The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Naidu ‘corners’ CM in House

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Feb 21, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Naidu ‘corners’ CM in House

Special Correspondent

Figures on housing ‘fudged’: TDP

HYDERABAD: Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy found himself in a tight spot in the Assembly on Wednesday over his claim about achievements in the housing programme for the weaker sections.

This followed the Leader of Opposition N. Chandrababu Naidu pointing out a discrepancy between the figure of the completed units furnished in the Socio-Economic Survey for 2007-08 released on Tuesday and those furnished by the Housing Minister in a written reply to a question.

While the reply revealed that 11.86 lakh houses taken up under Indiramma were completed, the Survey gave the figure as 6 lakh.

“What has happened to the remaining houses?” Mr. Naidu asked and alleged that the Chief Minister was inflating figures to show his Government in favourable light.

The TDP leader’s microphone was switched off even as he tried to explain his point further.

Telugu Desam members stormed the podium several times, protesting against the Chief Minister’s attitude in “fudging” the figures. Led by K. Subbarayudu, they raised anti-Chief Minister slogans forcing Deputy Speaker G. Kutuhalamma to adjourn the House abruptly.

Earlier, the Chief Minister clarified that a total of 18.75 lakh houses were taken up under Phase I of Indiramma, including those houses sanctioned earlier spilling over to 2007. Out of them, 11.86 lakh had been completed. He said the lower figure mentioned in the Survey could be due to the printer’s devil.

He termed the dharna by Telugu Desam members at the podium as “nonsense and intimidation”. He said “only yesterday, a court verdict went against you in a defamation case”, when N. Janardhan Reddy, Telugu Desam deputy leader, tried to react on his observation.

Later, at a press conference, Mr. Naidu accused the Government of “running away” from debate on the Governor’s address to the Assembly by abruptly adjourning the House. He said it was odd to see the Chief Minister terming the difference as “printer’s devil” and Housing Minister B. Satyanarayana explaining it as “first and second phase”.

“We have caught them red-handed and since there was no escape route, they got the House adjourned.”

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

Andhra Pradesh