Southern States - Andhra Pradesh   

CM accuses Cong. of backing naxals

By Our Staff Reporter

The Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, and other Ministers at the TDP rally in Guntur on Wednesday — Photo: Ch. Vijayabhaskar

MALLAVARAM (Prakasam) NOV. 19. The Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, has accused the Congress of supporting and cooperating with naxalites with its words and deeds.

Pointing out that extremism has claimed the former Prime Ministers-- Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi-- and the former Punjab Chief Minister, Beant Singh, he has called upon all political parties to come together in combating extremism and naxalism.

Mr. Naidu was addressing a mammoth public meeting after laying the foundation stones for the Gundlakamma reservoir project across Gundlakamma river, the Ramatirtam balancing reservoir and the Ulichi check-dam here on Wednesday.

Reiterating that he had no personal animosity towards naxalites even if they made an abortive bid on his life at Alipiri on the Tirumala ghat road, he said they were holding entire society hostage by unleashing violence. If naxalites' anarchy was allowed to go scot-free it would spread like wildfire engulfing society. Development would take a back seat as no Government official could reach people to give an audience to listen to their woes, he observed.

Stating that the naxalites were advocating outdated and obsolete ideology, he said that violence would never be a panacea for the problems being confronted by people. Reposing confidence on the people's faith in the ruling party, he said the party would again definitely romp home.

Reciting the list of schemes and programmes introduced by his Government in the past eight years for the welfare of various sections, he assured Prakasam district people that all efforts would be made to complete the two reservoirs and the check-dam at the earliest.

He also promised that the Velugonda major irrigation project for which he had laid the foundation just before the 1996 general election would also be completed after the construction of Mallavaram and Ramatirtam reservoirs.

The Minister for Major Irrigation, Kadiam Srihari, disclosed that the Government would float irrigation bonds to raise fund to the tune of Rs.1000 crores for the completion of pending projects. The Mallavaram and the Ramatirtam reseroirs would also be funded from it.

He said that the Gundlakamma reservoir project had already got the environmental and forest clearance and the Central Water Commission clearance was yet to come. The Government was committed to the construction of Velugonda project.

Karanam Balaramakrishna Murthy, MP, said administrative sanctions to the two reservoirs were not accorded keeping in view the coming elections. When the projects were sanctioned no elections were round the corner, he explained. The Collector, M.T. Krishna Babu, presided. The former MLA, P. David Raju, and the ZP Chairman, M. Kasi Reddy, also spoke.

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