HYDERABAD: In an attempt ostensibly to inch closer to the Left parties, the Telugu Desam Polit Bureau has announced a major policy shift, almost dumping "growth sans welfare" reforms and deciding to draft a "new alternative economic policy."

Addressing a press conference, K. Yerran Naidu, Leader of the Telugu Desam Parliamentary Party and Polit Bureau member, referred to the popular perception that though economic reforms pursued so far had helped the country to achieve 8 per cent growth rate, the fruits of development had not reached the poor and other vulnerable sections. He said it had been widely felt that the wealth created through reforms was concentrated only in five per cent of population and had not trickled down to a majority of the people. The party too had realised this and it wanted to recast the policy making it agriculture-centric and make it more pro-farmer, pro-poor, pro-artisan and pro-unemployed youth.

Five-member panel

A five-member committee of party leaders and experts would be constituted to draft the policy, tour different States and elicit views of various political parties. "We are serious about this alternative policy. It is our philosophy and goal, forming part of the manifesto for the next Assembly elections."

Fielding questions, he nearly admitted that the party had indeed made "mistakes here and there in pursuing reforms, requiring course correction" and tried hard to dispel the impression that the policy shift had something to do with Mr. Chandrababu Naidu's latest visit to Delhi and his meeting with the top leadership of Left parties.

Mr. Naidu said the Polit Bureau took a serious view of the confusion being created by the Government over raising the capacity of Pothireddypadu head regulator and its submissions before the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal and demanded an all-party meeting.

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