The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Yerran runs down `nagara baata'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jan 12, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Yerran runs down `nagara baata'

By Our Special Correspondent

SRIKAKULAM, JAN.11. Senior TDP leader and Srikakulam MP K. Yerranniadu has expressed serious doubts about the Congress Government holding local bodies elections as per schedule. Mr. Naidu has also charged the Chief Minister, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, with kick-starting his party's election campaign in the name of launching Rajiv Nagara baata and squandering taxpayers' money for the programme.

Speaking to newsmen here on Tuesday, Mr. Naidu maintained that Rajiv palle baata had proved to be a farce as the Government failed to come out with a white paper on the number of representations received and action taken.

`Double standard'

Dr. Reddy had been doing things which he had severely criticised as an opposition leader. The Government released full-page advertisements to cover up its mishandling of the issue of tenders for irrigation projects. Dr. Reddy had criticised the TDP leader, N. Chandrababu Naidu, for flying in helicopter, but he himself was doing the same now. The Chief Minister refused to accept garlands which did not cost much, but got for himself a posh bungalow costing about Rs. 7 crores.

Mr. Naidu said the word "distribution'' in the one lakh acres land distribution programme of the Government was a "misnomer.'' What was proposed to be done was regularisation of land which had been under one's occupation for the last several years. Had the Government purchased even a single acre of land for "distribution'' among the poor, he asked.

While welcoming any project that would provide irrigation, the MP took pains to explain that it was during TDP rule that most of the ayacut under Vamsadhara Phase II and Phase I was developed. Under Phase II of the project with a projected ayacut of 1.07 lakh acres, 20,000 acres of ayacut had already been developed and works had started for another 60,000 acres of ayacut during the TDP regime. If however, a barrage could be constructed at Neredi, it would stabilise the entire ayacut.

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