www.thehansindia.com KURNOOL WEDNESDAY 10 OCTOBER 2018 PAGES 16 `5.00 Forecast: Sunny Temp: Max.35°C. Min.22C. Humidity: 30% Sunrise: 06:08 Sunset: 06:00 IMF PEGS GDP GROWTH AT 7.3% IN 2018 REGION WINDOWS BUSINESS H Simultaneously published from Hyderabad | Warangal | Tirupati | Amaravati | Visakhapatnam | Khammam | Kurnool | Delhi H TDP MPs TO MEET UNION MINISTERS ON OCT 12 TS polls hotbed of NDA alternative Joint meeting of Rahul and Naidu likely in Hyderabad PATAN AFZAL BABU An artisan gives final touches to an idol ahead of Durga Puja festival, at a workshop in Bengaluru, on Tuesday Fire in SAIL kills 9 New Delhi: A fire on Tuesday in a natural gas pipeline at a smelting plant owned by Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) in Chhattisgarh killed at least nine people, the company said. Television images showed grey-brown smoke billowing out of SAIL's Bhilai Steel Plant, with workers being rushed out of ambulances in stretchers into a crowded, noisy hospital. S P11 Kanaka Durga temple on Indrakeeladri in Vijayawada illuminated on the occasion of Navaratri festival which begins on Wednesday. Photo: Ch Venkata Mastan Shah to take on TRS, MIM, Mahakutami VRC PHANIHARAN Hyderabad: The second public meeting of BJP chief Amit Shah at Karimnagar on Wednesday is all set to tune the tone of the party for an aggressive campaign ahead for the forthcoming State Assembly elections. According to the party sources, "irresponsible governance and irresponsible politics" of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and the four-and-a-half years of TRS rule in the state is going to be the main theme of the attack. Speaking to The Hans India, a senior party functionary said, "He (Amit Shah) will be taking head-on the TRS and Congress Mahakutami setting the tone for the party campaign in North Telangana, while drawing a parallel of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's four-andhalf years government at the Centre, and what all it had done to Telangana." Continued on Page 15 Hyderabad: The formation of an alliance to serve as an alternative to the BJP-led NDA at the Centre is all set to take place in the back-drop of elections to Telangana Assembly and four north Indian states. In all probability, AICC president Rahul Gandhi and TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu are likely to address a mammoth public meeting in Hyderabad to be organised as part of Congress REVIEW PLEA OVER SABARIMALA VERDICT SC declines urgent hearing New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to urgently hear a plea seeking a review of its verdict allowing women into Kerala's Sabarimala temple. The top court threw the shrine open to women of all ages in a landmark judgment delivered last month; it removed a ban that prevented women between 10 and 50 years of age from entering the temple. The apex court said there will be no out of turn hearing of bunch of review petitions against Sabarimala judgment. A bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, Justices S K Kaul and K M Joseph had considered the submission of Shylaja Vijayan, president, National Ayyappa Devotees Association through Mathews J Nedumpara, which contended that the fivejudge Constitution bench verdict lifting the ban was "absolutely untenable and irrational”. The CJI said that the review #MeToo storm reaches Modi govt 4 women allege sexual harassment by MJ Akbar New Delhi: Four journalists have made allegations of sexual harassment against Minister of State for External Affairs and veteran journalist MJ Akbar.He was first named in a tweet by journalist Priya Ramani, who identified Akbar as the unnamed editor whose inappropriate behaviour she had written about in an article in Vogue India in October 2017. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Monday remained silent to journalists' questions as to whether any action would be taken against her junior minister on the basis of the allegations. Soon after Ramani’s tweet, other journalists also accused Akbar of calling women to his hotel rooms for interviews, or making women feel uncomfortable by seeking to be alone with them. S P11 and TDP poll campaign where they would announce the formation of the alliance. “The chances of Congress-led Front taking birth in Hyderabad are plenty and the TDP will be the first partner,” a senior TDP leader said. Considering the elections in five states as semi-finals to the 2019 general elections, the Congress and the TDP high command have already gone into a huddle in Delhi recently on the formation of the alliance. Continued on Page 15 MJ Akbar HIGHLIGHTS • Apex court struck down ban on entry of women aged 10-50 • Verdict was absolutely untenable, irrational: Review petition • Sabarimala temple is dedicated to the Hindu deity Ayyappa may not come before Dasara vacation as the court will reopen on October 22 after the break. One of the petitioners said the verdict can't be a match for the voice of the people. The Nair Service Society, a body of Ker- ala's influential Nair community, also approached the court, challenging its verdict. The hill shrine will be opened for the monthly poojas on October 16 for the first time after the SC verdict. Kerala Police are gearing up to post more of its women personnel at the temple in anticipation of the influx of women devotees in the light of the verdict. Continued on Page 15 Nine-seater flights to Puttaparthi by Oct-end Guntur: The Andhra Pradesh Airports Development Corporation Limited (APADC) will operate nine-seater passenger flight services from Vijayawada (Gannavaram) to Puttaparthi by this month-end. The Supreme Airlines will operate the daily flight services for which bookings will start from next week. The Supreme Airlines got all clearances from the Airports Authority of India to operate the flights to Puttaparthi. According to sources in the APADC, daily two flights will be operated to Puttaparthi. One flight will start in the morning and the same flight will return to Gannavaram immediately. Another flight will start in the evening from Gannavaram and the same flight will return immediately. Speaking to The Hans India, APADC Chief Executive Officer Virendra Singh said: “The Supreme Airlines has made all the arrangements to start flight operations from Gannavaram to Puttaparthi from October last week. They will decide dates to start flight services and the fare next week after which bookings will start. Duration of the journey is one hour. Ticket fare is likely to be between Rs 2,500 and Rs 3,000. Water tourism gets rudder in AP OUR BUREAU Amaravati: Introducing altogether a new concept in the tourism sector, the AP government is contemplating to encourage water tourism at water bodies. Hereafter, during festivals in the state, the government will ensure boat houses and cruises for celebrations. Private tourism players will also be allowed to provide cruises and diners on water bodies in boats, arrange festive celebrations and many other eco-friendly tourism initiatives in this project. The pilot projects will be implemented in Krishna River, at Visakhapatnam, Kakinada and Krishnapatnam port. Then it will be extended across the state. Private players to provide cruises during festivals Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu directed the officials to develop Kolleru lake, Pulicat lake, Rampachodavaram, Maredumilli, Lambasingi, Seethampet, Talakona, Nallamala and other areas as world-class tourist destinations. Naidu has given in principle approval for the proposal brought up by the Tourism department during a review meeting held on the progress of various projects under the department on Tuesday at the Secretariat. The Chief Minister stressed the need for focusing on handicrafts and handlooms by integrating them in tourism programmes. He said all the departments should coordinate with each other to promote tourism. Continued on Page 15 Maoist couple surrender to hit Leftist movement OUR BUREAU MK @ Ashok) worked as RCM / DCS status agitation propaHyderabad: In what is being seen ganda committee (APC) printas a major setback to the Maoists, ing, publishing unit, CPI a CPI Maoist couple surrendered (Maoist) party. before Hyderabad police comCity Police Commissioner Anmissioner on Tuesday. jani Kumar said that the The couple - Koti Purcouple surrender would be shotham(68) and his wife a major setback to Maoists. K Vinodhini (63) - said He said if the naxalites came out of Maoist fold were surrendering, it was being vexed with the because Telangana had the Maoist ideology and inbest surrender policy. The ternal politics. They said CP gave a call to the Unthat their deteriorating K Purshotham derground Maoists to health was another reacome out and join the son why they have come mainstream and live their out to join the mainlife peacefully. Police will stream of society. take care of them with a Purushotham often was better rehabilitation polreferred to as the Master icy. The Police CommisBrain, who worked with sioner said a cash reward top leaders like Ganapati, Vinodhini of Rs 13 lakh was earlier Akkiraju Rama Krishna announced for informa(RK) and Kishanji for almost tion leading to the arrest of the two-and-a- half decades. couple and the amount would Purushotham (@ Vijay @ now be given to the couple. Continued on Page 15 Sharat Chandra @ Srikanth @