APSRTC staff are now government employees!

September 3, 2019

Stage is set for the merger of Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation into the state government. With this, nearly 53,000 employees of the RTC will now become state government employees.

A formal decision to this effect will be taken by the Andhra Pradesh cabinet, headed by chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Wednesday.

Merger of RTC into the state government was one of the many promises made by Jagan during his padayatra and subsequent election campaign.

On Tuesday, Jagan gave an in-principle approval to the report submitted by the six-member Committee on it headed by former IPS C Anjaneya Reddy, at CM Camp office at Tadepalli in Guntur.

The meeting was attended by Transport Minister Perni Nani, Finance Minister B Rajendranath Reddy and officials from APSRTC.

As part of the merger of the APSRTC into the government, a separate department called Public Transport Department, will be created.

The additional financial burden on the state government on account of the merger will be around Rs 3,600 crore every year.

After approval from the Cabinet, all the employees will be considered as state government employees.

RTC Employees Union president YV Rao said that it is a decades-old demand from the Corporation. Now, it came true with the determination of Chief Minister.

Pic Talk: Anushka’s Latest Look Is A Shocker

September 3, 2019

The many questions directed at Anushka Shetty when ‘Saaho’ release is around the corner. But the actress is in Seattle, USA then, as she is shooting for her upcoming film Nishabdham from the past couple of months over there. And today morning, she has landed in Hyderabad.

Caught by shutterbugs at airport today morning, actually, Anushka’s no-makeup look and also her new bulky avatar has sprung a huge surprise for her fans. Though there are pictures and reports earlier that Anushka has slimmed down big time, it looks like apparently, the actress lost no weight for unknown reasons.

Anyway, the glow that radiates around Anushka is quite exciting to notice because she is fabulous in whatever way she appears. It looks like princes Devasena is walking in a modern outfit down the corridors of Shamshabad airport.

Tollywood Big Stars Jealous of Prabhas’s Reach

September 3, 2019

With the Hindi version of ‘Saaho’ inching towards Rs 100 Cr nett in India, the Bollywood trade market has now accepted Prabhas as the Pan Indian star.

A Bollywood trade analyst has just termed Prabhas is now a bigger star than Hrithik Roshan and other Bollywood stars in the North Indian market.

This means he will now be treated on par with Bollywood big stars whenever his future films hit the screens. This is a huge achievement.

Irrespective of the genre of Prabhas’s next films and whoever be the director, Bollywood trade will welcome his movies in a big way.

Other Tollywood stars have turned red after seeing the size of his Pan-India market.

Mahesh Babu, Ram Charan, NTR and other top stars may collect on par or bigger than what Prabhas is drawing in the Telugu states and but it would be impossible in near future to reach what Prabhas has able to achieve in the North Indian market.

In the 1990s, Rajinikanth had expanded his market and popularity beyond traditional Tamil markets post “Baasha” and “Padayappa” and later also strengthened his position in North India. It took many years for Rajinikanth to achieve this but Prabhas has already settled in.

Henceforth, the magnitude of Prabhas’s overall business of each film and the volume of the collection will be on the next level and other stars cannot reach that stage.

There is a comment that stars like Mahesh Babu, Ram Charan and NTR are already feeling jealous of Prabhas’s rise as a Megastar.

Watch Saaho Again, You’ll Enjoy More: Sujeeth

September 3, 2019

Director Sujeeth has finally responded about his second and biggest movie in his career Prabhas starrer “Saaho”.

The young director who is in his 20’s understood that the film received severe criticism.

He has been avoiding the media after the release fearing to face the questions about the plagiarism and other issues.

But he took to Instagram to talk about the movie. Going nostalgic about his short film, he said he began his career when he was 17 and he has come long way.

“Travelled very long way and faced many hurdles but never gave up. TODAY MANY PEOPLE saw SAAHO – some expected more from it, but many loved it! Thanks to all for watching the movie 🙂 Please watch it again if you missed anything. I am sure you’ll enjoy even more. #Saaho,” he posted.

He has urged people to watch the film again to enjoy more. Sujeeth debuted as a director with ‘Run Raja Run’ which was also produced by UV Creations that produced ‘Saaho’.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B17F5jZlhkt/?utm_source=ig_embed

pHOTo Alert: Ravishing Kajal Raises The Temperatures

September 3, 2019

Kajal Agarwal is still among the most sought after actresses in South Cinema. However, luck has not been favoring her lately with most of her films tanking at the box office. The flop streak is not affecting her though.

Kajal works very hard to keep herself fit and in shape so that she could compete with the young actresses.

Her Instagram page shows the amount of hard work she puts into maintaining this shape.

Doesn’t she look ravishing in this yellow saree? Kajal is one of the few actresses who can ace the sari look.

Also the photographer has done a terrific job with the lighting that highlights Kajal’s sexy navel and waistline.

KCR no more offensive, becomes defensive!

September 3, 2019

KCR is billed by his critics and followers as Hitler, dictator etc. Because, KCR deals harshly with anyone who challenges him or his party TRS and will not spare anyone if they don’t show obedience to him.

But all this seems to be the thing of the past. For the first time in his political career, KCR seems to be pushed from offensive mode to defensive mode.

The classic example is that of TRS senior leader and minister Etela Rajender who openly challenged KCR recently saying that minister post to him is not a ‘biksha’ by anyone.

More annoying for KCR is that Etela claiming ‘ownership’ over TRS saying that he is one among the owners of TRS as he has been with TRS since its inception and not like other TRS leaders who defected from other parties.

Despite all this, KCR kept mum and tried for a ‘compromise’ with Rajender by not initiating any action against them.

Such is the ‘confidence’ of Etela that KCR will not do anything against him, he chaired a meeting as health minister with officials on Ganesh festival day in Hyderabad to review the spread of dengue and malaria in Telangana.

Everybody expected that Etela’s days are numbered as KCR will not tolerate open resentment against him.

A simple letter leaked to media written by then deputy CM Rajaiah to KCR explaining him that he did not indulge in any corruption or did not bring any bad name to TRS government, angered KCR, who sacked Rajaiah from deputy CM’s post immediately.

In Etela’s case, though Etela openly challenged KCR in a public meeting, KCR kept mum.

KCR’s defensive mode is said to be because of BJP strengthening in Telangana, especially, North Telangana districts, considered as bastion of TRS.

BJP won three out of four Lok Sabha seats in North Telangana region. Etela belongs to Karimnagar in North Telangana, from where TRS sittng MP, KCR’s close aide B Vinod Kumar lost to BJP’s Bandi Sanjay in recent Lok Sabha polls.

KCR fears that if he sacks Etela, he will join BJP, which will further strengthen BJP in North Telangana districts. Moreover, BCs will also move away from TRS, if he is sacked.

KCR’s daughter Kavitha’s shocking defeat at the hands of BJP in Nizamabad, the BJP’s aggressive approach in Telangana is learnt to have pushed KCR into a defensiive mode for the first time.

TDP MLC comes to support of YSRC MLA

September 3, 2019

Even as YSR Congress party MLA from Tadikonda V Sridevi sought to blame the Telugu Desam Party leaders and workers for abusing her caste and insulting her during Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations in the constituency, TDP legislator Dokka Manikya Varaprasad came to her defence strongly.

Extending solidarity with Sridevi, Dokka said abusing a Dalit MLA was not appropriate and highly condemnable.

He demanded that the police take stern actions against the accused, irrespective to any party they belonged to.

“In the capital region, there are people living from different communities and if an MLA has no respect, who will prevent atrocities on the Dalits?” he questioned.

Sridevi said it was atrocious that there was caste discrimination in the capital region itself.

“People from a particular higher community abused me saying the Ganesh Mandapa will be desecrated if I go there and touch the idol. They humiliated me psychologically,” she said.

The YSRC MLA alleged that she was being targeted by the TDP leaders only because she unearthed the corruption in the construction of the capital city.

“The TDP leaders used filthy language against me. In the past, their leader Chandrababu Naidu insulted Dalits and now his party workers are following his attitude,” she alleged.

She demanded that even Chandrababu Naidu should be arrested, as he had encouraged his party leaders to abuse her.

She also accused Naidu of showing discrimination against Dalit farmers who had given lands for the capital.

Why did Narasimhan reject KCR’s offer?

September 3, 2019

In another three days, Telangana governor E S L Narasimhan will be demitting his office and hand over the charge to new governor Tamilisai Soundararajan.

The curious question that is bothering everybody’s mind is what Narasimhan would do after relinquishing his office at Raj Bhavan.

On Sunday, Telangana Rashtra Samithi president and chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao asked the same question when he met Narasimhan on a courtesy call.

Apparently, KCR made an offer to Narasimhan to stay back in Hyderabad. He requested that Narasimhan could be an advisor to the TRS government on either spiritual issues or in law and order issues.

He proposed to give a cabinet rank post to the Governor so that he could spend the rest of his life in Hyderabad.

In fact, it was an attractive offer to Narasimhan. For, he has been attached to the Telugu states for several years.

He was an IPS officer of erstwhile combined Andhra Pradesh cadre and had worked in several parts of Telangana. He can speak Telugu very well and has a lot acquaintances with Telugu people.

Yet, Narasimhan politely rejected the offer and said he would go back to his native place in Tamil Nadu to settle down for some time. If the Centre requires his services in any manner, he would accept the same.

Why did Narasimhan reject the offer? The answer is simple: in terms of protocol, a Governor enjoys the No. 1 position in the state. So, it would be an insult for him to work under a person who was till now in an inferior position.

Secondly, he does not want to antagonize the Central leadership by associating himself with the TRS government.

Thirdly, may be, Narasimhan has got a hint that he might be accommodated somewhere else as a Governor of any other state or a lieutenant governor of Jammu and Kashmir as predicted in some social media circles!

People’s Verdict On Saaho Is Not A Surprising One

September 3, 2019

Saaho has done tremendously well in its first weekend in spite of disappointing reports and bad reviews. However, the real test begins from today.

Prabhas fans who were shell-shocked on its first day gained voice after looking at the weekend numbers. Hindi version’s performance in particular has become the biggest talking point.

Numbers aside, what is the public verdict on Saaho?

According to the poll conducted by us, more than 38 percent didn’t like it and around 27 percent felt its average. Over 34 percent seems to be impressed with it.

However, nearly two-thirds of the participants either disliked it or had given it an average score.

Poll: Saaho Movie Verdict

Saaho will face an uphill task from Tuesday as the first weekend is over. It would be hard for any film to hold its ground with so many people disliking it.

Luckily, there is no big release on this Friday in Telugu, but it will face fierce competition from Chichore in Hindi from Friday.

Can Amar Improve Jagan’s Media Relations?

September 3, 2019

One major area of concern for the YSR Congress party government headed by Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy ever since it was formed in May this year has been its not-so-good media relations.

Majority sections of the media, which had hitherto been toeing the line of Telugu Desam Party, have not been giving much positive coverage to Jagan and his government. Especially the national media has been skeptical about the new government’s decisions.

Of course, Jagan has been taking some bold and controversial decisions such as review of power purchase agreements, termination of Polavaram project contract and ignoring the much-publicised project of Amaravati, the capital city of the state.

They created a lot of uproar in the national media, which have looked at these decisions in a critical angle.

Unfortunately, the existing media relations wing, comprising people mostly from Jagan’s media house Sakshi, have not been able to present the proper perspective of these decisions and convince the media to get some positive coverage.

Against this backdrop, the appointment of veteran journalist Devulapalli Amar as national media advisor to the chief minister is expected to bring about a marked change in the media relations of the Jagan government.

Having been associated with media at the national level, Amar knows it is easier said than done. It is not so easy to manage the national media houses, however friendly Amar has been in the media circles in Hyderabad, to get positive coverage for Jagan.

As a media advisor, Amar has to defend Jagan’s decisions and for that, he should have solid backing from the bureaucrats and political leadership.

Unlike other media advisors and PROs of Jagan who are hardly accessible to any media person, Amar has to be accessible to everybody, especially in the national media, and make available all the necessary information.

It remains to be seen how far Amar will be given freedom to deal with the media houses.