRO today</a>

This was PSLV&#39;s longest-ever mission.

With the successful launch, including 28 satellites from foreign countries, by the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), ISRO put behind a rare failure it encountered four months ago.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) had suffered a setback after the failure of the earlier PSLV-C39 mission in August last year.

The previous mission to launch backup navigation satellite IRNSS-1H on board PSLV-C39 had failed after the heat shield did not separate in the final leg of the launch sequence, with the satellite getting stuck in the fourth stage of the rocket.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed ISRO scientists for the successful PSLV C-40 mission.

&quot;The launch of the 100th satellite by @isro signifies both its glorious achievements and also the bright future of India&#39;s space programme,&quot; he said a tweet.

A visibly relieved ISRO Chairman A S Kiran Kumar, on his final mission as the chief of the space agency, said he was happy to provide Cartosat 2 Series as a New Year gift for the country.

&quot;ISRO is starting 2018 with the successful launch... All satellites have been released. So far Cartosat performance is satisfactory,&quot; he said at the mission control room.

He said the previous launch faced a heat shield problem and an ISRO committee has addressed it and taken steps to ensure the vehicle was &#39;robust&#39;.

Today&#39;s mission marked a milestone in ISRO&#39;s annals with a microsatellite, among the three Indian spacecraft launched, becoming the 100th to roll out through ISRO Satellite Centre Complex (ISAC).

Besides ISRO&#39;s communication, weather observation, navigation and experimental spacecraft, the 100 satellites included nano and micro spacecraft made by educational institutions in the country, Kumar, who is retiring later this month, said.

&quot;Basically...The 100 satellites covers all student satellites also that have been put (by ISRO),&quot; he told reporters at the post-launch briefing.

Earlier, in a precise launch, PSLV-C40 lifted off at 9.28 am at the end of the 28-hour countdown from the first launch pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre here, about 110 km from Chennai, and soared into a cloudy sky.

After a perfect flight sequence, each of which was applauded by ISRO scientists, the four-stage rocket first injected the 710-kg Cartosat-2 Series Satellite for earth observation into 505-km polar sun-synchronous orbit about 17 minutes after liftoff.

India&#39;s nanosatellite and 28 payloads from six countries, including the US and the UK, totally weighing 613 kg were then released into orbit one by one in a space of about seven minutes.

In a multi-orbit manoeuvre, microsatellite built by ISRO was placed in the orbit finally after the PSLV-C40 was brought down to 359.584 km in polar Sun-synchronous orbit by twice re-starting the fourth stage of the rocket, about 105 minutes after lift-off.

The fourth stage was finally shut off at about 2 hours 21 minutes, thus making the mission the longest ever by ISRO.

A similar kind of process was taken up during the launch of SCATSAT-1 onboard PSLV-C35 in September 2016 in which the fourth stage engine was restarted and later cut off for launching the satellite.

This mission had lasted two hours and 15 minutes, ISRO scientists said.

Cartosat-2 Series is an advanced remote sensing satellite similar in configuration to earlier six spacecraft in the series and intended to augment data services to the users.

Its primary objective is to provide high-resolution scene-specific spot imageries that would help in urban and rural applications, coastal land use and regulation, road network monitoring, water distribution and geographical information system applications among others.

The 28 international customer satellites were launched as part of the commercial arrangements between ISRO and its commercial arm Antrix Corporation Ltd.

The co-passenger satellites include three micro and 25 nano-satellites from six countries -- Canada, Finland, France, Korea, the United Kingdom and US.

According to ISRO, the Cartosat-2 series satellite carries panchromatic and multi-spectral cameras operating in Time Delay Integration mode and is capable of delivering high-resolution data.

India today reaffirmed its space prowess and commercial launch capabilities as it successfully launched its 100th satellite along with 30 other spacecraft including weather observation Cartosat 2 series onboard the Polar rocket from Sriharikota

India today reaffirmed its space prowess and commercial launch capabilities as it successfully launched its 100th satellite along with 30 other spacecraft including weather observation Cartosat 2 series onboard the Polar rocket from here. Also read: All you need to know about Cartosat-2 series satellite launched by ISRO today This was PSLV's longest-ever mission. With the successful launch, including 28 satellites from foreign countries, by the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), ISRO put behind a rare failure it encountered four months ago. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) had suffered a setback after the failure of the earlier PSLV-C39 mission in August last year. The previous mission to launch backup navigation satellite IRNSS-1H on board PSLV-C39 had failed after the heat shield did not separate in the final leg of the launch sequence, with the satellite getting stuck in the fourth stage of the rocket. Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed ISRO scientists for the successful PSLV C-40 mission. "The launch of the 100th satellite by @isro signifies both its glorious achievements and also the bright future of India's space programme," he said a tweet. A visibly relieved ISRO Chairman A S Kiran Kumar, on his final mission as the chief of the space agency, said he was happy to provide Cartosat 2 Series as a New Year gift for the country. "ISRO is starting 2018 with the successful launch... All satellites have been released. So far Cartosat performance is satisfactory," he said at the mission control room. He said the previous launch faced a heat shield problem and an ISRO committee has addressed it and taken steps to ensure the vehicle was 'robust'. Today's mission marked a milestone in ISRO's annals with a microsatellite, among the three Indian spacecraft launched, becoming the 100th to roll out through ISRO Satellite Centre Complex (ISAC). Besides ISRO's communication, weather observation, navigation and experimental spacecraft, the 100 satellites included nano and micro spacecraft made by educational institutions in the country, Kumar, who is retiring later this month, said. "Basically...The 100 satellites covers all student satellites also that have been put (by ISRO)," he told reporters at the post-launch briefing. Earlier, in a precise launch, PSLV-C40 lifted off at 9.28 am at the end of the 28-hour countdown from the first launch pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre here, about 110 km from Chennai, and soared into a cloudy sky. After a perfect flight sequence, each of which was applauded by ISRO scientists, the four-stage rocket first injected the 710-kg Cartosat-2 Series Satellite for earth observation into 505-km polar sun-synchronous orbit about 17 minutes after liftoff. India's nanosatellite and 28 payloads from six countries, including the US and the UK, totally weighing 613 kg were then released into orbit one by one in a space of about seven minutes. In a multi-orbit manoeuvre, microsatellite built by ISRO was placed in the orbit finally after the PSLV-C40 was brought down to 359.584 km in polar Sun-synchronous orbit by twice re-starting the fourth stage of the rocket, about 105 minutes after lift-off. The fourth stage was finally shut off at about 2 hours 21 minutes, thus making the mission the longest ever by ISRO. A similar kind of process was taken up during the launch of SCATSAT-1 onboard PSLV-C35 in September 2016 in which the fourth stage engine was restarted and later cut off for launching the satellite. This mission had lasted two hours and 15 minutes, ISRO scientists said. Cartosat-2 Series is an advanced remote sensing satellite similar in configuration to earlier six spacecraft in the series and intended to augment data services to the users. Its primary objective is to provide high-resolution scene-specific spot imageries that would help in urban and rural applications, coastal land use and regulation, road network monitoring, water distribution and geographical information system applications among others. The 28 international customer satellites were launched as part of the commercial arrangements between ISRO and its commercial arm Antrix Corporation Ltd. The co-passenger satellites include three micro and 25 nano-satellites from six countries -- Canada, Finland, France, Korea, the United Kingdom and US. According to ISRO, the Cartosat-2 series satellite carries panchromatic and multi-spectral cameras operating in Time Delay Integration mode and is capable of delivering high-resolution data.

India sends its 100th satellite into space to watch borders

India is all set to launch its 100th satellite &#39;Cartosat-2 Series&#39; from Andhra Pradesh&#39;s Sriharikota today.

The launch is set for 9:28am on Friday at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.&nbsp;

The final 28-hour countdown of the PSLV-C40 mission began at 5:29am on Thursday after getting a nod from ISRO&#39;s Mission Readiness Review Committee and Launch Authorization Board on Wednesday.

This mission is said to be the longest - comprising of four stages of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), at two hours, 21 minutes and 62 seconds.&nbsp;

Minister of State for Prime Minister&#39;s Office Jitendra Singh said, &quot;It is a historic day for us and a great headway for India.&quot;

&quot;Prime Minister Narendra Modi has arranged a brainstorming session between space scientists and officials from different government departments so that they could understand the diverse applications of space technology in transforming India,&quot; he added.

The &#39;Cartosat-2 Series&#39; satellite and 29 others will be inserted into a 505-kilometre sun-synchronous orbit after about seventeen and a half minutes from&nbsp;liftoff.

Later, the payload Microsat developed by the ISRO will be taken down to a lower orbit at 359-kilometre height and launched using the &#39;multiple engine switch-on&#39; method.

This launch will also see ISRO taking a shot at a two-orbit feat, which can be tricky, for the second time.&nbsp;

The 100kg Indian microsatellite will show new technology which will allow image capturing at night.

Its uses include monitoring urban and rural applications, coastal land use regulation, managing services like road networks and water distribution, detecting changes in geographical features and creation of land use maps.

This is also the first mission after the previous one failed due to heat shield malfunction in&nbsp;August 31, 2017.&nbsp;

The launch is set for 9:28am on Friday at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota

India is all set to launch its 100th satellite 'Cartosat-2 Series' from Andhra Pradesh's Sriharikota today. The launch is set for 9:28am on Friday at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota. The final 28-hour countdown of the PSLV-C40 mission began at 5:29am on Thursday after getting a nod from ISRO's Mission Readiness Review Committee and Launch Authorization Board on Wednesday. This mission is said to be the longest - comprising of four stages of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), at two hours, 21 minutes and 62 seconds. Minister of State for Prime Minister's Office Jitendra Singh said, "It is a historic day for us and a great headway for India." "Prime Minister Narendra Modi has arranged a brainstorming session between space scientists and officials from different government departments so that they could understand the diverse applications of space technology in transforming India," he added. The 'Cartosat-2 Series' satellite and 29 others will be inserted into a 505-kilometre sun-synchronous orbit after about seventeen and a half minutes from liftoff. Later, the payload Microsat developed by the ISRO will be taken down to a lower orbit at 359-kilometre height and launched using the 'multiple engine switch-on' method. This launch will also see ISRO taking a shot at a two-orbit feat, which can be tricky, for the second time. The 100kg Indian microsatellite will show new technology which will allow image capturing at night. Its uses include monitoring urban and rural applications, coastal land use regulation, managing services like road networks and water distribution, detecting changes in geographical features and creation of land use maps. This is also the first mission after the previous one failed due to heat shield malfunction in August 31, 2017.

Countdown begins as ISRO gets set to launch 100th satellite today

The Andhra Pradesh Cabinet has approved a scheme to provide a pension of Rs 1,500 to transgenders above 18 years of age in the state.

The Andhra cabinet meeting was chaired by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and was briefed by Information and Public Relations (I-PR) Minister Kaluva Srinivasulu and Municipal Administration minister P Narayana on Saturday.

The cabinet has in depth discussed about the transgender policy. It is decided to keep the policy online, and to take advice from all sections of the society. Once the policy comes into effect, 26,000 transgenders in the state will be benefitted.

Under this scheme, the transgenders will also be provided skill development for financial stability. The transgenders will also be provided ration cards, plots and scholarships.

They will further be given loans through banks so that they can start small businesses. Special toilets will be built in public places like malls and cinema halls. Subsidized bus passes and health care through Arogyasri scheme will also be provided.

Last month, chief minister Naidu announced a pension scheme for the transgender community in the state.

Andhra Pradesh has become only the next state after Kerala and Odisha to sanction a pension scheme for the transgender community.

The cabinet has also taken a final decision on Assembly building designs. It has given a nod to the Tower design for assembly building.

The cabinet also gave a nod to amending the Police Act in connection with the Director General of Police (DGP) appointment. It has decided to issue an ordinance in this regard that enables the state government to have power to appoint the DGP on its own. The cabinet also decided to bring a fully fledged Police Act.

A Chandranna pelli kanuka (marriage gift) scheme will also be launched in February 2018, under which the Backward Classes will receive Rs 30,000/-, the Schedule Castes and The Schedule Tribes Rs 50,000/- as gift at the time of marriage. Almost 40,000 people will be benefitted from this scheme in 2018.

The Andhra Pradesh Cabinet has approved a scheme to provide a pension of Rs 1,500 to transgenders above 18 years of age in the state

The Andhra Pradesh Cabinet has approved a scheme to provide a pension of Rs 1,500 to transgenders above 18 years of age in the state. The Andhra cabinet meeting was chaired by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and was briefed by Information and Public Relations (I-PR) Minister Kaluva Srinivasulu and Municipal Administration minister P Narayana on Saturday. The cabinet has in depth discussed about the transgender policy. It is decided to keep the policy online, and to take advice from all sections of the society. Once the policy comes into effect, 26,000 transgenders in the state will be benefitted. Under this scheme, the transgenders will also be provided skill development for financial stability. The transgenders will also be provided ration cards, plots and scholarships. They will further be given loans through banks so that they can start small businesses. Special toilets will be built in public places like malls and cinema halls. Subsidized bus passes and health care through Arogyasri scheme will also be provided. Last month, chief minister Naidu announced a pension scheme for the transgender community in the state. Andhra Pradesh has become only the next state after Kerala and Odisha to sanction a pension scheme for the transgender community. The cabinet has also taken a final decision on Assembly building designs. It has given a nod to the Tower design for assembly building. The cabinet also gave a nod to amending the Police Act in connection with the Director General of Police (DGP) appointment. It has decided to issue an ordinance in this regard that enables the state government to have power to appoint the DGP on its own. The cabinet also decided to bring a fully fledged Police Act. A Chandranna pelli kanuka (marriage gift) scheme will also be launched in February 2018, under which the Backward Classes will receive Rs 30,000/-, the Schedule Castes and The Schedule Tribes Rs 50,000/- as gift at the time of marriage. Almost 40,000 people will be benefitted from this scheme in 2018.

Andhra cabinet sanctions pension, business loans for transgenders

Andhra Pradesh state government is all set to buy Alphabet X&#39;s new Free Space Optical Communications (FSOC) technology which will provide high-speed wireless internet without laying cable.

The agreement will begin next year and involves installation of close to 2,000 boxes as far as 20 kilometres (12 miles) apart to provide faster internet connection to populated areas. The technology will be able to supply service to cellphone towers and Wi-Fi hotspots.&nbsp;

The technology will prove beneficial in areas where linking cellphone towers to a wired connection is expensive and difficult. X plans to have a small team based in Andhra Pradesh next year to help roll out the technology.

While Andhra Pradesh is home to 53 million people, only 15 million were reported as high-speed internet subscribers as of last December. The state wants to connect additional 12 million households by 2019, Alphabet said.

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Govt of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AndhraPradesh?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AndhraPradesh</a> and Google X entered into an agreement to do multitude of development activities. Here, we also got a chance to have a ride in their driverless car, it was an amazing experience: State IT Minister Nara Lokesh in San Francisco, USA <a href="https://t.co/Vv5pTsOj0G">pic.twitter.com/Vv5pTsOj0G</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/941502836273061889?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 15, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&quot;X plans to deploy free space optical technology, which transmits data through light beams at up to 20 gigabits per second between the rooftop boxes. There would be enough bandwidth for thousands of people to browse the Web simultaneously through the same cellphone tower,&quot; reported Reuters.&nbsp;

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Google X to set up its Development Centre in Visakhapatnam, MoU signed between Government of Andhra Pradesh and Google X in San Francisco, USA in the presence of state IT Minister Nara Lokesh and Google X CEO Astro Teller <a href="https://t.co/m4NB80UPZA">pic.twitter.com/m4NB80UPZA</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/941498308891066369?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 15, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The agreement is an outgrowth of X&#39;s Project Loon, which on several occasions has beamed cellphone service to Earth from a network of large balloons. The balloons link directly to smartphones and are meant for rural areas with a low population density, according to X.&nbsp;

(With inputs from Reuters)

While Andhra Pradesh is home to 53 million people, only 15 million were reported as high-speed internet subscribers as of last December

Andhra Pradesh state government is all set to buy Alphabet X's new Free Space Optical Communications (FSOC) technology which will provide high-speed wireless internet without laying cable. The agreement will begin next year and involves installation of close to 2,000 boxes as far as 20 kilometres (12 miles) apart to provide faster internet connection to populated areas. The technology will be able to supply service to cellphone towers and Wi-Fi hotspots. The technology will prove beneficial in areas where linking cellphone towers to a wired connection is expensive and difficult. X plans to have a small team based in Andhra Pradesh next year to help roll out the technology. While Andhra Pradesh is home to 53 million people, only 15 million were reported as high-speed internet subscribers as of last December. The state wants to connect additional 12 million households by 2019, Alphabet said. Govt of #AndhraPradesh and Google X entered into an agreement to do multitude of development activities. Here, we also got a chance to have a ride in their driverless car, it was an amazing experience: State IT Minister Nara Lokesh in San Francisco, USA pic.twitter.com/Vv5pTsOj0G — ANI (@ANI) December 15, 2017 × "X plans to deploy free space optical technology, which transmits data through light beams at up to 20 gigabits per second between the rooftop boxes. There would be enough bandwidth for thousands of people to browse the Web simultaneously through the same cellphone tower," reported Reuters. Google X to set up its Development Centre in Visakhapatnam, MoU signed between Government of Andhra Pradesh and Google X in San Francisco, USA in the presence of state IT Minister Nara Lokesh and Google X CEO Astro Teller pic.twitter.com/m4NB80UPZA — ANI (@ANI) December 15, 2017 × The agreement is an outgrowth of X's Project Loon, which on several occasions has beamed cellphone service to Earth from a network of large balloons. The balloons link directly to smartphones and are meant for rural areas with a low population density, according to X. (With inputs from Reuters)

Andhra Pradesh to buy new wireless internet technology from Alphabet X

The Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly on Saturday unanimously passed a Bill to provide 5 per cent reservation in education and employment sectors for the Kapu community in the state.

The state assembly had introduced the bill on Saturday morning.The state cabinet had given a nod in this regard yesterday based on the report submitted by the Manjunath Commission.

The bill facilitates providing them 5 per cent reservation in BC F Category.The state cabinet has decided to include the Balija, Ontari and Telaga communities in the Backward Castes (BCs) and provide them 5 per cent reservation in education, employment and welfare schemes.

However, the political reservation will not be provided to the mentioned communities.Three of the four members BC commission headed by Justice KL Manjunatha gave their report to the chief minister yesterday.

While M Purnachandra Rao, S Satyanarayana and V Subrahmanyam gave their reports in favour of the Kapus, Manjunath did not give his report.

They were said to be unanimously favoured giving 4-5 per cent reservation to the Kapus. The Bill will now be sent to the governor, after which it will be sent to the Union Home Ministry. Andhra Pradesh has 29 per cent reservation for Backward Castes (BCs), 15 per cent for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and 6 per cent for the Scheduled Tribes (STs).

The state assembly had introduced the bill today morning

The Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly on Saturday unanimously passed a Bill to provide 5 per cent reservation in education and employment sectors for the Kapu community in the state. The state assembly had introduced the bill on Saturday morning.The state cabinet had given a nod in this regard yesterday based on the report submitted by the Manjunath Commission. The bill facilitates providing them 5 per cent reservation in BC F Category.The state cabinet has decided to include the Balija, Ontari and Telaga communities in the Backward Castes (BCs) and provide them 5 per cent reservation in education, employment and welfare schemes. However, the political reservation will not be provided to the mentioned communities.Three of the four members BC commission headed by Justice KL Manjunatha gave their report to the chief minister yesterday. While M Purnachandra Rao, S Satyanarayana and V Subrahmanyam gave their reports in favour of the Kapus, Manjunath did not give his report. They were said to be unanimously favoured giving 4-5 per cent reservation to the Kapus. The Bill will now be sent to the governor, after which it will be sent to the Union Home Ministry. Andhra Pradesh has 29 per cent reservation for Backward Castes (BCs), 15 per cent for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and 6 per cent for the Scheduled Tribes (STs).

AP assembly passes bill to provide 5 per cent reservation to Kapu community

Chilli harvesting on the farms of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana draws many young workers from the bordering states of Chhattisgarh and Odisha. They come here not for the wages, but to take home chillies for the whole year. Such is the desire to stock the hot condiment that some of the boys and girls probably even miss school to join the large chilli-harvesting labour force. It&rsquo;s their only chance in the year to collect and bring home this daily staple.

The children consume far fewer chillis than the adults in their families, for whom it&rsquo;s a daily food item. But they are in the forefront here &ndash; at least half of the labourers here are children &ndash; stocking up the entire year&rsquo;s supply. They manage to &ldquo;earn&rdquo; enough of the precious chillies to last till the next harvest. Instead of Rs.120 as daily wages, they prefer to get paid in chillies worth that amount &ndash; it adds up to half or even a full quintal of chillies for some families, depending on the amount of work done. At around Rs. 100 a kilo, that works out to Rs.10,000 for a quintal.

This is rich earnings, and more economical for the families. A family may consume between 12-20 kilos of chillis a year. What remains could be sold in the market for an extra income. And it ensures a year-round stock at home of the best and freshest farm plucked chillies.

&ldquo;We are 20 people from our village and we will stay here for three weeks,&rdquo; Umashankar Podiyami from Gutumuda village of Odisha&rsquo;s Malkangiri district said. &quot;Everyone in this group prefers to work for chillies rather than for money.&rdquo;

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Umashankar has come from Malkangiri district to earn chillis for his family (Others)
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Massive mounds of the bright red spice are piled on the roads alongside the green chilli farms of both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. The chillis are in abundance from February to April. The mostly tribal labourers from adjoining Odisha and Chhattisgarh pluck, sort, stack, fill and ready the chillies for transportation to the market for retail or export.

Enthusiastic children &ndash; around half of the labour force here &ndash; run around the chilli mounds, sorting and packing the chillis into jute sacks. Despite the enthusiasm, it is poverty that drives the children to these farms. Most of their families live below the poverty line. A lack of employment in their own regions compels them to cross the border into India&rsquo;s top chilli-producing states.

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Adivasis from Chhattisgarh and Odisha work on collecting the chillis (Others)
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Besides, chilli is the only consistent item in all their meals, including breakfast. It has nutrients that enable them to subsist without many other food items. It also adds spice to some otherwise unpalatable dishes. Chilli is also used in their rituals and therefore the demand for it is even greater.

Vetti Moye, 14, was among those who had crossed the Chhattisgarh border to work in the chilli fields of Andhra Pradesh. After Moye, who is from Badecity village in Sukma district, lost his father to malaria two years ago, he had to leave school to earn a living from the family&rsquo;s small plot of land. Sometimes, he also works on construction sites. After harvesting his own land, he was here for the chilli collection.

Moye had come with 35 other workers from his village. All of them said they prefer to take chillies home instead of money. &quot;The wage for plucking chilli is Rs. 120 a day, &ldquo; Moye said. &ldquo;If paid through chilli, we get one out of every 12 lots of chilli we pluck. We prefer this as our wage.&rdquo;

At the end of the season, the young labourers from across the borders take the chilli bounty home to sustain their households and add a bit of spice to their lives. Schooling and other activities take a backseat when the chillies have to come home.

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Sacks-full of chillis being taken home to stock up for the year (Others)
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This <a href="https://ruralindiaonline.org/articles/children-of-the-chilli-fields">article</a> was originally published on 21/11/2015 on the <a href="https://ruralindiaonline.org/">People&#39;s Archive of Rural India</a>.

Groups of labourers, many of them children, cross the borders to work on the farms of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana ? and take home chillis as wages

Chilli harvesting on the farms of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana draws many young workers from the bordering states of Chhattisgarh and Odisha. They come here not for the wages, but to take home chillies for the whole year. Such is the desire to stock the hot condiment that some of the boys and girls probably even miss school to join the large chilli-harvesting labour force. It’s their only chance in the year to collect and bring home this daily staple. The children consume far fewer chillis than the adults in their families, for whom it’s a daily food item. But they are in the forefront here – at least half of the labourers here are children – stocking up the entire year’s supply. They manage to “earn” enough of the precious chillies to last till the next harvest. Instead of Rs.120 as daily wages, they prefer to get paid in chillies worth that amount – it adds up to half or even a full quintal of chillies for some families, depending on the amount of work done. At around Rs. 100 a kilo, that works out to Rs.10,000 for a quintal. This is rich earnings, and more economical for the families. A family may consume between 12-20 kilos of chillis a year. What remains could be sold in the market for an extra income. And it ensures a year-round stock at home of the best and freshest farm plucked chillies. “We are 20 people from our village and we will stay here for three weeks,” Umashankar Podiyami from Gutumuda village of Odisha’s Malkangiri district said. "Everyone in this group prefers to work for chillies rather than for money.” Umashankar has come from Malkangiri district to earn chillis for his family (Others) × Massive mounds of the bright red spice are piled on the roads alongside the green chilli farms of both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. The chillis are in abundance from February to April. The mostly tribal labourers from adjoining Odisha and Chhattisgarh pluck, sort, stack, fill and ready the chillies for transportation to the market for retail or export. Enthusiastic children – around half of the labour force here – run around the chilli mounds, sorting and packing the chillis into jute sacks. Despite the enthusiasm, it is poverty that drives the children to these farms. Most of their families live below the poverty line. A lack of employment in their own regions compels them to cross the border into India’s top chilli-producing states. Adivasis from Chhattisgarh and Odisha work on collecting the chillis (Others) × Besides, chilli is the only consistent item in all their meals, including breakfast. It has nutrients that enable them to subsist without many other food items. It also adds spice to some otherwise unpalatable dishes. Chilli is also used in their rituals and therefore the demand for it is even greater. Vetti Moye, 14, was among those who had crossed the Chhattisgarh border to work in the chilli fields of Andhra Pradesh. After Moye, who is from Badecity village in Sukma district, lost his father to malaria two years ago, he had to leave school to earn a living from the family’s small plot of land. Sometimes, he also works on construction sites. After harvesting his own land, he was here for the chilli collection. Moye had come with 35 other workers from his village. All of them said they prefer to take chillies home instead of money. "The wage for plucking chilli is Rs. 120 a day, “ Moye said. “If paid through chilli, we get one out of every 12 lots of chilli we pluck. We prefer this as our wage.” At the end of the season, the young labourers from across the borders take the chilli bounty home to sustain their households and add a bit of spice to their lives. Schooling and other activities take a backseat when the chillies have to come home. Sacks-full of chillis being taken home to stock up for the year (Others) × This article was originally published on 21/11/2015 on the People's Archive of Rural India.

Children of the chilli fields

Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates has lauded the Andhra Pradesh government for using technology to help farmers in the state.

&quot;Andhra Pradesh is taking bold steps. I expect we will be accelerating it (technology usage). More than half of India&#39;s population engaged in agriculture, and three-fourths of rural women are engaged in agriculture. Apart from gender equality, research has shown that having more women also increases production by 20 to 30 percent,&quot; Gates said at the valedictory session of the AP AgTech Summit-2017.

Gates also noted that the growth in the economy will not only lead to a higher Gross Domestic Product (GDP) but also lift people out of poverty.

&quot;First, we can turn the largest economic sector in the country into a source of growth instead of a drag on the economy. Secondly, we can make sure that growth is inclusive and that it not only leads to a higher GDP but also lifts people out of poverty. Third, we can produce enough nutritious food to spurt a healthy and well-educated labour force for the future, when the Indian economy will depend on even more on highly skilled workers,&quot; he added.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu was also present in the summit. Naidu requested help from Bill and Melinda Foundation in agriculture, nutrition, and health.

Gates further said, &quot;Two examples that I am very impressed with; one is the Mega Seed Park, which really is the first of its kind and it will make available lots of high-quality seeds and coupled with that is the new EC distribution application, D Krishi, which will help farmers access quality seeds in a timely manner and ensure that the government&#39;s resources are being widely used. These are the kind of innovations that will help achieve the Chief Minister&#39;s goal of sustained double-digit economic growth in Andhra Pradesh over the next decade.&quot;

Gates, who landed in Visakhapatnam on Friday, visited the exhibition stalls in the summit along with Andhra Pradesh chief minister.

The summit focused on innovative ideas, technologies and global best practices to push agricultural transformation in the state.

This three-day global event was organized by the Andhra Pradesh Government in association with Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Dalberg Advisors.

More than 1,500 global leaders from 61 countries including business heads, start-up founders, leading policymakers, progressive farmers, NGOs, agriculture, and technology experts participated the summit over three days

Gates also noted that the growth in the economy will not only lead to a higher Gross Domestic Product (GDP), but also lift people out of poverty.

Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates has lauded the Andhra Pradesh government for using technology to help farmers in the state. "Andhra Pradesh is taking bold steps. I expect we will be accelerating it (technology usage). More than half of India's population engaged in agriculture, and three-fourths of rural women are engaged in agriculture. Apart from gender equality, research has shown that having more women also increases production by 20 to 30 percent," Gates said at the valedictory session of the AP AgTech Summit-2017. Gates also noted that the growth in the economy will not only lead to a higher Gross Domestic Product (GDP) but also lift people out of poverty. "First, we can turn the largest economic sector in the country into a source of growth instead of a drag on the economy. Secondly, we can make sure that growth is inclusive and that it not only leads to a higher GDP but also lifts people out of poverty. Third, we can produce enough nutritious food to spurt a healthy and well-educated labour force for the future, when the Indian economy will depend on even more on highly skilled workers," he added. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu was also present in the summit. Naidu requested help from Bill and Melinda Foundation in agriculture, nutrition, and health. Gates further said, "Two examples that I am very impressed with; one is the Mega Seed Park, which really is the first of its kind and it will make available lots of high-quality seeds and coupled with that is the new EC distribution application, D Krishi, which will help farmers access quality seeds in a timely manner and ensure that the government's resources are being widely used. These are the kind of innovations that will help achieve the Chief Minister's goal of sustained double-digit economic growth in Andhra Pradesh over the next decade." Gates, who landed in Visakhapatnam on Friday, visited the exhibition stalls in the summit along with Andhra Pradesh chief minister. The summit focused on innovative ideas, technologies and global best practices to push agricultural transformation in the state. This three-day global event was organized by the Andhra Pradesh Government in association with Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Dalberg Advisors. More than 1,500 global leaders from 61 countries including business heads, start-up founders, leading policymakers, progressive farmers, NGOs, agriculture, and technology experts participated the summit over three days

Bill Gates praises Andhra Pradesh for using technology to help farmers

&nbsp;At least 20 bodies of people have been recovered&nbsp;after a boat capsized&nbsp;in&nbsp;Andhra Pradesh on&nbsp;Sunday.&nbsp;

The incident occurred at around 5:45 pm at river Krishna&#39;s Pavitra Sangamam ghat in the state.&nbsp;

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Krishna boat capsize incident: 16 bodies have been recovered so far <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AndhraPradesh?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AndhraPradesh</a> <a href="https://t.co/BAHfhClBmt">pic.twitter.com/BAHfhClBmt</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/929757753165225984?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 12, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The injured persons have been sent to Andhra hospital in Vijayawada.

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Krishna boat capsize: Injured brought to Andhra Hospital in Vijaywada <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AndhraPradesh?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AndhraPradesh</a> <a href="https://t.co/vn4KF9grhS">pic.twitter.com/vn4KF9grhS</a>
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The boat capsized midway due to overloading with the weight of 38 passengers, the police official said.

The incident happened when a private tourism boat was making a trip from Punnami Ghat, Bhavanipuram, to Pavitra Sangamam, Ferry village, the official said.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, Deputy Chief Minister N China Rajappa, leader of opposition Y S Jaganmohan Reddy and others expressed their grief over the tragedy.

The government has appointed a senior committee to investigate into the matter.

&quot;The police have also registered a case against 4-5 persons, one of them has been arrested,&quot;&nbsp;Krishna District Collector said.&nbsp;

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17 bodies recovered so far, trying to trace remaining missing persons. Govt has appointed a senior committee to inquire, police has also registered a case against 4-5 persons out of which one has been arrested: Krishna District Collector B. Lakshmi Kantam <a href="https://t.co/HC3sqrV9tZ">pic.twitter.com/HC3sqrV9tZ</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/929914224423313408?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 13, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

'The police have also registered a case against 4-5 persons, one of them has been arrested,'?Krishna District Collector said

At least 20 bodies of people have been recovered after a boat capsized in Andhra Pradesh on Sunday. The incident occurred at around 5:45 pm at river Krishna's Pavitra Sangamam ghat in the state. Krishna boat capsize incident: 16 bodies have been recovered so far #AndhraPradesh pic.twitter.com/BAHfhClBmt — ANI (@ANI) November 12, 2017 × The injured persons have been sent to Andhra hospital in Vijayawada. Krishna boat capsize: Injured brought to Andhra Hospital in Vijaywada #AndhraPradesh pic.twitter.com/vn4KF9grhS — ANI (@ANI) November 12, 2017 × The boat capsized midway due to overloading with the weight of 38 passengers, the police official said. The incident happened when a private tourism boat was making a trip from Punnami Ghat, Bhavanipuram, to Pavitra Sangamam, Ferry village, the official said. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, Deputy Chief Minister N China Rajappa, leader of opposition Y S Jaganmohan Reddy and others expressed their grief over the tragedy. The government has appointed a senior committee to investigate into the matter. "The police have also registered a case against 4-5 persons, one of them has been arrested," Krishna District Collector said. 17 bodies recovered so far, trying to trace remaining missing persons. Govt has appointed a senior committee to inquire, police has also registered a case against 4-5 persons out of which one has been arrested: Krishna District Collector B. Lakshmi Kantam pic.twitter.com/HC3sqrV9tZ — ANI (@ANI) November 13, 2017 ×

Andhra Pradesh: Death toll rises to 20 in Krishna river boat capsize

At least 14 bodies have been recovered after&nbsp;a boat capsized at river Krishna&#39;s&nbsp;Pavitra Sangamam ghat in&nbsp;Andhra Pradesh&nbsp;on Sunday.

Reports say&nbsp;that 14&nbsp;bodies have been recovered so far. As many as&nbsp;15 people were either rescued by local fishermen or swam to safety.

The overloaded boat capsized midway due to the weight of 38 passengers, the police official said.

Authorities fear that the death&nbsp;toll may go up.&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UPDATE?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UPDATE</a> Krishna boat capsize incident: 14 bodies recovered so far <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AndhraPradesh?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AndhraPradesh</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/929716007815471106?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 12, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Reports said that 15&nbsp;persons were rescued by local fishermen and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams were pressed into service to trace the missing persons, a senior police official said.

The incident occurred around 5.45 PM when a private tourism boat was making a trip from Punnami Ghat, Bhavanipuram, to Pavitra Sangamam, Ferry village, the official said.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, Deputy Chief Minister N China Rajappa, leader of opposition Y S Jaganmohan Reddy and others expressed grief over the tragedy.

The deputy chief minister rushed to the accident spot to oversee the rescue operations and has directed police to rush additional force to help locate the missing persons.

The incident occurred around 5.45 PM when a private tourism boat was making a trip from Punnami Ghat, Bhavanipuram, to Pavitra Sangamam, Ferry village.

At least 14 bodies have been recovered after a boat capsized at river Krishna's Pavitra Sangamam ghat in Andhra Pradesh on Sunday. Reports say that 14 bodies have been recovered so far. As many as 15 people were either rescued by local fishermen or swam to safety. The overloaded boat capsized midway due to the weight of 38 passengers, the police official said. Authorities fear that the death toll may go up. #UPDATE Krishna boat capsize incident: 14 bodies recovered so far #AndhraPradesh — ANI (@ANI) November 12, 2017 × Reports said that 15 persons were rescued by local fishermen and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams were pressed into service to trace the missing persons, a senior police official said. The incident occurred around 5.45 PM when a private tourism boat was making a trip from Punnami Ghat, Bhavanipuram, to Pavitra Sangamam, Ferry village, the official said. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, Deputy Chief Minister N China Rajappa, leader of opposition Y S Jaganmohan Reddy and others expressed grief over the tragedy. The deputy chief minister rushed to the accident spot to oversee the rescue operations and has directed police to rush additional force to help locate the missing persons.

14 drown as boat capsizes in Krishna river

ISRO has launched its PSLV C38 rocket from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh, and put 31 satellites in orbit.

The rocket was carrying a Cartosat 2 series satellite and 30 co-passenger satellites.

The Cartosat will be India&#39;s sixth &quot;eye in the sky&quot;.

It will orbit the Earth from 500 kms above and, according to media reports, will be capable of counting the number of army tanks parked in hostile territories.

&nbsp;Watch video&nbsp;of the launch below:

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash">#WATCH</a>: ISRO launches PSLV-C38 rocket on a mission to put 31 satellites into orbit from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh <a href="https://t.co/WNrvaFDngP">pic.twitter.com/WNrvaFDngP</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI_news/status/878101874620092416">June 23, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The rocket was carrying a Cartosat 2 series satellite and 30 co-passenger satellites

ISRO has launched its PSLV C38 rocket from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh, and put 31 satellites in orbit. The rocket was carrying a Cartosat 2 series satellite and 30 co-passenger satellites. The Cartosat will be India's sixth "eye in the sky". It will orbit the Earth from 500 kms above and, according to media reports, will be capable of counting the number of army tanks parked in hostile territories. Watch video of the launch below: #WATCH: ISRO launches PSLV-C38 rocket on a mission to put 31 satellites into orbit from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh pic.twitter.com/WNrvaFDngP — ANI (@ANI_news) June 23, 2017 ×

Watch: ISRO launches PSLV C38 rocket from Sriharikota, puts 31 satellites in orbit

Dr K &nbsp;Ramamurthy, who was freed after being captured in Libya by the IS&nbsp;two years ago, said here after his release that the dreaded terrorist organisation is very much &quot;interested&quot; in India and wants its ideology to be spread in the country.

Speaking to ANI exclusively, Ramamurthy said that the IS is aware about India and its development in education and economy. &quot;These ISIS people are well-educated youngsters and they do know about India and its development and how it has developed in education, economy and everything else.They are interested in India. But, I did understand that they wanted to spread the ideology of their nation to other parts of the world, including India,&quot; he said.Recounting his ordeal, the doctor said that he was abused verbally, however not physically, adding that he was asked to conduct surgeries in their hospitals.

Talking about IS cruelty he went on to say, &quot;IS people forced us to watch videos of what they did to Iraq, Syria, Nigeria and other places. It was bit difficult to watch them.&quot;

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<h5>The working members of the organisation are mostly youngsters. I saw suicide bombers as young as 10 year old. There were members beyond the age of 65 too&#39;</h5>
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&quot;In a camp in the city, they requested me to come and work in their hospitals. But since I was 61 then I had back pain and right leg nerve pain. I told them I was an old man and I couldn`t stand for more than 15 minutes at a stretch. I told them I am medically trained, not surgically trained. So they pulled me out of the Mahakama jail and put in another. I saw all kinds of attacks there,&quot; the doctor said.

Talking about the cadres of the terror group, Ramamurthy added that all the members of the outfit were extremely dedicated towards their organisation and were strictly following each and every rule.

&quot;The working members of the organisation are mostly youngsters. I saw suicide bombers as young as 10 year old. There were members beyond the age of 65 too,&quot; he said.

The doctor went on the thank the Government of India, especially Prime Minister Minister Narendra Modi, the National Security Advisor, the team of the officials worked for his release from IS.

&quot;I am so thankful to our Prime Minister and his team and other officials from the Indian Embassy. I`ll never ever forget this all my life. They helped me to come to the Embassy. These people worked so hard to pull me out from there,&quot; he added.

The doctor from Andhra Pradesh has been in Libya for the last 18 years and was put in jail by IS.

Indian embassy officials came to know about him and finally on February 14, he was safely taken out of Libya to Istanbul from where he reached India, and was on his way to his family in Andhra Pradesh.&nbsp;

(ANI)

Dr K Ramamurthy was captured in Libya two years ago, says IS wants its ideology spread in India

Dr K Ramamurthy, who was freed after being captured in Libya by the IS two years ago, said here after his release that the dreaded terrorist organisation is very much "interested" in India and wants its ideology to be spread in the country. Speaking to ANI exclusively, Ramamurthy said that the IS is aware about India and its development in education and economy. "These ISIS people are well-educated youngsters and they do know about India and its development and how it has developed in education, economy and everything else.They are interested in India. But, I did understand that they wanted to spread the ideology of their nation to other parts of the world, including India," he said.Recounting his ordeal, the doctor said that he was abused verbally, however not physically, adding that he was asked to conduct surgeries in their hospitals. Talking about IS cruelty he went on to say, "IS people forced us to watch videos of what they did to Iraq, Syria, Nigeria and other places. It was bit difficult to watch them." The working members of the organisation are mostly youngsters. I saw suicide bombers as young as 10 year old. There were members beyond the age of 65 too' × "In a camp in the city, they requested me to come and work in their hospitals. But since I was 61 then I had back pain and right leg nerve pain. I told them I was an old man and I couldn`t stand for more than 15 minutes at a stretch. I told them I am medically trained, not surgically trained. So they pulled me out of the Mahakama jail and put in another. I saw all kinds of attacks there," the doctor said. Talking about the cadres of the terror group, Ramamurthy added that all the members of the outfit were extremely dedicated towards their organisation and were strictly following each and every rule. "The working members of the organisation are mostly youngsters. I saw suicide bombers as young as 10 year old. There were members beyond the age of 65 too," he said. The doctor went on the thank the Government of India, especially Prime Minister Minister Narendra Modi, the National Security Advisor, the team of the officials worked for his release from IS. "I am so thankful to our Prime Minister and his team and other officials from the Indian Embassy. I`ll never ever forget this all my life. They helped me to come to the Embassy. These people worked so hard to pull me out from there," he added. The doctor from Andhra Pradesh has been in Libya for the last 18 years and was put in jail by IS. Indian embassy officials came to know about him and finally on February 14, he was safely taken out of Libya to Istanbul from where he reached India, and was on his way to his family in Andhra Pradesh. (ANI)

Doctor freed from captivity: Islamic State very 'interested' in India

Amid huge uproar over the flogging of a Dalit family at Una in the Indian state of Gujarat over cow vigilantism, a mob of &#39;cow vigilantes&#39; allegedly beat up two Dalits, a socially backward caste in India, in Andhra Pradesh after they skinned a cow which had died due to electrocution. 
 
The incident took place at Janakipeta in Amalapuram town of East Godavari district in the south Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. According to local news channel NDTV, two Dalit brothers Mokati Elisha and Lazer were allegedly tied to a coconut tree, stripped and thrashed. 
 
On getting to know of the skinning, the &#39;cow vigilantes&#39; went to the place and beat up the two men, suspecting that they had killed the animal. 
 
The two were admitted to a hospital in Amalapuram for treatment and Elisha&#39;s condition is said to be serious. 
 
&quot;We have registered a case under SCs/STs (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against some persons, who are yet to be identified. We are investigating the case and gathering clues about the suspects,&quot; a police officer from Amalapuram told PTI. 
 
A day ago, in a crackdown on cow vigilantes, a case has been registered against the chief of Gau Raksha Dal for allegedly thrashing people in the name of cow protection. 
 
Last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had strongly rebuked cow vigilantes, saying most of them were &#39;anti-social&#39; elements who were running &#39;shops&#39; in the name of cow protection. 
 
(Agencies)

Brothers Mokati Elisha and Lazer, who belong to the so-called lower caste, were allegedly tied to a coconut tree, stripped and thrashed

Amid huge uproar over the flogging of a Dalit family at Una in the Indian state of Gujarat over cow vigilantism, a mob of 'cow vigilantes' allegedly beat up two Dalits, a socially backward caste in India, in Andhra Pradesh after they skinned a cow which had died due to electrocution. The incident took place at Janakipeta in Amalapuram town of East Godavari district in the south Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. According to local news channel NDTV, two Dalit brothers Mokati Elisha and Lazer were allegedly tied to a coconut tree, stripped and thrashed. On getting to know of the skinning, the 'cow vigilantes' went to the place and beat up the two men, suspecting that they had killed the animal. The two were admitted to a hospital in Amalapuram for treatment and Elisha's condition is said to be serious. "We have registered a case under SCs/STs (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against some persons, who are yet to be identified. We are investigating the case and gathering clues about the suspects," a police officer from Amalapuram told PTI. A day ago, in a crackdown on cow vigilantes, a case has been registered against the chief of Gau Raksha Dal for allegedly thrashing people in the name of cow protection. Last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had strongly rebuked cow vigilantes, saying most of them were 'anti-social' elements who were running 'shops' in the name of cow protection. (Agencies)

Cow protectors allegedly tie up, strip and thrash 2 Dalits for skinning dead cow in India's Andhra Pradesh

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