Naidu urges naxals to shun violence

By Our Staff Reporter

ANANTHARAM (KARIMNAGAR dt.), JULY 5. The Chief Minister and Telugu Desam Party president, Mr N Chandrababu Naidu, has called upon the naxalites of the People's War Group and other extremist groups to shun violence, join the mainstream of society and participate in the development of backward regions of the State.

Addressing a moderately attended Telugu Desam Party election meeting in this naxalite-dominated village near Jagtial town on Thursday afternoon, the Chief Minister said that the backward regions of the State would be developed only when there was law and order in the region. The naxalite movement had grown in the region as the landlords had not given power to the downtrodden people, he said adding that the landed class had fled the villages fearing the wrath of the naxalites.

Mr Naidu said that unlike other governments the TDP was striving for the development of the region and sending officials and party workers to interior villages to redress their grievances at their doorstep through Janmabhoomi and other programmes. He said that several landlords who had migrated to Hyderabad and other places had earned crores of rupees by doing real estate business.

He said that the naxalites' support to the Telangana Rashtra Samithi would again encourage the landlord system in the villages. He said that the Government was mobilising funds from various agencies only for the development of backward regions of the State. Smaller States would not progress as they would not get funds required for development, he said adding that in the three recently formed states in the country the employees were not getting their salaries.

With regard to the Godavari lift irrigation scheme designed to utilise 50 tmcft of water to irrigate 5 lakh acres of upland mandals in Telangana region, the Chief Minister said that the Government was tapping all sources to mobilise funds and take up the project at the earliest.

Coming down heavily on the Congress for neglecting the backward regions of the State over the years, Mr Naidu said that there were Chief Ministers and a Prime Minister too from Telangana but there was no development in the region. He alleged that the Congress could not utilise Rs 370 crores sanctioned under the AP- 3 project in the region. In turn, the TDP had sanctioned of Rs 950 crores under the AP-3 project and taken up repairs and lining of canal works of SRSP to provide additional ayacut in the region, he added.

On the Telangana Congress legislators launching a movement for separate Telangana, he said had there been dedication towards development of the Telangana by the party there would not have been backwardness in the region. He alleged that the Congress party clinging to power by hook or crook would not strive for development.

Referring to the launching of TRS by his bete noire, Mr K Chandrashekhar Rao, the Chief Minister without mentioning names or party said that some people who were denied power had launched a movement for a separate State. He called upon the people to be wary of Congress politics to attain power by announcing free power to the farming sector. He said the Congress was trying to cheat people by false promises during elections by announcing free power.

He charged that the Congress had neglected the local bodies as they were scared of organising elections. He said that it was the TDP which had been organising elections for the local bodies and delivering them with more powers for the development of rural areas. He said that it was the TDP Government which had empowered all sections politically, economically and socially by providing them an opportunity to contest elections. He also said that the TDP Government had provided reservations for women in jobs and education.

The Minister for Tourism, Mr E Peddi Reddy, the TDP state general secretary, Mr M Damodar Reddy, the district TDP president, Mr S Devaiah, the Karimnagar legislator, Mr K Devender Rao, the party ZPTC contesting candidates and others were also present.

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