Date:26/10/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/10/26/stories/2006102606810400.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

`No conditionalities for World Bank loan'

Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD: The Congress Legislature Party (CLP) has rubbished the TDP and CPI (M) argument that the World Bank had imposed conditionalities on the US $ 1 billion offered to the State Government recently as a "bankrupt argument."

In a statement on Wednesday, Government Chief Whip N. Kiran Kumar Reddy and Whips D. Sridhar Babu and S. Udaya Bhanu said TDP chief N. Chandrababu Naidu and CPI (M) State secretary B.V. Raghavulu were trying to mislead people on the issue. World Bank MD, Graeme Wheeler, had categorically stated that there were no conditionalities to the offer. Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy and the Finance Department too had clarified that there were no conditionalities.

`Not West Bengal'

Perhaps, Mr. Raghavulu was mistaking Andhra Pradesh Government to be that of the West Bengal Government where the CPI (M) was implementing the World Bank agenda in toto, the CLP leaders said.

Recalling the reforms set in motion by the Left Government in West Bengal, they said the Congress Government here had not prostrated before the World Bank as the CPI (M) had done.

In all, 29 concerns had been earmarked for restructuring in West Bengal affecting 80, 000 employees including the WB State Electricity Board, they pointed out. Whereas, here the Government had even withdrawn a G.O. proposing privatisation.

They accused Mr. Raghavulu of having a pact with the TDP in defaming the Government.