The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Government asked to come clean on stance towards World Bank

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 18, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Government asked to come clean on stance towards World Bank

Staff Reporter

DFID is dictating terms to Government: CPI(M) leader

NELLORE: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) Polit Bureau member and State Party Secretary, B.V. Raghavulu, has asked the Government to spell out its stand with regard to the World Bank.

Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, Mr. Raghavulu referred to a survey published in Tuesday's newspapers that the British Agency--Department for International Development (DFID)--was responsible for the suicide of farmers in Andhra Pradesh.

He claimed that the DFID functioned under the influence of the World Bank and was a favourite with the Telugu Desam Party Government. However, the Congress Government too has been going out of the way to please the World Bank.

He referred to letters purportedly issued by the bank to the Government, demanding more reforms and strengthening of the so-called Implementation Secretariat, which aimed at disinvestment of public sector undertakings.

According to Mr. Raghavulu, attempts to privatise the RTC, sacking of employees from the Housing Board and privatising of the Agriculture Marketing Committees (AMCs) are measures to please the World Bank. He claimed that even the DFID has been dictating terms to the Government.

`No alliance with TDP'

Regarding alliance with other political parties in the coming municipal polls, Mr. Raghavulu ruled out any understanding with the TDP-BJP combine and made it clear that the CPI(M)'s main aim was to defeat the two parties.

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