Andhra Pradesh   

Rs. 2,000 crore more for welfare sector, says YSR

Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy has announced an additional allocation of Rs. 2,000 crore each for irrigation and welfare sectors for the 2006-07 fiscal. This amount will be in addition to the funds earmarked in the State budget approved by the Assembly on Tuesday. Countering criticism that his Government had ignored the welfare sector, Dr. Reddy referred to the "enormous expenditure" to be incurred for the Indiramma programme which would ensure a slew of benefits to the poor.

Speaking at the Ugadi celebrations ushering in Telugu new year Vyaya, here on Thursday, Dr. Reddy said he would end the practice of open defecation in 6,000 villages next year by constructing latrines for each house under Indiramma programme. Responding to the advice of Malladi Chandrasekhara Sastry, who read out the Telugu almanac for the new year, he offered to ensure daily rituals at all the 32,000-odd poorly maintained temples in the State by appointing archakas on a salary of Rs. 2,500 each.

He promised a decision soon on the report of the committee headed by of Potturi Venkateswara Rao on revival of various cultural academies.

Classical status

Dr. Reddy spoke highly about the richness of Telugu language, and said he would strive to get it a classical status.

While people's preference for English could not be faulted, the Government would make efforts to implement Telugu in offices. He said the State was making strides in agriculture after fresh initiatives taken by his Government and at the same time was not lagging in IT either. "One can see a twinkle in the eyes of the farmer now."

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Rs. 2,000 crore more for welfare sector, says YSR
KCR claims political consensus on Telangana
Nagarjuna steals the show as Ramadasu
Briefly

Copyright © 2006, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu