Govt. committed to balanced growth: CM

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, NOV. 19. The Chief Minister, Mr. N. Chandrababu Naidu, has reiterated the Government and the Telugu Desam Party's commitment to balanced development of the State with special accent on backward areas. ``We have already addressed the concerns of the backward areas and taken a number of steps. Until these areas are brought on a par with the rest of the State we will not sleep,'' he told partymen from Adilabad, Nizamabad and Medak attending a training camp here on Monday.

In a veiled attack on Mr. K. Chandrasekhara Rao, president of the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS), he said that some leaders were politicising the issue and misleading the people by spreading falsehood. It was for the cadre to counter this offensive by educating people about the factual position.

He said the Government had built infrastructure - schools, hostels and hospitals - in these areas and was now concentrating on providing irrigation facilities in a big way. Water was brought to Nalgonda district through lift under the SLBC (Srisailam left bank canal) project which, Mr. Naidu said, was one of the biggest lift-based projects in the country.

Similarly, work would begin on the Devadula project to harness the Godavari to benefit Telangana region which could rank among the biggest lift projects in the world. A number of minor and medium irrigation projects were proposed or were under execution in Adilabad, Nizamabad and Medak districts.

Mr. Chandrababu Naidu had a dig also at the left parties for opposing privatisation and projecting the very concept as an evil, apart from crying wolf that ``in the name of reforms, the poor are being hit in the belly.'' No, nothing could be farther from the truth, he said.

Andhra Pradesh was number one in welfare schemes, and as per the Planning Commission norms, behind Punjab with only 14 per cent people below the poverty line. On account of poverty eradication and population control initiatives, the per capita income had gone up. In a unique effort, his Government conducted half- yearly appraisal of the financial and physical performance of more than 80 departments. The rate of growth of the economy this year was 6.75 against the all-India average of 5.2 per cent.

Some project privatisation was the blackest of evils. In the questionnaire given to the 300 participants at the training, 87.5 per cent felt maintenance of cleanliness at NTR Bhavan was `excellent.' ``This is the best example of privatisation. We have entrusted this to a firm. They keep it spick and span round the clock,'' Mr. Naidu declared proudly, adding that the Capital city was looking much cleaner after private parties were given the task.

The party president called upon leaders and the cadre to be fit - mentally, physically and spiritually - and said that the party would take care of treatment of major ailments noticed during the ongoing medical camp set for them. A medical insurance scheme was also on the anvil.

Dr. D. Nageshwar Reddy, renowned gastroenterologist, and Dr. Srinivasa Sastry, cardiologist of Care Hospitals, spoke on the causes of endocrinal or cardiac problems and offered health tips.

Messrs K. Satyanarayana, president of the Birkur mandal in Nizamabad, G. Linga Goud, vice-president of the Medak district unit, and Ms. Praveena Reddy, ZPTC member from Adilabad, said they found the camp with focus on health, yoga and meditation very useful. ``We thought four days would be too long. Now, we feel it could have been longer,'' they said.

Mr. Chandrababu Naidu landed at NTR Bhavan at 6|45 a.m. and watched the partymen and women practising yoga, dhyana, exercises etc. ``I am convinced the objective of the camp is fully served,'' he said.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Southern States
Previous : DGP sees many chinks in PWG armour
Next     : 'Bright future for children's films'