Date:05/06/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/06/05/stories/2007060509010300.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Anantapur

Land struggle a survival tactic: MP

Staff Reporter

CPI (M) accused of causing impediments to Government welfare schemes

TENDER CARE: A woman attending the CPI (M) dharna demanding house sites for the poor waves a piece of cloth to enable her child get some fresh air in Anantapur on Monday.

ANANTAPUR: Anantapur MP A. Venkatarami Reddy has alleged that the Left parties, particularly CPI (M), have been agitating in the name of struggle demanding house sites for the poor only for survival in the next elections in the State. The CPI (M) has been politicising the issue, which is being dealt with sincerely by the Government, he said.

Leftist ideology

Talking to newspersons here on Monday, he said the Congress had been working with Leftist ideology since the time of Indira Gandhi. Nationalisation of banks and bringing legislation on land reforms were decisions taken in tune with such an ideology, he said.

The State Government had been trying to construct houses to all eligible poor under the Indiramma scheme and the agitation taken up by the CPI (M) was aimed only at demoralising the Government, he alleged. Stating that it was not a good practice, he warned the Left party that the poor would desert the party if it continued to take up agitations only for its existence.

The Congress had worked together with the Left parties till 2004 on the problems of the poor and farmers and the State Government had been implementing several schemes to resolve their problems. The Government had taken up construction of 1,96,500 houses in the district so far and 53,000 of them were already completed.

Land distributed

Besides, the Government had distributed 982 acres of land, including 701 acres private land acquired with a cost of Rs. 5.25 crores, as house sites to the poor in rural areas and another 294 acres in seven municipalities in the district during the last three years.

Only 22 acres was required for house sites to the poor being mobilised by CPI (M) but the Government was planning to distribute 220 acres for the purpose during the next two years, he said. He sought to know why the CPI (M) appeared to be in a hurry on the issue when the Government was working on it sincerely.