The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : PMO is not party office, says Ashok

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Friday, Oct 26, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

PMO is not party office, says Ashok

Correspondent

VIZIANAGARAM: TDP Polit Bureau member P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju has said that “PMO is not a party office and the denial of appointment to former Chief Minister and president of a recognised political party in a democracy is very unusual and surprising.” He said that Mr. N. Chandrababu Naidu had sought appointment some 15 days ago for a discussion on farmers problems and to seek minimum support price for paddy.

Condemning the denial of interview to his party leader , Mr. Ashok told a press conference on Thursday that the Prime Minister who himself had warned the nation about decreasing food stocks seemed to have not made any effort to discuss the problem with opposition parties for a solution. The TDP leader said that it was unfortunate that after Independence the nation which progressed from deficit to surplus status in food production was now importing wheat from othercountries. The situation had arisen due to shift from wheat to othercrops, he said. But, in Andhra Pradesh cultivation of traditional crops remained unchanged.

Though there was normal monsoon during the last three years the paddy yield per acre was not encouraging, he said and added that suicide by farmers continued unabated due to thelop-sided policies of the State Government.

The party district president Y. Ramana Murty, who was present, demanded compensation of Rs. 40,000 per acre to farmers whose crops, pumpsets and sheds were damaged by wild elephants. He said the State Government failed in every sector.

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