YSR lambasts CM over suicides

By Our Correspondent

MAHABUBNAGAR, MAY 6. The Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president, Dr. Y. S. Rajasekhar Reddy, lambasted the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) Government for showing ``apathy towards the drought- hit farmers''.

He took exception to the reported statement of the Chief Minister, Mr. N. Chandrababu Naidu, that the Government will not pay Rs.1 lakh as ex-gratia to farmers committing suicide as it would ``encourage suicides.'' Dr. Reddy said that nobody will take his life for money. ``If that is the case, I will pay Rs. 1 crore to the kin of Mr. Chandrababu Naidu if he consumes pesticide,'' Dr. Rajasekhara Reddy declared.

Dr. Reddy made these remarks at a meeting at Jadcherla. He visited along with an AICC delegation, some places in Mahabubnagar district, including Gangapur village, where five farmers committed suicide recently.

He also reiterated this later in a press conference held at Mahabubnagar. He said he was pained and grieved at the suicides of farmers and said that the TDP Government was playing with the lives of hapless victims of drought.

Farmers, unable to fend for themselves, were selling their cattle for a pittance. While this was the ground reality, the Cabinet colleagues of Mr. Chandrababu Naidu were saying that farmers were resorting to suicides suffering from ``mass hysteria,'' Dr. Reddy commented, while referring to the controversial statement of the Civil Supplies Minister, Dr. N. Janardhan Reddy.

Our Hyderabad Special Correspondent writes:

The APCC-I president has nominated coordinators to coordinate the district units in organising Andhra Pradesh bandh on May 11. The coordinators would be in touch with Left parties and other friendly parties and trade unions to make the bandh a success.

The coordinators are Mr. B. Satyanarayana, MP (Srikakulam), Mr. Dharmana Prasada Rao, MLA (Vizianagaram), Mr. P.V.Rangayya Naidu (Visakhapatnam), Mr. G. Gurunadha Rao (East Godavari), Mrs. Panabaka Lakshmi (West Godavari), Mr. Gali Muddukrishnama Naidu (Krishna and Guntur), Mr. Anam Ram Narayana Reddy, MLA (Prakaam), Mr. Mohd Jani (Nellore), Mr. Nandi Yallaiah (Chittoor and Cuddapah), Mr. Puli Veeranna (Kurnool) Mr. T. Purushothama Rao (Mahabubnagar), Mr. T. Jeevan Reddy, MLA, (Warangal), Mr. A. Bal Reddy (Karimnagar), Mr. Sulthan Ahmed (Khammam), Mr. A. G. Krishna (Nizamabad), Dr. P. Shankar Rao, MLA (Adilabad), Mr. D. Srinivas, MLA (Hyderabad), Mr. P. Govardhan Reddy (Medak) and Mr. K. S. Rao (Nalgonda).

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Regional
Previous : Villagers demand water, disrupt Janmabhoomi
Next     : Escaped dacoits shot dead