Fugitive inspector surrenders in court

The fugitive inspector of Madannapet police station, N Ch Rangaswamy, finally put an end to his 45-day cat and mouse game with his colleagues, the men in khaki, and surrendered before a court today. Accused in the rape of a minor girl, Rangaswamy was sent to 14 days judicial remand by a local court.Chaitanyapuri police said Rangaswamy surrendered before the XI Metropolitan Magistrate at the Rangareddy Courts Complex in L B Nagar along with his advocate. He was sent to judicial remand till October 28.Emerging out of the court premises, the suspended inspector told mediapersons that he was framed in the case. “The girl’s parents are trying to implicate me in a false case. I am not guilty and I have not committed any crime,’’ he said.Police said Rangaswamy surrendered after all his efforts to get free of the case went futile. Rangaswamy appealed for an anticipatory bail but was rejected. Later, he tried to influence the victim and change her statement but even those attempts were foiled by police. “All his options were closed and police tracked him down wherever he went forcing him to surrender,’’ a police officer said. Even as Rangaswamy weighed his options, police tightened the noose around him. Police registered a case of kidnap against the inspector and his brother, Srinivas, when they tried to influence the victim to give a statement in favour of the inspector in the court. Meanwhile, special teams which were on a hunt for the fugitive inspector reportedly tracked him to his hideouts  including Visakhapatnam, Nellore and also to places outside the state. “Rangaswamy even took shelter in Maharashtra and Chennai for some days,’’ sources said.After his surrender, Rangaswamy was sent to Cherlapally prison where his brother, Srinivas, was cooling his heels.A case has been registered against Rangawamy in August this year for allegedly raping a minor and he was later suspended by the city police. The Central Crime Station (CCS) initially investigated the case but later it was transferred to the Chaitanyapuri police

Gruelling duty takes a toll on traffic cops in city

Over 50 per c ent of the city's traffic police personnel are struggling to breathe, hear and stand. Their eight-hour gruelling shift spent on the roads managing traffic amidst air and noise pollution is making them prone to ENT, respiratory disorders and spine-related problems.

While a study on the effects of their constant exposure to pollution is underway at the AP General and Chest Hospital, doctors from this hospital said that the recommendations given in a previous study have not been implemented so far. The 3,000-odd (both Hyderabad and Cyberabad traffic police) constables in the city continue to suffer in rain and shine without any protective gear.

"In the studies, we found that they exhaled higher amount of carbon monoxide, which is dangerous for the heart. Increased exposure to the sun can lead to skin cancer. Asthma attacks are also exaggerated among traffic constables," said Dr K Subhakar, chest physician, Chest Hospital. Doctors said the public should also act responsibly and switch off the engine at traffic junctions.

Even though the traffic police wing have started conducting health camps for traffic constables at various jurisdictions over the last few days, the detection is not up to optimum level. "Such camps can only pick up major events. The detection is done roughly and less than 10 per cent of the problems are picked up. They have to go for total testing," said Dr P N S Reddy, chest physician. Doctors say that constables are not even provided masks and the deterrent possibly is the Rs 1 lakh monthly expenditure the department would incur if it does supply the masks.

Officials say they are aware of the health problems of constables and are working on them now. "About 50 per cent of them develop health problems over a period of time unless they take precautions. We are training them in yoga and pranayam," said C V Anand, additional commissioner, traffic, Hyderabad. That's possibly a case of too little too late.

Recently at a programme on 'World Deaf Day', an NGO donated around 150 ear plugs to the traffic constables to reduce the intensity of noise pollution.

City police commissioner A K Khan had then announced that all the traffic constables would be provided with these machines if found effective. But specialists say that such announcements had remained only on paper.

Getting the Hyd Metro on a smooth track

With Hyderabad getting ready to start work on the Metro Rail, it will do well to learn lessons from the mistakes and the good practices of the Bangalore Metro Rail project, and take a leaf out of the Delhi Metro Rail project as well.

The first and foremost that the Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited (HMRL) will have to keep in mind is detailed planning on the logistics of the project and the time frame of the project. Timely completion of project without any delay whatsoever will be a key to the success of the project and will also ensure that costs are maintained. And people have a right to monitor its completion because it is finally the exchequer's money.

Any large project such as the Metro Rail will always have a direct consequence on the people of the city, requiring greater planning, keeping in mind the already heavy traffic and safe movement of people.

So, the first step the Hyderabad Metro Rail Authority will have to take is be transparent about the details of the project and involve all agencies like the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA), Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB), traffic police, transport department, the Telecom department, the AP Transco, the Environment department, the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (APPCB), the Forest department, the railways, and the Hyderabad Collectorate. A coordination committee of these agencies should be formed with full powers, to avoid any confusion. Separate control rooms should be set up to handle problems that may crop up during the construction phase.

Fingers pointed at land deals by Hyderabad varsity

Sections of the faculty are angry with the Hyderabad university for giving away vacant land in the campus to public and private organisations. The varsity says the charges are baseless.
The issue has vitiated the academic atmosphere in the varsity, University of Hyderabad Teachers Association secretary Purendra Prasad told IANS.

'We strongly oppose all moves to give away land originally granted to the university,' said social science professor Sudhakar Reddy. 'For a growing university, land is the future asset.'

When it was established in 1974, the government of Andhra Pradesh allotted 2,324 acres of land to the varsity in the 'green belt' area of Hyderabad.

'The university has alienated more than a third of its land, used up another third, and the remaining has to be preserved to protect the environment,' Prasad said. 'Where is the land for future expansion?'

A signature campaign, 'Save University of Hyderabad', spearheaded by Reddy, has collected 600 signatures in a week not only from the university but from sympathisers at other Indian varsities and from abroad.

A petition to be submitted to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Oct 19, during his proposed visit to Hyderabad, demands a halt to land deals and a thorough review of allotment and cancellation of unjustified deals.

But Seyed Hasnain, the varsity's vice-chancellor since 2006, said the campaign was 'based on deliberate disinformation' by Left leaning teachers 'with zero or hardly any academic pursuit'.

He said nearly 780 acres of the university land was allocated to various institutions by the Andhra Pradesh government even prior to 2006.

'I wonder why these self-styled guardians of the university land did not protest until 2006,' Hasnain said.

Prasad retorted that prior to 2005, land was allotted mainly for public interest at the behest of the state government, which compensated by returning 450 acres and providing other benefits like improved public transport or power supply on the campus. 'That is not the case now,' he said.

Reddy said the faculty was not aware about the land deals then because they were small and infrequent. 'We woke up only when land deals, including with private parties, started taking place on a large-scale.'

The Teachers Association has alleged that in just five years, the varsity's administration attempted to give away more than 1,000 acres of land.

Hasnain said that from 2006 till date only 488.28 acres were allotted 'through government orders', that too after the unanimous approval by the university's Executive Council.

'Pressure on Jagan to come clean'

Several Congress leaders on Tuesday demanded a thorough probe into the assets of Kadapa MP Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, which were allegedly amassed during the last one-and-half-a-years when the entire world was reeling under a financial meltdown. 

Amalapuram Lok Sabha member G V Harsha Kumar asked his colleague Jagan to come out with details of his income, nature of business, and how long he had been in the business. "Since Jaganmohan Reddy is an elected member of the party, he should dispel all the doubts generated by his huge advanced income tax. He owes an explanation to the people of the country," Harsha Kumar told the media in New Delhi. 

Saying that the growth in his assets coincided with the period of his father's chief ministership, Harsha Kumar said Jagan's earning should not bring disrepute to the party in the state. "I ask Jagan to make public the details of his assets and explain how he amassed such a vast property in such a short period of time," the MP told TOI from Delhi. 

In Hyderabad, senior Congress leader Palwai Goverdhan Reddy also wondered how Jagan could accumulate such a vast wealth in a matter of two to three years. "Jaganmohan Reddy should reveal his sources of income and explain the reasons for the disproportionate growth in his tax payment in the past three years," he said. 

Senior Rajya Sabha member V Hanumantha Rao urged the income tax department to probe the sources of Jagan's income. He also urged Jagan to disclose the secrets of his success in business for the benefit of the people of this country. "If Jagan could tell how he succeeded in business, the people could follow his advice and become rich. This way, poverty can be eliminated in the country," he told the media in Delhi. 

Sania Mirza back home in Hyderabad after marriage

Tennis star Sania Mirza, who missed a Gold at the Commonwealth Games, is back home in Hyderabad after four-and-a-half months since her marriage. Sania has now shifted to Dubai to live with her husband — Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik. However, her husband Shoaib will not be able to join her at his in-laws place.

“Sania has told us that she needs complete rest and wants to enjoy home cooked food, prepared by her mom. It’s strictly family time for her because she also needs to recuperate from the grueling schedule of the Commonwealth Games,” says a source close to the Mirza family.

Shoaib, who was accompanying Sania at the games, had to leave for Pakistan to take part in the domestic tournaments there. The cricketer was staying at a hotel in Delhi during the CWG. He missed Sania’s final match as he had to fly back to Pakistan. Sania’s dad and mom however were at the court.

“Shoaib might come down to take her back to Dubai but at the moment he is busy playing in Pakistan. The controversy during his wedding had scarred him but he has healed now and expects that he will be welcomed in Hyderabad the way he was welcomed in Pakistan as well,” the source close to the family said adding that the former Pakistani cricket captain is indeed a tad bit worried about the kind of reception he will get in Hyderabad now.

So, how is Sania managing in Dubai? “She is happy. It’s a little different because she is alone there as opposed to India where she had the family rallying around her. But her dad and mom are as close to her as they used to be and Imran (her dad) still keeps a very strict eye on her practice and on her tournaments.

Nevertheless, she is managing well on her own there and of course, she is facing no problems regarding her game because the sports infrastructure there (in Dubai) is really world class,” the source adds.

So, what will be Sania doing when she staying home? “Well lots of home parties are in the pipeline for her. Meeting with her close friends and cousins and of course, movies on DVD are also in order. Sania is a movie freak,” the source ends.

Minister acts tough on erring gas agencies

Civil supplies minister Jupalli Krishna Rao on Monday asked officials to take action against a gas agency in Srinagar Colony that was allegedly violating rules and causing hardship to consumers. 

He expressed his displeasure at the functioning of the chief rationing officer, his staff and representatives of oil companies, as they had failed to prevent gas distribution agencies from flouting rules with ease. 

The minister, who conducted surprise checks at gas agencies in Srinagar Colony and Jubilee Hills to verify complaints of cooking gas shortage on Monday, had a first-hand feedback from consumers and also customers calling up the gas agency telephone. He found that there was no proper entry of the customer details at one of the gas agencies and asked for a detailed enquiry. 

The minister assured consumers that the government would not hesitate to cancel the licenses of gas agencies that were found to be indulging in malpractices. He asked officials to book cases against two erring gas agencies that were selling gas ignoring the official seniority list to fresh customers. 

Last week, the minister toured some gas agencies in Vanasthalipuram and directed civil supplies officials to order an enquiry against an agency for selling gas refills to customers out-of-turn. 

GHMC eyes RTA vehicle tax

With maintenance and laying of roads becoming a major financial burden, the cash-strapped Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) is eying a pie in the Rs 500 crore life tax being collected by the Regional Transport Authority (RTA). 

The corporation has sought Rs 350 crore every year as its share from the nearly Rs 500 crore revenue earned by RTA in the form of vehicle tax. 

Corporators have begun efforts to ensure GHMC gets its due share in the vehicle tax and decided to pass a resolution in the forthcoming council meeting. 

Also, GHMC commissioner Sameer Sharma has written a letter to the principal secretary, Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MA&UD) department, recently seeking directions to tap those funds. 

GHMC officials claimed as per the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (HMC) Act, 1955, and Rules 1965, the civic body has the right to collect tax on vehicles, animals and boards. However, for the past few decades, the RTA has been collecting tax on the directions of the state government and paying only Rs 60 lakh per annum to the corporation towards its share. 

In 2009-fiscal, the RTA had collected Rs 500 crore towards vehicle tax and other charges, but it paid only Rs 60 lakh and that too in four quarters, the officials said. 

"When the amount was fixed in the late 80s, the civic body's jurisdiction was limited and road maintenance expenditure was meagre. Now, the regular maintenance expenditure (repairs) of roads has increased to Rs 250 crore every year and another Rs 100 crore is being spent on road laying and formation," an engineering official said. 

The GHMC has also lined up several projects worth Rs 790 crore for the next five years, which includes upgrading road infrastructure facilities of 44 roads at an estimated cost of Rs 500 crore (Rs 100 crore per year), road widening works worth Rs 40 crore every year for the next five years, and road making and traffic signals worth Rs 90 crore (Rs 18 crore per year). 

For taking up the special project related to roads, the GHMC has to spend Rs 158 crore every year, the commissioner said in the letter. 

The GHMC has also sent a detailed note on the financial condition saying that revenue surplus of the corporation in the last financial year was just Rs 195.42 crore which cannot be used for all the development works. The corporation had already availed Rs 500 crore overdraft from banks. 

When contacted, GHMC additional commissioner (Finance) S Hari Krishna admitted that a letter was sent to the state government recently for enhancement of vehicle tax. "Last year, the late chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy had directed RTA for enhancement of the vehicle tax share to Rs 158 crore during a review meeting, but it was not implemented," he said. 

Hospital staff demand more increment, hold dharna

Tension prevailed at Indo American Cancer Hospital on Monday when its non-medical staff, dissatisfied with the yearly increments, held a protest on the hospital premises demanding a revision. They sat on a dharna in front of the hospital CEO R P Singh's room and gheraoed the HR manager in the afternoon. 

While the hospital doctors and nursing staff were on duty, the agitated slogan shouting staffers disturbed the hospital atmosphere causing inconvenience to the patients. As a precautionary measure, police was called in. 

The agitating staffers demanded a written assurance from the management for revision of increments with immediate effect. However, the management could not do so and assured them that the issue will be sorted out by the end of the month as the chairman of the hospital, N T Balakrishna, was not in town. Till late in the night, the employees of this super-specialty hospital for oncology, continued with their protest as talks failed.

Student dies after epileptic seizure

A 22-year-old B Pharmacy student died a few hours after an epileptic seizure at Gandhi Hospital in Secunderabad on Monday.

According to Shamirpet sub-inspector M Mahesh, locals shifted Ch Venkatesh, a B Pharm III year student of Jyothishmathi Pharmacy College, Turkapally, after he had convulsions and fell on the road in front of Shamirpet bus stand at around 1.30 pm. After calling a few numbers from his last called numbers, locals established his identity and alerted the police. The student, a native of Dharmaram mandal of Karimnagar district, was subsequently shifted to Gandhi Hospital, but he succumbed a few hours later.

A case was registered under section 174 (suspicious death) of Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).

Missing forex manager’s body found in Nalgonda

The mystery behind the missing manager of a private forex company in the city was unravelled with the police tracing his body in Nalgonda district.

Police said the young manager was strangled to death. Later, acid was poured on him on the same day he went missing from the house. Police suspect the victim might have been killed by some persons known to him as they have robbed him of the Rs 5 lakh cash he was carrying.

The manager of FCEH Centrum Forex company based at Somajiguda, G Chaitanya (32), was a resident of Syndicate Bank colony in Old

Bowenpally.

Chaitanya left home late in the night on October 6 on his two-wheeler with Rs 5 lakh cash telling his family members that he had to deliver the money to some customers near a garden at Bowenpally.

As Chaitanya did not return home even by morning and could not be contacted over phone, his family members lodged a missing case with the city police the next day.

Investigating into the case, police found Chaitanya’s Honda Activa in

the parking lot at Ammuguda railway station.

Meanwhile, police today found a person’s body with similar features of Chaitanya near an isolated place at Chikatimamidi village under Bommalaramaram police station limits in neighbouring Nalgonda district.

Bommalaramaram police said the body was found on October 7 with strangulation marks on his neck. “The assailants later poured acid on the body of the victim,’’ police said.

City police went to Nalgonda today and identified the victim as Chaitanya.

Police suspect some persons who were aware that Chaitanya was carrying cash with him would have taken him to Bommalaramaram and killed him after robbing him.

Telangana stir takes a toll, empty benches in Andhra colleges

The agitation for a separate Telangana state is having a fallout on Andhra Pradesh’s educational institutions. Wary of disruptions due to shutdowns and bandhs, students are staying away from engineering colleges in parts of the state.

At the end of the first phase of engineering admissions on October 4, of the 1.82 lakh seats on offer, 55,000 had not been taken. The second phase of admissions for another 88,000 seats started on October 5 but officials don’t expect more than 15,000 to be taken.

Colleges located in and around Hyderabad, Vijayawada and other hotspots of the agitation have been affected the most.

Higher Education Department officials say that earlier colleges would have a mix of students from Telangana, coastal and Rayalaseema districts. But students this time are preferring to take admission in their native districts or region they belong to, thereby leaving a huge number of vacancies in colleges in other regions.

So, while colleges in and around Hyderabad and Telangana region are a strict no no for students from other regions, coastal districts like Vizianagaram, Srikakulam, Prakasam, Nellore and Chittoor, which escaped bandhs declared by united-Andhra supporters, are a favourite now.

According to the Andhra Pradesh State Council of Higher Education, a majority of the 350 engineering colleges in and around Hyderabad, which had been hit by Telangana protests, have been affected.

Those who can afford are opting for management quota seats in neighbouring states like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala.

Confirming the huge number of vacant seats, Dr M D Christopher, Secretary, State Council of Higher Education, points out that last year, at the end of the first phase of counselling, only 4,632 seats of 1.80 lakh seats on offer had not been taken.

Muslims of TD, MIM parties join TRS

TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao today said welfare of Muslims was possible only in separate Telangana.

“Formation of Telangana state is inevitable after December 31. We will intensify the agitation on Gandhian lines by giving preference to his non-cooperation policy, ‘’ the TRS chief said.    

A large number of Muslims belonging to the TDP and MIM parties from the Old City today joined the TRS under the leadership of their leader Mohd. Mahmood Ali in the presence of  the TRS chief at Telangana Bhavan  today.

Addressing the gathering, TRS chief Rao said all political parties were considering Muslims only as a vote bank. He faulted the central government for failing to implement the recommendation of Sachar committee till now though it submitted the report in 2007 itself.

After merger of Telangana with Andhra, rulers from Andhra cheated Muslims, he alleged, adding that properties worth Rs 4,000 lakh crore belonging to Muslims were sold out by the government to real estate developers in Hyderabad, Rangareddy and Medak districts. “Had that amount been spent on Muslims, they would have been leading a quality life,” Rao felt.

In Telangana state, the TRS would reserve the deputy chief minister post and 4-5 Cabinet berths for Muslims. The TRS, he said, was committed to providing 12 per cent reservation to Muslims in education and employment in separate Telangana.

Gaddar launches Front to fight for Telangana

Pro-Maoist revolutionary balladeer and folk artist Gaddar today said his `Telangana Praja Front’ is not a party but a political front launched to fight for statehood to the region in Andhra Pradesh.

“We will grow politically and fight for separate Telangana statehood. Telangana can be achieved through people’s movements and agitations only,” Mr. Gaddar said in his speech during the formal launch of the front here.

“Telangana movement cannot be taken forward with elections. Leaders in Delhi realised about the issue only after people came out and protested,” he said and pointed to Home Minister P. Chidambaram’s December 9 statement that the process of formation of Telangana would be initiated.

“All these political parties, right from Congress to TRS, could not bring any result to the people of Telangana. We will fight till a Bill for Telangana is introduced in Parliament,” Mr. Gaddar told the gathering.

He had earlier said they do not want to wait for the Centre-appointed Srikrishna Committee to submit its report, likely by December 31, on the statehood issue. Mr. Gaddar, whose real name is Vithal Rao, is known for his pro-Maoist leanings.

The Front comprises 56 Joint Action Committees (JACs) of various sections of Telangana society like employees, lecturers and intellectuals. The outfit is likely to change the political landscape of Telangana currently dominated by TRS.

Telangana issue: BJP seeking to regain its lost glory in AP

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is now desperately seeking to regain its lost glory at least in the Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh by vigorously taking up the cause of a separate State as well as people’s issues in the region.

Telangana was once considered a stronghold of BJP with a sizeable number of its senior leaders like Ch Vidyasagar Rao and Bandaru Dattatreya making a mark even at the national level and worked as Union Ministers in Atal Bihari Vajpayee government.

The national party’s influence, however, waned gradually after it aligned with the Telugu Desam Party in the late 1990s. Luck did not favour BJP even after it snapped ties with TDP and raised the Telangana slogan again after 2004.

In the 2004 and 2009 elections, the BJP had to be content with just two seats each in the state Assembly while drawing a blank in the Lok Sabha.

The State party president G Kishan Reddy is representing Amberpet Assembly constituency in the city here and Nizamabad seat was represented by Lakshminarayana.

While the party has not much base in the Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh, it has eroded significantly in coastal Andhra after it started espousing the cause of Telangana.

BJP leader from coastal Andhra - M. Venkaiah Naidu - too has become an advocate for bifurcation of the State much to the chagrin of the party rank and file in Andhra-Rayalaseema regions.

The revived struggle for a separate Telangana State late last year came as a blessing in disguise for the BJP to reinvent itself in the region and emerge as a potent force.

The BJP is trying to cash in on factors like the growing disenchantment with the TDP and lack of a credible political alternative in Telangana and emerge as a formidable opposition to the Congress whenever a separate state becomes a reality.

“There has been a conspicuous effort by the BJP to capture the political space in Telangana by taking an aggressive part in the ongoing agitation for statehood. The party leadership is clearly focusing its attention on re-building its base in Telangana by not only rejuvenating the rank and file but also by taking up people’s issues,” a senior political analyst here noted.

The ‘Palle Pilupu’ (visit to villages) programme launched by BJP on Gandhi Jayanthi is one such step in this direction.

The programme is aimed at establishing contact with people at their doorsteps and addressing issues of public concern like poor healthcare facilities, erratic power supply and lack of access to education besides other basic problems in the countryside.

In the five-day programme, more than 700 party functionaries including senior leaders have been participating in Palle Pilupu to meet people and look into their problems.

“Over 3,000 villages will be covered during the five-day programme. Later a comprehensive report enlisting the peoples’ problems will be submitted to the state government,” State president G. Kishan Reddy said.

In August this year, the BJP undertook a 11-day ’Telangana Martyrs Memorial Yatra’ to console families of those who ended their lives for the cause of a separate State.

This evoked good response from people in the region, raising the spirits of the BJP leaders after they covered about 500 villages in Nalgonda, Mahbubnagar, Ranga Reddy, Hyderabad and Medak in south Telangana.

“Even the ongoing Palle Pilupu is evoking tremendous response from villagers. There is a severe lack of basic amenities in the villages and lots of complaints are pouring in,” senior BJP leader and former Union Minister Bandaru Dattatreya told PTI.

The BJP’s top priority now, through such programmes, is to strengthen the organisation and build a strong base so as to emerge as a potent force once Telangana State becomes a reality.

TRS promises 12 per cent reservation to Muslims in separate Telangana

A Mulsim would be made the deputy chief minister and 12 per cent reservations provided to the community after the formation of separate Telangana state, TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao said on Sunday.

"A Muslim will be the deputy chief minister of Telangana and there will be four-five Muslim ministers. The community would also get 12 per cent reservation, which is their right," he said, addressing a group of Muslim leaders who joined the TRS.

Muslims remain backward in all spheres of life though all political parties talked big about their welfare, Rao said.

Telangana had true secular culture with majority Hindus and Muslims living in perfect harmony but communal riots were organised in Andhra Pradesh as part of power politics, he alleged.

"Telangana region, from the Quli Qutub Shah rule to the seventh Nizam, had a true secular culture. Even Mahatma Gandhi praised the way Hindus and Muslim live together here. That is the beauty and greatness of Telangana," he said.

Successive governments in Andhra Pradesh never provided adequate funds for Muslim welfare and lands belonging to Waqf board in Hyderabad have been encroached upon, the TRS president alleged
.

DLF plans luxury malls in Hyderabad, Chennai

Real estate developer DLF Ltd that currently operates luxury mall -- DLF Emporio -- in the Capital is considering to start similar projects in other big cities, including Hyderabad and Chennai, that are seeing traction for high-end brands.

"We are looking to open more luxury malls in cities like Hyderabad and Chennai," DLF Malls Business Head Savitri Devi Singh said.

The company is currently in talks with the existing tenants at its DLF Emporio for the same. "There are some 10-12 anchor brands we are in discussions with to bring up similar models in other cities," she said.

According to Singh, who did not disclose the investment planned by the company in future projects, developing malls for housing luxury brands is an attractive proposition.

"DLF Emporio has already broken even and is doing very well in terms of revenue generation. It is a very viable business," Singh said, although she declined to divulge the amount, developer invested on the mall.

According to her, the mall is currently operating at a conversion rate of about 70 per cent. Some of the brands in DLF Emporio include Giorgio Armani, Salvatore Ferragamo, Louis Vuitton, Cartier, Fendi, Dior, Just Cavali, Aigner, Tods, Tiffany’s, Burberry and Hugo Boss, along with some leading Indian designers.

"Even Chandigarh has good potential for selling luxury goods, but we are not sure whether it would be right to open another mall there due to its proximity to Delhi," she added.

Cities like Bangalore and Mumbai already have luxury malls such as the UB City and Galleria, respectively and entering there is a much lesser attractive option.

If experts are to be believed, there is a dearth appropriate retail space in India that is keeping many luxury brands away from the country.

"There is a serious need to have more retail spaces for luxury brands to expand or enter India," AT Kearney Principal Neelesh Hundekari.

According to a CII-A T Kearney report, India's luxury market, which is small compared to global standards, is likely to grow three times and touch $14.7 billion by 2015.

In 2009, the luxury industry, including products, services and assets, was estimated at $4.76 billion.

Andhra Govt inks pact with Australian cities to boost ties

The state government has inked partnership with Australian cities such as Brisbane and Ipswich to strengthen ties and cooperation between the three cities, according to K Rosaiah, state Chief Minister.

Mr Rosaiah, said, “ With this type of agreements, we can learn more about one another, and have friendly and meaningful exchanges, with mutual benefits.” Andhra Pradesh government wants cooperation in areas of agriculture, education, information technology, biotechnology and tourism.

An official business delegation from Andhra will be sent soon to Australia. The pact will help create more jobs and investment opportunities. This pact has a validity of five years.