The recent announcement of the Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy that the government is planning to construct a new complex of the Osmania General Hospital on the grounds of the Goshamahal stadium has drawn a mixed response from former footballers who played on this iconic ground.

The Goshamahal stadium is closely linked to the history of Hyderabad football. The ground was laid out at the initiative of a football-loving police officer named Shivkumar Lal, who was the Inspector General of police in Hyderabad in the early 1950s.

It was on this ground that many of the great names of yesteryears developed their skills. It is also from here that coach S.A. Rahim built up the invincible Hyderabad City Police team that vanquished the best teams in India. The ground holds a deeply sentimental and emotional value for many former players.

Ex-player deeply saddened

One of the former players who is extremely unhappy is G.P. Vijay Kumar, IRS (Retired), Asst. Commissioner Customs and Central Excise. He is the son of G.M. Pentaiah, who was one of the most illustrious figures of Hyderabad football. Pentaiah Sab, as he was called, was an excellent player and coach. He obtained a qualification from Germany and became a FIFA referee.

“The sports-loving police official Shivkumar Lal and coach Rahim Sab fashioned the destiny of Hyderabad football at the Goshamahal ground. They trained the players and selected the teams at this venue. The careers of Hyderabad’s greatest players began from here. My teammates and I have played so many thrilling matches on this ground and I still remember all the action and unforgettable moments of those contests,” said Vijay Kumar.

Nizam’s Gold Cup matches

“In 1978 my team, Customs and Central Excise, won the Nizam’s Gold Cup here. We defeated the Indian Air Force squad after a hard-fought battle. All of the players were given promotions after this victory. The next year we again entered the final but lost to Dempo Sports Club of Goa. But before that, we defeated Rajasthan Police which had great players like Magan Singh and Chain Singh. But now I feel very sad that the ground where we scored so many wonderful victories will vanish,” lamented Vijay Kumar.

“I hope the Telangana Football Association will take up the matter with the Chief Minister and request him to change the plan. I want a delegation of former players to meet with the CM about this issue. I am ready to offer my services in any capacity to revive football at this stadium,” he added.

Amalraj’s pragmatic view

During his playing days, another former footballer Victor Amalraj, who had captained India, Mohammedan Sporting, East Bengal, and Mohun Bagan voiced a moderate opinion on this matter. He felt that if an alternate venue was offered, it was all right to change.

“The Goshamahal Stadium is no longer a good venue for football. The open areas where we used to park our vehicles have been encroached upon. The ground is not being maintained. The Chief Minister mentioned that an alternate venue will be offered at Petlaburj. If so, then we must look at it positively,” said Amalraj.

Similar situation in Kolkata

“Kolkata and the Eden Gardens stadium used to be considered the Mecca of Indian football. Then a new stadium was constructed in the Salt Lake region of Kolkata which was quite far from the Eden Gardens. At first, there was a big hue and cry among the football-crazy public of Kolkata. They raised the question: How can we travel to Salt Lake for every match?”

“But soon the transport facilities were improved and football activity flourished at the new venue. Teams from foreign countries came and played at the Salt Lake Stadium. I played matches there. The new stadium prospered and became popular. The same may happen in Hyderabad. We must be ready to adapt and adjust to changes in life,” Amalraj concluded.

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Hyderabad: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Nirmal MLA Alleti Maheshwar Reddy stirred a controversy on Thursday when he stated that the Telangana government formed the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Assets Monitoring and Protection (HYDRA) to “target” only Hindu properties.

“Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy in assembly had said Akbaruddin will be made deputy chief minister if he joins Congress. It appears, he is in fact the deputy chief minister of Telangana because the government did not dare to raze down the illegally built college at Salkam Cheruvu. Should we understand the statement of CM Revanth Reddy as official,” he asked.

The BJP MLA was referring to the Fathima Owaisi college, which BJP leaders from Telangana claim has been built on the Selkam cheruvu full tank level (FTL). Over the last few days, AIMIM Chandrayangutta MLA Akbaruddin Owaisi-run Fathima Owaisi college has also come under HYDRA’s scanner, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also demanding the Congress-run Telangana government to look into encroachments by the AIMIM.

This has left the AIMIM miffed and wondering as to why Revanth Reddy is taking a ‘political risk’ with HYDRA in spite of being on fairly good terms with the AIMIM.

Maheshwar Reddy said the government did not bother to take up demolition of properties that have come upon lakes in the Old City of Hyderabad. “The government does not have guts to demolish the properties in the Old City and only targets Hindu properties in the city and outskirts in the guise of encroachments,” said the BJP Nirmal.

Ever since its creation in July, the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Assets Monitoring and Protection (HYDRA) has gone on to demolish illegal encroachments built on lake beds. So far, over 40 acres of land has been reclaimed by the state government, which includes the N Convention centre land owned by the actor Nagarjuna, and other properties belonging to different political leaders.

 AIMIM floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi criticized those advocating for the demolition of the institutions he established. While it is unsure as to whether there is an encroachment of illegal land by Owaisi, HYDRA in August reclaimed 12 acres of the lake Bum-Rukn-Ud-Dowla in Rajendranagar.

The illegal structures demolished in the lake’s full tank level had belonged to AIMIM MLA Mohammed Mubeen and MLC Mirza Rahmat Baig. The illegal structures included two ground-plus-5-floor buildings, 40 compound walls, and one building with ground-plus-2 floors. However, Hyderabad Disaster Response and Assets Monitoring Agency (HYDRA), headed by IPS officer AV Ranganath, has so far not said anything about properties owned by Akbaruddin Owaisi.

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Hyderabad: Minister of rural development D Anasuya Seethakka emphasized the critical need to tackle the root causes of human trafficking—such as poverty, migration, and drug addiction—at a seminar hosted by the Telangana police’s women’s safety wing and the International Justice Mission at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC).

The two-day seminar addressed critical issues, including new patterns in sex and labour trafficking, online child sexual exploitation, transnational trafficking, and the media’s role in combating these issues. Panel discussions featured expert speakers from law enforcement, government, and media, offering insights and innovative anti-trafficking strategies.

Director general of police, Dr Jitender, underscored the importance of understanding global trafficking patterns to effectively combat emerging forms of crime and highlighted the role of law enforcement agencies in this effort.

The seminar also included awareness stalls by the women safety wing, facilitating interaction and learning. Several states approached Telangana Police to learn about their methodology.

The seminar concluded with an awards ceremony presented by the chief UNICEF field Officer, Dr Zelalem Taffesse, where seven officers from various sectors were honoured for their exceptional anti-human trafficking efforts. Additionally, five officers from the anti-human trafficking units of the Telangana police were recognized for their contributions.

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Hyderabad: At a time when the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRA) has been going on a demolition drive to protect the city’s lakes, common people and activists have been supporting the officials by giving HYDRA officials evidence of various lake encroachments.

Startled by the speed at which the Telangana government has been moving, political leaders from the ruling and the opposition parties have been busy dispatching their advocates to the courts to secure a stay against the demolition of their properties for which they claim to have all proper documentation.

The latest to sit in the hot seat is former minister, four-time MLA and presently Congress MLC Patnam Mahender Reddy, who declared two days ago that if the HYDRA finds his farmhouse in Kothwalguda illegal, he will demolish it. He went a step ahead and claimed that bigger political personalities owned properties in that area which overlooks the Himayath Sagar reservoir.

The point of contention is whether his land, 13.03 acres, falls within the full tank level, buffer zone, or outside them. For the reference of HYDRAA, social activist Dr Lubna Sarwath submitted satellite imagery of the National Remote Sensing Center (NRSC) from 2012 to 2024, and also an extract of HMDA Master Plan 2031, which shows surprising facts and conflicting data.

In the satellite imagery, one can see that Reddy’s farmhouse lies within survey number 14 A. However, when one looks at the master plan, survey number 14 could be seen missing, and survey numbers 16 and 8 can be seen repeated twice in separate blocks.

As per the master plan, the entire area falls within the afforestation zone (buffer zone) of Himayath Sagar.

Another interesting aspect is that in the Dharani portal, the ‘nature of his land’ in survey number 14 has been marked as Patta land, but the ‘type of land’ has been shown as assigned land, which comes under the prohibited list, according to Dr Lubna.

However, Mahender Reddy claimed that he purchased the property registered in his son P Rineesh Reddy’s name in 1999, and got permission for constructing the farmhouse in 2005. His election affidavit in 2018 shows the land as not inherited.

Showing the 2012 satellite imagery, activist Lubna Sarwath claimed that the suspected “lake encroacher” had also laid a road which got swept away as the years passed. She also points out how a BT road was laid inside the FTL of the reservoir. She also points out how other structures were constructed inside the FTL and buffer zone.

“There are inflow channels in the buffer zone in survey numbers 32 and 18 which shows how close to the reservoir they have moved into. It is amply clear why the precious drinking water was being released from the reservoir in the flood years 2020, and 2021, and whenever there was the slightest rain in the catchment areas of Himayath Sagar and Osman Sagar. There was the least cognisance of drinking water needs or the flooding of people. Instead, the previous government was catering to the lavish criminal desires of the public representatives,” she observed.

MLC Mahender Reddy, who was in the BRS earlier is presently with Congress. Lubna too is a member of Congress, and claims to be part of the ”Team Climate Congress’. She had filed a petition seeking the removal of encroachments from Himayath Sagar and Osman Sagar drinking water reservoirs in 2022 before the National Green Tribunal in Chennai.

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Hyderabad: Representatives of the Milad-un-Nabi Committee agreed to hold their annual Milad procession on September 19 and decided to organise the birth anniversary of the Prophet Muhammad on a grand scale on September 16. The decision was taken to avoid the procession from clashing with the annual Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations in the city.

Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy on Thursday, August 29, held a review on Milad-un-Nabi arrangements at the state Secretariat. The issue of the Ganesh Navaratri festival from September 7 to 17 was also discussed in the meeting. The chief minister and cabinet ministers had suggested to the members of the Milad Committee to consider the possibility of postponing the Milad-un-Nabi procession.

“Ministers Ponnam Prabhakar, Sridhar Babu, Adviser to Chief Minister Vem Narender Reddy, MIM Floor Leader Akbaruddin Owaisi have been entrusted with the responsibility of discussing the issue with the Milad Committee. After a separate meeting, the members of the committee responded positively to the government’s request to postpone the procession,” said a press release from Revanth Reddy’s office.

The Milad-un-Nabi committee told Revanth Reddy that the 1499th birth anniversary of the Prophet Muhammad will be held on September 16 and requested to permit them to organize a year long celebrations of the Prophet’s 1500th birthday next year.

“The Chief Minister said that the government will give permissions as per the rules. The committee members appealed to give permission for the decoration of mosques and processions in the district centers,” stated the release.

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Hyderabad: Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) has notified interruption in drinking water supply in certain areas of Hyderabad, due to pipeline shifting work by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) for drainage construction near Church Gate, Balapur Road.

According to HMWSSB, there will be no water supply or supply with low water pressure for 24 hours from 9 pm, Friday, August 30 to 9 PM, Saturday, August 31.

Areas in Hyderabad that will experience drinking water supply disruption

In Riyasath Nagar, drinking water supply at Raja Narasimha Colony, Indra Nagar, Pisal Banda, Dargah Buranshahi, Gazi-Millat, GM Chowni, Lalitha Bagh, Uppuguda, DMRL, DLRL, Garrison Engg -1 & 2, DRDO, Midhani, Owaisi Hospital, BDL, CRPF, and Kendriya Vidyalaya, will be disrupted.

In the Saidabad area, drinking water supply at Hasnabad, Khalanda Nagar, Santhosh Nagar Old Colony and New Colony, Yadagiri Kaman Opposite area, MIGH, HIGH, LIGH Colonies, Fahaba Masjid, Maruthi Nagar, Pochamma Gadda, and Hanuman Tailor Galli will be disrupted.

In the Sahebnagar area water supply at Baba Nagar, Maqbool Nagar, GM Nagar and Quadri Colony will be disrupted.

Disruptions in June, July

Last month, the drinking water supply was disrupted in several areas of Hyderabad on July 4 due to repair work at the Peddapur and Kandi substations.

The water supply was disrupted in areas that fall under the Lingampally, Borabanda, and Shaikpet reservoirs, as well as Manikonda, Narsingi, Manchirevula, and Moosapet. Additionally, low water pressure was seen in Erragadda, Jubilee Hills, Somajiguda, KPHB, Hydernagar, and other areas.

In June, the drinking water supply was disrupted in several areas of Hyderabad on June 26 and 27 due to urgent repairs on the NRV valve of the second pump at the Kondapur pump house, part of the Krishna Drinking Water Supply Scheme Phase-II.

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Hyderabad: Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy issued a stern warning on Thursday, stating that strict measures would be enforced against government employees or officials who extort money from citizens under the pretext of HYDRAA.

He noted that reports have surfaced indicating that officials from revenue, municipal, and irrigation departments have been soliciting bribes based on notices issued to residents in the city.

Reddy directed the Anti-Corruption Bureau and the vigilance department to monitor these activities closely and take appropriate action.

HYDRA’s reach to be extended until ORR

Telangana chief secretary Santhi Kumari on Thursday, August 29, said that guidelines are being readied to fully hand over the responsibilities of the protection of all the lakes, parks, canals and all government places under the Outer Ring Road (ORR) to the newly formed the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Assets Monitoring and Protection (HYDRA).

Santhi Kumari on Thursday today held a high-level meeting to formulate a comprehensive action plan on the orders issued by the Telangana High Court during the last few days on the removal of encroachments on ponds and preservation of government property. The court has questioned the Telangana government over its decision to demolish encroachments on lake beds, essentially asking if the action is being selective.

The Telangana chief secretary said that 72 teams have been formed under HYDRA and that officers and staff from the Police, Survey and Irrigation Departments will be assigned quickly to strengthen them. “The meeting discussed on the measures to hand over more powers and personnel to HYDRA for the protection of government sites, lakes and government property,” said a press release.

With HYDRA functioning on its own, chief secretary Santhi Kumari also said that different notices on the removal of encroachments from ponds, lakes, parks and government places are being issued by the Irrigation Department, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), Municipal Administration Department, Panchayat Raj, Walta and other departments, which is causing some confusion.

“To avoid this, the Principal Secretary of the Municipal Department has been directed to finalize procedures for all eviction notices to be issued by HYDRA within ORR limits. All notices and evictions issued by GHMC, Land Encroachment Act, Land Grabbing Act, Walta Act, Irrigation Department Acts will be completely brought under the jurisdiction of Hydra,” stated the release.

The chief secretary also said that additional officers and staff needed by HYDRa will be allotted soon and that added that the full tank level (FTL), nala encroachment, government vacant lots and conservation of parks will also be brought under the purview of HYDRA. She added Conservation of Gandipet and Himayat Sagar lakes will also be brought under the purview of Hydra from the Water Board.

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Hyderabad: Members of Ganesh Utsav Samithi requested chief minister A Revanth Reddy to provide a free power supply to Ganesh pandals during the Ganesh Navrathri festivities this year.

Responding positively to their request, the chief minister advised them to apply for a free power supply, also cautioning them that action would be taken if power was consumed without permission.

The chief minister held a review meeting with people’s representatives, higher officials and members of Ganesh Utsav Samithi at Dr BR Ambedkar Telangana State Secretariat on Thursday, August 29.

The chief minister directed the police to chalk out an action plan for making security arrangements and ensure that no problem occurs during the immersion of Ganesh idols on September 16 and September 17, as it coincides with Milad-Un-Nabi festivities.

“The police department will clear the routes for VVIP arrivals and arrange adequate security. Early start of the Ganesh immersion procession will help to complete the program quickly without any traffic and other problems,” the chief minister said, directing the police to take the suggestions and opinions from the four Lok Sabha members and MLAs in the city limits regarding the conduct of the festival.

DGP Jitender and Hyderabad city police commissioner Srinivas Reddy briefed the chief minister about the security arrangements being put in place with a 25,000-strong police force.

Rajya Sabha MP Anil Kumar Yadav requested the chief minister to allow the use of DJs in the pandals, to which the latter responded by saying that the government would proceed as per the Supreme Court orders on that.

IT and industries minister D Sridhar Babu suggested the organisers of the Utsava Committee install eco-friendly idols following the Supreme Court’s directions.

MLC AVN Reddy appealed to the state government to promote the use of clay idols and to take strict action against those who consume alcohol and create trouble during the festivities and immersion.

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Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court has reserved orders in a batch of petitions challenging the recent amendments to Rule 3(a) of the Telangana Medical and Dental Colleges Admissions Rules, 2017.

The amendments, made through GO Ms No. 33 of the health department dated July 19, redefine the eligibility criteria for local candidates seeking admission to MBBS and BDS courses in the state.

The new rules stipulate that a student must have studied in local educational institutions from Class 8 to Intermediate (10+2) to be considered a local candidate and eligible for MBBS seats. This is a change from the previous rules.

The High Court heard arguments from both sides and is expected to deliver its verdict on the validity of the amended rules in the coming days.

The petitioners have challenged the new eligibility criteria, while the state government has defended the amendments as necessary to ensure that local students get priority in medical admissions.

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Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Disaster Response and Assets Protection Agency (HYDRA) has initiated demolition actions in the Ramnagar area of the Adikmet division on Friday, August 30.

This follows a recent inspection by HYDRA Commissioner Ranganath, who evaluated illegal constructions encroaching on a local drain in the Manemma Colony.

Upon determining that the structures were indeed illegal, Ranganath directed the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) revenue officials to submit a report on the matter.

Subsequently, on Friday morning, the HYDRA officials proceeded with the demolitions.

HYDRAA commissioner AV Ranganath said that the demolition of unauthorized structures was initiated following multiple complaints from local residents about encroachments on roads and drainage systems, which had been causing significant inconvenience.

He stated, “We received multiple complaints from the locals, and after verification, we initiated the demolition to clear the encroachments.

Officials confirmed that no residential properties were impacted during the demolition, as the focus was solely on commercial establishments.

The cleared areas are anticipated to improve access and restore proper stormwater drainage in the vicinity.

HYDRA’s reach to be extended until ORR

Telangana chief secretary Santhi Kumari on Thursday, August 29, said that guidelines are being readied to fully hand over the responsibilities of the protection of all the lakes, parks, canals and all government places under the Outer Ring Road (ORR) to the newly formed the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Assets Monitoring and Protection (HYDRA).

Santhi Kumari on Thursday today held a high-level meeting to formulate a comprehensive action plan on the orders issued by the Telangana High Court during the last few days on the removal of encroachments on ponds and preservation of government property. The court has questioned the Telangana government over its decision to demolish encroachments on lake beds, essentially asking if the action is being selective.

72 teams formed under HYDRA

The Telangana chief secretary said that 72 teams have been formed under HYDRA and that officers and staff from the Police, Survey and Irrigation Departments will be assigned quickly to strengthen them. “The meeting discussed the measures to hand over more powers and personnel to HYDRA for the protection of government sites, lakes and government property,” said a press release.

With HYDRA functioning on its own, chief secretary Santhi Kumari also said that different notices on the removal of encroachments from ponds, lakes, parks and government places are being issued by the Irrigation Department, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), Municipal Administration Department, Panchayat Raj, Walta and other departments, which is causing some confusion.

“To avoid this, the Principal Secretary of the Municipal Department has been directed to finalize procedures for all eviction notices to be issued by HYDRA within ORR limits. All notices and evictions issued by GHMC, Land Encroachment Act, Land Grabbing Act, Walta Act, and Irrigation Department Acts will be completely brought under the jurisdiction of Hydra,” stated the release.

The chief secretary also said that additional officers and staff needed by HYDRa will be allotted soon and added that the full tank level (FTL), Nala encroachment, government vacant lots and conservation of parks will also be brought under the purview of HYDRA. She added that the conservation of Gandipet and Himayat Sagar lakes will also be brought under the purview of Hydra from the Water Board.

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Hyderabad: Telangana health minister Damodar Raja Narasimha on Thursday, August 29 sought a daily report on seasonal diseases from officials.

“Identify the hospitals which cause people to worry by confirming the dengue disease through RAPID TEST instead of doing ELISA TEST and take strict action against them,” Narasimha directed them.

The minister further asked them to be vigilant against fake news circulation regarding dengue cases in Telangana.

The government has been conducting door-to-door fever surveys and collecting blood samples of those affected to keep a check on dengue. Officials have been asked to earmark areas with high risk of seasonal diseases and to take preventive measures accordingly, a press release informed.

In a teleconference with the health officials, Narasimha said, “All government hospitals have all kinds of tests, blood tests, necessary medicines, staff and doctors available for the diagnosis of dengue and seasonal diseases; people need not worry about these.”

The minister stressed weekly reviews and coordination meetings with officials from various departments. Officials were warned of strict actions in case there is a lapse in preparedness. He also took stock of advanced equipment along with infrastructure development in government medical colleges and nursing colleges in the state.

Narasimha directed the Managing Director of Telangana Medical Infrastructure Development Corporation Hemant Vasudeva Rao to focus on providing advanced equipment to newly established medical colleges and nursing colleges.

The minister then discussed organ transplantation under the Jeevandaan programme in Telangana.

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Hyderabad: The Hyderabad police have arrested a five-member gang involved in fraudulently obtaining and supplying SIM cards to cybercriminals.

The gang was apprehended following a tip-off, thanks to the collaborative efforts of the Hyderabad Commissioner’s Task Force (East) team and Abid Road police.

The individuals arrested in connection with this case are Sura Venkatesh, N Imam Saddam Hussain, Danam Vijay Kumar, G Govardhan, and Balakrishnan Manikanda.

During the operation, the police seized approximately 1,750 pre-activated SIM cards from their possession.

These SIM cards were obtained through fraudulent means, using the documents of unsuspecting common people.

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Hyderabad: The Rajendranagar police on Thursday, August 29 arrested two juveniles involved in a house burglary.

The incident occurred on August 18 and the two accused managed to break into a house along with another accused identified as 23-year-old Syed Khaja Ali, a resident of Shaheennagar.

The accused allegedly stole gold and silver ornaments worth Rs 2,40,000. The minors were caught while Ali escaped the police.

According to the police, the complainant left for Nagarkurnool to attend a wedding ceremony. Upon returning home on August 19, 2024, at around 6:30 p.m. he discovered the main door and almirah locks broken.

He also noticed that 6 tulas of gold ornaments, and 16 tulas of silver anklets were missing. A police complaint was subsequently filed.

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Hyderabad: Telangana State Southern Power Distribution Company Limited (TGSPDCL) managing director Mushrraf Faruqui on Friday, August 30, directed cable operators and internet service providers to remove unnecessary cables and other items from electric poles immediately. The power department head said that failing to do so will result in action against them and that it will remove cables on its own if the instructions are not adhered to.

According to the TGSPDCL, meetings were held on July 27, August 7, and August 28 to inform cable operators and internet service providers about the removal of cables. “In the August 7 meeting, operators were asked to take action to arrange cables according to regulations within a week on main roads and within two weeks on other main roads,” said a press release.

The distribution company stated that some cable operators and internet service providers have not cooperated in the removal process despite agreements in meetings. The meeting was held as many dangerous incidents have occurred due to cables, cable bundles, and various telecom equipments hanging on the electric poles the Greater Hyderabad city area.

“Due to the lack of proper cable management, general public and pedestrians are facing problems. Electric short circuits have occurred, causing power outages. The extra load on electric poles is causing them to bend. Further, the electricity staff is facing difficulties in performing maintenance work on poles due to the cables,” said the TGSPDCL.

The TGSPDCL stated that sufficient time was given to cable companies and internet providers to avoid inconvenience to users (their consumers), but that cables were still not removed in some areas. “If the cable removal process is not completed as agreed upon, our staff will remove them ourselves,” said CMD Musharraf Faruqui.

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Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Disaster Management and Assets Protection Agency (HYDRA) has initiated action against officials who issued construction permits within lakes’ Full Tank Levels (FTL) and buffer zones.

HYDRA Commissioner AV Ranganath has lodged a complaint with Cyberabad Police Commissioner Avinash Mohanty.

Officials from GHMC, HMDA under investigation

Officials from the Revenue Department, Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), and Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) are under investigation following HYDRA’s inquiry.

HYDRA’s investigation began due to illegal constructions in Nizampet and Chandanagar.

In one case, five officials are reportedly involved in granting permits for illegal constructions within the buffer zone of Erra Kunta Lake. These officials are now facing criminal charges.

HYDRA demolitions take place in Ramnagar

On Friday, the agency initiated demolition actions in the Ramnagar area of the Adikmet division.

This follows a recent inspection by the agency’s Commissioner Ranganath, who assessed illegal constructions encroaching on a local drain in Manemma Colony.

Recently, Telangana Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari stated that guidelines are being prepared to fully transfer the responsibilities for the protection of all lakes, parks, canals, and other government properties within the Outer Ring Road (ORR) to HYDRA.

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Hyderabad: The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) in a welcome step rescheduled its religious meeting and other programs coinciding with Milad-un-Nabi celebrations next month.

As a practice, a religious public meeting is held by the AIMIM a day prior to Milad-un-Nabi day. However in view of Ganesh Visarjan scheduled on September 17, and Milad un Nabi coinciding with the date, the party came forward and rescheduled its program. The Milad committee also agreed to hold the celebration of Prophet Muhammad’s birth anniversary on September 19.

The AIMIM public meeting, ‘Jalsa Rahmath ul lil Alamin,’ will be held on September 20 at Darussalam grounds and the Kul Hind Naatiya Mushaira September 21 at the same venue.

In a statement, Ahmed Pasha Quadri, AIMIM General Secretary said there is a change in the date of the program in view of some festivals being celebrated in the city. He had asked the public to come in large numbers and participate in the Milad-un-Nabi programs wherein scholars from other countries are also going to participate.

Meanwhile, the police are keeping their fingers crossed to check the date of the Markazi Milad Juloos, the procession taken out on the occasion of Milad-un-Nabi in the city. Police officials had already met the religious scholars of the Muslim community and sought their support in maintaining peace in the city.

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Hyderabad: A man from Hyderabad who joined Zepto for a part time job, shared his experience of working with the delivery app ‘Zepto’. He discussed various aspects of his role, highlighting both challenges and insights into the gig economy in a thread posted on X, on Wednesday, August 28.

Dinesh, a Hyderabad resident, took to X and said, “I delivered for @ZeptoNow yesterday in Hyderabad to know how it works and its crazy ops. Talked with riders, customers & store managers and there’s a lot to look back on.”

Dinesh revealed that he joined Zepto as a delivery partner to gain firsthand insight into the daily operations of the platform and the struggles of gig workers. He shared his findings on X, discussing the earnings potential for workers and the challenges he faced.

According to Dinesh, full-time delivery partners can earn up to Rs 40,000 per month for nine hours of work per day, while part-time workers can make around Rs 25,000 monthly for 4-5 hours of work. Even those working exclusively on Sundays for nine hours could earn up to Rs 12,000.

He also highlighted several operational issues, including flaws in the document verification process and a lack of guidance for new workers.

Dinesh suggested automation to streamline verification and called for better managerial support to assist delivery partners during training. “I had to go with a rider for training. 4/5 people declined to help out as everyone was busy. great if managers could help here. There is a lot to know here on, what to do, where to do,” said Dinesh.

He further claimed that there was no place for delivery partners to sit and water dispensers were not working. “Not sure how to get raincoats and other gear; the store didn’t have any. Got drenched,” the man wrote.

Dinesh suggested that Zepto enhance its e-mid-delivery support. He noted the technical issues, saying, “Few riders were made to use WhatsApp groups to update order status and bag logs, which I’m pretty sure store managers are handling manually, and this in-home > updates.”

Dinesh concluded his insights by sharing estimates based on conversations with other Zepto riders and said, “An average delivery partner working eight hours a day could complete about 24 orders daily, translating to approximately 168 orders weekly.”

Based on these figures, the estimated monthly earnings for a delivery partner could be around Rs 32,941.

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Hyderabad: Telangana deputy chief minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka on Friday, August 30 said that the government will review the Private Security Agencies Act.

“A society can be truly safe only when all its citizens take the onus to be conscious of their surroundings and be vigilant towards aspects related to our safety and security. The summit will help enhance the citizens’ consciousness towards safety and security,” said the deputy chief minister.

The current growth of Hyderabad and the increasing urbanisation of Telangana necessitates the need for foolproof physical security and technology will play a key role in it. The private security sector plays a major role in physical security which is depicted by the fact that about 4,00,000 private security personnel operate in Telangana.

“These numbers are higher than the number of permanent government employees in Telangana,” Vikramarka remarked, adding that approximately 1500 security agencies are functional in Telangana which 500 agencies are licensed while others are in the process of getting it.

Addressing a gathering at the National Physical Security Summit 2024, the deputy chief minister, “In a regulated method, the agencies which have been providing security service to various organisations. It will be instrumental in providing job security through full-time and part-time jobs in the government’s skilling and placement programmes.”

The ongoing summit would review the abovementioned opportunities. The deputy chief minister asked government officials to prepare an action plan for achieving employment and enhanced safety and security in the city. The government will ponder upon the issues raised during the physical security summit and the implementation of recommended actions.

The Telangana government will also review the pending wage scale issue of the security forces in the state. “It is highly concerning that the wages are lower than the recommended minimum scale,” Vikramarka said. The government will take measures to ensure that the wages are par with the best minimum wages across India.

He urged the attendees to carry forward the learning from the summit to ensure the safety of Telangana.

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Hyderabad: The Cyberabad police recovered 2,696 stolen mobile phones in the last six months, of which 570 worth Rs 1.5 crore were retrieved in the past 25 days. The phones were handed over to the respective owners on Friday, August 30.

According to a press release from Cyberabad police, out of 2,696 stolen mobile phones, 101 were recovered by the Madhapur Central Crime Station Team (CCS), 87 by Rajendranagar CCS, 100 by Shamshabad CCS, 95 by Medchal CCS, 97 by Balanagar CCS, and 90 by the Information Technology Cell

Deputy Commissioner of Police (crime) Narasimha urged citizens of Hyderabad to report lost mobile phones either at their nearest police station or directly through the CEIR portal, www.ceir.gov.in, which is accessible online across all states and union territories.

He further emphasized, “Mobile phones play a vital role in our daily lives, containing important information. Despite many people being educated, few are aware of how to prevent stolen mobiles from being misused.”

Telangana ranks 2nd in recovering stolen mobile phones

The Telangana police recovered 21,293 mobile phones in 206 days between January and July this year, the second highest rate for mobile phone recovery in the country. As many as 780 police stations in the state have recovered 37,000 mobile phones using the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) portal, since its inception on April 19, 2023. 

The Telangana police also achieved this feat with a rate of 102 mobile phones recovered per day, with the Hyderabad Police Commissionerate topping the recovery with 3808 devices successfully handed over to the complainants. This is followed by Rachakonda Commissionerate (2174 devices) and Cyberabad Commissionerate (2030 devices).

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Hyderabad: The SR Nagar police here arrested three people for their involvement in laptop theft cases in Bapunagar and surrounding area of the city. Following their arrests, the police recovered nine stolen laptops from their possession.

According to the SR Nagar police, the main accused has been identified as Bandlamudi Chinna Avulaiah (30), a native of Pathamallapuram, Bestavaripeta, Prakasam of Andhra Pradesh. He was arrested from Ameerpet, in Hyderabad, on Thursday, August 29.

The police also arrested two others for buying stolen laptops from Chinna Avulaiah – Nandigama Venkata Krishna(33), a mobile phone repair shop owner at Neredmet, and Mekala Venkateswarlu(30), living in Amberpet. Both Venkata Krishna and Venkateswarlu are natives of Prakasam district of Andhra Pradesh. The arrested trio were produced before the court for judicial remand.

Chinna Avulaiah used to work as a security guard in Hyderabad, and began stealing laptops from PG hostels and boys hostels in Bapunagar and its neighbourhoods, said a press release from the police.

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