Ashish Mehrotra Takes Charge as Senior Deputy GM and CVO of South Central Railway

Hyderabad: Ashish Mehrotra took charge as senior deputy general manager and chief vigilance officer, South Central Railway, on Tuesday. In a statement, SCR said he was previously chief electrical distribution engineer (CEDE), Northern Railway, New Delhi.

A 1992-batch Indian Railway Service of Electrical Engineers (IRSEE) officer, Merhotra had contributed significantly in the domain of electrical distribution and infrastructure management as principal chief electrical engineer, locomotive works, Patiala.

Mehrotra holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, master’s in energy management and has completed his MBA. He was conferred the President’s Medal (RSC) in 1995, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Managing Director’s Award in 2000, Railway Minister’s Award in 2006 and Ati Vishist Rail Sewa Puraskar in 2023.

Nithyasree Mahadevan to Receive ‘Sangeetha Kalasagara’ Title at Kalasagaram’s 58th Annual Festival

Hyderabad: Vidushi Nithyasree Mahadevan, granddaughter of the renowned musician D.K. Pattamal, will be bestowed the title of ‘Sangeetha Kalasagara’ during Kalasagaram’s 58th annual festival of music drama and dance, from November 28, at the Keyes High School for Girls, Secunderabad.

The festival will begin with a vocal recital by Vidwan Ramakrishan Murthy on November 28. The next day, the festival will feature an instrumental recital by the famed Lalgudi siblings, Vidwan Lalgudi G.J.R. Krishnan and Vidushi Lalgudi Vijaylakshmi.

Telangana Sangeetha Nataka Academy chairperson and danseuse Dr P. Alekhya will confer the ‘Sangeetha Kalasagara’ title on Vidushi Nithyasree on November 30, followed by her concert.

The audience would have a feast from Trichur Brothers on December 1 and Vidushis Anahita and Apoorva on December 3. A special Nadaswaram concert – an art form crying to be saved — by Vyasarpadi G. Kothandaraman, Tirupati B. Kesanna, and Cheepadu P.V. Subramanyam has been pencilled for is December 5.

A thematic concert on Lord Krishna will be presented by Vidwan Kalyanapuram Aravind, a student of T.N. Seshagopalan. who has just returned from a successful tour of USA, on December 4.

The cultural jamboree includes two Tamil plays by Vedam Puthithu Kannan (December 6 and 7) and a Bharatanatyam dance ballet by Urmila Satyanarayanan and disciples (December 2). The festival will be inaugurated by Justice G Praveen Kumar.

Two functionaries of sister associations in the space of Carnatic music will be honoured, including former IAS officer Chakrapani, president of the South Indian Cultural Association, Ambujam Ramakrishnan, founder president of the only the ladies association, Sharada Bhakta Mandali, will be honoured posthumously. The prestigious Tambura prices at the fiercely contested competitions will also be given during the 10-day festival.

Singareni Launches Telangana’s First Battery Energy Storage System to Maximise Solar Power Utilisation

Hyderabad: Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) is set to commission the state’s first battery energy storage system (BESS) at its Mandamarri solar power plant. The pioneering 1 MW BESS unit was installed as part of a government initiative to harness unused solar energy.

By storing surplus solar power generated during low-demand hours, the system ensures availability during peak electricity requirements, optimizing the use of nearly 9 million solar units annually.

The `2.73 crore project is expected to save SCCL approximately `70 lakh annually by reducing dependency on grid power and preventing free energy export to the grid during off-peak times. SCCL operates solar plants with a cumulative capacity of 245.5 MW, supplying power to Telangana Transco, and BESS marks a significant advancement in renewable energy management, the company said in a statement.

SCCL chairman and managing director N. Balaram expressed gratitude to Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and Deputy Chief Minister and Energy Minister Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu for supporting this initiative. He confirmed plans to expand battery storage across Singareni's operational areas, furthering the state’s ambitious clean energy goals.