The Hindu : `Feel-good factor' non-existent, says Congress

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jan 18, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

`Feel-good factor' non-existent, says Congress

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, JAN. 17. The former Chief Minister, N. Janardhan Reddy, on Saturday criticised the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for what he called their attempts to cash in on a non-existent `feel-good factor' and said the real picture of the economy was anything but cheerful.

Addressing a press conference, he said the real index of development was self-sufficiency attained by the country in various fields, which was not there now. While 61 million tonnes of foodgrains was stored in Food Corporation of India (FCI) godowns, starvation deaths in States such as Orissa continued, he said.

The number of farmers committing suicide was only growing under the present dispensation and it was shameful that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Government was claiming that all was well with the economy, he said.

Predicting the rout of the ruling party in the coming elections, he said the Congress, on its own, had the strength to muster more than 180 seats. Mr. Janardhan Reddy said the Congress was unified as never before in facing the elections and hence it should be a clean sweep for the party.

He defended groupism within the party arguing that the party had always allowed a healthy democratic dissent and hence many power centres had emerged. But when it came to the brass-tacks, all leaders would unite to put up a formidable show, he said, ruling out clashes among the groups. A survey of the All-India Congress Committee had shown that the party was all set to grab a majority of Lok Sabha seats in the State Justifying the agitation of junior doctors, he said the latter had undertaken the task the Opposition should have.

Blaming the Government for the slide in the standards of professional education in the State, he said though he had also planned to grant private medical colleges, he recommended quality measures unlike the present Government.

Lack of infrastructure facilities and teaching faculty would harm students but the Government was blind to the demand of students, he said.

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