Orange Cameroon Wins Innovation Award with Sicap Pay4Me Solution

July 23, 2010 By Leave a Comment

BERNE, Switzerland–(Business Wire)–
Twice a year, Orange Group`s affiliates from Africa, Middle-East and Asia (AMEA)
meet during a two-day marketing and sales conference − the Growth Product
Sharing Summit −, to review latest mobile innovations, work on roadmaps, and
share best practices. For the first time during the last conference held on May
31st and June 1st, eighteen Orange countries had to present a success story,
with only 10 minutes to convince their peers that their latest innovation was
worth an Award. Orange Cameroon took the opportunity to give an overview of its
mobile collect call service, Sicap Pay4Me, and was one of the winners.

Mr. Yves Happi, Business Market Manager at Orange Cameroon, declared: “Pay4Me
was rewarded because it is not only a technology but also a tariff-related
innovation adapted to our market environment, which is a direct source of
revenue. Features such as the White List option, enabling the recipient of the
call to be directly connected without having to always accept the collect call,
are considered as assets for they make the service easier to use and more
efficient. Our collaboration with Sicap has enabled us to introduce a service
which is a first in Cameroon and to be recognized by the Orange Group as
pioneers”.

Sicap Pay4Me is a simple, quickly implemented solution based on the USSD
technology which enables calls that would otherwise not happen. It enables a
prepaid user without credit to make calls that the recipient will be paying for.
The service can be used among family members, friends or corporate
organizations. It`s a way to avoid “call me back” or “beeping” habits while
generating real calls and, therefore, increasing ARPU. End users enjoy the
practicability of the service and feel safe knowing they can contact or be
contacted by anyone, anywhere, even without credit.

After having launched the new service through a national advertisement campaign,
Orange Cameroon is proud of Pay4Me`s current success within their network.

Mr. Yann Pognant, Managing Director of Sicap Africa, said: “We are honoured by
the Innovation Award won by Orange Cameroon. This is an example that shows
Pay4Me is ideally suited to the African market, and we are committed to
continuously support operators who need to adapt to end users` needs while
reducing operating costs and maximising revenues. With 2 offices on the
continent − in Johannesburg and Abidjan −, we have the ability to deliver
international standards solutions with local support as well as specific
understanding of their markets in order to meet operators` requirements”.

About Sicap

Sicap is one of the world`s leading providers of customised mobile software
solutions in the areas of communications and charging. Everyday Sicap`s
technology empowers mobile operators to deliver a superior end-user experience,
while maximising new revenue streams and reducing operating costs.

Sicap develops and implements solutions comprising convergent charging and
rating, mobile payment, network services, device management, and messaging.
These solutions cover mobile, fixed and IMS network environments, and are used
by more than 95 customers, serving more than 670 million end users worldwide.
For more information, visit www.sicap.com

Sicap
Kate Stoney
+33 (0)4 37376974
kate.stoney@sicap.com
or
magali.criner@sicap.com

Copyright Business Wire 2010

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

A Goal for the Next World Cup: Reaching Beyond Recycled Content

July 14, 2010 By Leave a Comment

[Editor's Note: This is the first in a series of blog posts from McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry (MBDC), the Cradle to Cradle consulting firm, about making products and processes that are safe, healthy and sustainable.]

The FIFA World Cup is a great international celebration and competition that has brought increased attention to the environmental impact and overall sustainability of the event.

This year, Nike manufactured soccer jerseys for its national teams (including the USA and the Netherlands) from recycled PET (polyethylene terephthalate, a type of polyester) drink bottles. This is a great story of “closing the loop” on material flows – putting to use a material from a previous application, rather than landfilling or incinerating it.

According to Nike, the production of these recycled polyester jerseys kept enough bottles out of landfills to cover more than 3,000 kilometers, which is more than the entire coastline of South Africa. We applaud everyone involved in bringing the jerseys to fruition and the media for spotlighting this success story.

As we look forward to World Cup 2014, what will be the sustainability headline for the next event? We hope it involves expanding the use of recycled products but also reviewing the sourcing of those materials and keeping those materials in an infinite closed loop.

While using recycled content has many environmental benefits, the sourcing and application of these materials needs to be considered. Recycled content can be subject to contamination from its previous application. Hazardous colorants, coatings, alloy or polymer components, toxic heavy metals, or other additives may become part of the substrate material (or even be liberated into the larger environment) during recycling. As a result, you may be getting more than you planned for in the recycled material.

For example, most PET production is catalyzed with antimony trioxide, which remains as a residual in the polymer matrix after manufacturing and even recycling. Antimony trioxide is a suspected human carcinogen that is toxic to the reproductive system and has been shown leak into the environment during the manufacturing process and use phase under normal use conditions.

Ensuring that recycled and virgin materials are safe requires being diligent about sourcing. MBDC has developed a process that includes having the supplier document the chain of custody and previous application of the material, verify ingredient formulation to the greatest extent possible, and test for the most likely contaminants. We often use lab testing based on material type to check for the most likely contaminant material type. However, individual tests will find only specific chemical constituents, and adding tests for more contaminants can quickly increase the expense and make supply chain documentation all the more valuable.

MBDC has helped the Victor Group integrate this process in the manufacturing of Cradle to Cradle Certified Eco Intelligent Polyester fabric (right). The Victor Group sources virgin polyester fiber catalyzed with an alternative to antimony trioxide and has created a product that achieves high ratings for its human health, environmental health and recyclability attributes.

In addition to looking back in time (up the supply chain) for a recycled material, a manufacturer also should be looking forward in time by designing the next application of the product. More specifically, the product should be assembled in a way that also facilitates easy disassembly of components for recycling.

Beyond that the manufacturer also should collaborate with other organizations (including manufacturers or suppliers that could use the material in the future, governments managing recycling systems, haulers and processors of recycled materials, companies that provide “reverse vending machines” (RVMs) to collect used packaging, and others) to promote the collection and reuse of the material in an application that allows it to be recycled yet again.

MBDC client Shaw Industries has done this successfully and designed a truly “carpet-to-carpet” closed loop system. Shaw carpet tile (left) is designed so that the infinitely recyclable EcoWorx backing and Eco Solution Q nylon fiber can be shredded and separated at end-of-life for recycling in separate streams and then later recombined into new tiles, Shaw also labels each carpet tile with a toll-free number for customers to call and have used tiles picked up for recycling.

Reaching beyond recycled content requires a manufacturer to understand a material’s previous use and potential for contamination, design the next use to maintain the material’s recyclability, and help enhance the system for recovering and recycling the material after its next application.

In the end, sustainability cannot be judged by a product alone or a recycling system only – the two are inextricably linked and should be designed to work together as effectively as possible. As more and more manufacturers step up to the challenge of both improving their material formulations and developing closed loop systems, we hope to see many more sustainable solutions being showcased at the next World Cup in 2014.

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Metro International: Metro to consolidate financial interest in Mexican joint venture

July 13, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Metro International S.A. (“Metro”), the international newspaper group, today announced
that its offer to acquire additional interest in the Mexican joint venture Publicaciones
Metropolitanas S.A de C.V (“Publimetro Mexico”) has been accepted. Metro will acquire a
minimum of 15 percent of the total equity of Publimetro Mexico from Inmobiliaria
Torraco, S.A. de C.V. (“Torraco Investments”), who holds 23.54 percent participation
valued at US$ 5.15 million (€4 million). Based on the current agreement, the third
partner of Publimetro Mexico has pre-emptive right to acquire the remaining 8.54 percent
of Torraco Investments, or else Metro will acquire the full 23.54 percent. The legal
procedures in connection with the offer will be completed once Publimetro Mexico
allocates Metro the relevant interests.

Publimetro Mexico recorded sales of €7.8 million in 2009, with high growth rates (50
percent in Q1) expected to continue in the coming years. The operation showed
profitability in its second year after launch in 2007 with EBIT margins between 15-20
percent. With 180,000 daily copies in Mexico City and Monterrey, Publimetro is the
biggest newspaper in the two largest cities in the country. Mexico is the second largest
advertising market in the Latin American region and is forecasted by ZenithOptimedia
(Mar-2010) to grow by 10 percent annually in real terms in the next two years.

Per Mikael Jensen, President and CEO of Metro International commented: “Publimetro
Mexico is a success story and has achieved a strong position in a competitive market.
One of the main reasons for the big success is the strong leadership of Antonio Torrado,
the Managing Director and controlling shareholder of Torraco Investments, from whom we
are acquiring the shares in Publimetro Mexico. Antonio has from the first day been a
very strong entrepreneur of this business and we are grateful for his hard work and
dedication.”

Pablo Mazzei, EVP for Latin America of Metro International added: “Consistent with our
group strategy, we intend to continue to expand our presence in Latin America. Mexico is
a key market in the region and Metro will leverage on the stronger position in Mexico by
strengthening the ability of providing clients and agencies the best possible
advertising solutions and services on a pan-regional basis. We are also encouraged to
see the development of new business projects in Mexico in the last year, offering
alternative revenue streams. One example is the free sports newspaper, Publisport, which
was launched earlier this year with a circulation of 40,000 bi-weekly copies. We see
significant potential for growing the business further.”

For further information, please visit www.metro.lu http://www.metro.lu/ , or contact:

Per Mikael Jensen, President and CEO Tel: +46 8 120 570 00
Pablo Mazzei, EVP Latin America Tel: +56 9 9 158 0700
Linda Fors, Head of Investor Relations Tel: +46 704 15 95 30

***

ABOUT METRO INTERNATIONAL AND METRO
Metro is the largest international newspaper in the world. Metro is published in over
100 major cities in 19 countries across Europe, North & South America and Asia. Metro
has a unique global reach – attracting a young, active, well-educated Metropolitan
audience of 17 million daily readers.

Metro International S.A. shares are listed on Nasdaq OMX Stockholm through Swedish
Depository Receipts of series A and series B under the symbols MTROA and MTROB

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Research and Markets: India – Commerce and Industry Competitive Advantage Analysis

June 3, 2010 By Leave a Comment

DUBLIN–(Business Wire)–
Research and Markets
(http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/4ca8d5/india_commerce_a) has
announced the addition of the “India – Commerce and Industry Competitive
Advantage Analysis” report to their offering.

India at the moment is attracting abundance like never before in history.
Recently the International Monetary Fund said “buoyant global economic outlook
has prompted it to revise” upward India’s GDP growth rate by 0.6% to 9% for
2007.

India today really is capital’s favorite destination. Consider the case of
private equity investments in India in 2006. According to Venture Intelligence a
total of 302 deals worth $7.5 billion were reported. In the first half of 2007,
168 deals have been reported at $5.6 billion. In terms of investment in 2006,
the top destination was China. China received around $900 million. London came
second with a little more than $800 million. India came at number three with
$746 million.

The India investment attraction can be simply be gauged from the fact that just
in the second quarter of 2007 venture capital firms have invested about $112
million across 19 deals in India during the second quarter of 2007. The
prominent Venture Capital firms already have offices already set in India to
identify potential winners and as the India success story grows so is the
attraction of newer players. Consider the case of Clearstone Venture Partners, a
leading early stage venture capital firm. With US$650 million of committed
investment capital, Clearstone sees India a favorable destination.

Besides innovation, probably the biggest fuel for entrepreneurial growth is
venture capital investments. VC investments have been only growing in India. In
2006 venture capital firms invested $508 million over 92 deals in India. The
amount invested during 2006 was significantly higher than that during the
previous year (which had witnessing 44 deals totaling $268 million). In 2007,
the VC score board so far reads 39 deals worth $242 million in its kitty.

India today has come to the forefront as a global resource for industry in
manufacturing and services. Its pool of technical skills, its base of English
speaking populace with an increasing disposable income and its burgeoning market
have all combined to enable India emerge as a viable partner to global industry.

Investment opportunities in India are today perhaps at a peak. Supported by
India’s natural strengths, the country offers investment opportunities in excess
of $500 billion in diverse sectors over the next five years.

The Government of India is committed to enabling foreign investors discover
India as a partner – with whom they can work in synergy to achieve their
objectives of growth and profitability.

Aruvian’s Research presents India – Commerce and Industry Competitive Advantage
Analysis which presents an absolute analysis of the fastest growing industries
in India, along with an in-depth analysis of the country’s government policies,
economic scenario, and investment profile.

This report on India’s commerce and the competitive advantages garnered by its
industry presents an in depth and comprehensive study of the knowledge resource
required to understand India in entirety as an investment destination. The
report presents a historical perspective of India and the geographical,
demographical facets of the country which add up to make the physical identity
of India. The report also delves into the economic factors such as GDP, balance
of payments, apart from the fiscal and monetary policies of the Government of
India.

The commercial laws which govern the conduct of international trade in and out
of India and the flow of investments which act as the precursors to the various
schemes and trade promotion programs being run by the government are described
in the report. The various industry forums which act as policy guidance tools
and catalyze the industry growth.

In Section 2, the report analyses multiple industries of the Indian commercial
scenario where in the report presents a profile of the industry segmenting the
industry , identifying market patterns and details the competitive scenario of
the industry.

The report applies the strategic models of SWOT, PEST and Porters Five Forces
Strategy Analysis to develop a core understanding of the strengths of these
industries and their constituents which make up the complete strategic map of
these industries.

The industries being analyzed in this report are Financial Services, Media &
Entertainment, Pharmaceutical, Telecommunications, Real Estate, and the Retail
industries.

Key Topics Covered:

A. Executive Summary

Section 1: Understanding India B. Country Brief C. Analyzing India’s Government
D. Understanding India’s Financial Markets E. Looking at Foreign Direct
Investment in India

Section 2: Sectoral Analysis F. Analyzing the Indian Financial Services Industry
G. Analyzing the Indian Media & Entertainment Industry H. Analyzing the Indian
Pharmaceutical Industry I. Analyzing the Indian Real Estate Industry J.
Analyzing the Indian Retail Industry K. Analyzing the Indian Telecommunications
Industry

Section 3: Conclusion L. Appendix M. Glossary of Terms

Companies Mentioned:

* HDFC Bank Limited
* ICICI Bank
* Life Insurance Corporation of India
* State Bank of India
* Adlabs Films Ltd.
* Balaji Telefilms
* MacMillan India
* New Delhi Television (NDTV)
* Sahara India Mass Communication
* STAR Group
* TV Today Network
* Zee Telefilms
* Cipla Limited
* Dr Reddys Laboratories Limited
* GlaxoSmithKline
* Nicholas Piramal
* Ranbaxy Laboratories
* Ansal Group
* B Raheja Builders
* DLF Group
* Omaxe Construction Ltd.
* Tata Housing
* + many more

For more information visit

http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/4ca8d5/india_commerce_a

Research and Markets
Laura Wood, Senior Manager,
press@researchandmarkets.com
U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907
Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

Copyright Business Wire 2010

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

China raises questions over US embassy expansion plans again

September 14, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Islamabad, Sep.13 (ANI): China has once again expressed its concerns over the massive expansion work of the US embassy in Islamabad.

Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Luo Zhaohui met President Asif Ali Zardari here and told him about Beijing’s apprehensions regarding the reported expansion of the US embassy.

Sources said Zardari assured Zhaohui that Pakistan would never compromise on its sovereignty.

This is the second time in a week that Beijing has questioned the US expansion plans.

Zhaohui had said that the expansion of the American embassy should be in accordance with the rules and regulations of Pakistan and Washington should respect Islamabad’s sovereignty.

“China has concerns over expansion of US embassy in Islamabad and the United States should expand its embassy by materializing rules and regulations of Pakistan,” Zhaohui said.

Sources privy to the meeting said Zardari told Zhaohui about his plan to visit China in December to learn more about China’s rapid growth in all the sectors.

“Pakistan can gain a lot from the Chinese experiences, and these can be emulated in Pakistan for achieving greater development,” they quoted Zardari, as saying.

The Nation quoted the sources as saying, the President said that Pakistan attaches high value to its relations with China and takes pride in Beijing’s success story. (ANI)

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

New Cytotron treatment effective in treating cancer patients in Bangalore

August 28, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Bangalore, Aug 28 (ANI): The new Cytotron treatment that includes use of radio frequency, high power non-ionizing, non-thermal electromagnetic waves instead of high frequency radiation has emerged as a popular therapy for cancer patients in Bangalore.

Developed by Rajah Vijay Kumar of India in 1987, the Cytotron device helps in tissue regeneration, degeneration and repair for the purposes of treating several chronic or degenerative diseases such as cancer and arthritis.

The treatment modality is non-invasive, painless and free from side effects.

Clinical test have shown that Cytotron is very effective in curing certain conditions such as a damaged knee by regenerating the cartilage tissue.

Dr. Nayar of Ojus Health Care, Bangalore, said that Cytotron treated patients have survived for a longer period than patients treated by other methods.

“When there is hardly any chance of survival after one year, those kind of patients have been taken for the clinical trials and from that we found that as against the expected 0-5 per cent may be surviving after one year. We got a very interesting and encouraging result of may be up to 50 per cent in different series. So 40-50 per cent to even may be little more per cent of people are able to survive year or more,” said Dr. Nayar.

Dr. Nayar also said that the treatment is safe and healthy cells are not affected in any way.

“This is something, which is very unique. It’s safe. It’s absolutely harmless and with this machine, we can target it to the exact depth in the body tissue,” said Dr. Nayar.

One such success story of Cytotron treatment is that of Abraham, a surgeon-cum-cancer patient.

Abraham, who is a patient of arthritis, has been undergoing the treatment for the past 15 days. He said that he has found improvement in his conditions and is now able to walk without any pain.

“I felt the difference, the swelling came down and the pain also reduced. I felt some sort of relief in that one. So the actual duration day told 21 days, so after 15 days of treatment, it’s comfortable and my all the symptoms got relieved. I am finding improvement in my condition,” said Abraham.

Doctors consider Cytotron as a useful method to treat cancer. By Shweta ANI)

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Indian media gives a mixed response to Mukherjee’s ‘Aam Aadmi’ budget

July 8, 2009 By Leave a Comment

New Delhi, July 7 (ANI): The General Budget presented by Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee drew a mixed response in newspapers, which largely described the focus on “Aam Aadmi” (ordinary man) as an attempt to serve the “inclusive growth” poll-promise of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance in its second innings at the Centre.

The Hindu, which carried “Massive Rural Spending To Spur Growth” as the lead news, observed in its editorial titled “Focus On Inclusive Growth”: “The budget presented by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee focusses sharply on one part of the success story, that is, inclusive growth, even as its efforts to restore the economy to the path of high growth have not been so robust.”

“Where the budget falls short is in the area of stimulating growth…. Yet, there is nothing in the budget that is particularly significant or dramatic enough to change the mood of uncertainty and pessimism that has gripped business and industry,” the paper further pointed out.

“At a time when industry has been hit by the downturn, a measure of protection was considered necessary and the Finance Minister did not move towards that goal,” it said.

The Asian Age, which led with “Big Budget To Feed Hunger For Growth”, said in its editorial titled: “Pranab’s Boost For Aam Aadmi”: “Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee is to be complimented for doing a savvy job in walking the tightrope between keeping his government’s promise to the “Aam Aadmi” and rural India, while not neglecting other sections of society. In a way, he had something to offer everyone – from rural India, farmers, the unorganised sector, women, minorities, poor students, even Sri Lankan Tamils, the unemployed, the police and paramilitary forces, retired servicemen, and of course income-tax payers and corporate leaders.”

The Pioneer lead read “Spender’s Budget” and in its editorial, it said: “Good For Economy” sub-headed with “Pranab Risks Fiscal Deficit For Growth” opined: “In the best of times, Finance Ministers have found it difficult, if not impossible, to produce a ‘please all’ General Budget. Those who gave in to the temptation of extreme populism came a cropper and, as it happened during the second half of the 1980s, left the Government’s coffers empty and the public exchequer broke. These are by no means easy times: The global economy is yet to show signs of responding to efforts to nurse it back to health and the national economy is just about afloat. Given these circumstances, Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee has done an excellent job of crafting a General Budget whose thrust is no doubt overly political without tripping on the thin line that separates populism from pragmatism. As a post-election exercise, Mr Mukherjee had to focus on the Congress’s political agenda of governance, more so to consolidate his party’s electoral gains and thus strengthen its chances in the coming State Assembly elections; to expect him not to do so would be both unfair and naove.”

“Ministerial hope and official hype notwithstanding, what the Budget lacks is an over-arching vision that addresses the nation’s aspirations by painting a big picture and listing medium and long-term goals which are not limited to clichis like ‘halving poverty’ and ‘making growth inclusive’ – everybody says it, so what’s new?,” the newspaper remarked.

“Pranab Focus On Rural Poor” was the lead news of The Tribune, which hailed the budget in its editorial “An ‘aam aadmi’ budget”

“All in all, this year’s budget is a worthy blueprint for action. It marks a new thrust in welfare and rural upliftment. Though it falls short of the expectations on incentives for growth, it could well be a good springboard for action in future,” the editorial states.

The Hindustan Times carried the lead news with the headline “Pranab Sells A Sop Story”, and in its editorial, it said: “In your hands, not in your face” opined: “The initial let-down after the first budget of UPA II had more to do with unrealistic expectations than with any disinclination to reform the economy. Anticipation has been building up over the past five years, and Pranab Mukherjee – likely to be finance minister for the next five – was seen as taking a strong pro-reform stance in his maiden Budget for this government. The reforms are there, but not in your face.”

Times of India’s lead story “It’s for you and for her”, and its editorial said the Budget fell short of expectation. “The decisive mandate for the UPA was interpreted as popular approval of its mantra of growth-with-equity. This Budget will please the aam aadmi in the sense that it’s stimulus-oriented, focused on consumption to sustain growth. But if budgets are about vision, finance minister Pranab Mukherjee’s exercise falls short. It pays lip service to private investment, a critical growth driver. But there’s no big signal to spur private demand. Instead, the focus remains on counter-cyclical public expenditure, with private players given something of a sidekick’s role, be it in infrastructure or e-governance.” (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Lightweight saddles to ease burden of elephants

May 28, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Jaipur, May 28 (ANI): A Canada-based voluntary organization working for the cause of animals has come to the rescue of jumbos in Jaipur, by providing them with lightweight saddles to ease their burden.

The speciality of the saddle is that it weighs only 20 kilograms and is five times lighter than the traditional one, which weighs over 100 kilograms.

Due to the huge reduction in the weight, the elephant feels much more comfortable.

An initiative of ‘Help In Suffering’, these saddles are aimed at helping the elephants worldwide, to prevent injuries to them.

Designed by Charlie Grey, President, International Elephant Foundation, the lightweight saddle has been successful in Canada as well as Thailand.

The success story of the saddles in these two countries has encouraged ‘Help In Suffering’ activists to bring this saddle to India as well. A total of five saddles have been put to test on eighty elephants ferrying tourists at the Amer Fort in Jaipur.

“The five saddles will be tested for six months. We will see if the injuries are gone or no new injuries have aroused from the new saddle. After six months, if the elephants community is happy with the saddle, then we will encourage them to build the same saddle to improve the welfare of the Jaipur elephants,” said Scarlett Magda- Saddle Designer from Canada, (African Lion Safari, Canada)

If the elephant community is happy with this saddle after the six months trial time, more will be made available. By Lokendra Singh (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Sonia Gandhi for separate Telangana state in principle

March 3, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Secunderabad, Mar 1 (ANI): Congress President Sonia Gandhi has said that her party is in favour of creating a separate Telangana state in principle.

Addressing a public meeting here on Saturday evening, Gandhi said: “As far as the issue of creating a separate Telangana state is concerned, Congress party is not against the creation of new state. But this issue involves some concerns, which should be sorted out through dialogue and consensus.”

Ever since 1969, the proponents of separate Telangana have felt that their region has always remained neglected,exploited and backward.

In 2004 Assembly and Parliament elections, Congress party and TRS had an electoral alliance in Telangana region with the promise of separate Telangana State.

The Congress came to power in the state and formed coalition government at the centre.owever, in September 2006, the TRS withdrew support for the Congress on the grounds of indecision by the government over the delivery of its electoral promise to create Telangana.

Since then, the Congress has been under great pressure from the opposition to take a clear stand on the issue.

Gandhi, who was on a two-day tour of Andhra Pradesh addressed the rally for 20 minutes.

Without naming anyone, Gandhi said some forces were creating obstacles in India’s path of progress.

“We all know that some people are envious of our rapid development and economic growth. These people are trying to create obstacles in the path of our progress either through militant strikes or any other mean. But no one can stop India from progressing, as the country is capable of meeting any challenge,” she said.

Commending Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, Gandhi said: “Andhra Pradesh’s story of achieving spectacular development is being talked about everywhere and Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy is being praised for his efforts.”

“This success story of the past five years is important because the previous non-Congress Government ruled for nine years and had not been able to achieve anything, or record any development. I have seen the difficulties that the people here faced due to the lackadaisical attitude of the Telugu Desam Party,” she added.

She also listed her party’s achievements in the last five years and claimed that the Congress is the only party that does not contest elections to come to power, but because it wants to serve the people.

Remembering the Congress forefathers she said, “If it was not for Jawaharlal Nehru who thought of a mixed economy, we would have been in a different situation.

If Indira Gandhi did not have the foresight of nationalising banks, what would have happened to all the private banks today? If Rajiv Gandhi had not thought of revolutionising information technology in the country, we would have been lagging far behind. The Congress has always thought of the poor, weaker sections.” (ANI)

Filed Under: International News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,