National

TDP ridicules YSR’s employment plan

HYDERABAD: The Telugu Desam has ridiculed the Chief Minister, Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy’s decision to devote the year 2008 for employment generation terming it as election stunt and a move to deceive the unemployed youth.

Addressing a press conference, TDP leaders T. Devender Goud, E. Peddi Reddy, P. Yadagiri and N. Rajakumari said with no end to deceiving people with its promises, the Congress government in fact would have to write an epitaph for itself during the year 2008 as it would mark the end of its rule in the State and the Centre.

The TDP leaders said that as the elections were coming closer, the government seemed to remember the promises it made to the people.

When it was not able to fulfil any of them during the last three years how could it do in the last one and half years of its term, they wondered.

Referring to the Chief Minister’s claims on irrigation, agriculture and welfare, they said they were laughable to say the least.

Everyone in Andhra Pradesh knew how money changed hands in the name of the irrigation projects.

Canals were dug for long stretches but there was no sign of any project. Not a single additional acre was brought under cultivation.

The agriculture sector continues to be crisis-ridden, indicated by the phenomenal rise in number of suicides, they said.

Farmers failed to get a remunerative price for the agricultural produce.

Similar was the case with the welfare of SCs, STs, BCs and minorities. Budget allocations were poor and even the allotted amounts remained unspent.

Conditions in hostels were pathetic as symbolised by the way students had to spend sleepless nights braving the wintry chill with Government unable to distribute blankets.

The latest promise on employment too needed to be taken with a pinch of salt as it failed to create the promised two and a half lakh jobs every year during the last three and half years, they alleged.

At a separate press conference, senior TDP legislator, N. Janardhan Reddy, said the Government should at least now hold an all-party meeting to discuss the Rs. 350 crore corruption in the Yellampalli project with the High Court vacating the stay on the Lok Ayukta’s findings.

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