The Hindu : Water projects top on Congress priority list: YSR

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Mar 14, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Water projects top on Congress priority list: YSR

By Our Staff Reporter

CUDDAPAH, MARCH 13. The former Congress Legislature Party leader, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, on Saturday promised to accord top priority to irrigation and drinking water projects that have been neglected during the Telugu Desam (TDP) rule. The pending irrigation projects would be completed by allotting adequate funds, he said.

Lambasting the Union Minister of State for Rural Development, Bandaru Dattatreya, for his intemperate remarks that farmers were dying of indigestion, he said ryots were committing suicide due to mounting debts.

Addressing a meeting at Hanumanagutti village as part of his campaign in Kamalapuram constituency, Dr. Reddy maintained that farmers had self-respect and even those owning 100 acres of land were languishing due to drought and crop losses. Calling upon people to vote against the `misrule' of the Chandrababu Naidu Government, he urged the Government not to rule the State as per the diktats of the World Bank. The Government which adversely affected the living conditions of almost all the sections of people must be routed, the former CLP leader called.

He reiterated his promise to provide free power to agriculturists, extend loans to DWCRA members at 25 paise interest rate and construct houses for homeless poor if Congress regained power.

He promised to institute enquiries into the irrational decisions of the Government and said that the lopsided policies had shattered people's lives. Unemployment grew by leaps and bounds. Alleging that the Chandrababu Naidu Government was scam-tainted, he said that the food-for-work scheme smacked of grave irregularities. He said Mr. Naidu appointed nodal officers setting aside elected representatives and made a mockery of democracy.

Assuring the people that the Congress would safeguard secularism and ensure cohesion in society, he urged the electorate to ponder over their future. People should vote the Congress party to power, which would ensure their welfare, he averred.

Dr. Reddy also canvassed in Potladurthy, Kalamalla and other villages in Kamalapuram segment. The Congress' Kamalapuram constituency in-charge, Putha Narasimha Reddy, said he was contesting election for the first time and forging ahead with the people's cooperation. He urged people to ensure that Congress regained power for the district's development.

The district Congress president, Sheik Hussain, the ZP Chairman, K. Suresh Babu, the former Minister, D.L. Ravindra Reddy, Congress leaders, P. Jyothi Reddy, Venkatarami Reddy, Venkataramana Reddy, Venkatasiva Reddy, Parameswara Reddy and others participated.

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