Andhra Pradesh will request a Central assistance of Rs 3,006 crore towards drought relief according to the revised norms, the Chief Minister, Mr N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, has said.

While seeking liberal assistance, the Chief Minister told a nine-member Central team that the State would send a revised request soon. The team had visited the affected districts and met the Chief Minister and various Government officials today at the Secretariat.

He also said the State Government sought Rs 120 a quintal as bonus towards MSP for foodgrains.

HYDERABAD: The Obulapuram Mining Company Pvt Ltd (OMC) owned by mining baron and former Karnataka minister Gali Janardhana Reddy earned over Rs 4,310 crore by selling illegally mined iron ore by way of local sales and exports, according to the CBI chargesheet. With so much money coming his way, Gali went to the extent of buying a Bel helicopter for his exclusive use. CBI seized this helicopter and it is currently in its custody.

A fact-finding team representing a collective of 40 farmers' organisations, Raitu Swarajya Vedika, has found an alarming rise in the number of suicides by farmers — as many as 90 in the last month alone — in Adilabad, Khammam, Karimnagar, Medak, Mahbubnagar and Anantapur districts of Andhra Pradesh.

Central Empowered Committee for extending CBI probe against Reddy to Bellary
The Central Empowered Committee of the Supreme Court has recommended extension of the ongoing CBI probe against G Janardhana Reddy in Andhra Pradesh to Bellary district of Karnataka in light of blatant illegal mining perpetuated by one of his firms.

‘Company exported iron ore mined in locations other than those allotted to it'
The Obulapuram Mining Company of former Karnataka Minister Gali Janardhan Reddy mined iron ore illegally from several locations, including immediate neighbours in Karnataka.

The fresh leases were granted to OMC for captive use in the light of a very large integrated steel plant proposed to be set up in Kadapa district by Janardhan Reddy’s Bramhani Steels. However, the lease orders issued by the government mentioned no such condition, thus allowing the company third-party sales.

BANGALORE, 5 SEPT: The CBI today arrested mining baron and former minister Mr G Janardhan Reddy and managing director of Obalapuram Mining Company (OMC) Mr BV Srinivas Reddy after conducting raids at their premises.
Mr Reddy, who was the tourism and infrastructure development minister in the previous BS Yeddyurappa government, was among those indicted by the Lokayukta in a report on illegal mining submitted to the government on 27 July. CBI sources said the two had been arrested this morning.

March 6: The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme (MGNREGS) is bringing about a silent revolution in rural areas in this drought-prone district. The Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, inaugurated the programme in a remote village, Bandlapalli, in Anantapur district on February 2, 2006.