The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Congress hails free power supply

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, May 16, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Congress hails free power supply

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD, MAY 15. The Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee has welcomed the announcement of the Chief Minister, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, for supplying free power to farmers and waiving electricity arrears within minutes of being sworn in.

At a press conference here on Saturday, the party spokesperson, Mohd. Jani, and others said that by signing the free power file, the Congress and Dr. Reddy had proved that the party believed in keeping up its promises.

The leaders lashed out at the TDP chief, N. Chandrababu Naidu, for trying to scare people by saying that the State would be sucked into debt trap

because the Congress Government had fulfilled its promise of providing free power to farmers. They said a person born in a farmer's family should have first felt grateful to the Government for free power, instead of criticising it.

The file on free power and waiver of dues would cover over 22 lakh families, they said, adding that it was in tune with the farmer-friendly policies of the Government that has proved its commitment to the 67 per cent of population that make up rural parts of the State, they added.

They said the surging crowds at Lal Bahadur Stadium on Friday for the swearing-in ceremony was proof of the popularity of the Congress and trust that it enjoyed among people.

He tendered an apology for `some inconvenience caused to some people' because of the teeming rush and hoped that the invitees would understand.

Sonia's election hailed

The Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee has hailed the unanimous election of Sonia Gandhi as the Congress parliamentary party (CPP) leader on Monday.

At a press conference here on Saturday, the APCC general secretary, P. Sudhakar Reddy, and the spokespersons, Mohd. Jani and Rapolu Ananda Bhaskar, said that the recent elections had proved that people wished for a change of government both at the Centre and in the State. They asserted that the people of the nation were in for a "good time" with the new "pro-development and pro-progress" Government.

"People have shown the door to communalist forces. We have proved our point -- that we are farmer-, minorities- and weaker sections-friendly, that we want to give jobs to the unemployed and put the nation on the path of development and progress," Mr. Jani said.

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