CM hints at publishing white paper

By Our Staff Reporter

GUNTUR, FEB. 28. The Chief Minister, Mr. N. Chandrababu Naidu, has said that the State Government will consider publication of a white paper on the financial situation.

Replying to a query at an impromptu press conference here on Monday, Mr. Naidu asserted that the Government did not want to hide anything from people. ``I want to maintain total transparency on all these issues. Nothing is a secret. But, I have to discuss...,'' he pointed out. Mr. Naidu said that the financial condition of the State was surely better than that of any other State. Recently, an English magazine published details about different States.

The Chief Minister utilised this opportunity to refer to the observations made by the Congress(I) leader, Mr. Jairam Ramesh. Mr. Naidu said: ``Even Mr. Jairam Ramesh, a Congress(I) leader, has said that our financial condition is not in the doldrums. We are far better than any other State. Our loan component is much less compared to several other States. It is less than even the country's average.'' Asked whether if he did not attach much importance to Mr. Ramesh's observation that the guarantees, counter-guarantees and contingent liabilities, which went up from Rs. 4,000-odd crores to Rs. 14,000-odd crores in just three years, the Chief Minister said that it was inevitable for accelerating development and industrial growth. However, even these contingent liabilities were well within the limits. It was just 11 per cent of the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP). And, the Government was not expecting the guarantees to become liabilities.

Mr. Naidu said that he had asked officials to furnish details of the crop loss due to the heavy rain in Guntur, Prakasam and Nellore districts in the last 10 days. The Government would work out ways to help the affected farmers. He was non-committal on the market intervention scheme (MIS) through MARKFED and NAFED for the purchase of chillies.

In respect of tobacco, the State Trading Corporation (STC) bought stocks worth Rs. 15 crores from growers while the Andhra Pradesh Tobacco Growers' Cooperative Union Limited purchased stocks worth Rs. 10 crores. Those stocks were yet to be sold. Recently, the issue of liquidating these stocks was mooted with the Union Finance Minister and also with the ITC. ``When we want farmers to reduce the crop size, they are acting exactly contrary to it,'' he lamented.

Regarding the rebel candidates for the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in different municipal divisions and wards across the State, Mr. Naidu said that the party would not admit them even if they won the polls.

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Section  : Regional
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