The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Naidu blames State for ryots’ plight

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Aug 23, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Naidu blames State for ryots’ plight

Correspondent

‘Reforms fail to reach the common man’

Alleged gang-rape of tribals condemned
United struggle on people’s issues favoured

VIZIANAGARAM: TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu has said that the “tremendous response” to his road-shows in the nine Assembly constituencies is a reflection of the neglect of welfare measures by the Central and State governments.

Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, Mr. Naidu said that farmers, during an interaction on Tuesday, informed him that due to lack of remunerative price for their produce they were not even getting the amount spent on the inputs. In spite of good monsoon for the last three years, the lopsided policies of the government pushed them into a debt trap, he said. A 70-year-old woman was seen working in the field for Rs. 20 a day to eke out a living, Mr. Naidu added. The economic reforms brought in 16 years ago failed to reach the common man, he observed.

Condemning the alleged gang-rape of tribal women at Vakapalli, the TDP chief sought an inquiry into the episode by a sitting judge.

On poor quality of construction of irrigation projects, Mr. Naidu alleged that honest officials who were insisting on quality were being transferred and those amicable to the government were being posted in their place.

Law and order

“Mines in the State have already become the Chief Minister’s property,” the TDP chief alleged. Further, attacks on those exposing the corrupt dealings increased, he said. On the law and order front, the State was becoming another Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, he said. The TDP, he said, would fight tooth and nail to protect democracy.

On ‘Bhooporatam’ and ‘belt shops’, Mr. Naidu said opposition parties must unite to fight issues beneficial to the people.

Referring to the controversy surrounding the reported remarks against Parliamentarians by Indian Ambassador to the U.S. Ronen Sen, he demanded that the envoy be recalled.

TDP Polit Bureau member P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju, State general secretary Kala Venkata Rao, district president Y. Ramana Murty and others were present.

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