The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : TDP fears scrapping of free power

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Dec 23, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

TDP fears scrapping of free power

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, DEC. 22. The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) on Wednesday alleged that the all-party meeting called by the State Government on December 27 to discuss the free power issue was only intended to dilute or even withdraw the scheme.

The party ridiculed the Chief Minister, Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy's claim that the State was being hailed, "shining and most happening place" in New Delhi saying the "only thing happening is farmers' suicides and starvation deaths."

Addressing a press conference, the TDP leaders -- K. Vidyadhar Rao and G. Sukhender Reddy -- said the Government it had failed on all fronts to rescue farmers. It was still under the illusion that only free power, relief and waiver of interest, would solve the problems of farmers.

That the Government had failed to read the situation reflected in the 2,000 suicides and starvation deaths during its seven-month rule. Farmers required timely credit, quality inputs and water supply, followed by remunerative price for the produce. But with the Government shirking its responsibility, farmers were allowed to fend for themselves, they said.

Meanwhile, several Ministers expressed divergent opinions at today's Cabinet meeting on the free power issue. While a majority of them urged the Chief Minister to take an appropriate decision to rectify shortcomings in the free power policy, some wanted the benefit to be restricted only to small and marginal farmers.

The Home Minister, K. Jana Reddy, in particular, argued in favour of continuing the benefit for Telangana farmers stating that they were paying heavy power bills while their counterparts in coastal Andhra got water free of cost.

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