Date:08/04/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/04/08/stories/2005040806700400.htm

Andhra Pradesh

`Congress failed on all fronts'

By Our Special Correspondent

The Telugu Desam president, N. Chandrababu Naidu, at the party's Polit Bureau meeting at the NTR Trust Bhavan in Hyderabad on Thursday. Photo: P.V. Sivakumar

HYDERABAD, APRIL 7. The Telugu Desam Polit Bureau, which met on Thursday, charged the Government with failure on all fronts and decided to implead itself in the case filed before the Andhra Pradesh High Court seeking elections to municipal bodies. It has also decided to hold its next Mahanadu in Hyderabad for three days from May 27.

Briefing presspersons over the deliberations, the TDP leaders -- K. Yerran Naidu, Umareddy Venkateswarlu and Kadiam Srihari -- said the Government's failure could be seen all over, from farmers' suicides to lack of remunerative prices for farm produce. Responding to a question, they said naxalite violence had not come up for discussion.

That the Government itself was aware of the people's disenchantment was clear from the way it got scared of holding municipal elections, they said. "But we will not leave it and see that the elections are held immediately".

They felt the present mayors and chairmen of the local bodies should have been allowed to continue instead of keeping officials as persons in-charge.

Describing the corruption in the Rs. 46,000-crore irrigation project scheme as "a scam bigger than Bofors," they expressed surprise at the Government's decision to allow only one representative from each political party for the scrutiny of tenders. There should be no restriction, they contended.

They said though the Government claimed to be pro-farmer, it has failed to come to their rescue. Chilli farmers have burnt their bags in desperation.

It has failed to check Karnataka from regularising illegal production of tobacco.

Similarly it has done precious little to check problems and migration of people from drought-hit areas. Crops were wilting and there was severe drinking water scarcity.

The Government sought Rs. 1200 crores and 22 lakh tonnes of rice from the Centre but the latter gave pittance as grant and only two lakh tonnes of rice. In contrast, the previous TDP Government was able to get 55 lakh tonnes of rice under the Food-for-work programme.

Responding to a question, they said the party would participate in the "Praja Patham" programme.