The Hindu : Where is the money, asks Cong.

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, May 31, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh-Hyderabad

Where is the money, asks Cong.

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD May 30. In a frontal attack on what it called the TD Government's anti-people policies, the Congress has accused the Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, of promoting the "art of deceit to hitherto unknown levels'' and said "if he has even an iota of sincerity in him, he would implement all promises made earlier and now.''

Reacting sharply to the anti-Congress tirade of Mr. Naidu at the just-concluded Mahanadu, the PCC president, M. Satyanarayana Rao, and several Congress MLAs dared Mr. Naidu to implement his promises or quit. The welfare measures announced at the Mahanadu alone would cost the exchequer a whopping Rs. 5,000 crores, they estimated.

Reminding Mr. Naidu that of the 28 lakh houses promised by him so far only four lakh had been constructed, they added that the Government had promised five lakh houses during the 1999 elections alone but later cancelled 2.2 lakh houses.

They wondered whether there was any budgetary provision to implement the slew of welfare measures announced by the Chief Minister and wanted to know where would the money come from. The TDP carnival which saw thousands of the ruling party delegates feasting for three days while the State was reeling under drought, reflected "callous indifference'' to the problems confronting people, they said.

The Mahanadu, which should have been a stock-taking meet for the ruling party, did not even attempt to deliberate upon the massive migration from the rural areas. Lakhs of agricultural labour and small farmers had migrated to far off places in search of work. The cattle herds were being led to slaughterhouses in the face of acute fodder shortage. Women were forced to trek long distances to fetch drinking water and unemployment was growing. Forcible collection of dues from farmers leading to suicide was another tragedy confronting the State.

But, the TD thought it fit to confine itself to praising its leader, they said. Sensing the growing popularity of the Congress, Mr. Naidu became "paranoid.'' Otherwise, he would not have made such a turnaround on reforms.

On the tendency of the Chief Minister to blame the Congress for the problems with Karnataka on the irrigation front, they said, "Every time he asks us to mediate and apply pressure on the Karnataka Chief Minister. He seeks Sonia Gandhi's intervention forgetting that she is just a leader of the Opposition party. Intervention, if any, should come from the Prime Minister.''

Accusing the Chief Minister of not resolving disputes with a political motive, they said it made no sense to drag the AICC or other Congress Governments into the picture over the free power issue as the promise was being made by the PCC and not by the AICC.

Among the MLAs present at the press conference were Raghuveera Reddy, A. Ramnarayan Reddy, Kiran Kumar Reddy, Vithal Reddy, Kista Reddy, Gaddenna, B. Goverdhan, Sreedhar Babu and Mareppa.

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