The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : CLP too sniffs out a `drama'

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Friday, Jul 22, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

CLP too sniffs out a `drama'

Special Correspondent

"Naidu's visit to tribal areas to gain political mileage"

HYDERABAD: The Congress Legislature Party (CLP) has termed the visit of Telugu Desam Party president, N. Chandrababu Naidu, to tribal areas of Visakhapatnam as a `drama' to derive political mileage.

The CLP reacted sharply at the charges levelled by Mr. Naidu on Thursday after calling on malaria-infected tribals in Visakhapatnam district.

The CLP members - S. Gangaram, Podem Veeraiah, K. Ravi Babu, J. M. Gomango and Telam Balaraju - alleged that during his nine-year rule, Mr. Naidu neglected healthcare in the agency areas resulting in death of tribals.

NHRC notice

They said the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) had issued notice to the then TDP Government after the then Opposition leader, Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, had petitioned it about the neglect of tribals.

The TDP Government failed to act on the notice and was now making an issue of the deaths of the tribals.

They pointed out that the official figures available between 1999 and 2003 showed that more than 6,000 tribals died due to malaria, brain fever and other ailments. In 2003 alone, more than 300 tribals died in Visakhapatnam district, they added.

The CLP members reminded the TDP leaders that the Congress Government led by Dr. Reddy had paid special attention to the tribals' problems.

As promised before the elections, Dr. Reddy had done away with user charges in the Government hospitals.

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