The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : TDP chief demands YSR’s resignation

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Tuesday, Apr 01, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

TDP chief demands YSR’s resignation

Special Correspondent

“Jungle raj” prevails, Chief Minister’s family amassing wealth: Naidu

PHOTO: P.V. SIVAKUMAR

Hitting out: Leader of the Opposition N. Chandrababu Naidu comes out of the Assembly after speaking on the no confidence motion debate in Hyderabad on Monday.

HYDERABAD: The Legislative Assembly was turned into a battleground for trading charges of corruption and nepotism between Telugu Desam and Congress members in a marathon debate on a no confidence motion tabled by the main Opposition party on Monday.

Leader of the Opposition N. Chandrababu Naidu, who initiated the debate, launched a trenchant attack on Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy by accusing him and family members of amassing wealth and specifically targeted ‘Sakshi’, the Telugu daily launched recently by his son.

Amid scenes of uproar, Congress members retaliated by accusing Mr. Naidu of collecting lakhs of US dollars during his tour of America to raise funds for NTR Memorial Trust of which he is Managing Trustee and transferring the money to a US-based India Heritage Fund.

Judicial inquiry

Demanding the resignation of Dr. Reddy and his Council of Ministers, Mr. Naidu also wanted a judicial inquiry by a sitting judge into the actions of the Chief Minister, specifically into irregularities in irrigation contracts and allotment of prime land to the rich.

He also sought a House Committee probe into the alleged participation of Congress MLAs in irrigation projects as sub-contractors with benami names.

In a spirited five-hour long speech frequently interrupted by Government Chief Whip N. Kiran Kumar Reddy who objected to Mr. Naidu’s references to the names of the Chief Minister’s family members, the TDP leader alleged that the outlay of irrigation projects had been illogically inflated to Rs 1.3 lakh crore to benefit contractors.

Mr Naidu alleged that Brahmini Steels for which 10,000 acres of land was allotted, indeed, was owned by Dr Reddy but operated through a benami, Gali Janardhan Reddy.

In all, 154 companies were allotted over 60,292 acres in Hyderabad and other places, ensuring Rs 81,326 crore to them.

He claimed that Dr Reddy and his family members owned 13 companies.

Annual income

He said the mining licences covered iron ore in Kadapa area, bauxite in Visakhapatnam agency and Galaxy granite in Prakasam district, allowed a huge pecuniary benefit of Rs 7.8 lakh crore to private parties, thereby depriving the ex-chequer of the income.

He said the annual income of the Chief Minister and his family which was projected at Rs 26 crore in the declaration filed before the election authorities in 2004, had gone up to lakhs of crores now.

Price rise

Mr. Naidu alleged that “jungle raj” was prevailing in the State as the law and order had deteriorated, poll-eve promises remained unfulfilled, prices of commodities shot up by 300 per cent and 4,628 farmers committed suicide.

No action was taken on comments made by the Comptroller and Auditor General on irregularities in projects, minerals and land issues.

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