Date:01/03/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/03/01/stories/2008030154510300.htm

Andhra Pradesh

TDP launches cycle yatra

Staff Reporter

TADIPATRI: The district unit of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) launched a 18-day cycle ‘yatra’ here on Friday in the name of ‘praja chaitanya yatra’ to create awareness among people about the failures of the Congress Governments in the State and at the Centre.

Speaking at a meeting before flagging off the cycle yatra party politburo member N. Harikrishna took a dig against the rampant corruption in the development and welfare schemes being implemented.

He alleged that the Congress was trying to ape the welfare schemes introduced by the party founder and his father N.T. Rama Rao like Rs. 2-a-kg rice scheme, power subsidies and waiver of agriculture loans. But, the Congress government was unable to ensure even the minimum support price to the agriculture produce. Coupled with burden of debt, failure of crops due to nature’s fury was forcing the farmers to commit suicide frequently. Party leaders P. Nagi Reddy, and others also spoke at the meeting. The cycle yatra has been planned to cover about 800 kms distances. The yatra will concluded at Anantapur on March 17.