Date:31/03/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/03/31/stories/2005033108390400.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Law to protect roads during next session

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, MARCH 30. The Government is planning to bring in legislation in the next Assembly session for the protection of roads, the Roads and Buildings Minister, J. Rama Mohana Rao, said today.

He told Challa Ramakrishna Reddy (Congress) that under a NABARD-aided programme the development of about 6,000 km of road network would be completed in the next two months at a cost of Rs. 625 crores.

The Finance Minister, K. Rosaiah, told B.C. Govindappa (TDP) and others that the rate of decrease in below the poverty line population in the rural areas during six years from 1993-94 was 4.87 per cent and 11.70 per cent for urban.

The overall decline of poverty was 6.42 per cent. He said the percentage of BPL people in the rural areas had decreased from 48.41 in 1973-74 to 11.05 in 1999-2000. In the case of the urban areas, it had come down from 50.61 to 26.63 during the same period.