The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Telugu Desam asks YSR to declare his land-holding

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Saturday, Jan 01, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Telugu Desam asks YSR to declare his land-holding

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, DEC. 31. The Telugu Desam Party on Friday said the Chief Minister, Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, should declare his land-holding, having publicly announced that he had 60 agricultural connections.

Addressing a press conference, the party leaders -- P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju, S. Venugopalachari and V. Narender Reddy -- said going by the number of pumpsets, Dr. Reddy must be having a large extent of land, much more than what was permitted under ceiling laws. He should set an example by surrendering the surplus land and launch the land distribution programme from his land, on January 26, as proposed by the Government.

The Agriculture Minister, N. Raghuveera Reddy, should do the same thing, as he too claimed that he had as many as 20 farm connections, they added.

`Lame excuse'

They charged the Government with deceiving people on its poll promise of supplying free power to the farmers. The claim that the scheme was leading to collapse of the system was a lame excuse as the State had not drawn its full quota of 608 million units from the national grid and allowed Karnataka to 200 million units over and above its share during September. In addition, the State sold 92 million units to neighbouring States. When there was sufficient power, how could the system collapse, they asked.

They also disputed the Finance Minister, K. Rosaiah's contention that it was not funds but the fear of the collapse of system that made the Government take a close look at the scheme. If the Government had enough funds, if necessary, it could buy power from other States, to sustain the scheme.

They said the all-party meeting was held recently without giving any policy paper. The meeting appeared to be mere formality before embarking on drastic changes in the free power supply scheme.

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