Andhra Pradesh - Tirupati   

State to tread the peace path: Raghuveera Raghuveera chants peace mantra

Staff Reporter

Government still open to talks, says Minister

GANDHIAN PATH: The Minister for Agriculture, N. Raghuveera Reddy, addressing a `Praja patham' meeting in Tirupati on Thursday.

TIRUPATI: Notwithstanding the attempt on the life of the Prakasam Superintendent of Police, Maheshkumar Laddha, the Government is still open to talks with the Maoists, the Minister for Agriculture, N. Raghuveera Reddy, has said.

Speaking to newsmen here on Thursday, Mr. Reddy said that the Government still adhered to its stand of taking the Gandhian path, in spite of the provocative attack by the Maoists. "However, we stand firm in our belief that only the police forces will be allowed to wield guns," he said in reply to a question on the arms issue.

The Agriculture Minister, N. Raghuveera Reddy, on Wednesday launched a broadside at the former Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, accusing him of trying to scuttle the ongoing `Praja Patham' forgetting that it was he who actually pushed farmers to the brink of collapse. `Lopsided' policies of the previous Telugu Desam Government ruined the agriculture and rural sector, he alleged. Of the 500 villages in the State where water was being supplied through tankers by the present Government, 280 were in Chandrababu Naidu's native district of Chittoor alone.

This speaks volumes of the damage Mr. Naidu had done to the rural sector, he said. He was addressing mediapersons at Chittoor after participating in Praja Patham in Chittoor rural mandal. Recalling Mr. Naidu's remarks in the past that only during elections, parties should play and talk politics, he questioned as to why he was politicising a `well-meaning' programme like Praja Patham.

On the implementation of Praja Patham in the district, the Minister claimed that out of 3,269 works identified, 3,225 were already grounded and Rs. 175.6 crores released for their completion.

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