Andhra Pradesh - Anantapur

Congress unable to speed up development: CPI

By Our Staff Reporter

ANANTAPUR, DEC. 22. The CPI Legislature Party leader, Chada Venkat Reddy, today observed that policies and programmes of the Congress-led State Government were unable to speed up the process of development due to lack of sincerity.

Speaking at a meet-the-press programme organised by the district unit of the Andhra Pradesh Union of Working Journalists here he said the Congress Government was also toeing the line of the previous Government forgetting that the nine-year Chandrababu Naidu Government was ousted by people because of its anti-people policies.

He criticised the Government for disconnecting power supply to SC and ST households, who had dues. He demanded the Government to write off the domestic connection dues of SC and ST families and restore power supply.

The Congress poll promise of providing free power to one-bulb users was also not fulfilled so far, the CPI leader pointed out. The welfare of farmers, which was talked about before the polls, also remained unfulfilled so far. This was not the way to achieve "Indiramma rajyam'', Mr. Venkat Reddy remarked.

On the Government decision to remove 3.5 lakh illegal farm power connections he said the lion's share of power was being consumed by large farmers and aquaculture farmers. Instead of withdrawing free power supply to them, the Government was bent upon victimising small and marginal farmers who had been using illegal connections for their livelihood.

Land distribution

Mr. Venkat Reddy also criticised the Government for its insincere approach on the issue of land distribution to the landless poor. Against the availability of one lakh acres land for distribution, the Government was planning to give away only one lakh acres on January 26.

He also came down heavily on the Government for pulling down the hutments of poor in Malkajgiri and Shamirpet areas of Hyderabad. He sought to know why the Government was discriminating the poor and rich in the matter of encroachments.

While the Government was unable to vacate 97 acres of Kolleru land encroached upon by politically-backed persons, who were earning about Rs. 3,000 crores per annum by taking up aquaculture on the land, it was targeting the poor who had migrated to the State capital in search of livelihood and arranged for temporary shelter, the CPI leader said.

The CPI floor leader also found fault with the Government for its failure to keep the records of irrigation tenders before the Speaker.

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