Monthly Archives: October 2015

GCC gets APEDA organic certification for 13 products

Visakhapatnam  :

The Girijan Cooperative Corporation (GCC) has received organic certification from the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) on Wednesday for 13 products.

The corporation got the certification for products such as Honey, Amla, Tamarind, Shikakai, Soap Nut, Nannari, Karakkaya, Sarpagandhi, Nux Vomica, Gum Karaya, Gum Olipinam, Marking Nuts and Sugandhiphala. The 56-year-old GCC has become the first organisation in the country to get certification for forest produce.

Armed with the organic certification, GCC is now planning to tap premium markets, GCC managing director A Ravi Prakash told TOI. He said the certification is expected to boost GCC’s annual turnover in the coming years.

“Once GCC enters the premium market, our products are expected to generate more revenue. If everything goes well, we will export our products as well,” he said. GCC’s turnover in 2014-15 was Rs 185 crore, which is a 20% jump over the previous fiscal’s turnover of Rs 143 crore.

“We will strive hard for GCC’s growth. This certificate has put more responsibility on our shoulders. We have to plan carefully and make investments to maintain the quality and hygiene of products,” he said.

The GCC MD said that the corporation is also going to revamp its marketing strategy by setting up shops in commercial complexes and putting their products on e-commerce platforms.

“We plan to adopt new trading avenues. Till date, GCC has been active only in the traditional market. But the trend should gradually change for the better,” he said.

Sources said that GCC has decided to go for special advertisement campaigns to penetrate the market by competing with other corporates in some product categories. The corporation is now planning on passing the benefits to the tribal people, who are the backbone of the corporation, the sources added.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Visakhapatnam / by Siva G, TNN / October 29th, 2015

Artists set record with 100-hr non-stop painting

The event was organised to pay tributes to Pablo Picasso on his birth anniversary

More than 100 painters from across the country on Thursday created a record of sorts by painting non-stop taking turns for 100 hours.

The artists, both budding and seasoned, in 33 batches worked for more than three hours each to produce wonderful artworks at the Hydari Club here. Mr. Thimmiri Raveendra, a jury member of Miracles World Records, said: “It is a record.”

The event was organised by by Srutshit Art Academy to pay tributes to renowned artist Pablo Picasso on his birth anniversary.

The images that were churned out on the occasion included those of Lord Vinayaka, Buddha, night life, mother nature and the dream capital city of Amaravati.

The youngest of the participalnts, A. Vignesh and N. Chakrika, both aged nine, hogged the limelight.

Both chose to paint the images of Radhakrishna in acrylic medium and completed the task in nearly three hours.

The entries were sent to the Guinness Book of World Records , Limca Book of Records , Record Holders Republic and the Telugu Book of Records .

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Andhra Pradesh / by Staff Reporter / Ongole – October 30th, 2015

Former Chintapalli MLA Goddeti Demudu passes away

The Communist Party of India leader and former two-time Chintapalli MLA Goddeti Demudu. - File Photo: C.V. Subrahmanyam / The Hindu
The Communist Party of India leader and former two-time Chintapalli MLA Goddeti Demudu. – File Photo: C.V. Subrahmanyam / The Hindu

The late Demudu was elected in 1994 and 2004 from Chintapalli Assembly constituency (which does not exist now due to delimitation of Assembly segments).

The Communist Party of India leader and former two-time MLA Goddeti Demudu died while undergoing treatment for jaundice at the King George Hospital here in the early hours of Monday. He was 51 and is survived by wife, two sons and a daughter.

His body was shifted to Sarabhannapalem in Koyyuru mandal for last rites.

Andhra Pradesh State Secretary of CPI K. Ramakrishna, assistant secretary J.V. Satyanarayana Murthy, district secretary A.J. Stalin, city secretary Markendeyulu and others mourned the death of Demudu and recalled his services to the Girijans and the party.

The late Demudu was elected in 1994 and 2004 from Chintapalli Assembly constituency (which does not exist now due to delimitation of Assembly segments) and contested from Paderu last year. He was president of AP Girijana Samakhya and vice-president of girijans’ all-India organisation.

He was also member of party’s State council. He was active in the agitation against bauxite mining. Demudu was one of the speakers at a Girijana sadassu organised by the YSR Congress at Koyyuru on September 12 and it was during his speech that the police switched off the public address system claiming that the organisers had obtained permission for the meeting assuring that bauxite mining issue would not be raised.

The former MLA was bothered by ill-health several times and some years ago when he fell seriously ill, the then Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy got him shifted to Hyderabad for better treatment.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Andhra Pradesh / by G. Narasimha Rao / Visakhapatnam – October 26th, 2015

Telugu people’s struggles to be chronicled on the screen

Vijayawada  :

With a view to highlight the Telugu culture and heritage, a production house called Bharateeyam Arts – the first banner to come out from Vijayawada post the state’s bifurcation – is planning a movie about Amaravati. The producers say they will donate the proceeds from the screenings to the capital development fund.

Addressing a press meet here on Tuesday, producer V Gopala Krishna said that the film will deal with the political, historical and cultural background of Andhra Pradesh. “The self-respect of five crore people of Andhra Pradesh was hurt by the division of the state. That is the reason why farmers came forward to offer their lands for the capital. The film will deal with the sacrifices made by such people and how the state evolved,” Krishna explained.

He recalled initially mulling a documentary on the same subject, but dropped the idea later. “This will be a full-length feature film with a commercial angle. The cast will be announced soon and shooting will start in four months or so,” the producer said, adding that the film will be made in two parts.

While music director-turned-director RP Patnaik will compose tunes, Suddala Ashok Teja and Krishna Chaitanya Prasad would jointly write the script.

Patnaik expressed happiness to be a part of the project. “Telugu people have a lot of history. This film will start right from the time when we were part of the Madras Presidency to the bifurcation to the present day. It will be based on facts and will not offend anybody,” Patnaik said.

Veteran journalist Turlapaty Kutumba Rao recalled how Telugu people had to leave Madras and how they thought in vain that they could have a permanent capital in Hyderabad. “I have seen the struggle the state and the people have gone through. We thought after 1956 the wandering would end. But we were wrong. With Amaravati it will end. It will be our own capital,” he said.

He appreciated the film’s crew for taking up the project as it would help the future generations to have a point of reference. Peasant leader A Bhavani Prasad was also present.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Vijayawada / TNN / October 21st, 2015