Tariff hike: TDP to educate people on Opposition's 'designs'

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, JULY 16.The Telugu Desam Party has resolved to avoid a confrontationist approach towards the Congress (I) and the Left in their current agitation against the power tariff hike and to instead educate people about their ulterior political designs.

At a meeting of the TDP's politburo members and important leaders held under the chairmanship of the TDP president, Mr. N. Chandrababu Naidu, on Sunday night, it was decided that the party should hold meetings and issue statements to counter the Opposition's `disinformation campaign' about the new tariff. One such instance of `disinformation' was the statement of the AICC (I) spokesman, Mr. Ajit Jogi, that the energy charges in AP had been raised ten-fold.

Mr. Naidu convened the meeting on the eve of launching of the week-long literacy campaign, `Chaduvukundam', when party leaders will visit villages to motivate people to send children to schools as also against the backdrop of the daily gheraos of the Ministers in different places. He advised his partymen to concentrate on development instead of bothering about the actions of the Congress (I) and the Left parties. People were watching the attemps of these parties to thwart the State's development, he said.

Briefing reporters later, Mr. P. Prabhakar Reddy, TDP MP, said the meeting gave a call to Ministers, MLAs and party leaders to participate in the `Chaduvukundam' programme and ensure its success. After discussing in detail the measures to regularise illegal power connections and curb energy theft, the meeting called upon the elected representatives and party cadre to extend support to AP Transco's efforts to bring down distribution losses.

Mr. Prabhakar Reddy said the leaders condemned the Opposition for throwing democratic norms to the winds and resorting to violent methods in order to get political mileage from the power tariff hike. In particular, they flayed the PCC (I) chief, Mr. M. Satyanarayana Rao, for his statement that his party should exploit the present opportunity.

He accused the Congress (I) of spreading propaganda about the Telugu Sena which was proposed to be created even before last year's elections as part of the party's restructuring.

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Section  : Southern States
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