No delimitation to confusion
20 Mar 2009, 0343 hrs IST, TNN
HYDERABAD: A year after delimitation of constituencies and a month before the polls, there is still confusion among voters over their assembly constituencies in the city.
Citizens are doing rounds of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) offices to know their assembly segments and polling stations but are returning confused.
Before delimitation, the city had 13 assembly segments. After the constituencies were recast, Himayatnagar, Asifnagar and Maharajgunj vanished from the poll map , but the number of constituencies increased to 15 with addition of Amberpet, Jubilee Hills, Nampally, Goshamahal and Bahadurpura.
Though four new assembly constituencies were carved out from existing ones, boundaries of all segments were affected in the delimitation exercise, resulting in confusion among voters.
New constituencies like L B Nagar, Uppal, Kukatpally, Serilingampally, Rajendranagar, Malkajgiri, Chevella and Patancheru, which are now in GHMC limits but in Ranga Reddy district, have come into existence.
While the Musheerabad assembly segment had cosmetic changes, all other constituencies were badly affected in the delimitation process. Jubilee Hills and Kukatpally were carved out from Khairatabad, the biggest assembly segment with over 7.5 lakh voters.
Voters of the newly-created Jubilee Hills segment and Khairatabad constituency are the worst affected. Though the name of the constituency is Jubilee Hills, 90 per cent of its jurisdiction is under the Khairatabad assembly segment.
House numbers which begin with 8-1, 8-3 and 8-4 have been allocated to the Jubilee Hills segment, while the rest of Jubilee Hills areas and Srinagar colony continue to be in Khairatabad segment. Some areas in Asifnagar segment were also brought under the Khairatabad segment after delimitation.
Similarly, Monda market, Regimental Bazar and parts of Marredpally, which were in the Sanatnagar assembly segment, have now been shifted to the Secunderabad Cantonment segment. Manikeshwarnagar and Ravindranagar of Seetaphalmandi area were earlier in Musheerabad segment before the delimitation process. But now, they are in the Secunderabad segment.
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ICICI duped of Rs 30 lakh
HYDERABAD
The Commis-sioner’s Task Force team on Friday arrested three persons accused of allegedly cheating the ICICI Bank to the tune of Rs 30 lakh.
The police seized two motorcycles, a refrigerator, an air conditioner, a television set, an air cooler, a laptop, a car, eight cellphones, SIM cards and forged documents from their possession.
Kanchumarthi Kalyan Chakravarthy, 29, is the prime accused in the case.
Naseerullah Khan and Pathuri Yugandhar were his accomplices. All are natives of West Godavari district Kalyan Chakravarthy’s younger brother used to work with the ICICI Bank.
He would introduce his elder brother as a business development executive and would assist him in opening accounts with the bank.
While opening accounts for wealthy customers, Kalyan retained a photocopy of application forms containing personal details.
Then he would forge the signatures of account holders. He was able to withdraw Rs 30 lakh. He did not even let his brother know of his unscrupulous activities.
Kalyan has been arrested a number of times in the past but managed to get a bail and restart his operations.
He is also suspected to have withdrawn Rs 48 lakh from the account of a customer, Mr Nimmala Anjaiah, from the Jubilee Hills Branch of ICICI Bank and Rs 16 lakh from the account of Mr Unnam Sambaiah from the Nacharam branch of ICICI Bank.
The arrested persons have been handed over to the Jubilee Hills SHO.
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Chiranjeevi moves SC for common symbol
N. VAMSI SRINIVAS and J.R. PRASAD
DC I HYDERABAD
“Chiranjeevi cannot issue B-form of any other party while continuing as presi- dent of Praja Rajyam.”
The crisis caused by the Praja Rajyam not getting a symbol is so intense that its founder president Chiranjeevi will have to resign and join the party whose symbol it wants to use for all its candidates.
The Praja Rajyam is a “registered party,” but is not yet “recognised” for which it has to win a certain percentage of votes. This, the Praja Rajyam, formed last year, has not done. It is therefore not eligible for a common symbol, all its candidates run the risk of getting different symbols which is a nightmare scenario for any party.
Authorities familiar with the election process suggest that the safe option for PR at the eleventh hour — nominations for the first phase of polls in the state open on March 23 — is to join the party having a common symbol in any other state, set up its state unit and field PR candidates.
In such an event, it will be essential for Chiranjeevi to take over as state party president, if not the entire party, and issue B forms for his candidates to have control over the candidates in the post poll scenario.
“Chiranjeevi cannot issue B-form of any other party while continuing as president of PR, which is only a registered party and notrecognised,” EC sources said.
As a last effort, the party on Thursday approached the Supreme Court seeking a direction to the EC to allot a common symbol for the party. Sources said the PR contended that the matter would come in the purview of the apex court as the decision on the symbol should be taken by the EC.
Inquiries revealed that majority opinion was mobilising in favour of a safe and immediate solution to overcome the crisis irrespective of the criticism the party would be subjected to.
“All that matters finally is getting a common symbol without which it will be a disaster,” a party leader said.
A section of think tank was believed to have suggested that all the PR candidates should file nominations as independent candidates and claim first preference for a symbol in all the constituencies. “As per rules the candidates of a registered party, who file nominations as independents, will have preference over independents,” a close confidant of Chiranjeevi said.
“There is high risk involved in the process because any other registered party can claim the same symbol. In such an event, the allotment will be decided by the returning officers through draw of lots,” EC sources said.
Party sources said Goa’s Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party with the lion symbol and the United Goan Democratic Party with the two-leaves symbol were under consideration along with the Sikkim Democratic Front of the Sikkim Chief Minister, Mr Pawan Chamling, with umbrella sign.
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Inflation at record low, fears of deflation rise
DC CORRESPONDENTS
NEW DELHI/MUMBAI
● COMMODITIES TURN CHEAPER BUT FOOD PRICES ARE STILL ZOOMING
Inflation touc-hed a 30-year historic low of 0.44 per cent for the first week of March, triggering the possibility that it could turn negative in the coming days though the government allayed fears of the country sliding into a deflationary phase.
The huge fall in the rate of inflation — it was 2.44 per cent last week — is being attributed to high inflation at the same time last year (7.78 per cent). The 0.44 figure represents a slower pace of price rise against the same period last year.
The fall in inflation was also attributed to lower prices of primary articles like fuel, commodities.
Food prices, however, continue to be high.
The Bank of Baroda chief economist, Ms Rupa Rege Nitsure, said the base effect will become stronger from here on and inflation will touch zero by March-end.
This could be India’s first deflation since March 1976.
The Crisil principal economist, Mr D.K. Joshi, said inflation will turn negative in the coming days and will remain in that region for two to three months.
“Inflation will again bounce back by the end of 2009,” said Mr Joshi.
When inflation is falling because prices are falling, it can be technically called deflation.
But it is more important, said Mr Siddhartha Sanyal, an economist at Edelweiss Capital Ltd, “to differentiate between structural and statistical deflation.” A structural deflation would mean no demand and no growth, he said.
However, India is growing, even if it may be only six or 6.5 per cent. “So it is more a statistical deflation,” Mr Sanyal said.
“If you take a two-year horizon there would be a price growth of three to four per cent,” he said.
20 Mar 2009, 0343 hrs IST, TNN
HYDERABAD: A year after delimitation of constituencies and a month before the polls, there is still confusion among voters over their assembly constituencies in the city.
Citizens are doing rounds of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) offices to know their assembly segments and polling stations but are returning confused.
Before delimitation, the city had 13 assembly segments. After the constituencies were recast, Himayatnagar, Asifnagar and Maharajgunj vanished from the poll map , but the number of constituencies increased to 15 with addition of Amberpet, Jubilee Hills, Nampally, Goshamahal and Bahadurpura.
Though four new assembly constituencies were carved out from existing ones, boundaries of all segments were affected in the delimitation exercise, resulting in confusion among voters.
New constituencies like L B Nagar, Uppal, Kukatpally, Serilingampally, Rajendranagar, Malkajgiri, Chevella and Patancheru, which are now in GHMC limits but in Ranga Reddy district, have come into existence.
While the Musheerabad assembly segment had cosmetic changes, all other constituencies were badly affected in the delimitation process. Jubilee Hills and Kukatpally were carved out from Khairatabad, the biggest assembly segment with over 7.5 lakh voters.
Voters of the newly-created Jubilee Hills segment and Khairatabad constituency are the worst affected. Though the name of the constituency is Jubilee Hills, 90 per cent of its jurisdiction is under the Khairatabad assembly segment.
House numbers which begin with 8-1, 8-3 and 8-4 have been allocated to the Jubilee Hills segment, while the rest of Jubilee Hills areas and Srinagar colony continue to be in Khairatabad segment. Some areas in Asifnagar segment were also brought under the Khairatabad segment after delimitation.
Similarly, Monda market, Regimental Bazar and parts of Marredpally, which were in the Sanatnagar assembly segment, have now been shifted to the Secunderabad Cantonment segment. Manikeshwarnagar and Ravindranagar of Seetaphalmandi area were earlier in Musheerabad segment before the delimitation process. But now, they are in the Secunderabad segment.
============================================================================================
ICICI duped of Rs 30 lakh
HYDERABAD
The Commis-sioner’s Task Force team on Friday arrested three persons accused of allegedly cheating the ICICI Bank to the tune of Rs 30 lakh.
The police seized two motorcycles, a refrigerator, an air conditioner, a television set, an air cooler, a laptop, a car, eight cellphones, SIM cards and forged documents from their possession.
Kanchumarthi Kalyan Chakravarthy, 29, is the prime accused in the case.
Naseerullah Khan and Pathuri Yugandhar were his accomplices. All are natives of West Godavari district Kalyan Chakravarthy’s younger brother used to work with the ICICI Bank.
He would introduce his elder brother as a business development executive and would assist him in opening accounts with the bank.
While opening accounts for wealthy customers, Kalyan retained a photocopy of application forms containing personal details.
Then he would forge the signatures of account holders. He was able to withdraw Rs 30 lakh. He did not even let his brother know of his unscrupulous activities.
Kalyan has been arrested a number of times in the past but managed to get a bail and restart his operations.
He is also suspected to have withdrawn Rs 48 lakh from the account of a customer, Mr Nimmala Anjaiah, from the Jubilee Hills Branch of ICICI Bank and Rs 16 lakh from the account of Mr Unnam Sambaiah from the Nacharam branch of ICICI Bank.
The arrested persons have been handed over to the Jubilee Hills SHO.
==============================================================================================
Chiranjeevi moves SC for common symbol
N. VAMSI SRINIVAS and J.R. PRASAD
DC I HYDERABAD
“Chiranjeevi cannot issue B-form of any other party while continuing as presi- dent of Praja Rajyam.”
The crisis caused by the Praja Rajyam not getting a symbol is so intense that its founder president Chiranjeevi will have to resign and join the party whose symbol it wants to use for all its candidates.
The Praja Rajyam is a “registered party,” but is not yet “recognised” for which it has to win a certain percentage of votes. This, the Praja Rajyam, formed last year, has not done. It is therefore not eligible for a common symbol, all its candidates run the risk of getting different symbols which is a nightmare scenario for any party.
Authorities familiar with the election process suggest that the safe option for PR at the eleventh hour — nominations for the first phase of polls in the state open on March 23 — is to join the party having a common symbol in any other state, set up its state unit and field PR candidates.
In such an event, it will be essential for Chiranjeevi to take over as state party president, if not the entire party, and issue B forms for his candidates to have control over the candidates in the post poll scenario.
“Chiranjeevi cannot issue B-form of any other party while continuing as president of PR, which is only a registered party and notrecognised,” EC sources said.
As a last effort, the party on Thursday approached the Supreme Court seeking a direction to the EC to allot a common symbol for the party. Sources said the PR contended that the matter would come in the purview of the apex court as the decision on the symbol should be taken by the EC.
Inquiries revealed that majority opinion was mobilising in favour of a safe and immediate solution to overcome the crisis irrespective of the criticism the party would be subjected to.
“All that matters finally is getting a common symbol without which it will be a disaster,” a party leader said.
A section of think tank was believed to have suggested that all the PR candidates should file nominations as independent candidates and claim first preference for a symbol in all the constituencies. “As per rules the candidates of a registered party, who file nominations as independents, will have preference over independents,” a close confidant of Chiranjeevi said.
“There is high risk involved in the process because any other registered party can claim the same symbol. In such an event, the allotment will be decided by the returning officers through draw of lots,” EC sources said.
Party sources said Goa’s Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party with the lion symbol and the United Goan Democratic Party with the two-leaves symbol were under consideration along with the Sikkim Democratic Front of the Sikkim Chief Minister, Mr Pawan Chamling, with umbrella sign.
===============================================================================================
Inflation at record low, fears of deflation rise
DC CORRESPONDENTS
NEW DELHI/MUMBAI
● COMMODITIES TURN CHEAPER BUT FOOD PRICES ARE STILL ZOOMING
Inflation touc-hed a 30-year historic low of 0.44 per cent for the first week of March, triggering the possibility that it could turn negative in the coming days though the government allayed fears of the country sliding into a deflationary phase.
The huge fall in the rate of inflation — it was 2.44 per cent last week — is being attributed to high inflation at the same time last year (7.78 per cent). The 0.44 figure represents a slower pace of price rise against the same period last year.
The fall in inflation was also attributed to lower prices of primary articles like fuel, commodities.
Food prices, however, continue to be high.
The Bank of Baroda chief economist, Ms Rupa Rege Nitsure, said the base effect will become stronger from here on and inflation will touch zero by March-end.
This could be India’s first deflation since March 1976.
The Crisil principal economist, Mr D.K. Joshi, said inflation will turn negative in the coming days and will remain in that region for two to three months.
“Inflation will again bounce back by the end of 2009,” said Mr Joshi.
When inflation is falling because prices are falling, it can be technically called deflation.
But it is more important, said Mr Siddhartha Sanyal, an economist at Edelweiss Capital Ltd, “to differentiate between structural and statistical deflation.” A structural deflation would mean no demand and no growth, he said.
However, India is growing, even if it may be only six or 6.5 per cent. “So it is more a statistical deflation,” Mr Sanyal said.
“If you take a two-year horizon there would be a price growth of three to four per cent,” he said.
Courtesy: Deccan Chronicle
