In Brief
03
Saturday
May 4, 2024
HYDERABAD STATE A
News from
RAJANNA-SIRCILLA
Excise SI
found dead
Prohibition and Excise
Sub-Inspector, Kali
Prasad (54) was found
dead under suspicious
circumstances in Yellareddypet
on Friday. A
native of Khammam
district, Kali Prasad
was transferred to Yellareddypet
excise police
station three
months ago and has
been staying in a
rented house in the
mandal headquarters.
He was found dead at
his house in the morning.
Local people
alerted the police who
registered a case.
KHAMMAM
12 students
clear NCC ‘B’
As many as 12 students
of RJC Degree College
in Khammam have received
NCC ‘B’ certificates,
informed college
chairman Gundala Krishna.
There were
around 104 NCC cadets
in the college and of
them, 12 appeared for
NCC ‘B’ certificate
exams. The cadets belong
to Khammam NCC
11 Telangana Battalion
(Army wing), he said.
Krishna said it was
commendable that students
from his college
had succeeded in the
examinations.
CRPF grooms tribal
women in self-reliance
Tribal group trained in making scented phenyl, gel candles, washing powder
JAMES EDWIN
KOTHAGUDEM
The CRPF 141 Battalion organised
skill development
programmes in Dummugudem,
Cherla, Yetapakka,
Edurapally and those nearby
Bhadrachalam for the youth
and women of tribal villages.
A group of tribal women
in Bhadrachalam have embarked
on a journey of financial
self-reliance, thanks
to CRPF 141 Battalion’s civic
action initiative.
Around 20 Adivasi
women who have formed a
group were trained by CRPF
personnel to make scented
phenyl, gel candles and
washing powder. The CRPF
also provided raw materials
required to make the products
free of cost.
Home Shakthi is the first
women’s group supported
by the CRPF and more such
initiatives would be taken
up under the guidance of
Commandant Ritesh
Thakur, said the second in
command Preethi.
The group makes products
under the brand ‘Home
Shakthi Products’ and has
started marketing them locally.
Bhadrachalam ITDA
project officer Prateek Jain
recently launched the products
along with Preethi. He
appreciated the group members
for coming together to
manufacture products to
support themselves financially.
He promiesd to make
arrangements for supplying
the products to ashram
schools and hostels from the
next academic year.
Group president Kondru
Sudharani said the products
were manufactured at their
residences. There has been a
good response from the
public and many appreciate
the quality of their washing
powder. They have also approached
the government
hospital to supply their
products and in the future,
would convert their venture
into a small-scale industry to
support their families as
well as to provide employment
opportunities to a few
others, she said.
P Vasundhara said their
products were being displayed
at the ITDA darbar
held every Monday. She said
the PO had assured them to
give space in the ITDA complex
to sell the products.
Sudharani also heads Adivasi
Mahila Chaitanya Shakthi,
which helps meritorious
students from poor families
to continue their studies.
During Covid, the group
manufactured around 5,000
face masks and distributed
them in agency villages free
of cost.
PACS to convert
bunks into retail
fuel outlets
Nabard to support the project
STATE BUREAU
KARIMNAGAR
Primary Agricultural Cooperatives
Societies (PACS)
have decided to convert
their petrol bunks into retail
outlets since the Union government
scrapped all subsidies
to bulk consumers. In
this regard, PACS’ authorities
have decided to modernise
the old and closed
fuel stations by spending
about Rs 40 to Rs 50 lakh on
each bunk with the support
of NABARD.
It is mandatory for retail
outlets to follow some specifications.
Fuel stations
must be roadside covered
with surrounding walls and
tiled floors. It must be
clearly visible to consumers.
Besides a separate
room, there must be a generator,
air compressor,
water and toilets.
As the Union government
accepted regular retailing,
societies have begun
modernisation works.
While the works of Pothgal
in Mustabad mandal and
Chinna Kalwala of Sultanabad
mandal fuel stations
have reached the final stage,
works in the remaining stations
will be taken up in the
next one month period.
In order to provide the
right quality and quantity of
petrol and diesel to farmers
and their members at
cheaper prices, PACSs have
opened petrol bunks in the
State. About 55 filling stations
are operated by PACS.
A majority of 34 filling
stations are there in Karimnagar
alone as against 62
PACSs in the erstwhile
Karimnagar district.
In the wake of an increase
in the price of petroleum
products following the Russia-
Ukraine war, the Central
government scrapped
all subsidies to bulk consumers
like PACS.
The PACS closed their
filling stations in January
2022, as they were unable to
shell out the Rs 20 to Rs 30
additional amount per litre
than that of commercial operators
to purchase fuel
from petroleum companies.
As a result, farmers and
members of PACS were
forced to travel 10 to 20 kilometres
away from their villages
for diesel and petrol.
To find a solution to the
issue, PACS made representation
to the Union Ministry
of Cooperation and other
officials in the Union government
expressing willingness
to convert their fuel
stations into retail outlets.
Responding positively to
the representation, the
Union government gave an
opportunity to convert all
the bulk-filling fuel stations
into retail outlets.
Speaking to ‘Telangana
Today’, TSCAB Chairman
Konduru Ravinder Rao said
that NABARD had come
forward to provide loans at
a lower rate of interest (4%)
to modernise fuel stations.
They have adjusted the
petrol bunks’ modernisation
in AIDF. Earlier, PACS
used to supply fuel to farmers
and its members without
making any profits.
Sometimes, societies had to
bear losses. Hereafter, such
a situation would not arise
since petroleum companies
would give a percentage to
PACS, he informed.
Maha fishermen bank on Pranahita for livelihood
SANTOSH PADALA
Kumram Bheem Asifabad
For over 1,000 fishermen
families living in the border
villages of Maharashtra, the
banks of Pranahita, a tributary
of the Godavari river,
become a home away from
home for eight months of
the year. These families
have continued this tradition
for over 50 years as they
camp in makeshift huts and
tents earning a livelihood.
Come October, the fishermen
hailing from Mulchera,
Yella, Nagulwavi, Machigatta,
Marpalli, Oddigudem,
Bori, Aheri, Devalamarri,
Chinna Watra, Pedda Watra,
Venkatapur, Sinchugondi,
Regunta, Moyaddinpet,
Tekda, Nemda and Bamni
Sironcha villages in Aheri
Assembly constituency of
Gadchiroli district in Maharashtra
move to selected
spots along the over 100
kilometre-long banks of
Pranahita in search of livelihood
for eight months.
The fishermen and their
families camp on the banks
erecting wooden huts and
makeshift tents, facing the
vagaries of nature. They live
on the banks near the villages
from Dasara festival
and leave following the
onset of the monsoon which
usually occurs in the first
week of June.
While the men cast nets
woven by themselves to
catch fish mostly at night,
women do the household
chores, including caring for
their children and cutting
leftover fish. Setting out on
boats, the fishermen sell the
catch to traders from Bejjur,
Koutala, Chintalamanepalli
mandals in Telangana and
Aheri of Maharashtra. With
the money earned, they buy
groceries in Talayi, Somini,
Ravulamarri, and other villages
on the banks of the
river in Telangana. “Our
families have been fishing in
the river for over 50 years.
The river is a source of
livelihood for us. Despite
battling inhospitable climatic
conditions, we rely on
the age-old occupation,”
Thokala Shankar, a fisherman
from Devalamarri village
told Telangana Today.
The fishermen said that
they were able to earn anywhere
between Rs 500 and
Rs 1,000 per day fishing in
the river, adding that the
river fish had great demand
considering the quality and
taste when compared to
those raised in irrigation
projects and tanks. The fishermen
say they were left
with no option but to earn
their livelihood from fishing
as they do not own agricultural
lands. They say that the
rise in the cost of thread
used to weave nets was a
burden and point out that
they do not receive funds
under any of the government
welfare programmes.
ITDA PO Prateek Jain launching the home-made products of ‘Home Shakthi’ in Bhadrachalam.
Huts erected by fishermen from Maharashtra on the riverbed of Pranahita near Devalamarri village. — Photo: Santosh Padala
STATE BUREAU
Mancherial
BRS State president K
Chandrashekhar Rao will
address a roadshow in
support of party nominee
for Peddapalli Parliament
segment, Koppula Eshwar,
at Ambedkar Chowrasta in
Mancherial on Saturday.
Briefing on the the roadshow,
the BRS district president
Balka Suman urged
the party cadres to make the
event a grand success. He
condemned the EC ban on
Rao from campaigning for
48 hours.
He said that the BJP and
the Congress are afraid of
the public response to Rao’s
election rallies and the ban
reflects their insecurity.
Suman further said that
both the BJP and Congress
were hand in glove and had
fielded weak candidates as
part of their agreement.
He found fault with the
Congress for fielding
Gaddam Vamshi from the
Peddapalli Parliament
constituency.
He also questioned the
Congress on the choice of
Vamshi as the party candidate
as if there were no Dalit
candidates in Peddapalli.
Make KCR roadshow a grand
success: Suman to cadres
Will move apex court
on HC verdict: Vittal
STATE BUREAU
Kumram Bheem Asifabad
MLC Dande Vittal said that
he would challenge the verdict
of the Telangana High
Court in the Supreme
Court. He stated that he had
four weeks to appeal against
the apex court judgment.
Vittal said that the verdict
was based on an improper
withdrawal of another candidate
and not his error. He
said that he won in the polls
on the BRS ticket. He hoped
to get a stay in the SC.
On Friday, the Telangana
HC held illegal and void, the
election of Vittal, who was
elected from the local body
constituency of Adilabad of
Telangana Legislative
Council in 2022. The court
also imposed a fine of Rs
50,000 against Vittal.
‘Use summer
holidays judiciously’
STATE BUREAU
Mancherial
Collector Badavath Santosh
asked students to utilise
summer holidays. He along
with District Educational
Officer S Yadaiah and coordinator
of the Education
Department Satyanarayana
Murthy unveiled wall
posters relating to the ‘Dial
and Listen A Story’ initiative
offered by Room to
Read, an international voluntary
organisation here on
Friday.
Santosh advised the students
to make the best use
of the summer holidays. He
told them to improve their
skills using various available
online resources and
be prepared for the forthcoming
academic year in
advance.
The collector suggested
the pupils contact on the
phone number 040-
45209722 to listen to a story
sponsored by the Room to
Read organisation. He
stated that listeners could
access a story every day.
STATE BUREAU
Khammam
The process of home voting
for Khammam Lok Sabha
through postal ballot commenced
in Khammam district
on Friday, informed
district Collector VP Gautam
He visited Sahakara
Nagar and inspected the
home voting being conducted
there. Speaking on
the occasion, he said home
voting was being conducted
by postal ballot method
through a mobile polling
centre.
12D applications have
been received from as many
as 2504 senior citizens,
PwDs and absentee voters
on essential services
(AVES) in five Assembly
segments in the district for
voting through postal ballot.
50 teams in 49 routes have
been formed and the
process would be completed
on May 8, Gautham
said.
A schedule was prepared
for the home voting and information
was provided to
the concerned voters and
contesting candidates in advance.
In case a voter was
unavailable at home when
the polling team visited,
they would go to that home
for a second time after giving
information, he explained.
The Collector directed
the officials to take measures
to ensure the secrecy of
voting. The postal ballots
cast would be handed over
to the concerned Assistant
Returning Officer, he noted.
Postal ballot: Home voting
begins in Khammam
Kumram Bheem Asifabad: For over 1,000 fishermen families living in the border villages of Maharashtra, the banks of Pranahita, a tributary of the Godavari river, become a home away from home for eight months of the year. These families have continued this tradition for over 50 years as they camp in makeshift huts and tents earning a livelihood.
Come October, fishermen hailing from Mulchera, Yella, Nagulwavi, Machigatta, Marpalli, Oddigudem, Bori, Aheri, Devalamarri, Chinna Watra, Pedda Watra, Venkatapur, Sinchugondi, Regunta, Moyaddinpet, Tekda, Nemda and Bamni Sironcha villages in Aheri Assembly constituency of Gadchiroli district of the neighbouring State move to selected spots along the over 100 kilometre-long banks of Pranahita in search of livelihood for eight months.
The fishermen and their families camp on the banks erecting wooden huts and makeshift tents, facing the vagaries of nature. They live on the banks near the villages from Dasara festival and leave following the onset of the monsoon which usually occurs in the first week of June.
While the men cast nets woven by themselves to catch fish mostly at night, women do the household chores, including caring for their children and cutting leftover fish. Setting out on boats, the fishermen sell the catch to traders from Bejjur, Koutala, Chintalamanepalli mandals in Telangana and Aheri of Maharashtra. With the money earned, they buy groceries in Talayi, Somini, Ravulamarri, and other villages situated on the banks of the river in Telangana. “Our families have been fishing in the river for over 50 years. The river is a source of livelihood for us. Despite battling inhospitable climatic conditions, we rely on the age-old occupation,” Thokala Shankar, a fisherman from Devalamarri village in Aheri Taluk told Telangana Today.
The fishermen said that they were able to earn anywhere between Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 per day fishing in the river, adding that the river fish had great demand considering the quality and taste when compared to those raised in irrigation projects and tanks. The fishermen say they were left with no option but to earn their livelihood fishing as they do not own agricultural lands. They say that the rise in the cost of thread used to weave nets was a burden and point out that they do not receive funds under any welfare programmes launched by the government.
