Date:20/01/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/01/20/stories/2008012056000800.htm

Andhra Pradesh

YSR launches fourth phase of land distribution

Special Correspondent

TIRUPATI: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy launched a strident attack on the TDP and the Left parties on Saturday for crying hoarse when his government was in fact implementing a range of “unique schemes” which no other State in India had even thought of.

Citing the ongoing massive land distribution programme, Indiramma, Indira Kranthi Patham, Pasu Kranthi, he referred to his government’s decision to treat agro-units such as poultry, fisheries, sheep, cattle-farming as small scale industries and provide the farmers loans at 0-25 paise interest.

He was addressing a public meeting here after kick-starting the fourth phase of the State-wide land distribution programme targeted to distribute 1.66 lakh acres. Significantly, it was launched a day before the Left parties are to resume their ‘land struggle.’ He wondered whether the Left or the TDP had ever seen anywhere else in the country lands being distributed to the landless on such a massive scale. He criticised Mr. Naidu for the “dubious role” he played to “slow-poison” the Chittoor Co-Op Dairy so as to further the interest of his own dairy unit — Heritage Foods.

Dr. Reddy exchanged documents with the NDDB authorities following the signing of an MoU between the Board and the government to pump fresh investments to the tune of Rs. 15 crore into Balaji Dairy, Tirupati, apart from Rs. 10 crore for its modernisation.