The Hindu : National : Sonia charges NDA, TDP Governments with non-performance

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Friday, Apr 16, 2004

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National

Sonia charges NDA, TDP Governments with non-performance

By K. Venkateshwarlu

MAHBUBNAGAR, APRIL 15. The Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, today charged the National Democratic Alliance Government at the Centre and the Telugu Desam Government in Andhra Pradesh with non-performance in all vital sectors.

Addressing an election meeting here, she said both the parties were making a "big show" of development. But nothing was happening on the ground and the best example was this drought-hit district where lakhs of people migrated every year in search of livelihood. A number of farmers had committed suicide. "It is the direct result of the Central and the State Government policies."

Earlier, at Nizamabad, Ms. Gandhi did not touch upon the two major election issues in the region: Telangana and power for farm sector. At Visakhapatnam, she said that top priority would given to bailing out farmers who were unable to repay debts or get remunerative price for their produce.

"If there is development, it should reflect on the common man's face. But it isn't. You do not require a mirror to see the bangles on your wrist," she quoted a saying in Hindi at Mahabubnagar. The talk of "India Shining" or "Swarna Andhra Pradesh" was "an eyewash", aimed at deceiving the people. What the Central and State Governments did was to sell away public sector units assiduously built for decades, shattering the dreams of the unemployed. Law and order has collapsed. Social tension has gone up. Defence scandals have compromised the country's security. Terrorism was on the rise. "If these Governments are still surviving it is by God's grace and nothing else."

Ms. Gandhi wanted the Telugu Desam Government to clarify how many irrigation projects it had built during its tenure and how much of additional acreage was brought under cultivation. Telangana was backward with a lot of unemployment and problems remained in the Rayalaseema and Andhra regions, she added.

In contrast, whatever development had been achieved was all because of the Congress. Irrigation dams were built and factories set up creating jobs. Education and technological development got priority and it was during Rajiv Gandhi's time that the computer revolution was brought about. Since then, development has not moved a step forward.

"The vote you have is your strength. With it, you can bring about a change and you can unseat and pull down any Government. Use it judiciously," she said. "Congress go vapis lao, desh ko bachao. (Bring back Congress and save the nation)."

The AICC general secretary, Ghulam Nabi Azad, was present. D. Vittal Rao, the Congress candidate from the Mahbubnagar Lok Sabha seat, and the Congress and the Telangana Rashtra Samithi candidates from the Assembly segments were introduced to the people.

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