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Cong. to expose TDP 'misrule': Rosaiah

By Our Correspondent

VIZIANAGARAM JUNE 5. The APCC spokesperson, K. Rosaiah, has said that the Congress will enlighten people further on the TDP misrule and the padayatra undertaken by the CLP leader, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, is part of such an exercise. He exuded confidence that the `misrule' of the Chandrababu Naidu Government would end once people become aware.

Mr. Rosaiah told a press conference here on Thursday that the Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, who termed the padayatra a `fashion' and later a `political gimmick' finally realised the impact of the padayatra and the response it evoked from people. The speeches at the three-day Mahanadu at Tirupati veered round the padayatra instead of the prevailing drought situation in the State.

Fearing an adverse impact on his Government, the Chief Minister doled out sops valued at Rs. 2,000 crores but he was not sure from where to mobilise funds for them. The aim of YSR's padayatra was to wake up the Government from its slumber. "The Government slept like Kumbakarna and neglected the woes of people,'' he said. The padayatra yielded results at least in the villages, which Dr. Reddy visited. The Government repaired roads, appointed doctors in PHCs, whitewashed school buildings and supplied power round-the-clock.

Quoting a recent survey report of the State Government, Mr. Rosaiah said that the total ayacut area under canal system was now reduced to 20.89 lakh hectares from 21.84 lakh hectares in 1994-95, industrial sickness was seven per cent above the national average of 21 per cent and the literacy rate when compared to national average of 64.8 per cent was only 61.1 per cent.

He said no new industrial units were set up. A total of 1.41 lakh small-scale industries were closed rendering 15 lakh people employed directly or indirectly jobless. The employment opportunities in the State stood at 0.38 per cent.

Mr. Rosaiah ridiculed the Chief Minister for setting up a task force to identify reasons for severe heatwave conditions and precautions to be taken even after the meteorologists predicted setting in of the South West monsoon in another week. He said already 1200 people had died of sunstroke. The prior warning of the Met office to the Government that the State would pass through a severe summer this year was ignored, he said and added that the constitution of a task force is to make people believe of his `concern' for them.

During the padayatra, women greeted Dr. Reddy with empty pots and told him that they were not getting drinking water even once a week. Moved by their plight, Dr. Reddy criticised the Revenue Minister, P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju, for the current state of affairs in the town. He said the Rs. 30-crore Mushidipalli project helped only the contractors.

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