HYDERABAD: The special session of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly to commemorate its golden jubilee on Saturday saw Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy renewing his call to naxalites to return to the negotiating table.

Initiating a three-and-a half hour debate on the progress achieved by the State in the last 50 years, he said his Government was not treating Left wing extremism as a law and order problem but as one rooted in socio-economic conditions.

It has plans for taking up a Rs. 690-crore remote area development programme.

Though previous attempts could not yield the desired results, the doors were still open for talks.

Dr. Reddy analysed in detail the progress achieved during 1994-95 and 2002-03, when Telugu Desam was in power. All the parameters of development were poor.

In terms of human resource development, the State position fell from ninth to tenth.

The annual growth rate was 5.2 per cent as against the national average of 6.22 percent.

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