YSR LEAVING FOR DELHI TOMORROW TO CALL ON SONIA GANDHI

Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy will be leaving for New Delhi on August 16 to finalise the proposed visit of United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi to the State on September 1.

Sonia is visiting the state in connection with the launch of prestigious second-phase of Indiramma Housing Programme for the poor.

She will also review Rajiv Swagruha programme meant for the middle-class. The Cabinet meeting scheduled for August 16 is postponed to August 21.

YSR SHARES HIS LONG JOURNEY FROM A 'SUB-JUNIOR' CONGRESS LEADER TO THE APCC PRESIDENT AND ULTIMATELY THE CHIEFMINISTERSHIP

Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy turned nostalgic on Tuesday when he recalled how former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi stumped him by offering the post of president of the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee in 1983, which he had never asked for.

"After the Congress lost 1983 elections that brought the Telugu Desam Party to power, I had an opportunity to travel with Rajiv Gandhi from New Delhi to Hyderabad," Dr Reddy said explaining how the late leader, who was the AICC general secretary then, asked him the reason for the party’s debacle in the elections.

"I prevailed upon him to understand the need to give due recognition to youth, a suggestion that he instantly agreed. I urged him to nominate a young MLA from the weaker sections as the PCC president," Dr Reddy said, addressing the Andhra Pradesh Youth Congress and District Youth Congress office-bearer’s convention at Jubilee Hall in Hyderabad.

"He had gone back to Delhi and summoned me and said that he had thorough discussions with seniors and felt that I was the most suited for the PCC chief’s post," the Chief Minister recalled, and admitted that it took a few minutes for him to believe it.

"I took up the challenge and that was the beginning of my political elevation," he said and noted that he was a 'sub-junior' Congress leader, when he became the PCC president. "I was elected MLA from Pulivendula when I was only 28 years old and a district youth Congress secretary," he remarked.

He advised youth Congress leaders to wait for opportunities.

Responding to a complaint by district youth Congress leaders that local legislators were indifferent in taking up forming booth-level committees, Dr Reddy said they could discuss with district in-charge ministers and DCC chiefs and complete the exercise.

Agriculture Minister N Raghuveera Reddy, State Youth Congress president T J R Sudhakar and others were present.

(Courtesy: The Hindu)

WANNA KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING IN ANDHRA PRADESH RIGHT NOW? HERE'S A NEWS CAPSULE

# The Andhra Pradesh Administrative Tribunal on Friday stayed the Chief Secretary’s orders for sending non-local employees of Hyderabad Collectorate back to their native districts. The tribunal’s order came a day ahead of the deadline fixed by the Government for repatriation of non-local employees in tune with GO 610.

# Heavy rains across India on Saturday left thousands of Hindu pilgrims stranded in Kashmir and disrupted public transport in Mumbai, while at least eight fishermen were feared drowned off the stormy Andhra coast.

# In an effort to bring down the prices of essential commodities, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekahra Reddy today directed the Civil Supplies Department to conduct raids against hoarders and black marketeers.

# Around 11,500 farmers have committed suicide in different parts of India in the last six years, most of them due to their inability to pay debts, says a new study that indicates the problem is bigger than what has been reported so far. The study, carried out by a conglomerate of voluntary groups called the National Social Watch Coalition (NCWC), says that in Andhra Pradesh, 1,126 farmers ended their lives in 2004.

# President A P J Abdul Kalam on Friday took the audience at a function in Hyderabad by surprise when he began his speech in the local language Telugu.

# The last two weeks have been an expensive one for vegetarians. At all the main mandis, the Bowenpally market yard, rythu bazaars at Kukatpally and Mehdipatnam, the prices of vegetables have skyrocketed.

YSR government gives away 10,760 acres!!

The Andhra Pradesh government is all set to give away 10,760 acres to the Cuddapah-based Brahmani Steels unit at Rs 18,000 per acre. A decision to this effect is likely to take place in the cabinet on Wednesday. The price of the land has been arrived at on the basis of the report produced by the district collector. Once it is approved, the project will get under way on June 10, it is reliably learnt.

TEA TIME TALK: YSR plays musical chairs with IAS officers!!

The Andhra Pradesh government on Tuesday transferred 21 IAS officials, including collectors of eight districts. After many years, the government posted Muslims as collectors to two districts, Guntur and Adilabad. The government resorted to the transfers late at night. Without issuing a government order, it released the names of officials who had been transferred. The list was released on the instructions of Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhar Reddy. Both the Chief Minister and chief secretary J Harinarayana were away at New Delhi. Official sources said the GO would be issued on Wednesday.

The government posted Mohd Ali Rafat, managing director of AP Seeds Development Corporation, as Guntur collector and Ahmed Nadeem, deputy commissioner commercial taxes, as Adilabad collector. Rafat was known for his fight against the government and obtaining seniority through court orders. The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation got two IAS officials as additional commissioners, B Janardhan Reddy and SRSP special collector D C Bhima Naik. Janardhan Reddy was successfully implementing the urban slum project and had worked with the Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad.
Guntur collector Jayalakshmi, who requested the Chief Minister for a change for personal reasons was posted to West Godavari in place of Luv Agarwal, who was posted as CMD of Eastern Power Distribution Company Limited (EPDCL). Though an industrial house was believed to have lobbied for Agarwal’s transfer to Ranga Reddy district, the Chief Minister chose to send him to EPDCL. Praveen Prakash was posted from the EPDCL as Ranga Reddy collector in place of L Prem Chandra Reddy who is posted as project officer in Nagarjuna Sagar Project Modernisation.
Buckling under pressure from party legislators, the Chief Minister was believed to have approved the transfer of Warangal municipal commissioner Smitha Sabharwal. She was posted as deputy commissioner of commercial taxes, Kakinada, in place of B Ramanjaneyulu, who is posted as Nizamabad district collector. Within a year of giving posting as collectors, the government shifted I S Srinaresh (Nizamabad) and D Kadmiel (Anantapur) and R Subba Rao (Adilabad).
The Chief Minister reportedly got feedback that the performance of these officials was not on expected lines. Srinaresh was posted as managing director of AP State Civil Supplies Corporation while Kadmiel was made director of tribal welfare. N Sridhar, director of ports, will take over from Kadmiel. As expected, Prakasam collector B Udayalakshmi was transferred to the newly created post of additional commissioner of horticulture. K Devanand, joint secretary in energy department, replaced her.
K Vijayanand who had a long stint as Nalgonda collector was transferred as project director, Bhubharati. M Purushottam Reddy, ED in Metro Water Works, is posted in his place. A notable missing in the postings of district collectors is Outer Ring Road project director Piyush Kumar. Kumar who is due to be posted as collector for the past year has already represented to the Chief Minister to give him a chance to serve as the district head, a dream of IAS officials.
Senior IAS official Pankaj Dwivedi who was waiting for posting was appointed director-general of MCR HRD Institute, while Veena Ish was posted as additional commissioner of AP Bhavan, New Delhi. She was earlier transferred to the post but sought time to join. In the meantime, the government posted her as special commissioner, commercial taxes. M Veerabhadraiah, who was awaiting posting, was posted in Ish’s place. P Venkateswarlu, who was awaiting posting, was made CEO, Rythu Bazar.