The Union Government has restored the original monthly full quota of rice to the State at 3,15,035 tonnes, thus withdrawing the cut of over 30,000 tonnes it had imposed recently following "incorrect feedback' that rice is available in plenty in Andhra Pradesh. The decision to withdraw the cut and ensure the original monthly full quota to Andhra Pradesh was taken by the Union Government after a delegation of the State led by Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy made a strong plea to Union Food & Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar for the retention.

Vowing to intensify their agitation against bauxite mining the Opposition TD launch-ed padayatra in this Agen-cy mandal here on Tuesday. Speaking on the occasion, the TD district unit president, Mr Bandaru Satyanrayana Murthy, alleged that the Congress government was diluting the rights of the tribals under the 1/70 Act.

Dirty and unsafe water is being supplied to citizens of Kurnool city. But the municipal authorities are content with an explanation for the reason without taking any measures for the purification of stagnant tank water. Despite opposition corporators raising the issue and expressing concern at the authorities over supply of poor quality water in the recent council meeting, the authorities merely told members that the reason lay in the lower levels of the supply water tank but gave no assurance of addressing the problem.

Authorities of the horticulture and forest departments dealing with survey and compensation payment for the evacuees of the three-decade-old Somasila project have reportedly siphoned off compensation funds, meant for those who lost their trees along with their lands. Farmers said officials had created false records, mentioning the presence of hundreds of trees and thereby sharing the compensation amount.

Anil Ambani group's Reliance Power is looking to invest about $1 billion (Rs 4,000 crore) towards purchase of large-size vessels for shipping coal from abroad to its Krishnapatnam and other projects.

The Planning Commission on Monday approved the large 2008-09 annual plan outlay of Rs. 44,000 crore for Congress-ruled Andhra Pradesh for implementing various development programmes. The outlay, which includes additional Central assistance of Rs. 165 crore for projects of special interest to the State, is 46 per cent higher than the last year.

The Opposition Telugu Desam leaders here on Monday said they would scrap the MoUs signed by the Congress government with the Jindal South West Aluminium Limited and Ras-al-Khaimah for supply of bauxite ore, if their party is voted to power in the ensuing general elections. Addressing a media conference here on Monday, the TD city and district unit presidents, Mr B. Satyanarayana Murthy and Dr C.M.A. Zaheer Ahmed, alleged that the Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, had ignored public opinion on bauxite mining.

The Rajiv Arogyasri scheme has come as a boon for the poverty stricken parents of seven-year-old Lavanya of Sanjeevapuram in Bukkara-yasamudram mandal. The little girl was suffering from congenital cardiac problems and her parents, Mr Thimmappa and Ms Bhagyalakshmi, did not have the Rs 1,00,000 required to repair her heart valves through surgery.

The bitterness between Orissa and Andhra Pradesh over sharing the water of river Mahendratanaya has reached flashpoint with the Andhra Pradesh government going ahead with its irrigation project. Andhra Pradesh chief minister, YS Rajasekhar Reddy, laid the foundation stone for the Rs 127-crore irrigation project across the Mahendratanaya in Srikakulam district recently. In retaliation, the Orissa government has decided to construct two diversion weirs for instant utilisation of water as an interim measure.

UPA's move may come three years late