POWER TOOLS: Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy with a whip and mini plough presented to him at the gram sabha at Irala mandal in Chittoor district on Sunday. He is flanked by Chief Whip N. Kirankumar Reddy and Chandragiri MLA G. Arunakumari.

TIRUPATI: Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy on Sunday poured scorn on Telugu Desam president N. Chandrababu Naidu for "putting spokes" in whatever developmental work his Government was taking up in the Stateand even in Mr. Naidu's own district Chittoor.

Participating in the gram sabha at Reddivaripalle village in Irala mandal which falls under Chandragiri constituency, Dr. Rajasekhara Reddy used the occasion to build up anti-TDP sentiment.

Dr. Reddy cited specific instances and cases where he charged Mr. Naidu with giving trouble to the Government and mentioned how how the TDP chief was "kicking up" a row over the Government's move to increase the capacity of the Pothireddipadu head regulator to utilise surplus water to irrigate Rayalaseema districts.

The Chief Minister also cited the case of the Palar reservoir that his Government tried to construct in Mr. Naidu's Kuppam constituency to use the river water which was otherwise flowing into the sea.

Mr. Naidu did not think of it during his nine-year rule and when we wanted to do it he was sending his cadre to adjoining Tamil Nadu to "incite" the AIADMK and the BJP against the project, Dr. Reddy charged.

Another specific case he referred to was the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) being contemplated at Sathyavedu in Chittoor district. He wondered how industries could be set up or projects built without some farmers losing land and questioned the propriety of the TDP in mobilising farmers against the SEZ.

"We are conscious of farmers' sentiments and are trying to be more humane than the TDP in our relief packages," he said.

Dr. Reddy also cited the example of Veterinary University, which he said had come up in Tirupati within months of the Congress coming to power.

He then went on to claim his Government's success in the revival of the Tirupati and Chittoor sugar factories, which "Mr. Naidu tried to put under the hammer."

Apparently with an eye on the panchayat elections, neither the Chief Minister nor Minister for Panchayat Raj J.C. Diwakar Reddy was ready to let the chance go without priding over their Government's higher allocations to various welfare measures.

Sops announced

Among the sops the Chief Minister announced to the Chandragiri segment in response to MLA G. Arunakumari's request earlier were as a 132 KV sub-station and Rs.10-crore special grant for drinking water works.

District Minister N. Raghuveera Reddy, ZPP Chairperson Reddemma, Chief Whip N. Kirankumar Reddy and district Collector S.S. Rawat were among others who were present.

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