HYDERABAD : Terming Governor Rameshwar Thakur's address to the Legislative Assembly on the first day of the budget session on Tuesday `directionless', Telugu Desam president N. Chandrababu Naidu said the content was a replica of Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy's speeches at gram sabhas being held as part of the `Indiramma' programme.

He took serious objection to the Governor's reference to the `successful conduct of the AICC plenary' and said it was probably the first time in the history of a legislature that party affairs were being trumpeted. "At this rate one need not be surprised if the Government makes a budgetary allocation for conducting party meetings," he said. Reference to plenary was deliberate on the part of the ruling party, he added.

`Key issues ignored'

Mr. Naidu wondered how the Governor could miss references to several key issues in his 34-page address to the House.

Mr. Thakur never made any reference to the demand by several sections of society to accord classical language status to Telugu. The mention of welfare measures in the fag end of the speech was bad considering the priority it should have been accorded.

Congress hails it

The Congress Legislature Party (CLP) hailed it as a "true reflection of the Government performance".

Addressing the media separately, leaders of the MIM, the TRS, the CPI, the CPI (M) and the BJP said the address lacked direction and was devoid of specifics as far as real number of beneficiaries of various programmes was concerned.

Disputing their contention, Finance Minister K. Rosaiah said the path of development chalked out by the Government was amply reflected in the address. He dubbed the objection to the mention of the AICC plenary an "allergic reaction".

Expressing reservations, however, the opposition leaders felt the speech sounded more like a certification by the ruling party to the Government's performance. It was misleading and did not address the concerns of the poor and the downtrodden.

Areas like farming and power were completely neglected. It did not adequately explain as to how the Government planned to avoid nepotism in the selection of beneficiaries under the Indiramma programme.

Telangana apathy

TRS floor leader G. Vijaya Rama Rao said the apathy of the Government towards the Telangana region was in full display.

CPI (M) floor leader T.Veerabhadram said the World Bank agenda was discreetly being implemented giving room to privatisation in all sectors. CPI floor leader Chada Venkat Reddy said the address neglected the agriculture sector by not mentioning the issue of irregular power supply to the farm sector.

MIM floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi said there was no mention of the issues concerning the Wakf Board or Muslim reservations.

BJP leader G. Kishan Reddy denounced the mention of the AICC plenary, and said it was a bad precedent.

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