AP Gets Rs 800cr From Centre

AP Gets Rs 800cr From Centre
Express News Service
First Published : 24 Oct 2009 04:03:52 AM IST

Chief Minister K Rosaiah seeking the blessings of Sri Sathya Sai Baba at Prasanti Nilayam in Puttaparti on Friday

PUTTAPARTHI: Chief Minister K Rosaiah today said the State had received Rs 800 crore from the Centre towards crop insurance for the last Kharif season and an order was issued for payment of Rs 386 crore to the affected farmers.

Addressing a gathering at Satyasai Airport, the Chief Minister thanked the people of Anantapur district for their help to flood victims. At a time when the government had declared 981 mandals in the State drought hit, unexpected and unprecedented floods wreaked a havoc.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi visited the flood affected areas and announced an immediate relief of Rs 1,000 crore, he said.

Rosaiah who arrived here from Bangalore, drove straight to Shanti Bhavan enroute Sai Kulwanth Hall in Prashanti Nilayam. The Chief Minister touched the feet of Sri Satya Sai Baba and sought his blessings. Sathya Sai Baba gave a private audience to the Chief Minister in the Green Room for about 30 minutes.

Earlier, he was received by Agriculture Minister N Raghuveera Reddy, former minister JC Diwakar Reddy, ZP Chairperson T Kavitha, Anantapur Mayor R Parasuram, Anantapur MP A Venkatarami Reddy, Hindupur TDP MP Nimmala Kishtappa, TDP legislators P Raghunatha Reddy, Abdul Ghani, Congress MLAs B Gurnadha Reddy, K Madhusudhan Gupta, K Venkatarami Reddy, District Collector B Janardhan Reddy, SP MK Singh, Joint Collector Anitha Ramachandran, Congress leaders T Bhaskar Reddy, Y Visweswar Reddy and others.

Later, Rosaiah left for Bangalore.

Express Buzz Reference

Hillary Clinton To Visit India

Hillary Clinton To Visit India

‘Hillary Clinton excited about India trip’

Washington (IANS): As Secretary of State Hillary Clinton left on a much awaited trip to India, the US again stressed the importance it placed on the role India can play not just in the region, but as a global player.

Ms. Clinton’s series of meetings with current and former officials, lawmakers and think tanks in the run up to the visit is “an indication of the importance that Secretary Ms. Clinton and the administration, in general, places on our relationship with India, with the world’s largest democracy,” State Department Spokesman Ian Kelly said Thursday.

“And I think we want to really look forward and look at this relationship as something that can be very constructive in the kind of role that India can play not just in the region, but as a global player,” he said.

“Ms. Clinton is genuinely excited about this trip and is really looking forward to spending a lot of time in India, three full days,” said Mr. Kelly who would be accompanying her on the trip.

The US also hoped to conclude some bilateral agreements during the trip, Mr. Kelly said. But “for the first two days, it’s going to be almost entirely people-to-people type activities, which she, of course, enjoys very much and puts a lot of importance on.”

Asked if the US is worried about China’s military build-up and if it was going to be on the table during Ms. Clinton’s meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, he said: “I just – I can’t predict what will come up.”

“I think most of the focus is going to be on our bilateral relationship,” Mr. Kelly said. There will be “some agreements in the security field. But I think it’s really going to be more talking about our partnership, about our bilateral relationship.”

In Mumbai, Ms. Clinton plans to commemorate the Nov 26 terrorist attack. “It was a horrific event and we know that it touched the lives of many families. And so she wants to pay tribute to the people who suffered in the event,” he said.

But Mr. Kelly declined to confirm whether she would be staying at the same hotel where the terrorists struck. “Well, I don’t think we talk about where we stay when we – before we get there, so I’m not going to confirm where we’re staying.”

The Hindu Reference

Meet BJP Leader Advani’s Support System

L K Advani

Meet BJP Leader Advani’s Support System
Diptosh Majumdar / CNN-IBN
Sat, May 02, 2009

New Delhi: Last week, CNN-IBN met the family of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who appeared together for the first time on television. Similarly, this week, National Affairs Editor Diptosh Majumdar meets the family of BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate L K Advani.

After much persuasion, the three closest people in Advani’s life – his daughter Pratibha Advani, son Jayant Advani, and his daughter-in-law Geetika Advani – agreed to their first-ever interview together.

Following are the excerpts.

CNN-IBN: Has it (life) always been like this – frenetic and full of activity?

Pratibha Advani: Yes, as far back as I can remember, it’s always been like this. This is the fifth time Dada (Advani) is running from Gandhinagar. Every time the family comes together, it’s a big occasion.

Singh Parivar: PM family on being India’s VVIPs No 1

CNN-IBN: Mrs Advani told me that if the cooking is right and if she is around, he (Advani) eats a lot. Is it right?

Pratibha Advani: I don’t think he has a lot of food. In fact, she is the true mother. We all call her annapurna (Hindu Goodess of food) because she loves feeding us.

CNN-IBN: You all were young when he was the Union Home Minister and the Deputy PM…

Jayant Advani: (laughs): …No! We weren’t young when he was that…

Pratibha Advani (laughs): We are still young! We were young during the time of emergency and that’s when we used to miss our father, miss his presence in our life.

CNN-IBN: The entire family went when he was released from jail?

Pratibha Advani: The day he was released, the morning of that day itself Sathya Sai Baba told my mother, ‘don’t worry, he’ll be released soon’. As soon as we reached home, we got to know the orders had come. I always believe that the Hindi song Main Zindagi Ka Saath Nibhata Chala Gaya suits him really well.

CNN-IBN: You all were born in 60s and it was a very important event for him. He says he took a lot of interest in your parenting.

Jayant Advani: When we were in school, in spite of his busy schedule, in spite of the fact that he was a minister in 1977, he would come home with books, crosswords and puzzles. He was very concerned about what we were learning and studying in school.

Pratibha Advani: Also, homework…

CNN-IBN: Were you afraid of him?

Pratibha Advani: No, never. It was the mom who had the danda (cane). We (Jayant and Pratibha) were both bright.

CNN-IBN: So does the family sit together and watch a film on any day?

Pratibha Advani: Absolutely.

CNN-IBN: What was the last film you watched together?

Pratibha Advani: Taare Zameen Par?

Jayant Advani: No, Delhi-6. He understands cinema. He wants to know who’s the director, who’s written the script, who’s the music director etc – he goes into that kind of detailing.

CNN-IBN: Everybody would want to know the special relation you all had with the Vajpayee children and Vajpayee family.

Pratibha Advani: We’ve always been friendly. We’ve celebrated occasions like Holi together. So it’s always been like going to each others’ houses and all.

CNN-IBN: Daily handling of money is not his strong point.

Pratibha Advani: Not not his strong point, it’s really weak. He doesn’t know the M of money. He’ll have Rs 100 or Rs 200 in his pocket which will last him for many months till he offers them in a temple or something. I don’t think he spends on anything else.

CNN-IBN: While J P is important to you?

Pratibha Advani: It was an assembly speech I gave in Modern School. (saying) the main contest will be between Congress and Janata Party. Janata Party was formed largely due to the efforts of Shri J P Narayan. Incidentally, the short-form of Janata Party is also JP; my brother’s name is Jayanat and I am Pratibha so we also add up to JP. So there was a big kick in school by giving this kind of speech.

CNN-IBN: Will there be a day when we’ll see Jayant and Pratibha entering politics?

Jayant Advani: Let’s no speculate on it right now.

Pratibha Advani: Not for the moment for me at least. Not at all. The ringside view it very interesting. It’s nice to see people perform rather than perform yourself.

IBN Politics Reference