Date:10/08/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/10/stories/2008081060330800.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Rosaiah flays TDP chief

HYDERABAD: Finance Minister K. Rosaiah has said that the Telugu Desam Party president N. Chandrababu Naidu was unable to appreciate the government programmes because he wanted to make a political comeback by deriding the Congress regime.

Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, Mr. Rosaiah said the Rajiv Arogyasri health insurance scheme, housing programme and the rapid industrialisation with vast potential for employment to the rural youth had unnerved the TDP chief, who was desperately trying to find loopholes to gain political mileage.

‘No evidence’

Accusing the TDP chief of levelling charges against the government without evidence, the Finance Minister referred to the former’s assertion that he would cancel permission for all the special economic zones if his party came to power. Mr. Rosaiah reminded him that it was during the earlier TDP regime that the process of allotting lands for SEZs began. “What is wrong if the government decides to alienate government land for the SEZs, which are providing employment to thousands of youth?” he queried.