The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Severe punishment for misuse of rice scheme, warns YSR

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Thursday, Apr 10, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Severe punishment for misuse of rice scheme, warns YSR

N. Rahul

Says it will benefit 85 p.c. of the population
Terms the rural job scheme a big success

JADCHERLA (Mahbubnagar dt.): Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy has warned that misuse of the Rs. two-a-kg rice scheme, which he launched here on Wednesday, will not be tolerated at any cost and severe punishment will be handed out to anyone indulging in it.

He said this was the flagship programme of the State government targeted to benefit 85 per cent of the population. He appealed to the Opposition parties to extend their cooperation. Drawing a distinction between the subsidised rice schemes of his government and that of the Telugu Desam 25 years ago, he said the difference was in the quality of rice supplied. The TDP distributed rice that was sold in open market at Rs. three a kg whereas the material now supplied was available for Rs. 16 to 18. Moreover, the coverage during the TDP rule was only 30 per cent of population.

The TDP withdrew all three major promises it made before 1994 elections — Rs. two-a-kg rice scheme, total prohibition and Rs. 50 a horse power scheme for agricultural pumpsets. On the contrary, the Congress was going ahead vigorously implementing the promises made in the last elections, he said. The implementation of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme was a big success. The Food For Work programme taken up by the Telugu Desam regime was confined to TDP activists alone. Dr. Reddy said the government would release Rs. 90 lakh a mandal for construction of cement concrete roads.

“Unimaginable”

A.P. Congress Committee president D. Srinivas said the revival of the rice scheme was unimaginable in the present circumstances. Rural Development Minister G. Chinna Reddy said 2.60 lakh acres of land could be irrigated additionally if the fourth phase of Kalwakurthy lift-irrigation was completed.

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