BJP eyes GVMC top chair, Sabbam to help

By SNV Sudhir

Visakhapatnam, July 1, 2014:  BJP which could get 4 MLAs and 2 MPs in AP in just concluded polls, due to its alliance with TD, seems to have now shifted focus towards, strengthening the party at grass roots on its own and its leaders are said to be eyeing Vizag mayor’s post.

Polls for GVMC could not be held along with other municipalities and corporations in the state as the officials could not complete the wards reorganization in the wake of merger of Bheemili and Anakapalle municipalities into GVMC. And the TD which is riding high on success wave is expected to urge the poll authorities to hold the polls as early as possible.

Though, the BJP won’t contest on its own, but will go with TD in the upcoming GVMC polls, party is said to be interested in fielding majority of its candidates in the wards and insist on mayor chair if the alliance gets majority seats. This, BJP leaders feel will help strengthening the party in Vizag which has one MP and an MLA. Earlier, BJP candidate, NSN Reddy was the first mayor of Vizag Municipal Corporation in 1979.

Later  legal luminary DV Subba Rao, who won as the city mayor on a TD ticket joined BJP. Though he contested for Vizag Lok Sabha on a BJP ticket twice, he lost. The present Vizag MP, Kambhampati Haribabu was also once BJP MLA during 1999.

Analysts are also pointing that, that the GVMC polls may create a rift between both the parties in sharing mayor and deputy mayor posts among them. There are also reports that, former Anakapalle MP Sabbam Hari who started his political career as city mayor will also help in strategizing for BJP during the GVMC polls.

Sabbam Hari, though officially didn’t join BJP, supported its Vizag Lok Sabha candidate Haribabu, by withdrawing from the race two days before the actual polling day. He filed nominations to contest for Vizag Lok Sabha as former chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy’s  Jai Samaikyandhra Party. 

Industrialists press panic button, industries on the verge of collapse in Vizag

By SNV Sudhir

Visakhapatnam, July 1, 2014:  Along with farmers, small and medium scale industrialists are anxiously waiting for rains. These industries have already pressed panic button due to acute power shortage for a few months. Now, they are of the opinion that there will be more power cuts for industries in the coming days as the government invariably gives preference to agriculture sector with Kharif in progress.

In Vizag there are around 150 High Tension (HT) category power intensive industries and around 600 Low Tension (LT), micro, small and medium industries. These industries have already started facing production losses or delay in supplying to the vendors leading to huge penalties which will have impact on the revenues, as the discom has started Peak Hour Load Restrictions (PHLR) from 6 pm to 12pm and allowing only lightening load during that time. Worst is the condition of ferro alloy factories which are around 30 in number in the district as the power restriction is from 6pm to 6am.

They have already cut the production by at least 40 percent due to power load restrictions and penalties. These micro, small and medium industries put together make a business turnover of Rs 200 cr per annum. Certain relief measures announced few months back failed to bring cheer to them. Around 20,000 workers directly and indirectly depend on these 600 units in the district.

The hardships of these industries have actually begun since September 2011 owing to Sakalajanula Samme, when the power generation has severely hit, but they were hopeful everything would be fine. But nothing has changed and it is close to four years. Since then these industries either had power holidays or load restrictions. Initially it was four days of power holiday, after that it was one day other than Sunday and now there are no power holidays, these load restrictions are said to be taking life out of these industries.

“We are more worried as there are no signs of rains even we entered July. If this situation continues, we will be hi hard where we will fail to revive this time. These industries are already reeling under severe crisis since more than 3 years. Heavy penalties by vendors, production losses have become a norm these days which is not at all good for the sector if this situation continues further. Government should announce some immediate relief measures more so a bail out package for micro, small and medium scale industries,”  Visakha Autonagar Small Scale Industrialists Welfare Association (VASSIWA), president, Ramakrishna Narappareddy, told this correspondent. 

Naidu’s timing bad, says Seer

By SNV Sudhir

Visakhapatnam, July 1, 2014: While the whole country is reeling under El Nino effect and anxiously waiting for the southwest monsoons, the seer of Sarada Peetham of Pendurthy, Swamy Swaroopanandendra Saraswathy, attributed the situation to weak planetary positions and the inauspicious time of Telugu Desam chief, N. Chandrababu Naidu, oath taking as AP Chief Minister on June 8 evening near Mangalagiri in Guntur district. Mr Naidu took oath bang at 7:27 in the evening.

The seer said, “Such an important event, like a king’s ascending the throne, should be done during the day time when Ravi (Sun), head of all the planets, is visible.” Incidentally, Narendra Modi took oath as Prime Minister in the evening after sunset too. Chandra (Moon), is a weak planet and Naidu took oath in the night after the sunset, which does not bode well for the rajyam (state).”

Hence there is deficit in rainfall this season. There is acute shortage of water and power for industries, households and farmers. The seer also observed that since the day of CMs oath-taking ceremony, AP has been witnessing a spate of tragedies that have resulted in death of many natives, for the very same reason.

He attributed the Beas tragedy, mishap at Visakh-apatanam Steel Plant or the recent gas pipeline explosion in East Godavari and building collapse in Chennai to the ill-timing. It may be worth mentioning here that after a lot of brainstorming and hectic consultations with various experts for fixing muhurtams for important occasions, Mr Naidu chose to take oath on June 8, 20 days after the poll results were announced.

The seer predicted that the natural and manmade calamities would continue till December due to Kuja (Mars) Sthambana that begun 6 months ago and would draw to a close on July 17 and continuation of planets like Ravi (Sun), Sani (Saturn) and Rahu (Dragon head) in Tula (Libra) zodiac till December.

“I have nothing against Mr Naidu, but he was misguided. State is in shambles and he could have dealt such important occasions in a more serious manner. This situation is likely to continue next year also. It’s better, if the government takes some remedial measures,” he added.

Ore caught in T tangle

By SNV Sudhir

Visakhapatnam, June 30, 2014: Doubts are being raised over the allotment of Bayyaram iron ore mines, now in Telangana to the Navaratna steelmaker RINL, the corporate entity of Visakhapatanam Steel Plant (VSP) as both the state governments are at loggerheads on various issues ranging from fee reimbursement to power sharing.

Bayyaram mines are very crucial for Vizag steel plant, as it is on an ambitious expansion plan of increasing its production from the present 3mtpa to 6 mtpa at a cost of Rs 12,502 crs and its needs captive iron ore mines.  

At present RINL depends upon supplies by NMDC for its iron ore requirement. RINL has long term agreements with NMDC on iron ore supply. For every tonne of steel capacity, the company needs about 1.5 tonne of iron ore.  RINL’s production cost is 70 per cent compared to 53-54 per cent of SAIL and 35 per cent of TISCO due to lack of captive iron ore mines.

There is no further progress on the allotment of mines to Vizag based, RINL, other than in principal approval by the then state government in the undivided Andhra Pradesh in April last year. 

The then chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy allotted iron ore mines to RINL, spread over in an area of 2,500 hectares of land at Guduru, Warangal district, 2,500 hectares at Bayyaram in Khammam , and 342 hectares at Bheemadevarapalli in Karimnagar district.  

RINL, despite being major steel producer in the country and one of the major integrated steel plants is being run without any captive iron ore and coal mines. For Iron ore securitization, RINL has applied for 7 mining leases in Andhra Pradesh starting from 2005.

RINL has also signed a MoU with the state government with a commitment for an investment of Rs. 42,400 crs in the state and with that assurance the state government had agreed to facilitate the allotment of iron ore mines to RINL on priority.

“There is no scientific study taken up by any of the government agencies in these allotted mining areas until now. The exploration of the mining areas can be taken up only after the scientific study, which can’t be done without a prospective license issued by the Telangana government and also various other approvals, NOCs from various central government agencies. For all this there should be a beginning which is giving actual possession of the mining area to us and scientific study. It is being delayed now since more than a year. RINL would also investing around Rs1,000crs for the development of the mines allotted which would create employment for around 1,000 people, both direct and indirect,” said a senior official of RINL.