Boys continue to be favourite of childless couples

By SNV Sudhir

Visakhapatnam, Sep 28, 2012: Despite an aggressive campaign by the government in various forms on the importance of girl child and their skewed ratio, male babies continue to be hot favourites for childless couples to adopt.

Since the availability of male babies at the government run Sishu Gruha, cannot cater to demand for them, couples prefer to wait rather than adopting a girl baby.

There are around 100 applications from childless couples pending at the women and child welfare department and more than 70 are for male babies. The rest are pending due to various other reasons.

These applications seeking male babies below the age of one year or a newborn are pending since as early as 2008, which shows that childless couples are ready to wait for many years for a male child but not ready to adopt a female baby available at the government run rescue homes.

“The situation also throws light on the fact that very few male babies are abandoned. More parents approach us seeking male babies who are not available with us,” Child Welfare Committee (CWC), chairperson, T Ramani Spandana told this correspondent.

Until now, the CWC here cleared 43 applications since 2006 and childless couples adopted children. Here too, more than 30 children who were given for adoptions were male babies.

At present, there are around 14 children below 3 years of age at the Sishu Gruha, where abandoned children are being taken care.

Spandana, also pointed that children above 3 years of age are not finding any takers for adoption as most prospective couples prefer months old baby.

Concerns are also raised over growing unauthorized adoptions. The CWC has received at least 15 unauthorised adoption cases to their notice since the beginning of this year from various sources, including police.

The long adoption process as long as 14 months pushes many to take the unauthorized route to adopt children by spending as much as Rs 25,000. 

Report on encroachers soon

By SNV Sudhir

Visakhapatnam, Sep 24, 2012: With the real estate boom and skyrocketing of land prices, government lands which are valued at thousands of crores of rupees once have been encroached by real estate agents in the city.

Amidst allegations of encroachment of hundreds of crores of rupees worth valuable lands in the heart of the city at Daspalla Hills, district joint-collector will soon start preparing a status report. Besi-des, vigilance and enforcement personnel will also prepare a report into land transactions covered by government poramboke survey No.s 1196, 1197, 1027 and 1028. They are also examining if there was any collusion of real estate agents and officials in exempting 7½ acres from coming under the Urban Land Ceiling Regulation Act (ULCRA) and creating fake documents and revenue passbooks to regularise layouts or building permissions.

“At the initial stages of ULCRA, in the matter of verification of the declaration of land under Section 6 and determination of surplus lands under Section 8, the intermediaries often connived with ULCR officials so as to ensure that the full extent of the surplus land was not brought to light. At later stages, especially in the matter of granting exemptions under Section 20, both ULCRA officials, CCLA (erstwhile CCLR) and the state revenue department misused discretion to grant exemption and allowed vast and valuable extents of urban land to slip away from government’s hands and put to uses not envisaged in the Act,” alleged former bureaucrat and Forum for Better Visakha (FBV) convenor E.A.S. Sarma.

Finally, even after exem-ptions were granted under Section 20, local ULCRA and revenue officials had the responsibility to monitor the use of the exempted lands and, in the event of violation of the conditions precedent to the exemption orders, the said lands sho-uld be revoked, he added.

Dadi Veerabhadra Rao, leader of opposition in the Legislative Council raised the issue recently, in Ques-tion Hour, of the alleged encroachment of lands in Daspalla Hills, stating that several illegal structures had come up on the 60 acre land. He said that the rest of the land was classified as government land more than a decade ago and valued at thousands of crores of rupees but some encroachers had managed to sell a large extent.

“I had a talk with the revenue principal secretary and as per the assurances given by revenue minister N. Raghuveera Reddy on the floor of the house, the joint collector will soon send a status report on the Daspalla Hills land issue after we receive a written communication. The vigilance department will also send a report. We are also looking at the angle of taking disciplinary action against ULC staff if we find any violations,” district collector V. Seshadri told this correspondent.

CEMENT MAFIA IN VIZAG DISTRICT A MAJOR CONCERN

By SNV Sudhir

Visakhapatnam, Sep 18, 2012: The alleged existence of a mafia of cement firms trying to push their way ahead in obtaining licenses to mine laterite, available in thousands of acres in Sarugudu panchayat, Nathavaram mandal in Visakhapatnam, is now a serious issue of concern.Reserves of laterite, which are also used in making cement and bricks, are said to be available in abundance in the notified scheduled tribal panchayat, Sarugudu, part of Nagulakonda hills and home to many streams.
Around 44 mining lease licenses were applied for in the last couple of years in the villages surrounding Sarugudu, covering a cumulative area of 10,815 acres. While the state mining department granted a 14-year lease to a person named J. Lakshman Rao to mine laterite in 121 hectares in 2010, violating stipulated norms, the other pending licences are also at the verge of being granted.
Despite stiff opposition from locals, the pollution control board held a public hearing to give Mr Rao the go-ahead to mine laterite in the same panchayat in November last, in violation of the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA) and forest and mining laws.
The project proponent has to take consent from the Tribal Gram Sabha and the Tribal Advisory Council of the state, as required by PESA. The proposed mining activity also violates the SC’s Samata judgment of 1997 that says revenue land, forest land and tribal land in scheduled areas cannot be sold or leased out to non-tribals and that mining activity should be taken up either by the government or a society formed by tribals.
“If all the 44 licences are granted, violating the norms and Tribal and Forest Acts, Vizag will turn into another mini Bellary, where illegal mining took place, posing a threat to the environment,” said G.
Srinivas of Samata, an NGO working for tribals’ rights.

Sea cruise tourism in limbo

By SNV Sudhir

Visakhapatnam, Sep 13, 2012: The tourism department’s efforts to make Vizag a sea cruise tourism hub in the state will not materialise soon, due to non-availability of a suitable place to develop a cruise terminal.

Of the available port area, only the present fishing harbour location is suitable. Though there was a proposal to shift the fishing harbour to Bheemili, it will at least take four years to do so.

Realising the potential, STAR cruise are approaching government for permission to start their cruise liners from Vizag to Port Blair; the tourism department plans to develop a cruise terminal at a cost of Rs.200 crore.

This cruise terminal will have a shopping mall, food courts, convention and business centre with first class amenities to attract foreign tourists too. “Though the waterfront at the Yerada Beach suits a terminal, backwaters there will not allow cruise liner vessels to be docked. There is a lot of pollution in the inner harbour. The fishing harbour is the ideal location with 12 feet draft depth to anchor the cruise, but the cruise terminal can come up only after the fishing harbour is shifted,” said Visakhapatnam Port Trust (VPT) chairman Ajeya Kallam.

AMET Shipping which brought its cruise liner AMET Majesty to the city last August, also faced problems in berthing the vessel in the port.

Shifting the fishing harbour will take place as part of developing a satellite minor port at Bheemili, which the VPT will take up only after finishes its berth modernisation and mechanisation process that is underway at Vizag port.

“We will concentrate on Bheemili port development only after ongoing works of berth modernisation are completed. Later, we will appoint a consultant to prepare a detailed project report. It will take at least 12 to 16 months to get permissions from Mo-EF, and we expect a concrete shape to emerge some time during 2014 or 2015,” the VPT chairman said.

Maoists try to win over tribals

By SNV Sudhir

Visakhapatnam, Aug 13, 2012: Having realised that security forces are close to success in convincing local tribals that the Maoists are hindering their development, the latter are working hard to regain the confidence of locals who shield them in the thick forest tracts in the Agency areas of the three districts of north Andhra.

Clearly on an image makeover exercise, Maoists are, these days, wooing back tribals into their fold through distribution of rice and other essentials and are also promising them roads.

They are warning local traders to buy tribal produce at maximum prices to benefit tribals. Maoists thrashed two traders at the weekly market recently and warned all traders of dire consequences if they failed to purchase ginger cultivated by tribals at Rs.40 to Rs.50.

Now, for the first time in the Vizag Agency tracts, Maoists have started organising group video screenings of their welfare initiatives and activities for local tribals in the Dandakaranya region, with the help of latest hi tech gadgets.

Dharmana gets rousing welcome, claims innocence

By SNV Sudhir

Visakhapatnam, Sep 12, 2012: In what can be seen as an image building and damage control exercise, followers of senior Congress leader Dharmana Prasada Rao gave him a roaring reception at both Vizag airport and in Srikakulam on his maiden visit to his home town after tendering his resignation from the Cabinet here on Tuesday.

Mr Prasada Rao, who resigned as roads and buildings minister after his name was included in the CBI’s charge-sheet of illegal land allotment in the Vanpic case, for the first time on Tuesday, visited Srikakulam, his hometown and constituency.

Though his resignation was not accepted by the Chief Minister and AP Congress affairs in-charge Ghulam Nabi Azad told him to attend his regular duties as minister, Mr Prasada Rao was keeping away from his ministerial duties.

Interestingly, 33 days after he resigned from the state Cabinet, Prasad Rao visited Srikakulam as a local MLA, not in the capacity of a minister. He used the protocol and security of an MLA. Flexi boards and banners with captions “Adarsa (Ideal) Dharmana” welcomed him at the Vizag airport. His supporters and followers welcomed him with huge garlands and flowers at Vizag airport with sloganeering.

From Vizag airport he headed for Srikakulam by road where a similar scene was witnessed. Addressing a jam-packed audience of activists at the party office in Srikakulam, Mr Prasada Rao, in a high pitched emotional speech, expressed innocence, saying that the Vanpic allotments was done by the Cabinet as a whole; this was amidst thundering applause by his followers.

Real estate firms dupe public

By SNV Sudhir

Visakhapatnam, Sep 11, 2012: Fraudsters have found a new way to dupe gullible people and make money. Promising vacant plots at a cheap price, many real estate firms are either collecting huge amounts in the form of deposits, promising repayment every month along with high interest, or easy installments as low as Rs.25 per day.

There are at least 20 real estate firms that are operating money deposit schemes, violating the norms. According to an agent of a real estate firm with its head office in Dwarkanagar, they collect around Rs.1 lakh against the registration of a 100 sq yard plot in their venture in S Kota on the border of Vizag and Vizianagaram districts. At the time of deposit, they promise to pay the customer Rs.3,500 every month for three years along with the registration of the plot, which is done at the time of receiving the deposit. After three years a customer gets back more money than paid initially and also a valuable plot, said the agent. The agent agreed that the layout does not have LRS approval from Vuda as the registration is done at the panchayat level. The agents also promise to open bank accounts and deposit the monthly pay back amounts. But in reality the firms register agriculture land without getting clearances under land conversion provisions. They convince the customers that it will not be difficult if a group of them approach the authorities after registration. Often, such pleas are turned down by authorities who ask purchasers to pay hefty amounts as conversion charges.

Visakhapatnam police recently arrested the managing director of My Home Ventures who promised a 100 sq yard plot for a daily payment of Rs.25 for three consecutive years. Investigations by police revealed that real estate firm promised disputed sites owned by others. The managing director of the firm collected around Rs.3 crore on a daily basis from more than 600 gullible customers.

Without a proper complaint, we cannot initiate action against such firms. These kind of transactions or activities do not come under our purview and our hands are tied. Of course we will jump into action once someone lodges complaint with us, said a senior police official.

YSRC cadre in a dilemma over Chengala

By SNV Sudhir

Visakhapatnam, Sep 3, 2012 : With two time MLA Chengala Venkat Rao switching sides, more than TD cadre in Payakaraopeta, it is YSR Congress activists who are worried.

Though it is a blow to the TD in the district which is gearing up for a series of agitations over various issues like demanding a port at Nakakpalli, protes-ting the diversion of Yelu-ru water to East Godavari district, YSRC cadres too are now in a dilemma.

They are confused as to whom they should rally behind now — Mr Venkat Rao, who had always criticised their leaders and unsuccessfully contested the polls twice — or sitting MLA G. Babu Rao. Analysts opine that Mr Venkat Rao's entry into the YSRC will expose the fissures in the party and in all likelihood, brew more trouble for it.

According to reports Mr Venkat Rao's move was carefully orchestrated by YSRC leader Konatala Ramakrishna who is said to be uneasy ever since Mr Babu Rao won the bypolls with a margin of more than 14,000 votes. It is only to checkmate Mr Babu Rao that Mr Ramakrishna is said to have played a crucial role in bringing in Mr Venkat Rao, who is known for his aggressive attitude.

Adding fuel to the fire, Mr Venkat Rao, while announcing his decision to quit the TD, told reporters that he was assured of a party ticket by the YSRC state leadership to contest from Payakaraopeta, leaving sitting MLA Babu Rao red-faced.