Hyderabad, May 9: A mock fire fighting exercise conducted at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Shamshabad on Friday created panic among passengers. The airport authorities conducted the mock drill to check the functioning of equipment and to test the efficiency of its staff.  However, since the authorities did not make any prior announcement, people inside the airport thought that fire had broken out in some flight that had landed. The authorities chose an Indigo flight to conduct the practice session and rumours spread that fire had been detected in the Hyderabad-Kolkata flight.

The mock drill went on for an hour but passengers at the airport were not informed of it throughout.  Airport officials said such mock drills were regular practice once in a month. "We want to check whether all the equipment is properly functioning and how efficient our staff is," told a spokesperson of the airport to this correspondent. About 150 persons were engaged in the mock drill and the aircraft was emptied during the exercise.  "We sometimes hire the services of stunt artistes from Filmnagar for the exercise," said the spokesperson.

Hyderabad, May 9: Yoga Guru Swami Ramdev on Friday endorsed the US president, Mr George W. Bush’s statement, that the Indian middle classes were eating too much. Even as all political parties have decried Mr Bush for ascribing the rise in food prices to the Indian middle classes, Swami Ramdev said he may have a point.

"Whatever Mr Bush said about India’s large middle class is true," he told mediapersons here.  "The rising income levels of Indian middle class are leading to more consumption of food. In fact, Indians are not just eating more, they are destroying their health," Swami Ramdev added.

The yoga guru said most patients who approached him complained of obesity and other overweight-related problems.  "I don’t know who gave the report to Mr Bush about Indians consuming more food," he said. "But it is true."

He said the uproar created by political parties over Mr Bush’s remarks was just "cheap politics". He went on to to criticise politicians as corrupt and mentally weak.

The yoga guru came down heavily on the Centre and some state governments for introducing sex education and said what the country needed was yoga training for sound physical and mental health of students.

He also alleged that the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and the Indian Dental Association (IDA) were deliberately promoting MNCs such as PepsiCo and Coke in the country.

Swami Ramdev urged the youth to take more active part in politics and called for a law to make 100 per cent polling compulsory in the country. "Unless 100 per cent polling is recorded in the country, we cannot put a check on corrupt politicians," he said.

Terming himself a true patriot who is serving the nation through yoga, Swami Ramdev said he would not be cowed down by rumours.  "I will enlighten the people of the country through yoga. I have decided to fight for the cause of swaasth Bharat and swach Bharat (healthy India and clean India)," said the yoga guru.

Hyderabad, May 8: The Justice A. Venkatrami Reddy commission has found that officials and private persons had siphoned off Rs 14.84 crore from District Primary Education Programme and Sarva Siksha Abhiyan funds. Mr V. Subramanyam, Assistant Accounts officer in the SSA, had misappropriated the funds in collusion with one N. Sarsa Devi, and 10 others, said the commission which probed the allegations.

However, the commission gave clean chit to Mr E. Suryanarayana, additional private secretary of the Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, who was alleged to have had links with Ms Sarsa Devi. His name doesn’t figure in its main findings.  The inquiry report was submitted on February 29 to the Government and the cabinet took it up for consideration and approval on Friday.

"We will take criminal action against the erring persons and take steps to recover the properties," said the Information Minister, Mr A. Ramnarayan Reddy.

Others found guilty of lapses and misappropriation were Mr J. Prasad, Mr S. Venkaiah and Ms R. Malathi, who worked as finance and accounts officers. Ms Ms Harsha Pradeep and Vijitha, son and daughter of Ms Sarsa Devi, Mr R. Narasimha Rao, Mr R. Rambabu and Ms Bhavani were also held responsible since the misappropriated funds were transferred into their bank accounts.

The commission also blamed bank managers of Indian Bank, Osmangunj branch and Vijaya Bank, West Marredpally branch, for abetting the misappropriation.

Hyderabad, May 9: Despite the curbs imposed by the state government, many bureaucrats have found ways to go on foreign tours. The Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, had recently directed that ministers and officials should not be allowed to go for more than two foreign tours a year.

However, he relaxed rules to allow two tourism department officials to go to Dubai though they had completed their ‘yearly quota’. Official sources said that the AP Tourism Development Corporation managing director, Mr Jayesh Ranjan, and the Director of Tourism, Mr K.V. Reddy, had initially been denied permission to attend the Pacific Asia Tour operators Association convention in Dubai.

"The screening committee of senior IAS officials on foreign tours refused to give permission because the two officials had already gone abroad twice," said the source. Dr Reddy too ratified the recommendation of the screening committee when the file reached him.

"However, the file was circulated again following the contention of the officials that attending the Dubai conference was essential," a senior official said. "The state is hosting a similar convention from September 16 to 28 in Hyderabad and we wanted to study the arrangements and meet the people concerned," said Mr Jayesh Ranjan. The government also cleared the foreign tour of senior IAS official, Mr K. Raju.

The Chief Minister, however, was tough in the case of foreign trips by non-IAS officials.  For instance, Dr Reddy turned down the proposal of Hyderabad Growth Corridor Limited to send three of its officials abroad.

Hyderabad, May 9: Despite the curbs imposed by the state government, many bureaucrats have found ways to go on foreign tours. The Chief Minister, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, had recently directed that ministers and officials should not be allowed to go for more than two foreign tours a year.

However, he relaxed rules to allow two tourism department officials to go to Dubai though they had completed their ‘yearly quota’. Official sources said that the AP Tourism Development Corporation managing director, Mr Jayesh Ranjan, and the Director of Tourism, Mr K.V. Reddy, had initially been denied permission to attend the Pacific Asia Tour operators Association convention in Dubai.

"The screening committee of senior IAS officials on foreign tours refused to give permission because the two officials had already gone abroad twice," said the source. Dr Reddy too ratified the recommendation of the screening committee when the file reached him.

"However, the file was circulated again following the contention of the officials that attending the Dubai conference was essential," a senior official said. "The state is hosting a similar convention from September 16 to 28 in Hyderabad and we wanted to study the arrangements and meet the people concerned," said Mr Jayesh Ranjan.

The government also cleared the foreign tour of senior IAS official, Mr K. Raju.  The Chief Minister, however, was tough in the case of foreign trips by non-IAS officials.  For instance, Dr Reddy turned down the proposal of Hyderabad Growth Corridor Limited to send three of its officials abroad.