Aadhaar to track 'benami' properties

By Udumula Sudhakar Reddy

Aadhaar seeding of revenue data of agricultural lands, property tax data of buildings and vacant land tax of open plots will help identify original owners of properties and flush out benami property holders, said officials on Monday.

Till date Aadhaar seeding has been used to weed out bogus beneficiaries of both state government schemes and crop loans and to identify property tax defaulters.


With the amended Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Act coming into force from November 1, Aadhaar seeding data of property tax has become vital for identification.

UIDAI deputy director general, Mr M.V.S. Rami Reddy said, “AP has completed 90.95 per cent of pattadars of Chief Commissioner of Land Administration Webland and TS is also in the process of speeding it.

Only few data pertaining to people living outside the state and NRIs is yet to be seeded in AP. Once it is seeded with Aadhar, the property or land can be tagged to a particular person. As per Section 57 of the Act, the state may enact rules for the use of the Aadhaar number for any purpose.”

Fema cases on 3 Hyderabad forex traders

By Udumula Sudhakar Reddy

The Enforcement Directorate on Saturday booked cases under Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) against three city-based foreign exchange companies. ED seized around Rs 1.5 crore worth unaccounted foreign and Indian currencies during the searches conducted in the city on Friday evening.

Cases were booked against Jain Forex Private Limited, which has branches across the city, Shanthi Forex which has four branches and Kapnox Forex. Searches were conducted following complaints that several foreign exchange companies were selling foreign currencies by accepting demonetized Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes, sources said.


“ED officials have seized around Rs 22 lakh worth Indian currency, which we were about to deposit in the bank. There is no violation,” said Mukesh Gandhi, managing partner of Kapnox. “ED officials have conducted searches. This is part of the nationwide raid.  No cash has been seized from our firm,” said Mr J. Raju, claiming to be an employee of Jain Forex.

No one was available for comment from Shanthi Forex. Searches were conducted at over 500 locations across the country. It was reported that the Enforcement Directorate was scrutinising 67 foreign exchange dealers and the Directorate General of Central Excise Intelligence was also monitoring prominent jewellers and bullion traders. The ED is looking into foreign exchange violations and money laundering by money exchanges, revenue secretary Hasmukh Adhia said in New Delhi.

Flat-owners and builders at war in Telangana and AP

By Udumula Sudhakar Reddy

Abnormal delay in construction of apartments and villas by big construction firms and small-time builders has been causing untold misery to flat buyers and original landowners in cities like Hyderabad, Vizag and elsewhere in AP. There are several cases of consumer forums fining big builders like Alien Developers and Maytas. Cheating cases have been booked in some instances. Despite that, builders continue to delay the construction causing misery to buyers who paid money.

Recently, in a judgement, the Hyderabad consumer forum found fault with a builder who delayed the handover of flats, and asked him to pay compensation to landowners. More and more flat buyers are knocking on the doors of the forum for relief.


The Hyderabad District Consumer Disputes Reddressal forum-3 passed the order in a complaint filed by M Narsimha Rao and M Sadodith, residents of Prashantinagar in Saidabad against builder SP Haridayal’s construction company. The forum ordered builders to pay Rs 5 lakh as compensation for the delay and hand over possession of the completed flats that are due to landowners as their share immediately.

In 2010, a development agreement was struck for completion of the flats in 18 months from the date of obtaining permission with a grace period of three months. The complainants alleged that the builder failed to comply with the terms of the development agreement and failed to deliver the constructed space within time. The builder failed to complete the flooring, fix doors and windows and do electrical work.

In another case, Amitendu Patnaik, a resident of Erragadda, complained against Sanathnagar enterprises in Hyderabad consumer forum 3. The complainant booked a flat “Casa Paradiso” of the Lodha Group in Sanathnagar for Rs 46 lakh and the complainant was promised it would be delivered in 2012.

The complainant alleged that there was delay in getting possession of the flats and that he had paid excess amounts. The forum ordered the builder to pay a compensation of Rs 3 lakh as well as costs.

Demonetisation: Banks, hoarders nexus under lens

By Udumula Sudhakar Reddy

The CBI has orally asked all vigilance wings of banks to keep a tab on their staff following information that managers and other employees are conniving with black money racketeers and allowing multiple exchanges of demonetised notes against the RBI quota.

Incidents have been reported at Hyderabad and Guntur wherein multiple exchanges of Rs 4,000 is being done with different ID proofs. CBI sources said that they can book cases only if specific complaints are filed. A top CBI source said, “We have learnt about bank staff, along with black money racketeers, using multiple ID proofs for mass exchanges of demonetised notes in multiple names. We haven’t received any specific complaint. We have asked internal vigilance wings of banks to keep tabs on the staff.” Central government banks and postal department employees come under the purview of the CBI probe.


Can’t track driving licence
Banks have no mechanism to check how many times a person visits as there is no link with the driving licence database of the RTA.

ED sources said, “Auto-rickshaw drivers in the city are mostly off the roads. Racketeers are using them for their driving licenses by paying Rs 200 to Rs 300 each time for standing in queues for Rs 4,000.” Even in rural areas, agricultural labourers are being used to change demonetised notes at banks and post offices.

Hyderabad: T-hub-developed new supercomputer ready

By Udumula Sudhakar Reddy

The T-Hub at Gachibowli is building India’s fourth fastest supercomputer (after Indian Institute of Science, IIT Delhi and Tata Institute of Fundamental Research) and it will go live in the next two or three months.

According to T-Hub CEO Jay Krishnan, the high-end parallel processing computer system will be part of the “T-Hub Sand Box” to analyse big data very fast, and the same will be freely accessible to start ups in the T-Hub.


A fault tolerance computer similar to the ones used on airplanes, large banks, and data centres will be part of the Sand Box. The super computer will be useful for start-ups for analysis of huge data for smart cities, transportation and logistics.

Mr Krishnan said, “Taking forward the innovation aspect, we are constructing the Sand Box as the fastest super computer which will be able to deal with a crazy amount of computing. It will increase the efficiency of start-ups in processing huge amounts of data. Otherwise start-ups have to pay huge amounts. A chief technical officer will soon be coming in to guide entrepreneurs.”

The Sand Box, which will cost around Rs 25 crore, will be funded by the T-Hub through internally generated revenue, the government and corporates supporting the T-hub.

Mr Krishnan added, “In the next two weeks we are going to have ground breaking for Phase 2 of the T-Hub catalyst building with an investment of Rs 180 crore, which will make ours the world’s largest start-up area. Phase 2 will be completed by 2018 March.” T-Hub is the largest start up area in India with 70,000 square feet of space. He added, “The T-Bridge programme is being used to connect to outside ecosystems.”

Telangana: Global Hospitals told to pay compensation to patient’s kin

By Udumula Sudhakar Reddy

After the episode of Mr Nikhil Reddy’s height surgery going wrong, city-based Global Hospitals is in the news again.

The Telangana State Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has asked Global Hospitals to pay Rs 18 lakh as compensation to a patient’s family after a heart surgery led to brain hemorrhage and ultimately death.


The forum has found that there was improper supply of oxygen to the patient, which amounted to negligence and deficiency in service on the part of the hospital.

In the same complaint, a case against Dr Alla Gopala Krishna Gokhale, noted cardiac surgeon who supervised the team of doctors who performed the surgery, was dismissed stating that there was no privity of contract about hiring Dr Gokhale’s service and the hospital was liable for the payment of compensation and not the individual doctor.

The complaint was filed by Ms P. Manjula, wife of the deceased patient P. Uma Maheswara Rao, and their sons, residents of Mangalvarapeta in Rajahmundry, against Global Hospital’s administrative officer and Dr Gokhale.

After the final hearing on November 4, the TS consumer forum passed its order in which it observed that the hospital had failed to give any explanation about the clotting of blood in the deceased’s brain.

“It is the duty of the anesthesiologist during the course of surgery to watch and ascertain proper supply of blood and oxygen to the brain,” the victim’s family alleged in the complaint.

Maheshwara Rao was an employee of the judicial department at Rajahmundry and was drawing a salary of Rs 27,000 per month.

On June 3, 2009, he had visited a hospital at Rajahmundry following a heart stroke and was advised a bypass surgery. After a second opinion from a hospital in Ban-jara Hills, he was refer-red to Global Hospitals, his family said..

“On June 24, 2009 the bypass surgery was conducted. The hospital didn’t allow us to see the patient the same day, and allowed us to have just a glimpse of him on the 25th. He was lying without any movement and was on ventilator. Dr Gokhale revealed that there must have been disruption in the supply of oxygen to the brain due to which there could be clotting of blood in the brain leading to coma. He remained unconscious for a month.”

The patient had paid Rs 3.4 lakh and later a bill of Rs 2.72-lakh dues was given to the family. He was declared clinically dead after being taken to a Rajahmundry hospital and on July 30 he was declared dead.

The complainant alleged, “The failure of brain functioning and the resultant death of the patient was the handiwork of Dr Gokhale and his associates who were expected to keep the supply of oxygen to the brain intact and to keep a vigil during the course of the surgery.”

Refuting the allegations, Global Hospitals said, “The surgery was performed after taking consent of the patient and his wife for giving anaesthesia too. We provided appropriate treatment to the patient, and the doctors and the associated team discharged their duties towards the patient and did not commit any breach of duty of care. There was no negligence in performing surgery and it did not have any significant effect. Before surgery, the patient and the attendant were explained about the complications. They supplied sufficient oxygen and they have not concealed any aspect.”

“The condition of the patient was informed to the attendants daily in the morning and even-ings. The family members wanted to take the patient to their hometown for further management and requested for discharge, which was heeded to. On the request of family members, we discharged the patient by explaining the risk and prognosis. After shifting the patient to their home town, he died,” the hospital claimed.

Red-eared turtle takes over lakes

By Udumula Sudhakar Reddy

The ponds and lakes of Hyderabad are infested with the invasive alien species, the red-eared slider turtle or the Ninja turtle named after the cartoon character. Experts warn that it preys on local fish species and poses a threat to the native turtle populations.

CCMB LaCONES senior principal scientist Dr Karthikeyan Vasudevan said, “The native of North America and was introduced into India as a pet. It is a fresh water turtle and now is an invasive alien species threat in the lakes and ponds, including near the zoo and Himayatsagar. The young of the species are carnivorous. They compete with the native turtles for food, nesting space.”

Experts said native turtles are susceptible to parasites and diseases carried by the red-eared sliders. The turtle are smuggled via West Bengal as exotic ornamental pets. They also affect amphibians.

The Trachemys scripta elegans (red-eared slider turtle) is included in the list of 100 worst invasives of the International Union of Conservation of Nature’s invasive species specialist group.

Due to the turtles; aggression, pet owners release them into local water bodies.
The turtles mature sexually at two-five years and lay up to 70 eggs per year.

Foreign fund permit for Nizam’s museum lapses

By Udumula Sudhakar Reddy

The Foreign Contribution Regulation Act registration of at least 1,500 NGOs from Hyderabad, TS and AP, lapsed after they failed to renew it.

These include HEH The Nizam Museum, HEH the Nizam Jubilee Pavilion Trust, Andhra Mahila Sabha, Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church and Catholic Hospitals Association of India. These entities cannot receive foreign funds.


Top NGOs failed to submit required papers
Some of them might be defunct or no longer receiving funds from abroad and may have chosen not to apply for renewal, added the ministry of home affairs source.

Among the others in the two Telugu states were Sree Vijayawada Gosamrakshana Sangham, The Anglican Church Of India, Anglican Diocese of AP, Hyderabad Management Association, Bala Vikas, Chiranjeevi Charitable Trust, Cuddapah Diocese Educational Society and the Nalgonda Diocese Social Service Society.

These are among the 11,391 in the country which lost their registration in a new list put out by the Union home ministry. According to the MHA, the FCRA of these institutions was valid till October 31, 2016, and they had not applied for renewal by June 30, due to which their validity of registration will be deemed to have expired from November.

The FCRA Act was amended in 2010 and made more stringent. According to MHA, more than 40,000 organisations were registered and most of those that receive the highest funding are from Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

Earlier, cracking the whip, the Centre has denied renewal of FCRA registration to 25 NGOs after they were allegedly found to be involved in anti-national activities, and also derecognised more than 11,000 organisations for failing to apply for renewal.

A senior home ministry official confirmed the move, saying the continuation of the 25 NGOs' operations in the country are “contrary” to the provisions of the Foreign Contribution Regulations Act (FCRA) and allegedly anti-national.

The names of these non-government organisations (NGOs) were not immediately known. The Home Ministry said it had closed the application for FCRA licence renewal in 1,736 cases due to “non-submission of documents or deficient documents or other statutory shortcoming within the stipulated time”.

These 1,736 NGOs include some branches of the Ramakrishna Mission, Mata Amritanandamayi Math as well as the Krishnamurthi Foundation of India, and they had applied online for renewal of their registrations before June 30, 2016.

CDFD helps NIA to nail terror suspects

By Udumula Sudhakar Reddy

The NIA could nail terror suspects in several major terror attacks across the country using scientific evidence gathered from things like toothbrushes, combs, clothes, food leftover, blood on razor blades and wastes in the toilets used by suspects.

This was made possible by the city-based Centre for DNA Fingerprinting which DNA fingerprinted the samples collected from terror hideouts and the scenes of offences to prove the presence of the suspects at the place of the blasts.


According to NIA charge sheets filed in various courts and the annual reports of CDFD, the agency was involved in a dozen terror cases like the Dilshuknagar blast, Bodh Gaya serial blasts, Puducherry blast and the attack on the BSF convoy in Kashmir from where scientists isolated saliva, hair strands, sweat, excretory matter, skin cells and blood samples of the terrorists.

In the attacks on Army camps in Pathankhot and Kashmir, samples are being brought to CDFD.

The CDFD headed by Dr N. Madhusudhan Reddy is extracting DNA from the samples.

In a charge sheet filed in Nampally court against Riyaz Bhatkal and others of Indian Mujahideen regarding the bomb blast at Dilshuknagar in February 2013, the NIA could prove the presence of the suspects at Abdullapurmet in the city and Mangalore.

NIA said the articles seized from the shelter at ‘Zephyr Heights’ in Mangalore and the articles recovered from the shelter at Abdullapurmet were sent to CDFD for extraction of DNA fingerprints and analysis.

The CDFD, after comparison with the DNA of IM operatives Asadullah Akhtar and DNA of the father of Tahseen Akhtar said the DNA matched with the DNA extracted from some of the personal belongings found in 'Zephyr Heights'.This established the presence of Tahseen Akhtar in that place.

In addition, the DNA extracted from the articles seized from the shelter in Abdullapurpet matched the DNA of Asadullah Akhtar. The CDFD said, "The parent (father) and child (son) relationship exists between the sources of hairs collected from the floor, shaver, hair trimmer and shoes with the blood sample of the father of the accused."

After the arrest of Tahseen Akhtar his blood sample was sent to CDFD. After analysis, the CDFD said the DNA extracted from the exhibits were from the same individual.

Telangana: Green fertiliser comes laced with chemicals

By Udumula Sudhakar Reddy

The AP agriculture department, aided by Telangana state officials, has been cracking down on the Rs 500 crore bio-products industry following complaints of farmers being cheated with bio-fertilisers that are laced with chemicals.

Officials have been raiding manufacturers in both states as they are allegedly selling bio-fertilisers, antifeedant and pest repellents that contain chemicals.
In AP, 42 cases have been booked after 1,400 samples were tested at the National Institute of Plant Health Management at Hyderabad. TS officials, too, have started taking action.


AP additional director of agriculture G. Vinaichand said, “Agricultural officers lifted samples and sent them to NIPHM. Based on the report we have booked cases. We have formed special squads, which are not only acting against distributors but also on the manufacturers in TS.”

The Insecticide Act covers 294 chemicals, and a plant protection licence is a must to use them. Experts said import of these chemicals was expensive and manufacturers needed product licensing from the Central Insecticide Board and Registration Committee and a manufacturing licence from the state agriculture department. To avoid this, manufacturers import chemicals from China using “bio-products” as a platform.

Mr S. Ratna Chari, deputy director of the AP agriculture department, said, “Bio-product manufacturers gave a declaration in the High Court that their products did not contain chemicals and they thus did not come under the purview of the Insecticides Act. As per the Insecticides Act, manufacturers using listed chemicals should get licences and register with the agriculture department. These bio-product manufacturers are unlicensed.”


He said, “If there are 50 good companies, there are around 100 to 150 others that have mushroomed and are indulging in irregularities. According to one claim, the industry is worth Rs 500 crore to Rs600 crore.”

Additional director of TS agriculture department K. Vijay Kumar said, “We are in the process of taking action. AP agriculture teams are in Hyderabad checking the manufacturing units and we are assisting them too. As soon as we get information, we will act.”

Manufacturing and sale of bio-products to farmers has been increasing lately as there is no licensing authority. The increased use is being attributed to higher prices for organic foods and to avoid rejection of export-oriented agriculture commodities.

The All India Coordinated Research Project Biological Control at Prof. Jayashankar Telangana Agricultural University has asked the government to discourage the use of bio-products and bring awareness among farmers.

Dr S.J. Rehman, principal scientist of AIRCB Biological Control said, “Bio-pesticides and bio-fertilisers, which are approved and licensed, are different from these so called bio-products sold to farmers. We have been asking farmers to use only registered and licensed plant protection products.”

Industry says bio norms are very stringent
The Agri Biotech Manufacturers Association has asked the agriculture department to distinguish between spurious bio-products and genuine ones. It said that sales had halted due to the “false cases” booked by the agriculture department and manufacturers were not in position to pay sales tax; each manufacturer would be paying between Rs 10 lakh and Rs 40 lakh as sales tax.

The association president Dr J.V. Ramana Rao and general secretary G. Yugandhar Rao, said, “We are willing to help and regulate the manufacturing and marketing of genuine bio products.” They faulted the testing procedure of the National Institute of Pl-ant Health Management.

“The reports show milligram per kilogram, which is less than 0.00001 per cent; this is much less than those in drinking water, coconut milk and milk. As the chemical pesticide lab is being used for testing bio-products, the percentage of all pesticides will show in the report. We are requesting the department to analyse the samples in labs where no pesticides are being tested.”

It alleged that the department was filing false cases and FIRs and was harassing small and medium industries. “Though the court has ordered action according to the Insecticides Act, we are shocked to see such high handedness from the department,” it said. Manufactures claimed that bio-products were helpful for production of chemical pesticide free organic products.

AP gets vital info

By Udumula Sudhakar Reddy

    The AP Special Intelligence Branch now have a mine of information regarding Maoist networks on the AP-Odisha Border and elsewhere in the country from the seized laptops of top Maoist leaders Akkiraju Haragopal alias Ramakrishna and Ch Krishnaiah alias Daya and others. The SIB’s tech wing is now checking the computers. Police sources said the material was sent for analysis by SIB’s cyber forensic experts.

A police official said, “We haven’t gone into details so far. The information includes operational matters, military tactics as well as list of targets. We are also checking whether extortions are also listed in the laptops.”

SIB sleuths are trying to find out the hideouts of Maoists including arms dumps in forests and safe houses for leaders in urban areas.

During the encounter top Maoists Ramakrishna, Gajarla Ravi and Chalapati fled leaving their kit bags. Around 25 Maoists were killed in the encounter near Balimela reservoir on the AP-Odisha border during a combing operation by Greyhound commandos.
Police is continuing area domination and combing operations to nab elusive leaders.

Telangana: 4 years later, trial yet to begin in top cases

By Udumula Sudhakar Reddy

The actual trial into major Central Bureau of Investigation cases like AP Opposition leader Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s quid pro quo investments case and the Emaar APIIC township scam cases is yet to move ahead as the charges haven’t been framed yet, though the chargesheets were filed as long as four years ago.

Petitions filed by the accused in the cases in higher courts have been delaying the framing of charges against them, said CBI sources. They said at least 15 petitions regarding these cases had been disposed of but another dozen were pending in the High Court and the Supreme Court, seeking either discharge from the cases, quashing them, or other relief.


The first chargesheet in the Emaar APIIC township case was filed in February 2012 and the first chargesheet against Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy and others was filed on March 31, 2012.

“In 11 cases of Jagan Mohan Reddy’s quid pro quo investments, around 110 accused are named. Courts have taken cognisance of the cha-rgesheets and issued summons to the accused for appearance. So far charges have not been framed in any case. There are several petitions filed by the accused in higher courts. the CBI has requested the court to frame charges. It is verifying legally whether charges can be framed in spite of pending petitions so as to put forth the same argument before the CBI special court,” said a source.

Legal experts, however, said the accused named in the chargesheet had got every legal right to seek various kinds of relief as per the law and it was up to the courts to decide.

The Centre has refused to grant permission for prosecution of certain IAS officials named in the chargesheet. However, the CBI has been arguing that no permission is needed for IPC Sections and that permission is necessary only for trying under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Legal experts said that even for IPC cases there were case laws that said that prosecution permission was a must. IAS officials have also challenged the CBI’s move in the court.

Two more prosecution permissions, of IAS officials Manmohan Singh and S.N. Mohanty, named in Jagan Mohan Reddy cases, are still pending with the Centre, sources said.

GE food samples were unsafe: Telangana food laboratory

By Udumula Sudhakar Reddy

A report by the State Food Laboratory (SFL) at Nacharam released on Tuesday declared that genetically engineered (GE) food samples, collected by the GHMC food control officers, were prohibited and unsafe. The labelling on a product of General Mills, called Chocolate Cheerios, proclaimed that it contained GE food ingredients, said the laboratory’s chief  public analyst N Ravindra.

“The sale of GE foods is prohibited under Section 22 of the Food Safety and Standards Act,” he said. The same package carried a distinct label that said the product reduced the risk of heart disease; such proclamation was against the rules of the Food Safety Act. “As the label itself reveals that it is a GE product, we need not conduct any test. We are trying to get information on the FSSAI licence number of the distributors. All stocks pertaining to GE products must be removed from the market,” Mr Ravindra said.


Following a series of reports in these columns recently, the GHMC’s food controllers conducted searches in city supermarkets and seized GE food products imported from the US and Canada. The samples were collected under the provisions of the Food Safety Act from Balaji Super Market in Banjara Hills. GHMC food safety officials served notices on two companies, Shree Agencies and SR International, involved in the distribution of GE foods in Hyderabad supermarkets.

Lion, leopard genes decoded

By Udumula Sudhakar Reddy

Genetic scientists working at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology’s Laboratory for Conservation of Endangered Species have decoded the complete mitochondrial genome sequence of the Asiatic Lion and Indian Clouded Leopard. They published their research in ‘Taylor and Francis Online Journal’. The purpose of genome sequencing is to help conservation of the dwindling species and to know more about how they evolved. For example, it will help to find out why the Asiatic Lion (Panthera leo persica) differs from other big cats, and its propensity to live in a pride. The complete mitochondrial genome sequencing of the Asiatic Lion was done by Dr Ajay Guar, Wajeeda Tabasum, Sreenivas Ara, Niraj Rai, and Kumarasamy Thangaraj.

The Asiatic Lion is classified as a member the Pantherinae sub family that includes six big cats - tiger, lion, jaguar, leopard, snow leopard and clouded leopard. “Asiatic lions are the top carnivores and possess a prominent position atop the food chain in their only remaining natural habitat, in the Gir Forest of Gujarat in India, thus the reduction in their population size would lead to an ecological imbalance. The blood sample used for DNA extraction and analysis was from a male Asiatic lion named Siddharath with the Nehru Zoological Park in Hyderabad. In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome of the Asiatic Lion was sequenced and characterised,” the researchers wrote.


Dr Ajay Gaur Wajeeda Tabasum, Ara Sreenivas, Kesav Kumar Bheemavarapu, and Tirupathi Rao Golla worked on the genome sequencing of the Indian Clouded Leopard. Dr Ajay Gaur said, “The overall estimated population of the Clouded Leopard is less than 10,000 mature individuals in the wild with a declining quality of habitat and exploitation. The blood sample used for DNA extraction and analysis was collected from a female Clouded Leopard named Rehana from Sepahijala Zoological Park in Agartala.”