By Desaraju Surya
Kovvuru (West Godavari district): Situated atop the Devakoota hill amidst the river Godavari, with the picturesque Papikondalu forming a distant backdrop, the Veerabhadra Swamy temple at Pattiseema attracts scores of pilgrims every day.
The temple’s history dates back to some 1000 years when Lord Siva surfaced on the hill in the form of Veerabhadra. The idol is in the form of a Siva Lingam, the one of its kind in the country. The Reddy Rajas who ruled the region had built the main temple. Now, there are some ten other small temples within the main temple premises where the idols of different Gods and Goddesses were installed. "Maha Sivaratri is the main festival here when more than one lakh pilgrims visit the temple and offer prayers. In Kartika masam too thousands of pilgrims come here," said a temple priest. In all over 2.5 lakh pilgrims visit the historic Pattiseema temple annually. The dilapidated main temple has been renovated as also the other small temples on the hill. The Irrigation Department built a concrete wall around the temple, at a cost of Rs 2 crore, to check soil erosion.
There was rain on Thursday afternoon and the river was in full flow with lot of floodwater. I, along with a team of journalists, visited the temple during the Godavari Pushkarams and the boat ride to the temple was thrilling for us. For those of us sitting on the top deck of the boat, soaking in the drizzle added to the fun and one of our colleagues took beautiful snaps with different backgrounds.
Friday 22 February, 2008
FINAL EXECUTION
By Desaraju Surya
I stayed in a town called Rajahmundry for four days to cover the 12-day river Godavari Pushkarams in 2003. As a reporter, apart from covering the routine things related to the Pushkarams, I was on the lookout for "off-beat" stories and this has led me to the Central Prison on the outskirts of the town.
Upon meeting the jail superintendent for primary information about the jail and also to seek permission to go around the open prison, I set upon my news hunt. I interacted with some convicts in the open prison, who were busy doing many things, including agriculture and animal husbandry. Some of the convicts, serving life term, had become "criminals" by sheer circumstances. Finishing the interaction with such persons, I then went to the 'execution chamber' where criminals sentenced to death are hanged.
Since it was the Pushkarams time -- one of the rare occasions that comes once in 12 years -- the state government gave special permission to throw open some portions of the jail for common visitors. So, by the time I went to the execution chamber, the head warder there was explaining to the visitors the entire process of execution. The narration was so dramatic and so moving that I could see moist eyes among the visitors. Even the head warder could hardly control his emotions at that point.
It was way back in February 1976 that a convict was hanged to death for the last time in the Central Prison in Rajahmundry. Nambi Kistappa of Anantapur district was sentenced to death in a murder case. On the day of his execution, Kistappa was asked to spell out his last wish. "He had asked for a laddu," recalled head warder B Nageswara Rao, who witnessed the execution. The jail staff brought the laddu but Kistappa could hardly eat it -- having overcome by emotion. "It’s just a matter of a few seconds and the person falls on the ground (special underground chamber) – dead. It’s very painful for the executioner as well," Nageswara Rao observed. Kistappa's was the final execution in the Rajahmundry Central Prison.
The new hanging room in the prison was built in 1980 but not a single execution took place since then. In 1999, two convicts came very close to be hanged but a Presidential pardon granted them a fresh lease of life. Chalapathi Rao and Vijayavardhan of Guntur are now serving a life term in the sensational Chilakaluripet bus burning case.
I stayed in a town called Rajahmundry for four days to cover the 12-day river Godavari Pushkarams in 2003. As a reporter, apart from covering the routine things related to the Pushkarams, I was on the lookout for "off-beat" stories and this has led me to the Central Prison on the outskirts of the town.
Upon meeting the jail superintendent for primary information about the jail and also to seek permission to go around the open prison, I set upon my news hunt. I interacted with some convicts in the open prison, who were busy doing many things, including agriculture and animal husbandry. Some of the convicts, serving life term, had become "criminals" by sheer circumstances. Finishing the interaction with such persons, I then went to the 'execution chamber' where criminals sentenced to death are hanged.
Since it was the Pushkarams time -- one of the rare occasions that comes once in 12 years -- the state government gave special permission to throw open some portions of the jail for common visitors. So, by the time I went to the execution chamber, the head warder there was explaining to the visitors the entire process of execution. The narration was so dramatic and so moving that I could see moist eyes among the visitors. Even the head warder could hardly control his emotions at that point.
It was way back in February 1976 that a convict was hanged to death for the last time in the Central Prison in Rajahmundry. Nambi Kistappa of Anantapur district was sentenced to death in a murder case. On the day of his execution, Kistappa was asked to spell out his last wish. "He had asked for a laddu," recalled head warder B Nageswara Rao, who witnessed the execution. The jail staff brought the laddu but Kistappa could hardly eat it -- having overcome by emotion. "It’s just a matter of a few seconds and the person falls on the ground (special underground chamber) – dead. It’s very painful for the executioner as well," Nageswara Rao observed. Kistappa's was the final execution in the Rajahmundry Central Prison.
The new hanging room in the prison was built in 1980 but not a single execution took place since then. In 1999, two convicts came very close to be hanged but a Presidential pardon granted them a fresh lease of life. Chalapathi Rao and Vijayavardhan of Guntur are now serving a life term in the sensational Chilakaluripet bus burning case.
Saturday 2 February, 2008
A Heavy Toll
By Desaraju Surya
Have you heard of "pilgrim tax" or "garbage tax?"
Do you know what a "public street" is? If not, the Andhra Pradesh government will soon let everyone know what these 'strange' terms stand for.
For, it is currently in the process of formulating a Municipal Law that will define what a "public street" is and how tax or toll of every kind could be levied on people -- the urbanites in particular.
While most of the provisions in the proposed law are routine in nature, certain provisions have been incorporated that are sure to hit every urbanite in some form or the other.
Consider these provisions: "The municipality may levy a tax per head for providing municipal services to persons visiting the municipal area for the purpose of tourism or in connection with any congregation of whatever nature, including pilgrimage, fair, festival, circus or yatra. Tax will also be levied on vehicles used by the 'visitors.'"
So far, people pay surcharge on power consumption to AP Transco but hereafter they will be required to pay additional surcharge within the municipal area to the respective ULB. Similarly, the ULB can collect surcharge on any tax levied by the state government on any entertainment or amusement within the municipal area.
The ULBs, as per the proposed law, may levy a "fire tax" as percentage of property tax on any building (non-residential) besides a "parking deficit" tax, if any particular building did not have the requisite parking space.
The ULBs also may levy a charge for collection, storage, transportation, processing and disposal of solid wastes to cover the costs of management and handling of municipal solid wastes and development of infrastructure.
The proposed law also says the ULBs may "establish a toll-bar on any 'public street' in the municipal area and levy a toll on vehicles at a rate determined by the state government." The proposed law defines 'public street' as "any street, road, lane, gully, alley, passage, pathway, square or courtyard, whether a thoroughfare
or not, over which the public have a right of way."
Similarly, toll will be levied on vehicles at a toll-bar on any bridge within the civic limits.
All the aforementioned are glimpses of the heavy toll that the state government proposes to impose on the urban people in the name of reforms and improvement of civic services.
The proposed Andhra Pradesh Municipal Law is modelled on the Municipal Law prepared by the Ministry of Urban Development, Government of India, in concert with the United States Agency for International Development (US-AID) and the Financial Institutions Reform and Expansion (FIRE) project.
The new law, once enacted, will replace the existing Hyderabad Municipal Corporations Act, 1955 and the Andhra Pradesh Municipalities Act, 1965, making it a uniform law for all Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in the state, highly-placed official sources in the Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department said. The MAUD Department has circulated "draft notes" of the proposed law two months ago to all mayors and municipal chairpersons for necessary views and feedback on different provisions.
"We are yet to receive any feedback from the civic heads. Once we get their views, necessary modifications, if any, will be incorporated in the proposed law and sent to the Cabinet for approval. Subsequently, the relevant Bill will be tabled in the Assembly," the MAUD sources added. No timeframe has yet been fixed for enactment of this new legislation.
The proposed legislation is part of Government of India's efforts to implement the Constitution 74th Amendment Act. "Many reforms are still required to address the powers, authorities and responsibilities of ULBs. Specifically, action is needed for a new framework that lets ULBs generate adequate local revenues, improve financial management and promote public-private partnerships to improve basic services," the Government of India notes.
Have you heard of "pilgrim tax" or "garbage tax?"
Do you know what a "public street" is? If not, the Andhra Pradesh government will soon let everyone know what these 'strange' terms stand for.
For, it is currently in the process of formulating a Municipal Law that will define what a "public street" is and how tax or toll of every kind could be levied on people -- the urbanites in particular.
While most of the provisions in the proposed law are routine in nature, certain provisions have been incorporated that are sure to hit every urbanite in some form or the other.
Consider these provisions: "The municipality may levy a tax per head for providing municipal services to persons visiting the municipal area for the purpose of tourism or in connection with any congregation of whatever nature, including pilgrimage, fair, festival, circus or yatra. Tax will also be levied on vehicles used by the 'visitors.'"
So far, people pay surcharge on power consumption to AP Transco but hereafter they will be required to pay additional surcharge within the municipal area to the respective ULB. Similarly, the ULB can collect surcharge on any tax levied by the state government on any entertainment or amusement within the municipal area.
The ULBs, as per the proposed law, may levy a "fire tax" as percentage of property tax on any building (non-residential) besides a "parking deficit" tax, if any particular building did not have the requisite parking space.
The ULBs also may levy a charge for collection, storage, transportation, processing and disposal of solid wastes to cover the costs of management and handling of municipal solid wastes and development of infrastructure.
The proposed law also says the ULBs may "establish a toll-bar on any 'public street' in the municipal area and levy a toll on vehicles at a rate determined by the state government." The proposed law defines 'public street' as "any street, road, lane, gully, alley, passage, pathway, square or courtyard, whether a thoroughfare
or not, over which the public have a right of way."
Similarly, toll will be levied on vehicles at a toll-bar on any bridge within the civic limits.
All the aforementioned are glimpses of the heavy toll that the state government proposes to impose on the urban people in the name of reforms and improvement of civic services.
The proposed Andhra Pradesh Municipal Law is modelled on the Municipal Law prepared by the Ministry of Urban Development, Government of India, in concert with the United States Agency for International Development (US-AID) and the Financial Institutions Reform and Expansion (FIRE) project.
The new law, once enacted, will replace the existing Hyderabad Municipal Corporations Act, 1955 and the Andhra Pradesh Municipalities Act, 1965, making it a uniform law for all Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in the state, highly-placed official sources in the Municipal Administration and Urban Development Department said. The MAUD Department has circulated "draft notes" of the proposed law two months ago to all mayors and municipal chairpersons for necessary views and feedback on different provisions.
"We are yet to receive any feedback from the civic heads. Once we get their views, necessary modifications, if any, will be incorporated in the proposed law and sent to the Cabinet for approval. Subsequently, the relevant Bill will be tabled in the Assembly," the MAUD sources added. No timeframe has yet been fixed for enactment of this new legislation.
The proposed legislation is part of Government of India's efforts to implement the Constitution 74th Amendment Act. "Many reforms are still required to address the powers, authorities and responsibilities of ULBs. Specifically, action is needed for a new framework that lets ULBs generate adequate local revenues, improve financial management and promote public-private partnerships to improve basic services," the Government of India notes.
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