Cinema theatres flout fire safety norms April 21, 2011 18:29
All the managements of the cinema theatres across the district have been violating fire safety norms. In all, there are 47 theatres in the district. During the summer season cinema halls are having good demand with houseful collections. Due to holidays for the students they are willing to go to cinema halls with their parents at least once in a week. The summer season is also well known for sudden fire mishaps. When it comes to fire safety measures, the district lags in providing facilities, resulting in risk to cine-goers. The district fire services department is the state government agency to monitor the provisions of the fire safety measures. But the department every year is conducting routine inspections in some of the select cinema halls randomly and sending a report to the fire services director general (DG) during summer. Due to lack of sufficient manpower, the department is not in a position check each and every theatre over the safety norms on every occasion. Moreover, the fire department has no powers to conduct sudden or normal inspections in cinema halls regarding safety norms without the orders of fire services director general (DG) or of the district collector. These procedural formalities are indirectly helping the cine theatre managements to flout norms. In Khammam town, almost nine cine theatres are functioning regularly with four full shows. But not even a single theatre is absolutely following fire safety measures. Sufficient place is not available around the theatre to move a fire extinguisher if fire breaks out in the theatre. Sumps have not been constructed at the theatres to store water. Within the hall adequate fire extinguishers have to be placed for sudden usage during a fire accident. Seating arrangements have not been made according to the safety rules. In Khammam, all the theatres near Mayuri centre, bus stand, ZP centre and Gandhi Chowk areas are known for heavy rush. All the theatres have only single way for the cine-goers. Every time after the show traffic chaos is common in all the areas. The situation is the same in cine theatres at Kothagudem, Palvancha, Bhadra-chalam, Yellandu and other towns. The violations may cost the lives of cine-goers. District fire officer, Mr M.A.Q. Jilani, accepted that not even a single theatre is followingd fire safety measures. “We will conduct inspections in all the cine theatres in the district and send a report to our DG,” he added.
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Actress Kriti opens boutique April 29, 2011 13:49
Kriti Kharbanda, of Teen Maar fame, attracted many when she arrived here to formally inaugurate a boutique ‘Dheksha' in Gayatri Nagar on Thursday. Bowled over by the variety of designer sarees, she went round the store selecting a few to try them out on her. A few of the varieties she picked up were kanchi, arani, uppada silk sarees, in both designer and fancy types and posed for pictures in front of a large brigade of photographers from the media. When asked about her future films, she said that a yet-to-be-named upcoming film was with actor Manchu Manoj. She liked the name of the shop as it was different from the routine and appreciated the owner for the selection of a unique name. She also appreciated the collection of sarees and hoped that it would attract customers of all ages. Shop owner Telaprolu Vamsi was present on the occasion. Vijayawada, with a number of saree showrooms, was a virgin market for designer products, he added.
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Medical PG counselling put off to April 28 April 26, 2011 19:35
The counselling for PG Medical Diploma admissions in NTR University of Health Sciences, scheduled to begin here on Monday, was put off to April 28. University Vice-Chancellor I. Venkateswara Rao announced this at 2.30 p.m. leaving more than 1,000 candidates and their parents disappointed. The university approached the A.P. High Court seeking a clarification on its April 15 order in which justices — A. Gopal Reddy and B. Chandrakumar — asked the university to first fill all the 85 per cent of local candidates and then fill 15 per cent seats with non-local candidates. No clarification University Registrar T. Venugopala Rao, who is in Hyderabad, said that the university could not get a clarification on the filling of 15 per cent seats with non-locals from the High Court on Monday and expected to get it soon. first ranker Karthik and 19 others were called into the university building and the process of noting down their names had begun, but verification was stopped due to lack of clarification. Later, a notice appeared in all tents outside the building, where the rankers were made to sit. Some students sat on hunger strike demanding beginning of the counselling process for 1,619 seats and wanted it to be done in accordance to the G.O. 42 of May 2008, while some others opined that admissions should be done according to the 1979 G.O. 646. Students from Telangana region said that if 15 per cent quota was filled first, they would stand to lose as those from Andhra and Rayalaseema regions had seats from Telangana region also on offer, Telangana students would not be able to choose good colleges even in the local quota.
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