Date:04/01/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/01/04/stories/2005010416550500.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Congress decries TD campaign on Dummagudem

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, JAN. 3. The Congress Legislature Party (CLP) has termed the TDP campaign against the proposed Dummagudem project as irresponsible and the latter's concern for Telangana, false.

In a statement here on Monday, the Congress MLAs from Telangana region -- K. Surekha, S. Gangaram, T. Jeevan Reddy, A. Indrakaran Reddy, Swarna Sudhakar, Suneeta Lakshma Reddy, R.Venkata Reddy, Komatireddy Venkata Reddy and Narayan Rao -- asked the TDP to see reason and stop campaigning against the projects.

TDP leaders like T. Devender Goud belonging to Telangana region had never made any contribution for the region's development and never brought pressure on the then Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, for early completion of the projects.

The Congress Government had not planned any new projects but was going ahead with the same ones planned in the past.

The only difference was that the TDP just laid foundation stones without intending to complete the projects while the Congress was taking project works to the logical conclusion. Asking Mr. Goud to spell out reasons for his inability in forcing Mr. Naidu to complete the projects, they asked him to stop displaying false concern for Telangana.

`Achievements galore'

The advent of the Congress Government had resulted in speeding up the work on projects that would benefit Telangana like Gutpha-Alisagar, Godavari Lift Irrigation- I and II, SLBC, SRSP Flood Flow Canal, Bheema Lift, Kalwakurthy LI, Nettampad, Koilsagar, Ellampalli and Dummugudem, they said.

With its anti-people policies, the nine-year-long TD rule had pushed the State to the brink of disaster that resulted in the collapse of rural economy, they said. It was time the TDP realised the importance of the projects to the State and stopped opposing the ambitious "Maha Jalayagnam" the CLP members said.