The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Drought: TDP seeks white paper on Central aid

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jan 22, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Drought: TDP seeks white paper on Central aid

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, JAN. 21. The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has demanded a white paper on district- wise allocation of Central assistance of Rs. 1,200 crores and 18 lakh tonnes of rice to tide over the drought conditions.

Addressing a press conference, the TDP leader, S. Venugopala Chary, said the Chief Minister, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, made tall claims of getting such allotment from the Centre but the situation at the ground level was different. Starvation deaths continue, so was migration from districts hit by drought. There was acute drinking water scarcity while cattle perished for want of fodder.

Explanation sought

The Government should explain to people how much of Rs. 1,200 crores was spent and rice allotted to each district for drought mitigation and supply of drinking water and fodder. It should also disclose why Medak and Karimnagar were not included in the list of districts where Food-For- Work programme was being implemented.

He said the Congress Government had failed to keep up its election promise of releasing water from Nagarjuna Sagar for two crops. Though water was in plenty in the Srisailam reservoir, it was not being released for some strange reason. Drought conditions and denial of water had resulted crop area under cultivation in Rabi coming down from 28 lakh hectares last time to 22.3 lakh hectares now.

Tenders

Instead of taking up drought mitigation steps, the Government was busy handing over tenders and contracts to syndicates formed by Congress supporters, he alleged. The best example was the way the contract for construction of two bridges was given away to Congress supporters in Pulivendula, Dr. Rajasekhara Reddy's constituency, the TDP leader added.

On breakdown of talks with naxalite groups, he reiterated the party's stand that peace should prevail and any effort in that direction would receive support from it. To another question, he said it was not the opportune time for debating about Third Front.

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