Economic progress on right path: CM

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, MARCH 22. The Chief Minister, Mr. N. Chandrababu Naidu, said here today that the path and direction his Government has charted for development and economic progress of the State is the right one and people have endorsed it with a handsome mandate.

``We are on the right track. Our approach is correct,'' he asserted while replying to the Assembly debate on the motion of thanks to the Governor for his address on Wednesday. The 90- minute speech was marked for verbal thrusts and jabs, flings and innuendoes.

Mr. Naidu's articulation of his policies came in the context of the Congress(I) criticism that the Telugu Desam record in the past five years had been dismal and that its policies had put the development clock back. Although Mr. Naidu's firepower was aimed at the Congress, some of the splinters did hit the CPI(M) and the TDP ally, the BJP, as well. Apart from chiding the Opposition for not coming up with constructive suggestions, he said that the Congress repeated the same old charges while the CPI(M) and the Majlis developed pathological hatred for the Telugu Desam.

Mr. Naidu said the Opposition failed to take the lessons from the Assembly elections which vindicated his stand that `people want good governance and bless the party that is always with them'. The State recorded an 11 per cent growth rate last year and despite pervasive drought, it was 4.95 per cent this year. Conceding that his Government too had problems on the financial front, he reminded his left critics that West Bengal was in a much bigger mess and mired in a `debt trap.' The picture in Kerala was no good either.

He went ahead with his agenda regardless of the hurdles put up by the Opposition because he was convinced it was right. The Congress asked voters to choose between computers and houses. Yet, they plumped for the TDP because it enjoyed their trust. If he had chickened out, the HITEC City and other IT-related agencies would not have materialised. ``Is it not a matter of pride for us that Mr. Clinton has recognised Hyderabad as knowledge society and the Telugus' dominance in software engineering?'' he asked. The State Congress leaders could not digest their own seniors praising his IT initiatives. He asked them not to belittle Vision document or Janmabhoomi just out of spite.

The Chief Minister referred to the ISI activities in the twin cities and its plan to create scare and chaos. He urged the Majlis leader, Mr. Asaduddin Owaisi, to cooperate in ferreting out ISI elements. He offered to look into the complaint that the police raided madrassas in the name of flushing out ISI men. The entire House should condemn violence and desist from supporting it directly or otherwise.

On the relations with the BJP, he said that the support to the NDA Government was only to protect and promote the State and not partisan interests. The TDP did not join the NDA Government because it was not interested in power. It did not, however, hesitate to speak out strongly when people's issues were at stake. He differed with Delhi on the Bihar and RSS issues. He said the Opposition accused him of blackmailing Delhi if he spoke strongly; if he maintained a low profile `you say I am sold out to them'?

Mr. Naidu rejected criticism that his so-called achievements were merely media hype. This was just jealousy. His record was being acclaimed not only in the State but throughout the country and even across the world. Was it possible to 'manage the media 'outside the state and abroad?

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