11 killed, 30 injured as bus falls into gorge in AP
Hyderabad:10 college students and a forest guard were killed and 30 others injured when a state-run bus in which they were travelling fell into a gorge in Andhra Pradesh’s Anantapur district on Wednesday. The incident occurred at around 8:30 AM near Penukonda town in the district where a road was under repair. The state government has ordered an inquiry. Over 40 persons were travelling in the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) bus which was going to Penukonda from Madakasira in the district, Anantapur District Superintendent of Police Rajsekhar Babu said. “The deceased include nine boys and a girl student besides a forest guard,” Babu, told PTI over phone. He said that road work was going on near the accident spot and a large area was dug up on one side where the bus rolled down. “It seems the driver tried to avoid an auto rickshaw coming from opposite direction which resulted in the mishap,” he added, they were probing if there was negligence on the driver’s part. APSRTC Regional Manager G Venkateswarlu said at least 30 injured are undergoing treatment at different hospitals in Penukonda, Anantapur and Hindupur and depending on their condition, they would be shifted to Bengaluru.(PTI)
UP Min lashes out at Centre over non-cooperation with state
Ballia (UP): Attacking the Narendra Modi government on non-cooperation with the state, Uttar Pradesh Minister Ambika Chaudhary on Wednesday alleged that the Centre is not supporting the Akhilesh government on its development agenda. “Charging the Modi government with not cooperating with the state is not just an allegation but a reality,” Chaudhary told news persons on the sidelines of a programme at Sivankala village here. “The Modi government is not cooperating with the Akhilesh government in the development works of the state,” UP Handicapped and Backward Welfare Minister Chaudhary said. He also held the Modi government responsible for the tension on Indo-Pak border and said it would have to give an answer to the people of Jammu and Kashmir on the issue. When asked about the corruption charges levelled on BSP president Mayawati by her party colleague Jugal Kishore, Chaudhary said they (charges) are not false. “She (Mayawati) during her tenure as chief minister had not only institutionalised corruption but also openly demanded money for all works,” he said.(PTI)
Major IAS officers’ reshuffle in AP
Hyderabad:With the cadre allocation of All India Services (AIS) officers more or less finalised following provisional allotment made by the Centre in last week December, the Andhra Pradesh government on wednesday effected a massive reshuffle of IAS officers, giving postings to many who reported to the state from neighbouring Telangana. As many as 35 Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers got new postings in the exercise, including some changes at the top level, as per an order issued by state Chief Secretary I Y R Krishna Rao. Krishna district got a new Collector in Babu Ahamed of 2003 batch who has been allotted to AP cadre. The vacant Collector’s post in Srikakulam district has been filled with P Lakshminarasimham (2003). Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu took a junior officer P S Pradyumna of 2004 batch into the CMO and made him his Joint Secretary. Anil Chandra Punetha (1984) has been made Home Department’s Principal Secretary in the existing vacancy. (PTI)
Andhra Pradesh MPs demand new trains, better facilities
Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh parliamentarians sought better connectivity between Rayalaseema districts and the new capital around Vijayawada in their meeting with the South Central Railways (SCR) General Manager here. SCR General Manager P K Srivastava held an interactive meeting with 18 MPs who put forth their views and demands, which would be forwarded to the Railway Board ahead of 2015-16 rail budget. Rayalaseema MP J C Diwakar Reddy said that after creation of Vijayawada region as the new capital, passengers from Rayalaseema will face difficulty in travelling to Vijayawada with existing rail network and hence a better connectivity between the two regions is required. MPs from Guntur and Vijayawada said more passenger amenities should be made available at all railway stations in the new capital region. Some of the MPs sought attention on doubling and electrification of the existing railway line between Guntur and Guntakal and also demanded to increase the frequency of Machilipatnam-Yaswantapur express from current three days to seven.(PTI)a