Hyderabad, July 4: The city task force police on Friday arrested two persons who were attempting to sell leopard skin in the city. B. Ram Reddy, 30 a native of Kurnool and N. Shiva Prasad, 35, a native of Prakasam district were arrested. Ram Reddy, a farmer trapped the leopards in his field located near Nallamala Forest. The accused and his broker, Shiva Prasad, were offering to sell the two skins at Rs 2 lakh each.

Hyderabad, July 4: The state government will have to shell out an additional Rs 700 crore on the weaker section housing scheme for the current year due to the Telugu Desam. The TD had complained to the Centre regarding payments for levelling the ground to build houses under the "Indiramma programme.'

Hyderabad, July 4: Students from classes I to X in state schools will get free mid-day meals from August. At present, only students from class I to VII are getting mid-day meals and the state government has decided to extend the scheme to all classes from this academic year.

Visakhapatnam July 3: The human resources minister of Singapore, Mr Gan Kim Yang, and a team of officials visited city on Thursday. The city mayor, Mr Pulusu Janardhana Rao, called on the minister at a local hotel here and held talks on various schemes and projects taken up by either governments. Mr Janardhana Rao enquired on various civic schemes being implemented in Singapore and also explained to him on the implementation of various welfare schemes, particularly, the reconstruction programme being taken up under Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission funds.

Hyderabad July 3: The Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board does not have the money to execute the Rs 3,300 crore project to bring Godavari water to the city. Despite not having a single penny in its coffers, the Water Board has invited tenders for the project under pressure from the State government which wants to launch it in the election year. All the Water Board has is to rely on is the promise made by the State government that it would provide funds of its own, apart from getting Central grants under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission.

The oil price hike burdens already strained State finances and threatens to jeopardise welfare programmes run by State governments. THE Union government's decision to raise the prices of petroleum products has placed State governments in a quandary. While taxes on petroleum products constitute a significant proportion of a State's revenue, a reduction of these taxes could undermine the State's fiscal balance.

Hyderabad, July 2: Flat owners of the city will now have to pay Rs 125 per month as water and sewerage cess. The Hyderabad Metropolitan water Supply and Sewerage Board has decided to levy the cess from this month after a division bench of the High Court suspended the annulment of the relevant order by a single bench six months ago.

Hyderabad, July 2: A writ petition was filed in the Andhra Pradesh High Court on Wednesday seeking a direction for action to be initiated against Hindustan Beverages Coca-Cola Limited for selling its drinks higher than the MRP rate in Cinema theatres in the city. The petition filed by the Cine Preskhakula Viniyogadarula Sangham stated that the company has been selling its cool drinks at Rs 15 per bottle while the MRP printed on the bottle was only Rs 10. The petitioner informed the court that a case under Section 420 IPC was registered against the company in Malkajgiri police station.

Vijayawada, July 1: India's first power plant using IGCC (integrated gasification combined cycle) technology is being constructed at Vijayawada thermal power station. Setting the stone for this 125 megawatt (MW) capacity power plant, the Union minister of state for commerce and power, Mr Jairam Ramesh here on Tuesday said the project has major implications for India's energy strategy that has to take seriously the international concerns on global warming arising out of increasing use of coal.

Kadapa, July 1: The Department of Horticulture is promoting the concept of organic farming in the district. Food products, especially vegetables, grown with the use of fertilisers, chemicals and other chemical sprays are responsible for making the human body disease-prone and new ailments arising. The chemical deposits enter the body through vegetables, cause sickness and affect vital organs of the body. The assistant director of horticulture, Mr V.S. Dharmaja, said that healthy food can be produced through organic farming and by use of organic manure.